Philippine Canadian Inquirer Issue #62

CANADA’S FIRST AND ONLY NATIONWIDE FILIPINO-CANADIAN NEWSPAPER www.canadianinquirer.net

VOL. 4 NO. 62

MAY 3, 2013

WHAT’S INSIDE

19

Tories backtrack on foreign worker program

27

Filipino-Canadian in Focus: Romeo Candido

The Tories now hasten to reverse changes it made to the temporary foreign worker’s program, calling a halt to the “15 per cent rule.”

A PLACE IN THE SUN. The future looks bright as these yellow blooms welcome graduating students of the University of the Philippines

in Diliman, Quezon City who stroll down University Avenue leading to the Oblation, where rows of showy sunflowers have bloomed just in time for graduation day.

PHOTO BY MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

His body of work, well-deserving of the attention it receives. Romeo Candido, multi-talented, multiawarded Filipino-Canadian director shares his story.

Rating fall puzzles Binay Veep approval drops 8 pts in new SWS poll

BY LAWRENCE DE GUZMAN Philippine Daily Inquirer Inquirer Research; Jerry E. Esplanada and TJ A. Burgonio “PUZZLING” was how the Office of the Vice President (OVP) described the results of the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey in which public satisfaction with Vice President Jejomar Binay slipped, spoiling his “excellent” rating streak that stretched for five quarters.

The net satisfaction ratings of other government officials and institutions also declined in March.

The survey, conducted from March

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19 to 22, found Binay’s net satisfaction rating dropping eight points from an “excellent” 70 (79 percent satisfied, 9 percent dissatisfied) in December 2012 to a “very good” 62 (75 percent satisfied, 13 percent dissatisfied) in March.

Results of the survey, first published in BusinessWorld, used 1,200 face-toface interviews nationwide and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

In an earlier report, President Aquino’s net satisfaction rating went up by four points from 55 in December to 59 in March, both within the “very good” category.

In a statement, the OVP yesterday observed that the SWS survey

overlapped with that of Pulse Asia but produced divergent results.

“While SWS showed a decline [of eight points], the Pulse Asia survey showed an increase of six points in the Vice President’s performance and trust ratings,” it noted.

Binay’s spokesperson, Joey Salgado, said despite that, the Vice President remained grateful for his high approval ratings. “Since 2012, the Vice President’s ratings ranged from very good to excellent,” Salgado said.

Since Binay assumed the vice presidency in June 2010, his net

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28-32

Elections in B.C.

26,46

Ampeso explains

The 101 on the Conservatives and the Green Party; plus: a Q&A with Green Party’s Jane Sterk, the Liberals’ Teresa Wat, and independent candidate Gary Law.

There are two sides to every story: in this case, the story of one public official who may have thrown back one-too-many over lunch.

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3

Smuggle raps filed vs oil firm exec

BY JEROME ANING AND JERRY E. ESPLANADA Philippine Daily Inquirer THE DEPARTMENT of Justice has ordered smuggling charges brought against an oil executive and a customs broker for the alleged fraudulent importation of petroleum products valued at P5.9 billion in 2010 and 2011.

In a nine-page resolution dated April 24 and released yesterday, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima granted the motion for reconsideration filed by the Bureau of Customs and ordered Phoenix Petroleum Philippines president and chief executive officer Dennis Uy and customs broker Jorlan Cabanes charged with violation of the Tariff and Customs Code.

The DOJ in November last year upheld the prosecutor general’s recommendation to dismiss the complaint but De Lima said the BOC was able to disprove the documentary evidence submitted by Phoenix to contradict the allegations of smuggling.

“With all the discrepancies, inconsistencies and variance in the documents submitted by respondents vis a vis the documents submitted by the complainant, we cannot sustain the finding in our resolution of Nov. 16, 2010, that respondents’ documents belied and negated complainant’s allegations,” De Lima said.

The BOC had accused Phoenix of the unlawful and fraudulent importation of gasoil, unleaded gasoline and other petroleum products through the port of Davao and subport of Bauan, Batangas, between June and November 2010, January and March 2011, and June 2010 and April 2011.

The January to March 2011 shipment valued at P1.55 billion was allegedly released to Phoenix despite its having been declared forfeited in favor of the government following the oil firm’s failure to file import entries within 30 days of the arrival of the petroleum products at the port.

The BOC said it discovered that the shipment was brought out of the port in 10 batches over a period of three months. This was probably done with the help of corrupt customs personnel who manipulated the records of the electronic-to-mobile system of the customs bureau, the Department of Finance-attached agency said.

Left to subordinates

The other shipments, valued at P3.7 billion, were not covered by the required documents such as bills of lading and load port surveys.

De Lima said the documents submitted

by Phoenix did not correspond to the shipments in question, thus “rais[ing] doubts as to the legality of the importation

and are indications that fraudulent acts were committed in the process.”

“Respondents cannot feign ignorance of the discrepancies, inconsistencies and variance in their documents,” the secretary said.

She rejected Uy’s defense that he left it to subordinates to pay the customs duties and taxes as well as the preparation and submission of the required documents.

Cabanes was implicated because of his alleged direct participation in the processing and release of the shipments.

Sought for comment, the corporate communication department of Phoenix said in a text message: “While we have yet to receive a copy of the purported resolution, we are extremely surprised by the alleged reversal of the original decision absolving Dennis Uy of the unsubstantiated charges filed by the BOC. Phoenix Petroleum Philippines is accused of smuggling gasoil, unleaded gasoline and other petroleum products valued at P5.9 billion. The Department of Justice filed charges against Dennis Uy, its president and chief executive officer, and customs broker Jorlan Cabanes..

PHOTO FROM PHOENIXPHILIPPINES.COM

New allegations

“We are further surprised considering that we have yet to file our rejoinder to the BOC’s reply before the panel of prosecutors when news of the alleged reversal came out. We insist on our right to due process and fair play as we seek to refute the allegations of the BOC who incidentally brought new allegations before the panel that were not raised in the original proceedings.

“This a clear violation of established rules and jurisprudence for it contravenes due process and fair play. This is precisely what the rejoinder would have shown when the alleged resolution came out.”

Meanwhile, a top BOC official yesterday claimed there were “no more big-time oil smugglers in the country today” and that large-scale oil smuggling was a “thing of the past.”

Fernandino Tuazon, director of the BOC Intelligence and Investigation Service, however, admitted at the Balitaan sa Aloha hotel media forum in Manila that a number of people were still engaged in oil smuggling but on a smaller scale.

“The sale of smuggled petroleum products continues, mainly in the Central Luzon provinces of Bulacan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Bataan and Zambales due to their proximity to the Subic Freeport,” Tuazon said.

He disclosed that in the past 12 months, customs agents had seized only 26,900 liters of smuggled oil.

“That’s negligible compared to the 10 million liters one vessel can carry,” he said. ■

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FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013 4

Address contractualization, P-noy told

BY CATHY YAMSUAN AND TJ BURGONIO Philippine Daily Inquirer TWO SENATORIAL candidates of the administration coalition yesterday urged Malacañang to finally take a hard look at the precarious position of contractual workers who jump from one job to another once their agreement with employers expires after three to five months.

Former Akbayan party-list Rep. Risa Hontiveros and former Movie and Television Review and Classification Board Chair Grace Poe urged President Auqino to address the issue of contractualization after Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said there would be no wage increase tomorrow, Labor Day. After labor leaders air their concerns on a host of labor issues at a breakfast meeting in Malacañang today, Mr. Aquino is expected to outline the nonwage benefits for the country’s workforce, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said.

Lacierda said the dialogue would serve as a venue for labor organizations to raise their concerns and hear directly from the President.

But he ruled out any announcement of a wage increase.

“Truth to tell, I do not see companies shutting down left and right if their employees are given a reasonable wage increase. On the other hand, leaving our workers with

no choice but to stage protests would be the worst possible recourse since it would affect our growing economy. And this would mean a double whammy for us: Production systems will be halted and wage earners and their families will go hungry,” Poe said.

“Security of tenure has been a longstanding issue of workers. Maybe it’s time the President considered a remedy to this situation,” said Hontiveros.

Poe said contractualization of labor, which gives an employee a working agreement of less than six months, was one of the “rampant” antilabor policies still plaguing the sector.

Mass leaves, strikes

Many prominent businessmen unscrupulously exercise this setup to avoid a legal provision that requires an employer to promote a worker to regular status—with all the monetary and nonmonetary benefits— after working for six straight months.

Poe also warned that the Department of Labor and Employment’s continued refusal to pay attention to the demand for a wage adjustment could result in “mass leaves, sit-down strikes, factory walkouts and work stoppages,” particularly in the manufacturing and services sectors.

Lacierda said the petition for a wage increase had been filed with the DOLE and would be reviewed by the regional wage boards on May 17.

“There’s a dialogue and there’s an

opportunity for the labor sector to discuss things with the President,’’ he said in a Palace briefing. “The President will meet with the members of the labor sector and he will outline what will be given.’’

He said the public should wait for the President’s announcement on the nonwage benefits.

Officials of the moderate Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) vowed to promote the welfare of jobless workers as well as employment and jobs creation, social protection, right to self-organization and collective bargaining, wage increases, tripartism and social dialogue, and labor dispute settlement.

The TUCP said the 6.6-percent economic growth rate in 2012, the highest in Southeast Asia, had not translated into opportunities for employment.

In January 2013, there were 2.89 million unemployed Filipinos and 7.934 million underemployed Filipinos, it said.

On top of this, the poverty incidence had remained unchanged in the past six years, proof that the benefits of economic growth had not trickled down to the poor.

In 2012, the poverty incidence stood at 27.9 percent, “practically unchanged’’ from the 28.6 percent in 2009 and 28.8 percent in 2006, the National Statistical Coordination Board said.

Dialogue all for show

“This dialogue is just ceremonial, all

for show just like previous labor day dialogues sponsored by Malacañang,” Anakpawis partylist Rep. Rafael Mariano said in a statement. “Workers ought to assert the ideals and militant tradition of Labor Day rather than listen to Aquino’s empty promises.”

Of the nonwage benefits, Mariano said: “While millions of Filipino workers and their families are bearing the brunt of the increasing cost of living brought about by endless price increases and hikes in utilities and services, the Aquino administration only offers trinkets and crumbs through nonwage benefits.’’

Mariano said a worker earned an average daily wage of P277.81.

Citing research conducted by the Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research, he said a family spent an average of P10,850 monthly for food and nonfood requirements, such as rent, electricity, water, transportation, toiletries and mobile phone load.

“The government can keep workers’ wages down while protecting employers and their profit margins. Where is justice under this administration?’’ he said.

