Philippine Canadian Inquirer #370

m

info@canadianinquirer.net

sales@canadianinquirer.net A 778-788-4998 facebook.com/ Philippine

CANADA’S FIRST AND ONLY NATIONWIDE FILIPINO-CANADIAN NEWSPAPER

CanadianInquirer twitter: @PhilCanInquirer

MAY 10, 2019

www.canadianinquirer.net

VOL. 5 NO. 370

37TH CABINET MEETING President Rodrigo R. Duterte presides over the 37th Cabinet Meeting at the Malacañan Palace on May 6, 2019.

ACE MORANDANTE/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

Man claiming to be ‘Bikoy’ reveals self

BY BEA KIRSTEIN T. MANALAYSAY Philippine Canadian Inquirer EXACTLY SEVEN days before the elections, a man who claims to be “Bikoy,” the anonymous figure behind the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” that links the President’s family and former aide to drug syndicates, showed himself in a press conference to ask for legal assistance.

Peter Joemel Advincula sought the In-

tegrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) for legal assistance in filing a case against those he had named in his video serye, on Monday, May 6 at the IBP headquarters in Ortigas.

Advincula’s surface, he said is an assertion that he is a real person and not a “kathang isip (made up)” as other people claim.

He said there were two reasons that triggered his move to show his face to

6

Decriminalizing drug use will ‘multiply’ problem

26 Dissecting Intriguing Montreal and How Pinoys Embraced it as Home

❱❱ PAGE 8 Man claiming

Get the latest news & updates www.canadianinquirer.net

❱❱ PAGE 22

Wanna achieve that #RelationshipGoals with mom?

2

MAY 10, 2019

Thank you to community groups across Canada for your strong advocacy!

Interim Pathway to Permanent Residence for Domestic Workers ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS March 4 – June 4 From March 4 – June 4 2019, caregivers and home support workers with one year of full-Ɵme Canadian work experience may be eligible to apply for permanent residence.

For more informaƟon and to apply, visit: hƩps://www.canada.ca/en/immigraƟon-refugees-ciƟzenship/ services/applicaƟon/applicaƟon-forms-guides/applicaƟon-temporary-public-policy-caregiver.html

J e n n y Kw a n

Member of Parliament for Vancouver East “This Interim measure is a step in the right direction but there is still more work to do. Let’s continue to push for Landed Status Now!" - MP Jenny Kwan, NDP CriƟc for ImmigraƟon, Refugees and CiƟzenship

www.jennykwan.ndp.ca |jenny.kwan@parl.gc.ca | 604 - 775 -5800 |613 - 992 - 6030 www.canadianinquirer.net

FRIDAY

Philippine News

FRIDAY MAY 10, 2019

3

Duterte signs law waiving docu fees for firsttime jobseekers

BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency MANILA — First-time jobseekers will no longer have to pay for fees when they acquire government documents needed for employment.

This after President Rodrigo Duterte, on April 10, signed Republic Act 11261 or the First-Time Jobseekers Assistance Act, a copy of which was released to media on Tuesday.

Under the new law, government fees and charges are waived in the issuance of documents required in the application of first-time jobseekers, so long as they submit a barangay certification as proof. The law covers not only fresh graduates but also out-of-school youth.

These documents include police clearance certificate, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearance, barangay clearance, medical certificate, birth certificate, marriage certificate, transcript of academic records issued by state colleges and universities, tax identification number (TIN), unified multi-purpose ID (UMID), and other documentary requirements issued by the government that may be required by employers.

In signing the new law, Duterte recognized the need to “promote full employment and equality of gainful work and opportunities for its citizens.”

“All government agencies and instrumentalities, including government-

owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs), local government units (LGUs), and government hospitals shall not collect fees or charges from a firsttime jobseeker: Provided, that such fee or charge is paid in connection with the application for and the granting of licenses, proofs of identification, clearances, certificates or other documents usually required in the course of employment locally or abroad: Provided, further, that the benefit provided under this Act shall only be availed of once,” the law read.

The law creates an Inter-agency Monitoring Committee in charge of monitoring the compliance of the concerned government agencies and instrumentalities and may recommend to the proper authorities the filing of an administrative complaint against any person who refuses to comply with the provisions of the act.

The committee will be chaired by the Labor Secretary and composed of the heads of the Civil Service Commission (CSC), the departments of information and communications technology, finance, and education, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the National Youth Commission (NYC), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and others.

The implementing rules and regulations (IRR) shall be issued within 60 days from the effectivity of the new law.

The new law is a consolidation of Sen-

RICHARD MADELO / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

ate Bill 1629 and House Bill 172, which was passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives last February 6.

It shall take effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Senator Joel Villaueva, the law’s principal author and sponsor, welcomed the signing of the law noting that it is estimated to benefit about 1.3 million firsttime jobseekers annually.

No Pinoy casualty in Russian plane crash: DFA

BY JOYCE ANN L. ROCAMORA Philippine News Agency MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday reported that no Filipino was hurt after a Russian plane on Sunday caught fire as it made an emergency landing in Moscow.

“The DFA extends its condolences to the victims of a passenger plane which caught fire after it made an emergency landing in Moscow, Russia on 5 May 2019,” it said.

At least 41 people on board Aeroflot SU 1492 were killed, including two children, after the aircraft crash-landed in Sheremetyevo Airport, bursting into flames on impact, according to the Philippine Embassy in Moscow.

In a statement on Monday, Ambassador to Russia Carlos Sorreta confirmed

that no Filipino was among those on board the flight as he sent the Embassy’s thoughts to the Russian people and government.

“We would like to confirm that there were no Filipinos on board flight SU1492 from Moscow to Murmansk which caught fire at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport on Sunday,” he said on his official social media page. “We wish to reiterate our expression of sympathy to the families and friends who lost their loved ones and pray for the safe recovery of those injured.”

Apart from the 41 fatalities, 14 received outpatient treatment and nine people were hospitalized after the crash.

According to Aeroflot, the plane “suffered an engine fire after being forced to return to the Sheremetyevo Airport due to technical problems.” ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

Villanueva, chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, said, “It takes a high school graduate up to three years to find a first job while it takes a college graduate one year to find a first job.”

“We warmly welcome the signing of our bill into law as this will financially aid our youth in finding employment,” he said in a statement ■

Philippine News

4

MAY 10, 2019

FRIDAY

Public satisfaction with Duterte admin rises to ‘excellent’ in Q1 of 2019 — SWS

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer THE ADMINISTRATION of President Rodrigo Duterte earned the satisfaction of more Filipinos in the first quarter of 2019.

This, according to the latest survey of Social Weather Stations (SWS) published on Friday, May 3, stating 81 percent of Filipinos are satisfied with the general performance of the Duterte administration, while nine percent were not. Ten percent of them, on the other hand, were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied.

This gives the government a new record-high net satisfaction rating of +72, classified by the pollster as excellent.

“This is 6 points above the very good +66 (76% satisfied, 9% dissatisfied, correctly rounded) in December 2018, and 2 points above the previous record of excellent +70 in December 2017,” the SWS said.

Duterte admin’s report card

The survey also showed what it called

a “Governance Report Card,” where the current administration was rated based on 11 specific performance subjects.

Filipinos gave the government an “excellent” +72 net satisfaction on helping the poor, and “very good” +58 on reconstructing Marawi City and fighting terrorism.

It was rated “good” on fighting crimes (+48), reconciling with communist rebels (record-high +45), reconciling with Muslim rebels (+44), eradicating graft and corruption (+41), foreign relations (+41), defending Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea (+40), and ensuring that no family will ever be hungry (+37).

The government, meanwhile, got a “moderate” +22 score on fighting inflation.

Regions

The SWS noted that the government’s overall net satisfaction rating increased in all areas.

In Visayas, it rose from “very good” to “excellent,” up by 11 points from +63 in December 2018.

It remained “excellent” in Mindanao, up by six points from December’s +65.

It also stayed “very good” in both Balance Luzon and Metro Manila, up by three points and five points from its previous record, respectively.

The First Quarter 2019 Social Weather Survey was done on March 28 to 31 this year, using face-to-face interviews of 1,440 adults nationwide; 360 each in Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The SWS said the satisfaction rating of the administration’s general performance was based on a single question, “Sa pangkalahatan, gaano po kayo nasisiyahan o hindi nasisiyahan sa kasalukuyang administrasyong nasyonal? Kayo po ba ay LUBOS NA NASISIYAHAN, MEDYO NASISIYAHAN, HINDI TIYAK KUNG

NASISIYAHAN O HINDI, MEDYO HINDI NASISIYAHAN, o LUBOS NA HINDI NASISIYAHAN (On the overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the present national administration? Are you VERY SATISFIED, SOMEWHAT SATISFIED, UNDECIDED IF SATISFIED OR NOT, SOMEWHAT DISSATISFIED, or VERY DISSATISFIED)?”

The pollster, however, clarified that this question is “not an average of answers to separate questions on specific subjects.”

“The general rating is repeated every quarter, whereas only a core of the specific subject-ratings are repeated. Subjects are included or excluded depending on their contemporary salience,” it explained.

This survey, it added, was also not commissioned and was released as a public service. ■

Duterte visits wake of ex-Speaker Nograles

BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday night paid his last respects to the late former House Speaker Prospero Nograles.

Duterte visited Nograles’ wake at the Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig City, where he met with the late House Speaker’s family. Aside from Duterte, other guests present at the wake are former Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal, Supreme Court Administrator Midas Marquez, Senate President Tito Sotto III, Senator Aquilino ‘Koko’ Pimentel III, House Speaker Gloria MacapagalArroyo, and Pubic Works Secretary Mark Villar among others.

Earlier, Duterte said other politicians and leaders would continue to be inwww.canadianinquirer.net

spired by the former House Speaker’s legacy despite his passing.

“His legacy as a leader who used his voice to speak on behalf of the Filipino people will continue to inspire other politicians and leaders who are committed to serving their countrymen,’ Duterte said.

Duterte, who said he was “deeply saddened” by Nograles’ demise, offered condolences and prayers to Nograles’ family.

“I would like to extend my deep sympathies and condolences to the family of Former House Speaker Prospero Nograles,” Duterte said.

Nograles, 71, succumbed to respiratory failure on Saturday (May 4).

He served as congressman of the first district of Davao City for 15 years and was elected House Speaker during the term of former President now House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. ■

5

FRIDAY MAY 10, 2019

www.canadianinquirer.net

6

Philippine News

MAY 10, 2019

FRIDAY

Decriminalizing drug use will ‘multiply’ problem

BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency MANILA — Malacañang on Thursday rejected the suggestion of former New Zealand Minister Helen Clark to decriminalize the use of illegal drugs, saying it will worsen the Philippines’ narcotics problems.

“Decriminalizing the use of drugs in the Philippines will not only aggravate but multiply the problem,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

“Take out the criminal liability of those involved and you induce and encourage others to be a part of the dreaded evil,” he added.

Clark, one of the prominent members of the NZ Drug foundation, has repeatedly pushed for the decriminalization of drugs, nothing that addiction should be treated as a public health issue.

Panelo thumbed down

Clark’s suggestion, noting that President Rodrigo Duterte had already rejected a similar proposal made by the European Union (EU) two years ago.

He emphasized that unlike in other countries’, the Philippines’ illegal drugs remain a billion-peso industry, where 97 percent of barangays (villages)

have or had already been infiltrated.

The Presidential Spokesperson asked foreign observers to “understand fully” the Duterte administration’s crackdown on illegal drugs before making remarks against it.

“We suggest observers, especially those in foreign coun-

tries, to understand fully the Philippine government’s strategy in dealing with illegal drugs before being persuaded by onesided information and crafting unwise if not cerebrally challenged commentaries based thereon,” Panelo said.

Panelo also defended the Duterte administration’s drug

war anew, noting that it was a campaign “anchored on national security and on public health.”

“Drug treatment and rehabilitation form part of the second phase of our campaign,” Panelo said.

He said it is during the Duterte administration that a 10,000-bed drug rehabilitation center, the country’s biggest, opened in Nueva Ecija.

As of February 2017, Panelo said 27 reformation centers have likewise been established.

Panelo, meanwhile, cited the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey which showed that more than seven out of 10 Filipinos are “satisfied” with the way the government handles the campaign.

Earlier, Panelo said 164,265 drug personalities have been arrested, 9,503 barangays cleared from drugs, and PHP25.19 billion worth of drugs and equipment have been seized since the start of Duterte’s term in 2016 until November last year. ■

Comelec crafts rules if quake ‘Apostillation’ of happens on May 13 polls documents in PH

BY FERDINAND PATINIO Philippine News Agency MANILA — Due to the recent earthquakes recorded in different parts of the country, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to release rules on what to do in case tremors occur on election day, an official said Tuesday.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the rules of procedures are being prepared that will be implemented in the event earthquakes happen next week.

“We are doing our best to come up with this policy as quickly as possible,” said Jimenez in a media interview.

“Again all of these things why they should have been part of the planning a long time ago its only now it’s becoming very urgent for some reason,” he said.

Jimenez noted that they are also coordinating with the Department of Education (DepEd) to check on school

buildings particularly in areas hit by tremors in the past weeks.

“So now in the wake of this earthquake, I guess the first thing to do is to coordinate with DepEd to find out if the voting facilities are still structurally sound,” Jimenez said.

During elections, public schools in the country are usually used as polling centers.

Jimenez added that their primary concern is the safety of all-- including voters, Comelec personnel, and other stakeholders.

“The most important consideration here is their safety and we want to make sure that if there are voting precincts in these areas, they should be safe and they have not been damaged by either the primary earthquake or the aftershocks,” he said.

Jimenez said they are prepared to secure the vote counting machines and other poll paraphernalia if such incidents happen.

“The police are under instruction to secure the polling places or for instance the voting machines cannot be taken out, then the school should be locked down,” Jimenez said.

He added that under deliberation is when a declaration of failure of elections will be done.

“The safest bet here is to either suspend or declare failure of elections. That decision is still being made,” Jimenez said.

In the past weeks, earthquakes have been recorded in three regions of the country, including a magnitude 6.1 earthquake that jolted parts of Central Luzon and Metro Manila.

The province of Pampanga recorded at least five casualties while injuring many others when a four-story supermarket in Porac collapsed after a tremor hit last April 22.

The most recent tremor was recorded at 5.5 magnitude in Ilocos Norte Monday morning.

On May 13, the country will be holding its fourth automated elections nationwide. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

takes effect on May 14 PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY MANILA — The Apostille Convention on Authentication of Documents will take effect on May 14, 2019 in the Philippines.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it will no longer issue authentication certificates starting Tuesday next week instead it will affix an “Apostille” to documents for use abroad.

“After authentication by the DFA, there is no more need for authentication (legalization) by the concerned Foreign Embassies or Consulates General if the country or territory of destination of the authenticated document is already a member of the Apostille Convention,” it said in an advisory on Tuesday.

In the same manner, public documents executed in Apostille member countries and

territories (except for Austria, Finland, Germany and Greece) which will be used in the Philippines no longer have to be authenticated by the Philippine Embassy or Consulate General once Apostillized.

The previous process of authentication, however, still applies in countries and territories which are not Apostillecontracting parties.

“Documents still have to be authenticated by the Philippine Embassy or Consulate General before they can be used in the Philippines. Also, there is still a need for authentication (legalization) by the concerned Foreign Embassies or Consulates General if the country of destination of the authenticated document is not yet a member of the Apostille Convention,” it said.

Authentication fees will remain at PHP100 (regular processing) and PHP200 (expedited processing) per document. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY MAY 10, 2019

7

Arroyo lauds PRRD’s economic 4.2M jobs generated team for inflation slowdown from gov’t infra projects since 2016

BY JOSE CIELITO REGANIT Philippine News Agency

MANILA — Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Wednesday commended President Rodrigo Duterte’s economic managers for their decisive actions that has steadily eased Philippines’ headline inflation, from a peak of 6.7 percent in October 2018 to just 3.0 percent in April this year.

“Good. Congratulations to our economic managers,” the former president said in an ambush interview.

When asked what she thinks contributed to the decelerating inflation, Arroyo pointed to the slew of measures that the economic managers recommended to address the rising prices.

“Well, they are working,” she said.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported Tuesday that the increase in consumer prices slowed further to 3.0 percent in April, from 3.3 percent in March, primarily due to the falling cost of food, housing and utilities.

The April inflation figure is the lowest level since January 2018, and marked the sixth month that headline inflation has decelerated since peaking at 6.7 percent in September and October last year.

When inflation spiked in 2018 to above 6 percent starting in August, the Cabinet’s Economic Development Cluster led by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III acted promptly and decisively to rein in the rising inflation rate.

They recommended a slew of measures that would help ease the impact of elevated inflation on consumers.

The economic team’s recommendations were immediately acted upon by President Duterte through the issuance of several directives on Sept. 21, 2018.

Among them were Administrative Order (AO) No. 13, which removed administrative restrictions on the importation of agricultural products; and Memorandum Order (MO) No. 26 directing the Departments of Agriculture (DA) and

BY FERDINAND PATINIO Philippine News Agency

GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO / FACEBOOK

Trade and Industry (DTI) to implement measures to reduce the gap between the farm gate and retail prices of agricultural products.

Duterte also issued MO 27, which ordered the DA, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Philippine National Police, and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority to “adopt measures to ensure the efficient and seamless delivery” of imported agricultural and fishery products from ports to markets; while MO 28 directed the National Food Authority (NFA) to immediately release existing rice stocks in its warehouses.

The other Presidential directives included instructing: the DTI, NFA, PNP, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and farmers’ groups to form monitoring teams to closely watch over the transport of rice from ports to NFA warehouses and retail outlets; and the DA to replicate the issuance of certificates of necessity to allow fish imports to be distributed

in Metro Manila’s wet markets and other markets of the country.

Duterte also instructed the DTI to set up public markets where producers can sell their goods directly to consumers, as a way to reduce the gap between the farm gate and retail prices of chicken and other products; the Sugar Regulatory Administration to open sugar imports to direct users; and the Bureau of Customs to prioritize the release of essential food items in the ports.

These supply-side measures complemented the monetary decisions of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to nip the rising inflation in the bud.

Meanwhile, President Duterte’s signing of the Rice Tariffication Act (RA 11203) last February is expected to further ease inflation by the end of the year.

The rice tariffication law has been vigorously pushed by Duterte’s economic managers as one way to address inflation. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

ings to be constructed.

“With the approved budget of PHP3.757 trillion in 2019, at least a million more would benMANILA — President Rodrigo efit from the projects impleDuterte’s “Build, Build, Build” mented by DPWH,” Villar said.

(BBB) program has generated “We hope that this massive a record-breaking number of infrastructure program of the employment opportunities government will be able to nationwide, with over 4 mil- solve traffic woes and improve lion people employed since connectivity among towns and 2016, the Department of Public cities, and will further improve Works and Highways (DPWH) livelihood nationwide,” he addreported on Tuesday. ed.

According to DPWH SecreUnder the BBB programs, the tary Mark Villar, 4,199,228 jobs government will be constructwere generated from the road, ing roads, bridges, airport, railbridge, flood-control and other ways among others, with a total infrastructure projects of the budget of PHP8 trillion, coverdepartment all over the coun- ing 2017 to 2022. try.

The program He also reportis the governed that almost ment’s mediumhalf of the work term goal to inwere created The DPWH crease spending from projects official from 5.4 percent funded under added that of the country’s 2018 General in 2016 they Gross Domestic Appropriations were able Product (GDP) Act (GAA). to provide to 7.3 percent by “Thanks to the jobs to the end the Preshuge increase in some 1.087 ident Duterte’s DPWH budget million term in 2022. since President workers.

Also, under the Rodrigo Roa program, existDuterte took ing road network over, we were will be expanded able to provide and upgraded, jobs to millions of Filipinos strategic inter-island bridges across the country,” he said in a will also be given priority. statement.

Earlier, the Department LaThe DPWH official added bor and Employment (DOLE) that in 2016 they were able said that excess demand for to provide jobs to some 1.087 workers and improvement of million workers; 1.281 million wages will prove that the govthe following year and around ernment multi-trillion worth 1.830 million in 2018. infrastructure program is efUnder the BBB, he said fective. contractors hired at least 50 This includes demand for percent of unskilled and 30 workers such as carpenters, percent of skilled labor require- plumbers, electricians, masons, ment from the locality where among others. the projects are located within Among the key infrastructure an average of four months per projects under the BBB Proproject, 22 days per month. gram include the Subic-Clark “These workers are earn- Railway and the North-South ing an average daily wage of railway projects connecting PHP550 and are helping us Los Baños, Laguna to Tutuban, build vital infrastructure proj- Manila and Clark Freeport in ects across the country,” Villar Pampanga. added.

It likewise includes the With this, the DPWH chief 1,500-hectare industrial park noted that for this year, some in Clark, Pampanga and the ex1 million workers are likely to pansion of Clark International benefit from other undertak- Airport. ■

Philippine News

8

MAY 10, 2019

FRIDAY

Man claiming... ❰❰ 1

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 Mariano Luis V. Quintos, Jr. 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

Email: info@canadianinquirer.net, sales@canadianinquirer.net Instagram: @pcinewsofficial Twitter:@pcinewsofficial Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/ channel/UCGvCxcZGXZVbAWhNLRJIfTw Philippine Canadian Inquirer is published weekly every Friday.

Copies are distributed free throughout Metro Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, and Greater Toronto.

The views and opinions expressed in the articles (including opinions expressed in ads herein) are those of the authors named, and are not necessarily those of Philippine Canadian Inquirer Editorial Team.

PCI reserves the right to reject any advertising which it considers to contain false or misleading information or involves unfair or unethical practices. The advertiser agrees the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of error in any advertisement.

Member

the public. kaukit sa tattoo ng mga senior members ernment. Also serving as the President’s “Nagdesisyon akong luma- ng sindikato tulad nina Paolo Duterte chief legal counsel, Panelo said that Go bas dahil una – merong banta at Bong Go. Pinapadala ito sa financial already showed his bare back in a previsa aking buhay. Ikalawa – dahil sa tawag controller ng sindikato na naka-base sa ous briefing, which makes Advincula’s ng konsensya (I decided to come out be- Hong Kong upang ma-validate ang mga statement untrue. cause one – I have threats to my life. Two transaksyon (Part of the task of our team In another press briefing on the same – because of the call of conscience),” he is to scan the codes embedded on the day that “Bikoy” revealed himself, Go said. tattoos of senior members like Paolo once again showed his back as proof.

