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APRIL 26, 2019

VOL. 4 NO. 368

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President Rodrigo Roa Duterte pays his last respects to one of the victims who died in the earthquake in Porac, Pampanga on April 23, 2019. Story on page 8. RICHARD MADELO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

Filipino President Duterte gives Canada one week to take trash back BY KRISTY KIRKUP The Canadian Press OTTAWA — The president of the Philippines says if Canada doesn’t take back tonnes of trash within the next week he

Rappler, PCIJ, NUPL slam the Manila Times’ matrix story on ‘Oust-Duterte plot’ Richard Photo

will “declare war” and ship the containers back himself. Filipino media outlets report that Rodrigo Duterte made threats Tuesday about dozens of shipping containers

Madelo/Presidential

Fil-Can in Focus: Small town boy from Richmond, big basketball dreams in Manila

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Efflorescence, the Blooming of Two Montreal Aspiring Visual Artists

Philippine News

APRIL 26, 2019

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Albayalde marks 1st year as top cop, wants ‘dynamic, professional PNP’ BY CHRISTOPHER LLOYD CALIWAN Philippine News Agency MANILA — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Oscar Albayalde said he wants to have a dynamic and professional police organization as he marked his first year as the country’s top cop last April 19. “It’s challenging and hopefully, they will still continue what we have started. We will continue with the war on drugs because we know that this is the thrust of our administration and the biggest challenge here until now, our internal cleansing and we hope to realize this even after my term and we hope to continue this. The end view is to make this organization a dynamic and professional police organization,” Albayalde told reporters when sought for a comment during Monday’s press briefing. Albayalde said he wants to do this by professionalizing all police officers, from the top brass to the lowest rank. “Hopefully, we can reach that. I hope that these illegal activities involving police officers will disappear and our po100% Guaranteed

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lice officers will be pro-active in dealing with complainants or with the people in the community. This is what we want to achieve. We can make it a dynamic professional police force,” he said. He assured that there will be no letup in PNP support for “clean” policemen who are facing charges for doing their jobs. While admitting that issues and challenges are always there, Albayalde said what is important is that police officers are able to handle these within the bounds of the law. Albayalde, the country’s 22nd PNP chief, will retire on Nov. 8 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56. He replaced Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa who retired in April 2018. He is an alumnus of the PMA Sinagtala Class of 1986, where he graduated cum laude. He also holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration at the Manuel L. Quezon University in Manila. After graduating from the PMA, Albayalde joined the elite Special Action Force (SAF). Albayalde also served as the Pampanga provincial police chief, although he

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Oscar Albayalde on Team NCRPO's Thanksgiving celebrating a year of dedicated and selfless service in 2017. OSCAR ALBAYALDE / WIKIMEDIA CC BY-SA 4.0

was relieved from post due to command responsibility after several of his men were found to have been involved in illegal drugs activities in Mexico town. The case, however, was dismissed. He, however, gained his credibility when he was appointed as the regional director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) in July 2016. One of Albayalde’s “defining moments” is when he successfully led the

20,000- strong NCRPO who were deployed to different venues, billets, airport, routes, and tours all over Metro Manila during the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in 2017. Earlier, Albayalde urged the 190,000-strong PNP to work as a team and expect the police commanders to adapt his ways just like the conduct of surprise inspections in police stations. ■

DOLE readies jobs for OFWs from strife-torn Libya BY FERDINAND PATINIO Philippine News Agency MANILA — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the crisis in Libya are likely to be deployed to other countries. DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the countries being considered for deployment of affected Filipino medical workers are Japan, Germany and United Kingdom. “These countries are also in need of health workers so we might consider deploying them there,” Bello said in a press conference on Monday. There are 2,600 documented OFWs in Libya, most of them are health workers, according to DOLE data. Meanwhile, Bello said a forced repatriation of the Filipinos in Libya is likely due to the escalating violence there.

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“It is very possible that the Alert Level 3 in Libya will be upgraded to Alert Level 4, which would mean forced repatriation of Filipinos there,” he said. Bello also said they are coordinating with the Department of Foreign Affairs to assess the situation there. Due to the crisis Alert Level 3 in Libya, the Philippines had started implementing voluntary repatriation for Filipinos. The DOLE chief said a quick response team composed of six personnel will be deployed on Tuesday in Tunisia to assist workers who will return home with or without the raising of the alert level in Libya. “This will be a preventive move by DOLE to send our team to Tunisia to help assist in repatriating our countrymen,” he said. Bello said about 10 OFWs have already expressed their intention to go home as of posting time. ■

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FRIDAY APRIL 26, 2019

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Philippine News

APRIL 26, 2019

FRIDAY

PNP beefs up intel monitoring in wake of Sri Lanka blasts BY CHRISTOPHER LLOYD CALIWAN Philippine News Agency MANILA — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has intensified its intelligence information gathering in the wake of bombings in Sri Lanka. “Definitely, of course number one, we beef up intelligence monitoring during these kinds of incidents. There are possibilities that the terrorists there can move to other places anywhere in the world to seek refuge. We are not (spared from) that. This is what we are looking at. These terrorist might move here,” PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde told reporters during the press briefing after the flag ceremony in Camp Crame on Monday. Albayalde said the PNP condemns the incident and offers “sincere solidarity” and “heartfelt prayers” to the people of Sri Lanka, renewing its commitment to boost ties. “The PNP expresses solidarity with

the international law enforcement community in condemning these uncivil acts of violence against civilian targets that were carried out for no other purpose but to sow fear and terror. In the spirit of friendship and goodwill forged between Sri Lanka and the Philippines during the January 2019 state visit of President (Maithripala) Sirisena, the PNP remains committed to extend every possible assistance within our means,” he added. The explosions occurred at the St. Sebastian’s Church in Negombo, a city about 20 miles north of Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo; the St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo; and Zion Church in the eastern city of Batticaloa during an Easter Sunday service. Explosions were also initially reported at three hotels in Colombo: the Shangri-La, the Cinnamon Grand, and the Kingsbury. Ruwan Gunasekera, a police spokesman in the South Asian country, was cited as saying that more than 200 people were killed and 450 were others injured by the large-scale suicide bombings. ■

Tagle’s Easter message: Light will overcome darkness BY FERDINAND PATINIO Philippine News Agency

“What these actions have in common is that they seem insignificant, especially if you compare them to the violence of the crucifixion and all that has gone MANILA — As the country celebrates before it. What difference can one act of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on Sun- kindness make in the face of unrelentday, Archbishop of Manila Luis Antonio ing evil? It can make all the difference Cardinal Tagle called on those facing in ways we can’t even imagine how. Bedifficulties never to lose hope as light cause these small acts of care and love will always overcome darkness. are crowned by the total self-giving of “Sometimes we find ourselves in a Christ crucified on the cross,” he added. dark place, like Jesus Tagle said that on the cross, and our through these enlives can seem lovecounters of love and less. When hunger, caring, persons, famunemployment, adilies and communidictions, indignities, Love is not ties are transformed just a word. abuse, hate speech, “from prisoners of It’s a lifestyle false accusations, despair into bearers of seeing, killing, corruption, of hope.” encountering human trafficking The Cardinal also and run wild and seem to urged the faithful understanding reign, our world apto grasp the power other people. It pears dark. But if we of love given by the is the lifestyle of look more carefully, risen Jesus and share Jesus, crucified more intently at peothem with the rest of and risen. ple and situations, the country. it is then that we see “We invite you to love revealing itself,” seize the power of Tagle said in his Easlove unleashed by the ter message. risen Christ this EasHe cited the “intense moments of ter, and with the love you have received, love” during Jesus’ journey to the cross spread seeds of hope across our counand beyond from, among others, the try,” he said. Blessed Virgin Mary; John, “who braved “Love is not just a word. It’s a lifestyle the sorrow of standing at the foot of of seeing, encountering and understandthe cross when everyone else has aban- ing other people. It is the lifestyle of Jedoned” Jesus; the good thief, “who sus, crucified and risen. It is the lifestyle broke the stereotype of the delinquent of being with and living for others in the and asked to be remembered when Je- belief that light will always overcome sus came into his Kingdom”; and the darkness,” Tagle added. women who went to the tomb to tend to On April 21, Roman Catholics across the body, even though they had no idea the world celebrate Easter Sunday, how to move the boulder at the tomb’s marking the end of this year’s Lenten entrance. Season. ■

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Philippine News

FRIDAY APRIL 26, 2019

Rappler, PCIJ, NUPL slam the Manila Times’ matrix story on ‘Oust-Duterte plot’ BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer NEWS OUTFIT Rappler, the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL), and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) on Monday, April 22, slammed an article by the Manila Times about their supposed involvement in the alleged ouster plot against President Rodrigo Duterte. In its statement, Rappler said the report, written by the chairman emeritus of the Manila Times, was “an example of how to not write an investigative report — even everyday straight news.” “The Manila Times under Dante Ang, appointed special envoy for international public relations by President Rodrigo Duterte, is the reason why journalism schools and newsrooms in the country should be actively educating the youth and communities on what truthful, responsible, and ethical journalism is,” it said. The report cited a “matrix” that showed those who are allegedly involved in the supposed ouster plot against the Chief Executive. As per the matrix, the article named “Bikoy,” who has tagged Presidential

Pres. Rodrigo Duterte.

son Paolo Duterte and the President’s former aide in the illegal drug trade, as the “source of the black propaganda.” It then goes to Ellen Tordesillas of Vera Files, whom, the article said, “acts as the nexus and distributor” of the information from alias Bikoy to the PCIJ, Rappler, and the NUPL. “These organizations, in turn, distribute the false narratives to their respective members,” the article read. The NUPL, for its part, also condemned the report saying that they are “too busy” de-

JOEY DALUMPINES / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

fending and promoting human rights to “hogwash accusations.” “We do not want to shoot the messenger, in a manner of saying, but the writer’s open association to Speaker Gloria Arroyo and President Duterte, among others, say a lot where he is coming from,” it said. The organization then continued, “Basic it is that for evidence to be credible, it must not only be credible in itself but must also come from a credible source.” The PCIJ also said the story

was “wrong on many points.” It clarified that it never received any e-mail from Tordesillas on the link of alias Bikoy’s “narcolist video,” nor posted any stories or commentaries about it. “The Manila Times story admits to a crime that may have been committed, and fundamental freedoms that may have been violated. It offers tacit admission that these ‘experts,’ apparently working with the Office of the President, had invaded the privacy of the emails and correspondence of journalists now being singled out,” it

stressed. Tordesillas, meanwhile, denied allegations against her, saying it was “downright false.” “It’s hilarious. But what I find disturbing is, if this is the kind of intelligence report that the President gets and bases his actions and policies on, the country is in big trouble,” she said. After the report was published, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo also bared the same matrix to the media, saying that it was Duterte himself who ordered him to release it. Panelo, however, said he does not know how the Manila Times was able to get a copy of the matrix before he could even bare it to the public, adding that the Office of the President did not give the matrix to the news outfit. Meanwhile, Manila Times’ report did not name its source for the matrix. “I’m supposed to expose it today, eh naunahan pa ako ng Manila Times (But the Manila Times released it ahead of me),” the Palace official said during the press conference. A reporter also asked Panelo to explain clearly how the matrix works as it was a bit “confusing.” Responding to this, Panelo said, “I think the article of The Manila Times is clear enough.” ■

Duterte, Xi to do general review on PH, China ties: envoy BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency BEIJING — Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Santiago Sta. Romana on Wednesday said President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping will have a general review on the current state of the Philippines-China bilateral relations as well as exchange views on regional and international issues. In a press briefing here, Sta. Romana said from the past meetings of the two leaders, their discussions include the situation and concerns in the West Philippine Sea or South China Sea. Duterte and Xi are set to have

their bilateral meeting on Friday on the sidelines of the 2nd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF). The Chief Executive left Manila on Wednesday afternoon and will be in Beijing until April 27 for the BRF at the invitation of Xi. Sta. Romana added that the issues in the troubled waters are very contentious for the Philippines and China as the two governments have different views and positions. He noted that Manila and Beijing launched Bilateral Consultative Meeting (BCM) in 2017 to resolve these issues and are continuing their diplomatic negotiations. “So, the basic approach is to discuss the disputes, to manage

it, so that they will not turn into crisis. And also to manage it so that they will not be an obstacle to the development of areas of cooperation,” the envoy said. “The disputes do not define everything; they are only a part of the overall picture,” he added. He noted that the cooperation between the Philippines and China in other areas such as trade, investment, science and technology, among others are moving in a fast pace. In fact, Filipino businessmen are also here in this city to sign agreements worth more than USD10 billion. Moreover, the envoy stressed that the embassy here maintains its two-track approach in its diplomatic relations with www.canadianinquirer.net

Beijing — by managing disputes and maximizing cooperation. “The real issue is how to avoid any miscalculation, how to avoid any conflict, and how to deescalate and to exercise restraint so that the issue will not become a crisis and so that it will not become a situation that will obstruct the positive trajectory,” Sta. Romana said. “The diplomatic action is to take them on their word but verify and keep your vigilance high. So, trust but verify. This is our attitude. We welcome any reassurance that there will be no act of force against our people, against our soldiers, but at the same time we have to remain vigilant. We combine diplomacy with deterrence,” he added.

Commenting on the incident of Chinese vessels harvesting giant clams in the West Philippine Sea, Sta. Romana said it is “a major issue of concern.” “The [harvesting of ] clams is a major issue of concern. Because this has been an issue before 2016 and it’s a continuing issue. And it’s a major issue in terms of marine environment,” the envoy said. “And Chinese [government], based on their own mass media, supposedly declared fishing, sale, and use in manufacturing giant clams since January 2017 is illegal. So there should be an issue of accountability. If that is the case, how come this is happening? And that is an issue that we are continuing to discuss,” he added. ■

Philippine News

APRIL 26, 2019

FRIDAY

Senators call for more suitable earthquake measures 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 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 FILANE MIKEE CERVANTES Philippine News Agency MANILA – Some senators on Tuesday called for more mitigation and preparedness measures in the wake of a magnitude 6.1 earthquake that hit Metro Manila and parts of Luzon. Senator Sonny Angara pushed for the passage of a bill creating a Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR) that would respond to the “new normal” of national disasters and climate change. “This strong earthquake reminds us of the urgency to create a single, independent and permanent agency devoted to disaster management and resilience,” Angara said. “This new department will oversee a comprehensive and coordinated strategy in managing natural disasters with the main goal of saving lives and minimizing damage to property,” he added. He said the proposed Disaster Resilience Act under Senate Bill 1994 would provide a “whole of government, whole of nation approach” to disasters and emergency situations. “What we want to ensure is a seamless synergy among government agencies and stakeholders from national down to the grassroots levels to effectively respond to disasters,” he said. Angara said the DDR shall be the principal government institution responsible for ensuring safe, adaptive and disaster-resilient community. Senate President pro tempore Ralph Recto, meanwhile, said building stan-

Sen. Sonny Angara.

dards should be improved to withstand stronger earthquakes, considering that the country is situated within the ring of fire. Recto also urged the Department of Public Works and Highways and other relevant government agencies to inspect and assess transport infrastructures to ensure the safety of passengers. ¨Furthermore, (we should) adopt appropriate measures to prepare our people for the big one. Better to be prepared,” Recto added. On the other hand, Senate President Vicente Sotto III particularly noted that the damage dealt by the quake at the Clark International Airport only em-

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phasizes the need to build a new airport there. The Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) has ordered a 24-hour shutdown of the Clark International Airport effective 7:40 p.m. Monday after the earthquake caused the suspension of local and international flights. Seven persons sustained minor injuries when a part of the ceiling at the check-in lobby collapsed and were immediately brought for treatment at a nearby hospital, CIAC president Jaime Melo said. The earthquake caused no damage to the airport’s runway and taxiway, the CIAC crisis team reported. ■

in the cities of NCR (National Capital Region) and other provinces,” said Lorenzana in the message forwarded to reporters. Lorenzana said such allegations are baseless as the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey gave the Chief Executive a 70+ satisfaction rating. “The military and police would rate him 100 percent if a survey is made,” the DND chief added. He also took a swipe at the CPP founding chair, adding that it is Sison’s followers who are dissatisfied and disillusioned, as these communist rebels and their supporters have been surrendering in the thousands to avail of the benefits being offered to them by the government.

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“But Mr. Sison can certainly dream, can’t he? In his evil, convoluted and misinformed mind inured by three decades of good life in Utrecht, he has become the victim of his own propaganda. He is nearing the end of his short life with no accomplishment to show but death and destruction in the wake of the 50-years of insurgency by his discredited and bankrupt ideology,” Lorenzana added. Due to this, Sison will be consigned to the dustbin of history as a once brilliant young man who amounted to nothing, the DND chief added. “I seriously doubt if anyone is listening to or reading anything that he’s saying since he has become inconsequential and irrelevant in our country’s affairs,” Lorenzana said. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY APRIL 26, 2019

PH unlikely to develop nuclear weapons BY PRIAM NEPOMUCENO Philippine News Agency

DENR employees participate in the 2nd Quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) (Department of Environment and Natural Resources. DENR / FACEBOOK

PHIVOLCS chief advises public: Prepare, know what to do BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer THE CHIEF of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) on Wednesday, April 24, reminded the public again the importance of being prepared and knowing what to do before, during, and even after an earthquake. “The key to the problem of earthquake preparedness would be within us. We have to prepare ourselves, know what to do before, during and after the earthquake. Make sure that our families also know what to do,” PHIVOLCS Executive Director Renato Solidum said in an interview with ANC. “The most important thing is, do you have your own family preparedness plan? Is your house safe? Have you prepared for an evacuation [plan], where will you go? Do you have an emergency bag enough for your family members, do you participate in drills, do you understand what the problem is, do you listen to proper authorities?” he asked. Solidum said the public should not just believe what is posted on social media, but they should confirm first whether the information is true or not. PHILVOCS, on Tuesday, reshared its 2017 Facebook post, urging everyone not to be persuaded or forward any information about earthquakes that may cause more confusion and fear to those who might read it. It advises the Filipinos instead to check their website — www.phivolcs.dost.gov.