To be relevant, the government should institute policy reforms that would reverse “anti-worker’’ policies including wage freezes, labor contractualization, labor migration, price hikes, among other things,’’ Mariano said. ■

Asean upbeat on sea code But PH to pursue case vs China filed in UN tribunal

BY TJ BURGONIO Philippine Daily Inquirer BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN—President Aquino emerged from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit on Thursday upbeat about the prospects of a maritime code of conduct with China to minimize the risk of conflict in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

But even with an Asean agreement to engage China in talks for good behavior at sea, Mr. Aquino has made it clear that Manila is not going to withdraw its arbitration case in the United Nations even if Beijing withdraws its surveillance ships from Philippine territory in the West Philippine Sea. A code of conduct is intended to prevent conflicting territorial claims in the sea from erupting into violence, but the case the Aquino administration has brought to the UN arbitral tribunal aims to force China to recognize the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

Everybody happy

Mr. Aquino said the Philippines filed the

notification and claim in the United Nations precisely to clarify its maritime borders with China under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos).

Mr. Aquino and other Asean leaders adjourned the two-day summit on Thursday with an agreement to engage China in talks for a code of conduct, a complete departure from last year’s summits in Phnom Penh.

“We’re very happy. The President was very happy. The delegation was very happy,” said Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras, who joined the President, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario and Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo at the leaders’ Retreat Session.

After the session at the palatial Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the Philippine officials came away with the impression that Asean was “definitely united,” Almendras said in a chance interview before the presidential delegation motored to the airport for the flight back to Manila.

“It was a very good meeting. It was very productive,” he said inside the cavernous stone and marble building Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah had ordered built for the annual two-day summit. “You realize that the

ASEAN nations gathered in Bandar Seri Begawan, capital of Brunei, for the 22nd ASEAN Summit held April 24–25.

PHOTO FROM ASEAN.ORG

effectivity of Asean is based on its centrality.”

Engaging China

Bolkiah, chair of Asean this year, said the region’s leaders looked forward to a “continued engagement” with China in

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implementing the 2002 Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) between Asean and China.

“We tasked our ministers to continue ❱❱ PAGE 9 Asean upbeat

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FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013

5

Smartmatic faces suit over missing source code

BY PHILIP C. TUBEZA Philippine Daily Inquirer THE COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) is considering filing a case against Smartmatic International for failing to release the “source code” for the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines—but only after the elections, if at all.

Smartmatic, the Comelec’s technology provider for the May 13 elections, had an obligation to provide the source code but failed to do so after the company had a falling out with its partner, Dominion Voting Systems, said Comelec Chair Sixto Brillantes Jr. “Our contract is very long. Definitely, there were obligations that were not fulfilled,” Brillantes said in an interview.

However, he stressed that the Comelec still needed to study the matter further and would decide only after the elections.

“I don’t want this blown up because Smartmatic is still helping us with the preparations for the elections. I don’t want to complicate matters with just 18 days to go before the elections,” he said.

It won’t happen now

“It will not happen now. After the elections, that’s the time we will study their liability and see who is at fault. It would be ugly if we focus on this now,” Brillantes said.

The source code is a set of computer instructions written in human-readable computer language that regulates the operation of the computer that scans and counts the ballots. The election law provides that the source code be certified or examined by a third party of computer experts.

The Comelec had designated the firm SLI Global to review the source code but its certification could not be released officially because Smartmatic, the PCOS provider, had a falling out with its erstwhile partner and automated technology supplier, Dominion, whose approval is needed before the code can be released.

Brillantes said on Tuesday that the May 13 elections may have to proceed without the source code for the PCOS machines.

He said there was little or no time left to review the source code even if Dominion were to release it soon.

Meanwhile, the National Citizens’Movement

for Free Elections (Namfrel) has written the Comelec concerning its apprehensions about the reliability of the PCOS machines, based on reports from the field.

Corazon de la Paz-Bernardo, Namfrel national chair, said Namfrel volunteers who attended several PCOS demonstrations noticed numerous glitches and had raised concerns about the reliability and performance of the 77,829 PCOS machines.

“We know that the Comelec is trying its best to ensure that the preparations for the May 13 elections include the operationworthiness of the PCOS machines,” she said in a letter to Brillantes.

“We enjoin you to have your technical staff double-check the capability of the PCOS so that the elections will run smoothly from voting to transmission,” she said.

Bernardo said she wanted to bring to Brillantes’ attention Namfrel’s concerns about “the capability of the PCOS machines to initialize, operate and transmit the results on Election Day.” “We are receiving reports from our provincial chapters about the preparations for the coming elections, and this is one of the areas that we feel we have to raise a red flag on,” she said.

Mock election glitches

She said any malfunctioning of the PCOS machines could pose problems like congestion and long queues in the precincts, voluntary disenfranchisement for voters who do not have the time or patience to wait, the possibility of a low election turnout, and frustration for both board of election inspectors (BEIs) and the voters.

The main bases for Namfrel’s concerns are the glitches that occurred during the mock elections that the Comelec conducted on Feb. 2. Namfrel had posted observers in 17 out of the 20 mock election sites.

“The initialization of the PCOS machine took more than an hour in Baseco, Tondo, Manila; there were no available technicians to assist the board of election inspectors. The BEI had to call the Comelec office in the city to get step-by-step instructions on how to get the machine started,” Bernardo said.

She said the PCOS machines malfunctioned in a number of places and had to be replaced, “ballot rejection” being

PHOTO BY DON BAYLEY

the problem most often cited.

“This happened in UPIS, Quezon City, and Bato, Camarines Sur. The PCOS machine performed initially but stopped after accepting a few ballots at Edsa Elementary School in Manila,” Bernardo said.

“Delays were observed for more than an hour before the BEI could transmit the results. The BEI had to go to a suitable location (e.g. the upper floor of the school building) to get a signal from the network provider,” she added.

Bernardo said this happened in Cagayan de Oro Central School, UPIS in Quezon City and two precincts in Camarines Sur. She said failure of transmission was observed in a number of places such as Bongao, TawiTawi, Iriga City and Bato in Camarines Sur and Dumaguete City.

What is Plan B?

Bernardo

also

noted

that

at

demonstration during the Namfrel national assembly on March 2, the PCOS machine failed to accept ballots.

“During the training of the board of election inspectors in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, the PCOS failed to function. In the designated Comelec demo center (for voters’ education), the PCOS failed in Cubao and in Davao,” Bernardo said.

“During the overseas voting in Hong Kong, the PCOS refused to accept ballots,” she added.

Bernardo also said the results of the random manual audit at UPIS, Quezon City, showed 15 variances between the manual count and the PCOS count.

She said the Comelec should share with its citizens’ arm volunteer groups its contingency plan, or “Plan B,” in case the automated elections fail so that these election watchdogs could make themselves ready for it. ■

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FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013 6

‘Crazy’ JC: Of God and monsters

BY JERRY E. ESPLANADA Philippine Daily Inquirer

interview with the INQUIRER, fielded “candidates from the same families who have been in power for such a long time.”

De los Reyes called their style the epitome of “transactional politics and the politics of greed and hypocrisy.”

Some of them, he noted, are “part of the current Senate where there are not only too many political dynasties and too many pseudopolitical parties, but also too much interpersonal relationships and too much of the old-boy club.”

“Sad to say, in the Senate, the motivation is simply to win and win every election,” he said.

“In terms of speaking for the people as a collegial body and compared to the House of Representatives, the Senate is incomparable,” he said.

IN A RECENT Interview on GMA 7, John Carlos “JC” de los Reyes, head of the Church-backed party Ang Kapatiran (Brotherhood), was asked by the anchor, “Do you get offended by comments that you’re crazy for running in the 2010 presidential election and again, in this year’s senatorial polls?”

“I don’t know why he asked that question. But I told him I’m not offended by any question,” De los Reyes said.

De los Reyes launched his campaign for a seat in the Senate in his hometown Olongapo City on Feb. 12, he vowed to slay what he called the “monsters of political dynasties.”

De los Reyes, who lost the 2010 presidential election, was referring to most, if not all, the senatorial candidates of the administration Team PNoy and the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), including Richard Gordon, the patriarch of his own clan.

Gordon, a former senator, is the brother of De los Reyes’ mother, Barbara.

The two coalitions, he said in an

Grading the Senate

“In terms of siding with the people, I give them a 6. But in terms of really moving forward key legislation, it’s a 5.

In terms of resources, it’s 9 for me and 1 for the people. That is, considering the customs and traditions in the Senate and how the norms are,” he said.

De los Reyes, a former Olongapo councilor, made special mention of Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, saying he was

“hoping Miriam would deliver, but she later on became off.”

“Actually, she was there already, hitting the right buttons and speaking for the people in terms of speaking against political dynasties, pork barrel, how they spent public funds. But she made a 360-degree turn. She reverted to the old way. I was disappointed, to say the least,” he said.

De los Reyes described Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile as “simply a traditional politician, or trapo par excellence.”

“It’s about time we put people in the Senate who are willing to lose socially, lose financially, or even lose their lives so that radical legislative reforms can move forward,” he said.

“Reforms like a much-needed political dynasty bill, responsible political party bill and amendments to the Internal Revenue Code ... We are here to push the Kapatiran platform, which also aims to go all out against the pork barrel system, gun control and fight for the freedom of information,” he said.

Right now, he stressed, “we have too many laws.” What the Senate needs to do, he said, is have “good faith” and focus on key legislation, such as the political dynasty bill and gun control.

L L A C as low

6

The Senate, he said, should also review the “infamous pork barrel.”

“If elected to the Senate, I will execute an affidavit of undertaking that I will not avail [myself] of the pork barrel,” he added.

Asked what’s wrong with pork barrel, he pointed to the “discretion to spend the funds when priority projects have been identified and approved (by the National Economic and Development Authority) down to even the barangay development councils.”

“I don’t think (the senators) should be the ones to say where the money should be spent. Of course, they’re going to spend it where they will make money,” he said.

Like political dynasties, he said, “pork barrel will not be part of the new politics my party mates (Marwil Llasos and Lito David) will be championing.”

“No to the politics of immoral compromises. That is why, our battle cry is tatlo kontra trapo (three against traditional politics),” he said.

Last to finish

Of the nine presidential candidates in 2010, De los Reyes finished last, polling ❱❱ PAGE 10 ‘Crazy’ JC

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FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013

7

Build middle class, Angara tells grads

Escudero, Trillanes declare P4M in net worth

BY CATHY C. YAMSUAN Philippine Daily Inquirer

BY CATHY C. YAMSUAN Philippine Daily Inquirer

LIKE the ilustrados of the 1800s, the middle class is emerging as a potent force in the Philippines’ social transformation.

That’s the role outlined to the Class of 2013 by Sen. Edgardo Angara in an address yesterday at the University of the Philippines general commencement exercises in Diliman, Quezon City.

The former president of the UP System told the graduates, who he said belonged mostly to this social group, that he expected them to moderate the elite’s “vested interest” as the country was entering a “demographic sweet spot” with more people of working age compared to children and dependent elderly in less than a decade.

Today’s middle class, like the ilustrados of the 1800s, “is our country’s greatest source of talent and potential,” Angara said.

“A strong middle class is the backbone of civil society … (it) is the voice of reason that moderates vested interests, the force of change that compels societies to invest in their own future,” said the outgoing senator.

But he also repeated warnings that the middle class might be a “vanishing” breed unless the gap between rich and poor was narrowed down. The current crop of college graduates enters the real world just as the Philippines becomes part of an integrated Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Economic Community that merges its 10 members into a single market, said Angara, who served four terms in the Senate.

