Philippine Canadian Inquirer Issue #21

CANADA’S FIRST AND ONLY NATIONWIDE FILIPINO-CANADIAN NEWSPAPER VOL. 7 NO. 21

WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012

CANADA NEWS $750K in grants available to support B.C. diversity ( On page 24 ) Manitoba gas bar owner fined for hiring foreign workers kicked out of Canada ( On page 27 ) Federal government seeks comments on tighter rules for foreign students ( On page 27 )

Filipino Diaspora: Vancouver of my dreams LYN RILLON

( On page 28 )

THE SUBJECT IS CHINA. President Aquino presides over Thursday’s 4-hour Cabinet meeting in Malacañang devoted to the problem in China.

After graft, P-noy fights disease

BY MICHAEL LIM UBAC Philippine Daily Inquirer

PRESIDENT AQUINO yesterday trained his administration’s guns on the leading causes of infant mortality and “catastrophic illnesses” among adults as part of his goal to achieve universal health coverage for all Filipinos.

At Heroes Hall in Malacañang, Mr. Aquino presided over the ceremonial vaccination of children against rotavirus, the common cause of diarrhea among infants and children below the age of 5.

The President and Health Secretary Enrique Ona also launched PhilHealth’s “Z Health Benefits” which will cover patients afflicted with breast cancer, leukemia, prostate cancer and kidney problems.

The rotavirus vaccination this year will target some 700,000 infants, particularly in poorer communities as these areas “have the highest morbidity and mortality rates for diarrheal diseases,” said Ona. Barangays have them As part of the Department of Health’s expanded national immunization program for children, rotavirus vaccines have been distributed to barangay health centers nationwide to benefit infants aged one-and-ahalf years up to three-and-a-half years.

Rotavirus infects the bowels, resulting in the deaths of about 600,000 children and over two million hospitalizations worldwide,

according to the World Health Organization.

The President reported that 3,500 Filipino children die every year from rotavirus, the second leading cause of death among infants.

Severe infection of rotavirus gastroenteritis causes “severe dehydrating diarrhea,” which can result in death.

Game changer In his speech, Ona pointed out that the rotavirus vaccination program was the first in Southeast Asia, adding that the lifesaving vaccine was a “gamechanger as it promises to protect children from severe diarrhea.”

“It is projected that at least 25 percent of diarrheal deaths will be

Toronto’s beer festival features 200 brands of malty beverage with music, food ( On page 31 )

Tipi camping with the Blackfoot People – Signature Experience Collection™ ( On page 37 )

Why stay?

( On page 42 )

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WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012 2

Miriam not quitting yet S&P upgrades Phrating

Photo by Vincent van Zeijst

BY MICHELLE V. REMO Philippine Daily Inquirer

International Criminal Court in the Hague, Netherlands

BY CATHY C. YAMSUAN Philippine Daily Inquirer SEN. MIRIAM Defensor-Santiago advised the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to list only 12 vacancies in the 2013 senatorial elections “out of prudence” since she could not predict when she would leave the chamber to join the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Responding to Comelec Chair Sixto Brillantes’ suggestion that she resign before Oct. 5, the deadline of the filing of certificates of candidacy, Santiago said she was unable to determine the date of her resignation because she has not yet been called to active duty by the ICC. Brillantes had explained that the Comelec was in a dilemma whether or not to finalize the traditional 12 vacancies or to make it 13, in case Santiago leaves the Senate to fulfill her job as judge of the ICC. Santiago was chosen earlier this year as the first Asian judge of the international judicial body. She was supposed to take her oath as a new member of the ICC earlier this year but was unable to fly to The Hague because of hypertension.

No date yet As it is, the senator has already asked that she be among the last of the six new judges to be called to the ICC, given her commitments in the Senate.

The ICC also cannot give a specific date when Santiago is needed to report for work and replace one of the 18 incumbent judges in The Hague.

This is because while each ICC judge has a nine-year term, he or she cannot retire until all cases assigned to that judge has been decided.

“Of course, I will not resign from the Senate, until the ICC calls me to duty. Hence, I respectfully submit that even only out of prudence, the 2013 ballot should list only 12

vacancies for senators,” Santiago wrote Brillantes.

“In order to observe the provision that the ICC should consist of only 18 judges, a newly-elected Judge has to wait until an incumbent Judge has disposed of all his pending trials, even if the tenure extends beyond the retirement date of the incumbent,” she further explained.

Santiago added that ICC President Sang-Hyun Song wrote all six new ICC judges, including her, on Feb. 22 advising them “not to make any irreversible commitments for the time being which could terminate your current professional engagements with a view to future engagement at the Court.”

Fortuitous Santiago said she “took this statement to mean that I should not yet resign as senator. Subsequently, in March 2012, the six new Judges were invited to The Hague for oath-taking. I was unable to go, because I was suffering from hypertension of a potentially dangerous level.”

“In hindsight, it was fortuitous that I did not take my oath as judge, because it could have disqualified me from remaining as Senator,” she added.

Santiago also told Brillantes that should she resign now, before the ICC calls her to duty as he demanded, the Senate “will have no responsibility for my income or professional accommodation” while leaving her in the dark about when she starts her stint as a judge.

“This is why I cannot resign from the Senate, until the ICC indicates that I should do so. I will simply have to wait until the ICC president makes a decision on when I should report,” she said. n

THE PHILIPPINES’ image got a boost after Standard & Poor’s (S&P) raised the country’s credit rating by a notch, citing the government’s declining debt burden and other favorable developments on the economic front.

S&P, one of the major international credit rating firms, raised the country’s long-term foreign currency rating from BB to BB+, just one notch below investment grade.

Long-term foreign currency rating is one of the guides used by foreign investors in making investment decisions, such as whether or not to buy bonds sold by a government or do business in a country.

S&P assigned a “stable” outlook on the latest credit rating. This means the rating is likely to remain the same within about a year until a new review is done.

In a report released last night, S&P said its decision was based partly on the government’s improving debt profile.

Over the years, the government has gradually been trimming its debt burden—the proportion of its outstanding debts to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP)— through measures that improve tax and revenue collection.

The debt-to-GDP ratio, one of the key indicators closely monitored by credit rating firms, improved from 84 percent in 2004 to only about 50 percent to date.

“The foreign currency rating upgrade reflects our assessment of gradually easing fiscal vulnerability, as the government’s fiscal condition improves its debt profile and lowers its interest burden,” S&P said.

Moreover, the credit rating firm cited the Philippines’ much improved level of foreign currency reserves, which it said made the country able to meet its liabilities to foreign creditors and bond holders.

Record reserves The country’s reserves of foreign currencies, called the gross international reserves (GIR), reached a record high of about $77 billion earlier this year.

The GIR indicates a country’s wealth of foreign exchange and determines its ability to pay for imported goods, pay debts to foreign creditors and engage in other commercial transactions with the rest of the world.

The amount is enough to cover over 11 months worth of imports and is equivalent to about six times the foreign currency-denominated debts of government and private entities in the Philippines.

The country’s foreign exchange reserves have risen over the years, thanks to sustained growth in remittances from overseas Filipino workers, foreign investments in the country’s business process outsourcing sector and foreign portfolio investments.

“The rating action also reflects the country’s strengthening external position,” S&P said.

BSP pleased Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas was pleased with the credit upgrade by S&P. Tetangco said the move of S&P came with the improved appetite of foreign portfolio investors for peso-denominated stocks and bonds. Increased purchases of pesodenominated portfolio instruments led the peso to hit a four-year high of 41.72 to a US dollar on .

He said the international financial community was recognizing favorable economic developments in the Philippines.

2nd fastest in Asia In the first quarter of the year, the Philippine economy, as measured by the gross domestic product (GDP), grew by 6.4 percent from a year ago.

This was faster than the 4.9 percent recorded in the same period last year.

The latest GDP growth of the Philippines was the second fastest in Asia for the first quarter after China’s 8.1 percent.

“We welcome the upgrade from S&P. The action of the market in the couple of days [that led to the appreciation of the peso] was a forthtelling,” Tetangco said in a statement.

The latest move by S&P makes its rating for the Philippines the same as that assigned by Fitch Ratings, its competitor.

Moody’s Investors Service, another major international credit rating agency and the most pessimistic about the Philippines, rates the country two notches below investment grade.

Philippine economic officials are pitching for improved credit ratings for the Philippines, claiming that the country’s economic fundamentals are in fact already comparable to those of some countries enjoying investment grade.

Indonesia, which the Philippines considers a contemporary, got an investment rating late last year.

Government economic officials said that an investment rating for the Philippines would help drive job-generating foreign direct investments, lift incomes, and reduce poverty. n

3 WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012

News-Phils

17 charged in tax credit scam

BY TJ BURGONIO Philippine Daily Inquirer

SEVENTEEN former officials and employees of the Department of (DOF) Finance are facing criminal charges before the Sandiganbayan for granting P200 million worth of tax credits to a ghost company and its purported suppliers in the 1990s.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales has ordered the filing of graft and estafa (fraud) charges against the DOF officials and other private individuals implicated in what has come to be known as “tax credit scam” that operated from 1993 to 1998.

Morales said in a resolution that the officials of DOF’s One Stop ShopInter Agency Tax Credit and Duty Drawback Center conspired with private companies in granting P202.4 million in tax credit certificates (TCCs) to Filipino Way. Paper company It turned out that Filipino Way was a paper company apparently created by the accused. Morales said that the firm had “no physical or legal existence” and its purported proprietor, Richard Noriegas, was fictitious.

The DOF center was created in February 1992 to process tax credit and duty drawback applications. The tax credits were offered as incentives by the then Estrada administration to enterprises registered with the Board of Investments (BoI).

Approval of the applications translated to government refund payments on duties and taxes.

TCCs are refund payments granted to exporters and manufacturers of BoIregistered products for export who have actually paid duties and taxes on the raw materials and supplies they used.

Under the scam, refunds were made on taxes that were never paid or tax credits granted to some firms that had ceased operations.

Scam principals Facing charges for violation of the AntiGraft and Corrupt Practices Act and estafa are former DOF Undersecretary Antonio Belicena and former Deputy Executive Director Uldarico Andutan Jr. Their corespondents were DOF reviewers Asuncion Magdaet, Jane

Aranas and Rowena Malonzo and evaluators Sylvialina Daguimol, Mark Binsol, Annabelle Diño, Merose Tordesillas, Charmelle Recoter, Marife Cabadin, Gemma Abarra, Emelita Tizon, Gregoria Evangelio, Purita Napeñas, Cherry Gomez, and Ma. Cristina Moncada.

Morales also ordered the filing of charges against the listed officers of the private corporation Filipino Way, and its purported supplier-companies: Filsyn Corp., Hi-Lon Manufacturing Co. Inc., Manila Bay Spinning Mills Inc., Wise and Co. Inc., Bush Boake Allen Philippines, Inc., Dragon Textiles Mills Inc., Steel Asia Manufacturing Corp. and Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp.

The case arose from a complaint filed by the Special Presidential Task Force 156 that reviewed, investigated and gathered evidence to prosecute irregularities at the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Bureau of Customs, and other DOF agencies.

Spurious papers Records provided by the Ombudsman showed that of the P202 million tax

credits granted to it, Filipino Way was purported to have used some P101.8 million to pay its own tax liabilities and transferred P90 million to the suppliercompanies.

To avail themselves of the credits, Filipino Way submitted spurious or simulated export declarations, bills of lading, bank credit memos, export sales invoices, supply agreements and deeds of assignment to make it appear that it was entitled to tax credits.

Morales resolved the first set of tax credit scam cases in March this year, dismissing 13 DOF officials, including Belicena and Andutan, for defrauding the government of P82 million and P74.8 million from 1994 to 1998.

The officials were found guilty of grave misconduct and were penalized with dismissal, plus accessory penalties of cancelation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits, and perpetual disqualification from re-employment in the government service. Since Belicena had already retired from the government service, he was meted out the accessory penalties. n

Photo by Ederic Eder

De Lima: I’m no administration stooge

BY MARLON RAMOS Philippine Daily Inquirer SHE WON’T budge.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima denied she would be an administration stooge should President Aquino appoint her to succeed ousted Chief Justice Renato Corona.

De Lima also stood firm on her decision to undergo screening of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) for the coveted post.

Rejecting the call of House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II for her and acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio to withdraw, she said it was her “individual

decision” to accept her nomination as top magistrate.

“I was able to prove my independence when I (headed) an independent constitutional body and I can do that again,” De Lima told reporters, referring to her stint as chair of the Commission on Human Rights from 2008 to 2010.

De Lima maintained that an individual’s capacity to keep his or her principles “is on the character of the person.”

She also clarified that she was not being presumptuous about her chances of becoming the country’s first female Chief Justice.

Alternative “I’m just offering myself as an alternative to the insiders (and) to the other contenders,” she said. “Let’s just see if the JBC would consider me as fit enough for that post and if short-listed, if the President would also think that I’m worthy of that post.”

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte insisted there had been no change in the President’s preference that De Lima remain in her current post.

“However, we wish to reiterate that there is still the screening process that all the nominees would have to undergo.

And, barring any short list, we would not be inclined to comment on either of the nominees until the screening process is finished,” Valte said.

Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles claimed that De Lima’s aspiring for the post bolstered suspicions that the judiciary had lost its independence.

Inflexible yardstick “The whole thing is in bad taste,” the outspoken Arguelles said, adding that Corona’s impeachment left the judiciary vulnerable to Malacañang’s machinations. “I don’t think (the judiciary) will be free, whoever will be the Chief Justice.”

On Tuesday, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman added his voice to those opposing the nomination of De Lima and Carpio.

“What were perceived as the negative factors which rooted out Corona must be the same factors which must weed out potential errant nominees,” Lagman said.

“The standards of not being beholden to the appointing power, impartiality, credibility and independence must constitute the same inflexible yardstick by which the President ought to measure the next Chief Justice,” he added.

The buck stops here Lagman said the President should cross out “any nominee who participated in the trial of Corona either as prosecutor, judge or witness, or one who is perceived to have coveted the position of chief magistrate.”

De Lima was a prosecution witness in Corona’s impeachment trial, while Carpio was accused by Corona of lusting after his post.

Lagman said the public who followed the Corona trial would be eager to know the President’s choice since he rallied his allies in the House of Representatives to impeach Corona and he was vocal in lobbying for his conviction in the Senate.

“The buck stops with (Aquino) as the appointing authority,” Lagman said. n

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WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012 4

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...from page 1

prevented annually, or roughly 1,000 more children surviving past their fifth birthday,” said Ona. On PhilHealth’s “Z Benefit” package, Ona said this would prevent premature deaths from “medically and economically catastrophic diseases or conditions such as cancers.”

“The package is called ‘Z Benefit’ as it best describes not only the last letter of the alphabet but the end point of one’s health when afflicted by catastrophic illnesses that need prolonged hospitalization and very expensive treatments,” said Ona. For complete treatment of any of these four medical procedures, the

package cost ranges from P100,000 to P210,000.

In his keynote speech, Mr. Aquino underscored the role of public health in winning the war against poverty.

“We must also turn our attention to public health and as we focus on the health of our country, the economy, government, the overall health of all Filipinos also remains a top priority.

“We want our people to be empowered individuals capable of standing on their own two feet: Strong, healthy and skilled men and women who can take advantage of the opportunities that life affords them. And all of you in the arena of public health are vital to this goal,” he said.

‘Texting’ bus driver sends vehicle flying into Ortigas flyover railings

Quality healthcare The President said the universal healthcare system would provide Filipinos with quality and appropriate healthcare for Type A illnesses like diarrhea, to Type Z illnesses like cancer.

“Today, we launch the rotavirus vaccines which are expected to contribute to our goal of safeguarding the health and wellbeing of Filipino children.

For this year, 700,000 infants from families listed in our national household targeting system will be vaccinated,” he said.

Mr. Aquino also pointed to “catastrophic illnesses—illnesses that are literally catastrophic to

2012 Southeast Asian Cultural Arts Festival

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BY NANCY C. CARVAJAL Philippine Daily Inquirer TEN PEOPLE ended up in the hospital afternoon after a passenger bus rammed the railings of the Ortigas flyover on the southbound lane of Edsa and teetered on the edge of the structure before its nose came to a rest against a post and the underside of the Metro Rail Transit tracks.

The driver of the Don Mariano Bus blamed a motorcycle which he claimed suddenly appeared in front of his vehicle and forced him to swerve to the right.

His passengers, however, disputed this and said that he was texting on his cell phone just seconds before the accident occurred.

Zoilo Mogol of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said that of the 10 who were injured, eight were bus passengers. The remaining two were a motorcycle driver and an MMDA traffic constable who were standing under the flyover when the accident occurred.

Both were hit by pieces of the flyover railing which fell onto the road below. Some of the debris also fell on a Honda Civic, leaving the car damaged although its driver was unhurt.

According to Brian de Guzman, an MMDA medic who was among the first to attend to the injured

oneself, to one’s financial situation, and even to one’s emotional and psychological well-being.”

“Our people should not try to overcome these illnesses alone and this idea is at the heart of our universal healthcare program,” said the President.

For 2012, PhilHealth has allotted P3 billion for the Z Benefit package, P1.3 billion of which will be used to treat 12,000 people afflicted with breast cancer, childhood leukemia and prostate cancer.

After declaring an all-out war on corruption, the Aquino administration this time will fight to keep all Filipinos alive and healthy. n

North Pond, Burnaby Central Park (see map at MonsoonSociety.org)

passengers, the bus driver identified as Florencio Beron was tinkering with his cell phone before the accident.

“All of the passengers were one in saying that the driver was texting before the bus swerved to the right to avoid a motorcycle that appeared on his left,” de Guzman told the Inquirer.

Among the injuries sustained by the bus passengers were cuts and bruises although two of them suffered leg fractures.

When interviewed by the Inquirer, Beron denied that he was using his cell phone before his bus rammed the flyover railings.

“I tried to avoid [a] motorcycle and I swerved to my right, ‘’ he explained.

Beron also insisted that he was not speeding and that he was just running at a speed of around 30 to 40 kph.

But according to Mogol, the damaged showed otherwise.

“The railings would not easily break if the impact was not strong,” he said.

Mogol said Beron would be initially charged with reckless imprudence resulting in multiple injuries and damage to property.

The accident snarled traffic for more than an hour on the southbound lane of Edsa.n

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WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012 6

Photo Courtesy of Lance Catedral

JBC issue must be settled first–Chavez

BY TJ BURGONIO With a report from Marlon Ramos Philippine Daily Inquirer TO AVOID complications, the Supreme Court should resolve questions on the constitutionality of the composition of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) before a new Chief Justice is appointed, former Solicitor General Frank Chavez said.

“Until that issue is resolved, the actuation of the JBC is questionable.

The sooner the issue is resolved by the Supreme Court, the better,” Chavez told reporters after accompanying a client file a case at the Office of the Ombudsman in Quezon City.

Chavez had questioned the constitutionality of JBC’s composition, saying the Constitution gives Congress one vote in the screening body. Currently there are two congressional representatives— one senator and one House representative.

‘Tainted’ Unless the issue is resolved before President Aquino appoints a new Chief Justice to replace impeached Renato Corona, the selection process of the JBC would always be “tainted with unconstitutionality,” he said.

Chavez had petitioned the high court to freeze the JBC screening process for the 24th Chief Justice, arguing that its current practice of allowing both representatives of the Senate and the House of Representatives to take part in its proceedings was “patently unconstitutional.” He said Section 8, Article VIII of the Constitution provides only “one representative from the Congress” should join the council as ex-officio member.

Chavez, one of the 71 nominees for

the post, said the high court should set a deadline for the resolution of his petition.

The JBC set the public interviews for the 24 aspirants from July 24 to 26.

Lawyer Jose Mejia, a regular JBC member representing the academe, said the council expects to subject at least six nominees per day to the panel interviews, which would be open to live media coverage for the first time.

“I think it’s a good indication, if it’s nonextendible in nature, that the Supreme Court considers the resolution of this issue urgent, that’s why it gave the respondents up to ,” he said, reacting to SC’s orders to the JBC, Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr., Sen. Francis Escudero and the Office of the Solicitor General to comment on his petition.

‘My pleasure’ He hoped that the comments on his petition would be sufficient for the high tribunal to decide on the case.

“But if it wants to call the case on oral arguments, it will be my pleasure,” he said.

Chavez said he had neither accepted nor rejected the nomination precisely because of the unconstitutionality of the JBC’s composition.

“I just filed a petition before the Supreme Court because I cannot subject myself to the jurisdiction and proceedings of a body whose composition is unconstitutional.

Even if I rejected the nomination in the form that JBC wants it, then such action on my part would be validating an error,” he said. n

7 WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012

News-Phils

LP to new allies: Welcome but don’t expect poll funds

BY NORMAN BORDADORA Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE PARTY in power attracts allies but don’t expect it to fund their candidacies.