“Bikoy” explained that, “Nakikita ko Duterte and Bong Go. This is sent to With the elections happening just a ang pagwasak ng pamilya na dulot ng the syndicates’ financial controller who few days from now, different governdroga, na kung saan naging bahagi ako is based in Hong Kong to validate the ment agencies and figures and senatosa pagpapakalat nito noong miyembro transactions).” he narrated. rial bets supporting the Duterte adminpa ako ng sindikato (I can see the deHe also added, “Ilang beses din na ako istration have released their statements. struction of families caused by drugs, in mismo ang nag-i-iscan ng code sa tattoo Department of Justice (DOJ) Secrewhich I became part of its spread when I ni Bong Go, kaya tinitiyak ko po sa inyo tary Menardo Guevarra on Wednesday, was still a member of the syndicate.” na may dragon tattoo siya pati na rin si advised “Bikoy” that the NBI is waitHe, however, clarified that he is not af- Paolo Duterte (I have scanned the code ing for him to “show up and submit his filiated with any candidates, especially on the tattoo of Bong Go, this is why I complaint” hours after the IBP formally that of the opposition Otso Diretso, or am sure that he has a dragon tattoo, and turned down his plea for legal assistance. any political party for that matter. He Paolo Duterte as well).”

IBP president Abdiel Elijah S. Fajardo also said that he has no connection with “Bikoy” then said that he was impris- in a statement said that “The decision any media personalities or institutions oned because of a fraud case back in was reached after a thorough evaluation that were in the “Oust Duterte Matrix.” 2012, and he was freed in 2016 which of his application was conducted by the He also negated the claim of Rodel was when he decided to change his ways. NCLA (National Center for Legal Aid).”

Jayme, the alleged uploader of the “Ang However, according to him, an enHe added that this decision was made Totoong Narcolist,” saying that he does counter with Go, whom he said rec- “based on the standards provided for in not know him. ognized his face in a gathering by the the NCLA Manual of Operations in apAdvincula in his statement also de- company where he works for, changed proving such requests.” tailed a timeline of his activities before the owner’s treatment of him. He also Philippine National Police (PNP) and after his supposed drug trade in- claimed getting a warning from a co- through the top cop, General Oscar Alvolvement. worker that his life is in danger. bayalde, also said that “Bikoy’s” identity He said that he must be confirmed as used to be a Marketthey “are not experts ing Executive at Vito determine whethtaPlus, and it was in er the voice of Bikoy February 2010 when He also said that he has no connection with any in the video and his his boss whom he media personalities or institutions that were in voice are that of one identified as Tess Rathe “Oust Duterte Matrix.” He also negated person.” ñola, transferred him the claim of Rodel Jayme, the alleged uploader On the other to the Operations of the “Ang Totoong Narcolist,” saying that he hand, Senator PanCenter of the syndidoes not know him. filo “Ping” Lacson on cate’s Underground Wednesday cancelled Facilities as a control the Senate inquiry on man of its radio base Advincula, a day after and CCTV operahe invited him. tions. He was then moved to the TransIt was on year 2018 when he decided In a tweet, Lacson said his reason is mitting and Facilitating Team. to quit and go into hiding and expose his the information bared by Senate Presi“Kami ang naghahanda ng monthly knowledge of the underground transac- dent Vicente “Tito” Sotto III. Tara – isang internal document ng sindi- tions. “Bikoy” also said that some former Sotto said in a press conference that kato, na kung saan nakalista angmonthly members of the syndicate group passed Advincula also claimed that the previallocation ng mga principals ng sindi- to him some of the documents that ap- ous administration was involved in ilkato. Ito po ‘yung dokumentong ipnakita peared on his supposed video. legal drug trade, as shown in the sworn ko sa video serye (We are the ones who “Handa po ako humarap sa anumang affidavit that the Senate president prehandle the monthly Tara – the internal imbestigasyon ng Senado upang patoto- sented. document of syndicates in which the hanan ang lahat ng inilabas ko savideo “Nire-review namin ulit, makikita monthly allocations of syndicate prin- serye (I am prepared to face any investi- niyo ‘yung pagkahawig dun sa Bikoy secipals are listed. This is the document gation by the Senate to prove whatever ries at saka doon sa statement niya in the that I showed in the video serye),” he was exposed in the video serye),” he said. IBP (We reviewed it again, and you can claimed.

Advincula asked for the public’s see that there are similarities with his It can be remembered that Rañola prayers for his safety in this ‘real war claims in the Bikoy series and his statefiled with the National Bureau of Inves- on drugs,’ then continued saying that ment in the IBP),” he said. tigation (NBI) last week a complaint, the drug problem in the country will Earlier, before Sotto’s press conferthat led to the arrest of Jayme. continue to proliferate as long as those ence, Advincula declined Lacson’s ininvolved are close to President Rodrigo vitation in an interview with Rappler, Duterte kin, aide involvement Duterte. saying that he is still waiting for a legal Advincula proceeded on describing counsel and that he hopes to go on with his job when he was still part of the il- ‘Black propaganda,’ investigation the investigation after the elections on legal drug trade and his alleged encounMalacañang through Presidential Monday, May 13. ters with the Presidential son and for- Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, in an inAs of writing time of this article, mer aide. terview with CNN Philippines on Mon- Advincula has yet to make a statement “Bahagi po ng gawain ng aming team day, maintained that the video serye is following the developments after his reay ang pag-scan ng mga codes na na- only black propaganda against the gov- veal. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

Philippine News

FRIDAY MAY 10, 2019

9

Manzano still ‘legitimate’ candidate despite Comelec DQ ruling

BY CHRISTOPHER LLOYD CALIWAN Philippine News Agency

RICHARD MADELO / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

PRRD enjoins Filipinos to uplift each other’s lives as Ramadan starts

BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency MANILA — Regardless of religion, President Rodrigo R. Duterte enjoined all Filipinos to uplift each other’s lives as he joined Muslim Filipinos in their observance of the fasting month of Ramadan, which began on the evening of May 5.

“This administration strives to unite all Filipinos, regardless of religion, cultural tradition, and political belief,” Duterte said in his Ramadan message on Monday.

“Together, let us create the change that we have been aspiring for — the social and moral transformation that is real and meaningful and the lasting progress that will uplift the lives of our kababayans,” he added.

Duterte expressed hope that the occasion would “remind everyone of the values of sacrifice, patience, humility, and obedience to the teachings of the Holy Quran.”

At the same time, Duterte said the fasting month should also be an opportunity to ask God’s forgiveness for sins and

to be thankful for all the blessings received in the past year.

The President also urged Filipinos to offer prayers for peace, solidarity, and understanding among people and all of humanity.

Duterte, meanwhile, sent his warmest greetings to Muslim Filipinos here in the Philippines and across the globe in observing the Holy Month of Ramadan.

“I join the Muslim Filipino community here in the Philippines and across the globe in celebrating their faith in Allah,” Duterte said.

“I wish you an inspiring and blessed Ramadhan,” Duterte said.

Ramadan is the most important month of the year in the Muslim calendar.

During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from eating and drinking during daylight hours in a fast called sawm, which is one of the five pillars of Islam.

According to Islamic tradition, it was on the 27th day of Ramadan that the Prophet Muhammad received the first revelations of the Quran as he meditated in a cavern outside Mecca. ■

MANILA — Actor Edu Manzano on Wednesday maintained that he is still included in the congressional race for the lone district of San Juan City.

“I am not disqualified. Kandidato pa rin ako (I’m still a candidate). My name is still in the ballot. I can still be voted on. And my votes will still be counted,” Manzano said in a press conference.

This came after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) cancelled Manzano’s certificate of candidacy (COC) citing issues on his citizenship.

Manzano maintained that he renounced his allegiance to another country when he filed his candidacy, stressing that he faced the same complaint in 1998 when he won the race for vice-mayor of Makati City.

“When I filed my COC, I renounced my other allegiances.”

I voted in ‘92, ‘95, ‘98; I became a candidate in 2010, and then I became a candidate in 2016.

So what happens there is every time you file a certificate of candidacy, there is a little oath there that you renounce your

www.canadianinquirer.net

allegiance to any other country and you affirm your allegiance to your country,” Manzano said.

Manzano, who served the US Army from 1973 to 1977, said that since there was a war ongoing at that time, he said, I was never asked to take an oath of allegiance, so I never swore for the US. “Hindi matatanggal ang pangalan natin sa balota at mabibilang ang boto sa akin ng mga kababayan natin sa San Juan (My name will not be removed from the ballot and the votes of the people of San Juan for me will be counted),” the 63-year-old Manzano said in a message to his supporters in San Juan.

Manzano, along with his lawyer, former Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr., said they will be filing the motion for reconsideration either on Thursday or Friday.

Brillantes noted that Manzano is not yet disqualified to run as the resolution of the Comelec’s second division is not final and executory.

“We are appearing here not just to discuss the merit of the case we just want to have some sort of publicity to counter the negative publicity generated by the announcement that he (Manzano) has already been

disqualified by a mere division which [it’s] decision is not final, and since the election will be on Monday there’s no way that the decision rendered by the division last May 6 will never become final on election day. Therefore, Edu Manzano is still a legitimate candidate,” Brillantes said.

“Once we file the motion for reconsideration, the decision of the division will be considered vacated and we will wait now for the final decision of the Commission en banc, which is expected to come out weeks or months after the election,” he added.

Aside from local posts, Manzano also ran for vice president and for senator in the 2010 and 2016 polls, respectively.

On Monday, the poll body’s Second Division granted the petition filed in November 2018 by Sophia Patricia Gil, a San Juan City resident claiming that Manzano misrepresented himself after he declared that he is a Filipino citizen when he filed his COC for the May 13, 2019 elections.

The Comelec noted that Manzano, who was born both a Filipino and an American citizen, failed to re-acquire his Filipino citizenship at the time he ❱❱ PAGE 24 Manzano still

10

Philippine News

Panelo now says ‘Oust Duterte matrix’ given by unknown source

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer FROM SAYING that the matrix came from the Chief Executive, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador now said he got it through a “text” message from an unknown sender.

Panelo was referring to the matrix linking journalists and lawyers to an alleged plot to oust President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Wala siyang binigay [Duterte], hindi naman siya ang nagbigay basta may nagpadala sa akin ng matrix (He did not give me anything, he was not the one who gave it to me. Someone just sent me the matrix),” the spokesman said in a press briefing on Thursday, May 2.

“Hindi ba sabi ko sa inyo may nagpadala sa akin ngtext? Hindi ba pinakita ko nga sa inyo? Nasa telepono ko eh (I told you that someone sent me a text message, right? I even showed it to you right? It was on my mobile phone),” he added.

Panelo, however, said he did not know who the sender was since the number was not registered in his phone.

This is contrary to his remarks on his April 22 press briefing where he said, “The source of that is from the Office of the President, from the President himself.”

The spokesman said that his copy was blurry that is why he asked his staff to get a clearer copy from The Manila Times by taking a screenshot of the matrix from the latter’s website.

“I asked the staff, sabi ko, ‘Ku-

muha kayo ng ano, doon sa Manila Times medyo maliwanag para makita kung sino iyong mga pangalan (I told him, ‘Get a clearer copy from The Manila Times so that we can see the names),’“ he said.

The Manila Times published an article, written by its chairman emeritus Dante Ang, on the matrix tagging the National Union of People’s Lawyers, media organizations Vera Files and Rappler, and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) to an alleged ouster plot against the President. It came hours before Panelo bared his copy of the diagram to the media.

The report said the media groups have allegedly planted fake news, “manipulate public emotion, touch base with the Leftist organization, enlist the support of the police and the military, then go for the ‘kill.’“ The organization linked in the supposed ouster plot had denied allegations against them and slammed Ang’s article with Rappler saying that it was “an example of how to not write an investigative report — even everyday straight news,” and NUPL stressing they are “too busy” defending and promoting human rights to “hogwash accusations.”

PCIJ, for its part, also said the story was “wrong on so many points.”

The managing editor of The Manila Times, Felipe “Ipe” Salvosa II also resigned from his post, two days after the article came out. Salvosa said he opposed the publication of it. ■

MAY 10, 2019

FRIDAY

7,000 Pinoys barred from leaving PH in Q1 2019: BI

BY FERDINAND PATINIO Philippine News Agency MANILA — Over 7,000 outbound Filipino travelers were barred from leaving the country in the first quarter of 2019 due to the government’s intensified campaign against human trafficking, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported on Tuesday.

In a statement, BI Port Operations Division Chief Grifton Medina said a total of 7,311 passengers were deferred for failure to comply with requirements for travelers bound overseas, from January to March.

“We have been very careful in assessing these travelers as we wanted to ensure that they will not be victimized by human traffickers and illegal recruiters,” he explained.

The BI official added that in screening departing passengers, they follow the guidelines on departure formalities for international-bound passengers by Department of Justice (DOJ).

He said that BI officers are duty-bound to strictly screen departing passengers because they “constitute the last line of defense in the government’s drive to combat trafficking in our ports.”

On the other hand, Medina clarified that being disallowed does not mean perpetual denial to depart the country.

“Passengers whose departures were previously deferred will be allowed after complying with requirements based on the DOJ guidelines,” he said.

“These requirements were set by the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) to ensure that our kababayans are protected from being victimized abroad,” the BI Port Op-

www.canadianinquirer.net

PNA

erations Division head added.

Meanwhile, Erwin Ortañez, head of the bureau’s travel control and enforcement unit (TCEU), said more than 6,000 or about 84 percent of the passengers came from NAIA while the rest were stopped in the airports of Mactan, Clark, Iloilo, Kalibo, and Davao.

He said that majority of the barred passengers had doubtful purpose of travel while some committed fraudulent acts such as misrepresentation and submitting spurious supporting documents.

Among them were the underage overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were caught falsifying their birth dates in their passports and some Filipino workers who presented fake overseas employment certificates (OECs).

Meanwhile, BI Commissioner Jaime Morente lauded port personnel for their vigilance even as he exhorted them not to relent in their efforts to combat human trafficking.

“We will continue our drive to protect our countrymen from these syndicates who keep on sending workers abroad illegally, making them prone to abuse and exploitation in for-

eign lands,” he said.

“The fight against human trafficking and illegal recruitment is a priority for this administration. Modern-day slavery has no place in this world, and we will make sure that Filipinos are protected from this threat,” Morente added.

Morente noted that the country retained its Tier 1 rating in the US State Department’s 2018 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, which was achieved through their efforts and other partner agencies.

“We’re one of the leading countries in the region when it comes to fighting human trafficking,” said Morente.

The premier TIP rating was retained by the Philippines for the third straight year and is one of 39 countries among 186 surveyed that continued to demonstrate serious and sustained efforts to fight trafficking.

A Tier 1 rating is given to those who fully comply with the minimum standards of the US Trafficking Victim Protection Act. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY MAY 10, 2019

11

West PH Sea ‘top concern’ of gov’t: Palace

BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency MANILA — Malacañang said the protection of the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) is already a “top concern” of the government, denying that they were lax in responding to Chinese activities in the contested waters.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, also the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel, made this remark after the Supreme Court (SC) issued a writ of Kalikasan for the protection and preservation of three shoals within the country’s territory in the WPS. “We stress that the essence of such writ of kalikasan, which is the protection of the marine ecosystem of the West Philippine Sea is already a top concern and agenda of the government,” Panelo said in a statement released on Saturday night (May 4).

The writ of Kalikasan was issued to prevent violations of environmental laws in Philippine territorial waters and in the exclusive economic zone, specifically the Panatag Shoal,

Ayungin Shoal, and Mischief Reef.

Panelo said the Palace has yet to receive a copy of the High Court’s order but stressed that it found no issue in performing such enforcement pursuant to the Constitution and principles of international law.

Panelo said although Palace has always respected the orders and decisions of the Judiciary, especially the Supreme Court, and denied “inaction” when it came to environmental concerns.

“We take exception, however, to the contention that there has been inaction on the part of the administration with regard to the environmental concerns brought about by Chinese activities in the contested areas,” Panelo said.

He said the Coast Guard and other government agencies are performing their task in securing the subject of the writ.

Panelo acknowledged allegations of “certain unwanted incursions” that have brought damage in the area but reminded the SC that they have been made in contested areas.

He noted the government has already filed a series of diplo-

Mischief Reef at the Spratly Islands on March 17, 2015.

ASIA MARITIME TRANSPARENCY INITIATIVE

matic protests against China, but insisted against performing “provocative acts” that would harm diplomatic ties between the two countries.

He has repeatedly insisted that holding bilateral negotiations between the Philippines and China is currently the “most effective” way to resolve the dispute over the contested waters.

“While we promptly made a

series of diplomatic protests using the mechanism of diplomacy to assert our rights, we also undertook protective measures even as we are consciously cautious not to perform provocative acts that may trigger armed hostilities between the contesting countries which may risk the lives of our countrymen and cost irreparable damage to our land,” Panelo said.

Panelo, meanwhile, said Pal-

ace will let the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) defend the executive noting that action is already being heard by the Judiciary.

He also ensured that the Duterte administration will continue to assert the sovereignty of the country and protect its environment.

“Whatever the outcome of the petition, we assure the nation that this administration is committed to protect the sovereignty of our country and the protection of our marine environment against any and all who will attempt to assault or violate them,” Panelo said.

In their April 16 petition, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) and the fisherfolk groups claimed the government “failed to perform their duties” in the WPS as mandated in the environmental laws and regulations.

The petitioners asserted the 2016 arbitral ruling that favors the Philippines and invalidates China’s massive claims on the disputed sea and found that Chinese fishing vessels are involved in harvesting endangered species in Panatag and Ayungin Shoals. ■

OFW Bank to start operations after appointment of board members

BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency MANILA — The proposed bank for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) will start operations as soon as all appointments of the board of directors are made, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made the assurance after Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III raised concerns during Monday night’s Cabinet meeting that no appointment has been made in the bank’s board of directors.

“As soon as there is an appointment with the three members of the board, operations na kaagad ‘yan (it can start operating),” Panelo said in a Palace briefing. He, however, did not elaborate which positions needed to be filled.

The board will be chaired by the Landbank president. Other members are Landbank-designated OFW president as vice chairperson; four Landbankdesignated directors or officers as members; a member representing the Department of Labor and Employment; a member representing the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration; and a private sector member representing overseas Filipinos.

Panelo said the OFW Bank has remained non-operational for more than a year since President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order 44 on its establishment because board members have yet to be appointed.

“Ang explanation yata ni Secretary Bello, kasi wala pang naaappoint na tatlong members ng board. (The explanation given

by Secretary Bello is that they have yet to appoint three more

members of the board),” he said.

Panelo said Duterte has already instructed the Department of Finance (DOF) to speed up the review of the appointments.

“Si Presidente (ang mag-a-appoint) pero vini-vet siya nila Secretary of Finance. Pinapamadali niya yung vetting (The President will appoint but it is being vetted by the Secretary of Finance. He already asked him to speed up the vetting),” he said.

“As soon as the recommendation of the Secretary of Finance is there, makaka-appoint agad si Presidente (the President can already appoint),” he added.

Panelo shrugged off remarks that the appointment of board members is taking too long, noting that this is natural, considering “there is so much work to do in government.”

He, however, assured that the www.canadianinquirer.net

Front of the Overseas Filipino Bank Head Office Building during the launching of the Overseas Filipino Bank by President Rodrigo R. Duterte on January 18, 2018.

SWEEDEN VELADO / PEOPLE’S TELEVISION NETWORK

Duterte administration continues to prioritize all problems concerning OFWs. Meanwhile, Panelo said the DOF is also trying to make the bank digital to make it easier for OFWs to use their smartphones in all of their transactions.

In September 2017, Duterte signed EO 44 directing the Phil-

ippine Postal Corp. (PhilPost) and the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) to transfer their Postalbank shares to the Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank) at zero value.

Under the EO, Landbank was ordered to ensure the capitalization of the Overseas Filipino Bank. ■

Philippine News

12

MAY 10, 2019

FRIDAY

PRRD signs Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act

BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a bill institutionalizing energy efficiency and conservation, enhancing the efficient use of energy, and granting incentives to energy efficiency and conservation projects in the country.

Duterte signed the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act (Republic Act 11285) on April 12, but a copy of which was released to media on Tuesday (May 7).

Under the new law, government recognizes the need to “institutionalize energy efficiency and conservation as a national way of life geared towards the efficient and judicious utilization of energy by formulating, developing, and implementing energy efficiency and conservation plans and programs.”

This way, it would “secure sufficiency and stability of

energy supply in the country to cushion the impact of high prices of imported fuels to local markets and protect the environment in support of the economic and social development goals of the country.”

The law creates an InterAgency Energy Efficiency and Conservation Committee (IAEECC) to evaluate and approve government energy efficient projects as defined under the new law and to provide strategic direction in the implementation of the Government Energy Management Program (GEMP).

The GEMP refers to the government-wide program to reduce the government’s monthly consumption of electricity and petroleum products through electricity efficiency and conservation, and efficiency and conservation in fuel use of government vehicles, among others.

The IAEECC shall be chaired by the Energy Secretary and composed of the Secretaries of

TOTO LOZANO / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

the Department of Budget and Management, Department of Finance, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Transportation, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Interior and Local Government, and the Department of Public Works and Highways, and the Director General of National Economic and Development Authority.

Powers and functions of the IAEECC include to prepare an annual assessment of opportunities for energy cost reduction in state-owned and leased buildings and facilities designated by the IAEECC; to review all proposed capital projects and energy cost operating budgets of agencies designated by the IAEECC; and, recommend energy conversation measures

which would reduce operating costs in state-owned and leased buildings or facilities.

The IAEECC is also tasked to provide any officer or entity of government technical and consultative assistance concerning energy cost management or conservation and annually recommends specific operations and maintenance procedure modifications and capital projects for state-owned and leased buildings and facilities designed to reduce energy consumption and costs.

It may also issue a report describing the status of government energy efficiency projects and the GEMP, and develop after study of existing emerging energy conservation technologies and guidelines as may be necessary or desirable to aid the work of the IAEECC among other tasks.

The act is a consolidation of Senate Bill 1531 and House Bill 8629 which was passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on Jan. 30, 2019. ■

Thinking About Your Mortgage?

Think Clear Trust!

Ranked in the Top 10 Mortgage Brokerage Firms in Canada by Canadian Mortgage Professional 2 years in a row.

Over 120 registered mortgage advisors to serve you with offices in Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, and Toronto.

Clear Trust is the largest Asian-focussed independent mortgage brokerage firm fluent in various languages such as Tagalog, Cantonese, Mandarin, and more!

We provide financing for New Immigrants, First-time home buyers, Self-Employed, and various Alternative Lending options.

Handa kaming tumulong sa lahat ng inyong home financing needs.

Call us now at mag pa pre-qualify na sa Clear Trust. Sa Clear Trust Mortgages, we see things from a different point of view…YOURS!

www.canadianinquirer.net

info@cleartrust.ca

604.495.8787 Independently Owned & Operated

13

FRIDAY MAY 10, 2019

Dissecting Intriguing... ❰❰ 22

to more than 400,000 in Toronto alone.

But as they say, “Those who come to Montreal, do not leave Montreal.”

Despite the extreme winter and sweltering summers, there is that aura that keeps people grounded and contented. Kuya Gerry, Dario, or Boy landed in and never left Montreal ever since.

Parlez vous francais?

