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MARCH 22, 2019

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VOL. 3 NO. 363

DEMAND FOR DRUMS

A woman sells water containers along Marcos Highway in Santolan, Pasig City on Saturday (March 16, 2019). Water drums are selling like hotcakes due to the water shortage in Metro Manila, costing as much as PHP700 each.

JOEY O. RAZON / PNA

Duterte threatens to terminate concessionaires’ contracts

BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency MANILA — President Rodrigo R. Duterte has threatened to fire officials of state regulator Metropolitan Water-

works and Sewerage System (MWSS) and terminate the contracts of its two water concessionaires if they failed to properly explain the reason for the water shortage problem in Metro Manila.

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Japan firm proposal on Kaliwa Dam up to PRRD’s judgment call

19 Fil-Can in Focus: Eskenita Foods: A Smoky Corner of Filipino Favorites in Canada

❱❱ PAGE 10 Duterte threatens

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New Zealand holds first funerals for mosque shooting victims

Philippine News

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MARCH 22, 2019

FRIDAY

Philippine water shortage forces cuts for 6.8 million people THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MANILA, PHILIPPINES — About 6.8 million people have been affected by a water shortage in and around the Philip-

pine capital, with long lines forming for rationed water and businesses and some hospitals struggling to cope after faucets ran dry.

Water supplies will be cut for at least six hours a day for more

than a million households until the rainy season fills dams and reservoirs in May or June, a spokesman for Manila Water Co. Inc., Jeric Sevilla, said Thursday.

The company, one of two gov-

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ernment-authorized water sup- residents lined up for hours pliers in the densely populated with pails and water jugs to get Manila metropolis and nearby water from firetrucks. “We have Rizal province, said a spike in no water. It has been one week, demand and reduced water lev- not a drop in our faucet,” said els in a dam and smaller reser- resident Richie Baloyo. “There voirs in the sweltering summer are children going to school, are the culprit, exacerbated by people need to work, how do El Nino weather conditions. you expect them to collect waManila Water, which supplies ter like this?” water to the eastern half of the Many water-dependent busicapital, initially nesses, such as tried to cope car washes and with the limited laundries, have supply by reclosed tempoducing pressure rarily. Some resbut it did not Nobody taurants are uswork since some wants this to ing paper plates communities in happen. The or porcelain hilly areas comwelfare of our plates covered plained of not customers is with disposable getting water foremost in plastic sheets to for long hours. our mind and conserve water.

The company we’re taking Health Secretary then decided to steps to Francisco Duque schedule water mitigate the III made an ursupply interrupsituation. gent appeal to tions starting relatives of hosThursday, Sevilla pital patients to said. “limit the watch“The concept ers of your pais for everybody to share the tients to one” to reduce water burden,” Sevilla said by phone. use.

“Nobody wants this to happen.

Congress is to hold inquiries The welfare of our customers is next week into the cause of the foremost in our mind and we’re crisis. taking steps to mitigate the sitThe government has been uation.” blamed for decades of delay in A company advisory said res- constructing another dam and idents in more than a dozen cit- other related infrastructure. ies and towns would lose their Manila Water has been critiwater supply from six to 21 cized for not adequately prehours a day through the sum- paring for contingencies. mer months and appealed for “El Nino is not really the culpublic understanding. prit,” Sevilla said. “It’s actually In the city of Mandaluyong, supply and demand.” ■

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Philippine News

MARCH 22, 2019

Japan needs 60K caregivers: POEA

BY FERDINAND PATINIO Philippine News Agency MANILA — Some 60,000 caregivers are needed in Japan, according to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

POEA administrator Bernard Olalia said private recruitment agencies will be processing the employment of qualified foreign workers under the new specialized skilled worker visa of Japan starting April 1.

He added the new visa will have two classifications: one for semi-skilled workers such as caregivers, with fiveyear contract, and one for highly-skilled workers that will have the chance to acquire an immigrant status after contract, also for five years.

Olalia said the workers are wanted in health institutions in the host country.

“Mostly in elderly care institutions since they have many senior citizens,” he said in a television interview.

Olalia also reminded the applicants to wait for their advise regarding the new

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visa since it is only set to be signed on March 19.

The POEA also warned the public not to fall for recruitment agencies that are claiming that they are accepting applicants for the new visa.

Meanwhile, Olalia reported that Japan is also needing 300 foreign workers for different sectors.

Among the job vacancies are in the food service industry, construction, agriculture, manufacture of food and beverage, accommodation industry, building cleaning management, machine parts and tooling, industrial machinery, fisheries and aquaculture, electric, electronics and information, aviation industry, automobile repair and maintenance, shipbuilding and ship machinery.

Olalia noted that though construction is included on the list, the deployment of workers in the said sector will be limited since the infrastracture program in the country will also need laborers.

“We will be coming out with a regulation limiting the deployment of construction workers,” he added. ■

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Palace ‘concerned’ over budget impasse but insists on waiting

BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency MANILA — Malacañang on Tuesday expressed concern anew over the ongoing budget impasse on the proposed PHP3.757-trillion national budget for 2019 but insisted on waiting for the two chambers of Congress to settle their differences.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo disclosed this after House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo bared that the House will not be recalling its version of the 2019 national budget, contrary to Senator Panfilo Lacson’s earlier claim that it already did.

“We are concerned, but what can you do if they don’t want?” Panelo said in a Palace briefing, stressing that Palace has repeatedly urged them to speed up the passage of the budget bill.

“We’ve telling them to settle their differences, we urge them earnestly to pass the bill. We are telling them even that the people will not take it lightly if they continue to ignore the demands of the times,” he added.

However, Panelo said that there will be “no move from Malacañang.”

The House leadership has stood pat on its decision that the itemization they made on the lump sum appropriations of its version is legal and constitutional.

However, Lacson claimed these realignments favored districts.

Panelo said he was personally getting impatient over the budget impasse but will have to ask President Rodrigo R. Duterte if he felt the same.

“Ako, naiinip. Tatanungin ko siya ma-

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maya. May meeting kami mamaya e (Me, I’m getting impatient. But I’ll ask the President. We have a meeting later),” Panelo told reporters in a chance interview.

Duterte will soon have to submit the proposed 2020 budget before he delivers his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July.

Meanwhile, Panelo said Arroyo told him that she will be meeting with some lawmakers from both the House and Senate to discuss the proposed 2019 budget anew.

“I was with the Speaker an hour ago at an event in Shangri-La BGC and I asked her and she said that they are precisely meeting. I think this afternoon, precisely to tackle that. They are meeting today.

That’s what she told me, there are meetings now, today. Let’s just wait for them,” he said.

Panelo said Arroyo also confirmed that it was San Juan City Rep. Ronaldo Zamora who is negotiating with the Senate on the budget impasse.

On March 12, lawmakers failed to reach a consensus on the proposed 2019 national budget despite meeting with the President to resolve the budget impasse.

The government has been operating on a reenacted budget since January 1 this year after lawmakers failed to pass the bill last year due to allegations of pork “insertions.”

The passage of the 2019 budget was delayed further due to allegations of realignments made by the House after both chambers of Congress ratified the bicameral conference committee report. ■

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FRIDAY MARCH 22, 2019

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Philippine News

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MARCH 22, 2019

FRIDAY

DepEd seeks to boost financial literacy among studes, teachers

BY MA. TERESA MONTEMAYOR Philippine News Agency MANILA — The Department of Education (DepEd) is set to take financial education in public schools to a higher level.

In a statement Friday, Education Secretary Leonor Briones said DepEd has received the second set of financial literacy videos from Banco de Oro (BDO) Foundation and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) during turn-over ceremonies at the DepEd Central Office on March 13.

The videos are part of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed by DepEd, BDO and BSP on May 28, 2018.

The MOA aims to provide lessons on responsible handling of personal finances and manage resources through a financial literacy program in compliance with Republic Act 10922 or the Economic and Financial Literacy Act. The first set of financial videos, which has been uploaded to DepEd’s online learning portal, focuses on the why’s and how’s of saving. They are now being used for classroom instruction and teacher trainings nationwide.

Meanwhile, the second batch of videos for teachers and learners focuses on the topics of budgeting and financial management, investing, avoidance of scams, managing indebtedness, and entrepreneurship.

“For me, we can talk about financial literacy, we can talk about money in a very rational way, the way economists do it. But we will have to look at the sociology, the cultural side of it. What makes people spend more than their income?

Why do people save? Why is it that others save and others don’t?,” Briones said.

In an earlier interview, DepEd Undersecretary for Finance-Budget and Performance Monitoring Annalyn Sevilla told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) that young students who grow up understanding their financial priorities and calculating financial risks become crucial advocates of nation-building.

Sevilla added that the videos would be key in instilling other values, which lifelong learners must possess, apart from teaching the value of saving money.

“Kapag ang bata ay tinuruan ng financial management, natututo silang maging responsible and to think criti-

Students take a break at a cool and shady area of Quezon Memorial Circle, a favorite hangout of Metro Manila residents.

RICO H. BORJA / PNA

cally. Naiisip nila kung alin ang mas importante pagkagastusan at mamuhay lamang sa kakayahan nila (When a child is taught financial management, they learn to be responsible and to think critically. They are able to analyze which is more important to spend on and to live within their means),” she said.

Sevilla stressed that financial literacy is not just about saving money but also involves knowledge of how money works in the community.

“Ang decision-making ng mga bata sa pera ay nagpo-progress (Children’s decision-making about money progresses) from simple to big things, when they become parents, businessmen and leaders of our communities, they will manage their finances according to what was

taught to them when they were young,” she added.

Recognizing the roles of teachers in raising financially-literate Filipinos, Sevilla said DepEd is also keen about equipping them with financial management skills which they can show to the learners.

“For the newly-hired teachers, Secretary Briones instructed, part ng kanilang (of their) orientation is financial literacy. Meron kaming (We have a) resource person na nagtuturo ng (who teaches) personal management of your finances, not just the partnership with BDO, BSP, Government Service Insurance System but a lot of non-government organizations volunteering to teach our teachers,” she said. ■

PH, China continue to bolster ties PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY

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MANILA — The Philippines and the People’s Republic of China have continued to develop stronger ties through cultural exchanges.

The China International Publishing Group (CIPG) recently met with representatives from the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO).

The CIPG is the largest foreign-language publishing organization in China, providing up-to-date information about China to readers worldwide through books, magazines, and the internet.

Both countries are looking forward to the implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) before 2019 ends.

The MOU contains relevant possi-

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bilities and plans between the two countries.

Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping previously agreed to elevate bilateral relations during Xi’s first state visit to the Philippines in November 2018.

In April, President Duterte is set to attend the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing to be accompanied by PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar.

Moreover, Office of the Global Media Affairs (OGMA) chief JV Arcena explained his office’s function to engage with international media and Filipinos abroad.

OGMA ensures that the Philippine government has a voice in international countries, promoting the Duterte administration’s programs and policies. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY MARCH 22, 2019

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ICC prosecutors to Japan firm proposal on Kaliwa be deported if they Dam up to PRRD’s judgment call probe drug war PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY

BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency MANILA — Prosecutors of the International Criminal Court (ICC), who will enter the Philippines to investigate the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, may be deported, Malacañang said on Monday.

Presidential Spokesperson and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said ICC prosecutors’ plan to conduct preliminary investigation is illegal because it meant they are interfering with national sovereignty.

“We will smile at them (prosecutors) and tell them nicely, ‘You can’t do it here. If you persist, you will be deported.’ Because when you try to subject a country to your jurisdiction, then you’re interfering with the sovereignty of our country,” Panelo told reporters in an interview after the regular Palace briefing.

Panelo, however, said blacklisting of ICC prosecutors will not be necessary since Bureau of Immigration (BI) officials can easily approve or deny their entry to the country.

“I guess during the entry, they will be asked by the immigration officials — that’s standard. Pag halimbawa sinabi nila, ’we will be investigating’ baka denied na kaagad sa Immigration (For example, they say, we will be investigating, they might be denied immediately),” Panelo said.

“The immigration officials have the discretion to deny you entry if yun gagawin mo dito ay either labag sa batas or manggugulo ka lang dito(what you do here is against the law or you’re just going to create trouble here),” he added.

Deny visa entry

Panelo, meanwhile, expressed openness to replicate the move of the US State Department to revoke or deny visas of ICC members involved in investigating the actions of US troops in Afghanistan or other countries.

“Certainly, we will not allow any attempt at interfering with the sovereignty of this country,” Panelo said when asked if the Philippine government would

copy the US move to revoke visas.

“That’s possible. Why should we allow them to do it first before we do something?” Panelo said.

Asked if ICC prosecutors should even attempt to enter the Philippines to conduct preliminary investigation, Panelo quipped that they should instead spend their time sleeping.

“Matulog na lang sila (They should just sleep),” Panelo said.

Panelo, however, said the ICC prosecutors are still free to enter the Philippines as tourists or visitors.

“Well, they can come here as guest, visitors but any move that will be deemed as a violation of our laws, may problema sila dun (they have a problem with that),” Panelo said.

‘Appalling’

Panelo described as “appalling” how the ICC has become “a political tool, using its power to politically persecute heads of state, thereby intruding into the sovereignty of this country.”

“It is no wonder that powerful countries of the world, like US, Russia, China and Israel have withdrew and/or did not join the ICC,” Panelo said.

Panelo reiterated that the criminal justice system in the country is operational and courts are willing and able to prosecute heads of states and other government officials.

“We have our own courts here. We can prosecute anybody we feel is a violator or the transgression of the law,” Panelo said.

“They (ICC) cannot undertake anything in connection with jurisdiction of exercise of what they have in mind because as we said that is in violation of our laws,” he added.

He added that the Executive branch will no longer wait for formal communication from the ICC to confirm the effectivity of its supposed withdrawal from the Rome Statute.

“We’re not interested. As far as we are concerned, we have never been under its jurisdiction,” Panelo said. “They can do their worst. They cannot even enforce whatever they’re doing.

How will they enforce it in the first place?” ■

MANILA — Malacanang on Tuesday said the alternative proposal reportedly offered by a Japanese company to build the Kaliwa Dam project will be left to the judgment call of President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

“We will leave it to his judgment call,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a Palace press briefing.

Panelo made this comment despite words from Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) Administrator Reynaldo Velasco that the contract with China on the construction of the Kaliwa Dam was already a done deal.

Panelo said his office will look into Osaka-based Global Utility Development or GUDC’s claim that it has better and cheaper proposal.

“Me, what I will do is I will ask the… this particular Japanese entity or firm to give us a copy of their proposal, and then my

KARL NORMAN ALONZO/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

office will look into it. And then I will make a recommendation to the President,” Panelo said.

GUDC earlier said compared to the dam project, the weir or low-level water intake they are proposing will address safety concerns and will be more economical for the government.

“But if you will ask me personally, if the advantage is so clear, if it is true that the Chinese proposal is onerous, I think we should look into it,” Panelo said.

“I think that should be thoroughly studied if the claim of

the Japanese is true or not. Kasi (because) we don’t know exactly, baka(maybe) we’re also speculating,” he added.

Panelo said there may be reasons why the price offer by the Chinese company is higher than the Japanese firm.

“Baka mayroong reason ’di ba, baka ibang technology nila ang gagamitin (There might be a reason, they might be using a different technology),” he said.

Panelo said he will refer to the experts’ opinions during his examination. ■

Cebu teen slay case solved but not yet closed: PNP

BY CHRISTOPHER LLOYD CALIWAN Philippine News Agency MANILA — The brutal killing of Christine Lee Silawan in LapuLapu City, Cebu is considered solved but not yet closed, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Tuesday.

PNP spokesperson, Col. Bernard Banac said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Central Visayas regional office is now the lead agency handling the investigation of the case following the arrest of the 17-year-old boyfriend of Silawan — who was tagged as a “person of interest.”

He said the PNP will cooperate with NBI for the manhunt against two other suspects in the crime.

“There are two other suspects. This is why the PNP continues to extend support to the www.canadianinquirer.net

NBI. We are ready to provide all records to the NBI Regional Office 7 and we expect that this will yield results as soon as possible. As for now, the murder case is solved but not yet closed,” Banac told reporters in press briefing in Camp Crame.

Banac also said the NBI’s investigation showed that Silawan’s case is a crime of passion.

“It is because of the suspect’s ties with the victim. There is extreme anger or jealousy as far as the suspect’s ties with victim is concerned. However, our investigation team won’t stop until we uncover the truth,” he said.

On Monday, the NBI Central Visayas filed charges against the 17-year-old boyfriend of Silawan before the Lapu-Lapu City Prosecutor’s Office.

The NBI, however, turned over the arrested minor to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in

Region 7 (Central Visayas).

NBI Deputy Director for Regional Services Office Antonio Pagatpat told the media that the Lapu-Lapu City Prosecutors Office will organize “a panel that will conduct the preliminary investigation” before filing appropriate charges against the boyfriend.

NBI-7 Regional Director Tomas Enrile said the 17-year-old boy was seen in a closed-circuit television (CCTV) together with Silawan in a subdivision at Barangay Maribago.

The suspect was caught in an operation in Barangay Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City last March 16.

Last March 11, Silayan was found dead in a vacant lot in Barangay Bankal, Lapu-Lapu City a day with her face skinned to the skull, her body with 20 stab wounds and 10 defense wounds, and her tongue, trachea, and esophagus removed. ■

Philippine News

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MARCH 22, 2019

FRIDAY

EJKs ‘never an issue’ with foreign investors in PH: Palace Correspondent/Hosts Bea Kirstein T. Manalaysay Joanna Belle Deala Gianna Llanes Arianne Grace U. Lacanilao Violeta Arevelo Babes Newland Graphic Design Shanice Garcia Ginno Alcantara Arlnie Colleene Talain Singca Account Manager Kristopher Yong Director/Producer Boom Dayupay Photographers/Videographers Ginno Alcantara Maria Crizandra Baylon Sales Aireen De Asis Paul Acosta Dennis Cruz Operations and Admin Victoria Yong Amelia Insigne Management Alan Yong Victoria Yong For photo submissions, please email editor@canadianinquirer.net For General Inquiries, please email info@canadianinquirer.net For Sales Inquiries, please email sales@canadianinquirer.net or contact 778-788-4998 Philippine Canadian Inquirer is located at 11951 Hammersmith Way, Suite 108 Richmond, B.C. V7A 5H9 Canada

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BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency MANILA — Malacañang on Monday said the alleged extrajudicial killings linked to the Duterte administration’s war on drugs is never an issue to foreign investors in the Philippines.

“I think whoever said that should conduct more research of that,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a Palace briefing after Law Association for Asia and the Pacific (LAWASIA) President Christopher Leong reportedly claimed that foreign investors may be reluctant to invest in the country due to alleged extrajudicial killings.

Leong expressed his concern during a law business forum with a theme “Keeping Abreast with Asian Business Law Developments” on March 15.

Panelo said the economic managers, particularly Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia and Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez, “are one in saying that never the issue of human rights or extra judicial killings have been raised during meetings with investors and other conferences relative to the business investments to this country.”

Citing the Finance Secretary, Panelo said foreign investments in the Philippines have even increased to USD10 billion in 2017 and USD9.1 billion in the first 11 months of 2018.

“If you compare that to the previous administration, ang laki ng ating nakuhang (we acquired a large) investment from the foreign side,” Panelo said.

Panelo explained that the principal considerations for foreign investors include the ease of doing business.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo.

“What are the principal considerations in investing in this country? One would be the issue of bureaucracy - if there is so much red tape, they will be discouraged in coming here,” Panelo said.

“That is precisely why we have the law on stopping such—what do you call that, yeah, ease on doing business in this country,” he added.

Moreover, Panelo said investors also valued the country’s peace and order situation, especially since among the promises of the administration of President Rodrigo R. Duterte is to fight criminality and corruption.

“They know that criminality has gone down considerably and there is war against illegal drugs,” Panelo said.

Panelo also denied Leong’s concern on the rise on the number of deaths of lawyers, prosecutors, and judges in the country, describing it as an “exaggeration.”

“That’s an exaggeration. One death of a lawyer every month, palagay ko nangangarap siya ng gising (he is daydream-

YANCY LIM / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

ing). I don’t think so,” Panelo said.

Even if it were true, Panelo emphasized that the killings of lawyers cannot be attributed to the government but the result of the problems affecting the particular individuals subject of the killing.

“It could be personal motivations, it could be revenge, it could be a botched business deals or could be a client… disgruntled. There are many reasons for killing a particular individual,” Panelo said.

LAWASIA is a regional group of lawyers, judges, jurists and legal organizations.

Panelo earlier denied allegations that the extrajudicial killings were statesponsored, saying they are direct consequences of members of the drug syndicates killing each other either for their own protection.

He defended the anti-illegal drug campaign stressing that it is anchored on “national survival” and “accountability of those who bring the nation to the precipice of destruction.” ■

PH issues advisory after threat level 5 raised in Netherlands

BY JOYCE ANN L. ROCAMORA Philippine News Agency MANILA — The Philippine Embassy in The Hague on Monday night issued an advisory for Filipinos to take precaution after Dutch authorities raised The Netherlands’ threat level to five (critical) following a shooting incident in Utretcht that killed three people and injured nine others.

The Embassy is currently in close coordination with the Dutch police and

the Dutch Foreign Ministry to check if Filipinos were among the casualties.

Meanwhile, the Philippine government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, sent its thoughts and prayers to the Dutch people and government over their loss in the shooting.

“The Philippines is greatly saddened that such an incident has occurred in a peaceful country such as The Netherlands,” it said.

The incident took place at about 10 a.m. local time near 24 Oktoberplein junction in Utrecht, according to re-

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ports. While investigation is ongoing, a “terror motive” is not excluded, Utrecht Mayor Jan van Zanen said.