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, a close adviser of President Aquino and a Liberal Party stalwart, yesterday denied former President Joseph Estrada’s accusation the administration was pirating the senatorial candidates of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

“That is farthest from the truth,” Abad told the INQUIRER when asked about Estrada’s tirade against the administration which is working out a potential powerhouse slate made up of members of the LP, Nacionalista Party and Nationalist People’s Coalition.

“The administration is not pirating candidates and has no need to do so.

Historically and by political logic, in a midterm election, the administration in power naturally attracts candidates.

More so the Aquino administration which is enjoying unprecedented approval and support,” he said in a text message.

Abad vowed that no government resource would be used for the campaign of administration candidates.

“The President made it clear to the aspirants not to expect the administration to use government resources for the campaign. He has been emphatic about that policy,” Abad said.

On Friday, Estrada said the way the LP was prying senatorial candidates away from UNA showed a weakness in the ruling party.

“They’re pirating. That shows they cannot complete their lineup,” Estrada was quoted as saying.

Estrada was reacting to indications that reelectionists Senators Loren Legarda and Gregorio Honasan were being considered for inclusion in the senatorial ticket of an administration coalition made up of the LP, NP and NPC. UNA had first announced its preference for Legarda, a member of the NPC, and Honasan for its Senate slate.

Estrada warned that the move could backfire against the LP. “Just like what happened to [NP president Sen. Manuel] Villar. He pirated, he lost just the same,” Estrada said referring to Villar’s loss in the 2010 presidential election.

President Aquino has also indicated his support for the senatorial bids of three candidates from other political groups. They are Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara of Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, Tesda Director General Joel Villanueva and former Akbayan partylist Rep. Risa Hontiveros Baraquel. n

Mitos to Drilon: Apologize to all married women

BY GIL CABACUNGAN Philippine Daily Inquirer ZAMBALES Rep. Milagros “Mitos” Magsaysay said Sen. Franklin Drilon should apologize to all married women, including his own wife and sister-in-law, for implying that they were “fake” as well, after he had belittled her for not being a “real Magsaysay.”

“The remark of Senator Drilon [ implying] a fake Magsaysay is an affront to all married women. It shows how low he regards his wife and sisterin- law. It smacks of discrimination and encourages families to regard women and mothers as unworthy to be part of their husband’s family,” said Magsaysay in a text message.

‘Real Magsaysay’ Magsaysay was reacting to Drilon’s recent announcement that the

administration Liberal Party was fielding the “real Magsaysay”—former Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr.—as a senatorial candidate in next year’s elections. Mitos Magsaysay herself is a candidate for senator of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance.

The congresswoman is a daughterin-law of former Zambales Gov. Vicente Magsaysay, Jun Magsaysay’s cousin.

Mitos said she was not asking Drilon for a personal apology since she knows he would not offer one because she belongs to the opposition.

“I think he should apologize to all women who use their husband’s names. If he stands by his statement, does that mean that Mrs. Drilon and all other women who use their husband’s names are fakes too?” she said.n

News-Phils

WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012 8

Eating, planting vegetables secret to long life, says DOH

WANT to live longer? Plant vegetables.

To mark Nutrition Month this July, the Department of Health is urging all Filipino households and communities to plant vegetable gardens in their backyards and other open spaces not only to curb malnutrition among children but to stop the high incidence of noncommunicable diseases in the country.

The DOH cited food consumption surveys by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) that showed Filipinos were eating only two servings of vegetables, or about 110 grams, a day from the 145gram daily intake recorded in 1978.

It also highlighted FNRI data that showed only 67.7 percent of Filipino households had vegetable gardens or fruit trees in their backyards.

“The data is alarming considering that low fruit and vegetable intake is among the top 10 risk factors for global mortality based on a World Health Organization report,” said the DOH. The WHO report attributed 1.7 million deaths globally per year to low fruit and vegetable intake.

According to health experts, one serving should be equivalent to a cup of raw leafy vegetables or half a cup of raw or cooked nonleafy vegetables.

Assistant Secretary Maria Bernardita Flores, executive director of the DOH’s National Nutrition Council (NNC), urged Filipinos to plant vegetables “in all possible places.”

She said vegetables can grow even in urban areas using the latest technologies like container gardening or hydroponics, where plants are grown in water.

Most common NCDs Underscoring the importance of vegetables in one’s daily diet, the DOH said Filipinos, especially children, should eat more of the green leafy stuff as they contain vitamins and minerals that help combat noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

NCDs or lifestyle-related diseases are the top leading causes of death in the Philippines. These diseases are linked to four “most common but preventable” risk factors: An unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, smoking and alcohol use.

To promote vegetable consumption among students, the DOH has partnered with the Department of Education which recently issued a memorandum urging public schools to plant vegetable gardens in celebration of Nutrition Month.

Flores said vegetables were good sources of Vitamin A and iron nutrients important to boosting a child’s immune system and development.

Infants 6 months old and above should be served pureed, mashed or finely cut green leafy and yellow vegetables mixed with rice porridge ( lugaw) to complement breast milk, she said.

Ideal daily intake Flores said the NNC was concerned about data showing that infants 6-11 months old were fed only two grams of vegetables a day while 1-year-olds were given eight grams.

Oncologists or cancer doctors have said the ideal daily intake of vegetables and fruits is at least five servings, where a serving is as big as a fist.

“We encourage everyone to consume three or more servings of vegetables each day. Let us also eat our indigenous vegetables such as malunggay, saluyot, kangkong, kamote tops and ampalaya,” said Flores. n

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Post party-list groups online, Comelec urged

There is a clamor for posting online of all the names of the party-list groups.

BY JEROME ANING Philippine Daily Inquirer AN ELECTION watchdog called on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to publish online the names of all party-list groups and their nominees, whether accredited or still seeking accreditation, so that the public may know who these groups are.

The Quezon City-based Kontra Daya said it would help in weeding out “bogus” partylist

groups that have used the system reserved for marginalized sectors as a means of getting congressional seats.

“The posting online of all the names of the party-list groups and their nominees is an act of transparency that will cost Comelec nothing. It will also help immensely in the identification and the weeding out of fake party-list groups. Over the last 10 years, the party-list system has been flooded by entities claiming to represent marginalized sectors but are in fact representatives of political clans, big business and other influential sectors,” Kontra Daya said.

The watchdog group said that since there are 172 party-list groups seeking accreditation, it would be difficult for the truly marginalized sectors to oppose the fake groups without prior knowledge of their application.

“The public should be involved in the process…,” Kontra Daya said. n

Photo Courtesy of Ramon F. Velasquez

BY JOCELYN R. UY Philippine Daily Inquirer

Making good his threat, Chavez hales JBC to SC

Office of the Judicial and Bar Council

BY MARLON RAMOS Philippine Daily Inquirer

FORMER Solicitor General Francisco Chavez has kept his word to Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero.

Chavez petitioned the Supreme Court to freeze the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) screening process for the 24th Chief Justice for its “antipodean departure” from the constitutional provision on its composition.

Calling it “patently unconstitutional, the practice of the JBC to allow both representatives of the Senate and the House of Representatives to participate in its proceedings was “a dangerous byproduct of a flawed premise,” Chavez said.

“We cannot allow this error to perpetuate itself by the inaction of lawyers, the public and the taxpayers,” Chavez told reporters after filing the 54-page petition.

Escudero, chair of the Senate justice committee, earlier dared those questioning the JBC composition to go to the Supreme Court.

“Under Senate and House rules, that’s part of our job as the respective chairs of the committees of justice in both houses,” Escudero said.

“The position of the JBC is that unless enjoined by the court in a contrary opinion, the JBC will not change the procedures it had been observing before,” he said.

In seeking the issuance of a temporary restraining order, Chavez said the current JBC composition violated Section 8, Article VIII of the Constitution, which provided that only “one representative from the Congress” should join the council as ex-officio member.

The Constitution says: “A Judicial and Bar Council is hereby created under the supervision of the Supreme Court composed of the Chief Justice as ex-officio chair, the secretary of justice and a representative of Congress as ex-officio members, a representative of the Integrated Bar, a professor of law, a retired member of the Supreme Court and a representative of the private sector.”

Chavez said the Constitution also plainly stated that the JBC, the body vetting applicants for ranking judicial posts, must only have seven members.

The provision is “clear, definite and needs no interpretation,” he said in his petition. n

News-Phils

9 WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012

Philippines moves to claim, secure Benham Rise

BY PHILIP C. TUBEZA Philippine Daily Inquirer

AFTER getting the nod of the United Nations on its claim to Benham Rise, the Philippines has moved in on the submerged landmass believed to be rich in natural gas and minerals off eastern Luzon.

Benham Rise Benham Rise is found in one of the country’s “unexploited” fishing grounds, according to Assistant Director Gil Adora of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). His agency is currently assessing the area’s marine resources.

Adora said commercial fishermen from China and Taiwan had been entering the eastern seaboard of Luzon over the past years. Their ships are more advanced and well-equipped to handle the strong waves there, he said.

“Taiwan is exploiting it right now,” he added.

In April, the agency implementing the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) informed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) that Benham Rise is part of the Philippines’ continental shelf and territory.

The Unclos, concluded in 1982, defines the rights and responsibilities of nations in their use of the world’s oceans.

Rich in blue fin tuna Also known as Benham Plateau, the massive formation of basalt, a common volcanic rock, has been described in studies as a thickened portion of the Philippine sea plate’s oceanic crust.

According to the DENR, the plateau is rich in natural gas and manganese nodules. The waters of the 13-millionhectare continental shelf off the coast of Aurora province is rich in blue fin tuna, Adora said.

The BFAR official explained that the Pacific blue fin usually found in the colder waters of the northern Pacific has thrived in the seas east of Luzon, which are colder than the other tuna fishing grounds of Filipino fishermen.

Tuna production Access to the rich fishing ground will be an advantage to the Aquino administration.

Tuna is one of the Philippines’ top fisheries exports, but the volume declined recently after conservation

Abundant in Benham Rise: blue fin tuna

measures were imposed in the Pacific high seas.

Total tuna exports in 2010 was valued at $359.4 million. Of the total volume, about 70 percent was in canned form (76,800 metric tons), and the rest (33,688 metric tons) was either fresh, chilled or frozen. Canned tuna exports in 2010 dropped by 8 percent compared to 2009 figures.

BFAR Director Asis Perez said the reopening of the Pacific high seas would mean an additional 150,000 MT of tuna catch for the Philippines. A limited number of Filipino commercial fishers will be allowed entry there, starting September, he said.

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Scientific info Adora said the BFAR, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture, was studying Benham Rise to determine the fish species there and the best time to venture out to sea.

A research vessel sent by the agency will provide scientific information to Philippine commercial fishers so they can retrofit their ships for fishing in the eastern seaboard.

According to BFAR officials, the currents are unlike other fishing grounds in the Western Pacific high seas and the West Philippine Sea because the area is on the path of typhoons.

The BFAR study is expected to be finished by yearend. n

News-Phils Juico: What does paper-making Angara, De have to do with charity?

Venecia most prolific in recent years

WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012 10

BY MIKO MORELOS Philippine Daily Inquirer

WHY SHOULD a charity agency be engaged in the production of thermal paper?

Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office Chair Margarita Juico yesterday posed this question as she defended the PCSO board’s decision to scrap a joint venture with an Australian firm to build a thermal paper plant.

“While the PCSO does not turn its back on its commitments, the terms of the joint venture were not within the PCSO’s corporate purpose and mandate, and were grossly prejudicial to the interests of PCSO,” Juico said in a statement.

Juico pointed out that the charity agency was merely adhering to a Senate blue ribbon committee report that suggested it cancel its joint venture with TMA Australia and hale to court the previous PCSO board for graft and corrupt practices.

The former PCSO board, led by then General Manager Rosario Uriarte, had entered into an agreement with TMA Group of Companies Pty. Ltd. in 2009 to put up a thermal coating plant that would produce and sell thermal paper and related products in local and international markets.

To support its initial operation, the agreement stated that the PCSO would buy its thermal paper requirements from TMA for 50 years. The charity office needs thermal paper to print the lottery tickets sold at outlets nationwide.

Violation of antigraft law In 2011, the Senate blue ribbon committee discovered that the Uriarte-led PCSO board appeared to have violated the antigraft law and recommended the immediate cancelation of the joint venture.

“The PCSO acted upon the findings and recommendations of the Senate blue ribbon committee when it canceled the contract with TMA,” Juico said.

With the charity agency bound to TMA for its thermal paper supply for 50 years, this stipulation skirted provisions of the law on government procurement, the PCSO chair said.

Citing an analysis of the agency’s legal team, Juico explained that the assailed portion of the contract was a mere “supply contract disguised as a joint venture agreement designed to evade” provisions of the law.

Ultimately, it placed the public interest at a disadvantage because the supply resulted in a monopoly, she added.

Provide medical assistance The PCSO chair pointed out that the agency’s mandate was expressly limited to providing medical assistance to indigent patients and to support charities.

To fulfill this, the charity office generates revenue through the nationwide lottery and other games of chance. n

Gov’t not doing enough to punish rights abusers

BY TJ BURGONIO Philippine Daily Inquirer

A NEW YORK-based human rights watchdog yesterday said Philippine government efforts at prosecuting human rights violators were not enough, with most cases failing to reach the trial stage.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that while the conviction of human rights abusers depended on the courts, the lack of successful prosecutions “highlights broader problems that rest with the administration.”

Elaine Pearson, deputy director for HRW’s Asia Division, observed that the police still failed to follow up and arrest suspects, and the military continued to “obstruct” investigations.

“Even in the case against retired Army Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, where we praised the administration for bringing charges, not enough is being done to bring him to custody so that he can receive a fair trial,” Pearson said.

The fugitive retired general had been charged with the 2006 abduction and illegal detention of students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan.

HRW earlier said that President Aquino had failed to prosecute a single case of extrajudicial

killing and enforced disappearance in his two years in office.

This was disputed by deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte, who said the administration had initiated the filing of cases against suspects but had no say over their conviction. In Palparan’s case, she said, charges have been filed and a massive manhunt has been launched for him.

Addressing ‘barriers’ “Conviction isn’t part of the executive branch’s job,” she said.

Pearson said the President could do a lot more to “systematically address” the barriers to successful prosecutions.

For starters, she said, Mr. Aquino should order the National Bureau of Investigation to probe police and military personnel implicated in killings. He should order the police to redouble efforts to investigate abuses involving government officials, she added.

The President should also order the military to cooperate with civilian authorities investigating

BY CYNTHIA D. BALANA Philippine Daily Inquirer

AURORA Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara and former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. topped the list of “prolific and hardworking members” of the House of Representatives for filing the most number of bills of national importance that were enacted into law in the 14th and 13th Congresses, respectively.

A report by the House Indexing and Monitoring Group of the Bills and Index Department showed that in the 14th Congress of 2007-2010, Angara, then deputy majority floor leader, filed 10 national bills that eventually became laws of the land.

Among these measures that were signed into law by the President of the Philippines were the Magna Carta of Women, PreNeed Code of the Philippines, Real Estate Investment Trust, Civil Aviation Authority Act and Personal Equity and Retirement Account (Pera) Act. Coming in behind Angara was former Speaker Prospero Nograles who filed five bills that became law, while Representatives Rozzano Rufino Biazon (lone district, Muntinlupa City), Roilo Golez (2nd district, Parañaque City), Eduardo Zialcita (1st district, Parañaque City) and Junie Cua (lone district, Quirino) all filed four bills each to share the third spot.

In the 13th Congress (2004-2007), De Venecia along with Rep. Raul del Mar (1st district, Cebu) and Rep. Joey Salceda (3rd district, Albay) all topped the list after principally authoring four bills of nationwide significance.

Behind them was Rep. Jesli Lapus (3rd district, Tarlac) with three bills signed into law, while Angara, Rep. Cynthia Villar (lone district, Las Piñas City) and Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. (1st district, Camarines Sur) came in third with two measures each signed into law. n

military abuses, or face sanctions, she said.

Additionally, he should take immediate steps to ensure that the witness protection program is independent, accessible and properly funded, she said.

“As President Aquino himself pointed out, fair trials that result in the conviction of those implicated in abuses is the true test of his commitment to his promise,” Pearson said. n

11 WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012

News-Phils

P-noy launches antidisaster program Project Noah Project Noah will benefit from the weather monitoring equipment that the government has installed in the past years. These include rain gauges, floodmonitoring units and Doppler radars—those that measure the amount of rain that would fall in a certain area.

BY NORMAN BORDADORA Philippine Daily Inquirer THIS NOAH doesn’t need to build an ark to save Filipinos from floods. All it needs is for people to access its website.

After launching Project Noah (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards) yesterday, President Aquino declared that the days of uncertainty in the face of severe weather would now be a thing of the past with the real-time warnings and information that Project Noah provides.

“Project Noah would serve as the Philippines’ ark against deluge. We would put an end to the ordeal that people have been accustomed to in rainy weather. Hindi na puwede ang ‘bahala na,’ sawa na tayo sa kaba,” the President said.

“With accurate and enough information, we would gear Filipinos toward sufficient readiness,” he added.

Project Noah’s launch was held in Marikina City—one of the worst hit by floods when Tropical Storm “Ondoy” dumped an unusually heavy volume of rain on Metro Manila in September 2009.

Project Noah, the government’s Noah’s Ark?

Also to warn of geohazards Aside from providing on-time warnings on severe weather from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, Project Noah will also issue warnings related to geohazards from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

“If you check the website of Project Noah... you’d be impressed at the convenience brought by technology. Just type your location, you’d already know the weather condition, how heavy the rain would be in your area,” President Aquino said.

“We no longer have to ask for information. We no longer have to wait for the news. Anytime, we can get in and be informed,” he added.

Automated rain gauges “When we started our administration, we gave attention to the problems brought by storms.

Among those that we pursued was to improve and add to our equipment,” President Aquino said.

In addition to the four locally assembled water level monitoring sensors already in place when he assumed office, Mr. Aquino said the government installed nine in 2011 and 12 in 2012. “And 2012 is still not over,” he said.

President Aquino also said that 100 automated rain gauges were assembled in 2011 and 86 in 2012. These were deployed to different regions in the country, he added.

“Since 2010, there are now six operational Doppler radars in Baguio, Subic, Tagaytay, Virac, Mactan, and Hinatuan,” he said.

“We also expect three additional Doppler weather radars to be operational in Tampakan, Aparri and Baler before the end of 2012,” he added. n

News-Phils Trillanes: All quiet Deployment to 15 countries banned on military front, but you never know

Photo Courtesy of The Pageman

WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012 12

Ayala Avenue during the Trillanes putsch try

BY CATHY YAMSUAN Philippine Daily Inquirer THERE is no unrest in the military these days because the conditions that provoked past discontents no longer exist.

“The concerns that caused unrest in the past like lack of housing and delays in the salaries of soldiers have been addressed,” said Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV in Filipino in a radio interview yesterday.

Trillanes—leader as a Navy lieutenant of two coup attempts against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo—was asked his insights on the two-year-old Aquino administration over radio station dzBB. Trillanes recalled that in the early days of the Aquino administration there was a group of civilians out to “grab power” that attempted to recruit soldiers but they failed.

The rebel-turned-senator said some “mercenaries” in the military took money from the anti-administration group but only made promises that were never kept.

“There is no longer any military unrest where the mission is to fight corruption. But in the case of a power grab scenario, nothing came of it (“wala ’yan”). They were only after the money of those willing to finance such efforts (“mangunguwarta lang naman ’yun”),” said Trillanes, a leader of the Oakwood mutiny of 2003.

The 40-year-old senator, who is running for reelection next year, said “the most that was agreed upon were acts of sabotage and terrorism meant to scare people just so the mercenaries could justify what they charged the financiers.”

The senator noted that soldiers were smarter now and could easily discern “when he is being abused or played with.”

“When the soldier realizes that external problems like corruption and social injustice are unbearable, that is when military intervention is considered. But as it is, I do not see such indications. And apparently, not within the next four years,” he said.

Still, he warned that coup financiers may be keeping a low profile these days but this did not mean they had quit.

“But whether they will succeed (“kung uusad”) is a different thing altogether,” he said.n

BY PHILIP C. TUBEZA Philippine Daily Inquirer THE GOVERNMENT will ban the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to 15 countries for failing to meet the safety requirements of

the amended Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipino Act, the head of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said .

POEA chief Hans Leo Cacdac said the ban will cover: Afghanistan, Chad, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), Eritrea, Haiti, Lebanon, Mali, Mauritania, Nepal, Niger, Palestine, Somalia, Uzbekistan, and Zimbabwe.