But wasn’t it difficult that they were not speaking French?

It does seem to be a real issue today that if you do not speak French, you have a lesser chance of landing a job in Quebec, or maybe even surviving.

They said they tried to learn a bit of French but maybe, were just fortunate enough to have found jobs that did not require them to speak French. And they say, there are still jobs that will not require one to be bilingual; we just have to find them.

On this note, Kuya Joseph Gonzales who is also a very active mover of the Filipino Montreal community (please read his own story in the Inset article) recalls “I will never forget how on May 2, 2001, on my fourth day in Montreal, as I was on my way to my very first job interview in Montreal, I politely asked in English the lady driver of bus 115 going to the West Island to let me off at New Brunswick Avenue. She answered me in French. When I told her that I did not speak French, she began to give me a long lecture that was punctuated with, “Why don’t you learn French? It is free!” I looked at her and told her that it was only my fourth day in the country and that it was my intention to learn the language. I left her after paying my fare.”

He further noted that “French being the official language in Quebec may be a useful tool in order to get jobs.

There are jobs where the ability to speak the language is not a requirement, but they are not many and they are usually the jobs that pay less. I spent the first 2 years of my life in Montreal learning French. I decided to learn French for fear that I would not be able to help my future child if I did not have the ability to speak, read and write the language. I landed my teaching job because of my abil-

ity to speak French.”

In reality today, Montreal, among other Quebec areas, is widely considered a more “open” city in terms of welcoming non-French speaking nationals as international students abound in this place.

Here, locals greet you two ways, for example: Bon jour, good morning! If you answer in English, then they will proceed to speak to you in English. However, some who had been to places more remote, claim that there are still Quebecers who will only speak to you in French.

Pinoy Organizations in Montreal

An account reports that there are more than 1,000 Filipino organizations in Canada.

Similar to many other major cities in this country, Filipino groups and social clubs abound in Montreal. This stems from the reality that people have different interests, lifestyles, and even political preferences and affiliations. Among those in Montreal - from whom this author had met some officers aside from the Federation are the Filipino Association of Montreal and the Suburbs (FAMAS), the Knights of Rizal, the Council of Canadian-Filipino Association of Quebec, and the Philippine Benevolent and Scholarship Society of Quebec.

Kuya Joseph Gonzales relates, “The first organization I joined in Montreal was the Quebec Association of Canadian-Filipino Teachers (QACFT).

I joined the organization because I saw the need to empower certain sectors of the Filipino community through education.

As soon as Filipino community leaders in Montreal got to know me, invitations to join other groups came one after another.

Among the other organizations he joined were the Philippine Benevolent and Scholarship Society of Quebec (PBSSQ) and the Federation of Filipino-Canadian Associations of Quebec (FFCAQ). PBSSQ is an organization that supports deserving students who are in their final year of elementary, high school, CEGEP or university.

He said it was only in 2013 when he joined the Filipino Association of Montreal and Suburbs (FAMAS). He admitted that before that time, he did not want what he was hearing about

FAMAS, until a good friend Nida Quiparas convinced him otherwise.

Kuya Joseph must be referring to that unfortunate period when Pinoys in Montreal felt that they were very disunited.

The age-old problems of bickering and factionalism among themselves muddle the chance to achieve more as one people.

“Although, by nature, Filipinos are friendly, the crab mentality is endemic in some sectors and generations. There are still those who will never be happy for the success of others.

The community, which should be united, is divided into factions and sub-factions. And those who are not in the factions or the sub-factions are deemed as “from the other side,” Joseph observes.

However, he advises, “Such people do not deserve any stressing over. They will do what they do and think what they think no matter what you do. One may not confront them either. It is the Filipino mentality! When one is able to speak his mind, he is proud. You just take them with a grain of salt.

Not all Filipinos are like them anyway. There are those who would appreciate all the good that you do for the community.

There are still those who are genuinely good, and they are the reason I keep on believing that the Filipinos are not hopeless.”

Thus, we can see Joseph exerting his best as the new secretary of FAMAS. He informed that through the efforts of the current directors, the group continues to evolve and improve its services in the community. One such service is its Soup a Sabado, a brainchild of Joseph himself and well-received by the community.

Then there is the PBSSQ which grants financial support to deserving graduating students. PBSSQ was founded

by Mrs. Natalie Olarte Pelausa 35 years ago. Generous members of the community sponsor some of these bursaries, according to Joseph. PBSSQ also recognizes community and church leaders with their Community, Benevolence, and Leadership Awards.

The Knights of Rizal (KOR) holds the distinction of being the sole knighthood order in the Philippines and so honored to be granted a legislative charwww.canadianinquirer.net

ter as a non-sectarian, nonpartisan, non-racial civic, patriotic, and cultural organization under Republic Act 646 of June 14, 1951. Leaders such as Kuya Gerry and Kuya Dario in Montreal continue to put KOR at the top of active and generous groups that endeavour to keep Filipinos in Montreal busy and united.

Coffice in Montreal and Pinoy Catholics

Everyone I talked to for this write-up are one in saying that if it were your first time in Montreal and/or looking for a Filipino friend to connect with or reconnect with, go to the Tim Hortons branch at the corner of Victoria and Van Horne Streets, right at Plamandon subway train station.

Pinoys call it their “coffice.”

This Tim Hortons outlet is not even owned by a Pinoy but it just became a place to talk serious or not-so serious business, unwind stressed minds, pour one’s heart out, keep up with the news, and meet new kababayans. Totally, a busy Pinoy hub of its own. Here you see them in all sizes and shapes, in all age groups, gender or political preferences. Pinoys elsewhere in Canada sometimes joke about getting wearisome about talking in English (or may be French for some in Montreal) and so they try to find some place where they can speak Tagalog to their hearts’ content.

The great majority of Montreal Pinoys are still Catholics or Catholic Christians. If you want to worship with or among with your kababayans, St. Kevin Parish at Cotes-desNeiges Road is where you will usually find a lot of them. The official website of the church even prides that “Saint-Kevin’s is home to the annual novena and feast day celebrations of : Cebu’s Senor Santo Niño, Bicol’s Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia, Saint Anthony of Padua, and Simbang Gabi.”

Christianity is still the most popular religion in Quebec, with Roman Catholicism having the highest adherents, record show. 2011 statistics reported that Roman Catholicism had the largest number of followers to a Christian denomination and religion in Canada.

During the same year, 12.81 million Canadians or 38.9% of the

population are baptized Catholics.

Currently in Canada, six (6) of the thirteen provinces and territories allow for faith-based school boards to be supported by the government. These are Quebec, Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, and Yukon (to grade 9 only). Quebec also has privately-run Catholic schools in downtown Montreal, old Montreal, Mount Royal and other surrounding areas.

Winter in Montreal

Some people call Montreal, the winter city. Winter can stretch from November to April, taking more than six months at times.

Joseph relates, “Winter in Montreal can be very harsh, but it is nothing to a person who can handle the stress of being uprooted from his country of origin. The extreme temperature that comes with Montreal winter does not compare with the mental anguish separation from one’s loved ones may present.”

“When I was new in Montreal and did not have the luxury of a car, with the temp at 40 degrees centigrade below zero, I experienced waiting for a bus that did not show up, at a stop where there was no shed to protect me from the elements. I got sick the next day.”

“Snow can be fun the first time you experience it, but when you have to deal with it the whole stretch of the season, you just get tired of it. There is nothing to love about winter, whether for one who has to use public transport or for one who drives his own car. Walking on snow is not easy, but driving on it is not easy either,” he added.

As in the Machiavellian philosophy, if you can’t beat them, join them. Lining up an array of exciting and coolest winter activities is Montrealites’ way of embracing their freezing weather. It is in fact one of the best places to be during winter if we know how to bundle up and learn to ride in the fun.

And the Montreal Pinoys, no matter hailing from a seriously furious tropical country at 40 degrees centrigrade above zero sometimes, are simply showing they are ready to take on any part of the world, come high or hell waters, scorching summers or freezing winters. ■

14

Canada News Pompeo says Canadian claim to Northwest Passage is ‘illegitimate’

BY MIKE BLANCHFIELD The Canadian Press OTTAWA — Canada’s claim over the Northwest Passage is “illegitimate,” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday in a major speech to the Arctic Council that Canadian experts called both provocative and frequently inaccurate.

Pompeo offered his characterization during a wide-ranging speech in Finland in which he also warned against China’s increased Arctic presence, saying it threatens North American security and could be harmful to the environment.

Pompeo reiterated long-held concerns about Russia’s military build-up in the Arctic and how that, too, is viewed as being counter to American security interests.

“No one denies Russia has significant Arctic interests,” Pompeo said in a transcript of remarks circulated by the U.S. State Department. “We recognize that Russia is not the only nation making illegitimate claims. The U.S. has a long-contested feud with Canada over sovereign claims through the Northwest Passage.”

Pompeo’s branding of a longtime disagreement on Arctic policy between the Canada and the U.S. is a “stunning rebuke” of the 1988 Arctic Co-operation agreement between the two countries, said Fen Hampson, the head of the internationalsecurity program at the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo, Ont.

“It underscores the ‘upsetThe Canadian government every-applecart’ approach by pointed to that agreement in rethe Trump administration to sponding to Pompeo’s speech.

Canada-U.S. relations,” said “Canada and the U.S. have Hampson, the author of a re- differing views regarding the cent book on the foreign policy status of the Northwest Passage of former prime minister Brian under international law,” said Mulroney.

Guillaume Berube, a spokesThe routes between the At- man for the Department of lantic and Pacific oceans run Foreign Affairs. “The situabetween Canadian islands but tion is well managed, including the two countries disagree through the 1988 Arctic Coabout whether that makes them operation Agreement, accordinternal Canadian waters or in- ing to which the U.S. governternational waters that have ment seeks Canada’s consent Canadian territory nearby. The for its icebreakers to navigate disagreement matters more the waterways. Canada remains US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. now that melting Arctic sea ice committed to exercising the means the Northwest Passage full extent of its rights and sov- can do if the U.S. sends a ship is getting closer to being a via- ereignty over its territory and through the passage without ble commercial shipping route. its Arctic waters, including the prior notification, he said.

The agreement reached by various waterways commonly “We can remind them, Mulroney and then-president referred to as the Northwest though, that if they are worried Ronald Reagan allows the U.S. Passage. Those waterways are about a growing Chinese and to designate the Northwest part of the internal waters of Russian presence in the North Passage as an international wa- Canada.” and aspirations to create a cirterway while allowing Canada Hampson said the treaty was cumpolar Silk Road, they might to say that it is a part of Cana- a “neighbourly understand- want to work more closely with dian sovereign territory. ing to agree to disagree about their NORAD partner and reThe treaty frain from chalrecognizes lenging our sovthe “close and ereignty,” said friendly relaHampson. tions between We recognize that Russia is not “This isn’t the their two counthe only nation making illegitimate time to be throwtries, the uniqueclaims. The U.S. has a longing snowballs.” ness of ice-covcontested feud with Canada over Michael Byers, ered maritime sovereign claims through the an Arctic expert areas, the opNorthwest Passage. at the Univerportunity to sity of British increase their Columbia, said knowledge of the Pompeo’s charmarine environment of the Arc- Canada’s territorial claims over acterization of the Canadian tic through research conducted the Northwest Passage, where- position as illegitimate is actuduring icebreaker voyages, and by the U.S. would seek Cana- ally factually correct, but it is their shared interest in safe, ef- da’s permission about transit “the only accurate and rational fective icebreaker navigation through these straits.” statement in the speech.” off their Arctic coasts.”

There is little that Canada The federal government

www.canadianinquirer.net

@SECPOMPEO / TWITTER

should be worried that the top diplomat from one of its key Arctic allies got his facts so wrong, Byers said.

One of the most glaring of several mistakes, said Byers, is Pompeo’s assertion that China is trying to build infrastructure in the Canadian Far North.

China is “planning to build infrastructure from Canada, to the Northwest Territories, to Siberia,” Pompeo said. “This is part of a very familiar pattern.

Beijing attempts to develop critical infrastructure using Chinese money, Chinese companies, and Chinese workers — in some cases, to establish a permanent Chinese security presence.”

China’s signature international infrastructure project, the multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, aims to expand trade by building roads, ports and other facilities to connect Asia through Africa and the ❱❱ PAGE 17 Pompeo says

Canada News

FRIDAY MAY 10, 2019

15

As child benefits climb, feds look to get payments in to families missing out

BY JORDAN PRESS The Canadian Press OTTAWA — A planned increase in the value of the Canada Child Benefit will miss just over onefifth of Indigenous families living on reserves, part of the five per cent of families nationwide who don’t receive the monthly payments.

Federal officials plan to visit more than 500 rural and remote Indigenous communities over the next 11 months to get more people to take advantage of the benefit by simply filing their taxes.

The value of the tax-free benefit is based on income plucked from annual tax returns that were due last month.

Government documents obtained by The Canadian Press under the access-to-information law show that in the first year of a three-year outreach plan, officials visited 613 Indigenous communities, 62 per cent of which Employment and Social Development Canada had not previously visited.

The documents for a meeting last June between officials at ESDC and the Canada Revenue Agency noted challenges including geography, language and weather, but found a posi-

tive effect “on service delivery for both clients and staff.”

Social Development Minister Yves Duclos said the numbers of people missing out on the benefit are a concern, despite being an improvement on the system the Canada Child Benefit replaced when it was introduced in July 2016.

Under the previous mix of a universal monthly benefit and assorted tax credits, take-up was about 50 per cent of Indigenous families, Duclos said.

“There is a lot more work to do and it has to do with tax filing, it has to do with reaching out to remote communities, it has to do with working respectfully with Indigenous leaders,” Duclos said in a telephone interview Monday.

“In short, more to do, but I think some progress that we can build on.”

The value of the benefit is increasing this summer for the second year in a row under a plan the Liberals first announced in fall 2017, to peg payments to the rate of inflation, similar to payments from the old-age security and the guaranteed income supplement programs.

The maximum child-benefit payments will be $6,639 for each child up to age five, and up to $5,602 per child aged six to

17 starting on July 20.

There is broad agreement that the child benefit has helped lift some 278,000 children above the official poverty line, with help from good economic conditions, but experts predicted a decline in the effects if the Liberals had waited to index the benefit to the rate of inflation until next year as originally planned.

The concern was that the benefit’s buying power would erode over time as prices increased but benefit payments did not. The parliamentary budget watchdog added an-

other wrinkle in a 2016 report that predicted a decline in the number of families qualifying for the benefit if the payments didn’t adjust to incomes that increased with inflation.

Duclos couldn’t say how many more children may be lifted above the official poverty line with an indexed child benefit. Official poverty numbers for 2019 won’t be available until 2021.

Liberal MPs used social media Monday to tout the increase, often without mentioning that it’s to keep pace with inflation. Duclos said one of the

messages was that sound social policy required keeping up with inflation, which wasn’t the case with the previous Conservative government’s universal childcare benefit.

Duclos said he didn’t see his government — even a re-elected one — going back on the decision to index the benefit.

“That would be a terrible thing to do and all the partners and the stakeholders with whom we’ve had the fortune of working the last years have been very strong in advocating that this has to be the case,” Duclos said. ■

Canadians remember Second World War’s long, dark Battle of the Atlantic

BY LEE BERTHIAUME The Canadian Press OTTAWA – Canadians across the country marked one of the longest, darkest and most pivotal chapters of this country’s involvement in the Second World War on Sunday: The Battle of the Atlantic.

Lasting the whole of the war in Europe from September 1939 to May 1945, the battle saw Canada and its allies fighting Nazi submarines, planes and ships for control of the North Atlantic seaways.

More than 4,600 Canadians would lose their lives, including sailors, merchant mariners and aircrew trying to protect vital convoys as they crossed

the cold and choppy waves carrying supplies to England and Europe.

Those supplies kept the British from starving during the early years of the war after the Nazis had taken control of Europe, and then provided the men, ammunition and equipment needed to free the continent.

But it was also a difficult and dangerous environment, with German U-boats lurking beneath the waves and the cold ocean offering a quick death to sailors who weren’t quickly rescued after their ships were sunk.

During a ceremony at the National War Memorial Sunday morning attended by hundreds of people, a ship’s bell was rung

as the names of the 33 Canadian naval vessels lost during the Second World War were read out one by one.

The event, held under a cloudless blue sky, also remembered the more than 900 Canadian aircrew and 1,700 merchant mariners who lost their lives during the Battle of Atlantic.

One of those attending was 91-year-old retired captain Paul Bender, who served in the Canadian Merchant Navy and led an ultimately successful effort to designate Canada’s sunken naval ships “ocean war graves.”

Having joined the war effort when he was 15 years old, Bender was only a few days older than 16 when his merchant www.canadianinquirer.net

ship was sunk by the Germans in November 1943.

“It’s not very pleasant having your ship sunk underneath you,” he said. “But that’s one of the challenges of wartime.”

Bender, who would eventually cross the Atlantic with five convoys, said ceremonies like the one in Ottawa are vital to remembering the Battle of the Atlantic and the sacrifices Canadians made for their country and society.

Sunday’s ceremony came one day before the 75th anniversary of the sinking of HMCS Valleyfield, which the Germans torpedoed as it returned to Canada from escorting a convoy. It sank off the coast of Newfoundland, killing 123 sailors.

Royal Canadian Navy com-

mander Vice-Admiral Ron Lloyd said the Battle of the Atlantic represents an important chapter in the service’s history and heritage, which he admitted isn’t always easy to commemorate.

“One of the challenges for naval engagements is there’s no battlefield to walk, there’s no cemetery where you can go and pay your respects,” Lloyd said. “And so I think in many respects that makes it a little bit more difficult.”

Despite this, Bender was optimistic that Sunday’s ceremony demonstrates that Canadians understand the importance of the battle, and that it will continue to be remembered after those who fought in it are gone. ■

16

Canada News

MAY 10, 2019

FRIDAY

Climate change driving voters’ decisions at ballot box, winning Greens say

BY MIA RABSON The Canadian Press OTTAWA — The Green Party of Canada’s newest MP says the spring floods in eastern Canada contributed to his win in Monday’s byelection on Vancouver Island.

The connection: concerns about climate change are becoming a bigger and bigger influence at the ballot box, Paul Manly said in an interview the day after.

Manly blew away the traditional parties in the race to fill the seat in Nanaimo-Ladysmith, finishing 5,000 votes ahead of the Conservative. The NDP, who won the riding in 2015, finished a distant third and the governing Liberals placed fourth.

Manly said while voters raised affordable housing, health care, and small-business woes with him, climate change was a thread woven through most of his interactions on the doorstep.

His win, he said, is a victory for the environment.

“It sends a strong signal to the other parties that people are serious about climate change and it’s time to stop subsidizing the fossil-fuel industry and move forward with a clean-energy economy,” Manly told The Canadian Press in an interview.

Last summer, voters in his riding spent most of August indoors or breathing smoky air as their province suffered through its worst forest-fire season on record, with the number of fires exceeding the tally British Columbia had set just the year before.

Residents are already being forced to conserve water, with rivers in the region running at 40 per cent of their normal lev-

els.

And during the vote, they watched from afar as parts of Central and Atlantic Canada tried to beat back the second once-a-century flood in less than three years. Politicians of all stripes were tripping over each other to link the floods to climate change.

“People see this and they’re very, very concerned,” said Manly.

Manly is only the second Green candidate to ever get elected and will join leader Elizabeth May in the House of Commons when he is sworn in later this month.

Abacus Data, in a new poll released Tuesday, found what it called “a marked rise” in the number of Canadians who would consider voting Green, giving the party more hope for the fall election. But the Greens in the past have not been able to convert interest from voters between elections to support on voting days.

Manly acknowledges that voting for him in a byelection isn’t the same as a general election, when the direction of the whole government is on the line. But he thinks he will be safe come the fall general election because he now has incumbency status.

The Liberals and NDP are clearly looking over their shoulders at the Greens, who have had a number of successes at the provincial level in the last year, culminating in Prince Edward Island’s decision to elect them to official opposition last month. Greens have been elected to legislatures in New Brunswick and Ontario and three Greens have held the balance of power in B.C.’s minority government since 2017.

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, whose party held Nanaimo-La-

FILE: “I will not compromise on the future of our children and our grandchildren.” -@paulmanly @CANADIANGREENS / TWITTER

dysmith until MP Sheila Malcolmson resigned in January to run provincially, said he thinks the byelection shows people are encouraged about actions on the environment. But he admitted there are some lessons to be learned.

“We’ll learn from ways we can improve our communications, our contacting our voters and making sure they come out to vote,” he said.

Despite the plunge in Liberal support in the byelection — they’d run second in Nanaimo-Ladysmith in 2015 — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Manly’s win is a sign Canadians are “preoccupied” by climate change. He says that tells him his party’s strategy to promote its climate-change plan, versus what he calls the inaction of the Conservatives, is the way to go.

“That’s certainly the point we are going to be making throughout the fall,” he said.

www.canadianinquirer.net

Fourteen of Canada’s most prominent environment advocacy groups stepped up Tuesday to try to take advantage of Canadians’ growing concern about the environment, to ask the parties to weigh in on their positions on 20 environment policies. The groups want bigger cuts to greenhouse-gas emissions, a national law banning single-use plastics and stronger laws to bar toxic chemicals and pesticides.

They also want parties to commit to an independent review of whether the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion would be economically beneficial. The Liberals’ support for the pipeline project is a sticking point for some environment activists, who privately admit they fear voting Green or NDP could split the vote and help elect a Conservative government which they see as less committed to climate-change

action. But at the same time they wonder whether they can swallow a Liberal party that supports a major oil pipeline.

Both the NDP and the Conservatives say they’ll release their climate plans later this spring.

Keith Brooks, program director at Environmental Defence, said Tuesday that polls show climate change and the environment are top-of-mind for a majority of Canadians.

Brooks said as a registered charity, his group can’t endorse any party, but he is warning the consequences of what voters do could be immense.

“There is a significant risk that we might elect a party who doesn’t take climate change seriously, who doesn’t have a credible plan to deal with the environment and that would set us back quite significantly,” he said. ■ With files from Kristy Kirkup

Canada News

FRIDAY MAY 10, 2019

17

Trudeau resists pressure to decriminalize drugs in face of opioid crisis

BY KRISTY KIRKUP The Canadian Press

where difficulty in getting pipeline projects approved has been blamed for a glut of oil that caused steep discount pricing last fall and prompted the Alberta govCALGARY – TransCanada Corp. is of- ernment to curtail production starting ficially dropping the “Canada” from its in January. name, but CEO Russ Girling isn’t saying “I think the name change is semanhe expects it will make it any easier to tics,” U.S.-based analyst Jennifer Rowget pipelines approved in Canada or the land of Edward Jones wrote in an email.

United States.