“We cannot exclude, even stronger, we assume a terror motive. Likely there is one attacker, but there could be more,” van Zanen was quoted by local news as saying.

The incident occurred days after the deadly mass shootings in New Zealand, which were perpetrated by two gunmen who stormed two mosques in Christchurch, killing 50 and injuring 50 others. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY MARCH 22, 2019

9

SC reinstates raps vs.

PH condoles with NZ shooting Parojinog over anomalous victims, rebukes terror building contract

BY EJ ROQUE Philippine News Agency

BY BENJAMIN PULTA Philippine News Agency

formal complaint is not included in the determination of whether there has been inordinate delay,” the SC said, explaining that the period from the receipt of the MANILA — The Supreme Court (SC) re- anonymous complaint by the Office of instated the graft case against embattled the Ombudsman-Mindanao, on August Ozamiz City Vice Mayor Nova Princess 23, 2010, until December 7, 2014 should E. Parojinog-Echavez in connection not be considered in the determination with irregularities in the contract for the of the presence of inordinate delay. renovation of the city’s multi-purpose “This is so because during this pebuilding 10 years ago. riod, respondents were not yet exposed In a decision penned by Associate Jus- to adversarial proceedings, but only for tice Diosdado M. Peralta dated February the purpose of determining whether a 11 and released Monday, the SC reversed formal complaint against them should the Sandiganbayan’s 2017 ruling that be filed based on the result of the factdismissed the graft case against Echavez finding investigation,” it added. and her father, the late city mayor ReyThe SC noted that the reckoning point naldo O. Parojinog, filed by the Office of to determine if there had been inordithe Ombudsman (OMB) in 2016. nate delay should start to run from the Acting on an anonymous complaint filing of the formal complaint with the filed in 2010 and the subsequent report Office of the Ombudsman-Mindanao, of the Commission on December 8, 2014, on Audit (COA), the up to the filing of the Ombudsman charged Information on Nothe Parojinogs with vember 23, 2016. graft, saying they All persons shall “Finally, we note had financial or pethat the Sandiganhave the right cuniary interest in bayan granted reto a speedy the renovation of the spondents’ motion to disposition multi-purpose buildquash the Informaof their cases ing awarded in favor tion on the ground before all of the Parojinog & that the facts did not judicial, quasiSons Construction constitute an offense, judicial, or Company (PSCC). and since it disadministrative Nova Princess was missed the case due bodies. the managing partto the violation of rener in the said firm. spondents’ right to a Acting on a motion speedy disposition of of the Parojinogs, the anti-graft court cases, it did not order the amendment of then dismissed the case for violation the information as provided under Secof the accused’s constitutional right to tion 4, Rule 117 of the Rules of Court,” speedy disposition of cases noting that it the High Court said. took the OMB a total of five years and 11 The SC added that “if the motion to months to file the criminal case in court quash is based on an alleged defect of from the time it received the complaint. the complaint or information which can The Office of the Special Prosecutor be cured by amendment, the court shall elevated the issue before the SC. order that an amendment be made. If The SC, citing the provision in the it is based on the ground that the facts Constitution, said that “all persons shall charged do not constitute an offense, the have the right to a speedy disposition of prosecution shall be given by the court their cases before all judicial, quasi-judi- an opportunity to correct the defect by cial, or administrative bodies.” amendment.”

In reversing the Sandiganbayan, the The SC said that since the elder court pointed out however that the right Mayor Parojinog had already died on is violated “only when the proceeding is July 30, 2019 the criminal information attended by vexatious, capricious, and should only be filed against respondent oppressive delays.”

Echavez.”

The SC said that “for the purpose of In July 2017, Nova Princess and sibdetermining whether inordinate delay ling brother Reynaldo Jr., and several exists, a case is deemed to have com- other persons were arrested when law menced from the filing of the formal enforcement agents served them search complaint and the subsequent conduct warrants for illegal possession of fireof the preliminary investigation.” arms and ammunition. The ensuing “The period devoted for fact-finding firefight left Parojinog Sr., his wife, and investigations before the filing of the 14 others dead. ■

MANILA — The Philippines condoles with the families of the victims of the mass shootings in New Zealand and rebukes all efforts to sow fear and terror between and among people, Malacañang said Saturday.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in this tragic incident, and we pray for strength and speedy recovery of those who were injured,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

Panelo said the Philippine government and its people stand with New Zealand during this time of grief and outrage.

“The Philippines joins all peaceloving nations and peoples around the world in condemning — in the strongest and in no uncertain terms — this assault on the faithful in places of worship. This reprehensible act has no place in a civilized world. The Philippines rebukes all efforts to sow terror and fear between

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and among peoples,” he said.

Panelo cited the need for a “universal unified action” and a conscious, determined effort to neutralize and demolish any attempt at destabilizing order in societies and the tranquility of citizens and secure the safety of lives and properties of the people globally.

“We cannot allow ourselves to be held hostage by fear and intimidation sown by terrorists and psychologically challenged persons and live in an endangered environment. With unity in action against the enemies of the states, we shall prevail,” he said.

Panelo said the Department of Foreign Affairs has already been instructed to closely monitor the situation and determine the condition of Filipinos in New Zealand.

According to reports, two gunmen opened fire in two mosques in Christchurch. One of the gunmen stormed inside the Masjid Al Noor, shooting the mosque goers during their afternoon praying time. The second incident happened in another mosque in a Christchurch suburb. ■

10

Philippine News

Duterte threatens... ❰❰ 10

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the President, in delivering a 40-minute monologue, was “obviously outraged” in his meeting with MWSS, officials of water concessionaires Maynilad and Manila Water, in Malacañang on Tuesday night.

“In a stern message delivered without even once looking at the officials, the obviously outraged President threatened to fire the MWSS officials and terminate the concessionaires’ contracts,” Panelo said in a statement on Wednesday.

Panelo said the President also ordered MWSS and the two water concessionaires to submit a report on the water shortage before April 7.

“The meeting which was more of a presidential monologue lasting for about 40 minutes abruptly ended by the President ordering the officials to submit a report on the water shortage before April 7, after which he will decide whether heads will roll or whether the contracts of the concessionaires will be terminated,” he added.

According to Panelo, the President refused to listen to their explanations tagging them as “just plain excuses” for neglecting their jobs to provide water services in Metro Manila.

“The Chief Executive told them he was not going to listen to their explanation as to why there was a water shortage as such would be just plain excuses. They simply did not do their job,” Panelo said.

Moreover, Panelo said the officials knew of the problem leading to the stoppage of the flow of water but “they did not resolve to prevent it from happening.” “‘All they care about is get profit from the water of the people’ and to their sufferance as well. The President told them they could have simply anticipated such shortage and could have done something about it,” Panelo said.

“They had to wait for him to

threaten them with personally rushing to Manila from Davao to grapple with the crisis before they moved to end it. The Chief Executive bluntly told them to ‘shape up or ship out!’” he added.

Panelo, meanwhile, said the President also expressed hope that at the end of the day the water crisis “was not just a matter of common sense.”

He emphasized that the President will not think twice about taking actions to secure the people from discomfort “regardless of the dire consequences to the players of the water industry.”

The water shortage started affecting residents in Metro Manila in the second week of March with some areas having their water supply completely cut off.

Reports showed that some public hospitals have even limited admissions and started to get water supply from tankers.

Both chambers of the Congress have also held probes to look into the water shortage issue and mulled the filing class suit against Manila Water for its alleged “negligence.”

MWSS said the shortage is due to the increase in population, demand of consumers, on top of the early onslaught of the dry season but admitted government is partly to blame.

Manila water provides water to the cities of Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasig, San Juan, Taguig, Marikina, and Pateros; most parts of Quezon City, portions of Manila, and some towns of Rizal province.

Meanwhile, Maynilad provides water to some parts of Quezon City, Makati, Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Pinas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon, and some cities and towns of Cavite province.

Both concessionaires get water from the Angat Dam in Norzagaray, Bulacan, which provides around 96 percent of water to Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite and Rizal. ■

MARCH 22, 2019

FRIDAY

Sotto sees no negative effect of PH withdrawal from ICC

BY FILANE MIKEE CERVANTES Philippine News Agency MANILA — Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Monday said the Philippines’ withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) will not have a negative effect on the country.

In an interview after the groundbreaking ceremony of the new Senate building in Taguig City, Sotto said the country’s membership in the Rome Statute, the international treaty that created the ICC, did not result in any significant gains.

“Meron na bang pangyayari na nakinabang ang Pilipinas?

Wala. As a matter of fact, ngayon parang pineperwisyo pa tayo as far as the media is concerned (Was there any instance that the Philippines benefited from [its membership in the ICC]?

None. As a matter of fact, it has even caused us harm, as far as the media is concerned),” Sotto said.

The Philippines’ withdrawal from the ICC took effect a year after the country informed the United Nations Secretary-General of its decision to pull out of the treaty following the announcement of the ICC Office of the Prosecutor that it would begin preliminary examination on the crimes against humanity linked to the administration’s drug war.

Sotto said the reports received by the ICC on the current situation, particularly the bloated numbers of the drug war’s death toll, are “muddled.”

Several claims were made that over 20,000 people have died in the government’s war on drugs since 2016.

Recent data from the Philippine National Police, however,

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Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III.

showed that over 5,000 people have been killed in drug-related operations since the drug war was launched on July 1, 2016.

“Ang kwento doon, may political persecution, tapos lahat ng deaths nung nakaraang taon ikini-claim nila na EJK (extrajudicial killings) lahat, look at the figures, hindi EJK lahat yun. (The reports they received include political persecution, and all deaths were claimed as EJKs, but by looking at the figures, not all are EJKs),” Sotto said.

“A very small percentage was killed in the police operations.

In the last figures that I know, that I have seen, 68,000 plus ang mga drug operations, and there are more than 78,000 arrests. Ang namatay doon sa mga drug operations na ito, a little over 3,000 only (Those

SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES / FACEBOOK

who died due to police drug operations are estimated at a little over 3,000 only),” he added.

Earlier, Malacanang said the Philippines never became part of the ICC which the Philippines signed on August 23, 2011, saying it was not published in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY MARCH 22, 2019

11

PRRD bid to keep promise hinges on win of pro-federalism bets

BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency MANILA — President Rodrigo R. Duterte is counting on having more pro-federalism senators elected to be able to keep his campaign promise of the shift to a new form of government before the end of his term.

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar said this as he emphasized that that the campaign to promote federalism continues in both regional and provincial levels with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) taking the lead.

“So mayroon pang isang hindi natutulak na pangako ni Presidente at na-implement — at ito iyong pederalismo(One of the campaign promises the

President that has been not implemented yet is federalism),” Adanar said in an interview over Radyo Pilipinas on Friday (March 15).

“So mid-term elections, the President would need enough senators in the Senate para marealize natin iyong federalism na pangarap po ng ating mga kababayan (to realize the federalism dream of our citizens),” he added.

Andanar also expressed confidence that more Filipinos will support federalism.

“Ako naman ay naniniwala na napakadaming mga kababayan natin, I myself included, ang naniniwala sa pederalismo (I myself believe that many of our citizens, myself included, believe in federalism),” Andanar said.

Last month, DILG Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya urged voters

to consider voting for candidates who will push for federalism in the next Congress.

He also urged voters to make federalism an election issue and vote for candidates on the basis of issues and not personalities.

In November 2018, Duterte created an Inter-Agency Task Force on Federalism (IATF) through Memorandum Circular 52 to take charge of “integrating, harmonizing, and coordinating ongoing efforts towards federalism and constitutional reform.”

Among the inter-agency’s tasks are to develop strategies and implement such activities necessary and proper to raise public awareness on federalism and constitutional reform and prepare an information dissemination and public communication plan to ensure an effective, efficient, and uniform

ACE MORANDANTE / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

undertaking of advocacy activities.

Moreover, the IATF will undertake consultations with the former members of the Consultative Committee, government agencies, the private sector, and the public in general con-

cerning federalism and constitutional reform.

DILG is also set to convene 200 key representatives from 76 national government agencies for a two-day conference on federalism from March 18 to 19. ■

SC reinstates raps vs. Parojinog over anomalous building contract

BY BENJAMIN PULTA Philippine News Agency MANILA — The Supreme Court (SC) reinstated the graft case against embattled Ozamiz City Vice Mayor Nova Princess E. Parojinog-Echavez in connection with irregularities in the contract for the renovation of the city’s multi-purpose building 10 years ago.

In a decision penned by Associate Justice Diosdado M. Peralta dated February 11 and released Monday, the SC reversed the Sandiganbayan’s 2017 ruling that dismissed the graft case against Echavez and her father, the late city mayor Reynaldo O. Parojinog, filed by the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) in 2016.

Acting on an anonymous complaint filed in 2010 and the subsequent report of the Commission on Audit (COA), the Ombudsman charged the Parojinogs with graft, saying they had financial or pecuniary interest in the renovation of the multi-purpose building awarded in favor of the Parojinog & Sons Construction Company

(PSCC).

The SC said that “for the pur- nate delay.

Nova Princess was the man- pose of determining whether “This is so because during aging partner in the said firm. inordinate delay exists, a case this period, respondents were Acting on a motion of the is deemed to have commenced not yet exposed to adversarial Parojinogs, the anti-graft court from the filing of the formal proceedings, but only for the then dismissed the case for vio- complaint and the subsequent purpose of determining whethlation of the accused’s constitu- conduct of the preliminary in- er a formal complaint against tional right to speedy disposi- vestigation.” them should be filed based on tion of cases noting that it took “The period devoted for fact- the result of the fact-finding inthe OMB a total of five years finding investigations before vestigation,” it added. and 11 months to file the crimi- the filing of the formal comThe SC noted that the recknal case in court from the time plaint is not included in the de- oning point to determine if it received the complaint. termination of whether there there had been inordinate deThe Office of the Special has been inordinate delay,” the lay should start to run from the Prosecutor elfiling of the forevated the issue mal complaint before the SC. with the Office The SC, citing of the Ombudsthe provision in If it is based on the ground that the man-Mindanao, the Constitufacts charged do not constitute an on December 8, tion, said that offense, the prosecution shall be 2014, up to the “all persons shall given by the court an opportunity to filing of the Inhave the right correct the defect by amendment. formation on to a speedy disNovember 23, position of their 2016. cases before all “Finally, we judicial, quasinote that the judicial, or administrative bod- SC said, explaining that the Sandiganbayan granted reies.” period from the receipt of the spondents’ motion to quash the In reversing the Sandigan- anonymous complaint by the Information on the ground that bayan, the court pointed out Office of the Ombudsman-Min- the facts did not constitute an however that the right is violat- danao, on August 23, 2010, until offense, and since it dismissed ed “only when the proceeding December 7, 2014 should not be the case due to the violation of is attended by vexatious, capri- considered in the determina- respondents’ right to a speedy cious, and oppressive delays.” tion of the presence of inordi- disposition of cases, it did not www.canadianinquirer.net

order the amendment of the information as provided under Section 4, Rule 117 of the Rules of Court,” the High Court said.

The SC added that “if the motion to quash is based on an alleged defect of the complaint or information which can be cured by amendment, the court shall order that an amendment be made. If it is based on the ground that the facts charged do not constitute an offense, the prosecution shall be given by the court an opportunity to correct the defect by amendment.”

The SC said that since the elder Mayor Parojinog had already died on July 30, 2019 the criminal information should only be filed against respondent Echavez.”

In July 2017, Nova Princess and sibling brother Reynaldo Jr., and several other persons were arrested when law enforcement agents served them search warrants for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. The ensuing firefight left Parojinog Sr., his wife, and 14 others dead. ■

12

Philippine News

MARCH 22, 2019

FRIDAY

PRRD signs law regulating Climate of fear among occupational therapy practice in PH PH lawyers mere insinuation: exec

BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency

through inviolable, honest, effective and credible licensure examinations and through regulatory measures, programs, and activities that foster their continuing professional growth,” the law read.

Under the proposed measure, there will be the creation of the professional regulatory board

Among its powers and functions is to maintain a roster of occupational therapists indicating therein basic informaMANILA — President Rodrigo tion about the registered proR. Duterte has signed into law fessionals. a measure regulating the regisThe board may also issue, tration, licensure, and practice reinstate, suspend, cancel or of occupational therapy (OT) in revoke the registration and lithe country. cense or special permits for the Duterte signed practice of occuRepublic Act pational therapy.

11241 or the “The Moreover, it Philippine Occumay also prepational TheraThe board may also issue, reinstate, scribe guidelines py Law of 2018” suspend, cancel or revoke the and criteria in on March 11 but the Continuregistration and license or special a copy of which ing Professional permits for the practice of was released to Development occupational therapy. media on Tuesprogram for ocday. cupational ther“The State apists including recognizes the a reciprocity importance of occupational of occupational therapy under clause that would allow Filitherapists in nation building. the administrative supervision pino occupational therapists to Hence, it shall develop and of the Professional Regulation practice abroad and integrate nurture competent, virtuous, Commission (PRC). the OT profession into one naproductive, and well-rounded The board will be composed tional professional organizaoccupational therapists whose of a chairperson and two mem- tion through the Accredited standards of practice and ser- bers appointed by the President Integrated Professional Orgavice shall be excellent, world- within six months from the en- nization. ■ class and globally competitive actment of the law.

Palace cites strong investor confidence under PRRD

BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency MANILA — Malacañang on Tuesday stood pat on its belief that there is strong investor confidence in the Philippines under the Duterte administration despite being hounded by issues on human rights and extrajudicial killings.

“There has been a strong investor confidence in the economy under the decisive leadership of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

Panelo slammed anew how the Law Association for Asia and the Pacific (LAWASIA) and other critics continued to “vilify” President Rodrigo R. Duterte by linking the issue of human rights, in connection with the drug war, to other is-

sues such as trade, business and the economy.

“The international groups of lawyers claim that our foreign investments have been or will be adversely affected by the issues on human rights and EJKs. It’s further from the truth,” he said.

He maintained that the Duterte administration always adheres to the rule of law.

Panelo cited how the Philippine economy has been growing at least 6 percent under the Duterte government, the strongest economic growth since the mid-1970s.

He said the present administration has even acquired significantly higher net foreign investment during its first two years compared to the previous administration.

“In the first two full years of the Duterte administration, when the media propaganda

war against the campaign on illegal drugs was virulent, the Philippines had an unprecedented USD20.1-B in net foreign investments in 2017 and 2018 (about USD10 billion yearly in both years) as compared to the first two full years of the Aquino administration, which registered USD 2B in 2011 and USD 3.2B in 2012,” Panelo said.

Panelo attributed Duterte’s “strong political will” in pushing for reforms, which includes the signing of Republic Act 11032, or the Ease of Doing Business Act. Panelo said the Philippines’ 48-notch jump to 19th place out of 193 countries in the e-Participation Index of the United Nations shows the administration’s notable performance to streamline the business regis❱❱ PAGE 30 Palace cites

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BY JOYCE ANN L. ROCAMORA Philippine News Agency MANILA — The Office of the President on Tuesday described as mere insinuation the conclusion of a foreign delegation in Manila that there is “a climate of fear and intimidation” in the Philippines that prevents Filipino lawyers from doing their jobs.

“We don’t see that kind of climate of intimidation happening considering there are cases being filed, considering there are cases being heard in court,” said Undersecretary Severo Catura, Executive Director of Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat (PHRCS), in an interview.

This as Catura’s reaction after an international delegation of lawyers organized by the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL), Union of International Advocates (UIA), and Day of the Endangered Lawyer Foundation recently conducted a factfinding mission to look into the alleged spike of human rights violations against Filipino lawyers and other legal professionals during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Following a series of interviews and conferences with point persons, the group released its initial findings, cit-

ing threats against lawyers defending those accused of drug crimes and the killings of those in the exercise of their profession, among others.

Catura said this was the first time that they have heard about the cases, but he assured the government has always been open in addressing such issues.

“This is the first time that we’ve heard about these cases of lawyers of drug suspects being harassed. Sinong nangha-harass?

Mga pulis? Dapat i-prove nila ‘yan na mayroon talaga at huwag lang mag-insinuate (Who harassed who? Police? They should prove it that there are indeed cases of harassment and don’t merely insinuate),” he said.

Catura called for cases to be filed in the court as he noted that legal mechanisms are in place in the country.

Catura revealed that they were taken aback following the probe as he described the visit as “unofficial.”

“The visit is unofficial in nature so what’s their basis to call for the military? You can’t just barge in and say ‘Hey, we are here to investigate,’“ he said.

“All we can say is that I think there is an effort to really shame this administration because if you are an honest to goodness fact-finding mission, there would always be an effort to report to the government your findings first and not to the public,” he added. ■

Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat (PHRCS) Executive Director, Undersecretary Severo Catura.

PCOO OSEC MEDIA

Philippine News

FRIDAY MARCH 22, 2019

13

FOI vows to keep up with ‘best practices’ on info campaigns PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY MANILA — The Freedom of Information - Project Management Office (FOI-PMO) of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) said it will continue participating in gaining best international practices and provide trainings to government agencies and information campaigns to the public.

This, as the office represented the Philippines in the recently concluded 11th International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC) on March 10-14 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The ICIC is held every year to discuss issues related to the protection and promotion of the right to access public data.

Participants include information commissioners and

ombudsmen who serve as Freedom of Information (FOI) officers in their respective countries across the globe.

200 delegates from 50 countries participated in the event.

The Philippine delegation was headed by PCOO Assistant Secretary and FOI Philippines Program Director Kristian R. Ablan, who served as panelist in the 11th ICIC. Ablan discussed to an international audience the FOI Philippines’ accomplishments, processes, and challenges in its implementation in the absence of an enabling legislation as it would be noted that FOI Bill is currently pending in Congress.