MANILA — Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the Philippines is not keen on developing nuclear weapons. And there are a number of reasons on why the country cannot do so, he added. “Develop our own nuclear weapons to enforce the tribunal ruling? Very unlikely for several reasons. First, we are not technically and technologically capable. Second, we are a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (also known as the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons),” Lorenzana said in a message to reporters Saturday. The DND chief made this comment in the wake of former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile’s pronouncements that if the country wants to enforce its victory over China in an international tribunal, then it should develop nuclear weapons.

ph. — for accurate information. “Most importantly, please do not panic. Be calm during an event. What is important is to understand the scenario. Earthquakes will happen,” he said, adding that if the public is prepared, then they “will be okay.” Solidum’s remark came after a magnitude of 6.1 earthquake hit parts of Luzon on Monday, while a 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck Eastern Samar on Tuesday. As of writing, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the magnitude 6.1 earthquake has left 16 dead, while 10 people were injured following the magnitude 6.5 quake. On Wednesday, PHILVOCS reported that a magnitude 4.7 earthquake with a depth of 11 kilometers struck Baganga, Davao Oriental, and a magnitude of 4.5 tremor with a depth of 270 kilometers hit Sarangani, Davao Occidental. Malacañang earlier assured that the government is ready to respond to the needs of the Filipino people who are affected by these events. “We assure our people that the government is on top of the situation and we are ready to respond anywhere and anytime,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said. “Concerned disaster agencies of the government, including those involved in the provision of basic and health services, are now working round the clock to ensure government service delivery remains unhampered,” he added. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

“We appreciate Sen. Enrile’s patriotic duty to suggest how to protect what is legally ours but developing a nuclear weapon is not the way to proceed,” he added. The Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons also known as NPT was signed on July 1, 1968 and became effective on March 5, 1970. The treaty seeks to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology. Aside from this, the NPT seeks to promote cooperation for the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament. “Third, our Constitution states that we denounce war as an instrument of national policy. Nuclear weapon is not a defensive weapon but an offensive one,” the DND chief added. In 2016, the United Nations-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) nullified China’s 9-dash line map which covers nearly the whole of West Philippine Sea or South China Sea. ■

Philippine News

APRIL 26, 2019

FRIDAY

House will still Filipino scientists sail to find out food importance of Spratlys back PRRD’s programs despite veto of 2019 budget BY JOYCE ANN L. ROCAMORA Philippine News Agency

BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency

Panelo, meanwhile, insisted that the last-minute insertions made by the lower chamber are “unconstitutional.” MANILA — Presidential “Hindi pupuwedeng i-approve Spokesperson Salvador Pan- ’yun e dahil unauthorized ’yun elo agreed with Cabinet Secre- e. (They can’t be approved betary Karlos Nograles that the cause they’re unauthorized). House of Representatives will They’re in violation of the Constill support President Rodrigo stitution,” Panelo said. R. Duterte’s programs despite Panelo also disagreed with his decision to veto PHP95.3 claims that removing the billion realigned by some con- PHP95.3 billion insertions gressmen in the 2019 national would have an impact on some budget. projects under the Department “Oo naman of Public Works (Yes, of course),” and Highways Panelo told re(DPWH). porters in an in“Di naman kasi terview after a may program Palace briefing Duterte na yung DPWH finally signed on Monday. di ba. DPWH the 2019 In a press should know budget after briefing last kung ano yung long delay in week, Nograles dapat na priorits passage. expressed conity (I don’t think fidence that the so because the House will not DPWH already “retaliate” since has its own prothe President grams. DPWH only did what he should know believed is “corwhat the priorirect and legal” by vetoing the ties are),” Panelo said. budget. Duterte finally signed the “We don’t see any retaliation 2019 budget after long delay in from Congress kasi wala na- its passage but vetoed PHP95.3 mang personalan dito (It’s noth- billion worth of appropriation ing personal),” Nograles said in which is “not part of the Presia briefing in Manila on April 17. dent’s priority projects.” Panelo also pointed out that The delay in the budget’s pasthere will be a new set of law- sage stemmed from an impasse makers after the mid-term between the Senate and the elections this May. House of Representatives after “May bago nang Kongreso the lower house made last-min(There will be a new Congress). ute amendments to the final It wouldn’t be the present version of the bill approved by Congress. After election, may the bicameral conference combago na ‘yan (there will be new mittee. ■ ones),” Panelo said.

MANILA — Young Filipino scientists and experts sailed to the West Philippine Sea (WPS) on Monday to assess the marine life at the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) and its role on Luzon and Palawan’s food security. “Are the islands in the KIG essential for the mainland Luzon and Palawan? The answer is a big yes,” said Dr. Fernando Siringan, director at the University of the Philippines-Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI), citing data collected in the past two decades. At this stage, however, this assertion is based only from few samplings, Siringan said, thus the need to conduct periodic monitoring and research to strengthen this “hypothesis”– that there is a connection between the disputed features and the food that sustains majority of Filipinos. The initiative “Predicting Responses between Ocean Transport and Ecological Connectivity of Threatened ecosystems in the West Philippine Sea” or PROTECT WPS is a two-week joint scientific expedition led by the UP-MSI in coordination of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). The Department of Environment and Natural Resources Biodiversity Management Bureau-funded project is the sixth expedition that the UP-MSI will be joining and the first joint activity by the three agencies. The ships that will be used for the purposes of marine scientific research are the BRP Lapu-Lapu and the RV Kasarinlan (Eagle V) — also the first research vessel of the UP-

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The RV Kasarinlan, the first research vessel of the UP-Marine Science Institute, will be used for this month’s all-Filipino joint scientific expedition at the Kalayaan Island Group in the West Philippine Sea. AVITO C. DALAN/PNA

MSI making its maiden voyage to the West Philippine Sea. Included in their two-week cruise are biological and oceanographic research as well as surveys in some reefs to generate baseline data that would be useful to national agencies and the public. “In science, we emphasize that all ecosystems are interconnected and interdependent. We need to understand that if you need to secure ‘yong fisheries in the mainland, we need to understand what supplies it. And part of it is understanding the role of Kalayaan Island Group,” said PROTECT WPS chief scientist Deo Florence Onda. In an interview, Onda described the all-Filipino expedition as a big leap for the Philippines. “It’s a big leap for Filipinos. There’s an appreciation of science and (it is) also encouraging the youth to be actively involved in pursuing profession or career in science.” The age range of PROTECT WPS crew are between 21 and

59 years. Although relatively young, Onda said these scientists are “good in what they do.” Romina Therese Lim, one of PROTECT WPS crew focusing on the interaction of marine biomes and benthic ecology in the area expressed excitement, saying the data they could generated would help spread awareness among Filipinos. “The expedition is very timely, very relevant especially with what’s happening now. It’s important that we communicate what will come out of the research because there are some who are misinformed, for example, on coral reefs, etc.,” she said. The expedition will take place from April 22 to May 6, 2019 with at least 74 participants from different agencies including the UP-MSI, BFAR, and the DENR-BMB. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY APRIL 26, 2019

US knows war with China ‘not worth it’: Duterte BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte said the United States is aware that waging a war against China over the Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal is “not worth it,” stressing how its longtime ally failed to help the Philippines during its standoff with China in 2012. Duterte recalled how the US brokered a deal asking the Philippines and China to withdraw their respective vessels in the area. The Philippines pulled out its vessels but China did not. “America was scared. They knew that war about something so small is not worth it. Because if they hit us and America decides to help, it could trigger a world war. America knows it.

Everybody does,” Duterte said in a speech in Agusan del Norte on Sunday. “If those nuclear bombs, atom bombs, and hydrogen bombs will explode, nothing will be left of this world. We would all be destroyed. So America said, both of you should retreat.’ Del Rosario ordered our ship to retreat, but China refused to follow. That is why they filed a case,” he added. Duterte was referring to former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, who led the Philippines in its successful arbitration case against China before The Hague, Netherlands. He said the US “did not do anything” emphasizing that if the Philippines opted to attack China, his soldiers and policemen would be “massacred.” The President also pointed out that it was wiser to stick to

Lorenzana disses off Joma’s dissatisfaction claims BY PRIAM NEPOMUCENO Philippine News Agency MANILA — Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Monday dismissed claims made by Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chair Jose Maria “Joma” Sison that the end for President Rodrigo R. Duterte is near due to the “growing dissatisfaction” within the military and police. “Mr. Joma Sison, again, claimed today that President Rodrigo Duterte’s end is near in view of the “growing dissatisfaction” within the AFP and PNP. Mr. Sison said the country’s armed forces are just waiting for the big mass protests to arise in the cities of NCR (National Capital Region) and other provinces,” said Lorenzana in the message forwarded to reporters. Lorenzana said such allegations are baseless as the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey gave the Chief Executive a 70+ satisfaction rating. “The military and police would rate him 100 percent if a survey is made,” the DND chief

added. He also took a swipe at the CPP founding chair, adding that it is Sison’s followers who are dissatisfied and disillusioned, as these communist rebels and their supporters have been surrendering in the thousands to avail of the benefits being offered to them by the government. “But Mr. Sison can certainly dream, can’t he? In his evil, convoluted and misinformed mind inured by three decades of good life in Utrecht, he has become the victim of his own propaganda. He is nearing the end of his short life with no accomplishment to show but death and destruction in the wake of the 50-years of insurgency by his discredited and bankrupt ideology,” Lorenzana added. Due to this, Sison will be consigned to the dustbin of history as a once brilliant young man who amounted to nothing, the DND chief added. “I seriously doubt if anyone is listening to or reading anything that he’s saying since he has become inconsequential and irrelevant in our country’s affairs,” Lorenzana said. ■

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivering his speech during the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) campaign rally at the Caraga State University in Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte. JOEY DALUMPINES/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

negotiations with China to resolve disagreements over the contested waters and its territories. “We can’t defeat them. So let’s stick to just talking un-

less you want me to say, ‘O sige (Okay) I’ll attack China. Who’s with me?’“ Duterte said. Duterte said the Philippines could not rely on the US because it also had its own prob-

lems to resolve. “Will America join us? They can’t even resolve their problem with Iraq and Iran in the Middle East. They’ve been at war for a long time. But who won it? Nobody. Many lives were lost including those of civilians, children, the elderly, and the women. That’s the story,” he added. Earlier, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said it will be up to Duterte to determine whether he finds it necessary to seek help from the US. Under the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) between the Philippines and US, the allies must provide aid in case of an armed attack against either Washington or Manila by an external party. Panelo said allowing US to step in might have “repercussions” on the two countries. ■

Senators eye ‘audit’ of 4Ps BY FILANE MIKEE CERVANTES Philippine News Agency MANILA — Senate President Vicente Sotto III, along with Senators Panfilo Lacson and Gringo Honasan II, is planning to call for a congressional inquiry into the implementation of the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). In a text message on Monday, Lacson cited the need to conduct a “performance audit or review” of the 4Ps program to find out what it has achieved so far. “We plan to call for a hearing to inquire into the proper use of the 4P’s program including its accomplishments in accordance with its defined objective, the accounting of the monies so far disbursed and other relevant issues surrounding the program,” Lacson said. “It started during the last two years of the Arroyo administration and the allocations have increased many times over,” he added. The plan to conduct a Senate inquiry on the matter came into fore after the Department of the Interior and Local Government barred all local elecwww.canadianinquirer.net

Senate Pres. Vicente "Tito" Sotto III.

tive officials and politicians from taking part in national government programs and activities, particularly in attending payouts that could be used as a platform to advance their political interests. Sotto, for his part, said a Senate inquiry is “in order” to rationalize the operation of the Pantawid program. “Firstly, where there is smoke there is fire. Secondly, other

AVITO C. DALAN / PNA

countries and international companies spend billions on research and development yet we appropriate a very measly amount to science and communications technology,” Sotto said. “So we want to find out how the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) budget is being spent on cashouts,” Sotto said. ■

Philippine News

APRIL 26, 2019

FRIDAY

Mandatory repatriation possible if intense fighting continues in Libya BY JOYCE ANN L. ROCAMORA Philippine News Agency MANILA — The declaration of alert level 4 or mandatory repatriation phase in Tripoli and its surrounding areas is seen if fighting in the capital’s outskirts continues to intensify and threaten to endanger the welfare of Filipinos, a ranking official said Monday. “In situations like this, Alert Level 4 is always in the equation. If the fighting continues to escalate and exposes more of our people to danger, we may be compelled to recommend raising the Alert Level to 4,” Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Elmer Cato said in a text message. As of this posting, the Embassy has not yet recommended the declaration. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) recently raised

the crisis alert level in Tripoli from 2 to 3 or voluntary repatriation phase following tensions in the Libyan capital that started early this month. At present, the Libyan National Army (LNA) forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar continue to push toward the capital since it started its offensive. Around 1,000 Filipinos are residing and working in the Libyan capital, but of this number, only 40 sought to be repatriated to the Philippines. “This morning, we evacuated four more kababayan of ours from Tripoli. This brings to 11 the number of Filipinos we have escorted out of the Libyan capital since intense fighting broke out in the outskirts,” Cato shared. The two female nurses and their husbands, who are all from Taguig City, have crossed the Libya-Tunisian border accompanied by Director Iric Arribas

of the Office of Migrant Affairs. Fifteen other Filipinos working at a carpet factory near where fighting is raging also contacted the Embassy to express their desire to return home. According to them, the cost of their repatriation will be shouldered by their employer but they are requesting the Embassy to shoulder the cost of their onward travel by air to their respective provinces. A nurse from Gharyan also came to the Embassy to seek help in getting him home. “The Embassy will evacuate these remaining 29 Filipino workers as soon as we secure their exit clearances from Libyan authorities,” Cato assured. ‘Many insist to stay’

Despite the jump in the number of those who want to go home, Cato said majority of the Filipinos in Tripoli and

The four Filipinos who were evacuated from #Tripoli yesterday are now on their way to Manila. They were repatriated from Tunis a few minutes ago by a team from @DFAPHL, @PhinLibya and @doleph. @ELMER_CATO/TWITTER

surrounding areas still want to stay in Libya. These are mostly nurses, including around 50 at the Masarra Clinic. “Our nurses at Masarra told us their decision to stay in Tripoli is not all about money. It is also about giving back,” he said. One senior nurse told them: “Our Libyan employer treats us like we are part of his family.

Staying here is one way for us to thank him for his kindness.” “As she was telling us this, we could hear the faint sound of thunder in the background. But it was not thunder. It was the sound of the artillery exchanges from the fierce battle that was raging just a few kilometers from where we were,” Cato said. ■

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Filipino President... ❰❰ 1

filled with Canadian household and electronic garbage that has been rotting in a port near Manila for nearly six years. “I want a boat prepared,” Duterte said. “I’ll give a warning to Canada maybe next week that they better pull that thing out or I will set sail.” Duterte, who is known for his combativeness, threatened to declare war on Canada if the issue isn’t resolved. “I will advise Canada that your garbage is on the way,” he said. “Prepare a grand reception. Eat it if you want to.” In 2013 and 2014, a total of 103 shipping containers from Canada labelled as plastics arrived in the Philippines for recycling, but Filipino customs inspectors determined the containers were actually filled with debris from Canadian trash bins. Canada has been trying for nearly six years to convince the Philippines to dispose of the garbage there even though a Filipino court ordered the trash returned to Canada in 2016. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked about the matter on trips to the Philippines in both 2015 and 2017. On the first visit he said Canada had no legal means to force the company that shipped the waste to take the trash back. In

2017 Trudeau said Canada was working very hard on a solution and that it was “theoretically” possible for Canada to take back the trash. A year after that Canada and the Philippines formed a working group of officials to solve the issue, but nearly six months after that nothing has been resolved. The Canadian government didn’t appear to be changing its tune following Duterte’s comments. A spokeswoman for Environment Minister Catherine McKenna sent a written statement that is identical to the statement issued by a different spokeswoman last week, mentioning the working group and promising to work with the Philippines ”to ensure the material is processed in an environmentally responsible way.” “Canada is strongly committed to collaborating with the Philippines government to resolve this issue and is aware of the court decision ordering the importer to ship the material back to Canada,” wrote Sabrina Kim. She also mentioned a change to regulations in 2016 meant to prevent such a thing from happening again. The change means Canadian firms will need to get approval to ship waste if the destination country says it is hazardous, even if

Canadian officials don’t deem it to be so. Last week, a legal opinion prepared by the Victoria-based Pacific Centre for Environmental Law and Litigation said Canada’s actions with the shipments violate multiple parts of the Basel Convention, a 30-year-old treaty that prevents countries from shipping hazardous waste to the developing world without the receiving country’s consent. The violations include inaccurately describing the contents of the containers, failing to take them back within 30 days of being notified of the hazard, and attempting to get the Philippines to take on the obligation for disposing of the waste. Kathleen Ruff, founder of rightoncanada.ca, has been trying to get Canada to take back its trash and is incensed. “It’s incredible to me that the Canadian government just dismisses the fact that it is breaking the law,” she said. “I guess some people believe they are above the law and count on getting away with it.” ■

Makati court hears drug case vs. ex-NBI exec BY BENJAMIN PULTA Philippine News Agency MANILA — A prosecution witness positively identified the former acting regional director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Central Mindanao as the owner of a 1,000-square meter lot in Virac, Catanduanes, where a shabu laboratory was uncovered three years ago. During Wednesday’s hearing at the Makati Regional Trial Court, the prosecution’s first witness, Lt. Col. Alex Pederio, who headed the 504th Police Provincial Mobile Group in Region 5 (Bicol) when the laboratory was discovered, formally identified on the witness stand former NBI - Central Mindanao Regional Office (NBI-CEMRO) acting director Eric Isidoro as the owner of the property, where a shabu laboratory disguised as a warehouse was discovered in Barangay Palta in Virac in 2016. Pederio also identified in open court the caretaker, Lorenzo Piñera II, and shed light on the circumstances of the in-

volvement of Isidoro’s wife, Angela Balmadrid, who subleased the property to one of the accused, Jayson Uy. Aside from Isidoro, facing a case for conspiracy to manufacture illegal drugs are Xian Xian Wang, Pido Bonito, Paolo Uy and Jayson Gonzales. Piñera II is standing trial for cases of possession and manufacture of illegal drugs, along with five other accused, who are also still at large — the Uys, Gonzales, Paolo Palisoc, Phung Yuan Estorco and Sheng Wang. Isidoro and Piñera are under detention at the city jail. Last September, the Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) ordered the transfer of the former NBI official from the Virac District Jail to the Makati City Jail after the Supreme Court, in an en banc resolution dated June 19, granted the request of former justice secretary, Vitaliano Aguirre II, to transfer the cases to the Makati RTC. During the operation, police seized 22.50 kg. of shabu and 359.75 kg. of ephedrine, as well as other equipment and chemicals used in the manufacture of shabu. ■

Don’t vote for candidates with pending corruption cases: PACC chief BY EJ ROQUE Philippine News Agency MANILA — Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) Chairman Dante Jimenez on Tuesday urged the public not to vote for politicians with pending corruption cases. In his speech at the Stop Crimes against Women Summit 2019, which was organized by the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) and the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), Jimenez said these politicians are greedy and have the urge to enrich themselves. “Huwag mong iboboto yung mgacorrupt, ’yung may mga kaso (Don’t vote for those cor-

rupt, those with cases). Nakapending yan sa (It’s pending in the) Sandiganbayan,” he said. Jimenez, the founding chair of VACC, said corruption breeds poverty. “Ang aking opisina po ay naka-focus sa isang halimaw ng ating (My office is focused on dealing with a monster in our) society, ito’y halimaw ng pagnanakaw sa pera ng bayan (This monster of plundering government funds). Corruption breeds poverty,” he said. Jimenez said corrupt politicians can get away with crimes because they have the money to hire top lawyers. “They can get away with crime, even murder,” he said. Jimenez also cited the role of

PACC Chairman Dante La. Jimenez.

women and the youth in speaking out against the injustices in www.canadianinquirer.net

GELAINE LOUISE GUTIERREZ / PIA-NCR

society. “The women of today, ang

mga kabataan din (even the youth), ay dapat lumabas na. You have to be outspoken. You have to be heard. We must continue to speak out against harassment, violence in our homes workplaces, in our social circles,” he said. Jimenez said government alone cannot address corruption and injustices. “It’s being addressed, but you see, sabi nga ni Presidente (the President said), we cannot do this alone. It’s the people, lalo na mga kababaihan (especially the women),” he said. Department of the Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Martin Diño and PAO chief Persida Acosta also graced the event. ■

Canada News Voters in Prince Edward Island elect Tory minority amid Green surge BY KEVIN BISSETT AND TERESA WRIGHT The Canadian Press CHARLOTTETOWN — Voters in P.E.I. have shed their century-old embrace of the Island’s two-party system, electing a Tory minority government and handing the upstart Green party official Opposition status for the first time. With all polls reporting Tuesday, the Tories had won 12 seats, the Greens held nine, and the incumbent Liberals, led by Premier Wade MacLauchlan, had won five. “Welcome to a new day in Prince Edward Island!” Progressive Conservative Leader Dennis King told supporters, who immediately roared their approval. “Welcome to a new era of Island politics. Welcome to the tremendous honour and the tremendous responsibility of governing.” Remarking on the strong showing by the Greens, King said it showed that Island voters want their political parties to work together. “It shows that Prince Edward Island wants the parties to put partisanship behind them ... to do what’s best for Prince Edward Island,” he said. The Tories finished with 37 per cent of the popular vote, followed by the Greens at 31 per cent and the Liberals at 29 per cent. The NDP got just 3 per cent. The three-way race produced the province’s first minority government since 1890. The Greens had led in opin-

ion polls since August, prompting speculation they could be poised to form Canada’s first Green government. Still, their strong showing on election night was a major breakthrough for a party that did not hold a seat in the legislature until 2015. That’s when party Leader Peter Bevan-Baker won in the general election — after nine unsuccessful runs for office on the Island and in Ontario. “Islanders responded (to us) by granting us a record number of seats — by far the most seats ever by a Green party in Canada,” he told a boisterous crowd at the PEI Brewing Company in Charlottetown. “I’m a strong believer in the capacity of minority government to create a collaborative environment where competing parties can put the interests of constituents and Islanders first.” King, a former political staffer and consultant, was elected to lead his party only two months ago. He won the riding of Brackley-Hunter River. The Tories enjoyed a boost in the polls last month, leaving them in a virtual dead heat with the Greens and Liberals as the campaign began. The Tory victory represents the latest in a series of gains for right-leaning parties, including wins in Alberta, Quebec, New Brunswick and Ontario — all within the last year. Earlier this year, the Island’s Progressive Conservatives were largely regarded as a dysfunctional organization, having churned through no less than six leaders in the past eight years.