“I don’t think it attracts new investors, The Calgary-based company is now to but I do think it’s a subtle, or not so subbe called TC Energy Corp., after share- tle depending on how you view it, way to holders approved the change at its an- de-emphasize Canada as some investors nual meeting Friday. are leery of investing in Canada given “The name TC Energy acknowledges the government intervention in free our origin as Transmarkets in Alberta Canada PipeLines, and the difficult regwhile adding the ulatory environment word ‘energy’ speaks for energy.” to the breadth of T r a n s C a n a d a ’s our business, which But to be clear, Keystone XL pipeincludes pipelines, this is a name line from Alberta power generation change, not a into the U.S. was first and energy storbrand name. proposed in 2008, reage,” Girling told the We are very jected by then-presmeeting. proud of who ident Barack Obama “But to be clear, we are and in 2015, approved this is a name change, what we do.

by President Donnot a brand name. ald Trump in 2016 We are very proud of and again in March, who we are and what but remains on hold we do.” awaiting court rulHe declined to talk ings in Montana and to reporters after the event.

Nebraska.

The company said the change recogThe court delays mean the project will nizes its growth into the United States not be able to start construction in the and Mexico, including through its re- U.S. this year, Paul Miller, president of cent US$13-billion purchase of U.S. nat- liquids pipelines, confirmed during an ural gas transporter Columbia Pipeline afternoon conference call with financial Group. analysts.

It has about 7,000 employees in North The project could still be unfinished if America, with 3,500 in Canada, 3,200 in a new federal government is elected in the U.S. and 300 in Mexico. the U.S. in 2020, he added, but it’s hoped But some analysts suggest it’s also a all permits and approvals will be in hand chance to distance itself from Canada, by then and a new administration won’t

JUSTIN TRUDEAU / FACEBOOK

affect bringing the project on stream.

Shareholders at the meeting voted almost 90 per cent against a motion sponsored by the Pension Plan of the United Church of Canada that would have required the company to report on how it is meeting international standards for Indigenous people’s rights.

They went along with the company’s recommendation to reject the motion as unnecessary given its existing policies.

The official approval of the name change came as the company reported a

first-quarter profit of $1 billion of $1.09 per share, up from $734 million or 83 cents per share a year ago.

Revenue for the first quarter totalled $3.49 billion, compared with $3.42 billion in the first quarter of 2018.

On a comparable basis, TransCanada says it earned $987 million or $1.07 per share for the quarter, up from $864 million or 98 cents per share a year ago.

Analysts on average had expected a profit of 99 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters Eikon. ■

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

Pompeo says... ❰❰ 14

Middle East to Europe.

The U.S. opposes what it sees as an aggressive push by China to assert its influence by lending money to less developed countries and creating what is known as a “debt trap.” A Chinese state-owned company ended up in possession of a port in Sri Lanka when that country couldn’t pay off loans, for instance.

“I have not heard of any Chinese plans to build infrastructure in the Canadian Arctic,” said Byers. “There’s no factual basis, certainly not in the public domain, and that would also require the full involvement of the Canadian government.

It’s just flat-out wrong.”

(Byers did note that northern Quebec

Recognition? has a Chinese-owned lithium mine.)

A senior government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, said Pompeo did not appear to refer to specific Chinese projects in Canada related to the Belt and Road Initiative and may have been speculating.

The official added: “There are no investments here, nor are there any contemplated.”

Berube, the spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Department, said Canada “welcomes continued discussions with China on Arctic issues,” which the two countries can have through existing twoway and multinational mechanisms. ■

For more information contact: 778-372-6609 globaltalentloans@issbc.org issbc.org/globaltalentloans Global Talent Loans program is delivered in partnership with

Funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Foreign Credential Recognition Program

Global Talent Loans Program

www.canadianinquirer.net

World News

18

MAY 10, 2019

North Korea tests new missile and Trump’s resolve

OM DURGA SHAKTI ASTROLOGER

BY ERIC TALMADGE The Associated Press

MASTER

SAI PRAKASH International & Special Astrologer

KNOW YOUR PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE PALM READING - FACE READING - HOROSCOPE

He Is Specialized In Removing All Type Of Negative Energy, Black Magic, Voodoo, Obiya, Enemy Jealousy, Witchcraft, Buttu, Jadoo, Tona Curses, Bad Luck, Evil Things, Bad Spirits, He Gives 100% Immediate Protection

Business

Work

Depression

Money

Enemy Visa

Love Problem

Sexual

Drinking

Court Case Jealousy

Children Problem

I Solemnly Promise To Help Everyone, Who Comes To Me. Your Worries Ends Here.

BUSINESS INVESTMENTS HUSBAND - WIFE EDUCATION CHILDLESS COUPLE FAMILY ARGUMENTS LOVED ONES LOVE ISSUES

100%

RESULT GUARANTEED

GIVE LIFE LONG PROTECTION

ALL RELIGIONS

JOB HOME PROTECT NEGATIVITY FUTURE LIFE EVIL AFFECTS SICKNESS HOROSCOPE

100%

REMOVE OF WITCHCRAFT, BLACK MAGIC & EVIL THINGS PERMANENTLY

WALK-INS

WELCOME

WELCOME

OPEN 7 DAYS

10AM - 8PM

ALL READING ARE PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL SPECIALIST IN BRINGING BACK LOVED ONES...

CALL FOR APPOINTMENT - PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL

604-902-2149

FRIDAY

launches only “increase tensions in the region” and calls for continued dialogue to advance peace and denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, U.N. spokesTOKYO — North Korea appears to have man Stephane Dujarric said. tested a new short-range missile — and Kim suggested last month that he inPresident Donald Trump’s resolve to tends to give Washington until the end keep it from doing more of the same in of the year to change its negotiating the future. strategy. If it doesn’t, he has warned, he The test early Saturday was quickly will seek a different path. played down by Trump and his top adHis position has created a dilemma visers, who noted it was not the kind of for South Korean President Moon Jaelong-range missile leader Kim Jong Un in, who has tried to act as a middleman. has refrained from launching since 2017. Seoul called an emergency meeting SatBut the sudden activity on the North’s urday of top officials at its presidential east coast, complete with fiery photos of Blue House and urged North Korea to a purported bull’s eye out to sea, alarmed stop committing acts that would raise Washington’s regional allies and sug- military tensions. gests that Kim’s missiles are improvBut such calls ring hollow in North ing even as the Trump administration Korea since the South has decided to wrestles with how to get him back to the go ahead with joint military exercises negotiating table. with the U.S. that the Kim personally suNorth sees as provocpervised the test of ative. North Korea what experts believe strongly condemned was a short-range a drill of a South Koballistic missile first The tweet was rea-based THAAD displayed by North soon followed air-defence system Korea at a military by an all clear,

by U.S. troops just parade early last year, and an “enjoy two weeks ago. along with a drill inyour Saturday.”

The North’s missile volving 240 millimetest also came just ter- and 300 millimedays after the United ter-calibre multiple States tested its Minrocket launchers. uteman III interThere remains continental ballistic some uncertainty missile from Vandenover what was tested. berg Air Base in California. Though such South Korea’s military reported that launches are planned well in advance various “projectiles” flew from 70 to and not directed at any specific country, 240 kilometres (44 to 149 miles) before they are seen by North Korea as highly splashing harmlessly into the Pacific. provocative.

The activity prompted the 35th Fighter North Korea last conducted a major Wing at Misawa Air Base in northern missile test in November 2017 when it Japan to tweet on its official account flight-tested an intercontinental ballis— in all capital letters — “MISSILE IN- tic missile that demonstrated the potenBOUND.” tial capability to reach deep into the U.S. The tweet was soon followed by an all mainland. clear, and an “enjoy your Saturday.”

During the diplomacy that followed Trump moved quickly to minimize those weapons tests, Kim said the the significance of the test on his efforts North would not test nuclear devices to strike a nuclear deal with North Ko- or ICBMs. The latest missile, which the rea, tweeting that Kim “knows that I am North’s media referred to only as a “tacwith him & does not want to break his tical guided weapon,” fell well below promise to me.” that threshold.

Both leaders continue to claim they It is believed to be modeled after Rushave a good personal relationship. sia’s 9K720 Iskander mobile short-range But tensions have grown since they ballistic missile system. The solid-fuel failed to make any deals during their missile, first revealed in a military pamost recent summit, in Hanoi in Febru- rade in Pyongyang, North Korea’s capiary. Kim and senior North Korean of- tal, in February last year, is designed to ficials have since expressed open frus- be manoeuvrable during flight to boost tration with what the North claims is an its accuracy and thwart interception. inflexible and unrealistic posture at talks Experts noted that despite its physical

by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and resemblance, the North Korean missile National Security Adviser John Bolton. may be a less capable version of the RusU.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres believes North Korea’s recent ❱❱ PAGE 21 North Korea

www.canadianinquirer.net

World News

FRIDAY MAY 10, 2019

19

Month of Ramadan fasting for many Muslims begins Monday

BY AYA BATRAWY AND FARES AKRAM The Associated Press DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – Muslims in Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, and much of the Middle East, including Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, will fast on Monday for the start of the month of Ramadan.

Millions more, however, in India, Pakistan and Iran, will likely be marking the start of the lunar month on Tuesday based on moon sightings there.

Muslims follow a lunar calendar, and a moon-sighting methodology can lead to different countries declaring the start of Ramadan a day or two apart. Traditionally, countries announce if their moon-sighting council spots the Ramadan crescent the evening before fasting begins.

Across the world, Muslims

fast each day for the entire month of Ramadan, abstaining from food and drink from dawn to dusk. That means around 15 hours without food, water, cigarettes or caffeine.

Fasting is aimed at drawing worshippers closer to God through self-control, remembrance and humility. The challenge of fasting for many is also a chance to reset spiritually and physically, kick bad habits and purify the heart.

During the day, Muslims must also abstain from sex, gossip and cursing, and are encouraged to focus on meditative acts like prayer, reading the Qur’an and charity.

It’s common practice across many Muslim-majority nations for liquor stores and hotels to curb the sale of alcohol during Ramadan. Often, restaurants shutter their doors during the day.

Those exempt from fasting include children, the elderly,

the sick, women who are pregnant, nursing or menstruating, and people travelling.

The Ramadan fast begins with a pre-dawn meal called “suhoor” to prepare hungry stomachs for the long day ahead. A typical suhoor often includes bread, vegetables, fruits, yogurt, tea, as well as lentils and beans.

At sunset, when it’s time to mark the end of the daylong fast, families and friends gather for an evening meal known as “iftar.”

Muslims typically break their fast as the Prophet Muhammad did some 1,400 years ago, by eating sweet dates and drinking water, followed by a sunset prayer. Then, the iftar meals are enjoyed. These are often lavish affairs of home-cooked platters of rice, stews and meat, as well as spreads of desserts and other sweets.

While Muslims around the world welcomed the start of Ramadan with traditional greetings and messages of peace, the

start of the Muslim holy month in the Gaza Strip was marked by sounds of outgoing Palestinian rockets and incoming Israeli airstrikes.

Families often shop for food items in the days before Ramadan, but most shops and markets in Gaza were closed due to the heavy round of cross-border fighting.

“We got used to this situation, we don’t care anymore,” said Rushdi Anbar, a 42-yearold architect, as he hurried

through one of the few markets still open.

In 2014, the latest of three deadly wars between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers began in the second week of Ramadan and lasted for 50 days.

Anwar Zeydieh, a mother of three, said she fears a similar scenario this Ramadan. “I don’t think we are ready to endure all this suffering again.” ■ Associated Press writer Fares Akram reported from Gaza City.

Priorit-eyes your eyes for Vision Health Month DID YOU know an estimated 1.3 billion people worldwide are living with some form of vision impairment, and certain ethnicities have a higher risk for vision impairment and eye disease? In fact, people of Asian descent are at a significantly greater risk for developing certain eye diseases, such as angle-closure glaucoma, which can be irreversible if left untreated.

Approximately 80 per cent of all vision impairment is avoidable but frustratingly, in Canada, research shows awareness for vision health is poor. In fact, a 2018 study revealed that the majority of Canadians (59 per cent) experience symptoms of potential eye disease, yet only half of these people (54 per cent) reported they had seen a health care professional to ensure proper eye health.

While we typically understand the importance of visiting a doctor for an annual check-up and seeing a dentist for bi-annual cleanings, many don’t realize the importance of getting their eyes checked on a regular basis. An eye exam by a licensed optometrist is like a “physical” for your eyes so it’s important that we all have lifelong relationships with their optometrist, as early detection is key in preventing eye disease progression, vision loss or even blindness.

Symptoms to watch out for include: having difficulty reading, sitting close to the TV or holding a book too close, closing one eye to read or watch TV, frequent eye rubbing, sensitivity to light or excessive tearing, avoiding using a computer because it hurts the eyes, having trouble seeing the board at school, or a sudden drop in grades.

Besides ensuring proper vision, underlying health conditions can often be first detected through an eye exam. Early warning signs for conditions such as hypertension, high cholesterol, vascular disease, thyroid disease, brain tumors and diabetes can all be identified at early stages by an optometrist. Optometrists can also detect whether cataracts, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, or diabetic retinopathy – the top four causes of vision loss in seniors – are present.

How often Canadians should get their eyes checked, depends on their age but many may be surprised to know that infants as young as 6 months old should be visiting the optometrist. The evidence-based guidelines developed by the Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO) recommends the following: o Infants and Toddlers (Birth to 24 months) - First eye examination between the ages of 6 and 9 months o Preschool Children (2 to 5 years) - At least one eye examination between the ages of 2 and 5 years o School Age Children (6 to 19 years) – Annually o Adults (20 to 39 years) - Every two to three years o Adults (40 to 64 years) - Every two years o Adults (65 years or older) – Annually Vision changes can change your whole life. If you’re overdue for a check-up or notice any changes in your vision, visit Theodore & Pringle Optical or your local optical department at Real Canadian Superstore, Loblaws, Zehrs, Fortinos, Your Independent Grocer, Atlantic Superstore and Dominion stores in Newfoundland.

www.canadianinquirer.net

20

World News

MAY 10, 2019

FRIDAY

Plane was heavy with extra Venezuelans hold fuel before deadly crash landing vigil for those killed in street clashes

BY JIM HEINTZ The Associated Press

MOSCOW — A Russian airliner that took off from Moscow was airborne for just 28 minutes before returning to make an emergency landing while still heavy with unburned fuel, which then ignited after a rough touchdown.

Flames quickly engulfed the aircraft, killing 41 of the 78 people aboard.

A day after Sunday’s horrifying accident at Sheremetyevo airport, Russian news media quoted the pilot, Denis Evdokimov, as saying he followed procedures for landing with excess weight. But the crew reportedly did not dump any fuel, which is common for flights that have to land soon after takeoff to prevent being overly heavy.

The pilot said he was not certain why the plane landed hard.

Video showed flames bursting from the jet’s underside as it touched down, then raging across the rear of the Sukhoi SSJ100’s fuselage within seconds as the airliner bounced down the runway.

“Everything happened right away, at lightning speed. There was a strong blow — my eyes almost popped out — a second was a little quieter, a third, and then smoke, and it started to burn immediately,” survivor Marina Sitnikova was quoted as telling the magazine Snob.

When the plane came to a halt, some of the people aboard plunged down inflatable slides deployed from the forward part of the plane.

Some of those who escaped were carrying luggage, raising concerns that grabbing their bags may have delayed an evacuation in which every second was critical.

“I do not know what to say about people who ran out with bags. God is their judge,” survivor Mikhail Savchenko wrote on Facebook.

Evdokimov said the plane had lost radio communications because of a lightning strike, but it was not clear if that precipitated the emergency landing.

A flight attendant said there was a sharp flash soon after the

BY CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA The Associated Press

Flames quickly engulfed the aircraft, killing 41 of the 78 people aboard. @SAINTSATAN8 / TWITTER

Aeroflot flight took off, bound for the northern city of Murmansk.

“We took off, got into a cloud, there was strong hail, and at that moment there was a pop and some kind of flash, like electricity,” flight attendant Tatiana Kasatnika said in a video posted on YouTube.

Russia’s main investigative agency said both of the plane’s flight recorders — data and voice —were recovered from the charred wreckage. Agency spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko was also quoted by Russiannews agencies on Monday as saying that investigators were looking into three main possibilities behind the cause of the disaster: inexperienced pilots, equipment failure and bad weather.

Storms were passing through the Moscow area when the plane landed.

One survivor praised the plane’s attendants for helping save him and others.

“It was dark and there was gas, very high temperature.

They helped people out of there, helped them to descend,” Dmity Khlebnikov said, according to Komsomolskaya Pravda.

The SSJ100, also known as

the Superjet, was heralded when it went into service in 2011 as a new phase for Russia’s civil aviation industry. It was introduced as a replacement for outdated Soviet-designed aircraft.

But the plane has been troubled by concerns about defects in the horizontal stabilizers.

Russia’s aviation authority in 2017 ordered inspection of all Superjets in the country because of the problems. A Mexican airline, Interjet, grounded Superjets in December 2016 and later said it was phasing them out of the fleet.

Transportation Minister Yevegny Dietrich said Monday that it was too early to decide whether to ground the planes in Russia, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the decision was not within President Vladimir Putin’s power.

One of the dead was flight attendant Maxim Moiseev, Dietrich said. Russian news reports, citing unnamed sources, said the Moiseev was in the firestricken back part of the plane and tried unsuccessfully to deploy an evacuation slide. ■ Yuras Karmanau in Minsk, Belarus, contributed to this story. www.canadianinquirer.net

CARACAS, VENEZUELA – Led

by Roman Catholic priests in white robes, several hundred Venezuelans said prayers Sunday at a candle-lit vigil for at least five people killed in street clashes following a failed opposition call for a military uprising.

Opposition leader Juan Guaido was unable to attend because of meetings, a representative told the crowd at the vigil. He did not elaborate, though he noted that some members of the opposition-controlled National Assembly were at the memorial service. A few police officers watched from a distance.

Some of those who gathered waved Venezuelan flags and chanted “Freedom,” but the mood was muted after the major setback for the opposition in its long campaign to topple President Nicolas Maduro.

Venezuelans who want political change must keep protesting in the streets, said David Manrique, a 20-year-old student.

“A lot of people have had faith in the political process, which hasn’t brought results, or at least the results that we want,” he said.

The U.S.-backed Guaido declared himself interim president in January, saying Maduro’s re-election last year was rigged and one in a series of increasingly authoritarian steps since he replaced the late Hugo Chavez in 2013 as president.

Venezuela, meanwhile, has been in sharp decline for years, suffering from hyperinflation and shortages of food and medicine that the opposition blames on state corruption and mismanagement by the socialist administration.

For his part, Maduro says U.S. sanctions aimed at forcing him from power are taking a toll on the economy, and his government has accused Guaido of fomenting violence when he appealed to the military last week to switch sides to the opposition. The armed forces did not heed the call, and those killed in

ensuing clashes between police and protesters on Tuesday and Wednesday included two teenage boys.

Maduro’s government has not moved to arrest Guaido, possibly reflecting its own weakness in the face of intense U.S. pressure not to move against the opposition leader.

Also Sunday, Venezuelan authorities were investigating the cause of a helicopter crash that killed seven military officers while they were while heading to a state where Maduro was visiting troops.

The Cougar helicopter crashed on the southeastern outskirts of Caracas on Saturday. The armed forces said the chopper was heading to San Carlos in Cojedes state, near a military base where Maduro addressed cadets.

In late April, a Venezuelan National Guard general and a pilot died in a police helicopter crash in the city of Maracaibo.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday said ABC’s “This Week” program that he planned to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov soon to discuss U.S. concerns that Russian support for Maduro is fueling the political and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.

Russia, in turn, has accused the United States of aggressively interfering in Venezuela’s affairs.

U.S. officials are working to provide President Donald Trump with “a full-scale set of options; diplomatic options, political options, options with our allies, and then ultimately, a set of options that would involve use of U.S. military,” Pompeo said.

Lavrov met with Venezuela’s foreign minister, Jorge Arreaza, in Moscow on Sunday and said afterward that he hoped U.S. talk of a military option does “not reflect the intentions” of Trump.

“We call on both the Americans and those who support them to drop irresponsible plans,” the Russian foreign minister said. ■ Associated Press journalist Jim Heintz in Moscow contributed to this report.

21

FRIDAY MAY 10, 2019

Michael Cohen goes to prison, slamming Trump along the way

BY MICHAEL R. SISAK AND JIM MUSTIAN The Associated Press NEW YORK — Michael Cohen took a last swipe at President Donald Trump while reporting to federal prison Monday to start a three-year sentence for crimes including tax evasion and campaign finance violations related to hush-money payments made to protect his former boss.

Cohen, who turned on Trump last summer after a decade as his personal lawyer, fixer and “take a bullet” loyalist, didn’t mention the president by name, but he left little doubt about whom he blamed for his incarceration.

“I hope that when I rejoin my family and friends that the country will be in a place without xenophobia, injustice and lies at the helm of our country,” Cohen told reporters outside his Manhattan apartment.

“There still remains much to be told, and I look forward to the day where I can share the truth.”

Cohen, 52, then stumbled through a crush of media, ignoring shouted questions, and got into a waiting Cadillac Escalade, which drove him to jail 70 miles (115 kilometres) northwest of New York City.

He got a slight jump on his prison sentence, arriving at the Federal Correctional Institution, Otisville, at around 11:45 a.m., more than two hours before a court-imposed deadline.

The prison has a minimum-

security camp that’s become known for the white collar criminals it houses and the amenities — including tennis courts, bocce ball and rugelach in the commissary — that it affords them.

Cohen — officially Inmate No. 86067-054 — took off the blue blazer he wore on the ride up and left it with his driver before walking into prison, where he was to be provided with a khaki uniform.

The U.S. Bureau of Prisons confirmed Cohen was in its custody but declined to provide details of his confinement, citing privacy and security rules.

At Otisville, officials took extra measures to deal with the intense media interest in Cohen’s arrival. They put up concrete barriers along the two-lane road leading to the facility and deployed cones and caution tape to keep about two dozen reporters and photographers from getting too close.

Cohen had fought to delay or reduce his sentence but failed in a last-ditch effort to convince federal prosecutors that his co-operation in various investigations related to Trump warranted leniency.

Cohen’s lawyer and spokesman, Lanny Davis, said Cohen would continue to be available to co-operate with law enforcement, though it’s unclear how much his co-operation is wanted.

Since mid-March, federal prosecutors in New York have rebuffed Cohen’s repeated offers to provide more information about alleged wrongdoing

by Trump and other people in his orbit, Davis said.

His legal team asked House Democrats last month to intercede with prosecutors after Cohen testified on Capitol Hill in February and March, but they were reticent to do so.

“Michael may be sentenced within the walls of a federal correctional institution. But the truth has no walls,” Davis said in a statement Monday.

In an essay published Sunday, a Trump Organization executive wrote that Cohen was “a bluffing, boasting New Yorker” who overstated his role at the company and that he only had himself to blame for going to prison.