FOI-PMO oversees the implementation of all FOI and e-FOI programs for all government agencies in the executive branch and monitor compliance.

Local governments are covered by a memorandum from the PCOO and the Department

of the Interior and Local Government and are encouraged to issue their respective FOI ordinances.

To date, 100 percent of all national government agencies implement the FOI program; 9 local governments have FOI ordinances; the e-FOI has 11,581 requests; and the public may request online (www.foi. gov.ph) from 366 government agencies.

Incentives are provided to government agencies that comply with requirements of the FOI program which is an integral feature of the Philippines’ Good Governance Plan to promote transparency, accountability, and citizen participation.

Delegates from FOI Philippines shared and gained international knowledge regarding the balance of enforcing FOI as well as data privacy and protection.

Philippine delegates to ICIC 2019.

Trends and challenges from the different countries related to information management, open government, ICT solutions, and FOI request management were likewise shared.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) also hosted a training workshop aimed at integrating information commissioners from several countries to adopt Sustainable Development Goal on Access to Information.

FOI PHILIPPINES / FACEBOOK

At the end of the conference, the 11th ICIC has resolved to inaugurate ICIC as a permanent network which connects information commissioners across the globe to strengthen the right to information as a main tool to social, economic and progressive governance.

FOI-PMO said it will continue participating in gaining international best practices and provide trainings to government agencies and information campaigns to the public. ■

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14

Canada News PM condemns hateful, ‘toxic segments’ of society after New Zealand shooting

BY JIM BRONSKILL The Canadian Press

prayers. People around the world are exhausted by the carnage,” he said.

“We have to chase out this hatred from our parties, fight it online, denounce it at town halls, push back when it reaches our front door.”

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer joined Trudeau in stressing the need to condemn all racist ideologies and doctrines of prejudice.

Canada has, from its inception, been a country built on values that transcend religious, ethnic and linguistic divides,

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale suggested Friday’s deadly mass shooting, which killed 50 people and wounded 50 OTTAWA – Prime Minister more as they gathered at a pair of Justin Trudeau delivered an Christchurch mosques, will spur emotional clarion call Monday parliamentarians to take a careas he urged people of all politiful look at Canada’s gun laws. cal stripes to turn the page on The massacre has sparked hateful ideology and condemn a global sense of concern that the sort of intolerance that fuwill prompt Canadian politielled the brutal killing of 50 cians to make some timely deMuslims in New Zealand. cisions, Goodale said Monday A visibly angry Trudeau deafter appearing before a Senate nounced the “small, toxic segcommittee. ments” of society that peddle Goodale said cabinet colthe belief diversity is a weakleague Bill Blair will deliver recness, spewing ommendations hatred and incitsoon, having been ing brutality. asked last August “We see it here

by Trudeau to in Canada – in We have to chase out this hatred from study the possionline harassbility of a full ban our parties, fight it online, denounce ment, anonyon handguns and it at town halls, push back when it mous letters, assault weapons reaches our front door. defaced places in Canada. of worship, acts A visibly galof violence and vanized Jacinda even murder,” he told the House Scheer said. “This is who we are, Ardern, New Zealand’s prime of Commons as party leaders and this is who we will always be. minister, said her government expressed solidarity with the Those who think otherwise have plans to announce gun-law revictims in Christchurch and no place in our democracy.” forms within days. their families.

In his maiden speech to the A bill already before Canada’s “When we fail to denounce Commons, NDP Leader Jag- Senate would, among other hatred with total conviction, we meet Singh said the use of things, expand the scope of empower those people and le- dehumanizing language and background checks on those gitimize their violence.” making immigration out to be who want to acquire guns here.

Trudeau expressed sorrow at a threat can breed fear and fuel The bill would also require the many attacks in recent years hatred. gun retailers keep records of that have taken the lives of de“Let’s open our hearts and re- firearms inventory and sales, fenceless people at mosques, place the ignorance, the lack of and ensure the purchaser of a temples, churches, synagogues, knowledge with understanding, hunting rifle or shotgun presconcerts, schools and malls. which will create the climate ents a firearms licence, while “I’m sick and tired of ex- for compassion, so we care for the seller would have to verify tending our thoughts and our one another,” he said. it. ■

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Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland.

CHRYSTIA FREELAND / FACEBOOK

Canada extends Iraq and Ukraine military missions to 2021 and 2022

BY MIKE BLANCHFIELD The Canadian Press OTTAWA – Canada has learned a lot about how to protect against foreign election meddling through its support of Ukraine in its ongoing battles with Russia, says Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland.

Freeland described Ukraine as a “laboratory” for Russia’s disinformation campaigns in cyberspace as she and Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan announced Monday that Canada is extending its military missions in the eastern European country and Iraq – commit-

ments that were both due to expire at the end of the month.

The extensions shore up Canada’s contributions to the effort to curb Russian aggression in Eastern Europe and to the fight against Islamic militants in the Middle East.

Ukraine is bracing for Russian interference in its upcoming presidential election on March 31, and Freeland said the threat has implications for Canada’s own federal vote later this year.

“We do need to be concerned about malign actors seeking to interfere in the elections in ❱❱ PAGE 17 Canada extends

Canada News

FRIDAY MARCH 22, 2019

15

Privy Council clerk Michael Wernick to quit before October election

BY JOAN BRYDEN The Canadian Press OTTAWA – The SNC-Lavalin affair claimed its fourth resignation Monday as Michael Wernick announced his intention to step down as the country’s top public servant, having concluded he’s lost the trust of opposition parties.

Opposition parties have been calling for the clerk of the Privy Council’s resignation since he first vehemently rejected allegations that he and others improperly pressured former attorney general Jody WilsonRaybould to halt a criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin.

Wernick’s combative testimony to the House of Commons justice committee was denounced as partisan and unbecoming a senior bureaucrat who is supposed to be impartial.

In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday, Wernick said he will retire before this fall’s federal election campaign kicks off. He noted that the clerk is supposed to be “an impartial arbiter of whether serious foreign interference” occurs during the campaign, as part of a new federal watchdog panel, and is also supposed to be ready to help whichever party is elected to form government – two roles he no longer believes he can fulfil.

“It is now apparent that there is no path for me to have a relationship of mutual trust and respect with the leaders of the opposition parties,” Wernick wrote.

“I wish to relinquish these roles before the election. It is

essential that Canadians continue to see their world leading public service as non-partisan and there to provide excellent services to Canadians and the governments they elect.”

Wernick, who has served in senior public service roles for nearly 38 years, has been clerk of the Privy Council since 2016, shortly after the Trudeau Liberals assumed office. Government insiders have said he wanted to retire as clerk a year ago but was persuaded to stay on.

Wilson-Raybould has accused Wernick of making “veiled threats” that she’d lose her job as justice minister and attorney general if she didn’t cave in to pressure last fall from Trudeau and his senior staff to halt the criminal prosecution of SNCLavalin on charges of bribery and corruption related to contracts in Libya. She has said they inappropriately pressured her to instruct the director of public prosecutions to negotiate a remediation agreement with the Montreal engineering giant, which would have forced the company to pay stiff penalties while avoiding the risk of criminal conviction that could threaten its financial viability.

Wernick has denied the accusation and maintained that all concerned acted with the highest standards of integrity.

Wilson-Raybould’s concerns about undue pressure only surfaced publicly after she was moved out of the justice portfolio to Veterans Affairs in a midJanuary cabinet shuffle. She resigned from cabinet a month later. Her exit was followed by the departure of Trudeau’s

principal secretary, Gerald Butts, and the resignation from cabinet earlier this month of Jane Philpott, who cited loss of confidence in the government’s handling of the SNC-Lavalin affair.

Wernick’s decision to quit as well proves “this SNC-Lavalin scandal is even bigger than we thought,” said Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre.

“The reality is, the prime minister’s government is in total crisis mode caused by his personal political interference in a criminal trial ... The only person left to resign now is Justin Trudeau himself, whose corrupt government no longer has the confidence of Canadians.”

Trudeau said he intends to name Ian Shugart, currently deputy minister of foreign affairs, to replace Wernick.

On his way into the House of Commons, Trudeau thanked the clerk for his “extraordinary service to Canada over many, many decades” and credited his government’s accomplishments “definitely in large part” to Wernick’s leadership of the public service. Trudeau did not respond when asked if he’d sought Wernick’s resignation.

Wernick’s letter was released just minutes before MPs reconvened for their first question period after a two-week March break, an exchange that proved explosive almost from the getgo.

Opposition members erupted in protest when Trudeau announced he’s appointed former Liberal justice minister Anne McLellan as a special adviser to explore what he called “important questions” about the

Prime Minister Trudeau meets with Clerk Michael Wernick in Ottawa on November 4, 2016.

GREFFIERGC / FLICKR, CC BY-NC 2.0

relationship between the federal government and the minister of justice, who plays a dual role as attorney general. While the justice minister is a political player, the attorney general is supposed to make independent, impartial decisions about prosecutions.

McLellan “will assess the structure that has been in place since Confederation, of a single minister holding the positions of minister of justice and attorney general of Canada,” the prime minister said in a statement. “She will consider whether machinery of government or legislative changes may or may not be recommended.”

“Her work will be another important step towards maintaining Canadians’ confidence in their institutions,” he told the Commons.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer mocked the announcement as nothing more than saying “Liberals will investigate Liberals.”

New Democrat MP Charlie Angus ridiculed the idea of a Liberal minister from the era of

the sponsorship scandal looking into the SNC-Lavalin affair, which he dubbed “a five alarm dumpster fire.”

As for Wernick, Angus professed no surprise at his decision to retire.

“I think once we saw how much of an active political player Mr. Wernick was in the SNC scandal, it became impossible for him to carry on his job, which is to have the trust of all parliamentarians on key matters of policy,” he said outside the Commons.

Angus also said Wernick should have “known better” in the way he presented himself before the justice committee, suggesting he was combative, evasive and partisan.

“He served our country for many years and in many capacities, but in this scandal, he was serving the prime minister and not the people of Canada.”

Wernick has maintained everything he did was within the boundaries of acceptable behaviour for his job of aiding the prime minister and cabinet as a non-partisan public servant. ■

Vigil held in Montreal for victims of New Zealand mosque attacks

BY MORGAN LOWRIE The Canadian Press MOURNERS CARRYING signs bearing the images of six men who died in a Quebec City mosque shooting gathered outside a Montreal subway station on Sunday as they grieved the 50 people killed in another attack, half a world away.

The signs bearing photos of the men carried the words “Killed by Islamophobia, 29-12017, Quebec.”

Dozens of people of different faiths gathered on a chilly afternoon to offer condolences and prayers for the 50 people killed and dozens injured in Friday’s shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Many of the Muslims in the

crowd said the attack brought up painful memories of the day a gunman stormed a Quebec City mosque on Jan. 29, 2017, shooting six Muslim men to death and injuring five others as they prayed.

On Sunday, Imam Hassan Guillet referred to unconfirmed reports that the New Zealand shooter was influenced

by Alexandre Bissonnette, the www.canadianinquirer.net

man convicted of six counts of first-degree murder in the Quebec attack.

“A thousand kilometres from Quebec, a terrorist sent us a message by writing on his weapon the name of our assassin, our terrorist, Alexandre Bissonnette,” Guillet said as he delivered a speech from a park bench.

“As a Canadian, as a Muslim,

as a human, as a father, I’m ashamed to see that we – as Quebecers and Canadians – instead of exporting our values of openness and generosity, we’re exporting violence, hate and terrorism.”

A now-deleted Twitter account believed to be linked to the accused Christchurch ❱❱ PAGE 36 Vigil held

16

Canada News

MARCH 22, 2019

FRIDAY

Montreal group pressing authorities to block concert by former Haitian president

BY MORGAN LOWRIE The Canadian Press MONTREAL – A group of Haitian Montrealers is appealing to federal and municipal authorities to block an upcoming concert by former Haitian president Michel Martelly, citing what they say are his misogynistic comments and his alleged complicity in corruption scandals.

As part of the campaign, women’s groups sent a letter Monday asking Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante to use “all your political power” to block a concert this Friday by the former leader, a popular singer who performs as Sweet Micky.

“Michel Martelly, alias Sweet Micky, a notorious misogynist who is an apologist for rape, is scheduled to come perform on stage in Montreal on March 22,” reads the letter, which is signed by seven groups, including the community organization Maison d’Haiti.

“This situation is even more worrying due to the fact that the regime currently in power in Port-au-Prince, accused of corruption and repression, is the heir of the party of Martelly, an ex-president of Haiti whose administration is also implicated in the corruption scandal and misappropriation of funds that is currently rocking the country,” it continues.

Marie Dimanche, a member of Montreal’s Haitian community, says the singer has no place performing in Montreal.

Dimanche recently founded the support group Solidarite Quebec-Haiti in response to anti-government protests in Haiti over the rising cost of living and the alleged disappearance of billions of dollars from PetroCaribe, an oil subsidy pro-

gram intended to help the impoverished Haitian people.

While nobody has been charged, a Haitian Senate investigation has alleged embezzlement by at least 14 former officials in Martelly’s administration.

In a phone interview, Dimanche said Martelly is well-known for his sexist and degrading comments directed at women, some of which have promoted sexual assault. “The things he says are degrading, violent towards women,” she said in a phone interview.

“I’m not particularly in favour of censorship, but hateful speech that calls for violence towards a group of people – half the population – I feel it’s not acceptable.”

Dimanche and her group are hoping Plante will declare that Martelly is not welcome in Montreal, as former mayor Denis Coderre did in 2016 with the French comedian who performs as Dieudonne. Dieudonne, who has been charged multiple times in Europe with hate-speech violations, flew to Canada but returned to France shortly after without performing, leading to speculation that he was turned back by immigration authorities.

“We think there’s a good chance that (our plan) works, because Valerie Plante is sensitive to questions of women’s rights, and I think she will be sensitive to the question,” Dimanche said.

An aide to Plante said Monday the city would raise the matter with the federal government.

“As entries into the country fall under federal jurisdiction, and federal authorities have already been called upon, we will contact the department responsible for the Canada Bor-

Michel Martell.

der Services Agency to learn their position on Mr. Martelly’s coming to the country,” said Youssef Amane, director of media relations in the mayor’s office.

If Martelly is allowed to enter, Dimanche says her group will protest outside the downtown venue in an attempt to stop the show.

The possibility of protests doesn’t faze the show’s promoter, Carl-Edward Osias, who knows Martelly personally.

In an interview last week, Osias, president of Bass-Mint Management Group, said Sweet Micky’s Montreal shows were well-attended in the past, both before and after his stint as Haiti’s president from 2011-16.

He said the Montreal protest is begin fuelled by Martelly’s political opponents and those who don’t understand that Sweet Micky is a persona

www.canadianinquirer.net

OEA - OAS / FLICKR, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

known for outrageous antics.

“He’s a provocateur,” Osias said.

“He’ll wear a skirt. He’ll say stupid things. He’ll make jokes.

He’s an artist who provokes, who creates controversy.”

He says he has no problem with people protesting but doesn’t think it’s right for them to try to block the show, which he has no intention of cancelling.

Martelly was accused more than once of using coarse and sexist language during his tenure. A sexually charged comment he made to a female critic at a campaign rally in 2015 prompted a politically allied party to announce the resignation of three officials from Martelly’s administration, including the minister for women’s affairs.

And just before leaving office, he released a pop song jeering at his critics and aim-

ing sexually suggestive lyrics at award-winning female journalist and human rights advocate Liliane Pierre-Paul. The song, titled Bal Bannann Nan – Haitian Creole for “Give Them the Banana” – featured Martelly and backing vocalists repeatedly singing suggestive lyrics while referring to bananas and Pierre-Paul.

Dimanche and Osias disagree about whether there are more Sweet Micky fans or critics in Montreal’s Haitian community of 132,000, including over 75,000 who were born in the Caribbean country. Osias believes the fans outweigh the critics; Dimanche hopes the opposite is true.

“I think if people knew who he was, we would be very numerous in having this opinion,” she said.

Quebec sociologist Frederic Boisrond wrote to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and several cabinet ministers in January, asking them to block the entry of the singer, whom he described as “misogynist, violent, and dangerous.” Martelly’s rhetoric “openly apologizes for rape, normalizes and glorifies violence against women,” he said in his letter.

Boisrond said representatives from Trudeau’s office, as well as those of Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, wrote back to say they were studying the issue, but the final decision lies with Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen.

Hussen’s office said it could not comment on specific cases without the consent of the individual. ■ With files from The Associated Press

FRIDAY MARCH 22, 2019

Canada News

Canada extends...

Facebook announces changes to political advertising to meet new federal rules

❰❰ 14

Ukraine and seeking military commitment to his to interfere in our country shows global leaderown elections. That ship. He also cited Canada’s is all the more reason for us to contribution of election monibe very active in countering tors and Friday’s imposition this threat,” she said. “Ukraine of additional sanctions on 129 tends to be a laboratory for ma- people, companies and orgalign intervention and disinfor- nizations over Russia’s treatmation.” ment of Ukraine. Canada said Canada is committed to help- the measures were a response ing Ukraine and its neighbours to the ongoing occupation of counter the cyberthreats from Crimea and the Russian arrests Moscow, and broader disinfor- of 24 Ukrainian sailors in the mation campaigns, the minis- Black Sea last November. ter said.

Former foreign-affairs min“We help them a lot, but I’ll ister Lloyd Axworthy is leading tell you, we learn a lot from a delegation of Canadian electhem.” tion monitors to Ukraine.

The mission of about 200 Canada will also host an inCanadian Forces personnel in ternational conference on Ukraine will be extended to the Ukraine’s economy and poend of March 2022. litical reforms in July that will The Forcinclude foreign es have been ministers from involved in the European Ukraine since Union, the G7 September 2015, It’s very and NATO counhelping train important tries, Freeland the country’s to send our said. military, which is NATO allies Canada also battling Russiana very strong has about 500 backed separatmessage troops leading ist forces. that we will a NATO battleThe decibe there for group in Latvia, sion to extend them, but part of the alliCanada’s comalso to send ance’s broader mitment was a very strong effort to deter welcome news message to Russia along Euto Ukraine as Russia. rope’s eastern it continues to flank. cope with Rus“For defence sia’s annexation and deterrence of its southern to work, we need Crimea region in 2014, and the to make sure that Russia knows continuing unrest in its east- what our capabilities are. That’s ern Donbass region, which is how deterrence operates,” said plagued by a pro-Russian rebel- Sajjan. “It’s very important to lion. send our NATO allies a very Ukrainian Ambassador An- strong message that we will be driy Shevchenko said cyberat- there for them, but also to send tacks by Russia have become a very strong message to Rusan everyday occurrence as the sia.” election nears.

Canada will also extend the “There are constant cyberat- Canadian Forces’ contribution tacks on the Ukrainian objects to the Global Coalition Against of critical infrastructure,” he Daesh and the NATO mission said in an interview. “We see in Iraq, until the end of March massive cyberattacks on our 2021. election digital infrastructure, Canada has about 500 miliand our media sector.” tary members in Iraq, includShevchenko said his country ing 200 who are part of a NATO is “like a workshop where you training mission and 120 specan see in real time how our cial forces who have been helpneighbour is trying to interfere ing Iraqi forces root out Islamic with our election.”

State insurgents around the Canada has trained almost northern city of Mosul.

11,000 Ukrainian military perThose are parts of Canada’s sonnel, with techniques that larger Middle East strategy, have helped save many lives which also includes humanitaron the front line of the conflict ian assistance and diplomatic with Russia, he said. engagement in Iraq, Syria and Shevchenko said Canada’s the surrounding region. ■

17

BY TERESA WRIGHT The Canadian Press OTTAWA – Facebook is launching a new advertisement library that will capture detailed information about political ads targeted at voters in Canada, including who pays for them and whom they target.

The move is part of the social-media giant’s response to changes the Trudeau government has made to Canada’s election laws aimed at stopping bad actors – foreign or domestic – from interfering withCanada’s upcoming federal election through advertising.

Bill C-76, which received royal assent in December, bans the use of money from foreign entities to conduct partisan campaigns.

It also requires online platforms, such as Facebook and Google, to create a registry of all digital advertisements placed by political parties or third parties during the pre-writ and writ periods and to ensure they remain visible to the public for two years.

Google recently said the demands of the new law are too onerous for its advertising system, which auctions ad space on the fly. It’s simply refusing to take political advertisements in Canada around the upcoming election.

Kevin Chan, head of public policy in Canada for Facebook, says the company is trying to exceed the standards the Canadian law sets.

“C-76 is, in fact, very important and consequential legislation. It actually regulates online platforms, including Facebook,” Chan said. “In order to comply we actually need to build new systems and new products to be able to do this, so right now we have our product-engineering teams working very, very hard between now and the end of June to ensure that we will be in compliance with what C-76 requires.”

Advertisements that refer to political figures, political parties, elections, legislation or issues of national importance www.canadianinquirer.net

will have to go through an authorization process. This will capture the information of the entity or group buying the ad and ensure the buyer is based in Canada.

Political ads that appear on Facebook during the pre-writ and writ periods will be labelled with a “paid for by” disclosure.

People will be able to click the disclosure and see the ad library. This library will include information on the ad’s reach – who saw it, their gender and location, as well as a range of its impressions.

Information in the library will be viewable and searchable online for up to seven years, which exceeds the period required in the new election laws.

Another effort to exceed the legislative rules will see Facebook using its artificial-intelligence technologies and algorithms to detect ads or content that tries to circumvent the rules.