This bloc, he said, would serve as a production base that would promote the free flow of goods, services, investment, capital and labor.

The Asean community would also have a market of 600 million people and a collective gross domestic product of nearly $2 trillion, he added.

The senator said this regional economy would be “the ninth largest in the world—a force to reckon with in global political, economic, diplomatic and cultural competition.”

But while Filipinos will find it easier to find work in Singapore or Malaysia when the new setup begins in 2015, “so will Indonesians and Vietnamese,” he noted.

Still, the years 2015 to 2050 would coincide with the emergence of a “demographic sweet spot (with) a proportionally large working-age population and fewer children and the elderly dependent on every working Filipino,” Angara said.

He said that taking advantage of this situation would allow the Philippines “to finance our own growth from our people’s own savings, without having to levy new taxes or borrow from other nations’ savings.

We can build schools and hospitals, roads and bridges from our own pockets— investments for the people, by the people.”

But Angara warned that the opportunity would “not be unique” to the region.

“From now until 2070, various countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean will also enter their individual demographic windows. This is the developing world’s chance—our chance— to catch up with the developed nations.”

So much depends on this generation of graduates expected to be at the helm by the time this golden age takes place, he said.

“Whether we indeed make that great leap forward—whether we indeed become more competitive in Asean and in the world—depends on whether we build and expand the likes of you, an enlightened middle class.”

Inequalities

Problem is, Angara said, individuals are born into “inequalities” that have “measurable impacts” that eventually determine their future.

Angara quoted the Human Development Report indicating that 15.2 percent of “individual potential is lost because of inequality in life expectancy at birth.”

“From inequality in education, the loss is 13.5 percent; and from inequality in income, the loss is 30 percent,” he added.

Another study, he said, “suggests that a Filipino family’s economic status—more than any other factor—determines, over 90 percent of the time, whether a child gets fair access to primary and secondary education.”

Angara said the situation could be addressed by promoting equal access to development opportunities, providing everyone the opportunity to develop and use talents and skills productively, and fostering broad-based growth that will not only lift people from poverty “but—more importantly—give them lives of meaning and dignity.”

He said the middle class “will, undoubtedly, grow significantly in numbers in coming decades.”

“Whether these new ilustrados will be aware of their identity and conscious of their social role is an entirely different matter,” he said.

TWO RE-ELECTIONIST senators just beat the deadline for filing their statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), with each declaring a net worth of a little more than P4 million.

Senators Francis Escudero and Antonio Trillanes IV beat by several days the April 30 deadline set by law for the filing of SALNs required of government officials.

A check of Escudero’s SALN dated April 25, 2013, showed his net worth had dropped to a little over P4 million in 2012 from P9.8 million in 2011 after he and his former wife transferred their two condominium units to their twin children.

Escudero listed among his remaining assets a 1995 Range Rover Classic (P1 million), a 1969 BMW 2002 (P333,640.80) and a 1995 Toyota Land Cruiser (P650,000).

All values were the purchase prices of the vehicles that were acquired in 2011.

The senator also listed P900,000 in cash, jewelry and other personal property of P920,000, and a partnership interest of P213,441.29 in a law firm he joined in 1994.

Escudero’s staff said the two condominiums

Vanishing

Angara echoed warnings that “the Filipino middle class is vanishing.”

Global inequality has been rising for the past 30 years as proven by reports of elite groups in various countries getting richer and enjoying combined incomes equal to those of most other citizens.

In the Philippines, Angara said the wealth of the 40 richest families in 2012 ❱❱ PAGE 13 Build middle

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in Quezon City were listed in his 2011 SALN at their total acquisition cost of P6.6 million.

In the 2012 SALN, the same units were listed in a separate sheet for “exclusive properties of declarant’s spouse and unmarried children below 18 years living in declarant’s household” at their current fair market value of P1.631 million and P1.234 million.

The senator’s staff said the “new form” SALN in 2012 only required a declarant to indicate the current fair market value “as found in the tax declaration of real properties” since the units were not newly acquired.

The staff said Escudero and his exwife, Christine Flores, put the two condominium units “under the names of their minor children after their marriage was annulled.”

The separate sheet also showed the two children were given trust funds worth P520,000 each.

Trillanes filed his 2012 SALN on April 16 and reported a net worth of P4.432 million.

The senator said he had P5.9 million in assets including three residential lots—in Cavite (bought for P452,000), Antipolo City (P2 million) and General Santos City (no purchase price because it was inherited). ■

News-Phils

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013 8

Trickle down takes time, says Cayetano of economy

BY NORMAN BORDADORA Philippine Daily Inquirer SENATOR Alan Peter Cayetano yesterday called on Filipinos to stop downplaying the economic gains made by the Aquino administration in the wake of reports that the country’s poverty incidence had remained practically unchanged as shown by the National Statistical Coordination Board’s latest figures.

“The economic growth we now have is an economic milestone,” Cayetano said in a statement.

“While we continue to have great expectations, let us look at this more as an opportunity to work hand in hand with the government to ensure that the trickle down effect is felt sooner than later,” the reelectionist senator said.

Cayetano, who is running with the administration coalition Team PNoy, said that even leading international economists prescribe a seven- to 10-year period of continuous growth before improvements in quality of life and standards of living could be felt by the poor.

Time for growth “The President has only been in office three years. It’s not fair to expect a trickle down effect overnight. It will take time for GDP growth to result in an improvement of the quality of life index,” he said.

Cayetano cited the experience of China,

Trickle down: the theory that support of businesses or the upper economic strata will eventually benefit (“trickle down” to) middle- and lower-income sectors. Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano urges the public to be patient for its effects.

PHOTO FROM OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE

which recorded sustained growth for over 10 years but has continued to experience extreme poverty.

Cayetano reiterated his proposal for a second-tier Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program for small and medium enterprises and local industries.

“I believe the growth of small businesses and the development of local industries are key to stimulating the economy further and a direct effort at increasing jobs and achieving greater income for all Filipino families,” he said.

Cayetano said he believed President

PH poverty ‘unchanged’

Ligot ordered arrested

10% of Filipino families rated ‘extremely poor’

BY RIZA T. OLCHONDRA Philippine Daily Inquirer ECONOMIC growth over the past six years hardly made a dent in poverty incidence in the Philippines, as the percentage of Filipinos living below the poverty line remained practically the same between 2006 and 2012, official statistics showed.

The poverty incidence stood at 27.9 percent in the first semester of 2012—“practically unchanged” from the same period in 2009 (28.6 percent) and in 2006 (28.8 percent), the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) reported yesterday.

Unlike in previous poverty reports, the NSCB did not indicate the number of families and people who fell below the poverty line.

Although the poverty incidence was practically unchanged in the past six years, the number of poor people was expected to be higher in 2012 because of

Aquino was determined to make the 6.6percent economic growth felt by the poor.

Reacting to the NSCB report, Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) would take it as a challenge to improve its contribution to the national antipoverty program of the Aquino administration.

The NSCB had said that the poverty incidence was estimated at 27.9 percent during the first semester of 2012, compared to 28.8 percent in 2006 and 28.6 percent in 2009.

3.8M households served “We would like to assure that the DSWD is doing its best to implement programs and projects that will contribute to the poverty alleviation efforts of the government,” Soliman said.

She said the CCT program or Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program being implemented by the DSWD had served 3,841,992 poor households as of April 3.

It is being implemented in 1,627 cities and municipalities in 79 provinces in 17 regions nationwide.

Soliman said the CCT was a long-term program and was not expected to improve the poverty situation immediately.

“It will benefit the next generation by breaking the inter-generational cycle of poverty. If children are educated and healthy then productivity may be achieved and productivity means income,” she said.

Based on the program’s evaluation by the World Bank, Pantawid Pamilya is on track to achieve its objectives of promoting intervention in the health and education of children while providing immediate financial support to poor families.

Pantawid Pamilya is one of the three core poverty reduction programs of the DSWD. The other two are the Sustainable Livelihood Program and the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan–Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS), a community-driven development program. ■

the country’s growing population.

Norio Usui, senior country economist for the Asian Development Bank, said the government must solve the problem of jobless growth if it hoped to reduce poverty.

“I am not surprised at all. The benefits of strong economic growth have not spilled over to the people because they still cannot find a job,” he told Agence France-Presse in a telephone interview.

He said the Philippines’ economic model depended on consumption, strong remittances from its large overseas workforce and the business process outsourcing industry, which employs college graduates.

However, the country, with its weak industrial base, has stood out in the region, he added.

“Why do you need a strong industrial base? To give jobs not only to the highly educated college graduates, but also to high school graduates,” Usui said. ❱❱ PAGE 14 PH poverty

BY CYNTHIA D. BALANA Philippine Daily Inquirer THE SANDIGANBAYAN yesterday ordered the arrest of retired Lt. Gen. Jacinto Ligot in connection with 11 counts of perjury charges filed against him by the Office of the Ombudsman on April 13.

The antigraft court’s First Division set the bail at P6,000 per count or a total of P66,000.

Ligot’s name was also ordered placed on the hold-departure list of the Bureau of Immigration to prevent him from leaving the country unless he has secured a prior clearance from Sandiganbayan.

The multiple perjury cases against Ligot, a former comptroller in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, is related to a forfeiture case earlier filed against him, his wife Erlinda Yambao Ligot, their children Paulo Ligot, Riza Ligot, Miguel Ligot, and relatives Edgardo Yambao and Miguela Paragas for the recovery of unexplained wealth allegedly worth at least P135.28 million.

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Graft investigators said the retired general did not declare the questioned wealth in his Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) from 1993 to 2003.

Ligot recently won a decision in the Supreme Court that ordered the lifting of the freeze order on his P54-million assets.

A 24-page decision by the high court’s second division penned by Associate Justice Arturo Brion said that Ligot’s rights were violated by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) which requested the issuance of the freeze order. The high court noted that while Republic Act (RA) No. 9160 (AntiMoney Laundering Act of 2001) allows the issuance of freeze orders, a Court of Appeals-issued freeze order which runs for 20 days may be extended only for six months.

The high court stressed that any indefinite implementation of freeze orders on assets will affect the fundamental constitutional rights of citizens. ■

News-Phils

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013

Asean upbeat... to work actively with China on the way forward for the early conclusion of a code of conduct in the South China Sea on the basis of consensus,” he said in a press conference, reading from a prepared statement.

Asean hoped to forge a binding code of conduct with China to replace the DOC, which has failed to stop clashes in the disputed waters. China has balked at this, arguing the time is not ripe yet and preferring to deal with individual claimants.

The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam, as well as China and Taiwan have overlapping claims over islands, atolls and islets in the West Philippine Sea believed to be sitting atop vast oil and gas reserves.

The sea is also home to sea lanes through which a third of global trade passes every year. ❰❰ 4

Consensus

“The consensus is that Asean would move forward and try to work with China to make it happen,” Del Rosario said in an interview.

Thailand, which has the role of Asean coordinator with China, proposed a meeting among Asean foreign ministers ahead of an Asean-China meeting expected in August to forge solidarity on the code of conduct, Del Rosario said.