Cohen had no real decisionmaking authority and was rather “a lone wolf constantly seeking the boss’s approval and fearing others would take his credit,” George Sorial wrote in The Wall Street Journal.

Cohen is the only person charged with a crime in connection with the hush-money payments to women who allegedly had affairs with Trump.

Federal prosecutors have said Trump directed Cohen to arrange the payments to buy the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal in the run-up to the 2016 election. Trump denies having trysts with either woman.

Cohen also pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about a Trump Tower project in Moscow, to bank fraud, and to tax evasion charges that stemmed, not from his dealings with

the South and another 50,000 in Japan. All are within range of the North’s short- or mediumrange missile arsenal.

Trump tweeted Monday that he had spoken with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe “concerning North Korea and Trade.” He did not provide additional information, but said “Very good conversation!”

North Korea’s state-run media had a propaganda heyday with the launch.

The ruling party newspa-

per showed Kim supervising the drill from a camouflaged tent with a desk and computer screens monitoring a rocky offshore outcropping that was used as a target. One photo has him smiling broadly while a screen shows the top of the crag enveloped in a ball of flames.

It also showed the missile rising from a mobile launcher and stressed how the drill was “organized without an advance notice” to underscore the need for realistic combat readiness.

Donald Trump’s personal attorney, Michael Cohen.

A KATZ / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Trump, but from his failure to report income from other business interests.

At Cohen’s sentencing last December, his lawyer requested that he be placed at Otisville, which Forbes once ranked as one of “America’s 10 Cushiest Prisons.” He was originally scheduled to start his sentence in March, but a judge granted a two-month delay so he could recover from surgery and get his affairs in order.

Cohen will spend the first few weeks of his sentence in admission and orientation. He’ll undergo medical and mental health screenings and be assigned a job, such as mowing the grounds or cleaning up the visiting room. If he wants to work on a tell-all, he’ll have to skip sleep or exercise to do so.

“There’s no free time to work on your book, or whatever,” said former Otisville employee Don Drewett.

Cohen’s fellow inmates include “Jersey Shore” star Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, who wraps up an eight-month tax fraud sentence in September. But Cohen should avoid acting like he’s still in spotlight, said Jack Donson, a former Otisville case manager who advises white-collar criminals on what to expect in prison.

“You assume the role of an inmate,” said Donson. “You’re cordial to everybody. You’re respectful to everybody. You do your time. You ask for nothing from staff. Nothing from inmates. You accept nothing from inmates. You’re nobody. Seriously.”

If Cohen can’t adjust, Donson said, “his time is going to be miserable.” ■

North Korea’s coverage of the developments over the past year presents a sharp contrast to the focus outside of the country on denuclearization.

The North’s media has centred its attention on the portrayal of Kim as a strong leader on the global stage seeking to free the country of what the North calls unjustified sanctions so that it can develop its economy. Denuclearization is almost never the main topic of its reports.

That was the official message yet again on Sunday.

In its report on the drills, the state media stressed the need for the military to be on high alert to “defend the political sovereignty and economic selfsustenance of the country … bearing in mind the iron truth that genuine peace and security are ensured and guaranteed only by powerful strength.” ■

Associated Press writers Deepti Hajela in Otisville, New York, and Rebecca Gibian in New York contributed to this report.

North Korea... ❰❰ 18

sian Iskander, which can carry a nuclear warhead and strike targets as far away as 500 kilometres (310 miles).

A less capable version is still a clear danger to U.S. allies and American troops stationed in the region.

The distance between Wonsan, where the launch was held, and the South Korean capital of Seoul is roughly 200 kilometres (124 miles). More than 20,000 U.S. troops are based in

www.canadianinquirer.net

22

MAY 10, 2019

FRIDAY

Dissecting Intriguing Montreal and How Pinoys Embraced it as Home

BY BOLET AREVALO

THEY TOOK the dancefloor heartily, raring to shake off the cold in their bodies and sweat it out. Or perhaps, shake off the weariness of working day in and day out to survive a life away from their home country. But no sign of tiredness, regrets, or loneliness were in that party night. Just having some clean fun and finding the occasion to do just that.

Can Filipinos in Montreal be any different from those in other parts of Canada?

Montreal, or may be Quebec for that matter, has always been “something different, something unique” in the minds of Canadians, not only FilipinoCanadians. Quebec has its own long history of bitter struggle to be recognized for its own being. It was an uphill battle to be different, and to be accepted as different.

The capital of Quebec is not Montreal. Quebec City it is. But Montreal is a major urban center, possibly the melting pot of all cultures and languages as it largely thrives on the patronage of international students for the quality education it offers like the world-renowned McGill University. In fact, when you are looking for McGill in the area, you are not looking for a campus. You should be looking for a mini city like you are looking for a Vatican city in Rome or the city of Cambridge in London.

Gerry Danzil came to Montreal in 1986 upon the sponsorship of his wife, Linda, who came as a caregiver to Canada.

Like many newcomers elsewhere in Canada, the Danzils had their share of adjustment problems but their union had always been solid. Today, 33 years after immigrating, they have come to embrace and love the uniqueness of Quebec.

Kuya Gerry is a very active community leader in Montreal, with the Knights of Rizal on top of the list of organizations that preoccupy his time. One will be amazed at how Kuya Gerry can

knock on every door of fellow Pinoys in the city and convince them to come and support his every endeavour. He does that all for the service and enjoyment of his kababayans.

There is also the couple Boy and Anne Galang. Kuya Boy and Ate Anne are frequenters of lively and fun times in Pinoy socials in the city. Kuya Boy is a slayer on the dancefloor and Ate Anne is his favorite dancing partner. They came to Montreal in 1998 following Ate Anne’s stint in Hongkong. She came in 1994, also as a caregiver. Kuya Boy works for Le Chateau and had been there for 21 years.

Their 34-year old son, Jeff, has also found his home in Montreal, speaks fluent French, and is gainfully employed at Air Canada. Kuya Boy is now an active member of the Knights of Rizal.

The same can be said of another equally indefatigable Pinoy community mover, Dario Boco. Kuya Dario has been in Montreal since 1989. Just like Kuya Gerry, it was his wife who paved the way for his family to discover Canada. Wife Claire came to Canada in 1987 after working in Greece as a caregiver. Kuya Dario works for Multiver Ltd., a glass company, as a lead man. He has been with this company for more than 20 years now. His community service was influenced by Mr. James dela Paz, himself a respected leader and president of their Federation of Filipino Associations of Quebec.

Seemingly, there is space for everybody in Montreal. In terms of population, Montreal is the largest city in Quebec and the second largest city in Canada, next to Toronto. It has a total population of 1.7 million from a 2016 survey. It used to be Canada’s commercial capital until Toronto overtook it in the 70s.

The world still remembers the city’s hosting of the 1976 Summer Olympics. While it put Montreal on the map and consciousness of the world, it is said that the Olympics left the city with a huge debt that took 30 years to pay off. But the moment of pride could be remembered by seeing peoples from all over the world celebrating Montreal and waving its flag.

From there, Quebecers found reason to celebrate their own uniqueness and thrive in their differences.

Montreal though still is a significant point of trade and business in Canada. McClean once voted it as a top city to be in as a university student. In its humble 4.5 square kilometers of land, the city has four universities that attract both Canadian and international students.

With Montreal’s total population of 1.7 million - 36,000 are of Filipino descent, representing 3% of the population; although not too many compared ❱❱ PAGE 13 Dissecting Intriguing

Montreal’s Joseph Gonzales writes for us his story – “I came to Canada on April 28, 2001. I did not personally choose to land in Montreal. It just happened to be the city where my wife, Ruby, lived.

She was already a Canadian citizen when I met her. She is currently housekeeper working for affluent Jewish families in Montreal.

My daughter Jewel Rae Gonzales is a secondary 4 student. She attends the international program of her school. She is consistently an honor student.”

“I landed on a Saturday, but because I was stranded in Vancouver airport for almost 24 hours, I arrived in Montreal the following day, Sunday. Monday, me and my wife worked on my Medicare Card and my SIN. Tuesday, I was already looking at ads in the newspaper and calling possible employers.

Wednesday, I was already interviewed for my would-be first job. Thursday, I started working as a telemarketer.

While in telemarketing, I kept looking at ads and calling people for other jobs. That was when I was interviewed for my first “real job” in Montreal. The job was only as a contractual employee and it was to start only after a month. I was never one to be idle, so I applied for a job at Mega Blocks. I was assigned in production where it was noisy, smelly, dusty and hot. Others with the same background as I

www.canadianinquirer.net

BOLET AREVALO/PHILIPPINE CANADIAN INQUIRER

would have already cried and quit, but I did not. To me, it was just another enriching experience that will only make me better and stronger.”

“The challenges did not cause me to quit, but the gout that I developed in my right big toe did. The more than 10 hours of standing and constantly walking at fast pace was too much for my feet that my toe became red and swollen like a Filipino sausage. The lull wasn’t long as soon, my contract with Home Outfitters started. As soon as the contract expired, although I could have been hired as a permanent employee, I landed my first fulltime job in Montreal as part of the replenishment team at the then Zellers. As I was working at Zellers, I was hired by the Commission Scolaire de Montréal (CSDM) as the first Filipino teacher to teach Filipino at schools of the French school board in Montreal. When Zellers closed, I was recruited by former Zellers managers who transferred to Walmart.

I am still a fulltime Walmart employee, at the same time, a part time teacher.”

“I like Montreal because it is very similar to the city where I lived in the Philippines.

It feels so close to home that it makes me miss my hometown less. Although life in Montreal was initially very difficult, I found it to be very interesting and enriching. Every day was a struggle for a teacher from

the Philippines like me who has held nothing but a pen, a class record and a piece of chalk all his professional life.

The change of work place from a noisy classroom to a noisy factory was quite overwhelming, but I took the whole experience as just a part of life that will further strengthen and enhance me as a person. To me, all that we experience in life, whether good or bad, provide a lesson that will only make us better individuals.

We are the sum total of all such experience and we are the human beings that we are because of them.”

Today, Mr. Gonzales is also very much involved with Philippine Benevolent and Scholarship Society of Quebec (PBSSQ), the Federation of FilipinoCanadian Associations of Quebec (FFCAQ), the FAMAS and the Knights of Rizal.

PBSSQ is an organization that supports deserving students who are in their final year of elementary, high school, CEGEP or university.

Joseph is the fourth child in the brood of five (5) of Pastor Gonzales, a tailor, and Rosita Vino, a dressmaker from Angeles City, Pampanga.

Both parents are very well respected and admired in their crafts in their hometown of Angeles City in Pampanga. Among the five (5) children, only one is in the Philippines. Two are in Canada, one in Alabama, and one in Cyprus

23

Entertainment Filipino dance crew Vpeepz fourth overall in World of Dance Season 3 finals

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer

“I would like to thank so many people behind my triumph, because not through them, I wouldn’t be here.� @JANJEP / INSTAGRAM

Filipino hailed as Mr. Gay World 2019

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer THE PHILIPPINES, considered an international pageant powerhouse, has dominated the male realm of the industry as well with Janjep Carlos representing the male LGBTQ+ community and besting out 21 other candidates for Mr. Gay World 2019.

The 42-year-old was crowned in Cape Town, South Africa last Saturday, May 4 succeeding Jordan Bruno from Australia.

He also received the awards for Best in National Costume and Best in Written Exam.

Working as the vice president of a business firm in Manila, Janjep also works closely with an organization called Mental Health Philippines. He advocates for mental health awareness during his introduction video, stating, “Depression is real, and it has caused the tragic loss of lives. Depression is a real illness that can be treated if properly diagnosed.

With love and understanding of people undergoing depression, this illness can be transformed into wellness.�

The president of the pageant, Eric Butter, admired Janjep’s partner work with the local organization, stating, “This is not a pageant but a leadership

programme where we educate the delegates and the delegates educate us, it’s about enabling each other. It is about removing stigmas, it’s about diversity, breaking barriers, inclusion and sensitisation.�

During the same coronation night, Francisco Alvarado of Spain and Oliver Pusztai of Hungary were hailed first and second runners-up respectively. They were followed by fourth placer Chayodhom Sambigat of Thailand and Nick Van Vooren of Belgium, placing fifth.

Janjep is the second Filipino to win the international crown, with John Raspado from the Philippines winning Mr. Gay World as well in 2017.

The pageant was supposed to originally take place in Hong Kong, but Chinese authorities clamped down LGBTQ+ events and campaigns. South Africa, being the only African country that recognizes same-sex marriage, then welcomed the event with the country’s president Cyril Ramaphosa expressing his support, saying, “On behalf of all South Africans, I wish to extend a warm welcome to delegates who have arrived in South Africa for the 2019 Mr. Gay World event. South Africa is pleased to host Mr. Gay World delegates during #FreedomMonth.â€? â–

VPEEPZ, a Filipino dance crew from the Philippines, officially landed spot number four in the grand finals of American television show World of Dance Season 3 last Sunday, May 5.

With their performance of Macklemore featuring Ryan Dalton’s “Can’t Hold Us,�

VPeepz wowed all three judges, consisting of Jennifer Lopez, Ne-Yo, and Derek Hough.

Derek did not shy away from giving a standing ovation, as he exclaimed, “The synchronicity, the intricacy. You had stepping in there. You had locking in there. There were so many styles, the energy was off the charts. Well done guys. Amazing final routine. Great job.�

Ne-Yo jokingly adds that the ‘V’ in the group’s name stands for “very fast-moving people,â€? while J-Lo described their routine as “off the charts,â€? adding, “The one thing that you guys have‌ is the amazing precision.â€? The Hollywood actress continues, “You guys should be proud. You guys swept your division and now you’re up against the adults.â€? Overall,

SURREAL. To make it to the World Final of World of Dance is such a huge opportunity to showcase our brand of dance and Filipino talent. It's an honor to

đ&#x;‡ľ

go up against the best dancers at the highest level of competition. đ&#x;‡­

@VPEEPZOFFICIAL/INSTAGRAM

they received an average score of 93.7.

Among the other competitors of VPeepz in the finals include: The Kings from India, Briar Nolet from Canada, sisters Ellie and Ava from the United States, and Unity LA representing the U.S. as well. At the end of the night, The Kings emerged as the grand winner after receiving a perfect 100 score, bringing home the coveted $1 million prize.

After the announcement of winners, the young Filipino

dance crew expressed their gratitude to their supporters, posting on their social media, “SURREAL. To make it to the World Final of World of Dance is such a huge opportunity to showcase our brand of dance and Filipino talent. It’s an honor to go up against the best dancers at the highest level of competition. We thank all our supporters for staying with us all throughout this journey.

IT’S A DREAM COME TRUE. Moving forward to greater things ahead.â€? â–

Internet wins: ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ design to be changed, director says

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer HOW POWERFUL netizens can be? Well, we must say that they are powerful enough to make the director of upcoming movie “Sonic the Hedgehog� to change the design of the protagonist.

Just a few days ago, Parawww.canadianinquirer.net

mount Pictures dropped the official trailer of the live-action adventure comedy film, starring its main star Sonic, our gotta-go-FAST furry blue hedgehog hero sporting his supersonic speed, and his archenemy, Dr. Robotnik, who is seen working on his villainous inventions and plot.

The trailer was posted by Paramount on YouTube, with a

description saying that the film “follows the (mis)adventures of Sonic as he navigates the complexities of life on Earth with his newfound – human – best friend Tom Wachowski.â€? The two friends, it further read, will “join forces to try and stop the villainous Dr. Robotnik from capturing Sonic and using his â?ąâ?ą PAGE 33 Internet wins

24

Entertainment

MAY 10, 2019

FRIDAY

‘Avengers Endgame’ nears global 14 OPM artists record with over $2 billion perform ‘Sana Naman, Taumbayan’ to appeal for honest, peaceful elections

BY LINDSEY BAHR The Associated Press LOS ANGELES – “Avengers: Endgame” continued its global domination at the box office in a second week victory lap that saw the blockbuster cross the $2 billion mark in record time and unseat “Titanic” as the second highest-grossing film ever worldwide. Domestically, newcomers, including thrillers (“The Intruder”), well-reviewed comedies (“Long Shot”) or animated family fare (“Uglydolls”) were left in the dust to pick up the scraps.

The Walt Disney Co. estimated Sunday that “Endgame” added $145.8 million from North American theatres and $282.2 million internationally bringing its global total to $2.2 billion. “Endgame” is one of five movies to ever reach that threshold and, not accounting for inflation, is now second worldwide only to “Avatar’s” $2.8 billion. “Avatar” reached $2 billion in 47 days of release compared with 11 for “Endgame,” although in 2009 the theatrical landscape was different, most notably so in China.

“The sprint to $2 billion is unbelievable. We’re in uncharted territory,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “Usually films like this are marathoners.”

To reach “Avatar’s” global record, however, “Endgame” will have to turn into a marathoner itself and the summer movie season is only going to get more competitive.

Still, “it’s got a real chance at getting there,” Dergarabedian said.

Domestically, “Endgame,” which is still playing on 4,662 screens, scored the second big-

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer

The cast and filmmakers of Marvel Studios’ #AvengersEndgame assemble at last night’s world premiere! @AVENGERS / INSTAGRAM

gest second weekend ever with a sum that would be impressive for any film on opening weekend. Even its 59% drop is notable considering how frontloaded it was. “Endgame” has now grossed $619.7 million in North America, making it the ninth biggest of all time, behind “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”

New films entering the marketplace hardly stood a chance, but some saw successes even in the shadow of “Endgame.”

In second place, “The Intruder,” a modestly budgeted ($8 million) thriller with Dennis Quaid and Meagan Good, survived poor reviews and did the best of the batch with $11 million in box office receipts. The Sony/Screen Gems film was released on 2,222 screens.

Although close behind on the charts in third place, Lionsgate and Point Grey’s “Long Shot,” a politically-themed romantic comedy with Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron, failed to make a significant dent against its pricier budget. The film, which was the best reviewed of the newcomers by far, grossed an estimated $10 million from 3,230 screens, against a re-

ported $40 million budget. But word-of-mouth could also help propel “Long Shot” to profits ultimately. “‘Long Shot’ has a shot at staying power,” Dergarabedian said. “But there’s a lot of noise to rise above.”

The unluckiest of the new movies was “Uglydolls,” an animated film based on the toys featuring the voices of Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, Blake Shelton and Janelle Monae, which placed fourth with $8.5 million. STXfilms’ first animated feature cost $45 million to produce after production rebates. It does, however, still have a China release later this summer.

Industry-wide, the continued success of “Endgame” has also helped the box office deficit, which went from down 13.2% last weekend to down 10.9% this weekend. And Dergarabedian said that the industry may be on its way to a record summer, still.

“It’s not just about one movie this summer,” he said. “There’s a lot more to come from every studio. Diversity of content will rule the day.” ■

it in stating that by rendering service to, or accepting commission in, the armed forces of a foreign country, a Filipino will lose his Philippine citizenship,” the Comelec said.

“In his submissions to this Commission (Second Division), respondent did not contest or

dispute the allegations of petitioner that he served in the United States Armed Forces.

Hence, we therefore find that respondent automatically lost his Philippine citizenship when he served in the US Armed Forces pursuant to CA No. 63,” it added. ■

Manzano still... ❰❰ 9

filed his COC in October last year.

It added that the actor lost his Filipino citizenship when he served as a member of the United States Army from 1973 to 1977 under Commonwealth Act 63.

“CA No. 63 is clear and explic-

www.canadianinquirer.net

THE SONG Sana Naman, Taumbayan brought together 14 local artists from different music genres as they called on for an honest and peaceful elections to be held more than a week from now.

The song was shared by the composer himself, Louie Ocampo, on his Instagram account. It was also posted by Good News Pilipinas! on its YouTube account, describing the song as “an appeal for the ‘taumbayan (people)’ to be the ultimate winners whatever the outcome of the elections.”

In his video message, Louie said it had crossed his mind that the song will never be released and that it will just stay as a “demo.”

“I understand naman (that) people are busy and nataon pa (it just so happened) that I’m really scheduled to be with my kids abroad. So, I thought it’ll just stay as a demo song with my voice and my daughter’s voice and bahala na (whatever happens),” he narrated.

But with the joining forces of singer-songwriter Joey Ayala who wrote the song and awardwinning radio broadcaster Noel Ferrer and Moy Ortiz of The Company who produced the song, Sana Naman, Taumbayan has successfully “came to life” just in time for the upcoming polls.

Of course, it won’t be completed without the voices of the ‘taumbayan,’ National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab, Jamie Rivera, Jed Madela, Robert Seña, Isay Alvarez Seña, Maysh Baay of Moonstar88, Myke Salomon, Reuben Laurente, Jay Durias, Mitch Valdes, Mass Appeal Choir, The Company, Agot Isidro, and Bayang Barrios.

“I feel, sa tamang panahon (at the right time), I hope more people will hear this song. I have always believed that our kapatid (brother) Noel Ferrer would make things happen no matter what,” Louie said.

“I am very grateful to the people who contributed their time and effort and bravery in making a stand for clean and honest, orderly and peaceful elections that transcends our individual beliefs,” he added.

In an interview with Good News Pilipinas, the two producers were asked how Sana Naman, Taumbayan became their project.

Noel shared that when they learned that an election will be done this year, Louie handed him a song which he did with Joey.

“Sabi ni Louie para may kanta naman na pwede nating pagsaluhan bilang mga artists, mga manggagawa sa musika (So there will be a song that artists, [and] workers in the music industry can work on, as per Louie),” he said.

He went on saying, “It came at the right time when we needed a song that will unify everyone kasi nga parang ramdam natin na hating-hati ‘yung ating bansa hindi lang sa politika, pero (because we feel that the country is divided, not only in terms of politics but) even our personal relationships with our friends. Maraming mga pamilya rin hindi nag-uusap dahil nga parang napaka touchy at sticky ng mga nangyayari sa bansa lalo ngayong eleksyon (There are also many families who are not talking to each other because what is happening in the country, especially this elections, seems to be very touchy and sticky).

Moy, for his part, agreed with Noel’s statement, saying that all Filipinos are hoping for a better Philippines.

“We have different ideas and opinion on how to go about that, but at the end of the day is we want our country rise and its people to have a good life – that’s why we took this on,” he said.

The midterm elections is set to take place on May 13, where every Filipino voter will elect new sets of senators, congressional representatives, provincial, city, and municipal officials. ■

Entertainment

FRIDAY MAY 10, 2019

25

Fans celebrate Maine’s birthday, with her beau Arjo

BY BEA KIRSTEIN T. MANALAYSAY Philippine Canadian Inquirer A COUPLE of months after she turned 24 last March 3 this year, Maine Mendoza’s fans celebrated her day of birth through their organized post-birthday party on Saturday, May 4.

It was a lovely night with the trending theme of #MaineAt24HavanaNight for the actress discovered as the Dubsmash Queen, especially when she attended it with her boyfriend, Arjo Atayde.