“We recognize that there’s going to probably be the potential for bad actors to try to work around the system – in other words, they may want to run

a political ad and not seek to self-declare and not seek to be authorized,” Chan said. “That is obviously problematic for us because we recognize that the spirit of what Parliament intended and what we intend, in terms of what we’re trying to do, is provide the most transparency for political ads as possible.”

To help Facebook predict what issues might become key points of debate in the federal election, the company has amassed an group of policy advisers from a wide range of political backgrounds and expertise.

The group includes: former NDP MP Megan Leslie; former Stephen Harper aide Ray Novak, who is the managing director of Harper and Associates; Antonia Maioni, McGill University’s dean of arts; Ry Moran, executive director of the truth and reconciliation centre at the University of Manitoba; and David Zussman, a professor at the University of Victoria’s school of public administration. ■

18

MARCH 22, 2019

FRIDAY

FILIPINO-CANADIAN IN FOCUS

Eskenita Foods: A Smoky Corner of Filipino Favorites in Canada

BY ARLNIE COLLEENE TALAIN SINGCA Philippine Canadian Inquirer REMEMBER ONE afternoon in the Philippines, when the sun’s about to set and you suddenly crave for some merienda but you realize it’s too early to have dinner yet?

Remember just having to step out of your house, your school, or your office and you’ll already have a variety of food selections along your street to choose from?

Remember that cart that manong pushes, full of tusoktusok to choose from? Or the stall on one corner of the street almost covered with smoke from the ihaw-ihaw they’re selling? Maybe the stall on the other side with different kinds of cold desserts?

For Filipinos, who love eating and usually allot four meals

a day, street foods are the best choice not only for merienda – most common to Filipinos as the meal before dinner, but also just whenever we feel like snacking.

This, for sure, is one of the many things Filipinos miss whenever they live abroad.

Having a plate of your favorite Filipino dish – such as adobo, sinigang, kaldereta, etc. is easier whenever you miss those while living in another country.

All you’ll need is a recipe and a list of ingredients that are usually easy to find at the supermarket. But what if you suddenly crave for something else, something Filipino, but something you won’t be able to get or prepare that easy? Something you love eating along the street corners around your house back in your home country?

Here in the Philippines, University Belt’s (U-Belt) hepa lane is one of the famous street food places in the Metro. Along the

Pandit Mahadeva

403 909 6993 W h i te field Dr NE , C algar y

streets of R. Papa and Morayta is a lane of different kinds of skewers such as kwek-kwek, fish balls, squid balls, kikiam, fried isaw (pork intestines), fried kalamares (calamari), banana cue, etc., or students’ favorite heavy merienda like hamburger or hotdog sandwiches, matched with a cold refreshing drink like samalamig or buko juice.

These, you can have at a very cheap price but will definitely fill your hungry tummies and gratify your cravings.

But how about in Canada?

Now, worry no more, fellow Pinoys, because a Filipino couple, who are now living in Canada, has brought your favorite street foods to Greater Toronto Area (GTA) to satisfy the cravings of our kababayans and to bring them home without even having to leave the foreign country.

After staying for quite a while in Canada, couple John Paul Abejo and Ana Clariz Inarda first noticed in a Filipino festival back in 2015 that there were no vendors selling authentic street foods from the Philippines. Considering the large Filipino community in Toronto, John and Ana thought it would be a good idea to put up a restaurant in GTA that caters mostly Filipino street foods.

What started from just selling on Filipino festivals, now, they already have put up an actual restaurant in Toronto.

Currently grilling in Steeles Avenue West in Thornhill, Ontario, the Eskenita Foods.

Finally bringing another part of the Filipino culture in the place, fellow kababayans were excited when the restaurant opened in September 2017. Eskenita Foods reminded the Pinoys in Canada how it feels like living in the Philippines again just by visiting the store – with the raw skewers welcoming them when they enter the place just like how it is set up in the ihaw-ihaw stalls in the Philippines.

While parents who had their children born and raised in Canada were also delighted to introduce these, perhaps, unknown Filipino trend to them, who have never experienced www.canadianinquirer.net

Currently grilling in Steeles Avenue West in Thornhill, Ontario. SUPPLIED

the authenticity of eating street foods in their home country.

“Our main goal is to cater to our Filipino community and make them ‘feel at home’ and make them feel nostalgic when they eat our food,” John said during our interview then adding, “It is also our goal to showcase our street food to nonFilipinos here in Toronto and give them a little taste/experience of what it’s like to be in the streets of the Philippines.”

Also with these goals, John and Ana made sure to keep their whole store as simple as possible – not just on the menu and the foods they’re serving, but as well as the look of their place.

Fancy is definitely not on their vocabulary when they thought about the concept of their store, as much as it isn’t on the typical street foods stall in the Philippines. Outside, you can see a large sign with their name and logo at top of the façade. While another poster with their logo is posted on their glass windows with the list of their menu and some photos of the mouth-watering foods they offer.

While inside, a wall purely painted with a creamy white color that accents the basic dark brown sets of table and chairs will welcome you. A huge banner with photos of their past Filipino festival participations as a store is hung on the wall.

And to touch the millennials and gen-Zs, Eskenita Foods

started a gimmick wherein they take a picture of their customers, or what they prefer to call #TeamEskenita friends, enjoying their food, and post it on their social media pages and store wall, as well.

Their place is so simple that some non-Filipino customers are wondering and even complaining of how different their store is to other Filipino restaurants in town that they know.

But for John and Ana, they take this as an opportunity to introduce and share to them what it’s like being in the Philippines.

Onto the foods!

Unfortunately, Filipino’s favorite isaw, or pork/chicken intestines are not that appealing to the foreign customers as it is to our kababayans as they are not that adventurous enough to try the famous exotic skewer.

They rather have the chicken barbecue because of its unique and owner’s proud home-made basting.

But aside from isaw and chicken barbecue, there are a lot more grilled skewers to choose from, such as pork barbecue, adidas (chicken feet), walkman (pork ears), balunbalunan (chicken gizzard), grilled pork skin, and betamax (hardened pork blood).

They also offer what’s famously called in the Philippines as tusok-tusok like kwekkwek (battered quail egg), fish ball, and kikiam. ❱❱ PAGE 21 Eskenita Foods

World News

FRIDAY MARCH 22, 2019

19

White House foresees New Zealand holds first funerals long economic boom for mosque shooting victims where others don’t

BY JOSH BOAK The Associated Press CONTRARY TO the views of most economists, the Trump administration expects the U.S. economy to keep booming over the next decade on the strength of further tax cuts, reduced regulation and improvements to the nation’s infrastructure.

The annual report from President Donald Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers forecasts that the economy will expand a brisk 3.2 per cent this year and a still-healthy 2.8 per cent a decade from now. That is much faster than the Federal Reserve’s long-run forecast of 1.9 per cent annual economic growth.

The administration’s forecast hinges on an expectation that it will manage to implement further tax cuts, incentives for infrastructure improvements, new labour policies and scaledback regulations — programs that are unlikely to gain favour with the Democratic-led House that would need to approve most of them.

Kevin Hassett, chairman of the White House council, insisted that the president’s economic agenda would provide enough fuel to drive robust

growth at a time when the majority of economists foresee a slowdown due in part to the aging U.S. population.

He said the biggest risk to growth would be if financial markets anticipate that Trump’s existing policies would be reversed. Without getting into specifics, Hassett said the risk would be if markets expect that the winner of the 2020 presidential election would shift away from policies such as the tax overhaul that Trump signed into law in 2017.

“Uncertainty over the policies themselves could slow their positive impact,” Hassett said.

The tax cuts added roughly $1.5 trillion to the federal debt over the next decade, not accounting for economic growth.

The report suggests that the lower tax rates have increased business investment in ways that will make the economy more productive, while also creating a surge in people coming off the sidelines to search for work.

The administration’s optimism comes amid signs of slowing global economic growth, as well as a recent slowdown in manufacturing production and weakness in retail sales in January and December. ■

BY NICK PERRY, JULIET WILLIAMS, AND KRISTEN GELINEAU The Associated Press

CHRISTCHURCH, NEW Zealand — A father and son who fled the civil war in Syria for “the safest country in the world” were buried before hundreds of mourners Wednesday, the first funerals for victims of shootings at two mosques in New Zealand that horrified a nation known for being welcoming and diverse.

The funerals of Khalid Mustafa, 44, and Hamza Mustafa, 15, came five days after a white supremacist methodically gunned down 50 worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch — a massacre that he broadcast live on Facebook.

Hamza’s high school principal described the student as compassionate and hardworking, and said he was an excellent horse rider who aspired to be a veterinarian.

Those present included Hamza’s younger brother, 13-year-old Zaed, who was wounded in an arm and a leg during the attack. The boy tried to stand during the ceremony but had to sit back in his wheelchair, one mourner said.

“We tried to not shake his hand, and not touch his hand or his foot, but he refused, he wanted to shake everybody’s hand, he wanted to show everyone that he appreciated them.

And that’s amazing,” said Jamil El-Biza, who travelled from Australia to attend the funeral.

The Mustafas had moved to New Zealand last year, after spending six years as refugees in Jordan. Mustafa’s wife, Salwa, told Radio New Zealand that when the family asked about New Zealand they were told “it’s the safest country in the world, the most wonderful country you can go ... you will start a very wonderful life there.”

She added, “But it wasn’t.”

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the family should have been safe.

“I cannot tell you how gutting it is to know that a family came here for safety and for refuge,” she said. www.canadianinquirer.net

Screenshot of NZ PM Jacinda Ardern.

JACINDA ARDERN / FACEBOOK

Families of those killed had been anxiously awaiting word on when they could bury their loved ones. Police Commissioner Mike Bush said police have now formally identified and released the remains of 21 of those killed. Islamic tradition calls for bodies to be cleansed and buried as soon as possible.

Four other burials were under way on Wednesday evening.

Those victims include Junaid Ismail, Ashraf Ali and Lilik Abdul Hamid. The fourth victim’s name was suppressed by court order.

The burials began soon after Ardern renewed her call for people to speak of the victims rather than the man who killed them.

Also on Wednesday, a man accused of sharing video footage of Friday’s massacre was jailed by a judge until his next court appearance in mid-April. And Bush said he believes police officers stopped the gunman on his way to a third attack.

Ardern’s plea against giving the accused gunman notoriety followed his move to represent himself in court, raising concerns he would attempt to use the trial as a platform for airing his racist views.

During a visit Wednesday to the high school Hamza and another victim attended, Ardern revisited that thought and

asked students not to say the attacker’s name or dwell on him.

“Look after one another, but also let New Zealand be a place where there is no tolerance for racism,” she told students at Cashmere High School. “That’s something we can all do.”

Another Cashmere student, 14-year-old Sayyad Milne, also died in the attack.

About 30 people wounded in the attacks remained hospitalized as of Tuesday evening.

Around 10 of them were in critical condition, including a 4-year-old girl.

Brenton Harrison Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian man, has been charged with murder and is next scheduled to appear in court on April 5. Police have said they are certain Tarrant was the only gunman but are still investigating whether he had support from others.

Ardern previously has said reforms of New Zealand’s gun laws would be announced next week and she said an inquiry would be convened to look into the intelligence and security services’ failures to detect the risk from the attacker or his plans.

New Zealand’s international spy agency, the Government Communications Security Bureau, confirmed it had not re❱❱ PAGE 24 New Zealand

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World News

MARCH 22, 2019

FRIDAY

Dutch prosecutors consider Sri Lanka media rights terror motive in tram shooting activists decry new anti terror laws

BY ALEKSANDER FURTULA AND MIKE CORDER The Associated Press UTRECHT, NETHERLANDS — Dutch investigators probing the deadly tram shooting in the city of Utrecht sharpened their focus Tuesday on a possible extremist motive, as judicial authorities revealed that the main suspect was released from jail this month and faces a rape trial in July.

The nature of the Monday’s attack and a note found in a suspected getaway car suggest a possible terror motive, prosecutors said in a statement, but they add that other possible reasons also are being investigated.

“Based on the letter, we think he had a terroristic motive,” police spokesman Joost Lanshage told The Associated Press. He declined to elaborate.

Speaking in parliament, antiIslam lawmaker Geert Wilders said the note expressed support for the suspect’s “Muslim brothers.”

Prosecutors also said that investigations so far have not established any relationship at all between the main suspect, Gokmen Tanis, and the shooting victims.

Three people died: a 19-yearold woman from the neighbouring town of Vianen, and two men aged 28 and 49 from Utrecht.

Three others were seriously wounded and four more suffered minor injuries, according to prosecutors.

Late Tuesday, police said they had detained a 40-year-old man in Utrecht on suspicion of involvement. Police said the man “is suspected of involvement in the shooting. His role is under further investigation.”

Police also released two other men arrested after the shooting and said they were no longer considered suspects. Tanis remains in custody.

Throughout the day, wellwishers placed flowers at the foot of a tree next to the intersection where the shooting happened. At the end of the afternoon, Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhaus also laid bouquets

BY BHARATHA MALLAWARACHI The Associated Press

and briefly talked to police officers at the scene.

Tanis, a 37-year-old man of Turkish descent, was being held on suspicion of “manslaughter with terrorist intent.”

He was arrested Monday evening after an hours-long manhunt that nearly paralyzed the Netherlands’ fourth-largest city and sent shockwaves through the nation. Police recovered a weapon when they arrested him.

In an unusual step, judicial authorities released details of Tanis’ criminal past, and said he was released from jail on March 1 and faces trial in July on a rape charge. A court had approved his release after he pledged to co-operate with authorities.

In the past, he was acquitted of manslaughter but convicted of illegal possession of a weapon and theft.

Wilders called on Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhaus to resign, saying that Tanis shouldn’t have been released from jail.

“You are politically responsible for this,” Wilders said during a parliamentary debate.

“You have to resign, get out of here.”

The tram shootings came just days after 50 people were killed when an immigrant-hating Australian white supremacist opened fire in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, during Friday prayers. There was no indication of any link between the two events.

In a ceremonial session in parliament, Rutte said that because of the attack in Utrecht, “we feel an even stronger bond with the

people of Christchurch.”

The Netherlands hasn’t been hit by the kind of large-scale extremist attacks seen in recent years in other European countries like France, Belgium and Britain.

Rutte said the shooting “was not a bad dream but the hard reality with which we woke up.”

Dutch and Turkish media citing his neighbours in Utrecht have speculated that the shooting may have been linked to a relationship, but that appears increasingly unlikely after prosecutors said none of the victims were known to the main suspect.

Dutch media published details of two of the victims killed Monday — the 19-year-old woman reportedly worked in a cafe in Vianen, and a fatherof-three who volunteered as a soccer coach in Vleuten, a town west of Utrecht.

A phone call from The Associated Press to the cafe Tuesday morning went unanswered.

The soccer club posted a message saying they heard “with great dismay and astonishment” that the trainer of an under-19 boys’ team and under-11 girls’ team died in the shooting.

Dutch railroad infrastructure company ProRail confirmed that one of its employees was among the dead.

“The terrible events of yesterday and the loss of our colleague have hit us hard,” CEO Pier Eringa said in a statement.

Mike Corder reported from The Hague. Peter Dejong contributed to this report. www.canadianinquirer.net

common place, ban entry, taking photographs, video recordings and making sketches and also, prohibit any organization.

“This will affect the freedom COLOMBO, SRI LANKA — Me- of assembly and association dia rights activists on Monday and could pose a serious threat urged the Sri Lankan govern- to the freedom of expression ment to withdraw proposed an- and media freedom.” ti-terror legislation, calling it is He said Sri Lanka does not a set of draconian laws aimed at need new laws to combat terrorsuppressing the media freedom ism, saying there are more than and democratic rights.

20 existing laws and legal proThe new Counter-Terrorism visions to deal with offences on bill approved by the cabinet terrorism. “Therefore, bringing of ministers is now before the new laws could be described as Parliament. A date has yet to be an attempt to suppress the voice announced for a debate and a of the people,” he said. vote on the bill, which the govThere was no immediate ernment says would repeal the comment from the government existing tough anti-terror law. and the spokesmen for the govC. Dodawaternment did not ta, convener of answer phone the Free Media calls seeking a Movement, a locomment. cal media rights Therefore, President Maigroup, said the bringing new thripala Sirisena proposed act laws could be and the new govcould be used to described as ernment came arrest and detain an attempt to into power in journalist for suppress the 2015 promising “distributing or voice of the to end a culture making available people. of impunity and any information ensure justice to to the public.” slain journalists.

He said the Under Sirisena’s new government predecessor, came into power in 2015 prom- Mahinda Rajapaksa, dozens of ising to repeal the existing anti- journalists were killed, abductterror law — the Prevention of ed and tortured. Some fled the Terrorism Act — that has been country. criticized by rights groups who In some cases, military offisay the successive governments cers were arrested and released have used it for arresting and on bail. detaining the journalists, media Forty four journalists and workers, artists, rights activists, media workers were killed beethnic minority Tamils and op- tween 2006 and 2015, during position politicians. the Rajapaksa presidency. Ac“But so far the government cording to the Committee to has failed to repeal the PTA Protect Journalists, 11 journaland instead now they are brin- ists were killed in the same peing another legislation which riod, including five who were seems worse than PTA,” he told targeted for murder and whose reporters. cases remain unsolved.

Dharmasiri Lankapeli, anMost of the killings and atother media rights activist, said tacks on journalists took place the legislation may result in during Sri Lanka’s civil war, arresting journalists for non- which ended in 2009, after the revelation of sources and “this government troops defeated would pose a great danger to the Tamil Tiger rebels who media freedom and send more fought for a separate state for journalists to prison.” the ethnic minority Tamils.

Rights activist and lawyer Both the government and the Viranjana Herath said the min- rebels were accused of killing ister in charge could prohibit a and abducting critics. ■

World News

FRIDAY MARCH 22, 2019

21

Pentagon lists possible project cuts to pay for wall

BY ALAN FRAM AND LOLITA C. BALDOR The Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Pentagon sent a 20-page list of military construction projects to Congress on Monday that might be slashed to pay for President Donald Trump’s wall along the Mexican border. Democrats expressed hope that by knowing which local projects could be targeted, lawmakers would be likelier to override Trump’s veto of a measure aimed at preventing the cuts.

“Now that members of Congress can see the potential impact this proposal could have on projects in their home states, I hope they will take that into consideration before the vote to override the President’s veto,” Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement.

With the House scheduled to vote Tuesday on overriding Trump’s veto, the spokeswoman for the top GOP vote counter predicted the president will prevail anyway.

“House Republicans have stood strongly with President Trump on securing our nation’s border and overwhelmingly supported his emergency declaration by large margins when we voted on this weeks ago; this will not change,” said Lauren Fine, spokeswoman for No. 2 House GOP leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana.

The Pentagon document listed hundreds of projects envisioned around the U.S. and world worth around $12.9 billion. Not all will be subject to cuts, the Defence Department wrote, making it difficult to determine exactly which would be vulnerable.

The list included more than $100 million for water treatment plant improvements at Camp Lejeune and airfield security and other work at Cherry

Point Marine Corps Air Station in North Carolina. That is the home state to Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, who initially said he opposed Trump’s emergency but voted for it. Tillis, who could face a tough re-election fight next year, said the White House had shown a willingness to consider curbing presidential powers to declare future emergencies.

Also listed were an air traffic control tower at Fort Benning, Georgia; a maintenance hangar at Travis Air Force Base in California; and a drone hangar at Kunsan Air Base in South Korea.

In their initial votes, the House and Senate both fell short of the two-thirds majorities that will be needed to override Trump’s veto. That suggests the override effort will fail unless the political tide shifts.

Trump declared a national emergency at the Mexican boundary last month after Congress limited him to just under $1.4 billion to build border barriers. He invoked a law that would let him siphon other budget funds — $3.6 billion from military construction — to build the structures and fulfil his prime 2016 campaign promise.

The House voted to block his emergency by 245-182 in February. The Senate followed last week by 59-41, including a dozen GOP defections. Lawmakers expressed concerns that Trump was ignoring Congress’ constitutional control over spending and worries about the cuts’ impact back home. Trump vetoed the bill Friday.

In a letter accompanying the list, Defence Department officials said they wouldn’t touch items for which money would be awarded by the Sept. 30 end of this fiscal year or for projects like housing. They didn’t specify which would be exempted.

Even so, Democrats latched onto the potential cuts to drum up support for the veto override.

“What President Trump is doing is a slap in the face to our military that

RYAN BLANDING / FLICKR, CC BY 2.0

makes our border and the country less secure,” Reed said.

Three top Democrats said in a statement that the projects were facing cuts “to placate the President.”

Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois, Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Hawaii’s Brian Schatz said, “This madness will not stop until more of our Republican colleagues are willing to put the military ahead of party politics.”

A spokesperson for Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., chairman of the Armed Services panel, said the document “is not a list of projects that will definitively

While the main concept of the restaurant lies on bringing authentic street foods to Canada, Eskenita Foods also offers other variety of Filipino foods such as the beloved all-day breakfast si-logs [si – sinangag (fried rice); log – itlog (fried egg)].

Also, they offer group meals that are served in a boodle fight set-up, to which they call #PiyestaEskenita. The set is served on banana leaves, with a lane of rice topped with different grilled pork skewers, liempo (grilled pork belly), sea foods, salted egg, with a variety of sauces scattered around, and citrus fruits. Just the sight of it already makes you starving.

Thirsty? Of course, Eskenita Foods also brought Filipino’s classic refreshment – samalamig. Samalamig is a

Associated Press writer Andrew Taylor contributed to this report.

Are you an Internationally Trained Professional in need of financial support for your Foreign Credential

Eskenita Foods... ❰❰ 18

be impacted.” She said Inhofe will continue working with defence officials to find targets “without negatively affecting any military construction projects.”

Trump said throughout his campaign that Mexico would pay for the wall, which it has consistently refused to do.