“The deployment will be stopped (for the 15 countries) once a POEA governing board resolution takes effect 15 days after publication,” Cacdac said in an interview.

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, two countries earlier criticized for their lack of safety and protection laws for foreign workers, particularly domestic workers, were spared the ban.

In its resolution on June 28, the POEA board also approved the certification of 32 countries— including Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait—that were earlier deemed only “partially compliant” as “compliant” countries. Congress allowed the move while DFA negotiates agreements to improve OFW safety with these countries, which already host huge Filipino overseas communities. n

Carpio heads list of nominees

BY MARLON RAMOS Philippine Daily Inquirer

ACTING Chief Justice Antonio Carpio and five other justices of the Supreme Court yesterday joined 19 others who had agreed to undergo screening for the post of the next Chief Justice.

In a letter to the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), Carpio thanked the body for including him as possible replacement of ousted Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Unlike other contenders, Carpio was automatically recommended by the JBC, being one of the five most senior magistrates.

Associate Justices Presbitero Velasco Jr., Teresita Leonardode Castro, Arturo Brion, Roberto Abad and Ma. Lourdes Sereno have also accepted their nominations to the JBC, which will conduct the screening.

As of 4:30 p.m. yesterday, the JBC had received 70 nominations and two applications for the highest judicial office.

Lawyer Jose Mejia, the representative of the academe to the JBC, said the body would receive nominations and applications until midnight Monday.

Also agreeing to the vetting were Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza, Presidential Commission on Good Government Chair Andres Bautista, Election Commissioner Rene Sarmiento and Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Teresita Herbosa.

Joining them from the academe were former University of the Philippines’ College of

Law dean Raul Pangalangan, De La Salle University law dean Jose Manuel Diokno, former University of the East law dean Amado Valdez and former Ateneo de Manila University law dean Cesar Villanueva.

Women’s rights lawyer Katrina Legarda, Soledad Cagampang-de Castro, Rafael Morales, Vicente Velasquez, Ferdinand Jose Pijao, Manila Regional Trial Court Judge Ma. Amelia Tria-Infante, Court of Appeals Associate Justice Vicente Veloso, retired Judge Manuel Siayngco Jr. and former San Juan Rep. Ronaldo Zamora also confirmed their recommendations.

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez was the lone lawmaker who asked the JBC to consider his nomination.

Dismissed Malabon Regional Trial Court Judge Florentino Floro, who described himself as “Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Universe,” and nurse Jocelyn Esquivel had sent their applications for the position.

On the other hand, Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Jose Mendoza, Jose Perez, Bienvenido Reyes and Estela Perlas-Bernabe declined their nominations.

Also declining were Court of Appeals Justices Magdangal de Leon, Noel Tijam and Gabriel Ingles, retired Court of Appeals Presiding Justice Andres Reyes, Integrated Bar of the Philippines president Roan Libarios, Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Francisco Villaruz Jr. and former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. n

13 WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012

News-Phils

‘Another Aquino, another dynasty’

BY LEILA B. SALAVERRIA AND MICHAEL LIM UBAC Philippine Daily Inquirer MILITANTS denounced the entry of President Aquino’s cousin, Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino, in the senatorial race as dynasty-building, while allies of Malacañang hailed Bam’s decision to run for the Senate as a political blessing.

The activist group, Anakbayan, voiced fears that having the President’s relative in the Senate would strengthen the Aquinos’ hold on power and that the Aquinos might use this to keep their control of the family’s Hacienda Luisita, a target for land reform.

Besides, said Anakbayan, one Aquino in government was already one too many.

“Is there no one else? The 2013 senatorial elections are turning out to be one big PH Olympics with big political clans and families dominating the list of candidates,” it said in a statement.

The Aquinos and their inlaws, the Cojuangco clan of Tarlac province, have long been a power in Philippine politics.

The murdered opposition leader, Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr., was a potential president until he was assassinated on his return from voluntary US exile in 1983.

His widow Corazon—a Cojuangco—eventually took power after the dictator Ferdinand Marcos was overthrown in the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution.

An array of other Aquinos and Cojuangcos has also been elected to national and local posts, including former Senators Agapito (Butz) Aquino and Tessie AquinoOreta, former Tarlac Rep. Peping Cojuangco and former Tarlac Gov. Tingting Cojuangco.

Other families around the country have also held sway in national and local politics.

‘Dynastic politics’ Anakbayan said Bam’s announcement of his foray into politics ref lected the “KKK-driven, traditional, dynastic politics” that it said characterized the present administration.

KKK means “kaibigan, kaklase, kabarilan” (friends, classmates and shooting buddies), a term used by the President’s critics to refer to

his supposed favorites who share his interests and enjoy favors from him.

“A bigger cause of worry is what seems to be a plan of the AquinoCojuangco clan to further dominate different branches of government to regain control of Luisita and protect family interests,” Anakbayan claimed.

It said what the country needed were candidates with clear political platforms and advocacies, and a real opposition party as well.

“The youth and the people are tired of the disgusting kamag (family)driven traditional politics,” it said.

Vested interests Renato Reyes of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan—an alliance of left-leaning groups that include Anakbayan—said having a popular surname might be good for courting votes but that did not necessarily mean being a good public servant.

“A familiar name from an established political clan is no assurance of a pro-people platform,” Reyes said. “Quite the opposite, it may mean the perpetuation of traditional politics, of the same old policies and vested interests.”

He was referring to families which have been fixtures in Philippine politics, handing down elective posts from one generation to another.

On the LP short list Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the matter of Bam’s inclusion in the Liberal Party (LP) senatorial ticket should best be addressed by the party.

“These are all primarily LP matters ... I will have to defer to (Budget) Secretary Butch Abad or (Transportation) Secretary Mar Roxas or the President,” Lacierda told a press briefing.

He said he was not aware that his boss had consented to Bam’s senatorial candidacy.

Interviewed on Radyo Inquirer 990, Bam said he was already on the shortlist of the administration’s senatorial ticket.

“At this point, I think there are about 16 or 17 names who are being considered on the final list. I’m on the short list, so to speak,” he said. He did not say who were the others on the list.

Welcome addition Asked whether Bam’s statement that he had Mr. Aquino’s “blessing” amounted to a presidential endorsement, Lacierda said: “I haven’t spoken to the President so I would not be able to comment.”

But the President’s spokesperson vouched for Bam’s credentials.

“Certainly, he is fit to be (a senator).

He has his educational background to prove that he is capable. He is an awardee and he is a very active civic leader. Certainly he would be a welcome addition to the Senate,” Lacierda said.

“But as to his discussions with the President, that is something I wasn’t aware of,” he added.

Abad, for his part, said: “What is important is that Bam gets the approval of the President to run for the Senate.”

He also said: “Some papers reported that Bam has secured that approval.

That just needs to be verified. After that, the rest—his joining the LP and

the administration coalition slate— will, I believe, not be a problem.

Same old contest “Bam is young, intelligent, articulate, entrepreneurial and has good public exposure. He will be an asset to the LP and to the administration slate,” Abad said.

“We are certainly open if he’s interested,” Abad said.

Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño was critical of Bam’s entry into politics.

“This confirms our view that the senatorial elections will be a contest among the old names in politics,” said Casiño, who is aspiring to run for the Senate next year.

“Nothing has changed,” he said.

“That’s why there is a need to bring in new constituencies in the Upper House and encourage candidates who may not have the same political pedigree as Bam but who are equally qualified and competent to be senators.” n

News-Phils

WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012 14

Probe urged on sale of party-list slots

BY GIL C. CABACUNGAN Philippine Daily Inquirer A PARTY-LIST lawmaker has asked Congress to investigate the alleged sale of party-list accreditations and nominations for millions of pesos by a syndicate in the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

“This issue of bribery by alleged fixers in the Comelec must not be left in limbo. The integrity of our partylist system must be protected,” said Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares, who filed a bill calling for a House inquiry into the matter.

“With the absence of a full investigation of alleged cases of bribery, doubts are inevitably cast on the integrity of the Comelec to uphold the party-list system and ensure that only qualified partylists are allowed to run in elections,” Colmenares said.

He said the House should summon Danton Remoto of the partylist group Ladlad—which was rejected by the Comelec—who had claimed that fixers and Comelec lawyers had offered him instant certification in exchange for millions of pesos, as well as cosmetic surgeon Joel Mendez who had said he was offered a nomination by an accredited partylist group if he paid P5 million (to

be a second nominee) or P2 million (third nominee).

Colmenares questioned the Comelec’s failure to act on these allegations, as well as on the arrest by the National Bureau of Investigation two years ago of suspected members of a Comelec syndicate allegedly selling partylist accreditations and seats for P10 million to P15 million.

Political dynasties Colmenares said the Comelec should put its foot down on this brazen selling of party-list accreditations because it defeats the purpose of the law granting the poor and marginalized sectors of society greater representation in a Congress dominated by political dynasties.

“If we allow these fake partylist groups to buy their accreditation, then it will be just a matter of time before the party-list system is completely ruled by the rich and powerful who

can afford to pay bribes and ease out genuine representatives of the people,” he said.

Colmenares said the party-list system, which automatically gets 20 percent of the House membership, had already been taken over by traditional politicians. A study by the Center for People Empowerment in Governance showed that of 57 nominees belonging to 43 party-list groups in the 15th Congress, 12 were identified as belonging to political clans and nine were tagged as being affiliated with or openly endorsed by religious groups.

Colmenares noted that Bayan Muna had obtained a Supreme Court court ruling which stated that a party-list group “must not be an adjunct of or an entity funded or assisted by the government” and that nominees themselves should belong to the marginalized sectors of society.

Ang Galing Pinoy “Since 1998 there have been lots of attempts to corrupt the system by so-called bogus or pseudo partylists which were able to worm their way through the screening process of the Comelec and some were even victorious in acquiring congressional seats,” Colmenares said.

During the Arroyo administration, a son of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo, was made the first nominee of the Ang Galing Pinoy party-list group which represents tricycle drivers and security guards even though he did not have the remotest connection to tricycle drivers or security guards. Mikey continues to sit in Congress today along with his mother who took over his original House seat representing the second district of Pampanga.

The Comelec has not only ignored calls to clamp down on the illegal sale of party-list accreditations, it has also made it harder to weed out the bogus groups. Colmenares questioned the Comelec’s imposition of a P10,000 filing fee in disqualification cases. n

Verzosa asks court to defer graft case Sacked Customs men still working Photo Courtesy of Dave Connor

BY MICHELLE V. REMO Philippine Daily Inquirer

BY TJ BURGONIO Philippine Daily Inquirer FORMER Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Jesus Verzosa has asked the Sandiganbayan to defer the issuance of a warrant and suspend proceedings against him in connection with a graft case over the PNP’s purchase of two secondhand helicopters.

Verzosa, replying to the prosecutors’ comment, argued that the proceedings against him in the Sandiganbayan should be suspended in view of a petition for a certiorari he filed in May and was now pending with the Supreme Court.

He reiterated that the antigraft court should apply the “principle of judicial courtesy.”

In the same reply, Verzosa also asked the Sandiganbayan to dismiss the case against him for lack of probable cause.

The Ombudsman in early June filed graft charges against former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo and 20 PNP officials, led by Verzosa, and Hilario de Vera, president of Manila Aerospace Products Trading (Maptra), a PNP supplier, over the sale of two helicopters.

Arroyo allegedly sold the two Raven I helicopters, passed off as brand-new, to the PNP. The two were among the five helicopters that Arroyo allegedly bought from an American firm for the use of his wife, then President Gloria MacapagalArroyo, for her campaign in the 2004 presidential elections. n

ANTI-SMUGGLING personnel of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) who were accused of extortion and supposedly already dismissed are still reporting for work, a company complained.

Sanyo Seiki Stainless Steel Corp., who accused the former members of the Run After The Smugglers ( RATS) team of the BOC of extorting the company, has asked Customs Commissioner Rufino Biazon to implement a Malacañang order dismissing the Customs employees.

The steel firm, led by the company’s legal counsel and former Solicitor General Frank Chavez, filed a manifestation before the Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs asking it to direct Biazon to explain why the seven antismuggling personnel were still reporting to the bureau.

Sources at the BOC confirmed that seven out of the eight RATS personnel dismissed by the Palace in January for alleged extortion have reported back to work after filing an appeal with the Palace.

Technically, the sources said, they can continue reporting for work while the case is on appeal and while the Palace has yet to decide on the appeal.

The eight customs personnel dismissed by the Palace are the following: Gregorio Chavez— former deputy commissioner and head of the RATS—and his staff Christopher Dy Buco, Edgar Quiñones, Francisco Fernandez Jr., Alfredo Adao, Jose Elmer Velarde, Thomas Patric Relucio, and Jim Erick Acosta.

Of the eight, only Chavez is no longer reporting for work. The BOC has already appointed his replacement. n

15 WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012

News-Phils

Brain drain more than doubled in last 12 years

BY RONNEL W. DOMINGO Philippine Daily Inquirer THE BRAIN DRAIN has become a bigger problem in the last 12 years, as the yearly exodus of people trained in science and technology (S&T) grew by about two and a half times from 1998 to 2009.

According to a Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics (BLES) report, the number of S&T workers who opted for overseas jobs rose from 9,877 in 1998 to 24,502 in 2009.

The numbers refer only to new hires or those leaving the country for jobs for the first time.

The BLES cited data from a study titled “International Migration of Science and Technology Manpower-OFWs,” which the Department of Science and Technology’s Science Education Institute (SEI-DOST) published in 2011.

S&T deployment Results showed that during the 12-year period, S&T deployment grew by an average of 11 percent yearly, peaking at a 59-percent increase in 2001 when 17,756 professionals left, compared with 11,186 the previous year.

Based on the SEI-DOST study, S&T manpower includes physicists, chemists, mathematicians, statisticians, computing professionals, engineers, life science professionals, health professionals (except nurses), and nurses and midwives.

The study found that nurses and midwives represented the biggest group with an average of 9,348 deployed yearly, or 60 percent of the total S&T average of 15,555.

Engineers comprised the second-biggest group, averaging 4,117 yearly, or 26 percent of the total outflow of S&T manpower. Other health professionals including medical doctors accounted for the third-largest group with an average of 1,426 yearly, or 9.2 percent of the lot.

“On the average, women accounted for about 60 percent of the annual [S&T] deployment,” the BLES report said. “The proportion of women has been rising over time—50.3 percent in 1998 to 57.8 percent in 2009.”

Top 10 destinations The top 10 destinations for these professionals were Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, United States, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Qatar and Taiwan.

Although the S&T deployment represents only a fraction of the annual outflow of temporary OFWs or new hires—an average of 5.6 percent share (in the yearly total)—the BLES report indicated that the proportion has risen steadily from 4.5 percent in 1998 to 7.4 percent in 2009.

During that period, the total number of newly hired overseas Filipino workers increased at an average of 13.5 percent yearly from 219,724 in 1998 to 331,752 in 2009.

“This study attempts to do an accounting of temporary migration of S&T (workers) in the Philippines as the basis for human resource development policies, particularly (for) S&T workers,” the BLES said.

The agency explained that the study was a follow-up to an earlier SEI-DOST report titled “Emigration of Science and Technology Education Filipinos” which dealt with S&T professionals who had left the country for good.

Five priority areas When the national budget for 2012 was pending in Congress last year and Malacañang was pushing for a 10-percent increase in allocations for state universities and colleges (SUCS), Budget Secretary Florencio B. Abad said the Executive supports the development of SUCs toward five priority areas that are expected to drive economic growth and employment.

These areas include agriculture and fisheries, tourism, general infrastructure, semiconductor and electronics, and business process outsourcing.

“President Aquino has directed the Commission on Higher Education to work together with SUCs as well as the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Department of Labor and Employment, and with industry to align their curricula to these priority areas,” Abad said.

“There is an immense opportunity in these areas but they are lacking in qualified manpower,” he added. n

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17 WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012

‘Spider-man’ and gang rob e-casino in QC

Massacre victim’s widow flees PH

THEIR break-in may be “amazing,” but their getaway, not quite.

Five masked men, one of them wearing a Spider-Man mask, robbed an online casino before three of them were killed in what police said was a shoot-out in Quezon City before dawn.

Senior Supt. Cris Mendoza, Novaliches station commander of the Quezon City Police District, said the armed men barged into an e-game outlet on the third floor of Pascual Building on Quirino Highway, Barangay Gulod.

After disarming the security guard outside, the suspects forced the two casino employees and three customers to lie face down on the floor as they took the outlet’s earnings and customers' personal effects, before fleeing in a white Toyota Revo.

Mendoza said the cashier alerted the police through an emergency hotline immediately after the suspects left. A QCPD mobile patrol unit, which happened to be in the area, chased the suspects and caught up with them on Samonte Road in Barangay Nagkaisang Nayon.

The three suspects killed in the shoot-out were not immediately identified.

The two other suspects abandoned the Revo and escaped on foot.

According to Mendoza, the stolen items were note recovered from the slain suspects. These included some P100,000 in cash and valuables, including a mobile phone and two gold rings.

It was not established whether the suspect who entered the casino masked as Spider-Man was among the three who were killed or the two who escaped.

(A Hollywood movie on the comic book superhero is currently showing in Manila.)

The rest of the suspects wore bonnets to cover their faces during the robbery, Mendoza said, quoting the victims.

The Spider-Man mask and the four bonnets were recovered in the suspects' vehicle.

Also found in the Revo were two .45-cal. Pistols and the casino guard's .38-cal. revolver. n

Photo Courtesy of Magic Liwanag

BY NANCY C. CARVAJAL Philippine Daily Inquirer

BY TJ BURGONIO Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE WIDOW of a journalist who was among the 57 people killed in the grisly 2009 Maguindanao massacre has fled to Hong Kong, saying the Philippine government had failed to provide her protection.

Speaking before journalists in Hong Kong more than a week ago, Myrna Reblando recounted her travails as the widow of slain Manila Bulletin reporter Alejandro “Bong” Reblando, and her futile, “costly” search for justice.

“For over a year, I was in hiding. In this period, my life was empty. I felt that my person is useless and that I only think of securing myself. I felt that those who had threatened me had achieved what they wanted: to silence me, to push me back. I know that I could do something,” Reblando said.

But then she faced the dilemma: to speak or not to speak, she said.

“I am ready to die; however, I cannot put the life of my children at risk. I am their mother. I should be the one protecting them; I should be the one giving them protection. They have only me now; but I am not even with them now as we speak,” she said in her speech.

The Asian Human Rights Commission emailed to the press the full text of Reblando’s speech, which she delivered on June 25 before the Foreign Correspondents’ Club (FCC), on “How the Prevention of Torture Promotes the Freedom of Expression and Journalism in Asia.”

Bong Reblando was among 32 journalists murdered during the Nov. 23, 2009, massacre in Maguindanao province.

Reblando said she first flew to Hong Kong two years ago to speak before the FCC and receive the posthumous Human Rights Press Award for the murdered journalists.

“Before, I could speak freely and I thought I had freedom and protection.

But now I am a person who is being hunted for what I have spoken (about) and without protection even from my own government. Yes. I decided to leave my country because persons seeking remedies and redress in our system of justice, like me and many countless others, had no protection,” she said.

Constant fear Reblando expressed gratitude to the Hong Kong government for giving her “protection, food and shelter.”

“Thank God, now I am here alive.

However, I could hardly imagine on how many occasions I was close to death in the last two years. I did not feel protected, even with my own security escorts,” she said.

The widow said her pursuit of justice had been costly for her and her family.

“I lost my livelihood, I cannot go home and the people whom I know could not provide me shelter when I needed it the most. They fear getting involved, even my own relatives and friends.”

When she took on the role of vice chair and spokesperson of the Justice Now! Movement, composed of the families of the massacre victims, Reblando said she knew it was a “tough job.”

“To speak on behalf of those who are frightened and those who could not— because of oppression, fear and absence of protection—is a position that is alarming and dangerous,” she said.

“For those who choose to take this role in my country, most of them are all dead now; others are struggling to stay alive. One of those dead is Jessie Upham, one of the witnesses of the Maguindanao massacre. Hewas murdered before he could testify in court,” she said.

“It was true that my father was shot dead but it was not because he wanted to testify,” said Alijol Ampatuan Jr. who claimed to be a distant relative of former Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr., the principal accused in the massacre.

“It was true that my father was shot dead but it was not because he wanted to testify,” said Alijol Ampatuan Jr. who claimed to be a distant relative of former Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., the principal accused in

the massacre.

However, he could not explain why his father was killed.

Ampatuan tagged At the continuation of the massacre trial at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City, Lakmodin Saliao, who claimed to be a former aide of Andal Sr., returned to the witness stand and identified Anwar Ampatuan, a son of the former governor, and Akmad Ampatuan, a son-in-law, among a dozen accused present in court.