Seemingly like star-crossed lovers – being an actor from the Kapamilya network and being an actress from its rival Kapuso network – Maine in her message gives her appreciation to her fans.

“Nakakatuwa sa puso na may mga taong tanggap ang mga bagay na gusto kong mangyari sa buhay ko, at kayo po ‘yun. Kaya maraming salamat po sa inyo (It makes my heart happy that there are people who are accept the things that I want to happen in my life, and you are these people. That is why, thank you very much to you),” she says.

She adds, “I hope we are all happy, and I hope to have a longer journey with you.”

Maine’s gratitude comes in the midst

of the mixed reactions of her fans and followers when her dating rumors with Arjo sparked last year, as the two were part of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) movie, “Jack Em Popoy: The Puliscredibles” that starred Coco Martin.

This 24-year-old, who is the other half of the loveteam AlDub in the nowdefunct Eat Bulaga soap opera portion Kalyeserye with Kapuso actor Alden Richards, rose to fame as the character Yaya Dub. AlDub was tagged as the phenomenal loveteam after it captured large audiences, enough for it to trend worldwide as well. In fact, three years ago, the Guinness World Records said that #AlDubEBTamangPanahon was one of the five hashtags that broke world records; tweeted by more than 40 million users in 24 hours.

However, with a pairing that rose to fame online, the bashing also came on social media.

With a whole bunch of AlDub Nation following the two stars, the news of Maine dating someone else other than her onscreen partner did not sit well with some. This also pushed Maine and Arjo to air out statements even when they have yet to officially be in a relationship.

@MAINEDCM / INSTAGRAM

It was only on Maine’s birthday this year that she confirmed her relationship with Arjo through a blog that has now been deleted.

“You may have listed a long list of reasons why I shouldn’t but we all know it’s made out of hatred, anger, and disappointment. I chose not to judge his character for whatever he’s done in the past because that does not define him as a person. I was raised to never judge

Krista Ranillo gives birth to fifth child

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer THIRTY-SEVEN-YEAR-OLD actress Krista Ranillo and her husband Nino Lim have officially welcomed baby number five into their family, sharing the news last Wednesday, May 1.

Krista, who now lives in California, USA, shared a photo of her four children with her new son, captioned, “My body is exhausted but my heart is overflowing with love.” She elaborates, “My BFFs and I used to joke that in our group, I’d be a mom of 5. Today, I’m living that dream.

Thank you, God for your goodness!”

Her newborn son is an addition to eight-year-old Nate, six-year-old Nolan, four-year-old Natalie, and two-year-old Nash. The couple is now choosing to name their youngest between Nigel or Myles.

Nino also shares a post of the newborn on his Instagram, captioned, “Fresh off the womb. Hardest labor I’ve seen my wife go through. Brings me to tears. Another April birthday.”

Krista and husband Nino tied the

knot at Long Beach, California in August 2010 through a Jewish-interfaith ceremony. Prior to that, she stared in various shows like Rio Del Mar, Ang Iibigin Ay Ikaw, and May Bukas Pa. She was also featured in movies “Two Timer,” “Most Wanted.” and “Paupahan,” but eventually left show business to pursue a degree in law.

Last January, Krista announced her pregnancy with her reportedly “ideally last child” stating, “The best gifts aren’t from Santa but from our good Lord.

Thank you for this blessing God! Baby boy arriving May 2019.”

A week before giving birth, Krista dedicated a long message to husband Nino to her more than 76,000 followers saying, “You are my life, my love, my strength and my weakness. I can’t imagine going through life without you.

Thank you for always giving it your best for the kids and I. We love and appreciate you more than you know!! Happy birthday to my Mr. Lim.” The former actress adds jokingly, “PS. Please think of a different gift that you want for next year because you have to stop asking me for more kids!!” ■

a person, to always see the goodness of people no matter how other people see them,” she wrote.

On the same blog, Maine also makes mention of a separation of her private life and her well-known character.

“Sadly, I cannot stay as Yaya Dub forever. This is Maine, the real me. And this is real life. And I cannot go on with my life behind a fictional character,” she said. ■

PSYCHIC FAITH Reader, Healer and Adviser TELL PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE specializes on removing all types negative energy, bad luck and evil influences

helps in all life problems such as love life, business matters, immigration and family issues A l l i n P r i v a t e a n d C o n fi d e n t i a l Call today for a better tomorrow

99% ACCURATE

www.canadianinquirer.net

778-379-4070

OVER 30 YRS EXP

26

Lifestyle Wanna achieve that #RelationshipGoals with mom?

BY ARIANNE GRACE U. LACANILAO Philippine Canadian Inquirer

they say, but also do not look too much to the future that you will let this moment pass. If you are going to talk, the time is now.

EVER THOUGHT of wishing for a better mom-you bond? Let me tell you it’s possible because just like in any relationships, it all comes down to dissimilarity of it. There is the sweet type, the always-fighting, the totalopposite, the very-alike and the list goes on. To you my dear, it just so happens that there’s a bit distance between you and your mommy or vice versa.

This thing is totally normal.

Not everyone is the same. Maybe it’s hard for others to treat their mothers as close like being best friends and maybe it’s easy for others to talk through all the ups and downs with theirs.

For most of us, creating a strong bond with our mother is everything. It’s felicity to have someone who would be there with you to help you solve all your problems just so you won’t be alone or have someone who would do anything for you to get what you want. While sometimes moms can be a pain (admit it or not), to be friends with a parent shouldn’t be tough.

Here are some tips to break the wall between a child and a parent and turn things around.

Tip #2 Be open

Tip #1 Stay on the now

Sticking to what’s happening now will help you stay out of awkwardness and get out of your comfort zone. You may want to think that you really need this to happen. Keep telling yourself you want to push through this and then remain calm and do not hurry things.

Do not let the past haunt you as

sinasabi, dahil may karapatan din naman ang anak sabihin kung ano man ang nasa kanilang damdamin (Give a chance to listen to what their child is saying because it’s their right to be heard).”

Rina ends her list by saying that trust, compassion, care, love, and prayers must all be in action and be together in forming a good relationship with your child.

Just be yourself. Of course, you cannot fake this part honey.

Nothing will come out of anything that is curated if it is not from the heart. My tip here is to feel your true self inside and out. Close your eyes and breathe if you have to. Watch everything fall into its right places when you’re true to what you do.

Hereditary

Tip #3 Put yourself in her shoes

This is the best way to easily understand how someone is treating you. To see the way someone sees, you must understand how that someone is feeling about something. If your mother/child is too distant from you, it could be because of something that happened in the past. Try your best to feel how that person feels. See things through their eyes. Guaranteed, a more open perspective will change a lot of things between the two of you.

And this last tip would be from a young adult who is very close to her mom.

Tip #4 Treat her like a friend “From personal experience with my Mom, I think the best way to have a close bond with your mother is to treat her like a friend. For me, I always tell her what’s going on with my everyday life. I tell her my plans, my dreams, my fears, my insecurities, my hopes, my feelings, and just about everything that’s happening in my life. And, in return I also inquire about her

day, her feelings, and her overall well-being.” -Tanya, 22 Switching sides

I made sure that not only the children will get tips, but also the mommies. It can also be hard for the parents to lower down their selves to the kids especially when they have not done it for a long time or have not done it EVER. So here are some beautiful advices from mothers to create a closer relationship with their children: Age does not matter

For Rochelle, she said that even when she was still little, she talks to her daughter as if she were an adult. She talks to her about anything and everything.

She respects her daughter’s views and opinion and she trusts her. She always asks her opinion to practice her critical way of thinking and impart to her- not enforce her daughter her ways on how she deals things in certain situations. She supports her

www.canadianinquirer.net

independence but makes sure that little Rochelle is aware.

“That whatever happensmommy has her back-FOREVER to build her confidence and self-esteem, so she will never be afraid of pursuing her dreams.”

She added, “Now that she is 13, I can say that we are closer than ever. We both share the love of traveling so it’s not hard for me to think of ways to further tighten our bond. And, I always make her aware, that I love her more than anything in this world and mommy will support her dreams and goals.”

Motherhood’s woulds

According to a list tried and tested by Rina, a mother would: “Laging patawarin ang anak kapag nagkakamali (Be willing to forgive her children when they make mistakes).”

“Kausapin ng mahinahon at huwag sisigawan (Talk calmly and not shout [at her child].”

“Bigyan ng chance na pakinggan ang anak sa kanilang mga

Not only genes are hereditary.

Olga, 44, believes that whatever unconditional love she has received from her mother, is also being transmitted through her to her two daughters.

Although stating that being a mother is not an easy task, she says that “hearing their opinions and rights helped strengthen their relationship.” Making a point that doesn’t mean that she is the mother, doesn’t mean that “they don’t have the right to correct me if I am wrong.”

Olga explains further that she appreciates their respectful ways of reminding her and always giving her “helpful suggestions” when she makes decisions.

To sum up this Mother’s day piece, most people suggest that in order to get that #relationshipgoals with our family, we should be treat them the best way we can.

Hopefully these tips will be useful enough to help you say bye to your gloomy retrospect because there are many tomorrows that you can spend better with your mother/children. All you have to do now is ACT. Wishing all the lovely mommies out there a Happy Mother’s Day on your day. ■

Lifestyle

FRIDAY MAY 10, 2019

MassKara dancers Systemic change needed named best foreign to address suicide among group in Korea’s physicians in Canada: doctors Daegu festival

BY CAMILLE BAINS The Canadian Press

BY NANETTE GUADALQUIVER Philippine News Agency BACOLOD CITY — The MassKara Dance Team was declared Best Foreign Group in the 2019 Daegu Colorful Festival in Daegu City, South Korea on Sunday night.

The performers from Bacolod bested 21 other groups in the foreign category, which was one of the festival’s five categories during the two-day event.

The MassKara Festival contingent mentored by choreographer Segundo Jesus Cabalcar made it to Top 10 after the elimination round held on Saturday. They edged out teams from other Asian countries such as Japan, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

Councilor Em Ang, chairperson of the City Council’s committee on tourism and action officer of the MassKara Festival, led the 23-member delegation to Daegu City.

She said the MassKara dancers received the champion’s prize money of 7 million Korean won equivalent to about PHP312,000.

Mayor Evelio Leonardia lauded the MassKara Dance Team for bringing pride and honor to the city.

“This enhances further the attraction and image of our very own MassKara Festival.

We are truly proud of our MassKara Festival,” he said.

The Daegu Colorful Festival awarded the champion in each of the five categories: General, Foreign, Youth, Family/Multicultural/Senior, and Organization/Corporate.

The event was participated in by 86 groups, with 4,600 performers, 73 competing teams, 13 non-competing groups, and 22 foreign teams.

In February this year, Leonardia, together with Councilors Ang and Cindy Rojas, met with Mayor Kwon Youngjin in Daegu City to discuss opportunities and cooperation between the two cities, including the participation of Bacolod in the 2019 Daegu Colorful Festival.

This year’s performance art festival, themed “Colorful Shouts of Freedom”, included various street art performances, and the biggest street parade in South Korea.

The event kicked off on May 3 with parade performances, and the main festival was held on May 4 to 5, featuring a colorful parade, street performances, art market, food trucks and more.

In October last year, the MassKara Festival dancers also won the bronze medal at the 2018 World Mask Dance Competition, one of the highlights of the Andong Mask Dance Festival, held in Andong City, South Korea. ■

The 20 MassKara Festival dancers perform at the final round of the 2019 Daegu Colorful Festival in Daegu City, South Korea on May 5.

BING LEONARDIA / FACEBOOK

processing things the same way anymore. It adds a very complex layer of stress and anxiety and guilt” to the heavy workVANCOUVER — Dr. Sarah Tulk load of a medical student, she remembers feeling hopeless said. while training as a resident, her Smith, who has been in the energy sapped by the demands Canadian Armed Forces for 18 of a job that had her working 24 years and worked as a nurse in hours and more straight, until the military between 2004 and the depression that set in had 2016, said medical students ofher thinking she’d kill herself. ten end up taking on extra re“I did feel suicidal,” she said. sponsibility for patients when “That’s what sparked my interfewer regular health-care staff est and desire to talk about it.” are working during evenings, Tulk, who completed her resiraising concerns about safety. dency in family medicine at Mc“I have a lot of critical experiMaster University in Hamilton ence as a nurse and I worry when saw a system that was failing I’m so tired at four or five in the resilient people wired to sucmorning and I have not slept ceed through hard work and a since the day before. But the percompetitive drive — before they son who is signing off on things, became victims of burnout. the resident, is also tired.”

“A lot of people do a pretty Dr. Gigi Osler, president of good job of hidthe Canadian ing it,” she said Medical Assoof the high rate ciation, said the of depression well-being of among medical I’m doing really well and I want physicians is a students, resipeople to know that recovery is high priority and dents and doccertainly possible. her organization tors. She said is working with they stay silent medical stubecause they dents, residents worry about their careers if In a SoundCloud podcast on and provincial associations to they expose what they consider the topic, Albuquerque says create change for the sake of a a weakness. their colleagues also tend to healthy workforce.

Tulk, who reached out for self-stigmatize because they “We’re in this position, sithelp in 2016 through a physi- are accustomed to being care ting at those tables, where we cian health program, is working providers, not those who re- are going to continue to try to to raise awareness and create ceive care. be that catalyst and that conchange after hearing about too Self care is an important nector to say we need to have many doctors taking their own component of dealing with the change,” Osler said after meetlives. challenges of the job and it’s ing in Vancouver with her Brit“I’m doing really well and I starting to be part of the learn- ish Columbia counterparts, want people to know that re- ing environment at medical who she said shared their concovery is certainly possible,” schools but there’s a long way to cerns about health and wellsaid Tulk, now a family doctor go, said Tulk, who teaches un- ness among physicians. in Milton, Ont. dergraduate programs at McThe CMA hired a clinical psyTulk has joined psychiatrist Master University. chiatrist in January to take the Joy Albuquerque, medical diDr. Stephanie Smith, who will lead on that issue, and Dr. Carrector of the Ontario Medical be starting a two-year family oline Gerin-Lajoie’s role will Association’s physician health practice residency at the Uni- be to survey the needs of the program, in outlining five key versity of Calgary in July, said health professionals across the points about physician suicide that as a medical student, she country as stigma surrounding in Monday’s publication of the was working at a hospital for suicide is also addressed, Osler Canadian Medical Association up to 27 “dangerous” hours at said.

Journal. a time.

“I can tell you, anecdotally, They write that suicide is an “The majority of my class was that there have been physician occupational hazard in their burned out by the end of medi- deaths that I’m almost 100 per profession, with a rate for male cal school,” she said of the pres- cent certain have been suicides doctors nearly double com- sure of the 14-month program but nobody’s talking about it pared with the general public, without any breaks to recover because the family doesn’t want and two and a half times higher mentally. to talk about it, colleagues don’t for female physicians.

“After 27 hours I’m just not want to talk about it.” ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

Access to drugs and expertise in their use means doctors know just how much they need to hasten death by poisoning, sometimes with benzodiazepines or with other methods, including firearms.

Thoughts of suicide can begin in medical school and are later associated with patients’ complaints to regulatory bodies, Tulk and Albuquerque say, adding doctors face unique barriers to care compared with the general public.

While stigma is generally pervasive, physicians have the extra burden of little time to access care and face concerns about confidentiality as they fear discrimination in licensing and applications for work at hospitals, the commentary says.

27

28

Lifestyle

MAY 10, 2019

FRIDAY

Inside the Met Gala: Feathers, bling and ideas about ‘camp’

BY JOCELYN NOVECK The Associated Press NEW YORK — The cocktail bar was shutting down, and guests were being encouraged to commence the elegant trek to dinner through the majestic halls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. But Joan Collins had just swept in, channeling her famous “Dynasty” character, Alexis, in a tiered gown of fluffy white feathers and gobs of blinding diamonds. And Alexis wanted a glass of wine.

“I’m having a great time,” Collins said of her first Met Gala. “I’d be even better if I had a drink.”

The sartorial theme of this year’s gala was “camp”— not summer camp, but the esthetic of camp and its influence on fashion, as explored in the museum’s new exhibit, “Camp: Notes on Fashion.” It wasn’t an easy theme to grasp; the instructions for guests were to dress with “studied triviality.”

But while the results varied hugely — from Katy Perry dressing as an elaborate candlelit chandelier (and later, a cheeseburger) to Kanye West wearing a simple black jacket that cost about $40 — there were indeed some slam-dunk “camp” moments, and one was Collins.

“I’m a Met Ball virgin,” she said, “so I thought I would come as my character, Alexis Morell Carrington Colby Dexter Rowan, and embrace it,” she said.

“Everybody ALWAYS said she was camp.”

But even Collins, in her glistening diamond tiara, could not out-camp perhaps the champion camp-er of all time, Lady Gaga. The pop star and actress, a co-chair of the gala, put on a virtual burlesque show on the red carpet, slowly shedding a series of three outfits until she was left vamping in black lingerie.

Celine Dion was a different kind of show girl, dressed in a supremely crafted creation by Oscar de la Renta’s Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim, inspired by the 1941 movie “Ziegfeld Girl” starring Judy Garland (a camp heroine, of course.)

Inside, Dion explored the ex-

@KYLIEJENNER / INSTAGRAM

@LADYGAGA / INSTAGRAM

hibit along with her designers, and confessed that “even now, I honestly don’t really understand what camp is.” No matter: Garcia and Kim had done their research, resulting in a Vegas showgirl ensemble made of countless strands of silvergold glass beads that took many thousands of man hours to construct, paired with a spiky feathered headpiece.

“I’m just honoured that they wanted me to be a part of this whole process,” Dion said.

After walking the red carpet — actually, a pink-carpeted staircase — guests entered the Met’s vast Great Hall, where they were greeted by a skyhigh centerpiece of pink roses, topped by pink flamingoes.

Some toured the exhibit, while others headed straight to the museum’s airy Petrie Court to sip cocktails and munch on crispy sea bass hors d’oeuvres, bits of foie gras, or mini-BLT towers.

Model Ashley Graham, attending her third Met Gala, laughingly confessed that she heard this year’s theme and

thought: “Girl Scouts!”

But she liked what she learned about camp. “It’s extra,” she said. “Exaggerated — happily and proudly.” That was the spirit, she said, of her outfit, a short blazer dress by Dapper Dan for Gucci, with sparkly leggings by Destiny Blue, and a Judith Leiber purse in the shape of a huge, golden retro cellphone.

“It’s the exaggerated version of myself,” she said of the outfit.

“Big, bold, but still you.”

Laverne Cox had no trouble understanding the camp theme; in college at Marymount Manhattan, she’d been “obsessed with Susan Sontag,” the author of the 58-point essay, “Notes on ‘Camp,”‘ on which the Met exhibit is built.

In fact, Cox, a star of “Orange is the New Black” and the first openly transgender person to be nominated for an Emmy, was able to reel off competing definitions of camp.

“It’s of course artificial, but also parody,” said Cox, wearing a striking sculptural gown by Christian Siriano, along with www.canadianinquirer.net

turquoise hair. “It’s a comment on culture. Also, there’s high camp vs. low camp. And there’s an invisible wink of camp.” She pondered whether Garland and daughter Liza Minnelli were the same type of campness.

Billy Porter, too, had done some thinking about camp. The “Pose” star solidified his growing reputation as a red-carpet star with a dramatic entrance as an Egyptian king on a litter carried by six shirtless men. His golden ensemble — we’re talking gold on the head and the face, too, as well as huge golden wings — was designed by the Blonds.

“The kids today call it being ‘extra,”‘ Porter said inside, of the camp esthetic. “It’s about taking a thing and exploding it to the biggest degree. It has in the past been used as a pejorative, but this evening reclaims it.”

Porter was also carrying a purse with a written message that demanded, using an expletive, to be paid fairly.

“It means,” he said with a grin, “that you can’t pay me scale no more! Get the prices right.”

Attending his first gala was Max Hollein, who took over as the museum’s director last year.

Hollein said that since work on the exhibit began, he and museum colleagues have been find-

ing “camp” in familiar works all over the museum.

“Camp is a lens, a way of seeing the world,” he said, adding that camp existed “long before we knew what it was.”

For Broadway actor Patrick Vaill, examining the fashions at the exhibit, the adjective that seemed most apt was “joyful.”

Vaill was joined by his “Oklahoma!” co-star Damon Daunno, who’s nominated for a Tony for his role as Curly.

Daunno, dressed in a pink Prabal Gurung suit, noted how Anna Wintour, a known theatre fan, likes to welcome members of the Broadway community to the Met Gala, along with betterknown megastars of TV, movies, music and sports. “How generous and hip that she does that,” he said.

Other Broadway actors at the gala included the five lead actors from the Temptations musical “Ain’t Too Proud,” in black-and-white Thom Browne suits, and Santino Fontana, starring now in “Tootsie.”

Fontana and his wife, Jessica, attending their first Met gala, professed — like many — to some lingering confusion over the meaning of camp, without much help from “studied triviality.” But they seemed to know it when they saw it.

“I mean, Joan Collins!” noted Fontana. “Now, THAT’S camp.”■

29

Sports CDO dragon boat teams win races in Malaysia, Cebu

BY NEF LUCZON Philippine News Agency CAGAYAN DE ORO — It was a glorious weekend for Cagayan de Oro and the Philippines when dragon boat teams based here won races in different dragon boat competitions in Malaysia and Cebu City.

The CGY Oro Dragons bagged the championship in the 200-meter race in the under 24-year-old (U24) category, placed first runner-up in the mixed category, and third run-

ner-up in the women’s category.

The team also brought home the first runner-up title in the Junior U24 and Premiere Mixed categories for the 500-meter race.

The race was held in Johor, Malaysia, dubbed as Iskandar Puteri International Dragon Boat Festival that took place on May 4-5.

Also in those dates, another dragon boat regatta was held in Cebu City.

The mixed team of CGY and persons with disabilities racing under the banner of CDOC

PWD Dragon Boat Team bagged the championship for the 200-meter Para Dragons special category and the exhibition game.

Brave Heart Dragon Boat Team, meanwhile, landed second runner-up in the 200-meter Open category.

The Cebu race was dominated by the Philippine Army Dragon Boat team conquering all the categories.

The event was organized by PADS Adaptive Dragon Boat Racing Team. ■

PSC satisfied with athletes’ performance in the Arafura Games PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY

development program of the PSC led by chairman William Ramirez where top performers in the Batang Pinoy, Philippine National Games, and Palarong Pambansa saw action.

“Overall, we are very happy and I think the chairman is very satisfied with our performance,” Manzano said.

trickster Abegail Manzano and muay athlete Ariel Lee Lampacan.

Manzano, who captured the DARWIN, AUSTRALIA — The country’s first gold in this ediPhilippine Sports Commission tion of the Arafura Games after (PSC) is satisfied with the perruling the women’s 3,000-meformance of the athletes who ter steeplechase, gave away her competed in the 2019 Arafura silver medal in the women’s Games.