Democratic-aligned groups including state attorneys general have filed lawsuits against the emergency declaration, potentially blocking the money for months or more. ■

Recognition? sweetened drink with bits of sago and gulaman. But they also have flavored juices to choose from – orange, applegrape, and apple.

And who would forget the popular Filipino cold dessert – halo-halo — the icy sweet course loaded with different ingredients, filled with crushed ice and milk, topped with ube (purple yam) and leche flan. The dessert that even though it’s rainy season, you’d still want to savour, is also in here.

Eskenita Foods is really the place to be to every Filipino in Canada. Like what they say, There’s no place like home.

No need to wait for the clock to reach 3:30, because when you are in Eskenita Foods, it is always merienda time. ■

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www.canadianinquirer.net

22

World News

MARCH 22, 2019

FRIDAY

AP source: Justice Dept. probing development of Boeing jets

BY HOPE YEN AND TOM KRISHER The Associated Press WASHINGTON — U.S. prosecutors are looking into the development of Boeing’s 737 Max jets, a person briefed on the matter revealed Monday, the same day French aviation investigators concluded there were “clear similarities” in the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Max 8 last week and a Lion Air jet in October.

The Justice Department probe will examine the way Boeing was regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the inquiry is not public.

A federal grand jury in Washington sent a subpoena to someone involved in the plane’s development seeking emails, messages and other communications, the person told The Associated Press.

The Transportation Department’s inspector general is also looking into the FAA’s approval of the Boeing 737 Max, a U.S. official told AP. The official wasn’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The Wall Street Journal reported on the probe Sunday said the inspector general was looking into the plane’s anti-stall system. It quotes unidentified people familiar with both cases.

The anti-stall system may have been involved in the Oct. 29 crash of a Lion Air jet off of Indonesia that killed 189 people. It’s also under scrutiny in the March 10 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines jet that killed 157.

The Transportation Department’s FAA regulates Chicagobased Boeing and is responsible for certifying that planes can fly safely.

The grand jury issued its subpoena on March 11, one day after the Ethopian Airlines crash, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press.

Spokesmen for the Justice Department and the inspector general said Monday they could neither confirm nor deny the existence of any inquiries. The FAA would not comment.

“Boeing does not respond to or comment on questions concerning legal matters, whether internal, litigation, or governmental inquiries,” Boeing spokesman Charles Bickers said in an email.

The company late Monday issued an open letter from its CEO, Dennis Muilenburg, addressed to airlines, passengers and the aviation community.

Muilenburg did not refer to the reports of the Justice Department probe, but stressed his company is taking actions to ensure its 737 Max jets are safe.

Those include an upcoming release of a software update and related pilot training for the 737 Max to “address concerns”

that arose in the aftermath of October’s Lion Air crash, Muilenburg said. The planes’ new flight-control software is suspected of playing a role in the crashes.

The French civil aviation investigation bureau BEA said Monday that black box data from the Ethiopian Airlines flight showed the links with the Lion Air crash and will be used for further study.

Ethiopian authorities asked BEA for help in extracting and interpreting the crashed plane’s black boxes because Ethiopia does not have the necessary expertise and technology.

The Ethiopian Accident Investigation Bureau intends to release a preliminary report within 30 days.

The United States and many other countries have grounded the Max 8s and larger Max 9s as Boeing faces the challenge of proving the jets are safe to fly amid suspicions that faulty sensors and software contributed to the two crashes in less than five months.

Both planes flew with erratic altitude changes that could indicate the pilots struggled to control the aircraft. Shortly after their takeoffs, both crews tried to return to the airports but crashed.

Boeing has said it has “full confidence” in the planes’ safety. Engineers are making changes to the system designed to prevent an aerodynamic stall if sensors detect that the jet’s

Boeing 737.

MONTAGUE SMITH / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

nose is pointed too high and its speed is too slow.

Investigators looking into the Indonesian crash are examining whether the software automatically pushed the plane’s nose down repeatedly, and whether the Lion Air pilots knew how to solve that problem. Ethiopian Airlines says its pilots received special training on the software.

Dennis Tajer, an American Airlines pilot and a spokesman for their union, said Boeing held a discussion with airlines last Thursday but did not invite pilots at American or Southwest, the two U.S. carriers that use the same version of the Max that crashed in Indonesia and Ethiopia.

Tajer said airline officials told the unions that Boeing intends to offer pilots about a 15-minute iPad course to train them on the new flight-control

software on Max jets that is suspected of playing a role in the crashes. He called that amount of training unacceptable.

“Our sense is it’s a rush to comply — ‘let’s go, let’s go, let’s go,”‘ Tajer said. “I’m in a rush to protect my passengers.”

A spokesman for the pilots’ union at Southwest Airlines also said Boeing representatives told that union they expected the upgrade to be ready the end of January.

The spokesman, Mike Trevino, said Boeing never followed up to explain why that deadline passed without an upgrade.

Boeing was expected to submit a proposed fix to the FAA in early January. ■ Krisher reported from Detroit.

Associated Press writers David Koenig in Dallas and Michael Balsamo in Washington contributed to this report.

during the hearing, his hands porting of the accusations to active investigation. clasped behind his back. the charges themselves.

In a 74-page manifesto he Judge Stephen O’Driscoll deBush, the police commission- released before the attack, Tarnied him bail. er, said they believe they know rant said he was going to attack Charging doctwo mosques in uments accuse Christchurch Arps of distriband then one uting the video in the town of on Saturday, one It’s not only for the Muslim community, Ashburton if he day after the but for the whole of New Zealand, made it that far. massacre. and the world as well.

Bush also reMost details vised his timeof bail hearings line, saying ofare suppressed ficers rammed under New Zeathe suspect’s land law. The judge made an where the gunman was going car 21 minutes after the first additional suppression order for a third attack when officers emergency call, rather than 36 regarding the police summary rammed his car off the road but minutes. Bush said FBI agents of facts in the case, limiting re- won’t say more because it’s an have travelled to New Zealand

to help with the investigation.

Abizar Valibhai, of Christchurch, said Wednesday’s burials marked an important moment.

“It’s not only for the Muslim community, but for the whole of New Zealand, and the world as well,” he said. “If we don’t show our support at this time, when are we going to show it?”

He said there would be many waves of emotions to come for the families of the victims.

“They are fathers, they are mothers, they are brothers, they are sisters, they are wives,” he said. “There are a lot of things that will be shattered.” ■

New Zealand... ❰❰ 19

ceived any relevant information or intelligence before the shootings.

Philip Arps, 44, appeared in a Christchurch court Wednesday on two charges of distributing the killer’s livestream video of the attack on the Al Noor mosque, the first mosque that was attacked, a violation of the country’s objectionable publications law. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.

Arps, heavily tattooed and dressed in a T-shirt and sweatpants, hasn’t entered a plea.

He remained expressionless

www.canadianinquirer.net

23

Entertainment Attention 90s kids: MarJo loveteam ‘Captain Marvel’ soars will be back on the big screen! even higher with

stellar 2nd weekend

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer REMEMBER BUJOY and Ned from the 90’s blockbuster romantic-comedy film Labs kita, Okey Ka Lang? The inseparable best of friends that made everyone go through a roller coaster of emotions? Well, nothing really new about the two aside from their RETURN TO THE BIG SCREEN! Oh yes, you read it right! It was none other than the awardwinning filmmaker Dan Villegas who dropped the big news on his Instagram account, giving the 90s kids all the nostalgic feels.

Dan posted a photo of him along with another director and girlfriend, Antoinette Jadaone, screenwriter Bibeth Orteza, producer Reign Anne de Guzman, and of course the iconic love team Marvin Agustin and Jolina Magdangal, popularly known as MarJo. “Coming soon from #proj8corsanjoaquin It’s Bujoy and Ned!!!!” said Dan, including hashtags #lagingtapat, #ohyes, #bestfriendmolangako, and #buhaypelikula.

The comment section of the filmmaker’s post was loaded with hearts and heart-eyes emojis as MarJo’s fans cannot contain their excitement and kilig after knowing about the loveteam’s comeback.

“Huuyyyyy (Hey)!!!!! Hindi na ‘to bespren lang (This is not just a best friend status)!!!” said netizen @camzteodoro.

Actress Kat Galang also commented on the filmmaker’s post, saying, “OMG!!!! IM A BIG FAN!!!!!” She even quoted Jolina’s famous line in the film, “OO!!! KAIBIGAN MO LANG AKO (I am only your friend)!!!AND I MADE THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF FALLING IN LOVE WITH MY BESTFRIEND!!!!!!! SHOT IN BAGUIO!!!!!”

Netizens went even crazier when Marvin joined the hype

BY LINDSEY BAHR The Associated Press

Oh yes totoo na ito! Ituloy na natin labtim @marvinagustin #MarJo #LongOverdue #mmff2019. @MARIAJOLINA_IG / INSTAGRAM

train, leaving a comment: “Inaabangan ko to (I am waiting for this)!!! Sana may (I hope there is a) kissing scene!!!”

It was not confirmed yet whether or not the movie which will be helmed by Dan and Antoinette will be a sequel to the 21-year-old movie, but Jolina, in November 2018, revealed that she and Marvin wanted to do a project together.

“Basta gusto namin something na kontektado sa ‘Labs Kita, Okey Ka Lang?’ Kasi 20 years na ‘yung pelikulang ‘yun eh. So anong nangyari kay Ned at Bujoy talaga (We just want something that is connected to Labs Kita, Okay Ka Lang because it has been 20 years. So what really happened between Ned and Bujoy)?” the actress had said.

The rom-com movie was released in 1998 but Bujoy and Ned’s bestfriends-turned-lovers story was revived in the most millennial way two years ago.

Through the Twitter account @BaguioGirlBujoy, it was as if Bujoy Santillan indeed came to life to take over Twitterverse to share her love story with Ned. Letting their inner Bujoy possess them, the handler of the Twitter account wrote, “OH MY GODDDDD mga mumshies

listen. Kuha ng meryenda dahil may ikukwento akoooo (Mumshies, listen. Get some snacks because I have a story to tell)!”

“Well I think you should know muna na matagal na kong (first that I am) in love ako sa (with my) best friend kong si (named) N//e/d. So there,” was dramatically tweeted that Twitter users knew that they have something epic in store for them.

To make Bujoy Santillan real in this age and time, memes,GIFs, and speech patterns fitted for this generation decorated the tweets. No wonder it became viral!

The Twitter account, which was created in 2017, garnered a lot of attention from social media users, especially those who have seen the very popular film, with most of them were entertained with how funny Bujoywanna-be delivered the story via a thread.

Even the true Bujoy was amazed by @BaguiGirlBujoy’s tweets, saying she had read the thread many times already.

“Ang galing mo (You are too good)!!!!

Effoooort!!!!

LAVEEET (Love it)! Sobra akong tawang-tawa (I laughed so hard). Thank you,” Jolina tweeted. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

LOS ANGELES – “Captain Marvel” has continued to dominate the global box office in its second weekend in theatres, leaving newcomers in the dust.

Walt Disney Studios estimated Sunday that the intergalactic superhero fell only 55 per cent from its record-breaking opening. This weekend, “Captain Marvel” earned an additional $69.3 million from North American theatres and $119.7 million internationally, bringing its global grosses to $760 million.

With Brie Larson in the title role, “Captain Marvel” has already surpassed the lifetime grosses of a slew of superhero films including “Justice League,” “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and “The Amazing Spider-Man.” In a very distant second, Paramount’s animated family film “Wonder Park” struggled with $16 million against a reported $100 million budget. Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst for Comscore, said that it’s hard to compete with “Captain Marvel,” which is playing to all ages and audiences. But the PG-rated pic about a girl who dreams up an amusement park did not score well with critics either – it’s currently sitting at a 30 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.

But it wasn’t all bad news for the films in “Captain Marvel’s” shadow. The Cole Sprouse and Haley Lu Richardson film “Five Feet Apart” opened in third place with $13.2 million in ticket sales, which is nearly double its production budget. The film from Lionsgate and CBS Films is centred on two teens with cystic fibrosis.

Audiences were overwhelmingly female (82 per cent) and young (65 per cent under age 25 and 45 per cent under 18). That the stars involved, like Sprouse who is in the popular TV show

“Riverdale,” have a strong fan base and social following motivated young women to turn out to the theatres.

“You don’t always have to be No. 1 to have a success,” Dergarabedian said. “And ‘Five Feet Apart’ proves that.”

It was a good weekend overall for Lionsgate, which had three films in the top 10, including “Five Feet Apart,” Tyler Perry’s “A Madea Family Funeral,” which landed in fifth place with $8.1 million (behind “How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”) and the Spanishlanguage newcomer “No Manches Frida 2,” which opened on only 472 screens and grossed $3.9 million to take sixth place.

“In the world of everybody talking about diversity, this is a great example of a diverse lineup. All three films were completely different, which was obviously a strategic distribution decision,” said David Spitz, Lionsgate’s president of domestic distribution. “Those three films were able to capture an audience even with the 300-pound gorilla of ‘Captain Marvel.’”

Not so lucky was “Captive State,” an alien invasion thriller from Focus Features that floundered in seventh place with $3.2 million against a $25 million budget.

But overall, things are finally looking up for the industry-wide box office. The “Captain Marvel” effect has lowered the year to date deficit nearly 10 per cent in a week.

“We’re on the right track now.

It shows when you’re this early in the year, any change can make a significant difference to the bottom line,” said Dergarabedian. “But it’s going to take more than one big movie to start us toward another record-breaking year in North America.”

One film that might help: Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” follow-up “Us” hits theatres next weekend and is tracking for an opening north of $40 million. ■

24

Entertainment

MARCH 22, 2019

FRIDAY

Shawn Mendes the big winner at Juno Awards pre telecast gala

BY DAVID FRIEND The Canadian Press LONDON, ONT. – Shawn Mendes emerged the big winner at Saturday’s Juno Awards pre-telecast as the heartthrob picked up four wins across several major categories.

The Pickering, Ont. native won artist, pop album, songwriter and single of the year for his hit track “In My Blood.” But the pop singer wasn’t present to accept the awards because he’s on the European leg of his concert tour.

That left Michael Buble as the biggest surprise appearance of the night. The crooner swooped into the gala dinner and awards ceremony to pick up a trophy just minutes before he recognized David Foster for his philanthropic efforts.

Buble grabbed his 14th career Juno for “Love,” which won adult contemporary album of the year. But the singer made it

clear he was mostly at the event to celebrate his close friend Foster receiving this year’s humanitarian award.

“He has inspired me to be a better man and embrace the importance of giving back however I can,” Buble said as he introduced the acclaimed producer, whom he called “a man whose heart is as big as the sun.”

Foster was recognized for his support of hundreds of charities, including his own foundation, which provides financial help to Canadian families in need of life-saving transplants.

The suave producer said he enjoyed the opportunity to speak about his interests outside of music, calling his philanthropy “a second commitment in my life that’s equal or (will) maybe outlive my music.”

Other winners at the Juno gala included country act the Washboard Union, who nabbed breakthrough group of the year, while alternative album went to newcomers Dizzy for “Baby

Teeth.”

Jeremy Dutcher had the crowd buzzing after he was played off the stage while delivering his acceptance speech, which touched on Indigenous representation in music and included a direct message to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about reconciliation.

“A nation-to-nation relationship does not look like pipelines,” said the winner for Indigenous music album.

“A nation-to-nation relationship does not look like sending militarized police force into unceded territory and a nation-tonation relationship does not look like, in 2019, our communities still on boiled-water advisory.”

The show’s producers didn’t afford Dutcher much longer than the allotted time for speeches.

That led Arkells frontman Max Kerman to call Dutcher back onto the stage with them to finish his speech as they picked up the rock album prize.

@SHAWNMENDES / INSTAGRAM

In the metal/hard music category, Voivod marked a career first when they pocketed the award, telling the crowd it was their first Juno win in 36 years.

Wesli’s “Rapadou Kreyol” snagged world music album, while Dave Merheje’s “Good Friend Bad Grammar” won comedy album.

Loud Luxury, the pair of DJs who met at London’s Western University, picked up their first Juno for dance recording with their global hit “Body.”

The group is nominated for three more Junos at Sunday night’s televised show, where the remaining awards will be doled out. Top categories, including album, group and breakthrough artist, as well as country album of the year, are part of the broadcast.

Viewers can also vote for the Juno Fan Choice Award on the Juno Fan Choice website.

The show airs on CBC and streams through the CBC Music website. ■

R. Kelly case spotlights abuse of girls in the era of #MeToo

BY MARYCLAIRE DALE AND JOCELYN NOVECK The Associated Press NEW YORK – The girls, a dozen of them 15 to 18 years old, file into a conference room in a downtown Brooklyn office building, taking seats in chairs carefully arranged in a circle.

On the floor in front of them is a makeshift altar of comforting objects: A string of Christmas lights, plastic toys and dolls, oils and crystals, a glitter-filled wand.

They arrive at the end of a school day in their usual hoodies and jeans, their smiles and easy banter masking the painful experiences that bring them together: This group is called “Sisters in Strength,” and its members are survivors of sexual violence, or their allies and supporters.

There’s a high school senior who describes being raped at 14, by a family friend she considered a big brother. She endured years of anger and isolation be-

fore seeking help. Writing poems is part of her healing process. Soon after the assault, she scrawled in a notebook: “Did you not hear my screams? The screams I vocalized at the top of my lungs, burying my voice ten feet under.”

Another young woman, now 18, seeks peace through daily meditation. She too was assaulted by someone she knew, just days after her 18th birthday, but says she never reported it because she feared she wouldn’t be believed. “Most people will say, ‘What were you wearing or what were you doing? Why were you out so late?’

And all those things,” says this survivor. She found refuge in two trusted teachers, who sent her to “Sisters in Strength,” run by a non-profit called Girls for Gender Equity.

“I’m still in my way of healing,” she says, “and I think it’s better for me to focus on myself and move on.”

The arrest of R&B singer R. Kelly on charges of sexually abusing girls as young as 13 has

focused the lens of the #MeToo movement on underage victims like these, especially girls of colour. The charges, which Kelly denies, follow a string of sexual misconduct accusations against Hollywood power brokers, media titans and Donald Trump during his run for president.

But in those instances, as with the Harvey Weinstein scandal that launched the #MeToo era in October 2017, the accusers have been older, mostly white women.

“What happened with the media explosion of ‘MeToo’ is that it left out (a) population of people,” says Michelle Grier, director of social work at Girls for Gender Equity, where Tarana Burke, who originated the phrase “me too” with her own work more than a decade ago, is a senior director. Part of the group’s work, says Grier, is to empower girls to recognize: “Oh, this movement is about ME, too.”

Various studies have found that 7 in 10 girls endure some form of sexual harassment by www.canadianinquirer.net

age 18, and 1 in 4 will be sexually abused. Experts believe the rates are higher for girls of colour. One government survey found that some 43 per cent of rapes and attempted rapes against women happened before they’d turned 18. That means that for millions of women in the U.S., their first sexual victimization occurs when they are 17 or younger, sometimes even younger than 10.

Groups like Girls for Gender Equity and Girls Inc., a non-profit with 81 chapters in 30 states, are working to help young women discuss sexual harassment, dating violence and other types of abuse. Girls Inc. last year launched a #GirlsToo campaign to ensure that the voices of young survivors become part of the narrative on sexual misconduct.

“With young people it’s extra challenging, either because of who may be abusing them or the power differential,” says Lara Kaufmann, public policy director of Girls Inc. Often, they fear being punished by

their parents if the abuse involves a boyfriend, ostracized if it is perpetrated by a relative, or stigmatized by peers if it occurs at school. Even more than older women, experts say, girls tend to fear they won’t be believed.

In Memphis, Tennessee, 16-year-old Maya Morris says an alleged sexual assault outside her school last month has sparked intense debate among her classmates. The parties involved were students at White Station High School, and some say the alleged victim broke a rule to leave school grounds at dismissal.

“People are saying that because she was at school afterhours ... it was her own fault,” says Morris, a member of Girls Inc.’s national teen advisory council. School officials declined to say if the case was referred to police, and Memphis police did not return messages.

Such victim-blaming is not uncommon and adds to children’s innate belief that they ❱❱ PAGE 38 R. Kelly case

Entertainment

FRIDAY MARCH 22, 2019

25

Warner Bros.’ chief Tsujihara steps down following scandal

BY JAKE COYLE The Associated Press

personal life that have caused pain and embarrassment to the people I love the most.”

The scandal unfolded just as Warner NEW YORK – Warner Bros. chief Kevin Bros. was restructuring on the heels of Tsujihara, one of the highest ranking AT&T’s takeover of WarnerMedia, preHollywood executives to be felled by viously known as Time Warner. Tsujisexual misconduct allegations, stepped hara’s role had just been expanded on down from the studio Monday following Feb. 28 to include global kids and famclaims that he promised roles to an ac- ily entertainment including oversight of tress with whom he was having an affair. Adult Swim and the Cartoon Network.