The witness claimed it was Anwar, who hid his brother and primary suspect Andal “Datu Unsay” Ampatuan Jr. in the mountains of Datu Hofer town in Maguindanao hours after the killings.

Saliao reiterated the previous testimony he gave in September 2010 that he was with Andal Sr. on the day of the massacre. He said he was in constant contact with Anwar especially after Andal Sr. talked to Anwar through his cellular phone and told him to meet Unsay and flee from the massacre site.

Saliao also affirmed his previous testimony that he was present when the Ampatuans and their supporters allegedly met on the night of Nov. 17 at the clan’s farm in Barangay Bagong, Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao, to plan the massacre.

“That is why we’re all here—to plan how to stop Toto Mangudadatu from filing his CoC (certificate of candidacy),” Saliao had quoted the clan patriarch as saying.

‘Kill them all’ It was then that Andal Jr. supposedly replied: “That is easy, father. Kill them all if they come here.”

Saliao said former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan then told those present that “if that is what we’re talking about, we should plan it carefully so that we won’t be found out.”

“That is why we are here. It is shameful for the Ampatuan clan to have someone challenge them,” Anwar allegedly said.

Akmad then allegedly said: “We will listen to father. It is OK with us if all of them are killed.”

Mangudadatu did not join his wife, other relatives, supporters and journalists who were killed while on the way to file his candidacy. He is now the Maguindanao governor. n

Opinion

WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012 18

THERE’S THE RUB

Extensions

BY CONRADO DE QUIROS Philippine Daily Inquirer ABIGAIL VALTE gave a preview of P-Noy’s Sona later this month.

Government has done much over the last two years. Its biggest accomplishment has been to change the mindset of the people. “Our countrymen are now more engaged not just online but we can already see this in several levels of engagement, which shows that there is now a shift in attitude towards government as a partner and not as an oppressor.”

But much remains to be done and there is little time. “The goal is not just to lessen corruption or to take it out completely but to make reforms systemic. It cannot be that reforms would only be for six years, and then for the next, they would no longer be done.”

That being said, P-Noy has absolutely no intention of staying on after his term.

I agree that the P-Noy administration’s biggest achievement has been, if not entirely to change the mindset of the people, at least to gain the public’s trust. That’s borne out by surveys, which have consistently, give or take a dip or two, given P-Noy a high approval rating.

It does greatly matter that you do not perceive government as an entity that’s out to screw you.

Which was the case not too long ago. You kept wondering each day you woke up what new deviltry the squatter in Malacañang had hatched the night before.

To this day, you can hear the sigh of relief from here to Marawi when she went. I don’t know that most Filipinos now see government as a partner, but I do know most Filipinos do not now see government as the enemy. That is no mean feat.

It’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship, as Rick told Captain Renault in “Casablanca.”

P-Noy’s staying on after his term is a nonissue. I don’t know that anyone, other than the usual suspects or intriguers, entertains the thought. This country has been lucky in one respect, which is that over the course of two decades, it has had two presidents who never contemplated clinging to power, who are Cory and P-Noy. Indeed, who never craved it to begin with, being thrust into it only by the maelstrom of events.

Which brings us to the real worry. That worry is not how to prevent P-Noy from acquiring a taste for power such that he will want to have more of it, it is how to allow the reforms he has started to go on after he is gone. Cory herself shows why. You cannot have heard a bigger sigh of relief than when she replaced Marcos as head of state, you could not have seen a bigger sea change in the public’s perception of government than when she abolished the instruments of oppression. Yet after a hiatus of six years with Fidel Ramos—who not quite incidentally was himself tempted to stay on after six years, only to see his ambitions dashed to pieces by the Asian financial crisis of 1997—we were back where we started. First with Erap, then with Gloria. Before we knew it, the looting was back,

the lying, cheating and stealing were back, the murder and mayhem were back.

The fight against corruption has just begun.

We’ve only just impeached a chief justice, we haven’t gotten to the former fake president yet.

With an Erap restoration waiting in the wings, indeed with the usual suspects from the Marcos, Erap and Arroyo regimes laundering their illgotten images along with their ill-gotten wealth, the question is how deep, how far and how long P-Noy’s reforms will go.

How do you make fighting corruption a continuing agenda? How do you make reforms systemic?

By remembering, or recognizing, that the power of democracy does not come from a strong government but from a strong people.

A good government heroically battling corruption is a joy to behold, and for that I heartily applaud P-Noy’s dedication to the cause. But it can only go so far. It is subject to the vagaries of change. A bad government replaces it, and the positive attitude toward leaders could disappear overnight. As well indeed as the inducement to honesty and integrity this government has done much to propagate.

There is in fact only one guarantee that fighting corruption can be sustained, and that is for the people to do it themselves. Which is how it is in other democracies. The reason corruption, looting and pillaging do not riot there is that the people won’t abide it.

That is not as quixotic as it sounds even here. The reason we abide corruption—oh, yes,

abide: we frown on it in public but embrace it in private, preferring a corrupt politician over an honest public school teacher as godparents for our children’s wedding or baptism hands down—is that we do not really see taxes as our money. We see it as booty for public officials, subject to division of spoils. Consequently, we do not really see corruption as stealing.

Consequently, we do not really see corruption as stealing from us.

That is the mindset we have to change.

Government alone setting an example in fighting corruption won’t accomplish it. We need to mount an epic campaign, not unlike the ones mounted by the socialist countries with ubiquitous slogans in media, on walls, in schools, that keep reminding people that taxes are their money. Even the poor who imagine they do not pay taxes when in fact they do every time they buy a packet of mami or watch movies. That is the only guarantee we can stop corruption. That is the only guarantee reforms will survive bad governments.

The notion that presidents probably need more than one term to do what they have to do is specious. There is never enough time to do it— not a second term, not a third term. The point is to create the conditions, the culture, the mindset for the people to fight their banes themselves.

Which P-Noy in particular is equipped to do having People Power behind his back—if only he would unleash it.

Government after all is just an extension of the people. Or so it should be in a democracy. n

GET REAL

On a roll, but not quite

BY SOLITA COLLAS MONSOD Philippine Daily Inquirer IT SEEMS that the Philippines is on a roll.

First came a GDP growth rate of 6.4 percent for the first quarter, then the SWS May hunger (selfrated) survey results which showed a 5.4-percent decrease in the percentage of families who experienced hunger in the past three months, followed by a credit rating upgrade (one notch) by Standard and Poor’s (S&P). That’s not all: the June Consumer Price Index shows continuing price stability, and at the same time, the April Labor Force Survey shows that not only were more than 1 million new jobs created between April 2011 and April 2012, but the quality of employment—as indicated by the share of wage and salaried workers in the employed labor force—also improved.

Pretty good. And even if we discount the hunger results, except for the balance of Luzon outside the National Capital Region (because given the margins of error, the difference between the March and May figures for the other areas in the Philippines is actually not significantly different from zero), and we take the credit ratings with a grain of salt (the three major credit rating agencies were blind-sided by the global financial crisis and are not exactly credible),

the three remaining good-news items are in themselves quite substantive.

So we can safely give P-Noy (and his bosses, us) a pat on the back for the nonce, although final judgment on how he is fulfilling his social contract with the Filipino people at the two-year benchmark is still forthcoming.

At the same time, however, the just-released UN Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) World Investment Report (WIR) should give us cause to worry, although it also points at the direction we have to take if we want to improve. The cause to worry arises because of what the Unctad’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Attraction, Potential and Contribution Indices tell us. These indices (the FDI Contribution Index is new) are designed as tools to help policymakers assess the effectiveness of their investment policies, particularly because it allows countries to compare themselves with other countries.

The Inward FDI Attraction Index, for example, ranks countries by the FDI they receive in absolute terms and relative to their economic size. The Inward FDI Potential Index captures four key economic determinants of the attractiveness of an economy for foreign direct investors—the attractiveness of the market (for marketseeking FDI), the availability of lowcost labor and skills (to capture efficiencyseeking FDI), the presence of natural resources (resource-seeking FDI), and the presence of FDI-enabling infrastructure.

Well, what does the 2012 WIR tell us? That the Philippines is in the bottom 25 percent (4th quartile) of the 180 economies measured in so far as attractiveness is concerned, although it is in the top half (2nd quartile) of countries with regard to potential. Not surprisingly, the 2012 WIR finds that we are performing “below expectations.” Take note please, policymakers. And there is worse to come. Unctad now has what it calls the Inward FDI Contribution Index, which “aims to measure the development impact of FDI in the host economy.” How is this done, at least in this initial pass? By looking at their contribution to GDP, employment, wages and salaries, exports, R&D expenditures, capital formation and tax payments as a share of the host country totals (for example, the employment they create as a percentage of total employment).

Only 79 countries had the required minimum data for this first pass, the Philippines being one of them, and they were ranked accordingly.

The results? Of the 79 countries ranked, Hungary was No. 1—which means to say that the contribution of its inward FDI to its development (as specified above) was the greatest among the countries ranked. Malaysia was No. 7, Singapore No. 13, Thailand No. 16, Indonesia No. 45. And where were we?

The Philippines was No. 60.

Misery loves company, so the good news is that we were just behind China, just ahead

of India, and ahead of the likes of the United States, Japan, and South Korea and Taiwan.

Translation: The FDI coming into the country contributed less to our country’s development than those coming into the countries ahead of us. Either we weren’t picky enough, or we weren’t lucky enough. But we were better off than the 19 other countries ranking below us, including those mentioned above. They were less picky, or they were less lucky.

Not only that. It turns out that we are in the bottom quartile of countries not only with respect to the contribution that FDI has made to their development, but also in terms of the share of the FDI inward stock (as distinguished from yearly flows) to GDP, which in a way helps explain why the contributions of FDI to development are small.

Bottom line: The Philippines is among the least attractive of countries to inflows of FDI, and the FDI it attracts contributes the least (relative to other countries) to our development. Obviously, the Philippines would be well-advised to review its current investment policy framework, and study the “Investment Policy Framework for Sustainable Development” that is the core of the Unctad Report.

And if anyone thinks that mining is the answer, think again. Chile and Saudi Arabia, two of the largest hosts to FDI in mining, are in the bottom half and quartile, respectively, in the Contribution Index, performing “below expectations.” n

Opinion

19 WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012

AS I SEE IT

Water firms illegally collecting fees

BY NEAL H. CRUZ Philippine Daily Inquirer DO YOU know that our two water distributors, Manila Water and Maynilad Water Services, are collecting from all of us, the consumers, the future costs of two multibillion-peso projects, the P45.3-billion Laiban Dam and the P5.4billion Angat Dam Irrigation Replacement Project? They are included in our monthly water bills although we have not yet incurred them. In short, the water concessionaires are making us pay in advance for them. Instead of investing in the projects, the water concessionaires are making the public the investors themselves, paying in advance for the projects.

I would like to emphasize that the water being sold by the distributors to the public are supplied to them, free, by the government.

The distribution pipes are also free. They were already in place when they took over the concessions. All they had to do was to collect the monthly bills.

What makes it worse is that the projects have been discontinued and, in the case of the Laiban Dam, totally and officially cancelled and abandoned. Yet the water distributors continue to collect the amounts from us. To date, the collections amount to P6 billion. This will continue to increase as the distributors continue to collect the amounts from us every month.

The water Regulatory Office (RO) found the collections unwarranted and illegal, and recommended to the Metropolitan Waterworks

and Sewerage System (MWSS) that the collections be refunded to the consuming public. Acting on the RO recommendation, the MWSS board of trustees ordered the two distributors to refund the collections to their consumers.

But Maynilad and Manila Water “conspired and confederated” to deny the said orders and, “thereupon, wrongfully, unlawfully, illegally and criminally misappropriate for themselves the collection P6 billion,” (which amount continues to increase as the collections are continuing up to this day), according to a complaint for syndicated estafa filed by a group of consumers. The group calls itself the Water for All Refund Movement.

Complainants duly made proper and valid demands upon the distributors to immediately refund the P6 billion. The concessionaires, however, refused to obey the orders of the MWSS and the RO, and the demand of the consumers group to refund the P6 billion they have illegally collected from the public.

“Clearly, by their deceitful, unlawful and illegal acts and omissions,” said the complainants, “respondents constituted themselves as a syndicate in committing the crime of syndicated estafa … as they acted in conspiracy with each other and mutually helped one another in the pursuit of the collections and misappropriation of the P6 billion.” Named defendants are the officers of Maynilad headed

by Manuel V. Pangilinan and the officers of

Manila Water headed by the Zobel de Ayala brothers and Delfin L. Lazaro.

Do you also know that the water distributors collect from the consuming public “sewerage fees” although they provide no sewerage services to them? The majority of homes and buildings in their concession areas are not even connected to sewer lines and have to depend on septic tanks for the disposal of their wastes. Yet Maynilad and Manila Water collected and are continuing to collect “sewerage fees” from their consumers. Clearly, these illegal collections should also be refunded.

If you will recall, the Supreme Court recently ordered Meralco to refund to their consumers overcollections it has accumulated. Meralco has started refunding those amounts. *** Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas has rightfully put his foot down on the illegal resurrection of 489 bus franchises that used to belong to the defunct Pantranco. He has cancelled them. Not only have these franchises expired a long time ago, the slots have already been awarded to other bus companies. So where will you put the additional 489 buses in the already crowded streets of Metro Manila? The bus franchises have routes from Northern and Central Luzon to Metro Manila.

Yet the former workers of Pantranco, to whom the franchises have been awarded, are still trying to pressure Roxas to change his mind. The workers then sold the franchises to

the family of the biggest bus operators in Luzon who own several bus companies.

In the first place, I don’t think franchises should be sold or transferred. Otherwise, you would have influential persons cornering franchises and selling them to parties who are not qualified for the franchises. Influential individuals who got logging concessions sold them later to other loggers.

Why did you sell the franchises to a big bus operator? the workers were asked.

“Because we cannot operate them ourselves,” they answered.

Right there the workers are admitting that they are not qualified to be awarded the franchises. One of the qualifications needed of a franchise applicant is that he should be capable of operating a bus line. If you cannot, then you are not qualified to the franchise.

The workers said the franchises were awarded to them by the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC).

I don’t think the NLRC has any authority to award bus franchises. That is the exclusive jurisdiction of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

The NLRC’s jurisdiction is labor cases. If it wanted Pantranco management to pay its workers, it should have ordered it to pay them in cash, not with bus franchises.

When the NLRC awarded bus franchises out of its jurisdiction, then the awards were void.

When the workers sold the franchises, then the sale was also void. n

LOOKING BACK

Remembering Doreen

BY AMBETH R. OCAMPO Philippine Daily Inquirer DOREEN G. Fernandez passed on a decade ago in New York, on a day you could be doused with water in San Juan, on a day that celebrates the founding of Spanish Manila. Ten years have passed and she is still remembered by those who knew her, as well as those who did not but continue Doreen’s work of research into Philippine food as a way of knowing what it is to be Filipino.

I remember the bitter soul who, in the midst of mourning for someone who wrote thoughtful and positive restaurant reviews for the INQUIRER, asked why Doreen never wrote negative reviews. There are, after all, many bad restaurants in the country that we should be warned about. To make matters worse, this person insinuated that Doreen was on the take, that she did PR work for the restaurants she recommended. Doreen always paid for her meals, and always took along one or two friends to dine with her if only to make sure that the food was truly good or bad.

Once she asked if I would consider being a guest writer in her column space. I readily accepted and started to sharpen my knives remembering awful food and service in a handful of restaurants we visited that she didn’t

write about. It was then that Doreen explained that she wrote once a week for the INQUIRER Lifestyle page and there were far too many good restaurants for the fifty-two reviews she did each year. Why, she asked, should I waste effort and column space on a bad restaurant that was best ignored when I can get people to go to a good restaurant? That remark put me in my place and I realized that it was harder to write a good review than a bad one. It was hard to write about food without using adjectives like: good, yummy, delicious, tasty. Doreen in our freshman English class once said that “crispy” was a word coined by Barrio Fiesta to describe its trademark deep-fried pata. The correct word, Doreen said, was “crisp.” Three decades later, “crispy” is accepted and found in dictionaries.

All it takes is a bad review to hasten the ruin of a restaurant, why not be constructive and bring attention to a good one? Doreen was always constructive. To experience her in the classroom was probably what turned me as well as other pupils into better teachers. She would initiate discussion by asking a question and deftly threw an idea to one part of the room to elicit a reaction, catching that and throwing it to the opposite end to wake a daydreaming classmate or interrupt those in a hushed private conversation. Nobody was ever scolded, nobody ever seemed to say anything wrong in her class. One student would blurt out a remark

that merited ridicule from another teacher, but Doreen would look at the person in the eye and try to encourage him or her with followup questions that led to the correct answer. If the remark was beyond salvaging, she would say, “That’s all right, maybe someone else has another answer.”

In my case I have never understood the arcane rules of grammar and sentence diagramming, which explains why my Pilipino and Spanish grades were always low. I can speak and write in Filipino, I enjoy literature in Pilipino and Spanish, but grammar? I don’t even know what a gerund is in English, how can I pass a course on Balarila? How do I unravel the mysteries of the passive and subjunctive in Spanish when I can’t even make sense of those concepts in English? Doreen gave me a diagnostic test to find out why I was flunking in grammar despite being able to write with ease. She pointed to a text and asked why I could not identify the parts of a sentence when I was able to spot and correct the grammatical mistakes. “I don’t know how I do it, it simply doesn’t sound right.”

Then and there she said, Very well, let’s skip the grammar, can you write an essay for me every week? I complied.

Her next problem was getting me to edit my work before submission. All my classmates did their writing assignments over the weekend and submitted finely polished essays neatly

typewritten. I wrote in white heat an hour before class started and submitted my work handwritten. These were returned promptly with corrections in red and a grade of C, at best C+. What surprised me was that once or twice my corrected essay appeared in the mimeographed weekly compilation Doreen made for class discussion. Years later, she would call me after reading my column, saying I had not changed since Freshman English class and advised me that if I wrote in “white heat” I should take time to let the essay stew before “editing in cold blood.” When I replied that we have an Opinion Page editor who should clean up after me, she said, “All right, send me your columns first, I will edit them before you submit them.” Unfortunately for my editors, I never took Doreen’s offer.

Criticism can and should be constructive, the world can be a better place if words are used to generate light instead of heat. Doreen G. Fernandez taught me well and by writing and teaching like her I am paying back and paying forward. If you like this column, thank Doreen.

If you hate it, you can blame me. *** Ongoing at De La Salle University Museum is a commemorative exhibition of the Wili and Doreen Fernandez Collection.

Forthcoming from Anvil Publishing is “Savor the Word,” a compilation of winning essays from the Doreen G. Fernandez Food Writing competition.

Business Higher Meralco bills seen this month

WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012 20

BDO sees 20% loan growth in 2012

BY DORIS C. DUMLAO Philippine Daily Inquirer

BY AMY R. REMO Philippine Daily Inquirer CUSTOMERS of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) may have to pay more for their electricity bills this month as the cost of power sourced from the wholesale electricity spot market (WESM) and independent power producers increased in June.

Meralco is also set to increase by 3 centavos a kilowatt-hour its distribution, supply and metering charges for regulatory year 2013, which covers the period July 2012 to June 2013.

INQUIRER sources noted that the cost of power from WESM and the IPPs have increased due partly to the shutdown of the Malampaya gas field last month as well as the forced and planned outages of several critical facilities. These events caused a tight power supply in the Luzon grid, which then triggered the higher electricity prices.

The source pointed out that last month, there was a “forced outage” of a unit at the 700-megawatt Pagbilao coal-fired power plant during the first week and a planned maintenance shutdown toward the end of the month, and also a forced outage of a pipeline that transferred gas from the Malampaya platform to the power plants in Batangas.

Further affecting the supply-demand situation in June were the below-capacity operation of the 1,200-MW Ilijan gas plant, the “derating” of a

unit of the 1,200MWSual coal plant in Quezon and the forced outage of the Calaca coal facility in Batangas, the source added.

Two of the IPPs supplying a big portion of Meralco’s requirements were affected by the Malampaya shutdown. These were the 1,000MW Sta. Rita and the 500-MW San Lorenzo gas power plants, both owned by the Lopez group’s First Gas, that had to use more expensive liquid fuel in place of the Malampaya gas to run their facilities.

“WESM rates will be higher because there was really a problem in supply last month. As for the impact of the IPPs, Meralco is still evaluating if the appreciation of the peso will be able to help partly offset the expected increase in the cost of power sourced from the IPPs,” the source said.

The cost of electricity sold by the generating companies could fluctuate monthly due to several external factors such as the supply-demand situation, fuel prices and the foreign exchange rate. This is the reason why Meralco buys from different sources to obtain adequate and reliable electricity at the most reasonable price.