“I think there is a meeting between Asean and China sometime in the second half [of the year]. What Thailand has done is that they called a meeting prior to that among Asean foreign ministers so we can establish solidarity in approaching that problem,” Del Rosario said.

According to Del Rosario, the Asean leaders tackled the “expeditious conclusion of the code of conduct,” and had a discussion “on getting everyone in accord with the full implementation of the DOC.” Efforts by Asean to craft a code of conduct to manage West Philippine Sea tensions all but collapsed last year at a summit chaired by Cambodia, a close economic ally of China.

Cambodia was accused of trying to keep the issue off the agenda despite a surge in tension over disputed areas and growing concern about China’s assertive stance in enforcing its claims over nearly all of the sea, including waters within its neighbors’ exclusive economic zones.

Without mentioning Cambodia, President Aquino drew a strong contrast with last year’s discussions following a dinner on Wednesday with fellow Asean leaders.

‘Beautiful’ tack

Mr. Aquino described as “beautiful” Bolkiah’s tack of bringing up the West Philippine Sea issue as the first subject.

“We should really be thankful that the whole Asean is willing to discuss this instead of putting it on the back burner,” Mr. Aquino told reporters.

In last year’s meetings in Phnom Penh, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen reportedly stalled moves by the leaders of the claimant-nations to get the conflict

mentioned in a postsummit joint statement.

Mr. Aquino rebuked Hun Sen in the second meeting in Phnom Penh last year for claiming that the regional bloc had reached a consensus against internationalizing the issue.

Going nowhere

Analysts said Asean’s calls for China to agree on a legally binding code of conduct for the sea would likely lead nowhere.

Asean and China first agreed to work on a code in 2002, but the Asian economic superpower has since refused to discuss it further.

“China was never enthusiastic about a code of conduct, as it does not want to sign an agreement that will constrain its sovereignty-building activities,” Ian Storey, a senior fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, said.

But Mr. Aquino said he was happy that Asean leaders had at least united in trying to ensure the disputes over territory in the sea did not “become bloody.”

“So there is unity of purpose and one can always be hopeful that will lead to something more concrete,” he said.

The Philippines and China remain in a standoff at Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal) off Zambales province, with Beijing keeping allegedly armed vessels in the area despite an agreement last June for the two countries to withdraw their ships to ease tensions in the disputed waters.

With China insisting on claiming the area within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, Manila brought the dispute to the United Nations last month for arbitration.

9

No rush to study PH claim to Sabah, says Aquino

BY TJ A. BURGONIO Philippine Daily Inquirer BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN— President Aquino on Wednesday said he wasn’t rushing the study of the Philippines’ complex claim to Sabah, stressing that any solution should be acceptable to all parties.

After the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit opened here on Wednesday night, the President indicated that the multidisciplinary study of the claim by the Cabinet would take longer because of its sheer complexity.

Mr. Aquino ticked off several key dates—from the 19th century when Brunei gave Sabah as a gift to the sultan of Sulu for helping to quell a rebellion until the mid-February 2013 “incursion” by heirs of the sultan into the state—that he said required further study.

“Of course we want to resolve the issue to everybody’s satisfaction,” he

No case withdrawal

On Wednesday, Mr. Aquino told reporters that the Philippines will not drop its case against China even if Beijing pulls out its surveillance ships from Panatag Shoal.

“That can’t be withdrawn,” Mr. Aquino said. Any deal for withdrawal will be susceptible to a “change in mood” later on, he said.

The President stressed that Manila filed the case in the United Nations to clarify its borders with China under the Unclos.

“What we’re after here is clarification for both parties,” he said. “I don’t want to heighten the tension by demanding that they respond to this. This is a process. We have to go to all the avenues open for all of us to finally come up with something that is definitive: what are your entitlements, what are your obligations.”

Manila filed the case, asking the United Nations to compel Beijing to respect the Philippines’ rights to exclusively explore and exploit resources within its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, as provided for in the Unclos.

The Philippines ratified the Unclos in 1984 and China in 1996. But the two countries have conflicting interpretations of the provisions, especially on the scope of the 22-kilometer exclusive economic zone. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

told reporters in a late evening chat at the Philippine Embassy here. “We want to have a solution based on facts and just deliberation and that will make everybody happy.”

Standoff in Sabah

The President tasked key Cabinet officials with doing the study after a standoff between followers of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III and Malaysian security forces erupted in violence on March 1.

Eighty followers of Jamalul, eight Malaysian policemen and two soldiers have been killed since the fighting spread from Tanduo village to other parts of Lahad Datu district on March 5.

A total of 183 people have been detained in connection with the incursion led by Jamalul’s brother, Agbimuddin Kiram, and 354 have been arrested for other acts related to the incident.

Thousands of Filipinos living and ❱❱ PAGE 11 No rush

News-Phils ‘Crazy’ JC... less than 45,000 votes. Then Sen. Benigno Aquino III won the election with 15.2 million votes, or 42.08 percent of the total number of votes cast.

“In 2010, several bishops supported the Ang Kapatiran party and even named me as their (presidential) candidate,” he said.

History is repeating itself, he said.

“When we go around, we really can feel that there are undercurrents among the Catholic laity and if the momentum would continue, there would be a Catholic vote,” he said.

De los Reyes said he was “confident of getting more Catholic votes this time,” although he was not sure whether that would land him a seat in the Senate. ❰❰ 6

Scarce funds

Asked about his party’s game plan, he said Ang Kapatiran was “planning to cover most, if not all the provinces, especially the vote-rich communities.”

“But I would be honest and say we’re very much in need of campaign funds.

We’re really struggling, really struggling.

We have nothing to brag about compared to the billions in pesos of the campaign kitties of our opponents in Team PNoy and UNA. But the elders of the party are buttressing our campaign funds,” he said.

Ang Kapatiran is “parishbased,” he said.

“Soweconsolidate parishes and when we go there, a substantial number of people representing several parishes show up.

We also go to Catholic fiestas and other religious events.”

The party’s recent campaign in Baguio City was “coordinated with the local Parish Pastoral Council,” he said.

“It was a small crowd. It was lean and mean. The leaders of the community showed up. But I have to admit, had the crowd been bigger we would have a hard time paying for the merienda. As I’ve said, we have so much difficulty with funds,” he said.

Despite the party’s financial woes, De los Reyes ruled out turning to celebrity endorsers.

“Not at all. I don’t think any celebrity would endorse people like me and my Kapatiran party mates. There’s really

nothing worldly in what we are doing. It’s really a different charisma. What we’re pushing is politics at its best. We want to offer the Filipino people the politics of truth, politics of virtues, politics of conscience and all that would negate show biz, gimmickry, and double talk,” he said.

“It’s in our character that because of some people’s blatant disregard for principles and platform, we just have to do something radical,” he said.

Despite what his detractors say, De los Reyes strongly believes he is cut out for the Senate. “I really believe that radical ideas and ideologies change the world,” he said.

“Communism changed the world. The social teachings of the Catholic Church and Pope John Paul II unmasked the Iron Curtain. It’s really new and radical ideas that are needed in the Senate. And controversial ideas like, for example, the idea that we’re setting standards in politics where politicians are there to speak the truth,” he said.

De los Reyes said his role models are “those who shun the system” and among them are former Sen. Rene Saguisag and former Rep. Ted Failon, who is again an ABS-CBN broadcaster.

“They’re people who say the system sucks and they won’t be a part of it ... I believe that in this kind of environment, you either die a hero or you live long enough to be a villain.

You really have to hit hard,” he said.

How about Gordon?

Asked if Olongapo folk, if not voters from other parts of the country, should also support his estranged uncle Richard Gordon, De los Reyes said, “That’s OK with me.”

He said he was not angry with Gordon.

It’s just that “we’re just so different,” he said. “He is the brother of my mom. I’m respectful, but his personality is so strong.

I won’t humiliate myself,” he said.

Uncle and nephew have not been on speaking terms for quite some time.

In a recent interview with the INQUIRER, Gordon said: “They say I come on strong.

I get into trouble because I am frank and candid. But that’s me. I’m sorry, but there’s no ill intention in what I say. If you don’t like it, so be it. They say I’m arrogant. Maybe they just have an inferiority complex.” ■

‘The Firm’ not so firm: It’s breaking up

BY GIL C. CABACUNGAN Philippine Daily Inquirer THE FIRM is not so firm after all.

Several sources from legal, business and political circles have claimed that the Villaraza Cruz Marcelo & Angangco, or CVC Law office, easily the country’s richest and most powerful law firm, is in turmoil and on the verge of breaking up, with senior partners Avelino “Nonong” Cruz and Simeon Marcelo threatening to leave the 33-year-old law partnership over management and financial differences.

A top government official close to the partners said that 15 partners belonging to the socalled “government bloc” of Cruz and Marcelo were planning to leave CVC Law. This would leave the rival faction led by chair and CEO F. Arthur “Pancho” Villaraza with only eight partners.

“CVC Law or The Firm has parted ways,” declared the government source, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak in behalf of the law firm.

No comment

Asked for his reactions on the dispute, CVC Law managing partner Bienvenido I. Somera Jr. replied in a text message that he “can’t comment at the moment.”

Several attempts to reach Villaraza through an intermediary also yielded the same result. Marcelo did not return the INQUIRER’s calls.

Cruz served as presidential legal counsel and defense secretary during the term of former President Gloria MacapagalArroyo, who used to be The Firm’s most powerful client, while Marcelo served as solicitor general and ombudsman during the same administration.

A lawyer and fraternity brother of Villaraza at the University of the Philippines law school’s Sigma Rho fraternity said the partners were bickering on how to divide the profits of the company.

Bigger slice of profits

Senatorial candidate John Carlos “JC” de los Reyes, leader of Church-backed Ang Kapatiran.

PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK PAGE

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013 10

The lawyer, who requested anonymity, said the group of Cruz and Marcelo had claimed that they had brought in more government clients to the company and therefore deserved a bigger slice of the profits.

The lawyer said The Firm’s top brass held several “ill-tempered” meetings over the past few days, and that their separation was just a formality. Cruz, he said, had even pushed for the immediate sale of the law firm’s multibillion peso headquarters, the 12-story CVC Law Center at the Fort Bonifacio Global City which was completed three years ago.

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An insider from The Firm confirmed that the partners held a “tempestuous” meeting last Wednesday where the seniors partners were supposed to start the separation proceedings.

Purely business vs advocacy

Some partners, however, decided to take a few more days to rethink their stand in the hopes that the two sides would soften their stance and agree to a compromise.

But the insider said that the partners were not squabbling over money because the division of properties would only matter after the partnership had been dissolved. For the past two years, the insider added, the government bloc had been at odds with the Villaraza group’s policy of treating the partnership as a purely business enterprise.

The government bloc had maintained that The Firm could “still do well and do good” by taking on cases primarily for advocacy rather than just for profit, the inside source said.

Another source however said that The Firm is divided into one faction led by Villaraza and Raoul Angangco, with eight partners on its side, including Somera, who acted as The Firm’s chief operating officer, and often served as a bridge to the rival faction led by Cruz and Marcelo.