WarnerMedia chief executive John Kirk appeared in Warner Bros.’ “How Stankey announced Tsujihara’s exit as to Be Single” in 2016 and “Ocean’s 8” in chairman and chief executive of Warner 2018. She has denied any inappropriate Bros., saying his departure was in the behaviour on the part of Tsujihara or studio’s “best interest.” two other executives, Brett Ratner and “Kevin has contributed greatly to the James Packer, who she communicated studio’s success over the past 25 years with. “Mr. Tsujihara never promised me and for that we thank him,” said Stankey. anything,” Kirk said in an earlier state“Kevin acknowledges that his mistakes ment. are inconsistent with the company’s But the details of the leaked text mesleadership expectations and could im- sages between Tsujihara and Kirk impact the company’s ability to execute go- mediately put his future at Warner Bros. ing forward.” in jeopardy. Kirk wrote in one 2015 mesEarlier this month, WarnerMedia sage to him: “Are u going to help me like launched an investigation after a March u said u would?” Tsujhara responded, 6 Hollywood Reporter story detailed “Richard will be reaching out to u totext messages between Tsujihara and night,” referring to Richard Brener, British actress Charlotte Kirk going president of Warner Bros.’ New Line laback to 2013. The messages suggested bel. a quid pro quo sexual relationship beOther exchanges suggested the kind tween the aspiring actress and the stu- of give-and-take of Hollywood’s “castdio head in which ing couch” culture. he made promises Kirk was introduced that he’d introduce to Tsujihara by her to influential exJames Packer, the ecutives and she’d be Kevin Australian billionconsidered for roles acknowledges aire. Warner Bros. in movies and televiwas then finalizing that his sion. a $450-million comistakes are In a memo to Warfinancing deal with inconsistent with ner Bros. staff on Packer and Brett the company’s Monday, Tsujihara Ratner, the directorleadership said he was departproducer. In a mesexpectations and ing “after lengthy insage to Ratner, Kirk could impact the trospection, and dissaid she was “used as company’s ability cussions with John icing on the cake.” to execute going Stankey over the past WarnerMedia, the forward. week.” studio’s parent com“It has become pany, said Monday clear that my conthat its internal intinued leadership vestigation into the could be a distraction and an obstacle to situation, carried out by a third-party the company’s continued success,” said law firm, will continue.

Tsujihara. “The hard work of everyone Tsujihara’s exit follows other highwithin our organization is truly admi- profile executive departures in the postrable, and I won’t let media attention on Harvey Weinstein #MeToo era. CBS my past detract from all the great work Chairman Leslie Moonves was pushed the team is doing.” out after numerous women accused him Tsujihara’s attorney, Bert H. Deixler, of sexual harassment. Walt Disney Aniearlier stated that Tsujihara “had no di- mation chief John Lasseter was ousted rect role in the hiring of this actress.” He after he acknowledged missteps in his declined further comment Monday. behaviour with employees.

Tsujihara, who has headed the BurThe 54-year-old Tsujihara, the first bank, California, studio since 2013, ear- executive of Asian descent to head a lier pledged to fully co-operate with the major Hollywood studio, presided over studio’s investigation and apologized to a largely positive Warner Bros. era with Warner Bros. staff for “mistakes in my little fanfare. A former home video and

Former Warner Bros. Chairman and CEO Kevin Tsujihara.

FORTUNE BRAINSTORM TECH / FLICKR, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

video game executive at the company, Tsujihara focused on franchise creation, some of which have worked, some of which haven’t.

After poor marks from fans and critics, the studio’s DC Comics films have recently been retooled and found their footing in hits like “Wonder Woman” and “Aquaman.” Other franchises – like “The Lego Movie” and the “Harry Potter” spinoff “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” – have seen diminishing

returns on their latest incarnations. The studio has also fostered its connection with filmmakers like Christopher Nolan (“Dunkirk”) and Bradley Cooper (whose “A Star Is Born” was Warner Bros.’ top Oscar contender). Warner Bros. last year amassed $5.6 billion in global ticket sales, its best haul ever.

The studio will now begin a search for a new chief as it also prepares to launch a streaming service designed to compete with Netflix. ■

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26

Lifestyle ‘Both sides of the binary:’ Exhibit explores gender, fashion

BY TRACEE M. HERBAUGH The Associated Press BOSTON — When actor Billy Porter unveiled his combination tuxedo-ball gown at the Oscars last month, it got people talking.

Porter, the black and gay breakout star of the FX series “Pose,” had bucked traditional Academy Award attire — fancy frocks for the ladies and basic tuxedos for men.

A photo of Porter’s eye-catching Oscar garb is included in a new exhibit at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts that opens to the public on Thursday. The exhibit titled, “Gender Bending Fashion,” examines moments in history when clothing transcended and muddled our understanding of gender.

The show was inspired, in part, by what’s happening right now in fashion, said Michelle

Finamore, a fashion historian and curator.

“The lines are getting more and more blurred,” she said.

“Gender Bending Fashion” is the first large-scale exhibit of its kind to be hosted by a major museum. It is comprised of mixed-media: paintings, record covers and photographs. But a highlight for viewers will surely be the 70 gender-bending ensembles from big-name designers, such as Rei Kawakubo, of Comme des Garcons, and Walter Van Beirendonck, a member of the influential avant-garde group “Antwerp Six.” One notable inclusion is the tuxedo that actress Marlene Dietrich wore in the 1930 film “Morocco.”

Dietrich has long been hailed as a hero for gender fluidity.

It wasn’t uncommon for her to wear top hats, shirts with French cuffs and cuff links, and pant suits tailored for men.

“She was both sides of the binary in that she was either extremely feminine or extremely masculine,” Finamore said.

The exhibit references the 1920s, a time when women first cut their hair short. Then it progresses to the 1960s and The Peacock Revolution, when menswear shifted from plain and simple to flamboyant, colorful and tailored to the body.

The ‘60s is also when unisex attire became mainstream. And present day is thought to be the height of gender fluidity in fashion.

Each of these moments represent a cultural shift within society, said Jo Paloetti, author of the books “Sex and Unisex: Fashion, Feminism, and the Sexual Revolution” and “Pink and Blue: Telling the Boys from the Girls in America.”

In the 1920s, women secured the right to vote and started working outside the home

MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON / FACEBOOK

for the first time. The 1960s brought the sexual revolution, gay rights and second-wave feminism — people pushing back against traditional roles.

Today, as the world questions the very relevance of gender definitions, cultural questions

are taking visual form in fashion, Paloetti said.

“We are asking what it means to be man or woman,” she said.

“Are these terms just a proxy for stereotypes?”

The show is on display through Aug. 25. ■

Hockey families get creative in solving time, cost concerns

BY STEPHEN WHYNO The Associated Press PHILADELPHIA — Megan Lincoln couldn’t put her son into hockey right away when he wanted to play.

She didn’t have the time to take off from work to shuttle him to practice or the money to pour into a traditionally expensive sport.

“Nothing is cheap,” Lincoln

said. “There’s nothing about hockey that is cheap. Maybe some laces.”

But Reggie Hunter became a hockey player when the family found out Snider Hockey was offering free equipment and instruction 20 minutes from their New Jersey home. He learned to play multiple positions over time as his great-grandfather drove him to and from the rink in Pennsauken. That was seven years ago. Hunter, now 21, went

on to play junior hockey.

Many families wrestle with the time and money needed to play youth sports, but those challenges can be even more significant when it comes to hockey, with all of its equipment and rinks that are sometimes far away. For the less wealthy, having a child who dreams of hockey can look like a nightmare.

“The challenge is that hockey is a very unique sport and it’s

www.canadianinquirer.net

a very expensive sport,” said NHL diversity ambassador Willie O’Ree, who broke the league’s colour barrier in 1958.

“To go into a sport shop and outfit a 10- to a 13-year-old boy or girl, it costs about $800, and a lot of these families, they just can’t afford the money.”

The cost of protective equipment, sticks and ice time is one factor that keeps hockey lagging behind sports such as basketball and soccer in the U.S. among mi-

nority children. Snider Hockey program director Dan Rudd estimates the expenses of travel hockey alone can cost a family $2,000-$3,000 a year.

Steps are being taken to address those concerns, including programs like Snider Hockey in Philadelphia, Detroit Ice Dreams and Hockey is for Everyone, Future Goals and Learn to Play from the NHL and NHL ❱❱ PAGE 28 Hockey families

Lifestyle

FRIDAY MARCH 22, 2019

Liz Weston:

How to give money advice that sticks

BY LIZ WESTON The Associated Press UNSOLICITED MONEY advice is like stale fruitcake: Most people wish the givers would just keep it to themselves.

Still, those who are “good with money” often want to help friends and family who struggle. Many of us remember the timely money tip that made all the difference: when a coworker suggested we contribute to the company’s 401(k), for example, or that time a relative warned us off an investment that really was too good to be true.

So I turned to neuropsychologist and executive coach Moira Somers, author of “Advice That Sticks: How to Give Financial Advice That People Will Follow.” Her book was written for financial planners, but the techniques she suggests, backed by behavioural finance research, could be helpful for anyone who wants to give effective money counsel.

Make sure they want your advice

Even people who pay for money advice can have trouble following it. Somers learned about something called “nonadherence” while working in health care, and she now trains financial planners in some of the same techniques doctors use to help patients follow treatment plans.

A key principle: The person being treated needs to “buy in,” or agree that the suggested treatment is right for them.

When someone hasn’t asked for your opinion, or even if they have, a good first step is making sure they want it, Somers says.

For example, you could say, “I’ve been watching you struggle, and I have a few ideas for some things that might help. If you ever want to hear them, let me know,” Somers suggests.

Watch your language

Some celebrity money gurus revel in shaming the people who turn to them for advice.

Blaming people for their money problems is popular sport on internet forums, as well. But blame and shame rarely succeed in getting people to change their behaviour, Somers says.

“That leaves the person feeling trapped or disempowered, or really, really bad about themselves,” she says. So they shut down, and your advice — like that fruitcake — is quickly discarded.

Warmth, encouragement and empathy are better ways to reach people, she says. Even if you haven’t been in the same position, you’ve undoubtedly made mistakes with money, so you can tap into that to understand how they might feel.

“People need to feel encouraged and buoyed,” Somers says.

Reduce the friction

Many people with money problems are cognitively overwhelmed, Somers says. They may be too paralyzed to take action. Good advisers ask questions to better understand the barriers their clients face, she says.

“People can ask curious questions like, ‘That’s something that you seem to be putting off. What about this is hard for you? How can I be of help?’”

Somers suggests.

Once you know their challenges, you can look for ways to reduce the friction that keeps them stuck.

That could mean breaking a task down into simpler steps.

To help overspending clients, for example, Somers first asks them to turn off one-click ordering on all their devices.

When they confirm they’ve done that, she asks them to get online access to all their bank accounts. When that’s done, she asks them to start reviewing their transactions each day.

This 1-2-3 approach works a lot better than telling people they have to track their expenses for a month.

Supervision or support also can help people follow through.

A parent worried about an adult child’s debt may offer to go with them to see a credit counsellor, or set up an appointment with an empathetic financial adviser, Somers says.

In fact, leading someone to the right professional may be the best move of all, she notes.

Friends and family may reject even your best advice because there are things they don’t want to share with you, or they simply need a more neutral third party to guide them.

“They may not be able to hear the advice from you,” Somers says. “But you can say, ‘I know somebody that might be able to help you with this.’” ■ This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Liz Weston is a columnist at NerdWallet, a certified financial planner and author of “Your Credit Score.” www.canadianinquirer.net

27

5 tips to hibernate like sleeping beauty

BY ARIANNE GRACE U. LACANILAO Philippine Canadian Inquirer WITH WORLD Sleep Day on March 15, this is the perfect opportunity to talk about and honor one of the blessings humans get to enjoy – sleeping.

Have you ever felt your bed, pillows, and comforter get softer just right after your alarm clock rang? Also, have you ever snoozed your alarm clock in your phone before actually getting up? How many alarms do you set right before you sleep?

If not everyone, I think most of us wish we can sleep forever tucked inside our blankets caressing our warm sheets, but many of us, sleep-deprived for different reasons miss or maybe already forgot the feeling of what truly resting feels like.

While some of us are aware that there are several effects of regular sleep debt-ing, like becoming moody, getting memory issues, weakened immunity, trouble with thinking and concentration, weight gain, poor balance, and so much more; here are some tips to get away from whatever difficulties a less-eight-hour sleeper gets and to start being a sleeping beauty every night.

But first let’s review the sleeping pattern length based on the age of an individual by the National Sleep Foundation.

It said that the appropriate duration of sleeping for teenagers aged 14-17 is nine to 11 hours, while younger adults aged 1825 is seven to nine hours, and

adults aged 26-64 are also recommended with seven to nine hours of sleep.

Now that we know, let’s move on to what we can do to make catching z’s a priority.

First (1), make ‘exercising’ a routine. Working out and stretching have many benefits and generally, improving sleep is one of them. Being physically active reduces anxiety symptoms that will help you sleep fast.

I know many would fail number one that’s why here’s number two (2); Practice going to bed without phone or if you need your phone around you, don’t use it. I know it sounds like I’m your parent but dear friend, it works. I suggest placing it at least not within your reach. This is because using your phone before sleeping distracts you from sinking deeper in the comforts of your bed. Also, hate to admit it or not, it makes you scroll more in your newsfeeds right? We’re not sure how long will you will last scrolling ‘till you get tired swiping and hopping from Instagram to Facebook to another. So try it, since your phone is also emitting harmful radiation. If you pass number two, we can move forward to the next tip.

That is to (3) stop thinking deep before going to sleep.

Many of us make “before sleeping” the time to overthink.

From incoming deadlines, to love life problems, or even as simple as your what ifs, but ❱❱ PAGE 32 5 tips

Lifestyle

28

MARCH 22, 2019

FRIDAY

Feeding street people

BY SANTOSH DIGAL Philippine News Agency MANILA — Here is the inspiring story of how a retired engineer and his wife in the Philippines, inspired by two people, are doing their share in their own simple way, of following Christ’s challenge of feeding the hungry.

When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing (Matthew 6:3) is no longer a mere biblical verse. This “maxim” has inspired August Romero and his wife, Imelda; both parishioners of the Holy Family Parish, Kamias Road, Quezon City, in the Diocese of Cubao.

For the last five years, the couple has been feeding poor people on the streets almost every week. And nobody knows about it. Not even their daughter (who is in the US), neighbors, family members, and friends.

“We do not advertise or brag about it,” Imelda said. “It is our expression of Catholic faith or faith in action in a simple way,” she added.

“In one of the sermons on Sunday Mass I heard some years ago, the priest said that one can help other people by giving them something they are in need of,” said August, a 68-year-old retired mechanical engineer.

Inspiration from Dolphy

Keeping this in mind, the couple decided to feed people on the streets.

“You cannot give them money. It is sensitive to give them money, because one is not sure what they will spend it for.

What is best we thought is to give them food,” August added.

For doing this, August got inspiration from two people: one is the late Rodolfo Vera Quizon Sr., a Filipino director, comedian, movie, television, stage, and radio actor who most people know as “Dolphy,” whose comedy works earned him the tag, “The King of Comedy.”

Every time Dolphy went out of his house, he always carried packets of sandwiches, which he distributed to poor people on the street.

“This was our background.

We thought of doing the same in our own way in our vicinity — Kamias Road in Quezon City. All these poor people on the street are in need of food,” August recalled.

In the beginning, the homecooked food of 50 packets with rice and meat were distributed once a month, then two or three times in a month. Then it became weekly. Now it is three times a week.

gust said he personally does the shopping the day before, and with love and passion, personally cooks the meal with the help of a housekeeper.

The food is cooked in the morning so that it can be ready to be distributed by lunch time.

Together with his wife, they distribute the food packets on different days in the various streets using their red car.

Better to give than to receive

The other person who inspired August is Pope Francis.

From the time he began his pontificate, Pope Francis has been speaking for the poor and their rights and dignity.

“Pope Francis’ talks and sermons on the poor have touched our lives and way of living,” August said.

When asked how he prepared the food to be distributed, Au-

“The more effort you put in it, the more satisfaction it generates for oneself,” he said, quoting another biblical verse or remembering the words of Jesus who said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20: 35).

He explains that they never distribute leftovers or give away stale food.

“We cook fresh food and distribute it. As soon as they get the food packets, they start eating these. They just thank us for the food. Our interaction or communication with them is limited. Sometimes, they can identify me because of my red car,” August said.

“We go to the streets where the poor are. We avoid narrow streets so as not to obstruct the road and cause traffic. It is always a hassle-free service,” he added.

When asked why he is doing it, his answer was — food is basic to all.

These people on the street always look for food. When they do not get it, they sleep. Consequently, they become crazy.

It can drain their physical

The couple have a daughter and three grandchildren who are settled in the U.S. August was born in Romblon Province on Mar. 10, 1950.

Romblon is a cluster of 20 islands lying in the Sibuyan Sea, which is practically at the center of the Philippine archipelago. It is south of Marinduque,

Santosh Digal is a graduate student at the College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City.

ford it. We have a lot of parents that are thankful for our program because they would’ve never been able to experience the game of hockey because hockey is very expensive.”

Neal Henderson, who founded the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club in Washington in 1978, said his organization outfits kids from head to foot with safe equipment. Some rinks rely on donated or used equipment that can be passed down from older to younger players.

Snider Hockey provides equipment, too, as part of almost $5 million in annual ex-

penses. It also helps parents trying to figure out what to buy.

“Sometimes the parents don’t have the experience in the sport to understand what to look for, so they need mentors, they need subject matter experts,” said Jim Britt, the sinceretired first employee of Snider Hockey. “They need coaching along the way to make sure they know a $500 piece of equipment isn’t necessarily better than a $300 piece of equipment or a $200 piece of equipment.”

Coaches are also part-time drivers at Snider Hockey, and parents run carpools for prac-

tices and games. Detroit Ice Dreams Founder Jason McCrimmon said he barters with city-run rinks by offering basic classes to get favourable ice time that allows kids to practice and play after school — hours more favourable than early in the morning or late at night.

Small-ice practices, where a team needs just a third of the rink, also helps organizations keep costs down.

“You divide the dollars you spend on an hour of ice by 60 instead of 20,” Snider Hockey executive vice-president Jan Koziara said. “It’s a huge return.”

NHL, NHLPA and USA Hockey assistance goes a long way as the organizations try to grow the game. Henderson believes the onus is still on parents to explore options.

“The parents have to make a sacrifice, and they have to make a sacrifice to become involved,” Henderson said. “(A child who asks their parents to play) knows the answer will be they’re too busy or they’ve got to work or they think that the price is too high. They have no idea of cost, and they don’t know what a commitment would be.” ■

Influence of Pope Francis

SANTOSH DIGAL

strength. When this happens, they are helpless in a way, he explained.

The retired engineer never considered himself rich. “We are not rich, but God provides enough for us. We can still survive with what we have.”

“We will continue to feed our brothers and sisters on the streets as long as we can afford and our strength permits. In case we physically cannot do it any longer, we may seek others’ help to do it. Until that scenario arrives, we will do it with love and passion and still keep it to ourselves,” August said.

Enlightened by faith

west of Masbate, east of Mindoro, and north of Panay Island.

Romblon is also known as the “marble country.”

August was educated at Don Bosco, Mandaluyong City. He earned his mechanical engineer degree from the National University in Manila.

He worked as a teacher in Manila for a while and later worked at the Balara water filter station in Quezon City.

“Now that I am retired and have enough time, I can help the poor in my own way. Every time I pass through some streets of Manila or Quezon City, my attention goes to people on the streets and I have a feeling for them. Thank God, I am trying to follow the dictate of my heart enlightened by my Christian faith,” August quipped. ■

Hockey families... ❰❰ 26

Players’ Association.

Many outfit kids with all they need to get on

the ice.

Detroit Ice Dreams vicepresident and program manager Cynthia Wardlaw likened the cost of her children playing hockey to a car bill or a mortgage bill.

“I would’ve never been able to afford hockey if it wasn’t for a program like this because it wouldn’t have ever fit in my budget,” Wardlaw said. “No matter how much my kid might’ve enjoyed it or liked it or loved it, I wouldn’t have been able to af-

www.canadianinquirer.net

29

Sports Davao Enduro-X Challenge

Ilagan City bet captures taekwondo gold in Batang Pinoy

BY LITO DELOS REYES Philippine News Agency

BY JEAN MALANUM Philippine News Agency

Gabulin, Nebiar rule 1st

DAVAO CITY — Jonice Gabulin and Jenniel Nebiar of Davao City combined smoothly to win the first Davao Enduro-X Challenge 2-man team held Saturday at the Moto-X Farm in Langub, Ma-a, this city.

Gabulin finished first with his Suzuki RM250 followed by Nebiar aboard his Yamaha YZ250.

In second place was the pair of Roel Villanueva and Michael Leoncito of Davao, while in third was Alex Lee and John Leynes also of Davao.

The 4th to 7th placers were Normandy Masucol-Chaddy Labawan, Tata Abapo-Edward Saraga, Manuel Yap-Nenel Salvador and Shawn Lim and Jun Batalla.

Leo Jushua Alfanta and Leonel Macapas of Davao ruled the 0 to 230cc category.

Placing second was the twosome of Ricky Mendoza and

Kyle Redoblado of Matan-o while the third place went to the pair of Irvin Flores and Jhun Rabanillo of Davao.

The 4th to 7th placers were Waldz De Veloz-Ferdinand Sale (Bukidnon), Rodolfo Salas Jr.Jonathan Jorolan (Sarangani), Nebiar-Gabulin and Rundolf Martizano-Ivan Leyson (Gensan).

Mendoza and Redoblado, however, topped the Underbone category.

The second place went to the pair of Bukidnon’s Jun Sulinay and Lito Vacalares while in third was Gensan’s Gabay Las and Ariel Monton.

The 4th to 7th placers were De Veloz-Justin Francisco (Bukidnon), Silvino Quiza-Nerdan Dumandan (Davao), Arnel Perez-Joenel Taping (Kidapawan) and Jeston Ray Paral-Jay Ghem Asotilla (Sarangani).

Cash prizes and trophies were awarded by Bok Mata of Moto-X Farm. ■

ILAGAN CITY, ISABELA — Local bet Eljay Marco Vista on Monday displayed his awesome form to win the gold medal in the taekwondo poomsae cadet individual event of the 2019 Philippine Youth GamesBatang Pinoy Luzon qualifying leg here.