Meralco was earlier allowed by the Energy Regulatory Commission to increase its distribution, supply and metering charges to P1.6303 per kWh starting this month, under the performance-based regulation (PBR) scheme. n

BSP warns banks against speculative trading

BY MICHELLE V. REMO Philippine Daily Inquirer THE BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas said it was closely watching trading activities in the foreign exchange market in the wake of the significant appreciation of the peso to determine whether banks were engaging in speculative activities.

The BSP said it was also reviewing the rules on trading of non-deliverable forwards (NDFs) to see if these could be tightened further to discourage banks from engaging in peso speculation.

“We are monitoring price action and market behavior to determine unusual activity,” BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said . “We have to see if additional measures are needed to make sure that foreign exchange transactions are conducted basically to meet legitimate [rather than speculative] requirements.”

An NDF is a hedging tool that allows holders to buy a currency at a specified exchange rate and time in the future. This is meant to help shield businesses, mainly importers, from losses resulting from foreign exchange volatility.

Regulators, however, said there was a possibility that banks were trading NDFs not only to meet the hedging needs of their corporate clients but also to earn from peso speculation. The BSP prohibits speculative activities as these create sharp and sudden volatility in the exchange rate that could harm businesses and the economy.

At the start of the year, the central bank imposed a higher capital charge on NDF holdings of banks.

Now, banks are required to set aside an amount equivalent to a 15-percent capital adequacy ratio (CAR), from the previous 10 percent, for their NDF holdings. But Tetangco hinted there might be a need to raise this further.

The peso has strengthened back to the 41-to-adollar territory this month, closing at a four-year high of 41.72:$1 the other day.

Tetangco said legitimate demand by foreign fund owners for peso-denominated assets has indeed risen because of the favorable economic performance of the country. n

BANCO de Oro Unibank aims to sustain a 20-percent expansion in its loan book each year for the next three to five years, backed by a recent $1-billion core or tier 1 capital infusion from a landmark stock rights offering.

In a briefing during the listing of new shares issued by BDO—which likewise marked the bank’s 10th anniversary as a publicly listed company—bank president Nestor Tan said that with BDO’s fresh capital buildup, it now has room to expand risk assets in the coming years.

After expanding the bank’s lending book by 24 percent last year and sustaining a 23-percent year-on-year growth in the first quarter, Tan said the bank would be able to sustain a growth of 20 percent until 2017. He said this would take into account the expected improvement in the overall economy.

BDO may also be able to continue expanding its local distribution channel by 35 to 50 new local branches each year, Tan said.

“We don’t look at target number of branches, but what the market requires,” he said.

Tan said the expansion of the branch network was for the purpose of reaching newmarkets and adding servicing centers.

To date, the banking arm of the country’s wealthiest man Henry Sy has one of the biggest distribution networks in the country at 770 branch licenses and 1,645 automated teller machines. It has about five million retail customer accounts.

During the listing ceremonies, BDO chair Teresita Sy-Coson said the funds raised from the recent stock rights offering would prepare BDO “well ahead” of stricter Basel 3 capital requirements and strengthen its tier 1 capital.

“In addition, it will put BDO in a better position to support its expansion plans,” she said.

Basel 3 introduces a complex package of reforms designed to improve the ability of banks to absorb losses, extend the coverage of financial risks and have a stronger firewall against periods of stress.

Once the Basel 3 framework takes effect locally starting 2014, Tan said BDO would keep its overall capital adequacy ratio (CAR) at the “mid-teen” level, leaving some buffer over the minimum CAR requirement of 12.5 percent.

Aside from the first objective of raising fresh capital to meet Basel 3 requirements depending on the final guidelines, Tan said a portion of the proceeds would also be used to retire P10 billion in subordinated debt or tier 2 notes maturing this November.

Tan said the recent $1-billion rights offering —the biggest capital-raising in the local stock market so far—has not caused any significant change in the bank’s ownership structure. n

Sports

21 WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012

Canucks re-sign left winger Mason Raymond to one year, $2.275 million deal VANCOUVER - Mason Raymond and the Vancouver Canucks achieved contract harmony while avoiding a potentially acrimonious salaryarbitration hearing Monday.

The left winger agreed to a pay cut as he signed a one-year, US$2.275million deal. The signing came after the Canucks made the rare move of filing for arbitration against Raymond in a bid to reduce his salary.

In most cases, arbitration results after players file the necessary papers in a bid for a raise. Hearings are known for leaving players bitter towards clubs after management makes extremely negative comments about performance and production.

Raymond became a restricted free agent July 1 before the Canucks filed for arbitration to secure exclusive negotiating rights and effectively keep him in the organization for at least one more season. He was due to have his arbitration case scheduled Monday afternoon for some time between July 20 to Aug. 5 in Toronto. ``We would not have undertaken the measure to invoke salary arbitration unless we felt that (Raymond) was a significant proponent of our team,'' said Canucks assistant general manager Laurence Gilman. ``The fact

Sergei Bachlakov / Shutterstock.com

BY ROY LUARCA Philippine Daily Inquirer

is, we invoked salary arbitration in this instance to maximize the efficiency of our salary cap. To that end, we were able to get a contract for Mason that worked in our cap plan, but avoided the steps of having to go through the hearing. ``We're happy about the contract, and we're happy that the player didn't have to go through this process.''

Raymond, 26, made $2.6 million last season, collecting 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in 55 regular-season games while recovering from a career-threatening back injury suffered in the 2010-11 Stanley Cup final against Boston. He added an assist in five post-season games.

The Canucks invoked a provision of the NHL's collective bargaining agreement

Photo by Larry Burton

CARSON, California—His dream of super fights is finally coming true for Nonito Donaire Jr. The Filipino Flash, perhaps the Philippines’ newest candidate for boxing superstardom, begins his fresh quest with the much anticipated clash with feisty Mexican Jorge Arce in October.

No less than Donaire’s promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, and his manager Cameron Dunkin pledged the big,

“It’s Arce either in October or November.

We are committed to fight Arce, we have an agreement, verbal agreement, to fight Arce.”

Dunkin, who still has two more fights as manager of Donaire, added: “We are also in verbal agreement to fight another guy and then we start looking at (WBA champion Guillermo) Rigondeaux.”

Arce, a peppery warrior from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, slid down to bantamweight last year after yielding the WBO super bantamweight belt, which Donaire eventually annexed after beating Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. last February.

Arum said the 35-year-old Toshiaki Nishioka, who was at ringside Saturday night, will be next for Donaire in December.

“And then we can have Rigondeaux and (WBC titlist) Abner Mares next,” said the boxing Hall of Famer.

However, Arum said there is no plan to hold the Arce fight in Manila, contrary to his announcement last year.

“It’s probably in October, but not in Manila,” said Arum. “We don’t have any sponsors talking to us about doing it in Manila. Unless we have local sponsors we can’t do it by ourselves because we’re so busy over here.”

“Hopefully, the (Arce fight) will be a bigger purse. Nonito gets the bigger purse of the two. He’s the champion, he’s the one driving HBO to the fight,” added Dunkin. “Nothing’s stopping it. Arce wanted to do a few things. He hasn’t worked it out before but now it’s settled and ready to go.”

But while Dunkin is sure that Donaire would eventually break through the payper-view domain with the Arce fight, Arum said they are still not ready for PPV until next year.

According to Arum, it was mainly because HBO is still not sure if the boxing public is ready to pay to see fighters in the lower weight divisions.

“It used to be very hard (getting a crowd draw), but it’s becoming easy now because fans, especially the Hispanic community, have embraced smaller guys,” said Arum. “And you know they watch guys down to 108 pounds or less.

“It’s not particularly hard,” he added.

“It used to be that networks, when they televised the fights, wanted (fights) not lower than lightweight. (That was the case) until they made adjustments with guys like Azumah Nelson.” n

A Canucks fan

Crowd-pleasing Arce next for Donaire

BY MARC ANTHONY REYES THE PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER

last month to seek to cut Raymond's salary by as much as 15 per cent via arbitration.

Gilman said the Canucks hope to see Raymond return to the form he displayed two seasons ago, when he scored 25 goals and added 28 assists in the 2009-10 season. ``We've been in contact with Mason over the summer,'' Gilman said. ``We know he's working exceptionally hard. He's extremely motivated, and we fully anticipate that he's going to come back to us and he's going to have a far more productive season than he's had in the last two.''

Gilman added the injury clearly impacted Raymond's performance, because he was unable to train for most of the summer of 2011 and it took him time to get mobile again and ``get his bearings as a player.''

But the speedster's skating was as fluid as ever by season's end.

The assistant GM attributed Raymond's reduced production to an ``off'' year.

Raymond's agent J.P. Barry said the Cochrane, Alta., native has made a determined effort to recover from broken vertebrae suffered when he was checked backwards into the boards by Boston's Johnny Boychuk in the sixth game of the 2010-11 final. Raymond was not able to return to Vancouver's lineup until December. ``Last season was difficult for Mason,'' said Barry in an e-mail to The Canadian Press. ``The injury he came back from was a very serious one and he worked extremely hard to get back playing even earlier than everyone expected. ``It is never easy for any player to step in mid-season and make an impact let alone step in following a significant injury. Mason is looking forward to next season, and I fully expect you will see a reinvigorated and motivated player.''

Raymond has registered 156 career points (70 goals, 86 assists) in 328 games with the Canucks. He also represented Canada at the 2010 World Championships.

The six-foot, 185-pound forward was originally drafted by Vancouver in the second round (51st overall) of the 2005 NHL draft. n

lucrative fights ahead minutes after the Filipino-American fighter unanimously decisioned South African Jeffrey Mathebula in their super bantamweight title unification bout Saturday at Home Depot Center here.

Although Arce won’t be holding any championship during that projected fight, that encounter will pit two of the most exciting fighters in the 122-pound division “We knew that this fight (against Mathebula) leads to an Arce fight this fall, and it’s a fight that’s big on HBO,” said Dunkin.

Canada News

WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012 22

presents...

Pre-Hispanic Period. Philippine history started 20,000 years ago. The skeletons of what appeared to be species of Homo sapiens were found in Tabon cave in Palawan. Carbon dating of the remains turned out that they were 20,000 years old. The ancient Filipino people are tribal nomadic hunters. They had crude instruments for hunting, fishing and for waging war for survival and/or supremacy. Over the course of time, many tribes learned to compromise and live in peace with their neighbours.

With Cory Aquino as President, democracy was restored. A new Constitution was adopted that guaranteed civil liberties, respect for human rights and periodic elections for local and national officials. Since then, 4 more presidents were elected with Fidel Ramos in 1992, Joseph Estrada in 1998 who was, however, ousted in another People Power in 2001, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who took over the remaining years of the Estrada presidency and who was re-elected in 2004 and Cory’ son, Simeon Benigno Aquino lll fondly called Pnoy who was elected in 2010.

Spanish Period. On March 17, 1521, the first Europeans arrived in Homonhon, Leyte. Headed

by Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese who sailed for the King of Spain, they were in 3 ships: Concepcion, Trinidad and Victoria. The first Catholic mass was held in the shores of nearby Limasawa.

Historama was successfully staged at the Queen Elizabeth on June 9 thru the supervision collaborative endeavor of the Fil-Canadian community thru the creative efforts of Atty. Bern at James Cowan Theatre. For more information, please log on to http://www.philindependen

Jose Rizal, the National Hero. Towards the second half of Spanish rule, the Filipinos started to rebel against the colonizers. The Filipinos in Europe were agitated by the blood baths in the Philippines. Rizal wrote 2 novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibustirismo, which highlighted the abuses of Spanish authorities in the Philippines which then inspired other patriots to rebel against Spain. He was eventually executed in Bagumbayan on December 30, 1896.

A radical group headed by a commoner, Andres Bonifacio, wanted not just reform but freedom from Spanish rule. He formed the KKK or the Kataastaasang Kagalanggalanggang Katipunan and in the Cry of Balintawak in August 1896, declared war against Spain through the symbolic act of tearing the Spanish-issued “cedulas”. In Cavite, a known illustrado, Emilio Aguinaldo, headed another revolutionary faction known as the Magdalo.

23 WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012

Canada News

To show that democracy was alive, Marcos called for snap national elections in 1986. Corazon C. Aquino, Ninoy’s widow, ran for President against Marcos. In what many Filipinos believed to be a rigged electoral exercise, Corazon Aquino and her senatorial slate lost. The people were agitated at the blatant violation of their right to suffrage and through the call of then Cardinal Jaime Sin, they marched towards and converged at EDSA in what is now known as the first People Power.

On August 21, 1983, a prominent opposition leader, Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. who was in exile in the U.S. following his release from military detention, went back to the country with the intent of rallying the fragmented opposition and mounting a battle against the abuses of the Martial Law regime. As soon as his plane landed, he was assassinated.

In the early years of the Marcos presidency, the country embarked on an ambitious industrialization program. But the excesses came. Towards the end of his first term in office and, to many critics and keen political observers, as a way to perpetuate himself in power, Marcos started to build what then Sen. Ninoy Aquino called “The Garrison State” with the budget of the military increased to an unprecedented level and military men being put into the bureaucracy.

Vancouver, June 29: The cast and volunteers for Philippines Historama during their appreciation night.

of the Philippine Consul General in Vancouver under the leadership of Jose Ampeso and the nie Julve and Carmelita Tapia. The Philippines Historama will again be staged on September 8 nce-van.ca/historama.html. Photos courtesy of Christian Cunanan and Angelo Siglos.

Soon after the Treaty of Paris, the Philippines was effectively put under American control through U.S. President Mc Kinley’s Declaration of Benevolent Assimilation. Governor Generals were appointed to head the government with William Howard Taft as the first. Then came the Americanization of the Philippines A stalemate in the revolution against Spain ensued and in an agreement brokered

by Pedro de Paterno, Aguinaldo and his officers went on exile to Hong Kong in 1897 where Marcela Agoncillo sewed what became as the Philippine National Flag. Meantime, the Spanish-American war which was initially fought in Cuba spread in the Philippines and the Americans aided Aguinaldo and his men to come back to the Philippines on May 10, 1998. He then declared independence on June 12, 1898 in Kawit, Cavite and the Flag was raised for the first time.

On December 8, 1946, Japanese forces attacked the U.S. by bombing Pearl Harbour in Hawaii. The winds of war soon reached the Philippines and American and Filipino forces found themselves fighting hand-in-hand against the invading Japanese Imperial Army. The combined American and Filipino forces eventually lost the battle; Gen. Douglas Mac Arthur meantime left for Australia but promised to return with his famous declaration “I shall return!”

24 WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012

$750K in grants available to support NEWS BRIEFS by The Canadian Press B.C. diversity Top court to hear overturned election case OTTAWA - A Conservative MP desperate to hold on to his riding and a Liberal runner-up who went to court to get the razor-thin result overturned will make their cases to the Supreme Court of Canada this week. The outcome of the case will determine whether Prime Minister Stephen Harper has to call a byelection in the Toronto riding of Etobicoke Centre. n

Proof sought oilsands conditions followed Minister of State for Multiculturalism John Yap (on stage at right) announced the $750K Multiculturalism Grant program at the Vancouver Multicultural Day Committee’s Canada Multicultural Day event. MLAs (stage left - back left) Harry Bloy, Doug Horne, Dave Hayer, (front left) Joan MacIntyre, Jane Thornthwaite and Naomi Yamamoto also attended. Foreground: Representatives of 30 different ethnic cultures in BC attended in traditional dress waiving their former nation’s flag.

VICTORIA - To honour, promote and celebrate the diverse cultures that shape British Columbia, our government is launching a $750,000-Multiculturalism Grant program to support and help 150 or more communities and organizations raise awareness of multiculturalism.

Projects that raise awareness about British Columbia’s rich multicultural identity, or strengthen the ability of cultural organizations to become more involved, could be awarded a maximum of $5,000. Non-profit societies and community-based organizations that reflect Aboriginal or ethno-cultural communities are all eligible to apply.

Through two intake periods, applications will be accepted until Aug. 31, 2012 and Feb. 15, 2013.

Minister of State for Multiculturalism John Yap says, “British Columbia is characterised by a rich variety of languages, traditions, and cultures that make up its diverse cultural mosaic. The Multiculturalism Grant program will help encourage and enable all cultures

in B.C. to celebrate how our diversity makes our province a powerhouse - both economically and socially.”

Multicultural Advisory Council vice-chair Mo Dhaliwal adds, “The Multiculturalism Grant will be a great resource to help organizations promote cross-cultural understanding and respect - characteristics that enrich the lives of all British Columbians.”

Vancouver Multicultural Day Committee Naveed Waraich says,”As we celebrate Canadian Multicultural Day, we’re excited to hear about this funding opportunity. This funding will help the groups that enrich and enliven our communities through their work on diversity.”

“This is wonderful news for all the multicultural groups in the province.

As a long-time community advocate on multiculturalism, this funding provides another tool for multicultural groups to promote and celebrate our diversity,” Canadian Museum of Immigration vicechair Tung Chan ends. n

EDMONTON - Environmentalists are trying to force the Alberta government to show they’ve followed through on previous recommendations to reduce the impact of oilsands mines before any more projects are approved. The Oilsands Environmental Coalition has asked the regulatory panel examining Shell’s proposed Jackpine expansion to check into the status of dozens of recommendations by previous panels. Those recommendations were conditions under which previous oilsands projects were given the OK, but there’s no information on whether they’ve been lived up to, said Simon Dyer of the Pembina Institute.n

B.C. First Nation opposes oil pipelines VANCOUVER - Another First Nation in British Columbia has taken a stand against the construction and upgrading of pipelines that will carry petroleum products from Alberta’s oil sands to the Pacific coast. During a weekend ceremony, North Vancouver’s Tsleil-Waututh Nation added its name to the Save the Fraser Declaration.n

N.L. experiences 4.4 magnitude earthquake HAPPY VALLEY-GOOSE BAY - Newfoundland and Labrador was hit with a 4.4 magnitude earthquake Sunday morning. A seismologist with Natural Resources Canada says the magnitude isn’t large enough to cause destruction, but it is significantly more than most earthquakes in the region.n

Manitoba gas bar owner fined for hiring foreign workers kicked out of Canada BYCAROL SAUNDERS, WINNIPEG FREE PRESS THE CANADIAN PRESS

THOMPSON, Man. - The owner of a gas bar in northern Manitoba has been fined $12,000 for illegally hiring foreign workers who paid a recruiter thousands of dollars for low-paying jobs in Canada, then were kicked out.

Adnan Chaudhary, the owner of the Shell station in Thompson, pleaded guilty last week to misrepresentation and illegally hiring the temporary foreign workers.

Antonio Laroya, Arnisito Gaviola and Ermie Zotomayor were dubbed the ``Three Amigos’’ by supporters in Manitoba’s Filipino community.

The middle-aged men were laid off from jobs in Alberta and offered work at the gas bar in northern Manitoba.

Their employer was supposed to update their work permits but didn’t, and the men were arrested and lost the source of income their families back home depended on.

An advocate for foreign workers in Manitoba says the fine likely won’t send a message to other employers who rely on cheap foreign labour. ``I don’t think $12,000 dollars is much of a deterrent,’’ said Diwa Marcelino, who befriended the Filipinos in Winnipeg. ``The savings incentive is so high, that’s why employers bend the rules,’’ said Marcelino, who is with Migrante Canada. ``It’s all about the bottom line.’’

Between 2002 and 2008, the number of temporary foreign workers in Canada rose by 148 per cent, to 251,235 from 101,259, a study by the Institute for Research on Public Policy found.

``The fines and likelihood of prosecution is so insignificant, it’s a no-brainer decision for those employers and corporations who have the stomach to exploit migrant workers,’’ said Marcelino.

The charges against the Thompson gas bar owner resulted from a criminal investigation by the Canada Border Services Agency. ``Violations of Canada’s immigrations laws undermine the integrity of the border and our immigration program,’’ said Sean Best, CBSA spokesman in Winnipeg.

Border Services works with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada to lay charges when there is sufficient evidence to support convictions for deliberate or wilful violations of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, he said.

The Three Amigos said their boss duped them by promising to ensure their work permits were updated. They soon learned their work permits had expired and their boss was the subject of a criminal investigation.

The three were charged with working illegally. They appeared before an Immigration and Refugee Board Tribunal and ordered to leave Canada. Regardless of whether their employer was at fault, they were responsible for making sure their work permits hadn’t expired, the board ruled.

The three men are trying to get their money back from the Toronto recruiter they paid to find them work in Canada, said Marcelino.