‘Discontent over treatment’

“Most of the law firm’s partners who had served in government are on [the Cruz-Marcelo] side,” the source said, adding that 15 partners are in this faction.

The source said that the looming dissolution of CVC Law was caused by “discontent” in the Cruz- Marcelo camp over what some partners have described as Villaraza’s “style of treating his other partners.”

Said the source: “The split was caused by fundamental differences in the direction of The Firm and [its] manner of practicing law. The rift has little to do with money matters.”

The source said that the troubles at The Firm and its 23 partners had been brewing for the last few weeks, and that attempts were made to resolve the impasse. So far, such efforts have failed, the source added.

PR fallout

More recently, both sides have been trying to come to an agreement on how to divide the company, including how to dispose of its headquarters at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City, while limiting the public relations fallout of the dissolution. But such talks had also failed to break the deadlock.

“It now looks like the breakup would ❱❱ PAGE 18 ‘The Firm’

News-Phils

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013

11

Rating fall...

PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK

satisfaction ratings ranged from a low of 57 in November 2010 to a high of 76 in August 2012.

❰❰ 1

Political dynasty

Binay is campaigning for the senatorial slate of the “opposition” United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), which includes his daughter, Nancy.

The Binays have been accused of building a political dynasty, as the Vice President’s son is a reelectionist mayor in Makati City while another daughter is running for reelection as representative of the city. The wife of the Vice President, like himself, is a former mayor of Makati.

The Catholic Church is among the groups campaigning against political dynasties in the country.

Backlash

A political analyst is not puzzled at all by the decline in Binay’s satisfaction rating.

Ramon Casiple said last night that backlash over the issue of political dynasty was the main reason for the drop in the net satisfaction rating of Binay.

“A turn-off is the charge of political dynasty. There’s no doubt in the minds of the people that he brought in his daughter as a senatorial candidate simply because she is his daughter,” Casiple said by phone.

The perception that Binay was “too eager” to become the country’s next leader also did him in, he said. “He has an image

problem. He has come across as too eager for the position. He’s the only one who has announced his candidacy,” he said.

The net satisfaction rating of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, a stalwart of the UNA like Binay, suffered a 17-point decline from a “good” 47 (63 percent satisfied, 16 percent dissatisfied) in December 2012 to a still “good” 30 [rounded off] (53 percent satisfied, 24 percent dissatisfied) in the latest survey.

As Senate President, Enrile’s satisfaction ratings ranged from a low of 5 in December 2008 to a high of 65 in August 2012.

Slew of controversies

Enrile is campaigning for his son, Jack, a senatorial candidate of UNA. Casiple said a slew of controversies—the grant of bonuses to favored senators, smuggling in Port Irene, in his home province of Cagayan, and his son’s checkered past—pulled down the net satisfaction rating of Enrile.

“That was corruption; unlawful or

illegitimate use of public money,” he said of Enrile’s grant of P1.6 million in additional maintenance and other operating expenses to 18 senators last Christmas. Four senators critical of Enrile each received only P250,000.

Belmonte, Sereno slide

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.’s net satisfaction rating slid by four points, from 15 in December 2012 to 11 in March. Both numbers are within the “moderate” rating.

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno registered a five-point decline from a “moderate” 14 in December 2012 to a “neutral” 9 in March.

The SWS classifies a net satisfaction rating of 70 and above as “excellent”; 50 to 69, “very good”; 30 to 49, “good”; 10 to 29, “moderate”; 9 to -9, “neutral”; -10 to -29, “poor”; -30 to - 49, “bad”; -50 to -69, “very bad”; and -70 and below, “execrable.”

Institutions

The net satisfaction ratings of major

No rush... working in Sabah fled the state during the fighting and returned to southern Philippines.

Nothing has been heard from Agbimuddin for nearly a month.

His family in Manila says he is alive and still in Sabah. ❰❰ 9

Study not complete

Contrary to earlier reports, Mr. Aquino said the legal, historical and diplomatic aspects of the study have yet to be completed.

“I’m still waiting for the results of the study,” he said.

the multidisciplinary study of the claim by the Cabinet would take longer because of its sheer complexity.

The Philippines did not raise the Sabah issue during the twoday summit, which Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak skipped because it coincided with the campaign for the May 5 general elections in Malaysia.

“He has actually, I understand, excused himself because they are in the midst of a campaign. So I understand that he does not have time to discuss

these matters. And we, also, on May 13 will have our own elections. So we have to attend to this very important concern first,” he said.

Good relations

Mr. Aquino said the Philippines and Malaysia continued to enjoy good relations despite the Sabah controversy and proof of this was the swift release of Liberal Party members whose boat was swept to Lahad Datu while they were sailing to Mopun Island for a campaign rally in mid-April.

“That won’t happen if you don’t have trust and good relations,” he said.

Rough seas swept the motorboat of LP mayoral candidate Rommel Matba and 31 companions across the border at Taganak Island in Tawi-Tawi in mid-April.

They were intercepted by Malaysian border police and taken to a police station in Sandakan on suspicion that they were reinforcements for the decimated forces of the Sulu sultanate.

Not hot issue

Officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs made arrangements for their release. They were freed two days later.

Asked if the Sabah crisis was over, Mr. Aquino said: “Is it over? It’s not a hot issue right now.” ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

institutions also declined, with the Senate slipping by six percentage points from December 2012’s “very good” 51 (65 percent satisfied, 14 percent dissatisfied) to a “good” 45 (63 percent satisfied, 18 percent dissatisfied) in the latest survey.

Net satisfaction with the Cabinet also fell by three percentage points from 26 (45 percent satisfied, 19 percent dissatisfied) in the previous quarter to 23 (44 percent satisfied, 21 percent dissatisfied).

On the other hand, the Supreme Court and the House of Representatives’ net satisfaction ratings slipped by two percentage points.

The high court’s rating fell from 36 (55 percent satisfied, 18 percent dissatisfied) to 34 (54 percent satisfied, 20 percent dissatisfied) in the latest survey.

The House’s net satisfaction rating declined from 31 (50 percentage satisfied, 20 percentage dissatisfied) in the previous quarter to 29 (49 percent satisfied, 20 percent dissatisfied) in March. ■

News-Phils

Nonwage benefits readied 70 job fairs to highlight Labor Day celebration

BY TJ A. BURGONIO AND TINA G. SANTOS Philippine Daily Inquirer THE GOVERNMENT would unveil “nonwage” benefits on Labor Day, Malacañang said yesterday, as it exhorted Filipinos to seize some 400,000 jobs in job fairs to be held tomorrow across the country.

President Aquino would meet with labor leaders in a breakfast dialogue on Tuesday in Malacañang, but the country’s workforce shouldn’t expect any announcement of wage

benefits, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.

“Well, the President is going to sit down with them in the usual dialogue with labor and to also help Secretary (Rosalinda) Baldoz appeal to the workers’ sector … to wait for the unveiling of the package. That’s nonwage benefits,” Valte said.

Valte said the public should withhold comment on the package until this is presented.

Before the Palace unveiled the package of nonwage benefits, Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) described the minimum pay in the

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013 12

country as “starvation wages.”

“The minimum wage cannot buy a working class family its daily bread. The Constitution mandates that a worker receive a living wage. Instead, the regional wage boards prescribed a libing (burial) wage,” PM secretary general Judy Miranda said in a statement sent to the INQUIRER. The group said its own study of the cost of living for a family of six in Metro Manila showed that it had already reached P1,217 a day.

“This estimate shows that the gap between the P456 minimum wage in (Metro Manila) and the present cost of living is a yawning P761 or 167 percent of the ordinary wage. Even if both parents work— which is the buy-one, take-one policy of the government—then their combined income will not be enough to feed the entire family,”

Miranda said.

The group’s cost of living estimate did not provide for savings and social security, which in the government’s basket of goods and services constitute 10 percent of the cost of living.

Miranda said the study did not include items such as leisure and recreation, and the family budget for health excluded medical expenses.

“If we include such items, and we must in a more accurate survey, then the cost of living will significantly exceed P1,200 per day,” she said.

‘Hopelessly outdated’

She added that “the National Wages and Productivity Council’s cost of living estimate of P917 in 2008 is hopelessly outdated in light of this study and in the face of continuing inflation.”

The militant labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), which is usually not invited to the breakfast dialogue with the President, is gearing up for Labor Day protest rallies that would include the burning of Mr. Aquino’s effigy.

KMU chair Elmer Labog said the President was condoning increases in power and water rates, in prices of oil and other basic goods, and the privatization of public hospitals.

Jobless growth

“The burden on the Filipino workers and urban poor is getting more and more unbearable because of Aquino’s subservience to the dictates of the United States and of his big capitalists cohorts,” Labog said.

Officials of the moderate Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) vowed PHOTO BY PAMELA MOORE

❱❱ PAGE 14 Nonwage benefits

Binay daughter says she’s a victim of cyberbullying

BY CHRISTIAN V. ESGUERRA Philippine Daily Inquirer IF THEY think they can bully her into quitting the race for the Senate, they are mistaken.

Now in the third and fourth places in the preelection polls, Nancy Binay is not falling back no matter what they say about her.

But she has one plea to her detractors: Keep her family out of it.

The eldest daughter of Vice President Jejomar Binay calls the memes and mocking stories about her floating in social media “cyberbullying.”

They are all about her supposed lack of qualifications to run for senator, particularly her perceived lack of intelligence to serve in a debating club like the Senate.

One reason for that is her refusal to debate election issues with her rivals.

One meme going around on Facebook is about a mock debate between Binay and her son, where she freezes at the

first question.

A widely shared blog item has her securing a “temporary protection order” against “any kind of discussion, debate or any form of public appearance where she will make herself look dumb.”

Binay yesterday admitted she was concerned about the negative campaign against her on social media.

“I know it’s all part of the game, but I hope they keep my children and my family out of it,” she told the INQUIRER by phone.

“I think I’m a victim of cyberbullying.

The attacks on social media are vicious.

And unlike before when you knew who your enemy was, I’m not sure where the attacks are coming from. So I think it’s better to just stay quiet about it,” she said.

But Binay is worried that voters may not get the joke in the attacks against her. In the case of the supposed TRO, she said a friend called her to ask if it was true.

“Hello? You should know better that it was satirical,” she said.

“But that’s really a problem. People tend to believe these jokes, especially if they don’t read the entire thing. Even the INQUIRER fell for something like that.

So what’s more with ordinary people?” she added, referring to the fake Time magazine cover mistakenly published by the INQUIRER last Saturday.

Binay insisted that she is not afraid to face other senatorial candidates in a debate.

“It’s not that I’m afraid. It’s just that I have no time right now,” she said.

She said she entered the senatorial race relatively late. By that time, she said, other candidates had already gone around and informed the public that they were running.

Binay insisted that voters prefer to see her in the flesh to sort of “validate the person they see on TV.” She said her going around the country, instead of appearing frequently in televised debates, was a major reason she landed in the third and fourth places in the latest Social Weather Stations poll. ■

www.canadianinquirer.net

Daughter of the vice president Nancy Binay knows “it’s all part of the game,” but the senatorial candidate hopes that netizens “keep [her] children and family out of it.”