Despite past infighting within Tory ranks, King was lauded for running a solid campaign, mainly by reinforcing a relentlessly positive message — a tried-and-true tactic among Island politicians. A former communications director for former Tory premier Pat Binns, King performed well on the hustings and in a series of decidedly polite leaders debates. However, the rookie leader’s run for office was marred by a mild controversy over a series of tweets that were supposed to be funny, but instead offended some, who criticized them for being sexist and homophobic. King, 47, who also describes himself as a comedian and story-teller with a progressive political outlook, admitted that some of the tweets were inappropriate. Among other things, King promised to expand beer and wine sales to convenience stores. Access to family doctors emerged as a key issue in the campaign. All four parties talked about recruiting more physicians. According to Health PEI, there are 13,083 Islanders on the waiting list for a family doctor. The Greens’ rise in popularity generated a national buzz during an otherwise lacklustre campaign. During the race, Bevan-Baker — a Scottish-born dentist — tried to persuade Islanders that the Greens care about more than just the environment, offering a platform that focused on a range of social issues. The 56-year-old Green leader, who was elected to the legis-

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Tory Leader Dennis King.

lature as the first Green member in 2015, won his riding of New Haven-Rocky Point. The Liberals were seeking a fourth term in office, having repeatedly reminded Islanders that the province’s economy remains the strongest in the country. MacLauchlan, 64, failed to win his seat. “It’s simple: the tide turned. We’ve had four years of good government, responsible government and exceptionally good management of the province’s finances,” he told reporters. “We left no stone unturned. We presented good policy. We presented a good team and we went and did the work that candidates do.” It wouldn’t be a stretch to say P.E.I. is on a tear, posting impressive numbers for higher wages, employment, immigration, housing starts, exports, retail sales and tourism. However, voters appeared reluctant to give MacLauchlan credit for boosting the economy, a sentiment that was reflected in his relatively low personal popularity ratings.

DENNIS KING/FACEBOOK

The Island’s New Democrats, led by 57-year-old Joe Byrne, were not in contention in any ridings. When the legislature was dissolved, the Liberals held 16 seats in the 27-seat legislature, the Tories had eight and the Green party had two seats. There was one Independent. A total of 14 seats are needed for a majority, but only 26 of the 27 seats were contested Tuesday. On Saturday, Elections P.E.I. postponed the vote in the district of Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park following the deaths of Green party candidate, Josh Underhay, and his young son in a boating mishap on the Hillsborough River. A byelection will be held in the riding within the next three months. Aside from the election outcome, voters cast ballots in a referendum on electoral reform. Preliminary results suggested voters had declined to endorse the switch to proportional representation, though the results were close — and several polls had yet to be counted. ■

Canada News

FRIDAY APRIL 26, 2019

‘No answers:’ Canadians Elizabeth May’s react to Sri Lanka bombings wedding dress a ‘walk through a that killed hundreds garden’ on Earth Day

BY ADAM BURNS AND ADINA BRESGE The Canadian Press TORONTO — A spokesman for an organization representing Sri Lankan-Canadians says he has “no answers” in the wake of co-ordinated bomb attacks in his homeland that killed at least 207 people and injured 450 more. Riyaz Rauf, vice-president of the Canada Sri Lankan Association of Toronto, says he found out about the bombings via text messages from friends just after midnight. When he turned on the TV to watch the news, he says he was appalled by the “horrendous” images he saw. In a phone interview with The Canadian Press on Sunday morning, Rauf described the attacks as a “loss of humanity.” The federal government warned Canadians in Sri Lanka to limit their movements and obey local authorities, saying the situation in the country remains “volatile” and more attacks are possible. It added that the High Commission of Canada to Sri Lanka in the capital Colombo would be closed on Monday due to the security situation. Global Affairs Canada said in an email Sunday afternoon that there are no reports of any Canadian citizens being affected by the blasts, whose targets included hotels and a church frequented by tourists. Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry said the bodies of at least 27 foreigners were recovered, and the dead included people from Britain, the U.S., India, Portugal and Turkey. China’s Communist Party newspaper said two Chinese were killed. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined other world leaders in expressing sorrow and shock at the attacks, while condemning the targeting of worshippers on Easter Sunday. “Canada strongly condemns these heinous attacks on hotels and Christians at prayer in churches. Places of worship are sacred, where all should feel

BY DIRK MEISSNER The Canadian Press

At the City Hall. In solidarity with all who lost life in the recent Terror Attack on the Christian comunity in Srilanka on Easter Sunda. RIYAZ RAUF/FACEBOO

safe and secure. No one should be targeted because of their faith,” the prime minister said in a statement. “For millions of people around the world, Easter is a time to reflect on Jesus’ message of compassion and kindness — a time to come together with friends and family. We cannot let attacks like these weaken the hope we share.” Sri Lanka’s defence minister described the bombings as a terrorist attack by religious extremists and police said 13 suspects had been arrested, though there was no immediate claim of responsibility. Most of the blasts were believed to have been suicide attacks. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said he feared the violence could trigger instability in Sri Lanka, a country of about 21 million people, and he vowed the government will “vest all necessary powers with the defence forces” to take action against those responsible. The government imposed a nationwide curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. The eight explosions represent the deadliest violence in the South Asian island country since a bloody civil war ended a decade ago. Rauf, who moved to Canada nine years ago, said he’s at a loss to explain the reasons behind the violence — but he’s confident his homeland will persevere. “There’s absolutely no reason — no cause, nothing — for

something like this to be happening in this beautiful country,” he said. However, Rauf added: “Sri Lanka as a nation has come through the worst period that it could ever come out of. We had a civil war for 25 years. We are a bunch of resilient people who can overcome adversity.” Amarnath Amarasingam, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Waterloo who has authored several books and papers on Sri Lanka, said even in a country “brimming” with ethnic and religious conflict, no one expected an attack of this scale. “It’s just multiple kind of layers of complexity in terms of ethnic and religious relations, which this attack kind of really throws up in the air,” Amarasingam said in an interview Sunday. “Things could get ugly pretty fast from here, I think, if we’re not careful.” Sri Lanka was dominated for decades by the sharp divide between the majority Sinhalese, who are overwhelmingly Buddhist, and the minority Tamil, who are Hindu, Muslim and Christian. The mistreatment of Tamils helped nurture the growth of armed separatists and led to nearly 30 years of civil war, with Tamil Tiger fighters eventually creating a de facto independent homeland in the country’s north until the group was crushed in a 2009 government offensive. ❱❱ PAGE 18 ‘No answers’

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pliqued with tulips, peonies and ferns along the hemline. Earle, a long-time Green party supporter, said May was VICTORIA — Instead of march- pleased with her seasonallying for Earth Day, Green party themed wedding dress. Leader Elizabeth May marched “She was very happy with down the aisle in Victoria’s it, which made me very happy Christ Church Cathedral on with it,” said Earle. “You want Monday. the person to feel like a milMay married John Kidder, a lion bucks, and that it embodies retired technology entrepre- everything she is in terms of a neur and long-time Green party goddess in the spring, celebratmember, in a ceremony attending love. That’s what I was aimed by about 500 guests. ing for.” As church bells tolled, May She said the dress received a and Kidder emerged smiling pre-wedding blessing on a refrom the church, cent ferry voyage kissing for the from Salt Spring crowd and greetIsland to Sidney ing onlookers as Earle delivbefore getting She was very ered the dress to happy with it, into the back of a May. which made Tesla where they Earle said she me very happy were shuttled to and a few othwith it. a reception. ers held a moMay said in a ment of silence statement that to bless the dress she and Kidder and ensure May “intend to be has a full day of gloriously happy — and very happiness. Green.” May announced her engageKidder will be the federal ment to Kidder last November. Green party candidate in Mis- She said she knew Kidder for sion-Matsqui-Fraser Valley in about five years, but sparks flew the October general election. at a Green party convention last May said she hopes that dur- September. ing next year’s 50th celebration Kidder, 71, who is from Ashof Earth Day, they can celebrate croft, B.C., popped the question by turning away from cata- about a month later, May has strophic climate breakdown said. and taking the path to a safer Kidder has deep roots in the and more loving world. Green party, having run previThe Green leader wore a ously for a seat in B.C., and is a cropped white jacket and long founder of the provincial party. matching gown adorned with May said he is a retired technolgreenery, while Kidder work a ogy entrepreneur who operates bone-coloured suit without a tie. a hops farm in Ashcroft, but Sue Earle of Salt Spring Is- also spends time in Vancouver. land designed the dress after Kidder is the brother of the May sketched out the idea for late actress Margot Kidder her. and has three children and “She wanted it to feel like four grandchildren. May has a spring. She said she would like daughter, three stepchildren to have some greenery on the and seven grandchildren. bottom of it so it looked like she Wedding guests were encourjust walked through a garden,” aged to arrive by bicycle, bus, Earle said in an interview. train or ferry to minimize their Earle said she got to work on carbon footprint. The newlythe dress over the winter, using weds will then spend their honold bed sheets for a pattern for eymoon on the train from Vana fitting. The dress was also ap- couver to Ottawa. ■

Canada News

APRIL 26, 2019

FRIDAY

Ontario government Parks Canada releases details cutting funding for of search for climbers killed public health: Cressy in Banff avalanche BY SHAWN JEFFORDS The Canadian Press TORONTO — The chairman of Toronto’s board of health says the province has notified health units across Ontario their funding will be cut immediately as the government makes changes to a cost-sharing arrangement with municipalities. Joe Cressy — who is also a Toronto city councillor — says the cuts will mean Toronto Public Health will lose $1 billion in funding over the next decade and all of Ontario’s health units will be impacted by the move. The Ministry of Health delivered the news Thursday afternoon in a conference call with public health units ahead of the long weekend, he said. Cressy said the long list of affected programs includes disease prevention, water quality testing, and immunization monitoring and surveillance. “I say this without an ounce of exaggeration,” he said. “Because of today’s cuts people will die.” The province notified health units that it will reduce costsharing from levels from 100 per cent or 75 per cent in some cases, to 60 to 70 per cent for some municipalities, he said. In Toronto’s case, Cressy said the cost-sharing for some programs drops to 50-50 by 2021. The changes mean Toronto will immediately have an $86 million funding gap in its public health budget this year, he said. “What that means is that for our immunization monitoring and surveillance program, for our sexual health services programs, for our food safety regulatory initiatives, to our water

quality testing, we don’t know how we are going to continue to run those programs this year,” he said. Toronto Mayor John Tory condemned the funding cut in a statement late Thursday afternoon, saying while all health units will be impacted, the changes to Toronto are particularly punishing. “It is impossible not to see this as a targeted attack on the health of our entire city and, in particular, the health of Toronto’s most vulnerable people,” he said. “It is inconceivable why the Ontario government would want to single out Toronto, Ontario’s capital and economic engine, for harsher treatment when we know a healthy city is a prosperous city.” Tory said he intends to voice strong opposition to the cut and called on the province to back down. “This is a dangerous way to curtail expenditures and we will be working hard with Toronto residents to see it reversed,” he said. Cressy said the changes mark a return to the cost-sharing between the province and municipalities that existed prior to the SARS and Walkerton E. coli outbreaks. In the wake of those events, the government beefed up funding to public health, he said. “The evidence has shown that the more money you put in public health the fewer health care costs you have going forward,” he said. A spokeswoman for Minister of Health Christine Elliott said the government is working directly with municipalities as it ❱❱ PAGE 26 Ontario government

BY DANIELA GERMANO The Canadian Press THE TREACHEROUS recovery of three world-class climbers in Alberta’s Banff National Park involved a helicopter, a search dog and 28 people, Parks Canada said Monday as it released details of its rescue efforts. American Jess Roskelley and Austrians David Lama and Hansjorg Auer disappeared last week while attempting to descend the east face of Howse Peak in the Icefields Parkway. The men’s bodies were recovered Sunday. Brian Webster, visitor safety manager at the park, said the men began their climb Tuesday morning and summitted the 2,300-metre mountain by noon. The avalanche hit while the climbers were making their 1,000-metre descent that afternoon, he said. Their bodies were found at the bottom of the mountain’s east face. “Anybody involved in an avalanche of that magnitude — it’s going to be a bad outcome,” Webster told reporters. “There is no amount of skill set that is going to increase your ability to survive an avalanche like that.” Roskelley climbed Mount Everest in 2003 at age 20. At the time, he was the youngest American to climb the world’s highest peak. Lama, 28, was feted for achieving the first free ascent in 2012 of the Compressor Route of the Cerro Torre, one of the most striking peaks in the Andes. The feat was captured in the 2013 documentary “Cerro Torre — A Snowball’s Chance in Hell.”

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Jess Roskelley and Austrians David Lama and Hansjorg Auer. @JESSROSKELLEY / INSTAGRAM

And the 35-year-old Auer became the first person to free solo climb Italy’s Marmolada peak via the south face in 2007. Incident commander Shelley Humphries said visitor safety specialists responded immediately Wednesday when the trio was reported overdue, and climbing equipment and evidence of multiple avalanches was found in the area. Although the three climbers were not wearing avalanche beacons, Humphries said a transceiver was dropped so crews could later locate the site. Further search efforts were put on hold for three days because of bad weather and avalanche conditions. The bodies were found after an avalanche dog and its handler were deployed to the area by helicopter, said Humphries. Howse Peak, located in the northernmost corner of Banff, is remote and can only be accessed by skiing in. Parks Canada said its mixed rock and ice routes make it an exceptionally difficult climb. Webster called the recovery of the men’s bodies complex because of the strong winds, snow

and high avalanche conditions. “(Another) factor that made this particular search more challenging is that the climbers were not wearing avalanche transceivers,” he said. “So, when we got on site to do the search, we weren’t able to hone in on them directly and we had to utilize random probing and the search dog.” Humphries said while she understands it’s common for professional climbers not to wear beacons, Parks Canada strongly recommends carrying the equipment. “In this particular case, the outcome would not have changed, but it would have expedited the search and recovery,” she said. So far this winter, Webster said there have been six avalanche fatalities in Banff and Yoho national parks. He said that figure includes a death in Yoho over the weekend. Parks Canada has said a man, who was among a party of three backcountry skiers, was involved in an avalanche Saturday afternoon on Des Poilus Glacier and died Sunday in hospital. ■

Canada News

FRIDAY APRIL 26, 2019

Sri Lankan-Canadians mourn victims of terrorist attack in their homeland BY MICHELLE MCQUIGGE The Canadian Press

as the Tamil Tigers was crushed by the government. While anti-Muslim bigotry has swept the island in recent years, fed by BudSRI LANKAN-CANADIANS were gath- dhist nationalists, the island also has no ering Monday to mourn those killed history of violent Muslim militants. The in a massive terrorist attack in their country’s small Christian community homeland as the Canadian government has seen only scattered incidents of hastepped up cautions for anyone consid- rassment in recent years. ering visiting the country as it grapples Sunday’s explosions — centred on the with the fallout from the widespread cities of Colombo, Negombo and Batviolence. ticaloa — collapsed ceilings and blew At least 290 people were killed and out windows, killing worshippers and hundreds more injured in a series of hotel guests in one scene after another co-ordinated bomb blasts that rocked of smoke, soot, blood, broken glass, churches and hotels across Sri Lanka on screams and wailing alarms. Sunday. Authorities said many of the atSri Lanka’s health minister said inteltacks, believed to be carried out by sui- ligence reports had repeatedly flagged cide bombers with a local Islamic group, threats of violence, but alleged the targeted worshippers gathered to cel- warnings went unheeded by governebrate Easter. ment officials. As Sri Lankan government officials While no group has officially taken wrestled with latest explosions, imposed responsibility for the attacks, Rajitha a curfew on the public and blocked the Senaratne attributed the attacks to a bulk of social media activity in the coun- group known as National Thowfeek Jatry, the Canadian government urged maath. Police said they have arrested 13 travellers to exercise people in connection “a high degree of cauwith the bombings. tion” if visiting the Late Monday, Sri area. Lankan Prime MinCloser to home, There are so ister Ranil Wickmany bad however, Sri Lankans remesinghe gave the memories that organized vigils from military wider berth come to my coast to coast to both to detain and arrest head personally pay tribute to those suspects — powers and so many killed and seek solthat were used durof the other ace among those who ing the civil war but members when have witnessed viowithdrawn when it we heard about lence in their homeended. this. land before. For Canadian MP Edward Anura FerGary Anandasangadinand, president of ree, who fled Sri Lanthe Sri Lanka Canada ka at the age of 10, the Association of Ottamove was deeply diswa, said hundreds of Sri Lankans are ex- tressing. pected to gather in several cities to light He said Sunday’s attacks risk destabicandles, sing hymns and come to terms lizing a country that’s still struggling to with the recent bombings. One such vigil establish a fragile peace, adding many of will unfold Monday evening on Parlia- his fellow expatriates are anxious about ment Hill in Ottawa. its longer-term consequences for loved Anura Ferdinand said the horror of ones back home. Sunday’s violence is compounded by “While peace has not been achieved the memories it revives, adding many on the island in the past 10 years, there Sri Lankan-Canadians are grappling not was some semblance of order in some only with the latest events but memories places,” Anandasangaree said. “This just of the bloody civil war that drove many of brings everything to a halt.” them out of the country in the first place. Anandasangaree has organized a vigil “We are in the position of healing our in east Toronto for Monday night, which wounds after a 30-year war,” he said in is due to feature religious leaders from an interview. “There was a time when Christian, Buddhist, Jewish and Muslim breaking news was a common thing, ev- communities. He said the Easter Sunery now and then you would hear explo- day bombings are the latest in a line of sions. . . . There are so many bad memo- religiously motivated terrorist attacks ries that come to my head personally around the world and called for Canaand so many of the other members when dians of all faiths to denounce hate and we heard about this.” intolerance. In the civil war, which came to an end Anura Ferdinand said that while all in 2009, a powerful rebel army known his family and friends are safe in the

At the Inter-Faith Vigil for Easter Sunday Terrorist Attack In Srilanka. It was very well organised and well represented Thank you Toronto. RIYAZ RAUF/FACEBOO

wake of the blasts, many other families now based in Canada are mourning the deaths of loved ones. Officials with Global Affairs Canada said no Canadians were among the 39 foreigners killed in the attacks, but stepped up travel advisories for anyone in or headed to the country. “The situation remains volatile,” reads the advisory, which urges Canadians to exercise a high degree of caution. “Other attacks could occur throughout

the country. Local authorities have declared a state of emergency and curfew could be imposed at any time. Local authorities have also temporarily blocked access to some social media. Spokeswoman Amy Mills urged Canadians in Colombo, the nation’s capital, to limit their movements, avoid impacted areas, and take direction from local authorities. ■ With files from the Associated Press

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Canada News

APRIL 26, 2019

FRIDAY

PEI Green party candidate Josh Underhay and son killed in canoeing accident BY MICHAEL MACDONALD The Canadian Press CHARLOTTETOWN – With only a few days before voters were to go to the polls in Prince Edward Island, the Green party suspended all campaigning Saturday after the sudden death of one of its candidates and his young son. The party confirmed Saturday that Josh Underhay and his son died in a canoeing accident on Friday afternoon. Voting day is Tuesday. Green party Leader Peter Bevan-Baker, whose party has been leading in the polls, issued a statement saying he was bereft when he learned of Underhay’s death. “Josh has been a dear friend and colleague of mine for many years, as a volunteer, musician, passionate cycling advocate and Green party supporter,” Bevan-Baker said. “He has touched the lives of everyone who knew him, including the students he taught, fellow musicians and members of the party … Josh brought humour, enthusiasm and boundless energy to every situation.”