800-meter run to Makayla SidAll 91 athletes dons of Northwho participated ern Territory in the Arafura after the AustraGames, most of lia, who finished whom are top Velasco said the country’s second in the performers in participation in the Arafura race but was disdifferent regions Games is also part of grassroots qualified for lane of the country, development program of the PSC infringement. captured medals where top performers in the Batang Manzano, who with the PhilipPinoy, Philippine National Games, finished third in pines wounding and Palarong Pambansa saw action. the race, won the up with 31 golds, silver due to Sid51 silvers, and 34 dons’ disqualifibronzes. cation.

PSC national Lampacan, training director Marc Velasco “It goes to show that you meanwhile, won the sportssaid the competition allowed give a chance to our regional manship award in the muay the regional athletes to gain athletes, it would pay divi- competition after capturing the the much-needed international dends in the long run. The silver medal. exposure that will be beneficial athletes really competed and “The Philippines was cited in for them as they look to become did their best. They gave their the muay competition and the national athletes in the future. all,” he added.

Athletes Australia recognized Velasco said the country’s Velasco also lauded the her (Manzano) unselfish attiparticipation in the Arafura sportsmanship traits of the tude towards her fellow comGames is also part of grassroots Filipino athletes particularly petitor,” Velasco said. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS / FACEBOOK

After eight years, UST is officially in the UAAP finals

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer AFTER A long eight-year wait, the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Lady Tigresses have booked their tickets to the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) finals for the league’s 81st season, ending the De La Salle University (DLSU) women’s team’s three-year reign through a victory in a five-set game last Sunday, May 5 at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena in Pasay.

Rookie Eye Laure lifted her team in an emotional win after giving her career-high of 25 points, while Sisi Rondina, who is graduating, fought hard for her last season with 17 points and 10 excellent receptions.

Setter Alina Bicar chipped 23 excellent sets and 15 digs, soaring especially in the crucial fifth set, where a spike gave her team room to breathe with a 13-10 lead. Middle blockers KC Galdones and Caitlyn Viray scored 11 and 10 points, while libero Rica Rivera had 21 digs and 21 excellent receptions.

For DLSU, who already struggled after a loss against Far Eastern University (FEU) in

the eliminations and two losses against UST, still astonished leading their opponents into a fifth set thanks to Jolina Dela Cruz, who had 12 points with 16 excellent receptions. Senior Desiree Cheng played her heart out for her exit game with 10 points and 13 digs. Aduke Ogunsanya had 10 points, while Lourdes Clemente chipped seven, along with Norielle Ipac.

In response to their historic finals entry, UST Head Coach Kungfu Reyes told the media post-game, “It’s a big deal (to enter the finals) so at least Sisi and the other seniors have a memorable exit. It’s not just all about heartaches for us, especially like last year,” adding, “At least they were able to redeem themselves from that. We’re all in unison when it comes to winning. That’s a big deal. That’s a morale booster for us.”

The Lady Tigresses initially clinched onto the number two twice-to-beat spot in the Final Four last Wednesday, May 1 during the playoffs. Now, they await their finals rival as topseeded Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) and number four Far Eastern University go head-to-head on Wednesday, May 8. ■

30

Business Amazon to open first Go store that accepts cash

BY ANDY BLATCHFORD The Canadian Press

ROBERT SCOBLE / FLICKR, CC BY 2.0

he says. “We’re going to learn from customers on what works and what doesn’t work and then iterate and improve it over time.”

In recent years, a small but growing number of stores around the country have gone cash-free. But some activists and politicians say that discriminates against people who don’t have a bank account.

Philadelphia became the first city to ban cashless stores earlier this year. New Jersey passed a statewide ban soon after, and similar laws are being considered in New York City and San Francisco.

It’s not clear how many shoppers will skip the app and want to pay by cash at Amazon Go. The New York store, the first in the city, is in Brookfield Place, a high-end shopping mall and office complex that houses a Gucci store and office workers from banks and credit card companies. Amazon expects many of its customers to be workers looking to pick up a lunchtime salad or sandwich, people who live in the area or tourists visiting the nearby World Trade Center.

Amazon didn’t say when its 11 other Go stores will start accepting cash. ■

PH inflation slows to 3% in April

BY LESLIE GATPOLINTAN Philippine News Agency MANILA — The country’s inflation rate eased to a 16-month low of 3 percent in April, from 3.3 percent in the previous month, the government reported on Tuesday.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) attributed the decline mainly to the slower annual increase in the heavily-

‘call to arms’ for mortgage market innovations

BY JOSEPH PISANI The Associated Press NEW YORK — Amazon launched its high-tech Go convenience store a year ago, where shoppers can pull items off the shelf and walk out.

Now it’s adding a decidedly low-tech feature: accepting cash.

Its new store opening in New York City Tuesday will be the first Amazon Go store to do so.

At its other shops, customers can only enter with an app that links to a credit card or an Amazon account.

The company, facing backlash from critics who say cashless stores discriminate against the poor, confirmed last month that it was working on a way to accept paper bill and coins.

In the new store, employee will swipe those who want to pay by cash through the turnstile entrance. After shoppers grab what they want off the shelves, an employee will scan each item with a mobile device and check them out. There still won’t be cash registers in the store.

Cameron Janes, who oversees Amazon’s physical stores, says the way it accepts cash could change in the future, but declined to give details.

“This is how we’re starting,”

Bank of Canada’s Poloz issues

weighted food and non-alcoholic beverages index at 3 percent.

“The annual rate of the country’s food index continued to move slower as its growth were posted at 2.9 percent during the month,” it said.

It said that slower annual increments were noted in rice, corn, other cereals, meat, fish, oils and fats.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages is among the major

contributors to the country’s inflation with a share of 38.34 percent.

It added that slower annual increments were also noted last month in the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco; clothing and footwear; housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels; and furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house; health; and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

OTTAWA — Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz says it’s time for fresh ideas when it comes to Canadians’ mortgage options.

Poloz used a speech Monday to call for more choice in the country’s mortgage marketplace. He made arguments in favour of several possibilities such as encouraging borrowers to choose renewal terms longer than five years, the creation of a market for private, mortgagebased securities and the launch of shared-equity mortgages for first-time home buyers.

More innovation would help boost flexibility for borrowers, lenders and investors, while also lowering risks in the financial system, Poloz said in Winnipeg.

“To be clear, the system is not broken — it has served Canadians and financial institutions well,” he said in his speech to the Canadian Credit Union Association and Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce.

“But we should not stop looking for improvements and I invite all of you to join this effort.”

Poloz made the recommendations at a time when the central bank is monitoring three key housing-market stories. He listed them as the oil-slumpdriven slowdown in Alberta and Saskatchewan, steady growth in many other parts of Canada and the steep drop in resale activity in Toronto and Vancouver following the introduction of stricter mortgage guidelines.

Looking ahead, he predicted the overall Canadian housing sector to start growing again later this year as the Vancouver and Toronto markets stabilize.

In a news conference following the speech, Poloz offered more details about his take on the two big housing markets.

Poloz said the fundamentals

— like population growth and job creation — in those cities have been “really strong” and he expects they’ve “put a floor” under the adjustment process.

The still-low interest rates remain quite attractive, he added.

He credited the tougher mortgage guidelines, which brought in interest-rate stress tests, for working as they were designed. They helped improve the quality of loans and stop the speculative increase in house prices in Vancouver and Toronto, he said.

Poloz predicts buyers affected by the stress tests will return to the market in search of less expensive homes, while some will wait until they’ve saved more for a down payment.

“All those conditions give you confidence that it’s a matter of adjustment and, after that, a return to normal growth,” he said.

On his request Monday for more brainstorming on the mortgage marketplace, Poloz said he’s wondered why so few changes have been introduced in his lifetime.

“I think that’s unfortunate and that’s why I gave a speech on it — it’s kind of a call to arms,” Poloz told reporters.

“I think there ought to be more innovation.”

His speech laid out several possibilities.

In its spring budget, the federal government announced it would create shared-equity mortgages as a way to provide interest-free loans to help firsttime home buyers add to their down payments. The plan, if implemented, would also encourage a lift in housing supply, Poloz said.

The government is expected to provide more details on the proposal later this year.

Poloz said the plan would help make the financial system safer because mortgage risks ❱❱ PAGE 33 Bank of

Business

FRIDAY MAY 10, 2019

31

Markets mostly recover from deep losses on Trump tweet about China

BY ROSS MAROWITS The Canadian Press TORONTO — North American markets swung back from deep losses sustained early Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to escalate a trade war with China.

Markets dropped as much 2.2 per cent a day after Trump, frustrated by slow negotiations with China, tweeted that he will impose 25 per cent tariffs on Friday against US$525 billion worth of Chinese imports, including US$200 billion that currently face 10 per cent levies.

That caused a resurfacing of volatility that was prevalent late last year on unease of tensions between the world’s two largest economies, says Craig Fehr, Canadian markets strategist for Edward Jones.

“The market was reminded that there are still risks out there,” he said.

The S&P/TSX composite lost more than 167 points or one

per cent in early trading before clawing its way back to within a point of where it started to close at 16,493.46.

U.S. markets fell even harder, with the Nasdaq composite closing down 40.71 points at 8,123.29 after earlier losing more than 182 points. The Dow Jones industrial average was down 66.47 points at 26,438.48 after being down 471 points.

The S&P 500 index was down 13.17 points at 2,932.47.

Fehr said the recovery followed reports that the Chinese delegation will arrive for a resumption of talks on Wednesday despite Trump’s outburst and realization that economic conditions are strong.

“So I’m not surprised to see equity markets rebound. I think it’s a comforting factor that while a little bit of volatility did seem to spook equity markets to start the day, the broader fundamentals seem to be holding as we progressed,” he said in an interview.

Trump’s tweet followed ad-

ministration officials who had talked about progress in negotiations.

The conflicting reports and presidential missive are reminders for investors that such complicated negotiations won’t be completely smooth and there will be hiccups along the way, said Fehr.

They could either devolve into a trade war or bump along to an eventual compromise.

“I think it is the latter. I think this is much more of a speed bump in a path that’s probably leading us towards some compromise, but again today’s probably a reminder that nothing is a given and that equity markets are still fairly sensitive to these exogenous risks, particularly in light of the gains so far this year.”

The Canadian dollar traded at an average of 74.32 cents US compared with an average of 74.47 cents US on Friday.

The TSX was led by the health care sector, which rose nearly 2.1 per cent on gains by can-

DONALD J. TRUMP / FACEBOOK

nabis stocks along with more defensive stocks like real estate and consumer staples.

Four of the 11 major sectors lost ground on the day, led by materials. It fell 0.71 per cent despite higher gold and copper prices, led by Turquoise Hill Resources and Sherritt International, which lost 6.4 and 4.3 per cent respectively.

The June gold contract was up $2.50 at US$1,283.80 an ounce and the July copper contract was up 1.05 cents at US$2.83 a pound.

Energy was up slightly as the June crude contract was up 31 cents at US$62.25 per barrel and the June natural gas contract was down 4.3 cents at US$2.52 per mmBTU. ■

PH aims for ‘A’ rating in 2 years

BY LESLIE GATPOLINTAN Philippine News Agency MANILA — The Duterte administration has set its sights on getting an “A” rating in 2 years, and it intends to achieve this through the implementation of more reforms and infrastructure projects, Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said on Monday.

“This administration can do two things at the same time: we can change, we can push big policy reforms and we can deliver infrastructure in the field,” he told reporters after the luncheon he hosted for former Finance Secretaries and senior DOF officials in celebration of the 122nd anniversary of the DOF. Global debt watcher Standard & Poor’s last week upgraded the Philippine credit rating to “BBB plus” with a positive outlook, the highest sovereign rating the country has ever

achieved, on the back of the political will to get these tough enue target and returned some strengths of the economy. initiatives done at the soonest PHP111 billion to the pockets of “While the achievements possible time”. millions of individual taxpayers. mentioned are certainly enHe said it also signals strong Dominguez considered the couraging, we will not allow international confidence in the TRAIN law and the rice tarrifiourselves to become compla- country’s fiscal management, cation law as “game-changing cent. Even more work is needed putting the Philippines at par reforms”, along with other to ensure that we reap the ben- with countries like Mexico, landmark initiatives the govefits of such accomplishments Peru, and Thailand. ernment has decisively unand continue to dertaken such institute and imas increasing plement meaninvestments in ingful reforms infrastructure — not just to get modernization, that sterling “A” The next phase of our tax reform is the introducrating, but more not focused on raising revenues, it tion of a national importantly, to is focused on fairness, it’s focused ID system, and achieve a more on getting a rational approach to improvements comfortable life our incentives. It’s not for additional in ease of doing for all law-abidrevenue with the exception of the business. ing Filipinos,” he sin taxes.

TRAIN is the said during the first package luncheon. of the compreDominguez hensive tax repointed out the form program credit rating upgrade is an unThe finance chief particularly (CTRP). deniable recognition of Presi- cited the implementation of He said the DOF expects dent Rodrigo Duterte’s un- the Tax Reform for Accelera- Congress to approve the legiswavering commitment to bold tion and Inclusion (TRAIN) law, lation of the remaining comporeforms and sound economic which resulted in a 108-percent nents of the CTRP. policies, as well as “his strong achievement of the law’s rev“The positive results of the www.canadianinquirer.net

TRAIN law provide the best arguments for completing the tax reform. We will again seek your wisdom and support to triumph over the political challenges,” Dominguez told his predecessors.

“The next phase of our tax reform is not focused on raising revenues, it is focused on fairness, it’s focused on getting a rational approach to our incentives. It’s not for additional revenue with the exception of the sin taxes,” he told reporters.

Dominguez said they intend to price sin products like cigarettes and alcohol beyond the reach of young people.

“We will continue with our fast and sure approach in securing concessional financing support for our ‘Build, Build, Build’ projects. We are confident, as more and more projects become shovel-ready, the immense multiplier effects of infrastructure investments will provide a strong stimulus to our economic expansion,” he added. ■

32

Technology Google’s AI Assistant aims to transcend the smart speaker

BY RACHEL LERMAN The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO — When Google launched its now distinctive digital assistant in 2016, it was already in danger of being an also-ran.

At the time, Amazon had been selling its Echo smart speaker, powered by its Alexa voice assistant, for more than a year. Apple’s Siri was already five years old and familiar to most iPhone users. Google’s main entry in the field up to that point was Google Now, a phone-bound app that took voice commands but didn’t answer back.

Now the Google Assistant — known primarily as the voice of the Google Home smart speaker — is increasingly central to Google’s new products.

And even though it remains commercially overshadowed

by Alexa, it keeps pushing the boundaries of what artificial intelligence can accomplish in everyday settings.

For instance, Google last year announced an Assistant service called Duplex, which it said can actually call up restaurants and make reservations for you. Duplex isn’t yet widely available yet outside of Google’s own Pixel phones in the U.S. Alexa and Siri so far offer nothing similar.

Google is expected to announce updates and expansions to its AI Assistant at its annual developer conference Tuesday.

Although voice assistants have spread across smart-

phones and into cars and offices, they’re currently most commonly found in the home, where people tend to use them with smart speakers for simple activities such as playing music, setting timers and checking the weather. Amazon’s Echo devices maintain a strong lead in the market, according to eMarketer; the firm estimates that 63% of all U.S. smart speaker users will talk to an Amazon device this year, compared to 31% that will use Google. Apple’s HomePod is a mere afterthought, lumped in the “other” category which has a combined 12%.

More broadly, though, the competition is much more difficult to assess. Google claims the Assistant is now available across more than a billion devices, although many of those are smartphones whose owners may never have uttered the Assistant’s wake-up phrase, “OK Google.”

Google Assistant doesn’t record users commands by default — differing from Alexa — but recording must be turned on to access some of Assistant’s features, including a popular one that allows it to recognize different users by voice.

Amazon and Google may oneup each other on different metrics, but the real measurement is how well they’ve achieved those own goal, said Gartner analyst Werner Goertz.

Amazon’s deep ties in shopping make Alexa the go-to assistant for adding items to your grocery list or putting in a quick re-order of dish soap. Google’s decades of deep search technol-

ogy make it the leader in looking up or answering questions you might have and personalizing its responses based on what else Google knows about you from your previous searches, your movements or your web browsing.

All that, of course, reinforces Google’s key advertising business, which is based on showing you ads targeted to your interests.

At first, the Assistant on Home mostly just acted as a vocal search engine; it could also carry out a few additional tasks like starting your Spotify playlists. Over time, however, it has added dozens of languages, partnered with more than 1,500 smart home companies to control lights, locks and TVs and learned to identify members of

www.canadianinquirer.net

any given household by voice.

It’s also expanded the number of apps and other companies it works with and moved into Google Maps as a way to send text messages while driving.

Both Google and Amazon plan further expansions. Last year, Amazon unveiled a number of home gadgets with Alexa built in, including a “smart” microwave. At the CES gadget show this year, it showed off a phone-connected device that brings Alexa to cars.

Google countered with updates to its expanding Android Auto system, which got Assistant capability last year.

As Assistant and Alexa get smarter, faster and more personalized, analysts expect their reach to become broader and

more ubiquitous. The speakers, said eMarketer analyst Victoria Petrock, are “getting people used to talking to their devices.” Eventually, she says, if you can speak to your microwave and TV and lights directly, you won’t need the speakers — except maybe to play music.

In these emerging areas Google is hoping to outflank rivals with its strong inroads with Android smartphones and cars. But it faces competition in many of these areas not just from Amazon, but also Apple and Microsoft.

Google I/O kicks off at 10 a.m. Tuesday in Mountain View, California. The company is expected to announce a less expensive Pixel phone and updates to its smart home devices. ■

33

FRIDAY MAY 10, 2019

Microsoft offers software tools to secure elections

BY FRANK BAJAK The Associated Press MICROSOFT HAS announced an ambitious effort it says will make voting secure, verifiable and subject to reliable audits.

Two of the three top U.S elections vendors have expressed interest in potentially incorporating the open-source software into their proprietary voting systems.

The software kit is being developed with Galois, an Oregon-based company separately creating a secure voting system prototype under contract with the Pentagon’s advanced research agency, DARPA. Dubbed “ElectionGuard,” the Microsoft kit will be available this summer, the company says, with early prototypes ready to pilot for next year’s general elections. CEO Satya Nadella announced the initiative Monday at a developer’s conference in Seattle.

Nadella said the project’s software, provided free of charge as part of Microsoft’s Defending Democracy Program, would help “modernize all of the election infrastructure everywhere in the world.”

Microsoft also announced a cut-rate Office 365 application suite for political parties and campaigns for what it charges nonprofits. Both Microsoft and Google provide anti-phishing email support for campaigns.

Three little-known U.S. companies control about 90 per cent of the market for election

equipment, but have long faced criticism for poor security, antiquated technology and insufficient transparency around their proprietary, black-box voting systems. Open-source software is inherently more secure because the underlying code is easily scrutinized by outside security experts.

Two of the leading vendors, Election Systems & Software of Omaha, Nebraska, and Hart InterCivic of Austin, Texas, both expressed interest in partnering with Microsoft for ElectionGuard. A spokeswoman for a third vendor, Dominion Voting Systems of Denver, said the company looks forward to “learning more” about the initiative.

Anyone with an existing voting system or developing a new one will be able to incorporate the ElectionGuard development kit — at the state or local level in the U.S. or national level for jurisdictions abroad.

“It can be used with a ballotmarking device. It can be used with an optical scanner, on hand-marked paper ballots,” said Josh Benaloh, a senior cryptographer at Microsoft Research and key contributor to the ElectionGuard project.

Benaloh helped produce a National Academies of Science report last year that called for an urgent overhaul of the rickety U.S. election system, which faced serious threats from Russian hackers who in 2016 attempted to infiltrate voting administration systems in several states.

Bank of... ❰❰ 30

would be shared between the borrower and the lender.

In another example, he suggested there should be more work to promote the merits of fixed-rate loans longer than five years because many people are unaware that longer-term options already exist. Only two per cent of all fixed-rate mortgages issued in 2018 had durations longer than five years, he added.

For borrowers, longer terms would mean they would have to deal with fewer renewals, reducing the risk that they will face higher interest rates. Pol-

That report called for all U.S. elections to be held on humanreadable paper ballots by 2020.

It also advocated a specific form of routine postelection audits intended to ensure that votes are accurately counted. While U.S. officials say there is no evidence of hackers tampering with election results, experts say systems used by millions of U.S. voters remain susceptible to tampering.

Election integrity activist Susan Greenhalgh of the National Election Defence Coalition praised the project and said she hoped it would encourage innovative thinking at the level that elections are actually managed.

“We can’t have faith-based voting anymore,” she said.

“This is a great step forward in verifying election results.”

ElectionGuard will let voters confirm that their votes are accurately recorded.

Beyond that, the unique coded tracker it produces reg-

isters an encrypted version of the vote that keeps the ballot choice itself secret while ensuring votes are accurately counted. With such “end to end verification,” outsiders such as election watchdog groups, political parties, journalists and voters themselves can verify online that votes were properly counted without being altered.

The system would also allow for reliable postelection audits and recounts. Microsoft executives say they also plan to build a prototype voting system for reference.

One election official who has been in informal conversations with the ElectionGuard project leaders is Dean Logan, who runs elections for Los Angeles County, the nation’s most populous, and is building an opensource voting system for it.

A spinoff of Galois called Free & Fair developed the sophisticated postelection audits, known as “risk-limiting,” for

Colorado, which was the first U.S. state to require the audits recommended in the National Academies of Sciences report.

ElectionGuard is not designed to work with internet voting schemes — which experts consider too easily hackable — and does not currently work with vote-by-mail systems.

ES&S told The Associated Press via email that it was excited to partner with Microsoft and “still exploring the potentials” for incorporated the software kit its voting systems.

Hart InterCivic, the No. 3 vendor, said it planned a pilot project with Microsoft to “incorporate ElectionGuard functionality as an additional feature” layered over its core platform.

A spokeswoman for Dominion, the No. 2 vendor, said “We are very interested in learning more about the initiative and being able to review the various prototypes that are being planned, along with hearing more about other federallysupported efforts in the elections space.”

Edgardo Cortes, a former Virginia elections commissioner now with New York University’s Brennan Center, welcomed additional private sector support for election systems.

“I think it’ll take a while to catch on and see how beneficial (ElectionGuard) ends up being,” he said. “But I think it certainly does have a great deal of potential.”

Columbia University will be partnering with Microsoft to audit the pilots. ■

Internet wins... icy-makers would also benefit from the increased stability related to fewer renewals.

He said there’s some momentum in Canada towards the creation of a private market for mortgage-backed securities.

Poloz said it would provide a more-flexible source of longerterm funding for uninsured mortgages, which are becoming more popular.

They would have to be designed carefully, he said, because mortgage-backed securities were central to the “sub-prime debacle” ahead of the financial crisis more than a decade ago. ■

❰❰ 23

immense powers for world domination.”