PHOTO FROM OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE

News-Phils

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013

Build middle...

Brunei job trade- off: No night life

BY TJ A. BURGONIO Philippine Daily Inquirer BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN— They pay much, much less for gas, and get subsidies from the government. But they don’t have a night life.

For the 21,000 Filipinos, there are trade-offs for the “privileges” they enjoy in this rich oil state on the northern coast of Borneo, a two-hour flight from Manila.

The 5,765-square-kilometer Brunei looks a lot like a developed countryside city with a lot of green. Traffic is seamless on landscaped roads, where motorists can race at expressway speed and buildings are constructed far apart. The streets are clean.

In downtown Bandar Seri Begawan, instead of gleaming malls, there is a cluster of old shops.

“There are only two malls here,’’ a young Bruneian said apologetically while driving a Malacañang media officer in a sleek Toyota Camry through the rain-drenched streets of the capital on Thursday night to his hotel. He said Bruneians hit the sack by 9 p.m.

“It’s quiet here. There’s no violence.

There’s no traffic, and there’s no night life to speak of,” said Philippine Ambassador to Brunei Nestor Ochoa.

“You watch movies. Otherwise it’s a home-to-workplace routine. That’s the kind of life we have here. Very simple,” he said. “On weekends, people would rather rest.”

Brunei is a predominantly Muslim sultanate rich in oil and gas with a population of more than 400,000.

Forbes lists Brunei as the world’s fifth-richest country with a per capita gross domestic product of $50,500.

The sultanate’s laws prohibit public sale and consumption of alcohol, but non-Muslim visitors are allowed to bring in limited amounts for private consumption.

Otherwise, the Filipinos working here are “very fortunate,” Ochoa said.

“While their pay is not that high, they don’t have to pay taxes. The subsidized rice is very cheap. The gas is very cheap; only 51 cents per liter, or P17 per liter. The food is cheap here. You don’t have to spend much,” he told reporters at the Philippine Embassy in the capital’s Diplomatic Enclave on Wednesday.

Of the Filipinos working here, more than a 10th are nurses, doctors, engineers; nearly a fourth are domestic helpers, family drivers and gardeners; and the rest are waiters and waitresses.

“grew by an amount equivalent to 76.5 percent of the growth in our (gross domestic product).

And there are very few of these wealthy families: They number less than one in every 100 of us.”

As the ranks of the Filipino poor reach 80 in every 100 families, Angara said three of the remaining 20 families considered as middle class slide down into poverty every year.

“The absolute number of the middle class may seem enormous, especially in developing Asia—1.9 billion as of 2008.

But this number only serves to mask their vulnerability,” he pointed out.

“If you live just above the poverty threshold, a single stroke of fate—one accident, calamity, or crisis can send you falling through the cracks,” the senator warned.

Angara also noted that the middle class had been instrumental in leading protests around the world.

“I tell you these things not to dampen the celebratory mood you have every right to feel. However, I know your eyes are already open to the real world. You will not be deceived by facile encouragement,” he explained.

Angara said the National Statistical Office had defined measurements of the middle class as follows: ❰❰ 7

Bruneians are so impressed with the work ethic of the multitasking Filipinos that even Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah employs many Filipinos in his palace.

Very professional

Even foreign executives fly to the capital in the hope of recruiting Filipinos for their businesses abroad, Ochoa said.

“They are dependable, skilled, very professional. They’re always smiling.

That’s why they keep on recruiting nurses. They prefer Filipino nurses.

They could easily adapt to the language and, of course, our tender loving care image is always there,” he said.

Jojo Hernandez, 48, a waiter who rose from the ranks to become manager of the Bruneian-owned Fratini’s Restaurant, said around 100 Filipinos were working under him in Brunei. “[The] majority of the staff are Filipinos. Our boss trusts the Filipinos much,” he said in an interview at Fratini’s-owned RMS Restaurant on the edge of the Brunei River in the capital’s so-called Water Village, dubbed the Venice of the East.

In Fratini’s chain of restaurants in Brunei, Filipino waiters earn Brunei $1,500 to B$1,800 a month, or P48,000 to P57,600. A Fratini’s restaurant is set to open in Makati City before yearend.

When the two-day 22nd Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations was in full swing on Wednesday and Thursday, the venue— the palatial Prime Minister’s Office— was crawling with Filipino workers.

Not all happy

13

Still, there are semiskilled workers who complain of not being paid for the extra hours they work.

A Filipino utility worker from the northern province of Pangasinan said he planned to fly back home after his contract expires so he could apply for work elsewhere where he could get a better pay than his current B$500 or P16,000.

“We work hard, but it’s a pittance we’re getting,” he said.

Complaints of overworking without just compensation among Filipinos are “normal,” Ochoa said. To address these, the ambassador claimed that the embassy would invite the employers or recruitment agents over to settle the matter with the worker.

In his two years as ambassador, Ochoa said he had received only two complaints of physical abuse from Filipinos against expatriates. “The Bruneians are very kind,” he said. ■

• Those with an annual family income of from P282,000 to P2.296 million.

• Families whose heads have a college degree.

• Those who own a house and lot.

• Those whose homes have strong roofing materials.

• Those who own an oven, an airconditioning unit and a vehicle. ■

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News-Phils

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013 14

Nonwage benefits... to raise unmet labor issues and “jobless growth” on Tuesday’s pre-Labor Day breakfast with Mr. Aquino at the Heroes Hall.

“On top of the agenda is this socalled jobless growth. There has been a pronounced improvement in the economy but this growth does not translate to generate opportunities for employment,” TUCP secretary general Gerard Seno said in a statement.

In 2012, the country posted a 6.6-percent gross domestic product growth compared with Thailand’s 6.4 percent, Indonesia’s 6.2 percent, Malaysia’s 5.6 percent, Vietnam’s 5 percent and Singapore’s 1.2 percent.

But citing the National Statistics Office, the TUCP said there were 2.89 million unemployed Filipinos and 7.934 million underemployed Filipinos in January 2013.

The “all-time high” underemployment rate in six years was recorded in July 2012 at 8.55 million, it added. ❰❰ 12

Poverty incidence

Besides the big number of unemployed and underemployed, poverty incidence in the country has remained unchanged over

the past six years despite economic growth.

Poverty incidence in the first semester of 2012 stood at 27.9 percent, “practically unchanged” from 28.6 percent in 2009 and 28.8 percent in 2006, the National Statistical Coordination Board announced on April 23.

The high poverty incidence showed that the benefits of economic growth were not trickling down to the poor.

Valte said that the last time she checked, the unemployment rate was going down. “We see that the trend is going down,” she said.

70 job fairs

As part of Labor Day celebrations, the Department of Labor and Employment would open 70 job fairs in the country’s 16 regions on Tuesday, she said.

“So there are over 400,000 jobs that will be available—both local and overseas job opportunities that will be available in the 70 job fairs. And we encourage everybody to go to those job fairs and see what these have in store for you,” she said.

The TUCP said that high on the agenda of Tuesday’s dialogue with the President were issues such as employment and job creation, contractualization, social

protection, right to self organization and collective bargaining, wage increase, tripartism and social dialogue, and labor dispute settlement.

In a paper submitted to the Tripartite Industry and Peace Council, the Associated Labor Unions-TUCP recommended that the administration: • Prioritize the creation of “decent” and productive employment.

• Ensure approval of the security of tenure bill.

• Direct labor officials to review outsourcing policies in the banking sector and other industries.

• Set up a commission on industrial policy.

• Craft a clear industrial policy.

Mural, effigy

The KMU said it was preparing a mural and an effigy that would be showcased on May 1.

The mural, measuring 15 by 24 feet, depicts Mr. Aquino dressed as a clown and hounded by workers, peasants, urban poor and other sectors while hanging on an airplane piloted

by US President Barack Obama.

Created by painter and printmaker

PH poverty...

The proportion of extreme poverty among families was largely unchanged from 10.8 percent in 2006, 10.0 percent in 2009 and 10.0 percent in 2012.

A family of five family would need P7,821 to meet both food and nonfood needs (such as clothing, housing, transportation, health, education) every month. Family earning that much is considered to be living in “poverty.”

The NSCB said P79.7 billion was needed to eradicate poverty for the first semester of last year. By contrast, the government 2012 budget for its conditional cash transfer program was P39.4 billion.

The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said it hoped to see improved results given new investments in infrastructure, agriculture and manufacturing.

“Although this first semester result on poverty incidence is not the dramatic result we wanted, we remain hopeful that, with the timely measures we are now implementing, the next rounds of poverty statistics will give much better results,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said at a briefing. ❰❰ 8

Poorest provinces

Create quality jobs

He said increased infrastructure and business investments since the latter part of 2012 should help create quality jobs that would enable the poor to improve their lives.

The country, which has a population of about 97 million, posted 6.6 percent economic growth last year, and this year obtained its first-ever investment-grade rating from Fitch Ratings.

However, the January 2013 jobless rate stood at 7.1 percent, with a further 20.9 percent underemployed, or working fewer than 40 hours a week.

About 41.8 percent of the underemployed are in the farming sector.

Joel Rocamora, head of the National Anti-Poverty Commission, said about three out of every five Filipinos were highly dependent on agriculture. “As such, increasing incomes in agriculture will make a big dent in addressing the

Orlando Castillo, former president of the Art Association of the Philippines and founding member of the Concerned Artists of the Philippines, the mural will be unveiled at a program in Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila.

Other artworks by various artists will be highlighted on Labor Day, according to Labog.

“They depict suffering and lies being inflicted on the Filipino workers by President Noynoy Aquino,” he added.

Labog said Castillo’s mural “also shows the growing anger of the Filipino people against Aquino’s antipoor policies, betrayal of the people, and puppetry to the US. Anger at Aquino’s propaganda stunts aimed at deceiving the public is intensifying.”

The 10-feet tall effigy being created by artists from UgatLahi Artist Collective depicts Mr. Aquino and Obama as two serpents around an electric post.

The concept was inspired by the symbol for universal healthcare, according to KMU. The effigy would be burned at around 5 p.m. at the Chino Roces bridge (formerly Mendiola) in Manila to mark the closing of this year’s Labor Day protests. ■

The prevalence of poverty is “practically unchanged,” says the National Statistical Coordination Board. Poverty incidence stood at 28.8 percent in 2006; 28.6 percent in 2009; and 27.9 percent in the first semester of 2012.

PHOTO BY LUC FORSYTH

poverty problem,” he said.

Falling commodity prices

Balisacan said underemployment in rural areas, security problems in provinces facing insurgencies and warlords, and the falling price of a number of commodities such as sugar were mainly to blame.

“If the problem of visible underemployment in agriculture is addressed, then incomes of farmers would increase, poverty incidence would decrease, and we would not be compromising food security,” Balisacan

said in a statement.

He expressed hopes that the next round of data would reflect the government’s massive investment in human development and poverty reduction.