Bevan-Baker said the Greens would suspend all election-related activities for the remainder of the campaign. The province’s three other major parties suspended all campaign events scheduled for Saturday. The RCMP issued a statement saying two canoeists were reported missing Friday after they failed to show up at an agreed pick-up point along the Hillsborough River, which cuts through the middle of the Island and empties into the Northumberland Strait near Charlottetown. Firefighters, police and a volunteer ground search team were called in to look for the pair. They had help from a police tracking dog and an aerial drone. Police would not identify the victims, but a Green party official confirmed Underhay and his son were later found in the water near their capsized canoe. Though they were wearing flotation devices, both were declared dead at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown, police said. Police asked for the public’s help as they continued their investigation, saying they’d like to hear from anyone who saw a red canoe on the Hillsborough

River on Friday afternoon. his son marked “a heart-breaking day Later in the day, Elections P.E.I. is- for all Islanders.” sued a statement saying it had invoked “It is a reminder of how fragile life is a section of the Elections Act to cancel and how often we take it for granted,” the vote in Underhay’s district and or- King said. “Josh was a dedicated teacher der a byelection within the next three and community leader who had a love months. for life and a passion for people. He Underhay, a married father of two was an advocate, talented musician and boys, had been the Greens’ candidate in friend to many.” District 9, Charlottetown-Hillsborough The Green party has been leading in Park. opinion polls since August, but the race According to a profile on the party’s remains too close to call when the marwebsite, he was a gin of error in recent teacher at Birchwood surveys is factored in. Intermediate School Premier Wade in Charlottetown, MacLauchlan’s Libas well as an experiThe tragic erals will be seekaccident that enced musician and a ing a fourth term on took him student of languages, Tuesday, which has and his son speaking English, prompted some critis absolutely French, Spanish, ics to suggest the heart-breaking. Mandarin and Czech. party has overstayed Prime Minister its welcome. Justin Trudeau ofThe close numbers fered his condolenchave also raised the es in a tweet, saying possibility of a miUnderhay was “committed to serving nority government, which would mark a his community, his students, and all of historic moment for the Island. The last P.E.I.” time a minority was elected in P.E.I. was “The tragic accident that took him and 1890. his son is absolutely heart-breaking,” The Conservatives have been plagued the prime minister said. by infighting for the past eight years, Federal Green party Leader Elizabeth churning through no fewer than six May said she knew Underhay well. leaders, including King, who was elected “To lose Josh and his son in such a in February. tragic accident is unbearably sad,” May However, the party enjoyed a boost in said in a tweet. “My deepest condolenc- the polls the following month, leaving es to his family and all members of the them in a virtual tie with the Liberals. P.E.I. Green family.” As for the Island’s New Democrats, led Provincial Progressive Conservative by Joe Byrne, their poll numbers have Leader Dennis King issued a statement remained at single digits for the past saying the tragic loss of Underhay and year. ■

‘No answers...’ ❰❰ 15

More recently, Muslims, who make up roughly 10 per cent of the country’s population, have been targeted by violence fuelled by rumours spread over social media about attacks on Buddhists. In 2018, mobs of Buddhists swept through small towns, attacking mosques and Muslim-owned shops, prompting the government to briefly declare a state of emergency. Amarasingam said those tensions have lingered to some extent in Canada, which is home to roughly 150,000 people of Sri Lankan or mixed Sri Lankan descent, according to 2016 figures from Statistics Canada. A significant portion of that population are Muslims, he said, and he imagines many are concerned the attacks could lead to a flare up in anti-Muslim www.canadianinquirer.net

sentiment or even violence. Despite that, Rauf — who is Muslim — said he believes the community will also come together to support each other in this time of tragedy. “One thing good about the Sri Lankan community that has migrated to Canada is that when they migrated from Sri Lanka, few people brought their baggages, their way of thinking from back home,” said Rauf. “The new generations — the second generation and the third generation that have got used to living here — adopted the Canadian culture, understood the ethnic harmony here. They’re all united,” he said. “For us, religion comes second — it’s humanity first, the person who is first.” ■ with files from The Associated Press

FRIDAY APRIL 26, 2019

Efflorescence, the Blooming of Two Montreal Aspiring Visual Artists BY BOLET AREVALO

SPRINGING FROM complete anonymity in the art scene, two (2) young McGill University students decided to come out and bloom. Lily and Roelle held their first art show last April 5 in Espace Pop in Avenue du Parc, Montreal. Efflorescence was a stake to put their bets on a future that awaits their passion for their arts. Something people just have to have, just have to do is to have the courage and the guts to do something at a pivotal point in their journey to recognition, if not fame. Lily is Canadian of ChineseVietnamese descent. She is a graduating student of economics at McGill. Between the two artists, Lily’s the budding one, with her art as fragile as her frail body and sweet demeanour. Her pieces during the art exhibit spoke of her eagerness to use her brush and paint to express her innocence and her simple execution of her artsy thoughts. Flowers and flower impressions in pastel colors and plain white backgrounds showed her blossoming talent that benefits from her enthusiasm and waits to flourish in due time. “I just paint about things that remind me of my surroundings and whatever makes me happy. Thus, my inspiration comes from all aspects of my life – my dreams, friends and hobbies.” Painting though for Lily is just a hobby for now. She is more interested in studying the theoretical side of global arts rather than paint to which she admits she has yet to seriously develop the skills for. Fil-Canadian Roelle is the slayer. She is also a McGill University student, but of Anthropology and Sociology, with a focus on Urban systems. She came from the enriched visual arts program of the Cardinal Carter Academy of the Arts, a specialized and accelerated arts high school in Toronto. She did not will herself to an arts path but her hands kept picking up

Roelle.

ALL PHOTOS BY BOLET AREVALO / PHILIPPINE CANADIAN INQUIRER

Lily and Roelle.

the brush and her mind kept creating. “I’ve dabbled here and there. It was a hobby. But it was about around 5-6 years ago that I’ve taken it a little bit more seriously when I auditioned for an arts school in Toronto.” On the pieces she exhibited, Roelle explained “I took a more reflexive approach in what I wanted to convey. I would hardly ever consider any of my pieces finished, and that’s just a part of my character. I focused a lot on organic and dynamic elements for my piece. I want my pieces to grow along with me. So, I create them with plans on going back to them one day. Heavy line work with emphasis on the minutias, yet I tried to portray a cacophony of movement for my illustrations to make them seem like they’re growing. In preparing my blueprints or compositions, it was a stochastic process, quite crude even but I’m extremely meticulous and methodical in my execution. For example, I wanted to overwhelm people who see the

work.” We view Roelle’s artworks for this show as though representing her thoughts about immortalizing the human passion to act, to commit or just even gaze at an unknown horizon amidst the tenderness of flowers and petals that soften the desire but keep it moving just the same. When asked what made them choose “efflorescence” as their theme, she remarked, “Efflorescence means to grow and flower out, a period of blooming. It was perfect timing when Lily and I are about to exit a portion of our lives (both are graduating from university next school year) as well as enter a new one. The flowers were simple enough to start working with and everything else was left to our instincts and what we wanted to convey.” Between the two (2) young ladies, Lily had the working drive to put up a show. She initiated the possibility of them coming out on an exhibit like this and introducing themselves to the Montreal art scene. It was www.canadianinquirer.net

a dream, Lily said, to put up an art show before she graduates from McGill and doing it with a friend gave her motivation and the drive to commit to something and make it happen. According to Roelle, “Lily told me that she had initially planned on having an art exhibit both as good experience and for fun. She asked if I was interested in doing an art exhibition with her and I never would have done it myself, at least not now. But now I’m hooked and want to continue doing more shows and start submitting to existing galleries as well in the future.” Roelle’s art represents an artist’s mood and mindset to showcase only talent – only what any artist can clearly conceptualize, fully explain, or be proud of. And that was manifested in the manner Roelle put up or displayed her pieces for the exhibit- very clean, organized, and with flowing symmetry of design and ideas. Where does she get her inspiration from? “My inspiration is perhaps the amalgam of all the crystalized knowledge I have accumulated so far. I love learning. From literature to philosophy to history to poetry to peer-reviewed papers and publications. I love reading books more than

anything. I’ll read everything but (Friedrich) Nietzsche, (Oscar) Wilde, and (Mitch) Albom are definitely my favourites. My favourite piece of literature is Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde - a great poet. To me, a really great poet is the most unpoetical of all creatures.” “In person, I’m quite reserved unless spoken to. My art, on the other hand, is bold and loud. For this exhibition, I was particularly interested on the concept of liminality and sonderness.” (Sonder is the feeling you have when you realize that each individual around you has a life, both inner and outer, as complex as you. While liminal comes from the Latin limen which means ‘threshold’ or ‘border’. It also somehow describes a feeling of being on some sort of border or crossing). This Fil-Canadian artist won the admiration of the members of the Montreal Filipino community who threw in their full support for the exhibitors. Among those who came to grace the art show were community leaders from the Filipino Association of Montreal and Suburbs (FAMAS), the Knights of Rizal, the Philippine Benevo❱❱ PAGE 29 Efflorescence, the

World News

APRIL 26, 2019

FRIDAY

Trump threatens Giuliani says not wrong to take information from Russians crackdown on high visa overstay countries BY HOPE YEN The Associated Press

BY JILL COLVIN The Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is considering suspending or limiting entry to the U.S. for individuals from countries with high rates of short-term visa overstays — a proposal vaguely reminiscent of the controversial travel bans President Donald Trump pursued during his first year in office. In a memo signed Monday, Trump directs officials to examine new ways to minimize the number of people overstaying their business and tourist visas as part of a renewed focus on immigration as the 2020 campaign kicks into high gear. And it says the administration is considering developing “admission bonds” — people entering the country would pay a fee that would be reimbursed when they leave — in an effort to improve compliance. “We have laws that need to be followed to keep Americans safe and to protect the integrity of a system where, right now, there are millions of people who are waiting in line to come to America to seek the American Dream,” Trump said in a statement. More people are in the U.S. because they overstay visas than because they cross the border illegally, according to the nonpartisan Center for Migration Studies. Some of the countries with high overstay rates include Chad, Djibouti,

Eritrea, Liberia, the Solomon Islands, Benin and Burkina Faso. Officials say 20 countries have rates over 10 per cent. The memo gives the secretaries of state and homeland security 120 days to come up with recommendations, including potentially limiting how long visas last. The idea of restricting travel from high overstay countries is part of a long list of proposals being tossed around by officials as they try to appease a president who has been seething over the influx of migrants at the border as he tries to make good on his 2016 campaign promises and energize his base going into 2020. The ideas have ranged from the extreme — including Trump’s threat to completely shut down the southern border and resume the widely denounced practice of separating children from parents — to more subtle tweaks to the legal immigration system. Plans are also in the works to have border patrol agents, instead of asylum officers, conduct initial interviews to determine whether migrants seeking asylum have a “credible fear” of returning to their homelands. And the administration has been weighing targeting the remittance payments people living in the country illegally send home to their families and moving forward with plans to punish immigrants in the country legally for using public benefits, such as food stamps. ■

DONALD TRUMP / FACEBOOK

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani insisted there was “nothing wrong” with the president’s 2016 campaign taking information from the Russians, as House Democrats pledged stepped-up investigations into campaign misconduct and possible crimes of obstruction detailed in special counsel Robert Mueller’s report . Giuliani called the Trump campaign’s effort to get political help from representatives of the Russian government possibly ill-advised but not illegal. “There’s nothing wrong with taking information from Russians,” Giuliani said Sunday, referring to a June 2016 Trump Tower meeting involving Trump’s son Donald Jr., son-inlaw Jared Kushner and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and a lawyer linked to Russia. The Trump campaign was seeking harmful information on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The Sunday news shows offered the latest back and forth following the long-anticipated release on Thursday of Mueller’s 448-page redacted report on his two-year investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Mueller found no evidence of a conspiracy between Russia and the Trump campaign and made no decision on obstruction of justice. Giuliani rebutted Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, who said in a statement on Twitter Friday he was “sickened” by the findings in Mueller’s report that cited details on how the Trump campaign welcomed political dirt from Russia. Giuliani said Romney should “stop the bull,” saying that accepting negative information about a political opponent is common. “I would have advised, just out of excess of caution, don’t do it,” he said. Nevertheless, “there’s no crime.” Pressed about whether there is a something wrong about using information stolen by foreign adversaries, Giuliani said, www.canadianinquirer.net

Rudy Giuliani.

“It depends on the stolen material.” Trump, who spent the holiday weekend at his private Mara-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, asserted in tweets Sunday that he had been fully cleared by Mueller’s report and that Democrats’ continued efforts to investigate him will prove politically costly. “Despite No Collusion, No Obstruction, The Radical Left Democrats do not want to go on to Legislate for the good of the people, but only to Investigate and waste time. This is costing our Country greatly, and will cost the Dems big time in 2020!” he tweeted. Mueller explicitly did not exonerate Trump in the report on the question of obstruction, citing in part Justice Department guidelines that a sitting president shouldn’t be indicted. Not ruling out impeachment, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, who chairs the House committee that would hold impeachment hearings, said he remained puzzled why Mueller did not bring charges of criminal conspiracy against those in the Trump Tower meeting. “All you have to prove for conspiracy is that they entered into a meeting of the minds to do something wrong and had one overt act. They entered into a meeting of the minds to attend a meeting to get stolen material on Hillary (Clinton). They went to the meeting. That’s conspiracy right there,” said Nadler, D-N.Y. Nadler said it was now up to

MARK REINSTEIN / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Congress to investigate after the special counsel said it did not establish enough evidence to bring charges of criminal conspiracy, yet detailed 10 allegations of Trump’s attempts to obstruct the Russia investigation that left open whether Trump broke the law. Asked whether the offences are impeachable, Nadler told NBC, “If proven, some of this would be impeachable, yes.” He said Democrats’ current focus is to “go where the evidence leads us.” Nadler has subpoenaed the Justice Department for the full, unredacted report and said Sunday he was adding former White House counsel Don McGahn to the list of people he would call to testify before his committee, along with Mueller and Attorney General William Barr. According to the special counsel’s report, McGahn was among the Trump aides who effectively halted Trump’s efforts to influence the Russia investigation, rebuffing his demand to set Mueller’s firing in motion. Nadler has said he expects the Justice Department to comply with the subpoena for the full report by May 1, the same day Barr is to testify before a Senate committee and one day before Barr is to appear before Nadler’s panel. Nadler summoned Mueller to testify by May 23. Democratic leaders are under mounting pressure from the party’s rising stars and some ❱❱ PAGE 22 Giuliani says

FRIDAY APRIL 26, 2019

Sri Lanka blocks social media after Easter Sunday bombings BY MATT O’BRIEN AND STEPHEN WRIGHT The Associated Press SRI LANKAN authorities flicked the off switch on most social media after Easter Sunday attacks on churches and hotels killed hundreds of people, a dramatic reaction that reflects accumulated distrust in the capability of American internet companies to control harmful content. The block on social media including Facebook and its WhatsApp and Instagram services was announced by the government’s official news portal, which cited the spread of “false news reports” online. The NetBlocks observatory said it detected an intentional blackout of the popular platforms as well as YouTube, Snapchat and Viber. Twitter appeared unaffected. Officials likely feared that the spread of inflammatory content could provoke more bloodshed in Sri Lanka, a Buddhist-majority island nation that has large Hindu, Muslim and Christian minorities and a long history of ethnic and sectarian conflict. At

least 290 people were killed in the bombings. Ivan Sigal, head of the internet and journalism advocacy organization Global Voices, said the country’s rapid action was a “telling moment.” “A few years ago we’d be using these platforms to help each other and co-ordinating assistance. Now we view them as a threat,” he wrote on Twitter. “If I were Facebook and WhatsApp I’d take a moment to ask myself where I’d gone wrong,” he said. “Cannot think of a clearer signal for lack of platform trust.” It wasn’t the first time Sri Lanka has blocked social media. The government imposed a weeklong ban in March 2018 because of concerns that WhatsApp and other platforms were being used to fan anti-Muslim violence in the country’s central region. Facebook is increasingly in the crosshairs of regulators, rights groups and the public as it tries to balance what CEO Mark Zuckerberg has called “giving people a voice” and demands for censorship of hate speech and other harmful content posted on Facebook, Insta-

gram and WhatsApp. It faced intense criticism after the right-wing extremist who attacked two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, last month, killing 50 people, live-streamed the massacre on Facebook. The U.N. in a report last year blamed the social media company for the spread of hate speech in Myanmar that dehumanized Rohingya Muslims and contributed to persecution that caused hundreds of thousands to flee the country. In the past, blocking social media would have been seen as “outrageous censorship,” Sigal

said, highlighting the shift in attitude to social media sites. “Now we think of it as essential duty of care, to protect ourselves from threat.” Sri Lanka’s government said the shutdown would extend until it concludes its investigation into the bomb blasts that rocked churches, luxury hotels and other sites. NetBlocks, however, said post-attack blackouts can be ineffective. “What we’ve seen is that when social media is shut down, it creates a vacuum of information that’s readily exploited by other

parties,” said Alp Toker, executive director of the London-based group. “It can add to the sense of fear and can cause panic.” “That’s going to be a problem for people trying to communicate with friends and family,” Toker said. Some internet users are circumventing the social media blocks by using a virtual private network, which masks the location of a computer, Toker said. An analysis by Sri Lankan researcher and author Yudhanjaya Wijeratne of thousands of Facebook posts made during last year’s ban found that many Sri Lankans simply found ways around it. Wijeratne has recommended narrower and more “technically challenging” approaches to curbing hate speech, such as better detection and strengthening local laws. Facebook said it was aware of the Sri Lankan government’s statement. “People rely on our services to communicate with their loved ones and we are committed to maintaining our services and helping the community and the country during this tragic time,” the company said. ■

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FRIDAY

Iran sanctions send oil prices, supply concerns higher BY CATHY BUSSEWITZ The Associated Press NEW YORK — The Trump administration’s decision to impose sanctions on countries that buy Iranian oil is raising concerns about global crude supply and sending oil prices to their highest levels since October. Industry experts said Monday that the sanctions could potentially remove up to 1.2 million barrels of oil per day from international markets. But that number will likely be lower, depending on how countries respond and just how much oil Iran continues to export. President Donald Trump wants to eliminate all of Iran’s revenue from oil exports, money he says funds destabilizing activity in the Middle East and elsewhere.

The announcement primarily impacts Iranian oil importers including China, India, Japan, South Korea and Turkey. “It’s difficult to imagine all exports being cut off, especially since China is still a major buyer of Iranian crude oil,” said Jim Burkhard, vice-president for oil markets at IHS Markit. “How China responds will go a long way to shape just how much Iranian exports are cut or not.” To make up for the Iranian losses, Saudi Arabia may increase production that the country had recently trimmed, but it “is going to use up all the spare capacity that they have, or pretty darn close to it, and that is going to leave markets feeling tight,” said Shin Kim, head of supply and production analytics at S&P Global Platts. Oil prices rose more than 2% Monday, helping to lift some

Giuliani says... ❰❰ 20

2020 presidential contenders, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Julian Castro, a former Housing and Urban Development secretary, to start impeachment proceedings. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is pushing for a stepby-step approach to the House’s oversight of Trump and has refused to consider impeachment without public support, including Republicans. Pelosi is convening House Democrats on Monday to assess next steps. Sen. Mike Lee, a member of the Judiciary Committee, said it would be a “mistake” for Democrats to pursue further investigations that could lead to impeachment proceedings, arguing that the American public won’t stand for it after Mueller failed to conclude that crimes had been committed. “It’s time to move on,” said Lee, R-Utah. Giuliani said Trump’s legal team was weighing whether it would release a detailed written rebuttal to the Mueller report. “It may become necessary, whether they go ahead with the hearings or not, whether other issues are raised by different

people — there’s probably a point at which we’ll use it. Right now we think the public debate is playing out about as well as it can,” he said. In the redacted report, Mueller said he considered bringing charges over the Trump Tower meeting but ultimately did not obtain admissible evidence that the campaign officials involved knew the actions were illegal. The meeting had raised questions about whether Trump Jr. and others violated the federal ban on foreign contributions to American political campaigns. “On the facts here, the government would unlikely be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the June 9 meeting participants had general knowledge that their conduct was unlawful,” the report stated. “The investigation has not developed evidence that the participants in the meeting were familiar with the foreign-contribution ban or the application of federal law to the relevant factual context.” Giuliani spoke on CNN’s “State of the Union,” “Fox News Sunday” and NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Nadler also appeared on NBC. Lee was on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” ■

energy stocks. The price of gasoline in the U.S. was already rising and the development could raise prices further. “We’ve seen that market tighten up considerably even before the Iranian news, and we’re also seeing a number of refining issues in the U.S.,” said Ryan Fitzmaurice, energy strategist at Rabobank. Rising oil — and gasoline — prices can squeeze consumers, whose spending accounts for about 70% of U.S. economic output. “They can take a bite out of consumers’ purchasing power,” said Scott Hoyt, senior director at Moody’s Analytics, where he follows consumer economics. But unless energy prices surge considerably higher, a lot faster, Hoyt said he doesn’t expect them to do much dam-

age to the American economy. Employers are hiring, and the unemployment rate is near a five-decade low of 3.8%. Rising prices are “coming at a time when consumers are relatively well positioned to handle it,” he said. “Job growth is strong. Wage growth is healthy.”