Since it was uploaded, the reception has been good… for some, but it was not for many. A number of netizens have complained that the new Sonic looks different from how he is supposed to be depicted, most of them are targeting Sonic’s ‘human-like’ teeth which, they said, are not accurate for a real hedgehog. Some of their criticisms, meanwhile, were focused on Sonic’s “disproportionate” legs.

This disapproval was heard well by the movie’s director, Jeff Fowler, saying that it is obwww.canadianinquirer.net

vious that the audience wants a change on the character’s look.

“Thank you for the support.

And the criticism. The message is loud and clear… you aren’t happy with the design & you want changes,” Jeff tweeted, assuring the fans that what they want is “going to happen.”

“Everyone at Paramount & Sega are fully committed to making this character the BEST he can be,” the filmmaker added, along with hashtags #sonicmovie and #gottafixfast.

It will not be easy tho, let alone the money, time, and resources it will cost to make the necessary changes on Sonic’s

look but for the satisfaction of the viewers, they are much willing to do it. Jeff, however, did not emphasize if they will have a total overhaul on the protagonist’s design, which might affect the release date of the movie.

“Sonic the Hedgehog” is scheduled to speed into theaters in the United States (U.S.) this November 8. Ben Schwartz will take on the voice role of Sonic, while James Marsden will play the role of his friend, Tom. Jim Carrey, on the other hand, will be going full villain as he will portray Dr. Robotnik. ■

MAY 10, 2019

34

CANADA

AMP PROMATIC IS LOOKING FOR PRODUCTION WORKERS Sheet metal manufacturing company is looking to hire workers with some experience on metal cutting machines, plus general labor.

If you don’t have experience but are hard worker we will train and will offer you good wages.

This can be a full-time or part-time position and we are located in Vaughan, Hwy 7 and Weston Rd.

Contact: Walter at 416-991-1007 or send e-mail ampincwf@gmail.com

#1 ASTROLOGER IN VANCOUVER

PANDIT: SAI GANESH PALM, FACE AND HOROSCOPE READING

OVER 35 YEARS EXPERIENCE 100% REMOVAL OF BLACK MAGIC & GIVE PROTECTION MONEY ENEMY FAMILY MARRIAGE EDUCATION

CHILDLESS COUPLES JEALOUSY LOVE HEALTH

SEXUAL PROPERTY WORRIED ABOUT LOVED ONES

VISIT ME ONCE. GET 100% GUARANTEED SOLUTIONS

SORT OUT ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS IN 48 HOURS

778-667-0165

HIRING FOR 8 TIM HORTON STORES IN VANCOUVER Food Service Supervisors, Bakers, and Food Counter Attendants Permanent/Full Time. 6 mos.to 2 yrs. experience Salary range $13.00 to $14.70 per hour + benefits Willing to work shifts; Spoken English knowledge Anyone who is authorized to work in Canada can apply.

Send application w/complete work history and references to:

fmellin10@gmail.com

Electronic Technicians Needed Experience in Low Voltage Electrical System installation and Servicing Computers with Networking Email resume to suda@alarmboss.com Call 416-432-1902

HIRING LUCKY SUPERMARKET 10628 King George Blvd, Surrey B.C is hiring all positions such as: store manager, grocery manager, produce manager, office administration, file maintenance clerk, head cashier, cook, BBQ chef, meat cutter, baker, bakery clerk, grocery clerk, frozen clerk, meat clerk, produce clerk, cashier, truck driver and kitchen helper.

Please email resume to: hrsurrey@luckysupermarket.ca

URGENT: NANNY in Pickering, Ontario To care for 2 young kids in private home. 40hrs/week Email your resume at

adamae27@gmail.com

Spectrum Health Care is Hiring

Personal Support Workers who want more!

More hours Benefits plus pension $500 Signing Bonus Learn more at www.spectrumhealthcare.com

www.canadianinquirer.net

35

Travel Pink Jeep Tours has opened in the Smoky Mountains

BY MAGGIE JONES Knoxville News Sentinel, The Associated Press PIGEON FORGE, TENN. – You may have walked, hiked and biked in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and now you have a chance to see it while riding in a decked-out pink Jeep Wrangler.

Pink Jeep Tours, a company that offers Jeep tours at different locations around the country, has held a grand opening for its Pigeon Forge location for media, officials and area business owners.

The Pigeon Forge location, which is at 3152 Parkway, is the company’s first in the eastern United States. It already has locations in Sedona, Arizona; the Grand Canyon; and Las Vegas.

The idea for a Pigeon Forge location came about around a year go after Herschend Enterprises purchased Pink Jeep Tours, according to Andrew Wexler, CEO of Herschend Enterprises.

“The Smoky Mountains are the most visited national park in the country. In fact almost double the No. 2 park, which is the Grand Canyon, where we already have operations, so it really just made a natural extension that we needed to be at the most popular national park in the country,” said Wexler.

“Not to mention the incredible beauty and the fact that it’s a family destination. It really

PINK JEEP TOURS / FACEBOOK

just made a lot of sense for us to expand here first.”

Each Pink Jeep Tour lasts two to four hours, taking up to seven passengers through parts of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Wexler said Pink Jeep Tours went through a permitting process with the national park in order to have tours there.

Pink Jeep Tours’ Pigeon Forge location will offer four tours, and they include the Newfound Gap Tour, the Foothills Parkway Tour, the Roaring Fork Tour and the Oconaluftee Farm Tour.

Once the national park section of the tour wraps up, each tour will also feature a 30-minute off-road section on private

property, where tour guides take the Jeeps up and down steep hills.

Members of the media got to ride along the off-road section, and the hills and twists and turns of the trail give guests an eventful ride, to say the least.

You’re strapped in with seat belts, but be prepared to hang on and have fun.

“We just built this trail through this old campground, repurposed the land with very minimum impact, which is really a big deal for us,” said Matt Auberle, the general manager of Pink Jeep Tours’ Pigeon Forge location.

“You know, stewardship and environmental awareness is something that, it’s an under-

tone with all of our tours, you know helping people appreciate the natural environment because they’re not building anymore of it …”

In order to take on those steep sections of the tour, Pink Jeep Tours modifies its Jeep Wranglers, so they can safely carry passengers and take them off road, according to Auberle.

Here’s a list of changes Pink Jeep Tours make once they receive the Jeep Wranglers from the factory.

– Replace axles with heavy duty three-quarter ton axles with better traction control.

– Upgrade suspension.

– Add roll bar and seating arrangement, which has six seats in the back and one in the pas-

senger’s seat up front.

– Adds canopy.

– Customizes the Jeeps with upholstery and of course, pink paint.

The guides/drivers who lead the tours go through a threeweek training course. The course involves off-road driving training, trail familiarization and classroom training about the area they will educate guests about, according to Auberle.

The eight to 10 Pink Jeep Tours guides in Pigeon Forge will give information on the plants, animals, geology and human history of the area. “… With education comes appreciation, so when people learn about stuff more then they are more inclined to preserve it …” said Auberle.

To reserve your spot on a Pink Jeep Tour, visit www. pinkadventuretours.com.

Each of the four Smoky Mountain tours have different lengths and prices, according to the Pink Jeep Tours website.

Take note, the Roaring Fork and Oconaluftee Farm tours won’t start until May 24.

– Newfound Gap Tour: Three hours. $65 for adults, $56 for children.

– Foothills Parkway Tour: Three hours. $65 for adults, $56 for children.

– Roaring Fork Tour: Two and a half hours. $55 for adults, $46 for children.

– Oconaluftee Farm Tour: Four hours. $75 for adults, $64 for children. ■

PH pushes for gender-responsive tourism industry

BY JOYCE ANN L. ROCAMORA Philippine News Agency MANILA — With the unprecedented growth of Philippine tourism and its potential to create more jobs for women, the government is pushing for policies that are more gender-responsive.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the

industry has opened up opportunities for more Filipinos, with around 5.3 million jobs related to tourism — a share of 13.1 percent to the country’s total employment in 2017.

“We must assure that the benefits are equally felt throughout the different sectors by means of policy and practice, without partiality,” she said in a speech during the “Jobs and Women in the Philippine Tourism” forum

in Pasay City on Tuesday.

“This is our first step to achieving a gender-responsive tourism industry in 2018 alone,” she added.

Romulo-Puyat said the industry has the potential to contribute “greater gender equality” and “empowerment” among Filipino women.

“The initiatives of the government translate directly to jobs available for women and www.canadianinquirer.net

opportunities for inclusive advancement of all,” she said.

The Department of Tourism continues to work towards a “progressive and vibrant tourism industry that is inclusive and resilient,” she added.

Among others, it also leads the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) program on Gender and Development in Tourism.

“As we push for further equal-

ity here in the Philippines, we play the central role in advancing the agenda on the international stage,” she said.

“We have recently finalized the ASEAN GAD (Gender and Development) Framework for Tourism which aims to strengthen the gender institutional capacity of ASEAN Member States,” she shared.

“The said framework is patterned on our own strategy with the inclusion of key regional issues.” ■

36

Travel

MAY 10, 2019

FRIDAY

Memories of Lucban’s ‘Pahiyas Festival’

BY LORETTA PAJE Philippine News Agency MANILA — It’s the month of May and you know what it means: It’s fiesta time!

Many places in the countryside hold festivals and fiesta celebrations in May and they are indeed a time of merriment for locals and visitors alike.

There’s the Manggahan Festival of Guimaras and Kneeling Carabao Festival of Pulilan, Bulacan. Flores de Mayo is, of course celebrated the whole month, offering a spectacle of beauty and grace among the “Reyna Elenas.”

In my home province of Quezon, we have at least three celebrations during the month of May — the Katang (Mudcrab) Festival of Calauag town on the 25th, the Pasayahan sa Lucena on the 30th, where the Chami (a type of noodle) Festival is an added attraction, and the festival to end all festivals (for us, Quezonians), the “Pahiyas” of Lucban.

Even though I’m from Que-

Pahiyas Festival in Lucban, Quezon.

zon, I was only able to witness “Pahiyas” once, three years ago. The following year, my family dropped by Lucban on our way to San Francisco, our hometown, the day after the festival so we were still able to take “selfies” with the winning houses.

“Pahiyas” Festival is touted as the most colorful celebration in the Philippines. It is held by

At lunchtime, there is the “hardinera” to eat rice with.

This pork dish is similar to “embutido,” only it has the oval shape of leche flan as they use the same mold. But if you love all-day breakfast, there is the famous “Lucban longganisa,” which are reddish native sausages with a garlicky taste. This one’s perfectly paired with garlic fried rice and sunny side up egg.

There are a lot of restaurants around Lucban and most of them offer food that won’t hurt your pocket. Some of the most popular places to eat in the town are Chito’s, where KUHREIZY, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, CC BY-SA 4.0 the “hardinera” is to-die-for and the Buddy’s (which has a the locals of the quaint town fully decorated homes. number of branches in Metro as a way to thank their patron Also very enjoyable for me Manila), where the “pansit habsaint, San Isidro Labrador, for and my family was shopping for hab” or “pansit Lucban” is the their bountiful harvest of vari- all sorts of trinkets. There were best and where I love having ous agricultural products. lots of souvenirs on sale such as “longsilog Lucban” too. There Residents of the town center “Pahiyas” Festival t-shirts, key is also the old-world Mustioadorn the facade of their homes chains and hand-painted “bay- la where we love the “Pansit with fresh harvest of fruits and ong.”

Chami.” vegetables such as squash, bitAnd nothing beats food-tripGoing back to the adorned tergourd, bananas and toma- ping in Lucban! Aside from the houses, the judges navigated toes. They also make pretty and fact that there were many kinds the streets on board a truck afcolorful lanterns out of “kip- of delicious food to buy around ter dusk to pick the winners, ing,” which is a leaf-shaped wa- town, they were also insanely which were announced before fer laboriously made from rice cheap! You can get your fill of the day was over. Seeing the dough. the savory and sour (because houses again at nighttime ofFor my first time to take part you must pour vinegar into it) fered a new level of excitement in the “Pahiyas,” I made sure “pansit habhab” at just PHP10 as the colorful lights the resito be in Lucban with my fam- per order and have a dessert of dents installed gave more life ily a day before the fiesta so “pilipit” for only PHP7 each. and exuberance to the houses. we could witWe left Lucban ness the prepaafter lunch the rations of those day after the fesjoining the comtival, but not bepetition for the “Pahiyas” Festival is touted as the fore buying lots most beautiful most colorful celebration in the of “pasalubong” and intricately Philippines. or take-home adorned house. treats. The lines I also wanted were long at to be able to go the pasalubong see more places centers spread around the town, sample more “Pansit habhab” is of course across town, especially in the local food and to simply enjoy that popular dry noodle dish few places where the longganiLucban a bit longer. It turned served on a square piece of ba- sang Lucban was being made out to be a wise decision to be nana leaf that you eat not with in full view of the customers. there early as the town center the use of any utensil, not even Our “haul,” aside from the sauwas closed to vehicles (except with your bare hand, but with sages, included sweets such as for tricycles) on May 15th and the mouth. This eating style is candied tamarind, meringue the traffic near the entrance of called “habhab” in Quezon. And and turrones, the local favorite the municipality was horrible! nope, it isn’t gross. bread called “pinagong” and a As I imagined, Lucban was “Pilipit” is a dough made few orders of Chito’s flavorful one big happy place during the from flour and grated squash “hardinera.”

“Pahiyas.” The streets over- then deep fried with brown sugWolfing down all those food flowed with people, all of whom ar. The finished product is firm while vacationing in our homewere on fiesta mode. Everyone but sticky and you have to put town five hours away, allowed was jolly –never mind the sum- up a little fight to be able to eat us to relish the festivities for a mer heat and being elbow to el- it. The taste is worth the chal- few more days. But the hope of bow with people that filled the lenge though. For those who going back to Lucban someday narrow streets — and clicking are watching their sugar intake, soon lingers — to once again away with the camera, posing in this one’s really sinful and as join the one huge party that is front and even inside the color- promise, really is delicious! the Pahiyas Festival. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

37

Food How to make sinfully rich brownies for real chocolate lovers AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN BROWNIES ARE controversial territory to chart: Some like them cakey and light in flavour—more of a snack than a rich dessert; some like them moist and chewy; and others, the biggest chocoholics, like them to be purely decadent— almost as dense as fudge and deliciously dark.

We wanted to make sinfully rich brownies that would be a chocolate lover’s dream, so we started by using three forms of chocolate: unsweetened chocolate for intensity, cocoa powder for complexity, and bittersweet or semisweet chocolate for moisture and well-rounded flavour.

Melting butter along with the chocolate was the key to a fudgy texture, and a generous three eggs contributed richness and structure. In addition to providing a clean sweetness, granulated sugar gave the baked brownies a delicate, shiny, crackly top crust.

We found it best to cut these brownies into small bites rather than big bake-sale squares— a little goes a long way. Tasters preferred the more complex

flavour of bittersweet chocolate over semisweet chocolate, but either type works well here, as does 5 ounces of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips in place of the bar chocolate.

Fudgy brownies

Servings: 36 Start to finish: 1 hour

• 5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped • 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa 7/8powder • 1 1/4 cups (83/4 ounces) sugar • 3 large eggs • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 F. Make foil sling for 8-inch square baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil so each is 8 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Grease foil.

Microwave bittersweet and unsweetened chocolates in bowl at 50% power for 2 minutes. Stir in butter and continue to microwave, stirring often, until melted. Whisk in cocoa and let mixture cool slightly.

Whisk sugar, eggs, vanilla, and salt in large bowl until combined. Whisk chocolate mixture into sugar mixture until smooth. Using rubber spatula, stir in flour until no dry streaks remain. Transfer batter to pre-

pared pan and smooth top.

Bake until toothpick inserted in centre comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.

Let brownies cool completely in pan on wire rack, about 2 hours. Using foil overhang, remove brownies from pan. (Uncut brownies can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.) Cut into 36 squares before serving.

Fudgy Triple-Chocolate

Espresso Brownies: Whisk in 1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder along with cocoa. ■ Nutrition information per serving: 98 calories; 49 calories from fat; 5 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 25 mg cholesterol; 38 mg sodium; 12 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 8 g sugar; 2 g protein.

You won’t miss the meat when you make this mushroom burger AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM burgers are no longer just a sad substitute for beef burgers; they are -legitimately delicious choices on their own.

For charry grilled portobellos that wouldn’t leak moisture and make the buns soggy, we decided to try scoring them, a technique that works well with

oven-roasted mushrooms. It worked like a charm on the grill.

We lightly scored the mushrooms on the smooth, nongill side in a crosshatch pattern. This helped expedite the release of moisture, which dripped out and evaporated on the grill, ensuring intense mushroom flavour and toasty, non-soggy buns. The crosshatching also allowed the mushrooms to absorb more marinade—a flavourful mix of

olive oil, red wine vinegar, and garlic.

Once they were cooked, we filled the portobello caps with a savory mixture of feta, sundried tomatoes, and roasted red peppers before stacking them on grilled buns with basil mayo, baby arugula, and sweet grilled onions.

If your mushrooms are larger or smaller than 4 to 5 inches, ❱❱ PAGE 38 You won’t

www.canadianinquirer.net

WAFERBOARD / FLICKR CC BY-SA 2.0

38

MAY 10, 2019

FRIDAY

Juicy, tender chicken with plenty of sweet, smoky flavour AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN IN THEORY, barbecued chicken kebabs sound pretty great: char-streaked chunks of juicy meat lacquered with sweet and tangy barbecue sauce. But without an insulating layer of skin, even the fattiest thigh meat can dry out and toughen when exposed to the blazing heat of the grill—and forget about ultralean skinless breast meat.

Our goal was simple: juicy, tender chicken with plenty of sticky-sweet, smoke-tinged flavour. Brining is one common way to safeguard against dry meat, but in this case the brine made the meat so slick that the barbecue sauce refused to stick.

A salt rub worked much better; the rub crisped up on the chicken’s exterior as it cooked, forming a craggy surface that the sauce could really cling to.

For incredible depth of flavour as well as juicy meat, we turned to an unusual technique: grinding bacon to a paste and applying it to the salted meat. Combined with both sweet and smoked paprika and a little sugar, our bacon-y rub created chicken that was juicy, tender, and full-flavoured, with a smoky depth that complemented the barbecue sauce.

Barbecued chicken kebabs

Servings: 6 Start to finish: 1 hour, 45 minutes Use the large holes of a box grater to grate the onion for the sauce. We prefer flavourful dark thigh meat for these kebabs, but white meat can be used. Whichever you choose, don’t mix white and dark meat on the same skewer, since they cook at different rates. If you have thin pieces of chicken, cut them larger than 1 inch and roll or fold them into approximate 1-inch cubes. Turbinado sugar is commonly sold as Sugar in the Raw. Demerara sugar can be substituted. You will need four 12-inch metal skewers for this recipe.

Sauce: • 1/2 cup ketchup • 1/4 cup molasses • 2 tablespoons grated onion • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar • 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar Chicken: • 2 tablespoons paprika • 4 teaspoons turbinado sugar • 2 teaspoons kosher salt • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika • 2 slices bacon, cut into 1/2inch pieces

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, trimmed, cut into 1-inch chunks For the sauce: Bring all ingredients to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1 cup, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer 1/2 cup sauce to small bowl and set remaining sauce aside for serving.

For the chicken: Combine paprika, sugar, salt, and smoked paprika in large bowl. Process bacon in food processor until smooth paste forms, 30 to 45 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add bacon paste and chicken to spice mixture and mix with your hands or rubber spatula until ingredients are thoroughly blended and chicken is completely coat-

ed. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Thread chicken tightly onto four 12inch metal skewers.

— For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter threequarters filled with charcoal briquettes (4 1/2 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of 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 mediumhigh.

Clean and oil cooking grate.

Place skewers on hotter part of grill (if using charcoal), and cook (covered if using gas),

turning kebabs every 2 to 2 1/2 minutes, until well browned and slightly charred, 8 to 10 minutes. Brush top surface of skewers with 1/4 cup sauce, flip, and cook until sauce is sizzling and browning in spots, about 1 minute. Brush second side with remaining 1/4 cup sauce, flip, and continue to cook until sizzling and browning in spots, about 1 minute longer.

Transfer skewers to serving platter, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve, passing reserved sauce separately. ■

up to 1 hour.

Combine feta, red peppers, and sun-dried tomatoes in bowl. Whisk mayonnaise and basil together in separate bowl.

Push 1 toothpick horizontally through each onion slice to keep rings intact while grilling.

— For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 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.

Remove mushrooms from marinade, and brush onions all over with remaining mushroom marinade. Place onions and mushrooms, gill side up, on grill. Cook (covered if using gas) until mushrooms have released their liquid and are charred on first side, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip mushrooms and onions and continue to cook (covered if using gas) until mushrooms are charred on second side, 3 to 5 minutes.

Transfer onions to platter and discard toothpicks. Transfer mushrooms to platter, gill side up, and divide feta mixture evenly among caps, packing down mixture. Return mush-

rooms to grill, feta side up, and cook, covered, until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Return mushrooms to platter and tent with aluminum foil. Spread basil mayonnaise evenly over roll bottoms and top each with 1 mushroom and 1 onion slice. Divide arugula evenly among burgers, then cap with roll tops. Serve. ■

Nutrition information per serving: 282 calories; 108 calories from fat; 12 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 84 mg cholesterol; 771 mg sodium; 25 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 22 g sugar; 18 g protein.

You won’t... ❰❰ 37

you may need to adjust the cooking time accordingly. If the mushrooms absorb all the marinade, simply brush the onions with olive oil before grilling.

Grilled Portobello burgers

Servings: 4 Start to finish: 50 minutes

• 4 portobello mushroom caps (4 to 5 inches in diameter), gills removed • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar • 1 garlic clove, minced • 1 teaspoon salt • 1/2 teaspoon pepper • 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1 cup)

• 1/2 cup jarred roasted red peppers, patted dry and chopped • 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, patted dry and chopped • 1/2 cup mayonnaise • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil • 4 (1/2 inch-thick) slices red onion • 4 kaiser rolls, split and toasted • 1 ounce (1 cup) baby arugula Cut 1/16 inch-deep slits on top of mushroom caps, spaced 1/2 inch apart, in crosshatch pattern. Combine mushrooms, oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in 1 gallon zipper-lock bag, seal bag, and turn to coat.

Let sit for at least 30 minutes or

www.canadianinquirer.net

Nutrition information per serving: 612 calories; 657 calories from fat; 40 g fat (9 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 37 mg cholesterol; 1134 mg sodium; 49 g carbohydrate; 6 g fiber; 11 g sugar; 15 g protein.

39

FRIDAY MAY 10, 2019

Get the latest News & Updates

read daily news from Philippines, Canada & the World www.canadianinquirer.net The one and only daily Filipino-Canadian live news

www.canadianinquirer.net

40

MAY 10, 2019

www.canadianinquirer.net

FRIDAY