In 2007, they got low-paying service jobs in Alberta but were laid off. Now, after being disallowed from entering Canada for one year, the Three Amigos are once again applying for temporary work here, said Marcelino. n

25 WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012

World News

Image courtesy of the United States Geological Survey

Researchers say aerosols from small volcanic eruptions could cool climate

Pinatubo in 1991

THE CANADIAN PRESS SASKATOON - An international team led by University of Saskatchewan researchers says small volcanic eruptions could cool the climate.

The team says aerosols - minute droplets of sulphuric acid - from relatively small volcanic bursts can be shot into the high atmosphere by weather systems such as monsoons.

Adam Bourassa, who is with the university’s Institute of Space and Atmospheric Studies, said that until

now it was thought that a massive eruption was needed to inject aerosols past the troposphere, the turbulent atmospheric layer closest to the Earth, into the stable layers of the stratosphere higher up.

“We used to think that a volcano had to have enough energy that it would put its aerosol and gas directly into the stratosphere in order for it to have a climate effect,” Bourassa said in a phone interview from Saskatoon. “But what we see now is that it can be a low altitude as long as it’s say next to the

Asian summer monsoon and then we can get a climate effect.

“This is the first time that we’ve ever observed volcanic aerosol reaching the stratosphere via some other pathway.”

Aerosols in the lower atmosphere usually rain back down to Earth right away.

But aerosols stratosphere can really have an impact on the climate, Bourassa said. Incoming sunlight hits the droplets and scatters, potentially cooling the Earth’s surface.

Researchers noted that the massive eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991 temporarily dropped temperatures by half a degree Celsius worldwide.

The team, including scientists from Rutgers University in New Jersey, the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado and the University of Wyoming, looked at the June 2011 eruption of the Nabro volcano in Eritrea in northeast Africa.

The findings appear in Friday’s issue of the journal Science.

The researchers found that wind carried the debris from the volcano into the path of the annual Asian summer monsoon.

Dust from the volcano, being slightly heavier, settled out. But the monsoon lofted volcanic gas and the lighter liquid droplets into the stratosphere where they were detected by the Canadian Space Agency’s OSIRIS instrument aboard the Swedish satellite Odin.

The Nabro volcano caused the largest stratospheric aerosols load ever recorded by OSIRIS in its more than 10 years of flight.

Bourassa said the effect won’t last forever.

“It’s always temporary. You know what goes up must come down.”

Researchers say they hope the findings will allow more accurate models of climate behaviour.

“I just want to caution people to know that what we found is an interesting mechanism,” he said.

“It’s one more piece in the big, complicated puzzle of understanding our Earth’s climate. And this is certainly not something that we can ever hope for more volcanic eruptions say to cool off the Earth so we can keep doing whatever we want with greenhouse gases, lets say.” n - By Jennifer Graham in Regina

ASEAN nations agree on code of conduct for South China Sea, seek China’s OK

BY COLIN PERKEL THE CANADIAN PRESS

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - Ten Southeast Asian nations have agreed on a code of conduct to prevent armed clashes over the South China Sea but still seek to get China to agree to it, a Cambodian official said Monday.

The agreement was reached at a meeting of foreign ministers in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, to which China does not belong. The issue of contending maritime claims is the major topic of the talks held in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, in large part because tensions over the sea have escalated in recent months. Chinese and Philippine ships engaged in a standoff in one disputed area starting in April, and Vietnam last month protested Chinese energy proposals for seas both nations claim.

In his opening speech at the ASEAN meeting, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen urged Southeast Asian countries to do more to promote mutual economic growth and security and called for a code of conduct in the South China Sea to be implemented.

Cambodian Secretary of State Kao Kim Hourn said at a news conference late Monday that the declaration is intended to cover China in addition to ASEAN states. The code would spell out rules governing maritime rights and navigation in the South China Sea. He said that ASEAN had ``agreed on the key elements among ASEAN only, and from now on we have to start discussing this with China.’’

Details of the code of conduct were not given.

ASEAN will have a ministerial level meeting with China on Wednesday morning, along with other high-level meetings later this week.

China claims virtually the entire South China Sea and has created an entirely new city to administer it, sparking protests from rival claimants. The sea is crossed by some of the world’s busiest sea lanes, has rich fishing grounds and is believed to have vast energy reserves.

Hun Sen in his opening speech also said that ASEAN faces challenges including instability elsewhere in the world, natural disasters and high

food and energy costs. He said the economic gap among ASEAN’s 10 members has narrowed but needs to be reduced further to ensure competitiveness and achieve real regional integration.

Kao Kim Hourn also announced the postponement of the signing of three documents on the Southeast

Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone, which had been expected this week.

He said the delay was the result of reservations raised by several members of the five recognized nuclear-weapon states. Because they were raised ``at the last minute,’’ more time was needed for additional consultations, he said. n

27 WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012

Immigration

Federal government seeks comments on tighter rules for foreign students THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA The Immigration Department is looking at tightening the rules covering foreign students, and wants to know what Canadians think.

A notice in the latest Canada Gazette asks for written comments from interested parties on proposals that would ensure students from overseas actually go to school, and would prevent them from staying here legally if they quit their studies.

New rules would also ensure that schools drawing foreign students are legitimate operations.

The proposal says the present rules are loose compared with other countries.

There is no formal requirement that students actually go to school once they get here, nor are there rules about what kinds of schools qualify.

The notice says students can attend any kind of institution, regardless of whether it is accredited, or regulated or overseen by a provincial or territorial government or a recognized standardsetting body.

The new regulations would require international students to actually attend school and to leave the country if they drop out. The proposals would also limit the kinds of institutions eligible to take such students.

The notice says the federal government is consulting provinces and territories on eligibility requirements for such institutions.

Foreign study in Canada is growing.

The Immigration Department says 98,378 international students entered the country in 2011, an increase of 34 per cent from 2007.

A 2010 study commissioned by Foreign Affairs said international students contributed more than $6.5 billion to the economy in 2008.

The Immigration Department, though, says the international student program is vulnerable to abuse both by phoney students who just want a job; and by phoney schools that want to rip off foreigners with sub-standard courses. ``The goal is to strengthen the integrity of Canada's immigration

No more foreign workers for employers linked to sex trade: immigration minister

BY BILL GRAVELAND THE CANADIAN PRESS CALGARY - The federal government is no longer allowing employers linked to the sex trade to hire strippers, escorts and massage parlour workers from outside the country. ``Frankly this should have been done a long time ago,’’ Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said Wednesday. ``Why would we grant visas to girls that we have a strong suspicion are going to end up under the thumb of a criminal gang being exploited and trafficked? We’re not going after the women - we’re protecting them from what they might not know will happen to them when they get to Canada.’’

Effective immediately, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada will issue negative labour market opinions for all applications from employers linked to the sex trade, effectively preventing them from hiring temporary foreign workers.

Also, as of July 14th, Citizenship and Immigration Canada will no longer process new work permit applications from temporary foreign workers intending to work for sextrade-related businesses.

Kenney said those at highest risk of being exploited are young women, with poor language skills, who are likely to come from Asia or Eastern Europe expecting they will make their fortune when they come to

Canada. He said Canada issued about 180,000 permits for foreign workers last year and estimates a ``very small percentage’’ of those ended up working in the sex trade.

Kenney said that’s a far cry from the hundreds of exotic dancers that were allowed in during the previous Liberal administration - ``many of whom ended up in the sex trade being controlled by organized crime.

It was known as the Liberal stripper program.’’

In 2004, then-immigration minister Judy Sgro was criticized for granting a temporary residence permit to an exotic dancer who had volunteered for her election campaign.

Kenney said there will be some exceptions.

Properly certified therapeutic masseuses who are working in clinics will not be affected.

The new restrictions will apply to other businesses if there is a heightened risk of abuse or exploitation of workers. ``We know that human trafficking is a growing aspect of organized crime worldwide, including in Canada,’’ Kenney said. ``The victims of human trafficking, who are mostly women and children, are denied a normal life and compelled to provide labour or sexual services through a variety of coercive practices, for the profit of their controllers.’’

The measure is part of the government’s plan to combat human trafficking. n

system by reducing fraud in the international student movement, while improving Canada's standing as a desirable study destination,'' the Gazette notice said.

Anyone interested in commenting has 30 days to write to the department. ``The proposed changes to the International Student Program are in line with reforms implemented by Canada's key competitor countries for international students,'' department spokesman Bill Brown said in an email.

``Strengthening aspects of the program that could be abused by fraudulent schools or non-genuine study permit applicants is vitally important to protect Canada's reputation abroad and to ensure that Canada continues to enjoy the tremendous social and economic benefits that the ISP provides.''

Brown added: ``International students enrich the life of every campus by bringing new ideas and cultures with them.'' n

Diaspora

BY GRACE HIZONGUIDDAOEN

BC AS CAN BE

Vancouver of My Dreams FOR THIS ISSUE, I yield this space to my fifteen-year old son, Niko who would like to share his thoughts on being a new immigrant in Vancouver.

The last nine months had been pretty much exciting for him as well as for his thirteen year-old brother as they begin to get to explore, discover, embark on adventures and make new friends. *************** For several months before we left the Philippines to live in Canada, I had mixed feelings of excitement, doubt, sadness and happiness. I really didn’t know what to expect so I spent hours on my computer Googling Vancouver and Burnaby and checking schools where my mom said my brother and I might go to. I was delighted to know that some schools have lunch programs with restaurant-like menus.

Cool.

On the plane to Vancouver, I kept imagining how our house was going to look like, what school I would go to and whether it would be easy to make friends. I learned that Canada is home to immigrants from a lot of countries so I thought to myself that it would be great to make friends with Chinese, Koreans, Japanese, Indians and Canadian-borns and whoever else and learn all those foreign languages.

“Ni-hao ma, arigato gosaimasu, bonjour, mademoiselle” (I think learning languages and adopting different accents come easy for me.)

Would my class look like a United Nations delegation? Will there be bullies? I hope earnestly that there wouldn’t be but for good measure, I enrolled in Karate a few months before we left the Philippines. My instructor said Karate is for selfdiscipline and being responsible.

Niko Guiddaoen

As our plane prepared for landing, I was listening to Bruno Mars’ “Today My Life Begins” on my MP3, which goes: “I will break these chains that bind me Happiness will find me Leave the past behind me, today my life begins A whole new world is waiting It’s mine for the taking I know I can make it, today my life begins”.

I thought how fitting those lines were for my current situation. Bravely, I said to myself, “Well, Vancouver, here I come. (And better be prepared to welcome me).”

Nine months after, I feel that I am loving Vancouver more and more.

When we landed, I was pleased with how clean everything was and in the next days and months, I was delighted and frustrated at how cold and unpredictable the weather could be

but I love walking even when it rains. I could get soaking wet with the sudden downpour but I tell myself that the rains here are nothing compared to the torrents and the floods that we have in the Philippines. I have come to love taking bus rides especially on Sundays because we can use one pass for all of us and it takes us anywhere. And this summer, I got my own bus pass. Cool!

The buses arrive on schedule, the bus drivers are nice and people say thank you when getting off. It seems there is more freedom here because I could ride a bus to downtown and most anywhere by myself, which was something I was not allowed to do back home.

I notice too, that people are generally polite so whenever I walked to school every morning, I would say good morning to people I meet and to dogs, too. When my greeting was returned (Arf!), I definitely felt that

WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012 28

I would have a good day. I wake up each morning with a mindset that the day, and me, will be just fine and it works all the time.

As for school, I made a lot of friends and was glad it was over and now it’s summer vacation which means having loads of fun.

Before classes ended, I participated in the Leadership Training called MyCircle which was sponsored by ISS of BC. MyCircle teaches youth participants like me how to become good future leaders and why any form of discrimination is wrong. I attended the eight-week program and learned not just about leadership but also ways to adjust to a life in Canada. It was really fun meeting lots of nice people my age who came from different parts of the world. I enjoyed our sharing sessions, wacky moments and yummy food. I am so looking forward to the MyCircle big party towards the end of summer.

Having learned the importance of volunteering, I joined the youth at the Multi-cultural Helping House.

Every Tuesday, I help seniors with use of computers. I really love teaching them how to use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. The other Sunday, I was in the bus stop with my brother and my mom when one of my senior “students” approached me. When I introduced her to my mom, she said, “Teacher ko itong si Niko at magaling siya.” (Niko is my teacher and he is good). Wow, that felt great. I have earned more than enough volunteer hours needed to graduate in high school but I keep on going because it is so much fun and being able to help feels great.

Every Wednesday at the Helping House, I train in Arnis , a Filipino martial art. My instructor told me that it is good for self-defense but it is best if we will never have to use it.

As well, I take swimming lessons at the YMCA to keep me fit and healthy.

And lastly, I’m getting my share of household chores and I am trying to be good at it.

So that’s how I am living my life in Vancouver. I’m really liking it here and I think that, as my parents would say, it takes optimism, a positive attitude and a strong faith in God to believe that life is beautiful and it will be so for those who love it and are thankful for their everyday blessings.

For those new immigrants out there, I say, hey, enjoy the ride. n

29 WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012

Lifestyle

‘The Liquidator’ Jeff Schwarz offers tips and tricks to buy and sell used goods

THE CANADIAN PRESS HERE ARE SOME tips from bargain hunter Jeff Schwarz, star of the new TV show ``The Liquidator.'' He has close to 100,000 square feet of retail and warehouse space in Vancouver where his mantra is to keep the goods moving.

BUYING - Never pay retail. ``If you cough up the asking price, you walk away knowing you've left money on the table. There's always a deal to be had - suck it up and make an offer.''

- Have them bring the deal to you. ``Someone who really wants to sell their item may offer to bring it to you if they think you're interested in making a deal. This gives you the home turf advantage. So if they're willing to bring it to your door, jump at the chance. They will have already invested the time to come see you and will be even more motivated to make a deal.''

- Think fast. ``To gain the upper hand in any negotiation, you need to learn to think on your feet. You can learn a lot in the first few minutes of a deal.

You may learn how badly they need to sell and that will inform you on how to play your cards. So listen up!''

- Don't be afraid to ask. ``You can lessen your risk by really knowing and understanding the product you are buying. Inspect the merchandise for damage and defects.

And don't be afraid to call in an expert to help you appraise the item if it's something you're unfamiliar with. Knowledge is power.''

- Never let them see you sweat. ``Play your cards close to your chest. If a seller can smell how badly you want an item, you're sunk.''

- Think big. ``Set your sights on establishing relationships as opposed to simply closing deals. One deal might lead to another if you remember to keep the big picture in mind.''

- Be willing to walk away. ``If you're not willing to walk away from the item when the price starts climbing over your comfort level, you're going to end up making a bad deal. You can't let it get under your skin if you're trying to get a good price. Sure, you might get the item, but at the end of the day, if you know you paid too much, then it's not worth it.''

SELLING - Know your product. ``Your items won't sell themselves.

Know the selling features of your item including what it would cost to buy new, and what other similar items would go for. Do your homework.''

- Always leave room on the plate. ``Leave room on the plate in a negotiation. In other words, make a profit, but don't always feel like you have to make the biggest profit at all costs. Leave something for the other guy.... If they walk away feeling they've been treated fairly, they're likely to come back, or tell others about you.''

- Never fall in love with your merchandise. ``Nothing will kill a deal faster than love. Your merchandise is your

bank account - you'll never get your money out if you get too attached.''

- Always look for the up-sell. ``A customer is a captive audience so use your time with them wisely.

Think beyond the deal at hand - do

you have anything else you could sell them while you're at it? There's nothing more satisfying than a good up-sell.''

- Time is money. ``Hanging on to product costs you money - both in terms of handling and storage costs. More often than not, it pays to move your merchandise as quickly as possible (even if that means selling at a reduced rate).

Holding out for the 'big sale' can end up costing you big time.''

- Never accept their first offer. ``Accepting the first offer is almost as bad as paying retail. Grow a pair and negotiate!''

- Everyone's a winner. ``The best deals are the ones where everyone walks away feeling like a winner. If you can make a profit and still leave the customer feeling like they got a good deal, then you've done your job. Create a win-win situation and you will have no shortage of return customers.'' n Source: Jeff Schwarz, ``The Liquidator'' on OLN.

Lifestyle

How cognac is made–and why it’s quintessentially, exclusively French ‘Around 20 million bottles every year, more bottles than we sell to the Philippines, escape in the form of evaporation’Bar ALEX Y. VERGARA PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER FUELED BY a growing middle class with a voracious appetite for aspirational products, Asia, including developing markets like Vietnam and the Philippines, is beginning to develop a taste for cognac.

Apart from China, Vietnam has been leading the way in cognac consumption, even surpassing Japan recently.

Although the Philippines doesn’t have a long tradition of cognac drinking like former French colony Vietnam probably does, Filipinos have always been a big market for the cheaper Spanish brandies, which, like cognac, belongs to the family of so-called “brown spirits.”

As the Philippine economy continues to grow, more Filipinos are likely to level up in their drinking preferences. The market is bound to be flooded with so many options, both imitations and the genuine article. It pays to know your cognac in order to get your money’s worth.

Centuries-old tradition Anyone can claim to make cognac, but under a century-old French law, only distillers based in France’s Cognac region have the right to call their double-distilled spirits stored for a time in oak barrels (thus, the brown hue) “cognac.” Companies based elsewhere, whether within or outside France, which still publicly insist on marketing their products as cognac, are guilty of misrepresentation, and can be hailed to court.

There’s a similar law that’s in effect in Champagne, another region north of Paris.

Only those based in Champagne can call their sparkling wine, well, champagne. Others can settle for “bubbly” or whatever their marketing arm could think of (we’ll focus on Champagne next time).

Foreigners may dismiss such a law as frivolous, but not the French who take their centuries-old wine-making tradition seriously, and rightly so. We soon understood why after separate trips to Cognac, located southwest of Paris and adjacent to Burgundy, and, a few days later, to Champagne, with Olga Azarcon, the Philippines’ country manager for Moët Hennessy.

Moët et Chandon produces champagne, while Hennessy is into cognac. The two companies became partners in 1971 to form Moët Hennessy. In 1987, Moët Hennessy joined the Louis Vuitton group of Bernard Arnault to become part of LVMH, the world’s biggest grouping of luxury brands.

From the more affordable VS, XO and VSOP, to the top of the line Paradis and Paradis Imperial, Hennessy has something to offer the discriminating client depending on his preference, current mood and even budget.

More than 250 years since Richard Hennessy, the company’s Irish founder, set sail to France from Ireland to establish the business, the house of Hennessy has grown to become a global brand. (A bottle of limited-edition Hennessy cognac named after him costs around P150,000.) To this day, the company is still partly owned by his descendants.

WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012 30

Balanced demand One of them is Frenchman Maurice Hennessy, a member of the eighth generation, who, with his disarming ways and quaint British accent (he spent some time in England), is an ideal brand ambassador.

“The great thing about demand for Hennessy is it’s evenly balanced between the US, Asia and Europe, particularly Russia,” said Hennessy. “Even parts of Africa like Nigeria are doing well. But I won’t lie to you. China is very important, and so is the US where we sell more cognac (than in France). If I’m going somewhere, it’s because that market is important. They don’t send me to markets where they don’t drink at all like Saudi Arabia or Libya. At least, not yet.”

Maurice Hennessy, a trained agronomist, is also one of 1,400 growers who supply Hennessy with grapes. Only white wine produced from white grapes will do, as red wine is too robust and considered coarse and inelegant for cognac production. The company’s 200 hectares of land planted to grapes, which function more as a showcase that sets the standards for suppliers to follow, barely cover one percent of its needs.

Together with the articulate and equally witty Jean-Michel Cochet, Hennessy’s official “ambassadeur de maison,” and Renaud de Gironde, a member of the company’s tasting committee, the three men gave us a series of interviews and a two-day tour of Hennessy’s facilities sometime in May, including its postcard-pretty distillery, antiseptic tasting room and centuries-old “founder’s” cellar, where certain oak barrels of cognac vintages date back to the mid-19th century.

One of the keys to a good cognac is consistency. And you can get that only by producing the right blend composed of various vintages. Tasting various cognacs to know what to store, what to use, and at what amounts has kept Gironde and his colleagues, led by Hennessy’s master blender, busy every day for at least one hour (see sidebar).

“All Hennessy cognac is the result of a long blending process,” said Cochet. “By properly blending different elements, you create the desired style and character, which customers have grown to know and are looking for. The same taste profile and enjoyment should be duplicated despite the fact that components are never the same.”

Quality ‘eau de vie’ And it all begins with distilling quality eau de vie (water of life) from white wine pressed from grapes grown and harvested within the region. When it finally emerges from the double-distillation process, eau de vie is as crystal-clear as water. The time spent in oak barrels will create its transformation, from the taste down to its color.

“Older oak barrels would give less woody element,” said Cochet. “Younger oak barrels would produce stronger, darker cognac. Since these barrels are new, they would release more oak component in terms of taste and color.”