And prices at the pump aren’t even up much over the past year: The AAA reports that U.S. gasoline prices average $2.84 a gallon, compared to $2.76 a gallon a year ago. ■ Paul Wiseman in Washington, D.C. contributed to this report.

Pope during Easter vigil: reject the ‘glitter of wealth’ BY FRANCES D’EMILIO The Associated Press

Catholics, tourists and pilgrims among them. Among those in the basilica were eight adults who were VATICAN CITY – At an Easbaptized by the pope during the ter vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica, Mass. The Vatican said these Pope Francis on Saturday ennew faithful are from Italy, Alcouraged people to resist cynibania, Ecuador, Indonesia and cism or pursuing the “glitter of Peru. From a shell-shaped silwealth,” and to avoid seeking ver dish, Francis poured holy life’s meaning in “things that water over the bowed heads of pass away.” the three men and five women, “Do not bury after they walked hope!” Francis up to him, one by exclaimed, after one, and listened noting that when to him calling things go badly, Sin is looking for life among the their first names. dead, for the meaning of life in On Sunday, “we lose heart things that pass away. and come to beFrancis cellieve that death ebrates Easter Mass in late is stronger than morning in life.” “We become cynical, nega- of a darkened St. Peter’s Ba- St. Peter’s Square and gives a tive and despondent,” Francis silica. At the chant in Latin for speech from the basilica baladded. “light of Christ, the basilica’s cony. Known by its Latin name For Christians, Easter is a lights were suddenly switched “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and to day of joy and hope, as they on in a dramatic tradition. the world), the speech is an ocmark their belief that Jesus Arrayed before the steps casion to reflect on the world’s triumphed over death by resur- of the altar was a row of car- war-ravaged and other tense rection following crucifixion. dinals, wearing ivory robes. spots while paying tribute to “Sin seduces; it promises Behind them in the pews sat Catholics’ practicing their faith things easy and quick, prosper- diplomats with their spouses sometimes in the face of perseity and success, but leaves behind and thousands of rank-and-file cution or other difficulties. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

only solitude and death,” the pope said. “Sin is looking for life among the dead, for the meaning of life in things that pass away.” Encouraging the faithful, Francis said: “Why not prefer Jesus, the true light, to the glitter of wealth, career, pride and pleasure?” At the start of the ceremony on Easter’s eve, Francis, dressed in white robes, slowly carried a lit candle up the aisle

FRIDAY APRIL 26, 2019

FILIPINO-CANADIAN IN FOCUS

Small town boy from Richmond, big basketball dreams in Manila BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer “I GREW up really simple” is how 25 year-old basketball player Vince Tolentino describes his childhood. When you meet this six-foot-four wonder, you’ll be amazed how his kind-hearted, gentle soul shows nothing but energy on the basketball court. As he aims for a professional basketball career in the Philippines, Vince recalls how difficult it was to let go of the simplicity and comfort in Richmond, Vancouver to take a leap of faith by entering the local sports industry. Love for basketball

Born in the United States, Vince identifies more as a Canadian after his Filipino parents relocated to a small town called Steveston on the leftmost side of Vancouver. Initially, his parents decided to move abroad because of the chaos of the political scene in Manila. “They were initially in the United States, but overstayed there to get away from the chaos of their home country, which is why I moved to Canada at the age of four,” Vince shares as his parents Noli and Irene established their careers as an accountant and homemaker. He admits, however, that it was “a struggle” for them initially “because culture and people are so different” in the Philippines. “It was tough at first. My parents only stayed within themselves with my uncle living with us being the only real family we had in Vancouver,” Vince explains, but adds, “Yet, Dad’s work as an accountant eventually helped he and my mom interact and build relationships with people.” And amidst living in a small town with first generation immigrant parents, which was nothing but normal in the highly diverse area, one thing in Vince’s life was always extraordinary — basketball. “My dad is a huge basketball fan. He played basketball in the Philippines,” Vince shares, “So, when I was about five years old, he put a ball in my hands and

I loved it.” He also adds that being the middle child of two volleyball-loving sisters really pushed him to pursue sports, saying, “My older sister Stephanie was the first one to get into sports, but she wasn’t able to go to the camps, so she couldn’t pursue it in the end. She’s a huge influence in my career. Because of her, I grew up in a competitive environment.” Their upbringing played a huge factor as well. “One thing that we were never allowed to do as we were growing up were play video games and watch TV,” he recalls, “So, my siblings and I played random sports to stay active. We resented it at the time, but it helped in the end.” Finding his comfort zone

Identifying as a Canadian was effortless for Vince because the fishing town of Steveston in Richmond was home to a myriad of cultures. Growing up, there was no discrimination between nationalities, with Vince stating that “everyone was very accepting” especially because his school catered to athletes, being known for its American football and basketball programs. He states, “There was a diverse group of people at school, and basketball helped me socialize and be able to get involved with people I wouldn’t normally talk to.” While focusing on his studies, Vince’s Dad encouraged him to join competitive leagues at a very young age. RYBL, which stands for Richmond Youth Basketball League, is what he considers “the first test if you’re good enough to play,” and qualifying as part of the selection team at the age of 12, he was the youngest player in the group during that time. “It was because of this that I knew I wanted to play basketball for a long time,” he shares; his dad being a major influence. “My dad is one of the most hardworking people that I know,” Vince smiles, adding, “And he taught me if you put in the time, the results will definitely come. He said that I must be willing to make sacrifices.” And sacrifices indeed had to

be made before Vince graduated from high school. “During my last year of high school, my team was in the finals, but we lost. I was super heartbroken,” he recalls, “It was my last year, and I was recruited by two schools and one college. I was kind of disappointed.” He continues, “One thing I noticed about my career in Canada is that I was underlooked and felt discriminated against because in the bigger sphere of competitive basketball, I was Asian. It was tough on me. I thought I was good enough to make the provincial team, but I was only offered three schools.” He concludes, “Everyone, at that point, was telling me to go to the Philippines.” That offer to go to the Philippines… Vince initially refused it to avoid breaking out of the coziness of being surrounded by his loved ones. “I took the offer from one of the smaller schools — Langara college,” he admits, “But, I was there for one season and I didn’t like it because I wasn’t getting the minutes that I wanted. I didn’t click with the coach. We didn’t connect well. Overall, I didn’t enjoy it.” So, after finding every effort to stay home, Vince knew that the risk of going elsewhere was worth taking. Stepping out of his familiarities

To 18-year-old Vince, who describes himself as “definitely an introvert” then, moving to Manila was not a walk in the park. “I kept asking the Filipinos in Vancouver what the Philippines was like,” he laughs, “I had a despedida a couple of days before I left and they told me what to expect and what to be careful of. They warned me about certain things.” He shares, “The biggest advice they told me is to be careful who I associate with. Connections are big in the Philippines, so always be open-minded and make relationships with people, even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone.” And, stepping out was indeed what he had to do during his initial tryout with the De La Salle University (DLSU) www.canadianinquirer.net

Vince Tolentino.

Green Archers, which was his first offer. “I did not like it and felt I wasn’t treated well,” he reveals, but that experience as a whole changed his life forever. On the same day, Vince was given a huge call by his family friend, Ito Ramirez, immediately offering Vince a chance to try out with the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles straight from the DLSU practice on the same day. Feeling exhausted after two tryouts for some of the biggest universities in the country in one day, Vince laughs, “I know I played terrible then and I was so tired. I thought my career was done. I told myself, ‘I’m gonna go back to Canada and find something else to do. I tried my best with basketball, and it didn’t work out.’” And as he prepared for his flight the next day, he received a life-changing call once again — this time, from the manager of Ateneo, giving him another shot. The offer entailed a position on the university’s Team B; Vince having to serve two years of residency, with no guarantees of getting on varsity and only a discounted tuition which is not a full scholarship until he becomes part of the Team A. Trying to decide whether to hop on the flight back to Canada or stay in the Philippines, Vince attempted to weigh out his options, to no avail of hav-

@VINCETOLENTINO / INSTAGRAM

ing his heart settled — until his dad, who accompanied him on the trip, spoke some practical words. “My Dad told me that this was my last shot,” Vince recalls, “‘But that I’m not going to lose anything.” And with that, Vince’s parents gave him “one year to test the waters,” convincing himself, “I love basketball way too much to let this tough decision pass. I bet on myself so I could prove myself wrong.” Hardships and hurdles

That ‘one year’ that Vince’s parents encouraged him to take a chance on ended up being the most difficult year of his life. “That was one year of not knowing anyone and just adjusting to the culture,” he describes it, emphasizing that “The hardest part was being away from my family and friends and not really having people I can come back to when I’m in trouble. Nobody was there physically.” Being super close to his family, Vince even confesses calling his parents and siblings multiple times and crying, asking them what he was doing in the Philippines if he “hates” it. “They kept telling me to stick it out a bit more to see what happens,” he adds, “They said I can’t make my decision this ❱❱ PAGE 27 Small town

Entertainment YouTube sensation Mikey Bustos comes out of closet, thanks supporters BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer YOUTUBE SENSATION Mikey Bustos let his true colors shine true as he publicly came out as a proud member of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. The 37-year-old Filipino-Canadian comedian earlier posted on his Instagram account two photos of him with his manager who turned out to be his lover, RJ Garcia, while having their vacation in a beach in Puerto Galera. The first photo was captioned, “Happy Easter! #NewLife,” while “Freedom” was written on the second one. An emoji of a rainbow flag was also included in the caption of the two posts. On Tuesday, April 23, Mikey shared a shirtless photo of him with a sticker of rainbow sunglasses, to which the stream of colors symbolizes the LGBT community. “Life is sweet!” Mikey begins his heartfelt message to his supporters whom he thanked for their “outpouring” love. Mikey said it never crossed his mind that he will receive a huge amount of support sent from “all corners of cyberspace, media, and the world.” “Figuring out how to navigate life in the most authentic

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer

Mikey Bustos.

@MIKEY_BUSTOS / INSTAGRAM

and positive way has been such a long +37 yr journey for me, and at this moment, I feel I’ve reached some kind of karmic jackpot!” Mikey happily shared. He continued, “It’s 2019 (as my dad put it when I came out to him a few weeks ago), and a great time to be alive LGBT. #FilipinoPRIDE” The comment section of Mikey’s post overflowed with messages of support from his followers and friends including comedienne Rufa Mae Quinto, Filipino-American singer AJ Rafael, Filipino-American dancer Dominic Sandoval or popularly know as D-Trix, and Erwan Heussaff. On Twitter, Mikey shared it was through writing songs that helped him express what he

truly felt during those times when he was still hiding in the closet. “To help me cope, I wrote so many songs about being bisexual/gay/closeted in my two albums, e.g. If It Feels Good Then We Should, Secret Affair, Suspended, Every Time My Heart Beats,” he said. He added, “I was so looking forward to the day I could explain what those songs were really about, and hoped it could help someone who was in the same position as myself at the time.” Mikey, who competed in the reality television show Canadian Idol, rose in popularity through his song parodies and other hilarious videos that feature Filipinos culture and tradition. ■

versus battling Qualcomm in court,” Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives wrote in Tuesday research note. Apple had already lost an earlier battle with Qualcomm last month when a federal court jury in San Diego decided the iPhone maker owed Qualcomm $31 million for infringing on three of its patents. Qualcomm still faces other potential fallout from its demands to be paid royalties in

addition to the fees it charges for its mobile chips. The Federal Trade Commission has accused the company of using its royalty system to stifle competition in the mobile chip market in another case in which Apple played a central role. A trial about the FTC’s lawsuit wrapped up in a San Jose, California, court in January, but the judge still hasn’t issued a ruling. ■

Apple, Qualcomm... ❰❰ 32

duce 5G models. The iPhone would have been at a disadvantage if it didn’t have a pipeline to Qualcomm’s chips. Falling behind the competition isn’t something Apple can afford with its iPhone sales already falling . “Ultimately, Apple realized this was more about two kids fighting in the sandbox and they have bigger issues ahead with 5G and iPhone softness

Netizens furious at PH cinemas showing ‘Avengers: Endgame’ with Chinese subtitles

www.canadianinquirer.net

Cinema 2 in Lucky Chinatown and the cashier didn’t (inform) me that it has Chinese Subtitles. I want to refund my tickets NUMEROUS FILIPINOS for this issue.” are demanding a refund from As a response to the negativMegaworld Lifestyle Malls ity, the Megaworld Lifestyle after Southwoods Mall an- Malls page wrote in the comnounced that the highly-antici- ments section, “As stated in the pated American superhero film announcement and indicated ‘Avengers: Endgame’ will be in our website, only select cinpremiering with Chinese sub- emas and screenings will have titles in selected cinemas. Chinese subtitles. This does In the Facebook post, South- not automatically apply to all woods Mall screenings inshared a photo cluding those of the respective wherein tickets cinemas that will were purchased be applying the No one is in advance,” allowed to subtitles capconcluding, “As enter the jail tioned, “Watch stated in the anpremises for the most-awaited nouncement and the meantime next installment indicated in our to make sure in the Marvel website, only that no one Cinematic Uniselect cinemas gets infected. verse with Chiand screenings nese subtitles. will have ChiShowing in select nese subtitles. cinemas on April This does not 24 to 28!” automatically Immediately, Facebook us- apply to all screenings includers did not shy away from ex- ing those wherein tickets were pressing their thoughts, one purchased in advance.” netizen stating, “We don’t even In its official statement on get Filipino subs for these mov- April 23, Southwoods Mall said ies and now we might have to that “as a company that genusit through one with Chinese inely embraces and promotes subs. Pinoys, avoid watching cultural diversity,” it welcomes in Southwoods! That’s the only “all kinds of people from all solution.” walks of life regardless of genAnother user chipped, “So der, ethnicity, and country of ya’ll prioritized Chinese sub- origin.” titles over Tagalog? Huh. We It explained that to respond demand for a Filipino subtitle to the demand of foreignin all dialect based on your mall speaking moviegoers, particulocation.” larly the Chinese, they decided One Facebook user ex- to have subtitles. plained, “I bought my tickets “To our valued moviegoers in advance yesterday and I was who have already booked their not informed of this. I demand tickets but prefer watching the a refund as this is not what I film without subtitles, you may expected from what I paid for. refund your tickets at the tickThis is infuriating, to be hon- eting booths where the booking est. Hear us out,” while another or purchase was made starting added, “I bought 3 tickets for today,” it concluded. ■

Entertainment

FRIDAY APRIL 26, 2019

Former PBB housemate achieves childhood dream to become a doctor BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer WHAT WAS once a dream for former Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) housemate Alec Duñgo eventually turned into reality when he finished medical school at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) with flying colors. “Today, my childhood dream turned into reality,” Alec, a pharmacist who graduated Cum Laude and earned the Meritissimus recognition, wrote in his caption. “Today, I became a doctor.” Alec made the announcement after passing the Oral Revalida or the final oral examinations. He dedicated this milestone to his family whom, he said, has been helping him to become the “best version” of himself. “I offer this humbling achievement to you. You are my inspiration,” he said, adding, “I share this accomplishment with my Dungo and Chai family, my relatives, and my friends who have always believed in me.” He also expressed gratitude to his professors, colleagues, as well as the staff

Former PBB housemate and now doctor Alec Duñgo. @ALECDUNGO / INSTAGRAM

of UST’s Faculty of Medicine and Surgery whom he has met and worked with throughout his journey.

“To my patients, thank you for making me realize that it isn’t all about books. Thank you for teaching me to heal with

Chynna Ortaleza, Kean Cipriano announce pregnancy with second child BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer KAPUSO ACTRESS, 36-year-old Chynna Ortaleza-Cipriano has just announced that she is expecting her second baby with husband, musician Kean Cipriano. In an Instagram post shared last Sunday, April 21, Kean shared a photo to his 502,000 followers with Chynna and their eldest daughter three-year-old Stellar, captioned, “Happy Easter from me, Chynna, Stellar, and our newest band members! Sending good vibes to all!” Chynna posted the same photo for her 521,000 followers asking for “name suggestions” and uses the hashtag #TheCips. Numerous fellow celebrities congratulated the parents, including LJ Reyes, Camille Prats, Joyce Pring, Thea Tolentino, and Yasmien Kurdi. The Callalily frontman and Victor Magtanggol star tied the knot in a civil ceremony in December 2015 before getting married in a church in 2017. The

couple’s daughter, Stellar, whose name was inspired by one of the songs of their favorite band Incubus, was born in 2016 and recently celebrated her third birthday last April 20. In numerous photos shared by Chynna of Stellar’s birthday, she captioned, “Three. May your wish and prayers come true, our beautiful being. I always commit you to Papa Jesus. He has done wonders in you, Stellar. Always love.” In an interview with Asian Parent a few months after she became a mother to her firstborn, Chynna shares with the publication, “There are really some moments in my personal life that I want to cherish with my loved ones. I’ve always been this kind of human being. I am lucky that my husband and I share the same beliefs,” referring to keeping the life of their child private. She adds, “I am asking the Lord to help me become the parent that He wants me to be. I understand that I am very lucky to be chosen to take care and guide His daughter. I do hope that I will be the best mom to my daughter. I want to be her best friend – this I know for sure!” ■

compassion. You have inspired me to strive harder to become the best physician that I can be,” he added. Alec, of course, did not forget to thank the Lord for this life-changing achievement. “I would have never finished without the help of the Lord. You have blessed me so much by letting me go into med school and for helping me finish my last exam – with a bonus!” he said. Messages of congratulations have poured in for Alec and one of those many people who congratulated him was Jai Agpangan, Alec’s co-former PBB housemate and the other half of JaLec loveteam. Jai wrote, “Congats lec,” to which the latter replied, “Thank you Jai!!!” This little exchange brought back the “JaLec feels” of their loveteam’s shippers, with netizen @cher.yana commenting, ”Hinanap ko agad ‘tong comment ni Jai (I immediately looked for Jai’s comment),” while Instagram user @_sokrysme said, ”Kilig feels!! My JaLec heart!! Congrats, Alec!!!” Alec was part of PBB’s fourth teen edition back in 2012, where Myrtle Sarrosa was declared as the big winner. ■

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Lifestyle Earth, meet Polo: Ralph Lauren unveils plastic bottle shirt BY LEANNE ITALIE The Associated Press POLO RALPH Lauren on Thursday launched a version of its iconic polo shirt made entirely of recycled plastic bottles and dyed through a process that uses zero water. David Lauren, the youngest son of the company’s founder and its chief innovation officer, told The Associated Press ahead of the announcement that the new shirt is part of a broader strategy of fresh environmental goals throughout the manufacturing process. “Every day we’re learning about what’s happened with global warming and what’s happening all around the world, and our employees and our customers are really feeling that it’s time to step up and make a difference,” Lauren said. The Polo isn’t the first of its kind. Smaller brands around the world are using repurposed and recycled materials. In announcing Earth Polo, Ralph Lauren committed to removing at least 170 million bottles from landfills and oceans by 2025. The shirts are manufactured in Taiwan, where the bottles are

collected. Each uses an average 12 bottles. The shirts are produced in partnership with First Mile, an organization that collects the bottles turned into yarn and, ultimately, fabric. The new fibers will also be used for existing performance wear already made of polyfibers, which are popular for their ability to wick away moisture. The Earth Polo went on sale Thursday, ahead of Monday’s Earth Day, at RalphLauren. com and retail stores around the world. It comes in styles for men and women in green, white, navy and light blue. The shirts are not more expensive than other Polos. Ralph Lauren has taken on environmental initiatives over the years, but it’s putting into place a more significant strategy aimed at changing both its corporate culture and how it thinks about the clothes it produces. The effort includes a new supply chain and sustainability officer, Halide Alagoz, who said more details will be released in June. “At the moment we’re refreshing our approach and framework around sustainability,” she said. Among the company’s other

100% recycled. 100% recyclable. 100% Polo. Introducing #TheEarthPolo. Crafted from an innovative fabric made entirely from recycled plastic bottles— approximately 12 per shirt. RALPH LAUREN / TWITTER

goals: the use of 100% sustainably sourced cotton by 2025 and 100% recyclable or sustainably sourced packaging materials by the same year. Other fashion powerhouses are also getting more aggressive on the environment. Late last year, Burberry and

H&M were among fashion stakeholders to sign on to the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, launched at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP24, in Poland. The charter contains a vision to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Ralph Lauren is

Ontario’s government has announced a number of funding cuts that it says will help deal with the province’s $11.7-billion deficit. NDP legislator Marit Stiles

said Thursday the cuts are irresponsible. “These are not areas where we can cut corners, this is crucial funding,” she said. “The fact this information is leaking

not a signatory but is exploring the call to action. As for Earth Polo, a huge threat facing oceans today involves trillions of tiny plastic and chemical-covered non-plastic microfibers that flow from washing machines through drain water, placing smaller fish and other sea life, such as anemones, at risk. Alagoz said Ralph Lauren is working with experts who say the impact of turning a plastic bottle into recycled microfiber is “much less than that bottle ending up in the ocean.” The broader question of biodegradability of such fibers remains unresolved. For Polo Earth, the story is about recycling and reusing, Lauren said. “There’s so much out in the world that is not good for the environment. Whatever materials we can turn into threads, we’ll start looking at other opportunities,” he said. “Right now, we’re trying to make sure that what we produce is as good for the environment as possible, or at least helps clean up another problem. Are we creating a new problem? I think we’re creating solutions, or at least trying to find solutions.” ■

Ontario government... ❰❰ 16

shifts the cost-sharing model over the next three years. “In an effort to fear monger and sow confusion, Joe Cressy is fundamentally misrepre-

senting the facts,” Hayley Chazan said in a statement. “Here’s the truth: our government is strengthening the role of municipalities in the delivery of public health.”