‘Extreme poverty’

NSCB Secretary General Jose Ramon Albert said at the briefing that during the first semester of 2012, a Filipino family of five needed P5,458 to meet basic food needs every month. Families earning that amount were considered to be living in “extreme poverty.”

www.canadianinquirer.net

Neda said that while there was a slight difference in poverty incidence between the first semester of 2009 and 2012, the results were not uniform across regions and provinces.

The NSCB identified the five poorest provinces as Lanao del Sur (68.9 percent poverty incidence), Apayao (59.8 percent), Eastern Samar (59.4 percent), Maguindanao (57.8 percent) and Zamboanga del Norte (50.3 percent).

By region, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (46.9 percent), Region 12 (37.5 percent), Region 8 (37.2), Region 9 (36.9 percent), and Region 10 (35.6 percent) had the highest family poverty incidence.

“This suggests that the strong economic growth in 2010 and 2012 were not enough to extricate a lot of people from the poverty trap,” Dr. Benjamin Diokno of the University of the Philippines School of Economics said via e-mail. ■

News-Phils

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013

Moody’s: PH a rising star Set to be ‘one of world’s fastest growth rates’

BY MICHELLE V. REMO Philippine Daily Inquirer THE PHILIPPINES has grabbed the spotlight amid a lackluster global economy, with a think tank describing it as a “rising star” poised to record one of the fastest growth rates in the world and a credit-rating firm raising its growth forecast for the country.

Moody’s Analytics said in a report released yesterday that the Philippines is likely to grow between 6.5 and 7 percent this year and within the same range next year, outperforming not only the anemic advanced economies but also many robustly growing emerging markets.

It also said that if favorable economic trends continue, the growth rate for the Philippines could be close to 8 percent by 2016.

“The Philippines has been among the brightest parts of a generally gloomy global picture,” Moody’s Analytics said in the report, titled “Philippines Outlook: Asia’s Rising Star” and authored by its senior economist Glenn Levine.

It said the story of the Philippines was noteworthy, noting that the country swung from being a “perennial underachiever” in Asia until the last few years. Moody’s Analytics, a sister company of credit rating watchdog Moody’s Investor Service, said the country’s 6.6-percent growth in 2012 was achieved despite weak growth in the United States, a crisis in the euro

The Philippines has been among the brightest parts of a generally gloomy global picture.” zone and a slowdown in China.

It said the problems of the United States, the eurozone and China— key export markets—significantly dampened the performance of other economies last year.

Sustainable growth

The Philippines, however, managed to temper the drag of a weak external environment because of a strong household consumption, a nascent rise in private investments and a spike in government spending.

S&P’s rosy forecast

“This impressive rate of GDP [gross domestic product] growth [last year] looks sustainable, as risks are low and most sectors of the economy are growing solidly. We expect GDP growth to remain in the 6.5 to 7-percent range in 2013 and 2014, making the Philippines

one of the world’s fastest-growing economies,” Moody’s Analytics said.

Echoing a similar tune, international credit-rating firm Standard & Poor’s has raised its growth forecast for the Philippines for this year from 5.9 to 6.5 percent. At the same time, it said the economy was expected to post another robust growth of 6.3 percent in 2014.

S&P’s updated growth projections for the Philippines were cited in its latest report on Asia, which it said would grow by a decent pace this year and next year as a region. But, it said, the impact of external factors on individual countries would vary.

Domestic demand strong

The credit rating agency said the advantage of the Philippines—together with a few neighbors namely China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam—was that domestic demand was strong and so any adverse impact of weak global demand on the country’s exports would not significantly harm its overall growth.

“China and the Asean 5—Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam—are more domestically driven and, therefore, continue to enjoy relatively high and stable growth rates.

This is not the case elsewhere,” S&P said in the report, titled “Emerging Asia Will Grow But Won’t Be Firing on All Cylinders.”

S&P also said that unlike other countries, the Philippines and the rest of the Asean 5 were not expected to suffer from the weakening yen, a trend that has alarmed advanced economies and some Asian economies.

15

P-noy pining for long holiday

BY TJ A. BURGONIO Philippine Daily Inquirer BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN— President Aquino on Wednesday night played down his “date” with actress Bianca Manalo and instead reiterated his longing for a holiday, bringing along his own cook.

And it should come sooner than June 30, 2016, his last day in office.

Mr. Aquino is here to attend a two-day summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

Mr. Aquino first spoke about going on a holiday following an overnight stay at a beach hotel in Mactan, Cebu, last Friday.

“I did fantasize once that after this campaign, the elections and the Sona ( State of the Nation Address) has been prepared, maybe I could have a taste of tourism in the Philippines even for just three days,” he told reporters in a chat at the Philippine Embassy here late Wednesday night.

“Once there, I hope I will not be cornered by people with problems or proposals. So who will I bring with me?

If I’m assured of food, I’ll be OK. If there’s nobody to talk with for two days, I can bring a book. That should do it,” he added.

After aggressively pitching for tourism at the groundbreaking for new roads leading to tourist destinations in the countryside, Mr. Aquino said that maybe it was time he became a tourist himself.

Pitching for tourism

“I’ve been making an aggressive pitch for tourism in the Philippines anywhere I go, but I noticed I’ve never been a tourist

Weakening yen

This was because the Philippines and the four other Southeast Asian economies were net importers of goods from Japan. A weakening yen, therefore, would actually be beneficial as this would make Japanese imports cheaper.

Anti-corruption agenda

Moody’s Analytics, meanwhile, highlighted the benefits of the anticorruption agenda of the Aquino administration.

It said the reform programs of the current administration had significantly improved business sentiment in the Philippines.

“The government’s 2011-2016 development plan provides a five-year blueprint for growth and development, providing transparency, predictability and accountability. The crackdown on corruption and encouragement of local and foreign investments, in particular, have worked well,” it said. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

in the Philippines. That’s just my point,” he said, referring to his speech in Toledo City last Friday.

“Now if somebody tweeted that they too wanted to go to the beach, maybe I’m effective at inviting tourists,” he added, chuckling. “Now who do I want to bring with me? Honestly, my cook so I will have food to eat.”

While crisscrossing the country to break ground for “tourism roads” and stump for his handpicked senatorial candidates, the 53-year-old bachelor President had, at times, expressed his desire to see the rest of the archipelago after his term ends.

Was that a date?

Asked about reports that he is chasing actress Bianca Manalo, Mr. Aquino confirmed meeting the former beauty queen—twice, he said, but the meetings happened months ago.

“I met her,” he said. “I met her and subsequently we had dinner with other people who were with us. I don’t know if you consider that a date. We were introduced and we had another dinner subsequently.

That was several months ago.”

Five kids

Mr. Aquino has been linked to several women and he has indicated he was open to marriage.

If he gets around to doing it, he said he would want to have five children, but this would have to depend on his wife.

“There seems to be a balance with five.

But five will be too many for any woman.

So can I just say that that number is negotiable, especially for the person who will be bearing the children?” he said then. ■

Opinion

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013 16

THERE’S THE RUB

Curious things

By Conrado De Quiros Philippine Daily Inquirer TO GO by the surveys, you’ll notice several curious things.

One is how little the charge of “dynastic politics” affects the candidates negatively. Unless their relatives themselves are thrown in a negative light.

The most obvious case of the latter is of course Jackie Enrile. His father, Juan Ponce Enrile, has been falling image-wise from his heights last year, weighed down by dissension within the Senate ranks (Antonio Trillanes, Miriam Santiago and Alan Peter Cayetano), various scandals including his Christmas pabaon for his favorite senators and hints of smuggling via the Cagayan free port.

It hasn’t helped any that US Ambassador William Sullivan also tagged Jackie as the murderer of a youth in the 1970s, according to a WikiLeaks leak. All of which has caused him to go on a free fall.

But the rest of them are doing quite well. Bam Aquino has barged through the Magic 12 (in SWS), Nancy Binay and Cynthia Villar have climbed all the way up. Being related to someone who’s (reasonably) well thought of— yes, including Manny Villar who seems none the worse for being tagged the very literal architect of the daang-paliko-liko

with the C5 fiasco; it’s Jamby Madrigal who’s down there—is not a kiss of death, it is a kiss of life.

Indeed, not being remembered as related to someone famous can be a disadvantage. Such is Jun Magsaysay.

Jun is Ramon Magsaysay Jr., an epically magical name to an older generation.

Being named thus in the 1960s did not just assure victory, it assured topping the list. Had the elder Magsaysay not died in a plane crash, he would almost certainly have been the first Filipino president to have won a reelection.

It is to Jun’s credit that he won a couple of terms as senator in the 2000s without greatly relying on his father’s name. But he carries the stamp of his father’s character. The simplicity is there, the modesty is there, the integrity is there. And on an equally epic scale. He left Gloria’s party after her legitimacy became questionable and launched the investigation of the fertilizer scam. Like father, like son: You wish that would be remembered by people. Hell, you wish that would simply be known by people.

There’s no one I’d like to see return to the Senate than he.

Which brings me to two. Having once been a senator is no longer a guarantee you’ll be so again. Magsaysay, Dick Gordon, Madrigal and Ernesto Maceda were so but are currently outside the

Magic 12, Maceda well outside. Only Maceda was last heard of as senator way back, in 1998. The rest are fairly recent.

Magsaysay was senator until 2007, Gordon and Madrigal as late as 2010.

Both Gordon and Madrigal of course ran for president in 2010, and lost badly.

Can the stigma of a crushing defeat in running for higher office explain their current debacle, giving them the aura of “damaged goods”? Maybe. But that explanation is also in huge part refuted

...a hiatus of three years can make you ancient history today more than yesterday. Having been a senator just three years ago is no longer a guarantee you can be so again.

by Loren Legarda not just being in the magic slate but being number one. She ran for vice president under Manny Villar and ended up third after Jojo Binay leaped out of the pack in the last two minutes and vaulted past Mar Roxas and herself.

Can it have to do with their abrasive personalities?

Well, Magsaysay’s

personality is by no means abrasive, he’s the most unassuming person there is.

And Trillanes and Koko Pimentel may also be described as so and they’re in the slate—though some will call them more feisty than abrasive.

Can it have to do with the mounting impact of new technology, particularly the social media? Maybe too. That is a powerful medium, which is creating an information overload, which is making the past, even the more recent past, even easier to forget. Even 2010 now seems like ages ago, unless you maintain a presence in Facebook and in text messages. They might look like a technology that’s available only to a small minority today, but I suspect they carry a huge multiplier effect. Along the mainstream media, they are defining the national discourse.

But that’s just anybody’s guess. The point is that a hiatus of three years can make you ancient history today more than yesterday. Having been a senator just three years ago is no longer a guarantee you can be so again.

Three is that Legarda is number one.

I myself thought she’d buckle under the weight of a cultural judgment, as Tito Sotto did in 2007. Sotto was FPJ’s campaign manager, and despite public sentiment that Gloria robbed Da King of the presidency, he ran under Gloria in

2007. He lost, for the first time in his life.

Legarda, along with Madrigal, was one of the senators who hounded Villar for the C5 detour, though it was Madrigal who called him “duwag” for not appearing at the Senate investigation. Then suddenly she made a turnaround, becoming his running mate.