Except for harvesting grapes with machines, the entire process has remained basically the same as the family’s ancestors did it hundreds of years ago. Cochet even suspects that the process of distillation originated from the Arabs long before huge parts of the Middle East became Muslim.

“When you’re drinking a good glass of wine, you’re not enjoying the water,” he said to illustrate the importance of distillation. “Otherwise, why would you spend so much money when mineral water is much cheaper? What you’re enjoying is the remaining 12 percent, which is basically alcohol. It gives the wine components, structure and elements that leave it with a nice aroma.”

As Cochet explained it, the distiller consists of a steel head and “swan’s neck”-like pipe, which coils all the way to the back and into a big cylinder that functions as the condenser, which comes with a funnel from which the first and second flows come out.

Three parts The boiler or steel head is filled with 2,000 liters of white wine, which is boiled slowly by gas-fired open flame. The process can’t be rushed since evaporation involves only the most volatile part of the white wine, the alcoholic part, which also carries the aroma. Since the heat is regulated, water won’t evaporate with the alcohol.

As the steam slowly rises, it is channeled into a condenser with a coiling pipe drenched in cold running water. Due to the change in temperature, the steam eventually turns into liquid form composed of three parts: head, heart and tail.

“The head, as it name implies, is heady,” said Cochet. “Its aroma is too strong so we separate it. What we get is the second part, the heart, which is what we need. Then comes the watery part called the tail. It’s not pleasant, either, so we separate it.”

The head and tail are collected separately and “rechanneled” back to the next batch of wine to be distilled. The watery part of the wine that’s left in the boiler is sent to a nearby plant to be converted into biogas.

Only the heart or “brouilli” (pronounced as boyie), which consists of 30 percent of the condensed steam, undergoes a second distillation following the initial procedure.

Again, only the second distillation’s heart part, now known as eau de vie, is kept for eventual aging.

Everything is monitored manually based on parameters set by the master distiller.

Normally, after an hour and 15-20 minutes, the first flow arrives. Based on the flow’s temperature and alcohol content, the one manning the process would know when the heart part is coming and when it’s about to end. n

31 WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012

Lifestyle

Toronto’s beer festival features 200 brands of malty beverage with music, food THE CANADIAN PRESS TORONTO - Beer connoisseurs and thirsty drinkers will be able to find a world of options at Toronto’s 18th beer festival, with a wideranging music lineup and samples of tasty food.

The festival, which runs July 2729 at Bandshell Park in Toronto’s Exhibition Place, celebrates Canada’s brewing heritage with more than 200 brands of the malty beverage.

Friday will be headlined by Grammy Award-winning artists Salt-N-Pepa, along with other acts including Kreesha Turner, D-sisive, My Son the Hurricane and Michie Mee. On Saturday, July Talk sets the stage for headlining act Gentlemen Husbands from Cobourg, Ont. Other acts include Emerson Street Rhythm Band, Taj Weeks, Brett Caswell and the Marquee Rose.

The festival wraps up Sunday with Hollerado, Detroit Rock City All-Stars, Frank Ryan and the day’s headliner - Big Wreck.

Along with the music and bevvies, a grilling tent will feature meat creations by some of Toronto’s top culinary artists.

Niagara College’s Teaching Brewery will offer sessions with brewmasters and experts from around the country.

There will also be a guided beer tour geared toward women. Despite its historic association with men, beer has many qualities that appeal to women. Beer has fewer calories than a mixed drink, juice, milk or cola, it has up to four times more antioxidants than wine, and the yeast and hops in beer have strong probiotic qualities.

Visitors must be of legal drinking age (19 and over) to attend the event.

For more information and tickets, visit www.beerfestival.ca. n

32 WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012

Indies seek gov’t help

‘A film, if not supported by an efficient marketing and distribution mechanism, would be useless and ineffective’

project in a dilapidated house in Quiapo.

Sue Prado won best performance by an actress for her portrayal of a mute mother who crosses a river using a makeshift boat to bring her two sons to school in “In Bangka Ha Ut Sin Duwa Sapah.” Sanchez codirected the film with Fyrsed Alsad Alfad III. Winner of the best animated short film was “Si Pagong at Si Matsing” by Carmen del Prado, Didy Evangelista and Mai Saporsantos. “Walay Tumo’y ng Punterya” (No End in Sight) by Cierlito Espejo Tabay bagged the best documentary award.

Scene from the film, “Ang mga Kidnaper ni Ronnie Lazaro”

BY BAYANI SAN DIEGO JR. Philippine Daily Inquirer

DAVAO City—Independent filmmakers said the issue of marketing and distribution has become such a big problem to most of them, prompting them to seek aid from the government.

Director Sigfreid Barros Sanchez made the plea during the 1st Sineng Pambansa National Film Festival awards ceremony on Sunday night, when he was handed the grand festival prize for his film, “Ang Mga Kidnaper ni Ronnie Lazaro.”

“I wish filmmakers would get help not just in creating movies but also in marketing them,” Sanchez said in his acceptance speech at Cinema 4 of Abreeza GMall where the two-hour awards show was held. “It would be great if we could earn more because this would eventually encourage us to make more.”

“I thank the FDCP (Film Development Council of the Philippines) for the opportunity to make more films,” he added.

Sanchez dedicated his trophy to “the youth who all dream of being filmmakers. I look forward to seeing your works soon.”

“Qiyamah” director Gutierrez Mangansakan II, who shared the grand jury prize with Ed Lejano (“Qwerty”), made the same appeal to the government. He said: “A film, no matter how beautiful, if not supported by an efficient marketing and distribution mechanism, would be useless and ineffective.”

Mangansakan said he wanted “Qiyamah”—which was based on his love letter to his late mother—to participate in film festivals abroad.

He was also aiming to have the film, which talks of the Apocalypse or the end of days, shown in Muslim places outside the Philippines.

The best artistic contribution award was given to cinematographer McRobert Nacario for his work in “Qiyamah.”

Lejano said he was pleased to have been part of and to have won an award in the FDCP-sponsored festival. “Qwerty,” a story on police

brutality, stars Joem Bascon.

“It’s a festival that’s freer and have no creative interference.

It’s original,” Lejano told the INQUIRER. He added that he found the idea of bringing film festivals to the provinces encouraging.

“Indie filmmaking happens not only in the city but also in the regions,” he stressed.

Best performances The ensemble cast of “Kidnaper”— Ronnie Lazaro, Noni Buencamino, Epy Quizon, Soliman Cruz, Dwight Gaston, Hector Macaso and Raul Morit—won the best performance by an actor award. Only Morit was present to receive the trophy.

“Kidnaper” is about a group of down and out-of-luck men who attempt to make a film featuring Ronnie Lazaro, currently the most sought-after local indie actor.

Conflict arises when Lazaro begs off from acting on the supposed indie film. The men then forcibly abduct him and force him to work on the

‘Malan’ pullout Meanwhile, the producers and supporters of the full-length feature “Malan” staged a protest on Sunday night demanding that the FDCP reverse its earlier decision to pull out the film from the festival.

FDCP Chair Briccio Santos earlier ordered the pullout of the controversial entry “pending settlement of dispute” between its director Benji Garcia and producer Buhilaman Visions Davao.

“This was very unfair to us,” said producer Lilli Arellano, who was among the protesters in front of Cinema 4 of Abreeza G-Mall, where the festival’s award ceremony was being held.

Arellano added: “It’s not right that just because a director threw a fit, pagbibigyan na agad. (The FDCP) said it was merely trying to avoid controversy, that’s exactly what it turned into when it ordered the pullout.”

“Malan” is one of 18 films— fulllength features, documentaries and animated shorts—selected from the FDCP-initiated National Film Competition held last year. The finalists were awarded seed money to finish their movies. n

Entertainment

33 WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012

Pair under pressure Elmo Magalona and Julie Anne San Jose are undaunted by big breaks and fans’ matchmaking Julie Anne said she has learned a lot from the seasoned actors in their launching movie, directed by Mac Alejandre and produced by GMA Films.

BY EMMIE G. VELARDE Philippine Daily Inquirer THE ONSCREEN partnership of Elmo Magalona and Julie Anne San Jose is touted by drumbeaters as the loveteamto-beat on GMA 7.

The young stars say they are not in a hurry to fall in love.

The Kapuso network is showering the pair with major breaks on the big and small screens: the weekly series “Together Forever” and the coming movie “Just One Summer.”

It can be daunting carrying a show like “Together” on his slim shoulders, but Elmo remains gung-ho. “I am too excited to worry,” he said. “In any case, this is a

family-oriented show. It’s not just about Julie Anne and me. It’s a well-rounded show.”

In “Together” he plays a “complicated” teener who will experience all sorts of personal problems, while she plays his “boyish, nerdy” pal who turns out to be a secret admirer.

In “Just One Summer” they play sweethearts who discover the thrills and tribulations of young love. He’s a spoiled city kid; she’s the provincial lass who’s infatuated with him.

Julie Anne pointed out that there’s no need to be nervous about these huge projects because they are backed by an ensemble cast in “Together,” just like in the movie “Just One Summer.”

The ropes of acting “Elmo and I are very lucky that we get to work with veteran stars like Gloria Romero, Cherry Pie Picache, Alice Dixson and Joel Torre,” she said. “They really support us and help us learn the ropes of acting.”

On both the big and small screens, Elmo had to go through a roller-coaster ride of emotions.

He said: “We are growing up. Our roles are becoming more challenging. We get to experience a lot in our projects— happiness, sadness, heartbreak. Luckily, our costars are there to guide us every step of the way.”

Julie Anne has learned the difference between TV and movie acting from the veterans.

She explained: “You should have a different approach in movies. TV programs are seen on a smaller screen.

On the big screen, every move, every emotion, can be seen more easily by

Jodi and Papa Chen love team, all set to win viewers via “Be Careful with my Heart” QUEZON CITY, Philippines -Jodi Sta. Maria and Richard ‘Papa Chen’ Yap will team up for the first time in ABS-CBN’s drama series titled “Be Careful With My Heart” which premieres on Monday (July9) Pacific and Milan Time and Tuesday (July 10) Japan and Sydney Time via The Filipino Channel (TFC) worldwide.

Both Jodi and Richard are both excited with show as it marks a milestone in their respective showbiz careers. “Be Careful’ is so special to me as it is my first-ever lead role in a teleserye. This is also the first time that I get to work with Richard, “said Jodi, who will portray the role of Maya, a provincial lass who dreams to become a flight stewardess for her to help her family out of poverty.

Jodi further shared that she is quite positive that Maya’s tale will win the hearts of the viewers because of the ‘good vibes’ the she brings in the story. She said, “They will surely be inspired with Maya’s character. She is so optimistic with life. For her,

everything can be done and nothing is impossible!”

Meanwhile, similar to his leading lady, “Be Careful With My Heart” is equally memorable for Richard as it is his first drama, where he is the leading man.

Richard will give life to the character of Mr. Lim. “In the story, I’m a widower who works hard for his three children. But because of being busy with his business, he will need help,” said Richard. “It’s more of an unexpected love story. Viewers can expect a lot of kilig moments and I’m sure they can relate with it.”

Aside from Jodi and Richard, also part of “Be Careful With My Heart” are Jerome Perez, Janella Salvador, and Mutya Orquia. It is under the direction of Jeffrey Jeturian and Mervyn Brondial.

Get ready to fall in love with Jodi and Papa Chen in “Be Careful With My Heart,” Monday to Friday 4:35PM, Pacific Time and 12:00 PM Milan Time and also from Tuesday to Saturday, July 10, 8:40 AM Japan Time, and 9:40 AM Sydney Time. n

Richard Yap with Jodi Sta. Maria

viewers. I learned to go with the flow ... to be more natural.”

Not pressured Apart from work pressures, the young couple must also contend with fans’ insistent matchmaking.

Their loyal followers dream that their reellife pairing will turn into a real-life romance.

“I don’t really feel pressured,” Elmo insisted. “Julie Anne and I are not in a hurry. We just enjoy our friendship.”

He admitted, however, that working closely has made their friendship bloom.

“We’re now more comfortable with each other,” he explained. “We’re getting closer. We really don’t know what will happen in the future, though.”

Just friends “We’re just friends,” Julie Anne remarked, almost pleading. “We don’t think about love. We’re happy that we get to work and hang out together.”

She added: “I am also thankful for the opportunities that are coming our way.

We wouldn’t want to risk all these by falling in love.” n

Entertainment

WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012 34

‘Toy Story’ producer to grace Cinemalaya Film Congress Cinemalaya has inspired the creation of other festivals, new ways of telling stories

BY MARINEL R. CRUZ Philippine Daily Inquirer

SWISS-AMERICAN graphic designer Ralph Guggenheim, producer of the Pixar animated franchise “Toy Story,” will be the guest speaker at the annual Cinemalaya Film Congress slated this month.

“He’ll be coming over to dialogue with local animation artists and producers of gaming productions, as well as share his experiences in animation storytelling and story-selling,” said Chris Millado, Cinemalaya festival director and artistic director of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).

The film, animation and gaming congress will coincide with the annual Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival this month.

“This year, we’re going full force in terms of our forums,” Millado announced.

“There will be a big congress involving academicians, practitioners and members of the media to discuss the dynamic interaction between what is called independent filmmaking and what is being perceived as mainstream.”

He added: “It has been an ongoing debate and we hope that this year’s congress will bring that to fore and come up with an enriching dialogue on this issue.”

Pixar producer The “Made in the Philippines 2012 Film, Animation and Gaming Congress: Storytelling and Story-selling” that features Guggenheim is scheduled on July 26 and 27 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the CCP. Guggenheim graduated with a degree in communications in 1977 at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He then worked for the New York Institute of Technology Computer

Graphics Lab, where he was contacted by Lucasfilm.

He moved to California in 1980 and developed for Lucasfilm the EditDroid, which proved to be a revolutionary film-editing system. After his research lab at Lucasfilm was sold and renamed Pixar, Guggenheim continued to work in graphics and animation.

A respected founder of Pixar, Guggenheim eventually became vice president of Feature Animation and was a lead producer of “Toy Story.”

Guggenheim left the company in 1997 and started Alligator Planet LLC with three other partners.

Another event, the “2012 Manila Film Financing Forum,” a business meeting to look for practical solutions to film financing and distribution, is scheduled on July 21.

Going full force “After eight years of producing and presenting excellent films, Cinemalaya has now inspired the creation of other festivals that encourage the new voices, new ways of telling stories,” Millado said in his welcome speech during the media launch at the CCP .

“Cinemalaya has left an indelible mark in the landscape of Philippine cinema and continues to do so year after year. It is unstoppable,” he added.

Award-winning filmmaker Raymond Red, who is among the finalists in the Directors’ Showcase category, said: “As much as competition is an exciting component in any film festival, we’re not here to compete but to reach more audiences.”

Red’s “Kamera Obskura” will be up against four other films—Joey Reyes’

“Mga Munting Lihim,” Adolfo Alix Jr.’s “Kalayaan,” Jun Lana’s “Bwakaw” and Lawrence Fajardo’s “Posas.”

“The intent of ‘ Kamera Obskura’ is to put focus and awareness on the value of our film heritage. We don’t have any silent movies surviving, so by reimagining an era that’s lost, I hope to remind people of the value of preserving heritage, history and culture,” Red told reporters at the CCP. A new and special section in the Cinemalaya called the “Early Indies” will feature Red’s newly digitized super 8 films, as well as the early works of Kidlat Tahimik, Bibsy Carballo and Roxlee Indie filmmakers Joey Reyes said he was pleased to be in the same venue as the young filmmakers of Cinemalaya. “I feel like their grandfather,” he quipped. “It’s good because seeing them assures me that the tradition of indie filmmaking will continue. I’ve done a lot of films, but always, my favorites are those that share my vision and voice. They become very personal, much like this new film.”

He added: “‘Mga Munting Lihim’ is about the death of a friend, the importance of friendship and realizing who your true friends are.”

It stars Judy Ann Santos, Janice de Belen, Agot Isidro and Iza Calzado.

Out of the box This year’s lineup in the New Breed category has subjects “that are unique and very specific,” said Millado, who has replaced Nes Jardin as Cinemalaya festival director. “They offer unusual, out-of-the-box perspective of what we see every day. And that’s what I think

is the charm and challenge of watching Cinemalaya films.”

Ten films that will compete in this category are Vincent Sandoval’s “Aparisyon,” Aloy Adlawan’s “Ang Katiwala,” Marie Jamora’s “Ang Nawawala,” Julius Sotomayor Cena’s “Mga Dayo,” Mes de Guzman’s “Diablo,” Lemuel Lorca’s “Intoy Syokoy ng Kalye Marino,” Paul Sta. Ana’s “Oros,” Loy Arcenas’ “Requieme!,” Emmanuel Quindo Palo’s “Santa Nina” and Gino Santos’ “The Animals.”

O’Hara retrospective Millado added that this year’s Cinemalaya will also feature a special retrospective on the late Mario O’Hara’s work as an actor, screenwriter and director. “It’s only fitting to give him a tribute. He’s a silent titan,” said Millado.

O’Hara’s “Tubog sa Ginto,” “Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang,” “Insiang,” “Tatlo Dalawa Isa,” and “Babae sa Breakwater” will be part of the exhibition program.

The “Cinemalaya Documentaries” section will include the work of Tribeca Film Festival awardee Marty Syjuco, titled “Give Up Tomorrow,” which Millado described as “a riveting documentary following the celebrated case of the Chiong sisters and the Larrañaga family.” Lyca Benitez Brown’s “Dance of My Life” and J. Abello’s “Pureza” will also be part of the lineup.

Cinemalaya will feature 60 films on exhibition and 25 in competition. Aside from the CCP, a select lineup will also be screened at the Greenbelt Mall in Makati City and the TriNoma Mall in Quezon City. n

Entertainment Review: ‘Katy Perry: Part of Me’ is great marketing but an incomplete portrait 35 WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012

By Jake Coyle THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Enrique Iglesias and Jennifer Lopez will share the stage during a co-headlining tour this summer, which launches in Canada.The first two stops: Montreal and Toronto. n

Jennifer Hudson ‘can’t wait’ to be on TV’s ‘Smash’ NEW YORK - After winning an Academy Award and a Grammy, Jennifer Hudson is taking a roundabout route to give theatre a try. She’ll appear on the second season of the television musical drama series ``Smash’’ in a multi-episode arc as a Broadway star named Veronica Moore. n

Image courtesy of Steve GranitzSurvey

IT’S A GOOD THING the makers of ``Katy Perry: Part of Me’’ aren’t in politics. They’d probably steal the election. ``Part of Me’’ and its forerunner, ``Justin Bieber: Never Say Never,’’ are mesmerizing pieces of pop propaganda. Both 3-D concert films give a reality TV-style portrait of a young star, scrubbed clean, at the pinnacle of pop: touring sold-out arenas while making Herculean sacrifices, always finding time for their fans and goofing around with their entourages of stylists and assistants.

They’re unabashedly commercial movies made about unabashedly commercial enterprises. And yet they’re kind of fascinating.

That’s because ``Part of Me’’ is as good a document you’re likely to find of modern pop stardom: how it’s packaged, how it’s sold and what kind of power it holds over screaming ‘tween girls.

The film, directed by reality show veterans Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz (the pair produced ``Never Say Never,’’ as well as shows like ``Top Chef’’ and ``Project Runway’’), follows Perry’s 2011 California Dreams world tour. The 124-concert extravaganza came on the heels of her hit album ``Teenage Dream,’’ the only album to chart five No. 1 hits for a female performer.

A large chunk of the film is made up of 3-D footage of the concerts (songs like ``Firework’’ and ``California Gurls’’) performed on candycolored stages that look like Willy Wonka threw up on. (All of the footage was shot by other filmmakers and later assembled by Cutforth and Lipsitz, who came aboard only to stitch the film together in editing.)

But much of the documentary is spent telling ``Katy’s story,’’ and certainly, the blue-haired, dinner-plate eyed 27-year-old makes for a compelling character. Raised by travelling Pentecostal ministers, Perry first tried Christian songwriting as a 13-year-old and later, in Los Angeles, went through various incarnations before emerging as a star with ``I Kissed a Girl.’’

As artificial as much of the apparatus surrounding Perry may be, none of it works without her charisma at the centre. That comes through in ``Part of Me,’’ as does her intense drive to succeed after early failures. Many of those who helped along the way are here to sing her praises and take credit for their foresight of her talent, like her slick manager Bradford Cobb. ``Part of Me,’’ though, doesn’t succeed as a full picture of Perry. A less PG-friendly, more complicated version of the star surely exists offscreen. The film often feels like a tease, showing only, well, part of Perry.