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out late on Thursday evening before a long weekend, I think that is no coincidence. The government needs to come clean about these cuts.” ■

Lifestyle

FRIDAY APRIL 26, 2019

Small town... ❰❰ 23

Holy Week pilgrims troop to MisOr’s highest peak BY DIVINA SUSON Philippine News Agency MANTICAO, MISAMIS ORIENTAL — The highest peak in Misamis Oriental, which is located in Manticao town, in Misamis Oriental province has become a place for Catholic devotees to commemorate the death of Jesus Christ by doing the “stations of the cross”. The Dunque Hill, about 26 kilometers from the town proper, is more or less 2,600 feet above sea level. Located in Barangay Upper Malubog, it is where several towers of telecommunications have been built. Reverend Fr. Eleuterio Datoy, parish priest of Christ the King sub-parish, said they started utilizing the area in 2015 for the stations of the cross after years of doing it in the main streets of Barangay Tu-od where the parish church is located. Tu-od is 10 kilometers away from Dunque Hill. Although passable by cars, residents and most tourists use motorcycle as their means of transportation in going to the area for sightseeing. “We observed that there was no sense of sacrifice in the previous area where we held the via crucis (way to the cross), there was no meaning at all. Other devotees would not even finish up to the last station. You cannot feel even a little sacrifice like what Jesus Christ did to save us,” Datoy said.

When the church decided to do the via crucis in Dunque, two dump trucks of the local government unit of Manticao would transport parishioners to the first station, which is six kilometers away from the parish church. From the first station, devotees will walk going to the next station, passing through rough and hilly roads, with 300 to 400-meter distance. The road is ascending, making the procession harder. From the 13th station, devotees will climb the hill for seven to 10 minutes, a distance of around 50 meters to hear the last prayer and the mass. “The parishioners will assemble at the church as early as 2 a.m. on a Friday, some would wait along the highway for the dump trucks to pick them up to the first station,” Datoy said. In its third year, Datoy observed the increased number of devotees. Last year, a parishioner, whose family owns a huge area of land in Sitio Dunque purchased the two-hectare part of the hill and donated it to the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro City whose jurisdiction includes the Christ the King Parish in Tu-od. Sea of clouds

Bernaby Ely, the Archdiocesan Social Action Coordinator of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro, said last year was a ❱❱ PAGE 28 Holy Week

early in my career.” “The only thing that kept me going was that I really wanted to play in the UAAP (University of Athletic Association of the Philippines),” says Vince, “I was watching the games and that kept me going.” By the second year, “it started getting better” he reveals, “I found out that I got picked to play on Team A, but at the same time, I knew there was a lot of work to be done.” He describes his first UAAP game to be played with “a lot of nerves, but a huge relief,” because he’s “never played in front of that many people and it’s the environment that you’re not able to ever get used to.” Vince smiles, “When I finally made my first basket, that was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.” Yet, despite finally landing a spot on the prestigious roster, Vince unveils that it was more difficult of a feat than he had anticipated. “The new coach and I didn’t really click, but I held it inside for so long and just accepted it,” describing his second, third, and fourth years on the team as something he “hated” because of the lack of opportunity to show the best of his abilities. “I wanted to move schools. I wanted to go to different places. During that whole time, I did everything extra to get better and getting my mind ready to perform, but I never really got that,” he shares. But, what prevented Vince from giving up, this time, was his own “self-motivation”. “I was always raised to hold myself accountable. I knew what I had to do,” he mentions when talking about focusing on basketball rather than following the crowds who liked to socialize and party, “I wanted to prove people wrong when they say that I will only reach a certain point,” adding, “There was a group of people who supported and believed in me. Everyone back home followed me throughout my early stages in the Philippines. The Ateneo community knew I wasn’t getting what I deserve as well. I felt like I owed it to all of them.” In his words, “My mind was on basketball even though everything was available to me. I knew I hadn’t achieved anything yet and had to keep going.” Vince’s senior years saw the www.canadianinquirer.net

coming of a new head coach, Tab Baldwin, for Team Ateneo, which he believes “saved his basketball career in the Philippines.” “After those bench years, I finally got a break with the new head coach and we just clicked,” Vince shares, “We were on the same wavelength. He understood all about hard work.” He had finally reached his peak. “I had a good off-season as well,” he adds, “I was able to help the team and people started talking. I always had that inside me, but I wasn’t given a chance.” Vince attests becoming co-captain of the team; another huge confidence boost, which got his team through their “miracle seasons” where they reached the finals twice. As captain of the team during his fifth year with the Ateneo Blue Eagles, Vince told his teammates one thing — that they “are not going to lose. That is not an option.” Thirteen wins and one loss later during the 80th season of the UAAP, the Ateneo Blue Eagles won the championship trophy. “It was one of the best feelings in my life,” Vince reminisces, “I haven’t won a championship. Ateneo hasn’t won throughout my entire time in college. I had gone through so much heartache and stress during my time in Ateneo, so to finally just feel that way during the championship was amazing.” And to top off that feeling? The small town boy from Richmond had his entire family, his support system from the beginning, in the audience. “I broke down when I saw my parents,” remembers Vince, “It proved to me what my Dad once said when I was younger that it will all be worth it. That I can perform. That a championship was in the market for me.” He also shares, “My parents were always proud of me and told me that what I was doing in life was not easy, but a lot of people want to be in my position and I have to understand that feeling this way is a privilege.” Finding the purpose of his roots

“Everything fell into place,” Vince believes after winning the coveted UAAP championship trophy. He got offered to represent the Philippines as he played for the 23 for 23 Gilas

Pilipinas. He also made it to the semifinals of his first season in the Philippine Basketball Association Developmental League (PBA D-League) with Marinerong Pilipino, then playing for Go For Gold. Currently, Vince is finishing his first season under Coach Jojo Lastimosa for the Bataan Risers in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL). As for his future plans, Vince knows that “investing on himself” is prime. “I learned to make decisions and weigh out my options,” he states. And surrounded by the glitz and glamor of becoming one step closer to his professional career dreams, which is what he always believed he was “destined” to pursue, that “simple” Filipino-Canadian knows that his heart will always lie in the humble roots of his home in Richmond. “Everyone back home says they are super proud of me and happy that I’m pursuing my dream,” Vince says with a chuckle, “They knew that basketball has always been part of my life.” As for his dad, who has been his number one support system, Vince adds, “He has always been the hardest on me, but also the most appreciative of what I’m accomplishing here in Manila. He’s living his dreams through my success.” Looking up to PBA legend Jimmy Alapag, who is a fellow Filipino who grew up overseas, Vince says that playing in front of Filipino fans is really what toughed him through the struggles of establishing himself. “They make me want to play and perform because it’s inspiring how these people don’t know who you are, but appreciate you because of what you do,” the Filipino-Canadian concludes, “It’s just a different feeling and you can’t buy that.” As for what he believes makes him stand out amidst the thousands of basketball aspirants in the country? Definitely being raised by two different cultures; Vince says he “gets the best of both worlds” being both Filipino and Canadian. “Canadians are super friendly and kind. Filipinos are very hospitable and welcoming. It just fits,” collecting, “It has helped with my attitude and discipline. Being in those two environments and learning from them is what completes me.” ■

Lifestyle

APRIL 26, 2019

FRIDAY

Minecraft can increase problem solving, collaboration and learning yes, at school BY THIERRY KARSENTI Professor, Canada Research Chair in Technologies and Education, Universite de Montreal, The Canadian Press A VIDEO game like Minecraft in schools might trouble some parents. As a Canada research chair in technologies and education, my hope is both parents and educators take the time to learn about how using Minecraft at school could be beneficial. Firstly, parents and teachers are right to ask questions about video gaming, particularly given sometimes conflicting messages about its impact. Some researchers caution about the possible impacts of child and youth exposure to violence or problems of gaming addiction or screen saturation, while others say fears may be exaggerated and it’s a matter of balance. Parents’ potential skepticism of Minecraft is understandable, given its immense appeal among youngsters. It is one of the most popular video games of all time, with more than 150 million copies sold. But I’ve learned through my research that many are largely unaware of the enormous educational potential of Minecraft. Many people also don’t know Minecraft Education Edition was released in the fall of 2016 and this version has been rapidly catching on at schools. Since 2013, American and Swedish schools have been systematically integrating Minecraft into their schools, and it is being used around the world to teach science, urban planning and foreign languages. Masses of educational applications and experiences using Minecraft are available on online sites and

greater problem-solving skills, expanded reading and writing skills, a development in creativity and autonomy and increased collaboration with classmates. The results of the studies we conducted confirm that Minecraft has real educational value. Notably, gaming allowed the students to fully engage in activities that were both educational and fun.

forums. In Montreal, a number of schools joined a contest in which students use Minecraft to reproduce historic sites and events in celebration of the city’s 375th anniversary, called Mission 375. With my team at the University of Montreal, we felt it important to investigate the educational potential of Minecraft in order to provide a deeper understanding of the impacts on young learners.

Planned, supported, purposeful

Gaming for learning

So why all the interest in video games? Compelling research exists about the benefits of gaming for learning. Educational technology researchers have found that video games capture children’s attention and provide particularly favorable conditions for learning and have shown positive effects on cognitive, affective and psychomotor functioning. When players are fully engaged in a gaming task, they enter what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls the “flow state,” also known as “the zone,” a state highly conducive to learning. While becoming deeply engrossed in gaming is sometimes depicited in a negative light or only associated with addiction, in fact this state can be harnessed to support or advance learning goals. For example, in this task-focused state, players are highly receptive to learning embedded in the game scenario. Creativity, student engagement and collaboration between users are just some of the aptitudes that are known to be developed through gameplay. In addition, video games can help today’s youngsters cope with a future world requiring more and more digital literacy.

My team and I adopted an exploratory research design to highlight the main uses of Minecraft in a school setting and to identify any benefits of using Minecraft at school. We developed a program called Minecraft Master where students had to complete more than 40 different tasks. Tasks were closely linked to the school curriculum; for example, students have to create a navigable map, making use of language, mathematics and spatial design, something we asked them to do with Minecraft. We formed a partnership with one Montreal school. Participation was open to 118 Grade 3 to 6 students in an after-school program based on computers available. Registration took place during recess, on a first-come-first-served basis and parental consent was compulsory. Most of the students took four blocks of six weeks of Minecraft during the

school year (an equivalent of about six months). With the support of a program facilitator, students worked individually and in teams to digitally build structures such as impressive houses, a soccer stadium, a space ship, a railroad track to the Titanic and the Titanic itself. Researchers also attended some sessions. We studied the main impacts on learning to investigate how gamified learning interventions may increase student engagement and enhance learning. We used a combination of data collected from surveys, interviews, “think aloud” protocols (where students speak their problem-solving strategies out loud), journals, tracking of student progress and digital footprints. Using these various methods allowed substantial data triangulation and validation. The educational impacts we found were encouraging. The students showed a heightened motivation towards school, stronger computer skills,

cross is one of the several activities Catholic devotees observe during the Lenten season because it is the Christian’s way of remembering the Lord’s sacrifices. “Observing the Holy Week by attending the series of commemorations will make our

Christian belief complete,” Datoy said. “It is the time where a Christian would not only meditate and pray for the forgiveness of sins but also pray for the future,” he added. One of the prayers he said is for the voters to choose candi-

In other words, they will need 21st century skills. Minecraft to teach curriculum

However, it is important to understand that the use of Minecraft in our context was planned, supported and purposeful. This structure is crucial for a successful educational use of the game. Without such boundaries, students might not want to stop playing and learning advantages could be wasted. Technologies, games and other “screen-related” activities can be a fun experience for students. But it is important to balance screen time with other activities that are essential for students’ development such as physically active play, reading, etc. Both parents and teachers can help students find this balance by working together on some rules about technology use. Therefore, it is incumbent on both parents and teachers to structure the use of video games such as Minecraft to ensure that they provide students with appropriate support for the use of educational technologies. Such supervision would allow them to fully benefit from the incredible potential of this game. ■ This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Disclosure information is available on the original site.

Holy Week... ❰❰ 27

good timing for environmental lovers because “sea of clouds” appeared while the procession and the Good Friday mass was ongoing. “It so happened that sea of clouds appeared because that time, there was a weather dis-

turbance,” Ely said. “The place is solemn and you can imagine the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as he went up to the Mt. Calvary where he was crucified,” Datoy note. Religious tradition

Attending the stations of the

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dates whose advocacy is to take care of the environment. Datoy said he was afraid that with the plan of the provincial government of Misamis Oriental to develop the nearby area into a tourist attraction, this might affect the solemnity of Dunque Hill. ■

Sports Canadian cyclist Worley Team PH exits early blazes own trail as voice out of 2019 FIBA for gender diversity in sport 3×3 World Tour BY LORI EWING The Canadian Press

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer

KRISTEN WORLEY remembers glancing down onto the street from the 19th storey window of the Ontario Human Rights in the heart of Toronto’s financial district. Around her sat some of the most powerful people in Olympic sport. That might have been the moment it hit home. The competitive cyclist – who’d been through proverbial hell and back since she was born a baby boy and adopted by an upper-middleclass Ontario family – had challenged sport on its rules around gender testing, sexual identity and hormone regulation. And won. “I remember many of my defeatists in Ottawa who said ‘Kristen, you’ll never do this.’ They were always trying to defeat me,” Worley said. “I remember looking out onto Bay Street and all the guys who were here, and thinking ‘I got them here.’ That was a real turning point . . . realizing that they’re just like you and me. “Big powerful IOC (International Olympic Committee). Big powerful UCI (International Cycling Union). If you’re educated and you have the right information in front of you, you can do a lot of great things. I’ve learned as one person you can do it.” Worley, with co-author Johanna Schneller, has released her memoir “Woman Enough: How a Boy Became a Woman & Changed the World of Sport,” which chronicles her self-realization, transition and battle for fair and inclusive treatment in sport. Worley, who was born a boy named Chris Jackson, was the world’s first athlete to be gender tested under the 2004 Stockholm Consensus. She went on to sue the IOC for a human rights violation.

BOTH THE Balanga Chooks and the Pasig Chooks were unable to bring the top title of the 2019 International Basketball Federation (FIBA) 3×3 World Tour Masters home after being beaten by Riga Ghetto and Liman on April 20 in Doha, Qatar. The number one team in the rankings, Liman, conquered Balanga’s Travis Franklin, Alvin Pasaol, Karl Dehesa, and Santi Santillan, 9-21, while Pasig, which consisted of Taylor Statham, Joshua Munzon, Angelo Tsagarakis, and Nikola Pavlovic, lost at 15-21 to Riga, which was ranked number three. This concluded their first run in the 12 World Tour legs of the season, with Balanga ending at sixth place, while Pasig got fifth place, bringing home $5,000. Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 Commissioner Eric Altamirano still expressed his delight on how the Filipino teams were able to fare abroad, saying, “We

Kristen Worley.