The 12-year-old Vista, seeing action for the first time in this tournament organized by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), scored 7.670 points to beat 2018 Palarong Pambansa gold winner Kacey Canlas of Olongapo City (7.600) and Wreily Canao of Baguio City (7.465) in the competition held at the Barangay San Felipe covered court.

“Sobrang saya ko po dahil nabigyan ko ng gold medal ang Ilagan (I am very happy because I was able to give Ila-

gan a gold medal),” said Vista, a Grade 6 student from Ilagan South Central School.

“Hindi ko po na-expect na manalo kasi meron po akong kalaban na naka-gold na sa Palarong Pambansa (I did not expect to win because one of my opponents won the gold at the Palarong Pambansa),” added Vista, who is a blackbelter like his brother and father.

“Tinatagan ko lang yung loob ko at nilabas ko yung lahat nang makakaya ko (I held my ground and gave all my best),” said Vista, who will compete in elementary Team B poomsae at the Palarong Pambansa in Davao City next month.

Meanwhile, Mandaluyong edged Pasig, 51-50, and Pangasinan demolished Mariveles, 7726, in the girls’ division while Polangui prevailed over Guinobatan, 71-50, in the boys’ division of the basketball competition at the Ilagan Community Center.

Winners in the girls’ volleyball at the Camunatan Covered Court were Pangasinan over Mandaluyong, 2-0; Angeles City over Sta. Rosa City, Laguna, 2-0; Bataan over Muntinlupa, 2-0; and Mariveles, Bataan, 2-0.

In boys beach volleyball, Olongapo won over Ilagan, 2-0, and Pangasinan downed Mandaluyong, 2-0, at the Ilagan Sports Complex, while Baguio defeated Ilocos Norte, 8-3; Muntinlupa clobbered Pamplona, 13-0; Valenzuela beat Ilagan, 12-1; and Cauayan downed Pasig, 13-2, in the baseball competition at the AM City Open Field.

Over at the Isabela Sports High School, Dasmarinas outclassed Pasig, 10-1; Sta. Maria, Bulacan outplayed Manila, 6-4; and Tanauan City, Batangas blanked Baguio City, 11-0, in softball.

The swimming competition will start at the Isabela Sports Complex on Tuesday with 20 gold medals up for grabs. ■

Tenorio set to become PBA’s new ‘Iron Man’

BY IVAN STEWART SALDAJENO Philippine News Agency MANILA — Make way for the new “Iron Man” of the Philippine Basketball Association.

LA Tenorio is set to play his 597th consecutive game on Sunday night, shattering the league record for the longest string of games played without missing a single one.

“It’s a great achievement not only as a basketball player but as an athlete,” said the 34-yearold Ginebra guard, who has never missed a single game in his 13 seasons so far.

“Para sa akin, malaking achievement ito kasi lahat ng pinaghirapan ko (It’s a big achievement for me because everything I did) all throughout my career, not only in the PBA

but also in high school, college — yung pinaghandaan ko para maging isang professional athlete — nasuklian (to become professional athlete has paid off ). All the hard work, discipline, and sacrifices na ginawa, nagbunga (that I did paid off ),” he added.

In fact, he has never missed a game since returning from a hand injury that forced him to sit out some games for Ateneo in 2002.

Interestingly enough, he will break the record right before the eyes of the current holder, Magnolia team manager Alvin Patrimonio.

Patrimonio never missed a single second in the last 596 games prior to his retirement in 2004, all while playing with the Hotshots franchise then known as the Purefoods TJ Hotdogs.

While Tenorio’s record-

L.A. TENORIO / FACEBOOK

breaking stint will be the main highlight of the latest edition of the “Manila Clasico” at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, both Ginebra and Magnolia have the quarterfinals in their minds ahead of their 6:45 p.m. clash. www.canadianinquirer.net

Currently in fifth and sixth places respectively in the team standings, the Barangay and the Hotshots are looking to score a victory that will solidify their bid to make the Final 8 outright.

Ginebra, however, has another agenda in mind as it needs

the win if it still wants to go for a Top 2 finish, which will give the team an incentive which comes in the form of a once-towin advantage.

Phoenix already secured the first quarterfinal bonus with a win against San Miguel, leaving only Ginebra, Rain Or Shine, and TNT vying for the other Top 2 spot.

The Elasto Painters already finished their stint in the elimination round and can only hope for a loss from the Barangay and the KaTropa to lock in the other playoff incentive.

In the first game at 4:30 p.m., NLEX and Blackwater battle for survival.

A win will keep the bid of the Road Warriors and the Elite for a playoff spot alive.

But for Blackwater, a loss could mean outright elimination. ■

30

Business PH external debt ratios still at prudent levels PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY MANILA — Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin E. Diokno, announced in a statement over the weekend that the Philippines’ outstanding external debt stood at USD79.0 billion as of end-2018, up by USD2.5 billion (or 3.3 percent) from the end-September 2018 level of USD76.4 billion.

The growth in the debt level during the quarter was due largely to net availments of USD1.6 billion as private banks borrowed offshore to fund purchases of: a) high-quality liquid assets in preparation for the increase in the Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) threshold as part of the Basel 3 reform package issued by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision; and b) Republic of the Philippines (RP) bills, among others.

Positive foreign exchange (FX) revaluation adjustments amounting to USD1.0 billion further contributed to the increase in the debt stock as the Philippine peso appreciated against the US dollar during the reference period due mainly to improving domestic inflation data and strong remittance inflow. The rise in the debt stock was partially offset by USD139-

BY LESLIE GATPOLINTAN Philippine News Agency

BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno.

PHILIPPINE INFORMATION AGENCY / WEBSITE

million increase in residents’ investments in Philippine debt papers issued offshore.

Year-on-year, the debt stock grew by 8.0 percent from the end-2017 level of USD73.1 billion due largely to net availments by both public (USD3.5 billion) and private sectors (USD3.2 billion). Specifically, this is attributed to the national government (NG)’s increased financing for its infrastructure development and social spending programs, private banks’ preparation for the increase in the LCR threshold under the Basel 3 liquidity rule and to source funding for purchases of RP bills while other private

firms decided to increase working capital, expand funding base, and extend term liabilities.

Prior periods’ adjustments (USD594 million) further increased the debt levels. However, the increase in resident holdings of Philippine debt papers issued offshore (USD1.2 billion) and negative FX revaluation adjustments (USD125 million) partially tempered the sharp increase in the debt stock during the year.

External debt refers to all types of borrowings by Philippine residents from non-residents, following the residency criterion for international statistics. ■

cent under Estrada, 1.6 percent under Arroyo, 3.0 percent under Aquino,” Panelo said.

“These are hard facts and figures, which cannot be disputed and which should be relayed by those in capable positions to the public, including those in the international community.

They are more reliable than some anecdotes that are politically colored by some groups or interests,” he added.

Panelo, meanwhile, reiterated that the main considerations for foreign investments are

“macro economic fundamentals, no or minimal restriction on foreign equity on investment areas and activities, ease of doing business, good infrastructure, non-restrictive labor laws, and consistent policy milieu.”

Earlier, Panelo said investors also took note of the country’s improved peace and order situation.

“They know that criminality has gone down considerably and there is war against illegal drugs,” Panelo said. ■

Palace cites... ❰❰ 12

tration process in the country.

Moreover, he also cited how the administration has committed more resources to infrastructure projects since lack of infrastructure has hampered the Philippine economy’s competitiveness.

“In his first two years in office (2017 and 2018), the President obligated 6.3 percent of GDP to infrastructure, which is two to three times as much as his previous predecessors — 1.7 percent under Ramos, 1.8 per-

Double-digit growth in real estate seen in 2019

www.canadianinquirer.net

MANILA — The Philippine property market is expected to achieve double-digit growth this year, with real estate values seen scaling all-time highs across all sectors, Leechiu Property Consultants (LPC) said Monday.

“We’re optimistic about the growth in the real estate sector.

More or less, it will be a doubledigit return across many assets, classes,” real estate services firm LPC chief executive officer David Leechiu said in an interview.

Leechiu underscored the industry’s need to prepare for the central bank’s plan to bring down the reserve requirement from 18 percent to 8 percent by 2021.

“That is going to release trillions of pesos into the economy, and a big chunk of that will find its way to real estate,” he said. “(This will result in) lower interest rates and more investible funds for real estate.”

In a press briefing, Leechiu said transaction values are expected to continue increasing in the office markets, as well as the residential and industrial segments.

He bared the information technology-business process management (IT-BPM) and Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) continue to be significant demand drivers for office space.

“The IT-BPM industry continues the upward trend since 2017 with now having 102,000 square meters (sqm) take-up in three months (of 2019). We expect for it to grow at a faster pace and reach the forecasted 450,000 sqm take-up in 2019 should there be more PEZA (Philippine Economic Zone Authority) spaces available in the market,” he noted.

With or without the second package of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN), Leechiu said more IT-BPM firms are coming back after completing their diversification program from the Philippines, and because of labor wages in the United States which are climbing to new highs.

He further said the POGO industry is also the notable driver for the residential market, which generates an annual housing rental income of USD 501 million.

Leechiu also noted rising transaction values in condominium prices in Metro Manila driven by demand primarily from buyers from mainland China, and a boom in warehousing demand in the logistics market from online retailers.

“There is a surge in mainland Chinese buyers in the residential condominium sector and we anticipate for this to continue for the long term especially with the rekindled diplomatic ties between Philippines and China,” he added.

He stressed that residential sales are no longer dominated by overseas Filipino workers (OFW) buyers but by buyers from the mainland.

Moreover, Leechiu said industrial properties have kept pace with the trend of rising prices as online retailers seek to meet warehouse expansion requirements.

“The rise of the E-Commerce industry in the Philippines is driving up the need for warehouse space of online retailers,” he said, noting local third-party providers and food retailers are also contributing to the demand for warehouse space. ■

Business

FRIDAY MARCH 22, 2019

31

Rubber farmers to launch bike tire brand in April

BY CHRISTINE CUDIS Philippine News Agency MANILA — A group of rubber farmers have stepped up their livelihood through the production of a local motorcycle tire brand.

In a statement Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol said the group will help produce Pilipinas Agila Tires — the first farmer-owned motorcycle tire brand using locally harvested rubber cup lumps.

“This marks a small step forward in the program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to elevate the farmer from the status of a raw material producer to the processor and merchandiser of finished products with added-value,” Piñol said.

The Philippine Rubber Farmers’ Cooperative (PRFC), composed of farmers from Mindanao and Palawan, leads the effort to develop finished products from raw rubber cup lumps.

The Pilipinas Agila Tires are designed for working motor-

cycles commonly known as “habal-habal” and tricycles.

“We, along with our children, will be the marketing agents of the Pilipinas Agila tires and we can easily sell these even to our members because almost everybody owns a working motorcycle,” PRFC head Amando Pedregosa said.

It will be in the market next month at prices lower than imported tires.

President Rodrigo Duterte will be requested to officially launch the marketing of the Pilipinas Agila 300x17 motorcycle tires which came exactly one year after the Philippine Rubber Industry Road Map was crafted and presented to him by the DA and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

The process

Organized by DA in 2017 and assisted by the DTI, the PRFC entered into a processing and marketing agreement with Leo Tires Manufacturing of Valenzuela, Metro Manila in a supply and buy-back scheme.

In the agreement, PRFC will buy the cup lumps produced by its members and process these into rubber blocks called SPR20 which will be sold to Leo Tires Manufacturing.

The Leo Tires-manufactured Pilipinas Agila will be bought back by the PRFC to be sold in the market.

The DA, through the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC), has approved a PHP10M initial working capital of the PRFC with a 2 percent interest payable in eight years.

In the computation made by PRFC officials, the cooperative will make a little profit from buying cup lumps from its members and selling these as SPR-20 to Leo Tires Manufacturing.

The bigger margin of profit, however, will be realized in the sale of the Pilipinas Agila motorcycle tires where the cooperative is expected to gain at least PHP100 per tire sold.

Next move

Initially, only the 300 x17 motorcycle tire will be produced

PNA

mainly because this is widely used and easily marketable in the provinces.

But seeing a wide opportunity for business, Pedregosa shares future plans laid by the cooperative.

“Our next move is to manufacture other tire sizes, including tires for small tractors like ‘kuliglig’,” Pedregosa said.

DA targets that before the Duterte administration ends

in 2022, the country’s rubber farmers will have their own tire manufacturing plant in Mindanao.

“We thank President Duterte for his support and we promise him, we will handle this project well and we will move forward and liberate ourselves from the bondage of middlemen and traders who buy our produce at very low prices and sell us expensive tires,” Pedregosa said. ■

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32

Technology Researchers look to artificial intelligence programs to predict wildfires

BY BOB WEBER The Canadian Press EDMONTON — Researchers and forest managers are turning to artificial intelligence in the hope it can help them predict the risk of catastrophic wildfires as climate change continues to rewrite the rule book.

It’s been the subject of more than 150 recent academic studies, said Mike Flannigan, director of the Western Partnership for Wildland Fire Science at the University of Alberta.

“It is definitely front and centre in terms of the research agendas in terms of wildland fire and will continue to be for the next years,” he said.

One insurance company says it has already developed an artificial intelligence program that can assess fire risk well in advance.

Fires are fought before they start, by getting equipment and crews to the right place to fight them early. Once well and truly ablaze, they’re tough to stop.

“Once the fire gets to be a

crown fire and it’s two football fields or larger, it’s nearly impossible to put it out until the weather changes,” Flannigan said. “You’re spitting on a campfire.”

The occurrence and severity of wildfires are hard to foresee, said Balz Grollimund of insurance giant Swiss Re. Droughts or forest conditions can be easily considered, but ignition depends on near-random events such as lightning strikes or the presence of roads.

Risk factors such as vegetation type also vary from place to place.

“All these things are very tricky with wildfires,” Grollimund said. “We’re trying to anticipate where wildfires will occur.”

Artificial intelligence is wellsuited to find order in a chaotic mass of data, he said.

“You start with your observations. What have you seen in the past decades in terms of where wildfires have occurred and how big they got? And you look for correlations with any factor that might have any impact.

“The question is which data

really does have any correlation. That’s where the AI comes in play. It automatically figures those correlations out.”

Grollimund said he’s helped develop an artificial intelligence program that can predict fire risk as far as six months out.

He tested the program by feeding data from November 2015 from across Canada.

Working with scientists and computers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he determined where the highest risk for fires would be in the spring of 2016.

“It gives you a seasonal prediction for points on the map in terms of how likely it is to get a small fire or a large fire,” he said. “It’s a pretty basic output.”

The vast majority of fires that did occur in April and May of that year happened in the highrisk zones identified by Grollimund’s program.

Flannigan is working on his own artificial intelligence application.

“Picking up the patterns where fire growth and fire starts will be significant is where we’re focusing on to see

if we can beat traditional methods,” he said.

“It looks like we’re showing some promise, but I’m very cautious. It will be a long time before it goes into fire management operations.”

Artificial intelligence will have stiff competition from Canada’s current methods, which Flannigan said work well and are copied globally.

Both men agree that those methods depend on the future being much like the past. Climate change threatens that assumption.

“With climate change, we’re

seeing conditions and situations that have no real analogue in the recent past,” Flannigan said.

Swiss Re’s data suggests that while the number of fires hasn’t changed that much, the area burned is increasing.

Don’t expect that to change, said Grollimund.

“A lot of the factors that foster wildfire risk seem to increase — longer, hotter, dryer summers; wetter winters; more vegetation; more lightning.

“There’s a lot of reasons why we think, if anything, (fire risk) is going to be increasing.” ■

gives your brain more activity.

For this, I recommend focusing on breathing heavily until you’re full of oxygen and that O2, my friend, will make you sleepy.

Number (4) is to plan a schedule for crashing to bed and to actually stick to it. Really. Even

on weekends, always sleep at the same time you do on your regular days. Continue doing this until your body adopts the timetable so that on a regular day until it becomes normal for you to hit the sack the moment the clock hand points to that time.

If all else fails, the (5) fifth

and last tip that I can give is to meditate or pray. Whatever relaxes you, do it. Forget about your crush not minding you or your boss being mean to you.

Meditating controls your focus and diverts your thoughts to help you loosen up. While for a religious individual like me,

praying before going to bed has always worked for me.

We all love sleep, and in fact, sometimes even at work or at school we get a glimpse of sleep through a “nap” and it’s the best feeling when we get a chance to.

So catch you later everyone, time to hibernate in three, two, one. ■

KILMER MEDIA / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

5 tips... ❰❰ 27

obviously this is not helpful. Why? Because when you do, you start to play scenarios in your head that have no assurance of it happening soon or ever. You repeat these thoughts and in the process, you analyze and try to solve things which

www.canadianinquirer.net

Technology

FRIDAY MARCH 22, 2019

33

Facebook launches Apple refreshes iPad lineup, AI to find and remove with larger entry level model ‘revenge porn’ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BY RACHEL LERMAN The Associated Press

ously confirmed were revenge porn. It is trained to recognize a “nearly nude” photo — a lingerie shot, perhaps — coupled SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook with derogatory or shaming is rolling out technology to text that would suggest somemake it easier to find and re- one uploaded the photo to move intimate pictures and embarrass or seek revenge on videos posted without the sub- someone else. ject’s consent, often called “reAt least 42 states have passed venge porn.” laws against revenge porn.

Currently, Facebook users or Many such laws came up in the victims of revenge porn have past several years as posting to report the inappropriate of non-consensual images and pictures before content mod- videos has proliferated. New erators will review them. The York’s law, which passed in Febcompany has also suggested ruary, allows victims to file lawthat users send their own in- suits against perpetrators and timate images to Facebook so makes the crime a misdemeanthat the service our. can identify any Facebook has unauthorized been working uploads. Many to combat the users, however, spread of reFacebook balked at the novenge porn on its has said tion of sharing site for years, but it’s been revealing photos has largely relied working on or videos with on people proacexpanding its the social-media tively reporting moderation giant, particularthe content up efforts, and ly given its hisuntil now. But the company tory of privacy that means by hopes failures. the time it’s reits new The company’s ported, someone technology new machine else has already will help learning tool is seen it, chief opcatch some designed to find erating officer inappropriate and flag the picSheryl Sandposts. tures automatiberg said in an cally, then send interview with them to humans The Associated to review.

Press. And it’s Facebook and other social often tough and embarrassing media sites have struggled to for a victim to report a photo of monitor and contain the inap- themselves. propriate posts that users up“This is about using technolload, from violent threats to ogy to get ahead of the probconspiracy theories to inappro- lem,” Sandberg said. priate photos.

Facebook still sees user-conFacebook has faced harsh tributed photos as one way to criticism for allowing offensive address the problem, and says it posts to stay up too long, for not plans to expand that program to removing posts that don’t meet more countries. It allows peoits standards and sometimes ple to send in photos they fear for removing images with artis- might be circulated through tic or historical value. Facebook encrypted links. Facebook then has said it’s been working on ex- creates a digital code of the impanding its moderation efforts, age so it can tell if a copy is ever and the company hopes its new uploaded and deletes the origitechnology will help catch some nal photo from its servers. inappropriate posts.

The company does not expect The technology, which will be the new technology to catch evused across Facebook and Ins- ery instance of revenge porn, tagram, was trained using pic- and said it will still rely on users tures that Facebook has previ- reporting photos and videos. ■

NEW YORK — Apple has unveiled a new iPad that’s thinner and slightly larger than its current entry-level tablet.

The new iPad Air will cost $499 and sport a screen that measures 10.5 inches diagonally. That compares with the standard, 9.7-inch iPad, which Apple will still sell for $329.

Apple has higher-end Pro models starting at $999. The new iPad Air has several features found in older Pro models, but not the latest. For instance, the iPad Air has a home button with a fingerprint sensor, while the latest Pro ditches that to make more room for the screen.

Apple is also refreshing its 7.9-inch iPad Mini for the first time in more than three years.

APPLE / WEBSITE

In the past, Apple has sometimes used older chips in the Mini, saving the latest technology for the larger models instead. This time, the Mini will have the same chip as the Air, along with support for the Ap-

ple Pencil stylus. But the Mini won’t have an optional keyboard attachment, unlike the new Air and Pro models.

The Mini will cost $399, more expensive than the larger, but older 9.7-inch iPad. ■

Tokyo’s Olympics may become known as the “Robot Games”

BY STEPHEN WADE The Associated Press TOKYO’S OLYMPICS may become known as the “Robot Games.”

Organizers on Friday showed off robots that will be used at the new National Stadium to provide assistance for fans using wheelchairs.

Tokyo Olympic official Masaaki Komiya pointed out that Japan is known for its robot technology, and the 2020 Summer Games are a good place to show off.

“Robots should not overwhelm people,” Komiya, the vice director general to the Tokyo Olympics, told a news conference. “Robots are something that have an amicable relationship with human beings and can work together. That’s the kind of robots we envision.”

The robots are made by major Olympic sponsor Toyota Motor Corp. Toyota officials said 16 of the so-called “human support robots” will be used at the National Stadium with five www.canadianinquirer.net

other “delivery support robots” also being available.

Not to be outdone, Panasonic Corp.— also a major Olympic sponsor — showed off its “power assist suit.” When worn, the suit offers support to the back and hip area and allows for heavy objects to be lifted with less effort. Panasonic said 20 of the suits will be used at the Olympics and could help guests with their luggage and with other lifting chores.

“Through this occasion, people in the world will be able to realize how advanced Japan is in terms of robot technology,” Hideyo Hirata, director of technology services for the Tokyo Olympics, told reporters.

Minoru Yamauchi of Toyota, the general manager for 2020 Robot Development, said the automaker is branching out and becoming a “mobility company.”