Iglesias, Lopez to kick off tour in Canada

Spidey relaunches with Tuesday record of $35M The ``money shot’’ of the film is when cameras catch Perry crying in her dressing room following her split from husband Russell Brand (who’s seen fleetingly backstage).

It’s an honest moment. The finest shot of ``Part of Me’’ is Perry seconds before she goes on stage that night in Sao Paulo, Brazil, bent over sobbing and then seconds later - with the professionalism of a true performer - papering over the heartbreak with a broad smile while chants for ``Kay-Tee!’’ roar and the peppermintcolored wheels on her dress start to spin.

The moment would mean more if it was accompanied by more context of Perry’s emotional life, rather than served up as evidence of her humility. But that’s the sleight of hand of ``Part of Me,’’ which can even use genuine sorrow to feign depth.

Watching ``Part of Me’’ through aqua- and pink-colored 3-D glasses in a crowd of girls singing along, Perry’s songs don’t feel vapid but rather like anthems of self-empowerment. The pop experience - exuberant, superficial, fun, crass - could hardly be mirrored better. ``Katy Perry: Part of Me,’’ a Paramount Pictures release, is rated PG for some suggestive content, language, thematic elements and brief smoking. Running time: 97 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four. n

LOS ANGELES - ``The Amazing Spider-Man’’ has swung into action with $35 million domestically in its first day - a record for a film opening on Tuesday.The new launch for the Marvel Comics superhero outdid the previous best Tuesday debut of $27.9 million for ``Transformers,’’ which opened the day before the Fourth of July in 2007. n

Off-Broadway ‘Rent’ to close after 450 shows NEW YORK An off-Broadway revival of ``Rent’’ that opened three years after the original show tearfully closed up shop on Broadway has now lost its lease as well. Producers said Tuesday that the show currently playing at New World Stages will close Sept. 9 after having played 32 previews and 450 performances. n

36 WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012

Photo by Gian Cayetano

UP campus a busy bird haven

University of the Philippines: Now a bird haven

BY THERESA S. SAMANIEGO Philippine Daily Inquirer

115 SPECIES spotted this year, says avian enthusiast PHILOSOPHY professor Jerry de Villa cherishes a photo of an injured bird that landed near his car then parked on the University of the Philippines campus in Diliman, Quezon City.

The poor feathered fellow— an ashy ground thrush—was knocked down after flying straight into a glass window of one of the buildings. The reflection tricked it into thinking that it was heading for a clump of trees.

De Villa, a bird enthusiast and nature lover, picked up the bird and brought it home. “I later set it free after its injuries healed, though it left behind bird poop in my car,” he said with a smile.

“Many birds have died here when they slam into windows, thinking that the trees (mirrored on the glass) are real,” he said in a forum in UP last week, giving an update on the various species that had found either a home or a way station in the 493-hectare state university.

That birds on the campus fall for optical illusions, like pilots facing air traffic hazards, may be a telling indication of how UP Diliman has become a vast—and busy—avian sanctuary.

The INQUIRER in 2006 reported that up to 82 bird species, endemic and migratory, had been spotted in UP (and also in nearby Ateneo de Manila University). Writer Amadis Ma. Guerrero based the figure on sightings made by the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP).

De Villa, a WBCP member, said he had photographed the species recorded at that time. His shots can be viewed on the Philippine Bird Photography Forum website.

“This year, around 115 species have been seen on campus,” he told the INQUIRER in an interview. Of this number, 19 are endemic or can be found only in the Philippines, he added.

“They can be found everywhere where there are trees,” he said. The ashy ground thrush that De Villa rescued, for example, was found near the Vargas Museum.

On a good day at the treelined compound of the high school department of UP Integrated School (UPIS), anyone with the patience and eye for winged delights can spot the colasisi, the Philippine pygmy woodpecker and flowerpecker, or the redkeeled flowerpecker. They usually hang Other species like the Philippine serpent eagle and water birds like the yellow bittern and cinnamon bittern have also been sighted around the Hardin ng Rosas residential complex on the south side of the campus.

“Falcons are sometimes spotted there from October to April,” De Villa said.

The UP Lagoon also hosted the colasisi, the pygmy woodpecker, the lowland white eye, the spotted wood kingfisher and the serpent eagle, he recalled.

Owls were then heard hooting at the Physics building. The Philippine eagle owl in particular, was sometimes seen along the Beta Way, a path cutting across the Academic Oval, he added.

According to De Villa, the UPIS compound on Katipunan Avenue is UP’s last remaining “tree corridor” that connects the campus to a strip of green terrain that goes all the way to the Sierra Madre mountain range. The corridor stretches across Balara, La Mesa dam and Ipo watershed, before reaching the Sierra Madres.

Birds feel at home in areas of thick foliage where they find food and nesting grounds, he said. Sadly, bird sightings— a rarity amid Metro Manila’s expanding urban sprawl—are often wasted on UP students, De Villa noted.

They seem to be more absorbed tinkering with their high-tech gadgets (their “avian” encounters perhaps limited to the popular Angry Birds computer game or the social networking site Twitter) than looking up once in a while to enjoy Nature’s spectacles, he said in jest.

“This is why we should walk the ground and see our land’s wealth up close.

If we see these treasures, we become bound to the land. We learn to value it and fight for it,” he said.

De Villa recalled once spotting a small black-chinned fruit dove in the trees dotting the walkway between Palma Hall and a canteen. The students, he said, just passed him by, not even bothering to stop and ask what had caught his attention even as he started taking photos of the bird.

“It was only when I saw another bird later that some students finally got curious and asked me what it was,” he said.

De Villa used the forum to air an appeal for the preservation of the tree corridor on the UPIS grounds lest it disappears and gives way to construction projects in the future.

“We have to take care of the connections that are left. We should cultivate the treasures that we still have,” he said. n

Travel Canada’s best of the best – special places

37 WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012

Cape Forchu, Nova Scotia

BY JUDY WAYTIUK COURTESY OF THE CANADIAN TOURISM COMMISSION IT’S FUNKY, chock-a-block with retro-hippie shops, restaurants and residents, and Osborne Village, one of Winnipeg’s oldest neighbourhoods, has been named Canada’s greatest by the Canadian Institute of Planners.

Long a favoured hangout for locals, “the Village” draws plenty of tourists to one-of-a-kind stores selling everything from local crafts to well-aged, renewed clothing, and restaurants serving food from sushi to schmoo torte (a Manitoba layered cake made with whipped cream, nuts and caramel).

The Institute’s second annual contest to “recognize the special places that Canadians love most” also chose Cape Forchu Lightstation in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, known as the Beacon to Canada, as “Canada’s Public Place.” Operated by a nonprofit society, the lighthouse is the focal point for all sorts of local events, including Dumping Day, the first day of lobster season in autumn, when fishers “dump” their traps.

Queen Street in Fredericton, New Brunswick is “Canada’s Great Street,” thanks to its rich mix of heritage buildings, studded with major art galleries and other cultural institutions, and running through the riverside Historic Garrison District.

The planners chose their winners from a list narrowed down by public voting.

The Village’s showcase shopping and dining street, Osborne Street, scored the People’s Choice Award for Great Street, the People’s Choice Great Neighbourhood was the Victorian haven of Woodfield, in London, Ontario, and the People’s Choice Great Public Space was the urban, “mini-Algonquin Park” of the South March Highlands in Ottawa, Ontario. n

Tipi camping with the Blackfoot People – Signature Experience Collection™ Experience their rich traditions, history and culture at Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park in Alberta

BY DAVID WEBB COURTESY OF THE CANADIAN TOURISM COMMISSION

THERE IS SOMETHING special about unwinding in a tipi on the edge of the beautiful Bow River Valley near Calgary, Alberta, for a night of stars and storytelling.

Maybe it’s the sense of time unfolding. Tipi camping with the Siksika (Blackfoot) First Nation is not just an overnight trip; it’s a 1,000-year-old journey. You’ll be sleeping on sacred land that’s steeped in Blackfoot history and culture.

Blackfoot tipis were once painted the colour of dreams. The Blackfoot believed spirit beings came to them in dreams. These visions became painted tipis of incredible beauty designed to bring harmony and long life to those inside. It’s hard not to feel that same connection atBlackfoot Crossing Historical Park.

When you arrive at the park, a cheerful tipi coordinator will get you settled in the Tipi Village. Your modern tipi is equipped with wood stove, foam mattresses, sleeping

bags and even a cozy buffalo robe.

Start your own wood fire and cook your own meals over an open flame inside the tipi. Clever wind flaps draw smoke away from the interior so you’re always comfy.

Look up and you can almost touch the stars.

Sit around a campfire outside and listen to a Blackfoot elder share stories of the legendary Blackfoot buffalo hunt. Wake up the next morning and explore the site.

Your tipi camping includes access to Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park’s amenities. You might catch demonstration of traditional meat smoking or hide tanning. Take a tour with a Siksika interpreter, or join a craft program and learn how to build your own hand drum.

When hunger hits, try some traditional Blackfoot foods such as fried bread, buffalo burgers and Saskatoon berry soup. During the summer months, you might even catch outdoor performances such as traditional powwow dancing.

Blackfoot Crossing is located near the site where famous Treaty No. 7 took place on the banks of the Bow River in 1877. Chief Crowfoot signed

the treaty as an act of peace and prosperity. The interpretive centre shares Blackfoot history through four tipi-shaped galleries whose stories progress with the seasons.

So, instead of zipping up in a boring old tent, why not have

an authentic tipi adventure in a traditional gathering place where the Blackfoot still enjoy a sacred connection to earth, spirit and sky.

Tipi camping packages are available from mid-May to midOctober. n

Food

WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012 38

Foods activate stress hormones, affect behavior TESSA R. SALAZAR PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER ANYTHING THAT we ingest has profound physiological effects, some immediate, others over time. Food can also influence our behavior and emotions.

Here are some studies that could explain the link between what we eat and how we behave. High sugar diet = anti-social behavior A study of 46 5-yearold boys showed that those with little sugar in their diets exhibited superior attention spans and more accurate responses than their highsugar consuming peers. The study, described by preventive medical expert Neil Nedley, MD, author of “Proof Positive,” came out in Nutrition Review in May 1986 in an article titled “Associations between nutrition and behavior” by R. J. Prinz and D. B. Riddle.

Behavioral symptoms Dr. William Hudspeth of the Department of Behavioral Science and Psychiatry, School of Medicine in University of Nevada, Reno, has been researching the effects of sugar and hypoglycemia on human brain waves. He has demonstrated that sugar can cause a whole range of behavioral symptoms, including depression, hyperactivity and asocial behaviors.

In the book “Diet, Crime and Delinquency,” author Alexander Schauss said it has often been difficult to determine the amount of sugar in various processed foods. He urged buyers to read the nutritional labels on cans, boxes and containers. If the package label indicates sugar to be the first ingredient, this means that it is in greatest abundance in the food or beverage.

Our bodies were designed to eat foods, such as fruits and grains, in a natural, unrefined state. These foods help keep our blood sugar at a fairly constant level. Nedley said, however, that when refined sugary foods enter the digestive system, the blood sugar rises dramatically and the body reacts as if it were just exposed to a great volume of natural food. He said “unlike natural plant foods, foods rich in refined sugar tend to be quickly absorbed.

The result is that the rapid rise in blood sugar is short-lived. With insulin still present and no more sugar coming in via the digestive tract, the blood sugar level can plunge.”

Not unusual Nedley added that it is not unusual for the blood sugar to drop well below where it was before the sugary food was eaten. If the person’s blood sugar level falls low enough, frontal lobe functions (in the brain) can suffer due to inadequate fuel supplies. Meat = impaired mental functions Arachidonic acid and large molecules in meat weaken the frontal lobe function of the brain. Nedley noted that arachidonic acid interferes with the manufacture and storage of acetylcholine, the important neurotransmitter extensively involved with frontal lobe functions. A study in Life Science (1996) titled “Effects of dietary phosphatidylcholine on memory in memory-deficient mice with low brain acetylcholine concentration” by T. Moriyama, K. Uezu et al. showed that a decrease in brain acetylcholine is associated with impaired mental functioning.

A single serving of meat can also increase production of a particular stress hormone called 17-hydroxycorticosteroid (17 HCS), Russian scientists have found out.

A liberal supply of fruits, vegetables and grains provides the best nourishment for the frontal lobe, as they contain a healthy quantity of carbohydrates. Every type of meat is devoid of carbohydrates. Nedley said that if one looks at the food tables, one would see a recurring theme—whether it be red meat, fish or chicken—they all score zero, or close to it, in the carbohydrate category.

Coffee overstimulation It has been said that there’s a heavy price to be paid for stimulation. A Norwegian research project known as the Tromso heart study assessed 143,000 men and women and found a significant increase in depression in

women who were heavy coffee drinkers (but not in men who drank similar amounts).

Women who drank excessive amounts of coffee also had more problems coping with stress. Nedley cited various studies linking caffeine and impaired brain functions. The effects may include psychiatric illnesses, impaired physical and mental performance, and may interfere with sleep.n

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Canada: Seen and Scenes

WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012 40

Congratulations to Miss Maria Clara 2012 Jasmin May Chattergoon!

The Knights of Rizal crown Miss Jasmin May Chattergoon, as Miss Maria Clara 2012 on June 22, 2012 at Ellas Banquet Hall in Scarborough. The Knights of Rizal congratulate Lady Rose Cruz, President of Kababihang Rizalista Inc. on their superb pageantry.

Rizal Knights with Lady Rose V. Cruz. Sir Verth Bogtong, KR, Lady Rose Cruz, Sir Meliton Tumamao, KOR, Sir John de los Santos, KCR, Sir Bong Castillo, KR, Sir George R. Poblete, KGOR, Sir Frank Crawford, KCR: Sitting are Sir Ben Ferrer, KCR and Sir Mario Alpuerto, KCR

Crowned at Kensington Hall on June 30 as Ms. May of the MHHS Sampaguita Seniors is Debit Garcia, Ms. June is Rebecca delos Reyes, Mother of the Year is Levna Anorico and Father of the Year is Tatay Tom Avendano. Birthday Celebrants include Rosario Avendano, Charles Hart, Rebecca de los Reyes and Mike Calingo.

At the Canada Day celebration in downtown Vancouver.

Team Building activity of CARERS ARK, a multi-cultural group of welcoming, inclusive and supportive live-in caregivers and advocates at the Earl Bales Park on Bathurst June 16th. They will have an event, themed “CARERS NIGHT – LINK-LAUGH-LEARNLOVE” on July 14th, Saturday, at the St. Thomas More Parish Hall in Scarborough. Tickets at $20 include the event + dinner + Carers ARK T-shirt. For information, call: Tess 647-986-4166; Mhel 647427-9914, Marne 416-828-3749; Susan 647-868-1063; Connie 647-862-3447. – Sister Anna Haydee Librojo

41 WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012

Canada: Seen and Scenes

Minister of State for Multiculturism John Yap made an important funding annoucement at the Vancouver Multicultural Day Committee’s celebration of National Multicultural Day. Minister Yap participated in the Committee’s Multicultural Walk of Flags as community representives celebrate in traditional historic dress. Please see related story on page 24.

HUSBAND & WIFE TEAM - Photo shows the husband and wife team of Jess and May Cabrias who vibrantly and full of dynamism the production of Talakayan Radio Program which feature members of the Filipino community in Toronto, Ontario, Canada who help strengthen the relationships of the Filipinos in this part of the world.

Mr. Cabrias is a member of the board of directors of the Philippine Press Club Ontario (PPCO) and vice president for membership of the Bicol Canada Communty Association Inc. (photo by Jojo Taduran, ugnayan.ca/com)

Photo by Solon Lucas

Thousands in colourful clothing streamed into the city’s core on Sunday for Toronto’s 32nd annual Pride Parade. Many carried both the Canadian flag and the rainbow flag of the gay and lesbian movement, marking Canada Day and the end of the city’s Pride festival in one go. The theme for this year’s festival was ``Celebrate and Demonstrate.’’ – Will Campbell, The Canadian Press

JUST IN TIME features BONG CASTILLO, our very own Toronto singer who has performed alongside Martin Nievera, Pops Fernandez, Gary Valenciano, Sarah Geronimo, Eric Santos and David Pomeranz. His concert will be on August 11, 2012 – Larry Miranda

Ryley Poblete, Summa Cum Laude. Ryley Alexander Poblete, son of Ben Poblete, grandson of Sir George R. Poblete, recently graduated from University of Houston with his Bachelor of Architecture with a grade of Summa Cum Laude. Ryley also received “The Honors College” Medal from University of Houston, a “Design Award” from Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and his “Certificate of Merit” from the American Institute of Architecture, for his Project on Houston Urban Plans.

To all you globe trotters - travel with PCI and be published!

If you take the Philippines Canadian Inquirer to your trips and take a photo of a famous or scenic landmark or backdrop - we will feature you and your photo!

Please e-mail your photos with photo caption (names of people in the photos, details about the trip) to info@canadianinquirer.net.

Have fun on your adventure!

Danvic Briones

Canada

Canadian experience, 11x14 Mixed Media

Why stay?

BY MELISSA REMULLA-BRIONES PHILIPPINE CANADIAN INQUIRER A CHANCE encounter.

I talked to someone today and was surprised to find out she is a lawyer in Germany. But like most professionals in Canada, who face the bar of credential recognition and what it stands for – further studies, time and expense – she thinks she will never get to practice her profession here.

She may be right.

They tried to pacify her and told her to get a legal assistant certification instead. “But why?” her eyes locked into mine, challenging me to refute what she

is saying. “A legal assistant earns $10 and I already earn $15 at my current job. By the time I finish, I will be 60. I am German and it is hard for me to read and understand English.” She looks to the distance, to her past, turning poignant, “I think it was a mistake, us coming here.”

A pregnant pause.

She turned to me, with an apologetic smile on her face. “But it is different for you. You speak good English, you are young. And it is really better here.”

“And there are the children.”

Both of us looked away as silence hung in the air.

The children – the reason why adults do the things they do – like

working two jobs, or one parent going abroad to work, or doing something crazy like jumping ship and migrating to another country where they do not know anyone.

The children.

But if the adults are miserable in what they are “doing” for the children, won’t the children pick up on it and suffer somehow?

And is it really for the children?

Or are the children merely the cover-up for a greater dream? For hope, however vain, for a better life?

And does one seek to bury that hope with an excuse – for the children? Is it because although fervent, hope must be nurtured in secrecy and in silence while going through the drudgery of the early years? There must be (there has to be) a reason to go on, hence the children.

My friend’s bus was there and she waved goodbye to me. And I was left with questions. And some answers.

Because at the end of it all, it is for the children. A first world life opens first world doors. They will have opportunities they would otherwise not have.

But in the meantime, parents have the responsibility – to themselves – to be the best that they can be, not in terms of how the world sees things, but how they see themselves.

How they feel about themselves.

How they have embraced their choice and gave it their all.

How it is okay to regret, and not be judged.

And in the end – how they have made the sacrifice (of some sorts) – for their children to have wings, the most beautiful and strongest that they can give.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday (Kahlil Gibran).

Do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

– Desiderata

The Philippine Canadian Inquirer welcomes your views and opinions. Please e-mail the editor at editor@canadianinquirer.net.Thank you.

WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012 42

Publisher Philippine Canadian Inquirer Head of Editorial Melissa Remulla-Briones Editorial Consultant Maria Ramona Ledesma Contributors Jeffrey J.D. Andrion Gigi Astudillo Dr. Rizaldy Ferrer Stella Reyes Frances Grace H. Quiddaoen Laarni de Paula Rodel J. Ramos Lizette Lofranco Aba Agnes Tecson Sheryll Ann Deluz Graphic Designer Victoria Yong Illustration Danvic C. Briones Photographers Art Viray Angelo Siglos Ryan Ferrer Solon Licas AJ Juan Head of Operations Laarni de Paula Advertising Sales Alice Yong (778) 889-3518 Advertising Agent CNM Communications (604) 619 - 4208 HINGE INQUIRER PUBLICATIONS CUSTOM PUBLISHING GROUP Managing Editor Maita de Jesus Graphic Artists Reggie Goloy Maud Villanueva Editorial Assistant Phoebe Casin Anne Lora Santos Associate Publisher Lurisa Villanueva Jr. Associate Publisher Millicent Agoncillo Project Coordinator Lychelle Ang In cooperation with the Philippine Daily Inquirer digital edition PHILIPPINE CANADIAN INQUIRER is located at Suite 400 North Tower 5811 Cooney Road, Richmond B.C. Canada Tel No. 778-383-6090 / 778-383-3203 / (604) 279-8787 ext. 1722.

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Kami po sa Manila Express ay nagbibigay ng Abot-kaya at Maasahang Serbisyo sa lahat.

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