“And I did it as Kristen,” Worley said with a smile, in a recent two-hour interview. “I’m not standing there as Chris Jackson and all that history. I’m doing it as Kristen. I’m standing in front of these guys and I’m so darned proud. And they can’t touch me. “We’re truly changing the game, and there’s nothing they can do now.” Worley was born in 1966 to Tess Lynch, a young woman from a tiny village in New Zealand who travelled to Toronto to give birth in hopes her baby would have a better life. “What I always come back to is the decisions my mom made for me back then have allowed these things to happen,” Worley said of her activism. Worley was adopted by Arlene and Jim Jackson. Her adoptive parents, particularly her dad, were very driven, she said. Sport was their means of communication. It was all about performance. Affectionate love was scarce. Chris, whom Worley refers to in the third person, felt increasingly ill-at-ease as a boy. “I don’t think of that person anymore, to me that person has died,” Worley said. Chris found solace in sports: running, water-skiing and cy-

@KRISTENWORLEY / TWITTER

cling. He married Alison Worley and the two were together for 18 years, including seven years after Worley underwent sex reassignment surgery. The Worley family, with whom she’s remains close, was an environment that “showed love, that showed compassion, that allowed me to be me.” She refers to Alison as her step-sister. She’s had virtually no contact with her adoptive family over the last 20 years. She’s become close with Lynch, whom she calls “mum.” She spent a month last year travelling through New Zealand with Lynch meeting relatives. Worley said the timing of the release of her book is uncanny. She’s worked behind the scenes with South African middle-distance star Caster Semenya, who’s awaiting a verdict in her challenge of IAAF rules that seek to control naturally high testosterone levels in female athletes. The Court of Arbitration for Sport has delayed its verdict until the end of April. The IAAF – the world governing body for track and field – wants women such as Semenya, with what the IAAF refers to as “differences of sexual development (DSD),” ❱❱ PAGE 36 Canadian cyclist

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made a statement that we belong here in the World Tour. Seeing the level of play here and knowing that we can keep up with the world’s best, it will definitely make our players hungrier to get back in the next legs of the World Tour.” The owner of the Chooks-toGo Pilipinas 3×3 league, Ronald Mascarinas, also expressed his continuous support, saying, “Now that we are back in the game, we will join every 3×3 tournament FIBA wants us to join. This is just the start for us. We will continue to raise the level of our league, hoping that one day we can be seen by the world as one of the elite 3×3 basketball countries.” During the tournament, Philippine representative David Carlos tried to get an award for the country as well with his scorpion dunk over Pasaol but lost to Ukranian dunk artist Vadim Miller. Pasig is scheduled to play in the Kunshan Challenger next from May 18-19 to advance to the Chengdu Masters. ■

Efflorescence, the... ❰❰ 19

lent and Scholarship Society of Quebec (PBSSQ), the Federation of Filipino-Canadian Associations of Quebec (FFCAQ), and the Council of CanadianFilipino Association of Quebec (CCAFQ). Sir Gerry Danzil, Sir Dario Boco and Sir Boy Galang represented the Orders of the Knights of Rizal (KOR); the eternal Mr. James dela Paz of FFCAQ (also of KOR) and family were there; FAMAS officers Mercy Sia, Sir Joseph Gonzales, Lorenza Penullar and other FAMAS officers, and active community influencers all lent prestige to the occasion. Lily also drew her own crowd

of friends and supporters from her sphere of influence, including, family, school and possibly, her Instagram followers, too. Just like Lily, painting for Roelle is, “A formal hobby for now. I want to immerse myself and be integrated into the arts world, to hold gallery exhibitions and teach art privately from time to time. If I can make something out of it then I’m going to be happy.” With guts in their heads and talents in their hands, these two young Montreal artists are definitely names to watch out for. Be that be in the strategic business side of the arts and or the paint-and-brush platforms of the creative world. ■

Business Six months after legalization, Now is the best time high prices and supply issues to invest in Asia’s boost illicit pot market ‘next powerhouse’ BY ARMINA LIGAYA The Canadian Press

PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY

TORONTO — When cannabis supply at Small Town Buds begins to dwindle, co-owner Chris Felgate shuts the doors of his Devon, Alta., shop and turns customers away. Even though the legal retailer often still has oils and capsules in stock, most shoppers are looking for the store’s namesake product, he said. “Having our doors open with no flower available was making customers more angry... It’s like going into a grocery store and not having groceries,” he said. Since he first opened his doors on Oct. 17, the closures became a near-weekly ritual as demand outstripped the supply he was able to procure from the provincial government distributor, he said. The situation began improving in March, however, after the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis agency added additional suppliers, and he has kept his doors open consistently since. But the weekly supply he receives still lacks in selection and quantity, Felgate said. “We’re lucky if we’re getting one or two cases of strains? We purchase everything that is available to us, whether we like the product or not.” It has been six months since Canada became the first industrialized country to legalize recreational cannabis, in a bid to stamp out the illicit market. On that landmark day, high demand resulted in lineups at the few bricks-and-mortar stores that were ready, delivery delays and stock outs. Licensed producers ramped up production in anticipation of Oct. 17, but product was scant and many companies pointed to supply chain issues as a major cause of the bottleneck. And on this 4-20, the first

WASHINGTON, DC — Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III told leaders of the American business community that now is the “best time” for them to invest more in the Philippines so they could maximize the benefits of participating in a robust economy poised to become Asia’s next economic powerhouse, the Department of Finance (DOF) said in a statement on Monday. Speaking before members of the United States Chamber of Commerce (USCC), Dominguez said American companies can participate in new opportunities in the Philippines, in, among others, the sectors of energy, infrastructure, information and communications, technology, health, and education to further strengthen the bilateral ties between Manila and Washington. “Our prospects for faster economic growth in the coming years should be an avenue for stronger collaboration with the US, especially with the private sector. We would like to encourage US businesses to be more engaged in the Philippine market not only in the infrastructure program but also in investments that would come as a result of our infrastructure development,” Dominguez said during a roundtable lunch with USCC members held last April 12 at the organization’s headquarters here. Also at the roundtable lunch were USCC officials led by Senior Vice President for Asia Charles Freeman, Executive Director for Southeast Asia John Goyer and Senior Manager for Southeast Asia Javiera Gallardo. They were joined by top executives from Texas Instruments, Coca Cola, TransUnion, Proc-

annual celebration of cannabis culture post-legalization, many pot enthusiasts are still smoking joints they did not buy through legal channels. The vast majority of cannabis, or 79 per cent, was bought illegally in the fourth quarter, according to Statistics Canada, down from 90 per cent in the third quarter. Legal sales of dried flower across Canada in February were down 8.8 per cent from January, partially due to a shorter month, but average daily sales of dried cannabis in February remained relatively flat, up one per cent from the previous month. Meanwhile, inventory of dried cannabis products which are finished — meaning packaged, labelled and ready for sale — at cannabis companies rose by more than 19 per cent to 12,110 kilograms in February. The amount of unfinished dried cannabis held by licensed producers increased to 120,731 kilograms, up 4.1 per cent from January. “Health Canada is aware of reports of localized shortages of cannabis products in some markets and for some product lines,” said Tammy Jarbeau, a spokeswoman for the government agency. “The supply of cannabis is not the issue. The issue is the supply chain, in other words, converting raw

product into packaged goods and moving it to distributors or retailers and to customers.” Based on industry figures, there is enough cultivation space to produce approximately one million kilograms of pot per year, she added. Allan Rewak, the executive director of the Cannabis Council of Canada, said much of that unfinished inventory is product unsuitable for sale to consumers. As well, licensed producers face various regulatory hurdles such as obtaining necessary licenses for processing product that does meet the bar, he said. “It’s a multistage process. If it was simple as put plants in the ground and they’ll grow, you would have seen the situation fully resolved by now,” he said. “But this is a complex system by design.” Aphria Inc. sold less cannabis to recreational users during its latest quarter ended Feb. 28, compared with the previous one, due to supply shortages and packaging and distribution challenges. But Bruce Linton, co-chief executive of Canopy Growth Corp., said it has ramped up the amount it can package and ship, from roughly 300,000 units in October to 1.3 million in March. With automation and new ❱❱ PAGE 32 Six months

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tor & Gamble, Dow, Cargill, Fluor, Philip Morris International and IBM. Dominguez said the Philippines is now in a promising position to become Asia’s “next powerhouse” as a result of its rapid economic expansion sustained through the government’s implementation of tough reforms and record investments in infrastructure and human capital development. To further build investor confidence, Dominguez said the Duterte administration is currently undertaking efforts to address government inefficiency, the infrastructure gap, official corruption, and the high cost of doing business. The signing into law of the Ease of Doing Business (EODB) Act and the administration’s push for the swift congressional approval of the Tax Reform for Attracting Better and Higher Quality Opportunities (TRABAHO) Bill — it aims to lower the corporate income tax (CIT) rate and rationalize fiscal incentives to make them performance-based, time-bound, targeted and fully transparent — are among the measures being undertaken by the Duterte administration to further enhance the Philippines’ status as a premier investment destination in the region. “You are looking at a Philippines that is invigorated and moving forward very quickly,” Dominguez told USCC members during the event. Dominguez reassured USCC members that as far as the TRABAHO bill is concerned, the government will not remove fiscal incentives but would even improve on these investment perks. ■

Business

FRIDAY APRIL 26, 2019

Canada slowly pushes for corporate transparency as part of anti-corruption push BY IAN BICKIS The Canadian Press TORONTO — The veil of Canadian corporate secrecy that helps fuel global corruption is slowly lifting, but not fast enough for some critics. Canada, criticized in the past by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and others as a laggard on anti-corruption policies, has taken steps in recent years to catch up to its more advanced peers, including new measures set to come into force in June. The recent changes and initiatives have been encouraging to those working to stamp out bribery and other forms of corruption. “We’ve made a number of strides in the last few years,” said Pat Poitevin, who investigated corruption with the RCMP before co-founding the Canadian Centre of Excellence for Anti-Corruption. “I should be the biggest pessimist in the world, 35 years in the RCMP dealing with a whole bunch of crimes, but I see a change.” One of the biggest areas Poitevin and others have been calling for action on is a beneficial ownership registry, so investigators can better track the money and find out who is benefiting from bribes, money laundering and other illicit activity. That registry is coming into force in June, when corporations have to start disclosing who has “significant control” (or more than 25 per cent control) of the entity, rather than use a nominee name that can

be easily be bought to hide true ownership. The registry, however, will mostly be restricted to regulator access, falling short of the public registry pioneered by the U.K. and that the EU has mandated, said James Cohen, executive director of Transparency International Canada. “The current amendments will do a little bit, but not very much.” The registry, which will require trusts to start disclosing ownership in 2021, is part of “tepid” action and resources devoted to stamping out corruption by Canada, said Cohen. “Our capacity is still short, and our general interest tends to be not sufficient in combating the issue.” He said too often bribery is seen as a victimless crime, when the cost is quite high. The UN estimates global cost of corruption is at least US$2.6 trillion, or five per cent of the global gross domestic product Canada has moved slowly on some files in the past. It was only in 2017 that small-scale “facilitation” bribes were added to what’s banned by the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act. There have been efforts to increase disclosures in the resource sector, including the Extractive Sector Transparency Measures Act enacted in 2014. The act, which requires resource companies to disclose what they pay to governments, has been somewhat effective in identifying some suspicious gaps in money trails, said Jamie Kneen at MiningWatch Canada. But the push for transparency only goes so far in a fight

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against complex international financial schemes and a high bar for convictions, Kneen said. “The bar is very high, and investigations are very difficult, especially if the RCMP have to go to another country and gain the co-operation of police there.” The challenge in conviction is part of what motivated the federal government to introduce the deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) option that came into force last year, that would allow companies to avoid a criminal trial and allow for quicker resolution. DPAs have been mired in controversy since it was revealed that federal officials had pressured former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould to grant one to SNC-Lavalin, but anti-corruption campaigners

hope the government will go further to allow administration and civil enforcement options for even more flexibility, and encourage more self-reporting by companies on an issue that is notoriously difficult to prosecute. “Ultimately, corporations can’t do jail time,” said Joanna Harrington, a law professor at the University of Alberta. “So if it is difficult to prove, difficult to find out about, typically investigators are relying on someone within the company telling or disclosing, and that leads to the situation of what can you offer in return.” Non-trial is certainly the norm for OECD countries, with close to 80 per cent of the nearly 900 cases that have come up in the last 20 years resolved through non-trial resolutions.

However, the effectiveness is questionable. Last year, Kinross Gold Corp. settled with U.S. regulators for about US$1 million for repeatedly failing to have enough safeguards in place to prevent corrupt activity in its Mauritanian subsidiaries, which, given the company spent billions of dollars investing into country, raises concerns on the potential leniency of the system, Kneen said. “It does have its upsides; whether it’s an adequate deterrent I don’t know,” said Kneen. Companies themselves are, however, seeing the importance of stamping out corruption as hits to reputation, insurance, financing and other costs rise on mere accusations of wrongdoing, said Poitevin. “I’m looking at the change in the corporate mentality. So there’s more people and corporate entities that are recognizing well, it’s actually costing me money to get ensnared in corrupt conduct.” Junior resource companies, meanwhile, need to show active compliance programs to make sure they satisfy risk assessments by the majors they hope to be acquired by, Poitevin said. He said that much like it took time and effort to curb habits around drunk driving, perceptions around bribery and corruption will take time to change, and while slow and frustrating, the push for transparency is helping. “With corruption, it’s going to take a while to change the corporate social norms, the corporate organizational norms, around corruption. Because before 1999, bribery was tax deductible.” ■

DOE activates energy resiliency TF after earthquake hits Luzon BY JOANN VILLANUEVA Philippine News Agency MANILA — The Department of Energy (DOE) has activated the Task Force Energy Resiliency (TFER) after a 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit parts of Luzon past 5 pm Monday.

Citing a report from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), the energy department said in a statement that power interruptions took place in Pangasinan, Pampanga, La Union, and Bataan. “The provinces of Quezon, Batangas, Camarines Sur, and Sorsogon were also affected but

have already been restored,” it said. DOE explained that “in the event that the affected facilities and capacities will be unable to come online, the occurrence of power outages is probable”. “Situation updates on the status of energy facilities will be released as soon as the inwww.canadianinquirer.net

formation becomes available. Rest assured that the entire energy family will keep the public properly informed on the matter,” it added. In a text message to mobile phone users in the country, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), said a 5.7 magni-

tude earthquake was recorded at Castillejos, Zambales at around 5:11 pm Monday that was later elevated to 6.1 by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs. It said damages and aftershocks are expected, thus, it advised the public to ensure their safety. ■

Technology Apple, Qualcomm settle bitter dispute over iPhone technology BY MICHAEL LIEDTKE The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO — Apple and mobile chip maker Qualcomm have settled a bitter financial dispute centred on some of the technology that enables iPhones to connect to the internet. The surprise truce announced Tuesday came just as the former allies turned antagonists were facing off in a federal court trial that was supposed to unfold over the next month in San Diego. The resolution abruptly ended that trial, which also involved Apple’s key iPhone suppliers. The deal requires Apple to pay Qualcomm an undisclosed amount. It also includes a sixyear licensing agreement that

likely involves recurring payments to the mobile chip maker. Investors reacted as if it were a resounding victory for Qualcomm. The San Diego company’s stock soared 23% to close Tuesday at $70.45. Apple shares edged up 2 cents to $199.25. Neither Apple nor Qualcomm would comment beyond a brief statement announcing they had resolved their differences. Details about how much Apple and its iPhone suppliers will be paying Qualcomm could emerge in court documents or when the companies announce their latest financial results. Apple is due to report its quarterly results on April 30 while Qualcomm is scheduled to release its numbers on May 1. Apple had been seeking at least $1 billion for money that

Qualcomm was supposed to rebate as part of an earlier licensing agreement. Apple had begun to have misgivings about that deal as it added more features to its increasingly popular line-up of iPhones. Qualcomm was seeking $7 billion for unpaid royalties it contended it was owed for its patented technology in the iPhone. Apple’s iPhone suppliers, including Foxconn and Pegatron, wanted another $27 billion from Qualcomm. The dispute was clearly beginning to hurt all parties involved, motivating them to settle, said technology industry analyst Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights & Strategy. “Both Apple and Qualcomm got deeper into this than they wanted to,” Moorhead said. Qualcomm also held another

bargaining chip: It makes the modem chips needed for future smartphones to work with the next generation of high-speed wireless networks known as

“5G.” Two of Apple’s biggest rivals, Samsung and Huawei, are already getting ready to intro-

green light to cultivate and sell. In B.C., the Liquor Distribution Branch has been receiving a larger share of the amount ordered from suppliers compared with the initial weeks of legalization, according to spokeswoman Kate Bilney. Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries is receiving, on average, about 30 per cent of the product it is expecting each month, spokesman Lorne Kletke said. In Quebec, supply is getting better “week by week” and the Societe quebecoise du cannabis expects significant improvement by the end of spring, said

spokesman Fabrice Giguere. But the crunch is “not over yet,” and its outlets will remain shut on Mondays and Tuesdays, he added. Cannabis retail chain Fire and Flower is seeing a boost in supply, but at a slower rate than expected, said its chief executive Trevor Fencott. The company — which has stores in Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan — is seeing more product from the latter province which has a more efficient, private distribution model, he said. “In Saskatchewan, we buy

directly from licensed producers,” Fencott said. “And we have never ever had anyone not deliver to us. Ever. They always meet their commitments.” But even when legal retailers are stocked up, price remains an issue. The unweighted average price of a legal gram of dried cannabis is $9.99 per gram, compared with the average illicit price of $6.37 per gram — a price gap that appears to be widening, according to an analysis by Statistics Canada of submitted price quotes. Regular cannabis users are

unlikely to make the switch until the price of legal cannabis becomes more competitive, said Fencott. He points to Colorado where prices have dropped dramatically since legalization, at the expense of illegal dealers. Legalization at a national scale is a massive endeavour, and things will improve, in time, he said. “We are still doing something that no country on the planet is doing,” Fencott said. “So while it is frustrating on some level, we always keep in the back of our mind the enormity of the task.” ■

TOSHIYUKI IMAI / FLICKR, CC BY-SA 2.0

❱❱ PAGE 24 Apple, Qualcomm

Six months... ❰❰ 30

equipment, output is getting better, but as more stores open their doors demand grows, he said. “The equation keeps evolving... It’s not a static market,” he said. Several provincial government retailers and distributors say they have seen marked improvement in recent weeks, but supply remains an ongoing challenge. Many of these provincial entities have signed on additional licensed producers to boost supply as Health Canada gives more companies the

www.canadianinquirer.net

Technology

FRIDAY APRIL 26, 2019

Smart cities: The promises and failures of utopian technological planning BY SYLVIE ALBERT Professor, Faculty of Business & Economics, University of Winnipeg, The Canadian Press TECHNOLOGY AND innovation transform the ways that we interact with governments, purchase products and manage our health and lives. This turmoil affects cities, where the accelerating digitalization of our economy has opened the door for more technologies. It has also created the space to design utopian projects that profile the ways technology can be used to improve the quality of urban life. Urban planners, technology companies and developers are increasingly looking for ways to improve our lives and make our systems more efficient. If we continue to live as we have, polluting and making our air increasingly toxic, we may have to develop solutions like indoor tracks for dog-walking, a la the Jetsons. But is that what we aspire to become? Utopian purpose

Utopias are imagined as an ideal place or community. This is a difficult goal to achieve as evidenced by initiatives such as Brasilia, Levittown, Celebration, Songdo, Eko-Atlantic and Sidewalk Labs Toronto. We haven’t figured out how to make utopian environments work for people. We have a long road ahead to make improvements that will both preserve the environment and improve our quality of life. In his forthcoming book chapter in Innovative Solutions for Creating Sustainable Cities (Cambridge Scholars, UK), intelligent community expert John Jung explains that utopian initiatives are diverting our attention away from the challenges of urbanization, such as poverty and housing security. Utopian design attempts

Utopian projects have faced much criticism, including not being able to scale up. Some pilot projects have been reported as inauthentic, as untrustworthy or flawed in design. True solutions need a community-engaged design process

that promotes inclusion and avoids elitism or exacerbating existing problems. At the turn of the 20th century, the Garden City Movement, attempted to develop a utopian social ecosystem where people and nature would coexist in harmony. This influenced suburban planning, which deliberately left space for parks, farms and other green spaces. Later, Frank Lloyd Wright’s vision of Broadacre City proposed that we use technological tools to better our lives, diversify land use, integrate organic architecture and innovative neighbourhoods. These ideas gave rise to popular new systems such as the gig economy, innovative work environments, sustainable mobility options and green buildings. Brasilia: Promoting sprawl

Among the early examples of utopian cities in the digital era there is the uniquely-planned city of Brasilia, now a designated UNESCO world heritage site, developed as a political effort to bring a vast new country together. Modern government structures and highways were designed to efficiently move automobiles and people around the capital. However, post-construction literature suggests that the design failed due to lack of accessible and affordable housing for its workers and flawed execution, which among other things promoted sprawl. Modern suburbia

Levittown, Reston and Celebration were all privately funded modern suburban developments in the U.S. The developments had noble intent and showcased the efficiencies of prefabrication, but they were also judged to have significant faults, including “exclusion, segregation and persecution.” 1950s newsreel about the building of suburbia in Levittown. Smart city Songdo

Songdo, in South Korea, is touted by some as the perfect

e x ample of a smart sustainable city. Every aspect of life is controlled by networked computers from climate control to communications. Yet it is having difficulty attracting businesses and residents. Designed for 300,000, only a third of the residential development is occupied, and there are very few businesses. However, Songdo has also been called a lonely city and a transparent city where it is difficult to get to know neighbours and too much communication is happening on the internet. Eko-Atlantic: Devastating floods

Eko-Atlantic and Smart City Lagos in Nigeria is a six-million square metre waterfront reclamation project with a vision to become Africa’s financial centre. The development is expected to house a population of 250,000 inhabitants and another 150,000 commuters. According to its critics, the project has lacked transparency and has largely built housing for the wealthy. Its most significant flaw, the breakwater, proposed to withstand winds and waves www.canadianinquirer.net

from the Atlantic Ocean, has since pushed waves into neighbouring parts of Lagos, resulting in deadly floods. Sidewalk Toronto: Data and privacy concerns

Sidewalk Toronto, a project of Alphabet (Google), is planning to install various technologies to enhance efficiency and quality of life in a new waterfront neighbourhood. Extensive amounts of data will inform city planning and development processes, but the proposed collection and use of data is at issue. Critics claim that the original agreement between Waterfront Toronto and Sidewalk Labs has been too vague, especially in creating a precedent-setting framework around the use, ownership and application of the data. The lessons coming out of this project will benefit many other cities, but the pushback by local citizens to the data privacy concerns are very real and need to be resolved. Intelligent communities

Urban areas need to plan intelligently for the use of smart

devices, leadership in social and disruptive innovations and change management processes. It is important to note that future visions of modern society need increasing amounts of broadband to be deployed equitably. Solutions that are holistic, that engage people and are sustainable economically, environmentally, socially, culturally and ethically. We need to find urban designs that work for existing neighbourhoods, infilling so that cities are financially sustainable and provide sustainable mobility systems and more green space. At the same, our cities need to provide opportunities for greater self sufficiency and self-management practices, such as growing food and generating energy. The better cities of the future may not be utopian, but they need to be intelligent designs achieved through collaboration and inclusion to address cultural and technological change. ■ This article is based on a chapter by John Jung in the forthcoming book, Innovative Solutions for Creating Sustainable Cities (Cambridge Scholars), edited by Sylvie Albert. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Disclosure information is available on the original site.