“We have been looking at how we can support the daily lives of people, and how we can develop robots that can partner with daily life,” Yamauchi said.

“In the Tokyo Olympics, there will be many guests in wheel-

chairs and we would like them enjoy the games without worrying about their mobility.”

Yoshifumi Uchida, general manager of Panasonic’s Paralympic department, said its power assist suit technology was developed partly because of Japan’s aging population. This could help get more women and the elderly into the working population.

“We would like to have a society where people can work without caring about gender differences or age differences,” Uchida said. “When you are carrying a suitcase or a heavy box, this is where the power assist suit becomes valuable.”

He said the suits would also be used away from the venues in “related facilities and airports.”

He said the suit improved “efficiency” by about 20 per cent, allowing the wearer to lift more, and for a longer time.

Battery life if about four hours, and the suit gives the wearer the ability to lift about 10 kilograms (22 pounds) more with the same energy expended. ■

MARCH 22, 2019

34

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35

Travel Sun on the slopes: enjoying winter’s final throes in the Canadian Rockies

BY LAUREN KRUGEL The Canadian Press CALGARY — Driving west on the Trans Canada highway from Calgary on a sunny spring weekend, you’re just as likely to see vehicles carrying mountain bikes as you are to spot skis and snowboards strapped to their roofs.

It may be full-on T-shirt season in and around the city by the time April and May roll around, but several Rocky Mountain ski resorts are revelling in winter’s final throes.

“If the weather’s beautiful in Calgary, people are starting to think about summer and cleaning their garages out and going golfing,” said Leigha Stankewich, with Lake Louise Ski Resort.

“Out here, we still have snow and it’s going to stick around right till May.” Lake Louise, about two hours west of Calgary in Banff National Park, closes May 5.

Sunshine Village Ski and Snowboard Resort, about 140 kilometres west of Calgary and also in Banff, stays open un-

til Victoria Day, which falls on May 20 this year. However, the resort’s Goat’s Eye Mountain area, which is at a lower elevation, tends to close earlier.

“We’re really just getting our second wind come March 21 on the first official day of spring and we have two more months of great skiing after that,” says Sunshine’s Kendra Scurfield.

Many resorts close out their seasons with big bashes featuring DJs, bands and barbecues in their base areas. Visitors enjoying apres-ski beers in the sun can watch skiers and snowboarders zoom down the hill and attempt to leap over icecold pools of water.

“The best part about it is you cheer if somebody makes it across and you go insane because it hardly happens. And then you also cheer if someone has a big wipe-out,” Scurfield says of Sunshine’s end-of-season festivities known as Slush Cup. Lake Louise has its annual Shake the Lake season-ender party slated for April 27.

Across the boundary in the B.C. Rockies, resorts have their final blowouts by mid-April.

Kicking Horse Mountain Re-

sort in Golden, B.C., has a beach party April 6 and Sunsplash Funkfest the following weekend. Kimberley Alpine Resort has Spring Splash on April 6.

And Fernie Alpine Resort has a retro weekend March 30 followed by its two-day Fernival festival on April 13-14.

Matt Mosteller — a.k.a. “Powder Matt” — is a spokesman for Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, whose properties include Kicking Horse, Kimberley and Fernie. He’s a big fan of Fernie’s retro weekend, when he has an excuse to bust out his best, tackiest ‘80s outfits.

“Dressing up with big hair and big boots and a colourful, really bright outfit and playing air guitar in the plaza at Fernie is a pretty special time,” he says.

Zany costumes in general are a regular feature of spring skiing in the Canadian Rockies, where fuzzy animal onesies and superhero get-ups are a common sight on the hill.

B.C. and Alberta locals are big on spring skiing, but Mosteller said an increasing number of people are booking trips from further afield during April and May.

“Even though spring can sometimes be variable, predominantly you’re having fresh snow and bright sunshine as a mix during your week,” he says.

Stankewich says the back bowls of Lake Louise tend to have great snow right until the end of the season, but some other areas get slushier and messier.

“Some seasons we manage to keep most things open, and then others you start to see some more rocks and grass come through,” she said.

“Our base is still pretty good this year. So I think things should stay open pretty late.”

Sun protection is key, as the lingering white snow intensifies rays that are already stronger at high altitudes. UVblocking goggles or glasses are a must, as well as loads of sunscreen.

“A lot of people don’t think about that, but you’re starting to see all of the goggle tans out there,” says Stankewich.

If you go

Resorts of the Canadian Rockies - skircr.com Banff Sunshine - www. skibanff.com Lake Louise Ski Resort www.skilouise.com ■

2 hot air balloon fests set in Pampanga in April

BY JOYCE ANN L. ROCAMORA Philippine News Agency

WANDERLASSS/ FLICKR, CC BY-NC 2.0

MANILA — Two hot air balloon festivals will be held in Pampanga next month, bringing once again the spotlight to the province as the Philippines’ prime sports aviation events hub.

The Lubao International Hot-Air Balloon and Music Festival, to be held on April 5-7, will be followed by the Front Row Hot Air Balloon Festival on April 12-14.

During the press conference in Taguig on Thursday, Front Row Hot Air Balloon Festival www.canadianinquirer.net

organizers vowed a “bigger, bolder, busier, and better” hot air balloon fair.

“What we will have is a tethered balloon festival. The balloon will fly 50 feet to 70 feet and it will be pulled down and we have 15 balloons that will do that,” said Wilfredo Placino, vice chairman and president of Global Gateway Development Corp.

Noel Castro, event consultant, also assured that safety and security for the riders are top priorities in this activity.

“In our experience, tethered flights are safe because they are anchored to the chase cars and we have two or three ropes to

prevent them from flying away.

This is not the first time that we will do this,” he told reporters.

This year, 15 regular-shaped and five special-shaped balloons will be floating in the skies of Pampanga. The tethered balloon flight in the morning and afternoon would be priced at PHP500 per person.

The week-long event is expected to gather some 70,000 people.

But aside from flying via hot air balloons, the organizers are also preparing musical performances by such popular artists as Ely Buendia, Kamikazee, Slapshock, Hale, and Unique Salonga. ■

36

Travel

MARCH 22, 2019

FRIDAY

Cavite’s ‘sweetest’ town celebrates 103rd founding anniversary

BY SAUL PA-A Philippine News Agency MAGALLANES, CAVITE — What a way to prove this town’s claim to fame as Cavite’s “sweetest” upland municipality than to showcase on Thursday its “Muscovado Festival” which coincides with the local government unit’s 103rd founding anniversary.

Mayor Jasmin MaligayaBautista, along with Vice Mayor Renato Dimapilis, local officials and townsfolk, gathered at the municipal square in front of the historic town hall for opening of the two-day celebration from March 14 to 15 to showcase the town’s wide array of organic and native sugarcane-based products.

Bautista led the opening ceremony for the Muscovado Festival and Agri-Trade Fair at the town plaza with the festivities’ theme “Bawat Ngiti ng Tagumpay sa Bawat Magalleñ

ay Alay” (An offering of every Magallen’s smile of success).

“This annual celebration marks the town’s thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest and its transformation from a barrio of adjacent Maragondon in 1916 into a separate and 4th class municipality,” Bautista said.

She said the muscovado sugar and sugar-based products take center stage as the “One Town One Product (OTOP)” through the initiative of the 350-member Magallanes Women’s Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MAWCO).

Monaliza Nepomuceno, municipal tourism officer, said the opening festivities also highlighted 17 school children and youths, donned in colorful costumes for the parade and street dance depicting the muscovado products at the town plaza.

She said the town also engaged the town’s Sangguniang Kabataan (youth council) Federation for their youth forum at the evacuation center here.

Magallanes Day 2019.

“During the two-day festival run, Mayor Bautista also serves as solemnizing officer for a mass wedding while the local civil registrar also facilitates the distribution of certificates of live birth to concerned constituents,” Nepomuceno added.

JASMIN MALIGAYA-BAUTISTA / FACEBOOK

Friday’s events include the Sama-Summer Zumba at 6 a.m. which will highlight the town’s Women’s Month celebration.

The local government also offers free Pap smear and breast exams for the women and a blood-letting activity at the Ru-

ral Health Center at the town proper.

The two-day festival also features a car show and the “Day and Night Market Banchetto ala Magallanes” participated in by the town’s 16 villages. ■

up against the propagation of hate speech and the rise of the far right.

“Christchurch is not a crime against Muslims only – it’s a crime against humanity,” said Alladin Abou Sharbin, one of the co-organizers.

“This massacre spread the language of hate that has no place among us, and has to be defeated by our unity – not only as Muslims but as the whole world.”

But many of those in attendance also challenged the media, politicians, popular culture and fellow citizens to stop portraying Muslims in particular as outsiders. Several denounced the Quebec premier’s plan to ban religious symbols for state workers in positions of authority; another noted the lack of non-white characters on Quebec television shows.

“We keep being put in the position of the other and the stranger and the outsider, which really fuels this kind of hate that leads to violence, leads to attacks,” said Ehab Lotayef, one of the organizers.

“All we ask for is to be portrayed for what we are: normal contributors to society, normal people who have hopes and aspirations and concerns.”

On Saturday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with his counterpart in New Zealand, offering his condolences for the 50 people killed and dozens injured following Friday’s shootings.

The Prime Minister’s Office said Trudeau told Jacinda Ardern that Canada shares New Zealand’s feelings of grief and loss, recalling the 2017 Quebec City mosque shooting.

One man has been arrested and charged with murder in what appears to have been a carefully planned racist attack in New Zealand.

Trudeau’s office said he offered Canada’s support, and the leaders agreed to stay in touch and “work together on their shared priority of ensuring safe, secure and open societies.”

Trudeau was scheduled to visit an Ottawa-area mosque later Sunday in the wake of the attacks in New Zealand. ■

Vigil held... ❰❰ 15

shooter appeared to show three assault-rifle magazines, one of which had Bissonnette’s name on it.

Guillet’s speech also targeted Premier Francois Legault, who has previously denied that Quebec has a problem with Islamophobia.

“Islamophobia exists, Islamophobia kills and Islamophobia threatens the future for all of us,” he said to cheers.

The crowd included Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante, as well as federal and municipal politicians and representatives from various churches, synagogues, and citizens groups. Some held signs bearing messages such as “Muslims and Christians are family.”

Several who made speeches drew parallels between the New Zealand massacre and the murder of nine African Americans in a church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015, and of 11 Jewish worshippers in a Pittsburgh synagogue last year.

One by one, the speakers called on those in attendance to stand www.canadianinquirer.net

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Food Mix up your pasta and meatballs Poppy seed with some lamb and orzo muffins with rich,

full flavour and less sugar

AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN PASTA AND meatballs are a perfect match, but for a unique spin on this classic duo we turned to lamb instead of beef or pork, and to orzo instead of spaghetti, and we enhanced the dish with fresh, bold Greek flavours like mint, oregano, and cinnamon.

A panade — a simple paste made from Greek yogurt and panko — kept the meatballs moist and lent the dish welcome tangy flavour. We used our Dutch oven to deeply brown the meatballs and create lots of flavourful fond in the pot. Using some of the rendered fat to cook our aromatics gave our orzo pilaf a super-savory base.

After toasting the orzo to golden brown, we added a combination of white wine and chicken broth and cooked the orzo until it was nearly tender.

We were then able to simply nestle our seared meatballs back into the pot to cook them through.

We finished the dish with a bright topping of cherry tomatoes, more fresh mint, and feta, which cut through the richness for a highly satisfying one-pot meal. Depending on the size of your Dutch oven, you may need to brown the meatballs in two batches rather than one.

Lamb meatballs with orzo, tomatoes and feta

Servings: 4 Start to finish: 1 hour, 15 minutes • 1/2 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt • 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs • 3 tablespoons water • 1 large egg • 2 tablespoons minced fresh mint, plus 2 tablespoons torn leaves • 4 garlic cloves, minced • 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried • Salt and pepper

• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • 1 onion, chopped fine • 2 cups orzo • 3 cups chicken broth • 1/2 cup dry white wine • 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved • 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1/2 cup) Mash yogurt, panko, and water together with fork in large bowl to form paste. Stir in egg, minced mint, half of garlic, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and cinnamon until combined. Add ground lamb and knead with your hands until thoroughly combined. Pinch off and roll mixture into 18 separate 1 1/2 inch meatballs.

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown meatballs on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes; transfer to plate. Pour off all but 2 -tablespoons fat from pot.

Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt to fat left in pot and cook over medium heat until onion is softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add orzo and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned and golden, about 5 minutes.

Stir in broth and wine, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid has been absorbed and orzo is almost tender, 7 to 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low and nestle meatballs into orzo.

Cover and cook until orzo is tender and meatballs are fully cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with tomatoes, feta, and torn mint. Serve. ■ Nutrition information per serving: 986 calories; 336 calories from fat; 37 g fat (14 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 179 mg cholesterol; 463 mg sodium; 97 g carbohydrate; 6 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 57 g protein. www.canadianinquirer.net

AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN

substituted for the whole-milk yogurt, but the muffins will be slightly drier.

WE WANTED to make poppy seed muffins with rich, full flavour; fluffy, tender interiors; and golden crusts. We were amazed to find that our goto recipe had a whopping 22 grams of sugar per muffin, so we hoped that our new recipe would work with a sugar content of only 11 grams.

We turned to Sucanat, which we ground in a spice grinder to ensure that the tops of the finished muffins weren’t speckled.

Lemon zest seemed like a natural complement to the poppy seeds, but we could only add so much zest before the muffins started to taste soapy, and our muffins were still lacking flavour.

To fix this problem and to up the perceived sweetness without adding more sugar, we started by increasing the vanilla. This helped, but tasters still wanted more flavour, so we scoured the pantry for solutions. We found our answer in ground anise seeds, which had a sweet, subtle licorice flavour that rounded out the muffins perfectly.

Next, we needed to fix the texture of the muffins; they were a bit dense and tough. To create a finer crumb and a less chewy texture, we switched from all-purpose flour to cake flour. A combination of baking powder and baking soda ensured good rise and good browning, but we also increased the oven temperature and raised the oven rack to help achieve the perfect golden brown crust.

You can skip grinding the Sucanat; however, the muffins will have a speckled appearance. Low-fat yogurt can be

Anise and poppy seed muffins

Servings: 12 Start to finish: 1 hour

• 3/4 cup (4 ounces) Sucanat • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces • 1 1/2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt • 2 large eggs • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract • 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest • 2 3/4 cups (11 ounces) cake flour • 3 tablespoons poppy seeds • 2 teaspoons baking powder • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda • 1 teaspoon ground anise seeds • 3/4 teaspoon salt Adjust oven rack to uppermiddle position and heat oven to 425 F. Grease 12-cup muffin tin. Working in 3 batches, grind Sucanat in spice grinder until fine and powdery, about 1 minute.

Melt 6 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to turn golden, about 2 minutes.

Continue to cook, swirling pan constantly, until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer browned butter to large bowl and stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter until melted; let cool slightly.

Whisk yogurt, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest into browned butter until smooth. In large bowl, whisk ground Sucanat, flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, anise, and salt together. Using rubber spatula, stir in yogurt mixture until ❱❱ PAGE 38 Poppy seed

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Poppy seed... ❰❰ 37

combined.

Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted in centre of muffin comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating muffin tin halfway through baking.

Let muffins cool in tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire

rack and let cool for 20 minutes before serving. ■ Nutrition information per serving: 276 calories; 94 calories from fat; 11 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 60 mg cholesterol; 350 mg sodium; 39 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 13 g sugar; 5 g protein.

R. Kelly case... ❰❰ 24

are at fault when things go wrong, Kaufmann says.

“Unfortunately, some schools are punishing girls who come forward, particularly girls of colour,” she says. “They report a sexual assault at school, and rather than figure out who’s responsible, they will be punished for engaging in sexual activity on school grounds.”

Burke, the #MeToo founder, says black girls are especially susceptible to being blamed because society “hypersexualizes” them, and thus they’re seen as more mature than they actually are and more responsible for what happens to them.

“So the blame gets shifted,” she says, “like ... ‘This happened to you because you haven’t figured out how to take care of yourself.

And so this was your fault.’”

The National Women’s Law Center represents three girls who have sued their school districts over their handling of complaints they were sexually harassed at school or sexually assaulted by fellow students.

The group says too many victims are being forced to transfer while the offenders remain at school.

“Girls ... fear that reporting will make things worse instead of better,” says Emily Martin, the organization’s policy director. “And there are really rational reasons to think that might be the case. Schools don’t have the best track record at responding appropriately.”

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has proposed new Title IX rules that would limit when schools can intervene, especially if the abuse happens offcampus or online. The public has filed more than 100,000 comments in response. Critics include the School Superintendents Association, which says the changes would undermine

the ability of its 13,000 superintendents “to ensure each and every child in our school has a safe and healthy learning environment.”

Girls Inc. helps young people push school officials to do more to teach sex education and address sexual harassment and abuse. The group also has online resources about how to report abuse or help friends who come forward.

In Memphis, Morris recently participated in a Girls Inc. workshop, the first in a series across the U.S., where girls gathered to discuss healthy relationships and dating violence.

Confronting a friend one-onone about abuse might bring an end to the friendship, she says, “because they’re convinced that this is what love looks like.”

“Talking about it in a teen talk situation is a lot different,” says Morris, who does see a domino effect of #MeToo and hopes girls will speak more freely with their parents and at school.

White Station Vice Principal Carrye Holland sees a need for more honest talk about the situations teens face, be it the pressure to have sex, mistaken assumptions about which kids at school “want” sex, or fears of being ostracized if they report wrongdoing.

“They’re concerned about living in a world where they have to explain why they may not want to be intimate, to apologize for maybe not wanting to do things they’re expected to do,” Holland says. “How do you change that climate?”

Her district, like many around the country, teaches basic sex ed but lacks a forum for free-ranging discussion about consent, dating violence and other topics. Still, she thinks adults can do more to help girls – and boys – “see themselves in a respectful light ... teaching

things that you think maybe shouldn’t have to be taught.”

Unlike colleges and universities, U.S. elementary and secondary schools are not subject to national requirements for tracking student sexual assaults. But a 2017 Associated Press investigation uncovered about 17,000 official reports of student sex assault over the period from fall 2011 to spring 2015.

Federal data that is available shows that most sex assaults involving teens occur at someone’s home. About a quarter of the time, girls are abused by family members. Nearly 30 per cent of the time, the abuser is a current or former dating partner. Ten per cent of the time, the perpetrator is a stranger, and in other instances, an acquaintance. Nearly 5 per cent are authority figures.

Boys also face such violence; studies have found that 1 in 6 are sexually abused before they reach 18, although experts believe the figure could be far higher. Boys often stay silent about abuse given the cultural bravado about men and sex and fears that being identified as a victim will make them appear weak. Two men who now say they were sexually abused throughout their childhoods

by Michael Jackson denied it until their 30s. The late superstar was acquitted of molestation charges in 2005 and always maintained his innocence.

Psychologist Julia Curcio Alexander, who works with victims and offenders in Philadelphia, says it can be “extraordinarily distressing” for young victims to come forward – and that hasn’t changed in this era of #MeToo. Abusers often have tremendous power over their victims, be it financial or emotional. If the offender is a parent, the other parent often www.canadianinquirer.net

supports a spouse over a child, she says, and if it’s a relative, the child has to worry about the family coming apart over the disclosure.

“Perhaps there’s more support for adults who are disclosing now,” Curcio Alexander says. “Will the child going to school ... be in a (better) position to disclose? That remains to be seen.”

For the two young women in Brooklyn, disclosing – even to family – was a fraught process.

For one of them, it was much easier to tell her friends than her parents. The other was able to confide in her parents but shut down around friends.

Both young women struggled with the temptation to blame themselves.

“The hardest thing for me to believe was that I didn’t do this to myself,” says the 18-year-old who meditates to help heal.

“But I didn’t plan or go out of my way to make this happen to me. There’s bad people in the world, and you can’t really protect yourself, especially if they’re close to you.”

She declines to describe the details of her assault.

For the young poet, her assault at the hands of a trusted family friend came as a total shock. Along with a girlfriend, she had brought the man a birthday gift. When the girlfriend left, she says, the assault happened. After telling her parents, she retreated into a period of anger and depression.

After a second assault a year later, she says, she kept quiet, consumed with guilt at finding herself in a home where she went willingly.

“I just shoved it to the back of my mind,” she says of those memories. “And so when I finally took it out, it felt like I was just telling another story, because I felt like I buried it so

deep that I wasn’t feeling the emotions a survivor would usually feel. It felt like I was just telling another story.”

The twice-weekly sessions at Sisters in Strength have helped.

She’s focused on excelling at her studies and plans to attend college.

Each group meeting begins with a check-in: One by one, the girls report how they’re doing, what they’re thinking about, what they need to keep healing.

This might involve discussing the trauma they endured, but often not. The seven-month curriculum includes education on everything from issues of gender bias and racism to how to have a healthy relationship and methods of recovering, both emotionally and physically.

One big takeaway: These girls want to be called survivors, not victims.

“At first you feel like a victim,” says one of the young women, “because you’re in the mentality of this HAPPENED to me. But then you transition and you’re healing ... and then you become a survivor, because you don’t let the thoughts you had control you or consume you.”

It’s a very conscious word choice in the group sessions, because the word “victim,” says Grier, “doesn’t express the fact that you’re still in the world, and there’s so much more to experience.”

“This is one part of the narrative, but this is not the end,” she says. “They are powerful, because they have survived something. They are powerful because they exist, and because they matter to us.” ■ Dale reported from Philadelphia, and Noveck from New York. Both write about gender issues and #MeToo for The Associated Press.

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