APRIL 26, 2019

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Travel Morocco is a trove of Jewish history if you know where to go BY LEANNE ITALIE The Associated Press NEW YORK — With its mountains and desert, beach resorts and Berber villages, Morocco is a feast for travellers of all kinds, including those who want to explore the kingdom’s deep Jewish roots. The presence of Jews in Morocco stretches back more than 2,000 years. Before the founding of Israel in 1948, estimates put their number as high as about 275,000, which was considered the largest Jewish community in the Muslim world, said Roy Mittelman, director of the Jewish studies program at The City College of New York. Today, after vast waves of departures over the years, only about 2,000 Jews remain in Casablanca and about 500 elsewhere in Morocco, but the Jewish presence is still alive in a variety of sights. The Museum of Moroccan Judaism in suburban Casablanca, for instance, is the only museum on Judaism in the Arab world. Jews of Moroccan descent, in Israel and around the globe, return to the North African kingdom often and some maintain second homes in familial regions. Jewish heritage tours to Morocco are abundant and easy to track down. Most cities have a mellah, which is an old Jewish quarter, along with Jewish cemeteries and synagogues. Mittelman, who has spent 40 years absorbing the history, culture and religious practices of

Jews in Morocco, leads groups of students on tours of Jewish sights as part of an advanced seminar. He said there’s plenty to read ahead of a visit. He recommends Shlomo Deshen’s “The Mellah Society: Jewish Community Life in Sherifian Morocco” for more on pre-colonial Morocco, based on the writings of 18th- and 19th-century Judeo-Moroccan sages. To learn more about the spiritual history of the Jewish quarter in Marrakech, he recommends the travelogue of Bulgarian Jewish writer Elias Canetti, “The Voices of Marrakesh: A Record of a Visit.” Mittelman has honed his travel itineraries over the years. Here are some of his favourites and other sights:

Casablanca has a traditional kosher bakery and kosher restaurants, as do other cities. The city is a good place to start for a grounding in Jewish heritage and history.

Casablanca

Marrakech

The last Moroccan Jewish day school, Neve Shalom, is in Casablanca, which is the economic and business centre of the kingdom. Watch the children playing outside in the yard, enjoy them singing Jewish songs and learn more about the school’s Hebrew classes and Bible studies, Mittelman said. Visit the Tahiti Beach Club, once a local Jewish hangout. Among Mittelman’s walking tours of Jewish residential areas in Casablanca are stops at the Beth El and Eim Habanim synagogues. There’s also a newer synagogue, David HaMelech, in the tony, beachside Corniche quarter not far from the beach club.

SDFGSDFGASDR / FLICKR, CC BY-ND 2.0

Just over 100 Jews remain in Marrakech, including a handful who live in the old Jewish quarter, Mittelman said, but the mellah is bustling. Among the synagogues that remain is the tiny blue-andwhite Lazama, along a narrow street. Ask a local how to find it. Visitors may enter for a small fee. There’s an inviting riadstyle courtyard with a fruit tree and a few chairs for weary travellers. The original synagogue dated to 1492 but it was later rebuilt. The mellah isn’t the only place for synagogues. Head to the city’s newer section of Gueliz, with a heavy European influence, for shabbat services

at Temple Beth El Synagogue. Any taxi driver should know how to get there. For a day trip out of Marrakech visit the Jewish heritage sites at Essaouira, once a thriving Jewish centre and a former Portuguese fishing town. It was also a stop for 1960s and ‘70s rock stars who made pilgrimages to Marrakech. The town, dating to the 1700s, has a synagogue, cemetery and mellah, with plaques indicating buildings where ancient, long-gone synagogues once stood. Fes

The city had a large Jewish community in the 17th century and has a well-known Orthodox synagogue, Ibn Danan. Once crumbling, it was refurbished in the 1990s with help from the World Monuments Fund and American Express. King Mohammed VI has committed to reviving Jewish sites around Morocco.

The mellah here is a maze within walls. You WILL get lost and that’s half the fun. It was the first mellah in Morocco, dating to around 1438. In addition to a Jewish cemetery, where a couple of eminent medieval rabbis are buried, there’s a site in Fes that is considered sacred among women, the Tomb of Solika. With a last name that varies, Solika — as one retelling goes — was a Jewish woman of great beauty who was beheaded in 1834 for refusing to convert to Islam. Maimonides, one of the most prolific and influential Torah scholars in the Middle Ages, lived in Fes from 1159 to 1165. His stone home, with weathered engraving marking the location, is worth a stop. Walk a few steps and you’re bound to find somebody willing to guide you in Fes and elsewhere, but one who knows “Jewish Morocco” is harder to come by, Mittelman said. Do some research beforehand to find just the right drivers and guides if you’re travelling independently. Off the beaten path

If you favour this style of travelling, Mittelman said you should have no trouble in small towns and villages tracking Jewish influences and history. “Find yourself the first 80-year-old and say, ‘Do you remember Jews here?’ Chances are they’ll say, ‘Yeah and here are their names and that crumbling house over there is where they used to live.’” ■

Our Lady of Lourdes grotto in Bulacan revisited BY SEVERINO SAMONTE Philippine News Agency SAN JOSE DEL MONTE CITY, BULACAN — Fifty-four years after its opening to the public, the Our Lady of Lourdes

Grotto Shrine here continues to attract thousands of Catholic devotees, especially during the Holy Week, despite the blazing summer sun. Situated 30 kilometers northeast of Manila and just beyond the boundary of Bulacan

and Novaliches, a former town divided between Quezon City and Caloocan City, the grotto was opened for public veneration on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes on Feb. 11, 1965. Since then, thousands of pilgrims have been flocking to www.canadianinquirer.net

the shrine to pray and offer flowers and candles to the Our Lady of Lourdes, giving thanks for prayers answered and favors received and meditating in front of the Stations of the Cross on the Rosary Hill. The number of visitors usu-

ally peak during the Holy Week, particularly on Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. Marietta G. Guanzon-Hol❱❱ PAGE 36 Our Lady

Travel

APRIL 26, 2019

FRIDAY

Our Lady... ❰❰ 35

mgren, president of the Grotto Shrine Foundation Inc. (GSFI), said since 6 a.m. of Good Friday, at least 1.5 million devotees from Metro Manila and nearby Luzon provinces flocked to the shrine since Palm Sunday this year. She was interviewed by this writer while she was overseeing the final preparations for the Good Friday procession along the Lourdes Grotto Church and Basilica complex. The shrine was a project of religious couple, Horacio A. Guanzon and Anita GuidoteGuanzon, who hailed from known and wealthy families from Pampanga as well as Bulacan and Nueva Ecija, but they chose to make this former town and later a city as their permanent home. According to Holmgren’s book, “The Grotto Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in the Philippines,” her mother Anita decided to build the grotto shrine on the family-owned 25-hectare land in the farmer barrio of Gaya-Gaya in San Jose del Monte. The same barrio is now called

Barangay Graceville. Building it was an act of thanksgiving for her mother, having been cured miraculously of cancer after a pilgrimage to the town of Lourdes in southwestern France in 1961. The well-known story of the grotto shrine started with the Guanzon family matriarch Anita being diagnosed to have cancer of the uterus in 1961 and given by her doctors only six months to live. She went on a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France on June 29, 1961, accompanied by her husband and one of their daughters. She came home cured of cancer in September of the same year and lived three decades more until she died in 1990. She left the management of the grotto to her eldest daughter, Marietta, whose attention since then has been focused on the completion of another project that was started by her parents before they died — the construction of a basilica that resembles the one in Lourdes, France. Her father, Horacio, died on

Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto Shrine.

June 4, 1985 and was followed by her mother, Anita, on March 31, 1990. The grotto shrine’s existing attractions in this city include the Calvary Hill that features 14 Stations of the Cross that portray the agony of Jesus Christ. There are 127 statues pre-

sented in dioramas that took three years to construct, according to the book. Behind the grotto church and basilica is a spring that is said to yield miraculous water that brings hope to those who are spiritually and physically sick. There is also the Rosary Hill,

with 155 very big beads made of concrete together weighing over eight tons and is said to be the biggest Tri-Rosary in the world. In 1974, Irish-born Roman Catholic priest Patrick Peyton flew in to the Philippines from the United States to inaugurate the Rosary Hill. Holmgren said the Lourdes grotto was a faithful replica of the original one in Lourdes, France. She added that the shrine’s basilica resembles the famous basilica at Lourdes, France and cost PHP80 million. Lourdes, a small town, is 795 kilometers south of Paris in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains which receives more than 5 million pilgrims and tourists each year because of a set of visions reported by a young girl named Bernadette in 1858. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France incorporates 52 hectares of property and 22 places of worship, including the sacred grotto, two basilicas, and a variety of buildings for pilgrims and the sick. ■

to her physiology, due to her higher levels of testosterone and her physiology. And we’ve done horrible things to this young person.” In Worley’s case, because she was born male with XY chromosomes, her body requires six to eight times the level of testosterone than a women to function at full health, but her surgery meant her body no longer generates any hormones. She applied for a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) for testosterone, and while she waited her health went into a tailspin. She finally received a TUE from WADA, but said the level wasn’t high enough to support her basic health. Because Worley had stopped competing she was able to take her case to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal, rather that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which is the only legal avenue for an athlete with a dispute who is still active in the sport. Formal mediation with Cycling Canada, the Ontario Cycling Association and the UCI

led to several policy revisions around TUEs, plus agreements to implement, among other initiatives, such things as awareness and education programs on diversity and inclusion. “Did we get everything we wanted? No,” Worley writes in her memoir. “We gave a little, they gave a little. But we kept inching forward. We made people talk about it. We chipped away at their biases, got them to think about their knee-jerk responses: Why you think that a woman being healthy is a competitive advantage?” Worley never achieved her dream of racing for Canada in an Olympics. But riding a divergent path has made her a voice for diversity and human rights in sport. And she wears the role well. “I feel like I’ve been born to do this,” she said. “I feel the journey I was set on, the irony of the timing and all of this, I feel like I’m following a script and I’ve been told what to do, and along the way I find that I’m meeting amazing people along the way.” ■

RINGER / WIKIMEDIA, CC BY-SA 4.0

Canadian cyclist... ❰❰ 29

to medically control their testosterone for at least six months before competing. The United Nations recently said plans to classify women by their testosterone levels “contravene international human rights,” calling the restrictive medical intervention “unnecessary, humiliating and harmful.” “This is the human rights piece. They’ve stereotyped (Semenya) solely because of what she looks like,” Worley said. “We’ve just put this in a box and slapped Caster’s face on this and made it a testosterone issue.” Worley argued that Semenya isn’t breaking world records. Other dominant athletes such as Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt, she said, aren’t scrutinized for their physical gifts. “Caster could never compete against the men, she’s eight seconds off the closest males,” Worley said. “We are only articulating and presenting that because of what she looks like, because of the androgen effects www.canadianinquirer.net

Food Give your mayo heavy American potato salad a French twist AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN AMERICAN-STYLE POTATO salad, thickly dressed with mayonnaise and sweet pickle relish, is archetypal picnic fare and will always have a place on summer tables. But we’ve cooked (and eaten) piles of it over the years, and these days we yearn for something lighter and fresher to serve with grilled fish, chicken, and even meat. In our mind, French potato salad is just the ticket. Having little in common with its American counterpart, French potato salad is served warm or at room temperature and is composed of sliced potatoes glistening with olive oil, white wine vinegar, and plenty of fresh herbs.

We expected quick success with this seemingly simple recipe—how hard could it be to boil a few potatoes and toss them in vinaigrette? We sliced the hot potatoes, dressed them while they were still warm (warm potatoes are more absorbent than cool ones), and then served them up to our tasters. The salad looked mangled, as the warm potatoes consistently broke apart upon slicing. We had chosen not to peel the potatoes for the sake of convenience and beauty, but the potato skins inevitably tore, leaving unsightly streaks. And the salad didn’t taste much better than it looked. Despite an assertively seasoned vinaigrette, the potatoes themselves were uniformly bland. ❱❱ PAGE 38 Give your

A rich almond cake makes a sophisticated and sweet dessert AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN

grind slivered almonds for the batter and use unblanched sliced almonds for the topping.

SIMPLE, RICH almond cake makes a sophisticated and delicately sweet dessert, but traditional European versions tend to be heavy and dense. For a slightly cakier version with plenty of nutty flavour, we swapped out the usual almond paste for toasted blanched sliced almonds (we disliked the slight bitterness imparted by skin-on almonds) and added a bit of almond extract for extra depth. A generous amount of lemon zest provided subtle brightness. For an even lighter crumb, we increased the flour slightly and added baking powder—an untraditional ingredient—to ensure proper rise. Making the batter in a food processor broke down some of the protein structure in the eggs, ensuring that the cake had a level, not domed, top, which was especially important for this unfrosted dessert. We swapped some butter for oil and lowered the oven temperature to produce an evenly baked, moist cake. For a crunchy finishing touch, we topped the cake with sliced almonds and a sprinkle of lemon-infused sugar. If you can’t find blanched sliced almonds,

Italian almond cake

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Servings: 8-10 Start to finish: 1 hour, 30 minutes • 1 1/2 cups plus 1/3 cup blanched sliced almonds, toasted • 3/4 cup (3 3/4 ounces) allpurpose flour • 3/4 teaspoon salt • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda • 4 large eggs • 1 1/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons sugar • 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons) • 3/4 teaspoon almond extract • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted • 1/3 cup vegetable oil Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 F. Grease 9 inch round cake pan and line with parchment paper. Pulse 1 1/2 cups almonds, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in food processor until almonds are finely ground, 5 to 10 pulses. Transfer almond mixture to bowl. Process eggs, 1 1/4 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, and almond extract in now-empty

processor until very pale yellow, about 2 minutes. With processor running, add melted butter and oil in steady stream until incorporated. Add almond mixture and pulse to combine, 4 to 5 pulses. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Using your fingers, combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and remaining 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest in small bowl until fragrant, 5 to 10 seconds. Sprinkle top of cake evenly with remaining 1/3 cup almonds followed by sugar-zest mixture. Bake until centre of cake is set and bounces back when gently pressed and toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean, 55 minutes to 1 hour 5 minutes, rotating pan after 40 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Run thin knife around edge of pan. Invert cake onto greased wire rack, discarding parchment, and reinvert cake onto second wire rack. Let cake cool completely on rack, about 2 hours, before serving. (Cake can be stored at room temperature for up to three days.) ■ Nutrition information per serving: 485 calories; calories from fat; 30 g fat (7 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 127 mg cholesterol; 287 mg sodium; 50 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 35 g sugar; 10 g protein.

APRIL 26, 2019

FRIDAY

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Another irksome point was that it was hard to tell when the potatoes were done. Unevenly sized potatoes made it difficult to avoid some over- or undercooked potatoes in the finished dish. This wasn’t going to be as easy as we thought. French potato salad with dijon

Servings: 4-6 Start to finish: 30 minutes

• 2 pounds small red potatoes, unpeeled, sliced 1/4 inch thick (Use small red potatoes measuring 1 to 2 inches in diameter) • 2 tablespoons salt • 1 garlic clove, peeled and threaded on skewer • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil • 1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or Champagne vinegar • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard • 1/2 teaspoon pepper • 1 small shallot, minced • 1 tablespoon minced fresh chervil (If fresh chervil isn’t available, substitute an additional 1/2 tablespoon of minced parsley and an additional 1/2 teaspoon of tarragon) • 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley • 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives • 1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon

Place potatoes in large saucepan, add water to cover by 1 inch, and bring to boil over high heat. Add salt, reduce heat to simmer, and cook until potatoes are tender and paring knife can be slipped in and out of potatoes with little resistance, about 6 minutes. While potatoes are cooking, lower skewered garlic into simmering water and blanch for 45 seconds. Run garlic under cold running water, then remove from skewer and mince. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water, then drain potatoes and arrange in tight single layer in rimmed baking sheet. Whisk oil, minced 7/8garlic, vinegar, mustard, pepper, and reserved potato cooking water together in bowl, then drizzle over potatoes. Let potatoes sit until flavours meld, about 10 minutes. (Potatoes can be refrigerated for up to 8 hours; return to room temperature before serving.) Transfer potatoes to large bowl. Combine shallot and herbs in small bowl, then sprinkle over potatoes and gently toss to coat using rubber spatula. Serve. ■ Nutrition information per serving: 363 calories; 130 calories from fat; 14 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 674 mg sodium; 52 g carbohydrate; 6 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 6 g protein.

For moist grilled pork skewers, turn to country style ribs AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN FOR GRILLED pork skewers that were moist and flavourful, we turned to boneless country-style ribs, which are quickcooking and tender, yet have enough fat to keep them from drying out. The flavourful North African-inspired seasonings of garlic, lemon, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, and cinnamon did double duty, first in a marinade and later in a basting sauce. As a base for the relish, we grilled onions alongside the pork. We mixed the grilled onions with a zesty combination of olives, capers, balsamic vinegar, and parsley for a bright, potent sauce that perfectly complemented the skewers. You will need six 12-inch metal skewers for this recipe. Grilled spiced pork skewers with onion and caper relish

Servings: 6 Start to finish: 2 hours

• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • 5 garlic cloves, minced • 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest • 1 tablespoon ground coriander • 2 teaspoons ground cumin • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon • Salt and pepper • 1 1/2 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs, trimmed of all visible fat and cut into 1 inch pieces • 2 onions, sliced into 1/2 inch-thick rounds • 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped • 1/4 cup capers, rinsed • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley Whisk 1/4 cup oil, garlic, lemon zest, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in medium bowl. Measure www.canadianinquirer.net

out and reserve 2 tablespoons marinade. Combine remaining marinade and pork in 1 gallon zipper-lock bag and toss to coat. Press out as much air as possible and seal bag. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours, flipping bag every 30 minutes. Remove pork from bag and pat dry with paper towels. Thread pork tightly onto four 12-inch metal skewers. Thread onion rounds from side to side onto two 12 inch metal skewers and brush with 1 tablespoon oil. — For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter three-quarters filled with charcoal briquettes (4 1/2 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes. — For a gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium-high. Clean and oil cooking grate. Place pork and onion skewers on grill and cook (covered if using gas), turning skewers every 2 minutes and basting pork with reserved marinade, until pork is browned and registers 145 F and onions are slightly charred and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer pork and onions to cutting board as they finish grilling and tent with aluminum foil. Let pork rest while preparing relish. Coarsely chop onions and combine with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, olives, capers, vinegar, and parsley. Season with pepper to taste. Using tongs, slide pork off skewers onto serving platter. Serve with relish. ■ Nutrition information per serving: 371 calories; 258 calories from fat; 29 g fat (5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 62 mg cholesterol; 726 mg sodium; 8 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 21 g protein.

FRIDAY APRIL 26, 2019

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APRIL 26, 2019

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