Her detractors swiftly accused her of practicing the “politics of prostitution.”

I thought the same stigma would attach to her as it did to Sotto, if only temporarily—Sotto won in 2010 when he ran again. But, lo and behold, she hasn’t just fallen off the cart, she’s in the driver’s seat.

Now, either the public doesn’t quite see it as a betrayal, or one comparable to Sotto’s—going to the side of the person who robbed your boss, and the unloved Gloria at that—or personality trumps betrayal. I’ve been asking people who have told me they are going to vote for Legarda and not so for Risa Hontiveros why that’s so and their answer has been that Legarda seems the much warmer person. She smiles better, they say. That’s what our elections have come to, or since they’ve always been that way, come in a worse way to. Principle doesn’t matter, or Magsaysay and Hontiveros would be way up there. Personality, or what passes for it in the eyes of the voter, does.

Like I said, curious things.

composition and rankings of candidates that emerged at the Ateneo forum. But what remained the same, said a report on the Maybunga forum, was “the marked change in voter preferences after the process of benchmarking.” It is clear, said the same report, that “using the Scorecard compels voters to think beyond jingles and gimmicks and seriously consider qualifications and platforms.” *** EMERGING first in the final, post-discussion mock poll was Risa Hontiveros, followed by Grace Poe, Jun Magsaysay, Koko Pimentel, Jamby Madrigal, Teddy Casiño, Ed Hagedorn, Eddie Villanueva, and, tying at No. 9, Bam Aquino and JC delos Reyes.

The others on the “winning” final list: Dick Gordon, Chiz Escudero, Ramon Montaño, and Alan Peter Cayetano.

Sonny Angara, Jack Enrile, Mitos Magsaysay, and Christian Señeres were tied at 15th place.

Contrast this lineup with the results of the initial mock poll, where participants made their choices before they heard about the Scorecard and listened to the discussion about how the standards in this Scorecard could be applied to the different candidates.

In this initial mock poll, Chiz Escudero emerged as No. 1, followed by Koko Pimentel and Alan Peter Cayetano. They

were then followed by: Risa Hontiveros and Loren Legarda, who were tied at fourth; Sonny Trillanes, Teddy Casiño, Migz Zubiri, JV Ejercito, and Dick Gordon, with BamAquino, Ed Hagedorn, JunMagsaysay, Grace Poe and Cynthia Villar tied for 11th.

Some names are on both rankings, while others fall off and/or emerge in the second mock poll. As the report says, after being compelled to think more seriously about their choices, and armed with a Scorecard to help them with their decisions, voters can come up with a revised lineup, which can be good or bad news for some candidates, depending on where they perceive themselves vis-àvis the Scorecard.

The crucial question, though, is that, overall, what matters most? Is it popularization of the Scorecard and similar tools to measure the worth of candidates? Is it the power of a voter’s conscience and due diligence? Or will it be good old-fashioned ward politics, vote-buying, coercion and marketing?

There are just about two weeks left before we troop to the precincts and shade our choices from among the bevy of men and women asking for our votes. This is the only time, mind you, that we ordinary voters can make our voices heard, our demands aired, our resentments manifest, and our deepest values validated—or rejected outright. Let’s see what happens on May 13.

AT LARGE

Votes and rankings

By Rina Jumenez-David Philippine Daily Inquirer IF THERE’S a concerted effort to promote—or create—a “Catholic Vote” in this country in time for the May 13 elections, there’s a parallel effort to muster enough support for the so-called “Purple Vote.”

Purple being the color most identified with women—and feminism—the “Purple Vote” is most commonly identified as the “Women’s Vote” but for this year’s exercise, it has been more firmly linked with support for reproductive health, more specifically the Reproductive Health Law. This law after many years hurdled the twists and turns of the legislature only to be frustratingly delayed by a “status quo ante” order from the Supreme Court.

So while the justices take their time debating the constitutionality of the RH Law, the results of the “Purple Vote” can very well serve as a proxy referendum on the strength of continuing public support for RH. That’s been demonstrated in over a decade’s worth of public opinion surveys, but it would be good to have it proven in the ballot box as well.

The list of candidates endorsed by the “Purple Ribbon for RH Movement,” an alliance of organizations and individuals supportive of the RH Law,

will be revealed on Tuesday via a press conference called “Kandidatong May Prinsipyo, Suportado Ko (I Support Candidates with Principles)!”

A news release says the list will include “candidates who fought for the enactment of the RH bill and continue to support the law even as it struggles for its implementation. The candidates chosen also have a good position on social justice issues and have proven to serve the public with integrity.” Apart from the Senate aspirants, the “Purple Vote Campaign” will also endorse candidates for district representative who were or are vocal supporters of the RH Law. *** WHILE we have a few days’ wait left for the release of the “Purple Vote” list, one of the coalition’s members, the PNGOC (or Philippine NGO Council on Population, Health and Welfare), has no qualms about releasing the initial batch of candidates it is endorsing.

PNGOC Executive Director Eden Divinagracia says the group is endorsing the following: Risa Hontiveros, Sonny Angara, Grace Poe, Alan Peter Cayetano, Loren Legarda, Chiz Escudero and Bam Aquino. The other half of the “list of 12” will presumably be announced once consultations with the PNGOC’s network of 97 NGOs nationwide have been completed.

Aside from their support for the RH Law, says Divinagracia, the candidates who’ll make it to the list “should also have a good track record and clear position on other issues such as the freedom of information bill and the Sin Tax Law. [We] will also look into the candidate’s character.” *** MEANWHILE, the “Timbangan”

The crucial question, though, is that, overall, what matters most?... will it be good old-fashioned ward politics, vote-buying, coercion and marketing? (weighing) process initiated by the Movement for Good Governance and its partners, Youth Vote Philippines and Mulat Pinoy, continues apace.

On April 24, a follow-up to the “Timbangan” held at the Ateneo Professional Schools was staged in Barangay Maybunga in Pasig. Given the different demographic of the crowd gathered in the barangay, the results of the straw polls held before and after the introduction and discussion of the MGG Scorecard was different from the

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Opinion

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013

17

BY NEAL H. CRUZ, PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER

AS I SEE IT

The truly marginalized and underrepresented

By Neal H. Cruz Philippine Daily Inquirer ONLY A few days before the elections, the Quezon City government exempted squatters in the National Government Center near the Batasang Pambansa from paying real estate taxes on their homes and stores. The government lots will be sold to them at very minimal prices. How lucky can squatters get.

That is why Quezon City is called the paradise of squatters. And that is why squatters congregate there.

The Quezon City government’s move is obviously a vote-getting ploy because squatters are voters (attention: Comelec), and squatters vote like herds of cattle. They vote for whoever buys their votes or whomever their leaders tell them to vote for.

I am happy for the really poor squatters who would benefit although I don’t agree with rewarding lawbreakers, which squatters are. But what about the law-abiding lot owners whose properties have been squatted upon but continue to pay real estate taxes to the Quezon City government?

Not only that, the city assessor regularly increases the valuation, and therefore the realty taxes, of these lots.

The lazy assessor bases his valuations on maps, without going to the actual

sites to see the conditions there. If he does, he would see that many of the sites on which he imposed high taxes are overrun by squatters.

As if to twist the knife further, the City Council passed an ordinance imposing an additional realty tax on property owners—to be used, it said, to construct homes for squatters. The city government has been collecting this additional tax for years now but not a single hollow block for any squatter medium-rise building has been put in place. What’s happening to these additional taxes paid by property owners?

As if to add insult to injury, there is no assurance that the squatters on private lots assessed the additional taxes would be relocated first. The lot owners may be paying the additional taxes for years but the squatters may continue to fatten on their properties.

Squatters never have it so good anywhere else in the world but in the Philippines. They picture themselves as “poor, homeless people” in need of help. Because of which there are many bleeding hearts who coddle them.

Politicians not only coddle them but also encourage them. Every candidate’s heart bleeds for them. In fact, many of these politicians actually bring the squatters to their districts to vote for them.

There are many urban poor groups and congressmen who protect them and look after their welfare. There is an existing law, the Urban Development Housing Act, better known as the Lina Law, that protects them. Squatting has been decriminalized. Since its enactment, squatters have run amuck.

Squatter colonies sprouted everywhere.

But are these squatters really poor?

Open your eyes and use your brains.

Pass by these squatter colonies and

They say that crime does not pay, but in the Philippines it does.

see for yourselves. The squatters have stores and shops and other business establishments. Many of them have four-story concrete and hollow block dwellings. Television antennas sprout like bamboos above their roofs.

At night, vehicles of all sorts are double-parked on both sides of streets surrounding the colonies.

Think of it. The squatters earn a lot

from their stores and shops but pay no rent to the owners of lots they have squatted upon. They do not pay any real estate tax or any business tax to the government.

Sometimes they pay no electric and water bills because they steal power and water from the concessionaires. Some of them have two or more houses, renting them out to other squatters. Some of them steal electricity and power and sell them to their neighbors. Others have been given lots in relocation sites but have sold them to speculators and gone back to squatting. Squatters are paid tens of thousands of pesos to voluntarily dismantle their shanties and move out.

But they reassemble their shanties somewhere else and the whole cycle begins again.

They say that crime does not pay, but in the Philippines it does.

It pays to squat here, although stealing somebody else’s property is a crime. On the contrary, those who steal are rewarded by the government for it: relocation lots, exemption from real estate, business and other taxes, free use of somebody else’s property, relief goods and laws favoring them. For one, I think the Lina Law is class legislation.

It favors one class of citizens (and lawbreakers at that) at the expense of the property owners.

What’s more, the squatters have

several party-list congressmen representing them in Congress. So they are no longer underrepresented and marginalized.

On the other hand, it is the lot owners who are marginalized and underrepresented. I am referring not to the big landowners (they can take care of themselves) but to the small lot owners—the teachers, clerks and other workers who paid for their 200or 400-square meter lots by installment for years only to discover that squatters have occupied their lots.

They ask help from the government, national and local, but although public officials are duty-bound to protect private property in exchange for the taxes the owners pay, they do nothing.

Senators, congressmen, governors, mayors, councilors all coddle the squatters because they are voters. In fact, officials of barangays, who are supposed to be the first line of defense against squatting, are the ones who bring in squatters to vote for them.

Going to court is too long, tedious and expensive. The small lot owners cannot afford the expense. And they have no party-list, no representative to look after their plight in Congress.

These law-abiding, taxpaying property owners are the truly marginalized and underrepresented of our citizens.

LOOKING BACK

Rizal and Leonor Rivera’s secret affair

By Ambeth R. Ocampo Philippine Daily Inquirer SOME YEARS ago, I advised a friend looking for a dining table that she was better off buying a secondhand hardwood table from Bangkal in Makati than getting the plastic or glass-top versions readily available in the malls and department stores. With some effort, I told her: You can find a good table of Philippine hardwood like molave and narra. Why settle for less?

To my surprise, my friend took my advice to heart and asked me to accompany her to a Bulacan printer who had a sideline dealing in antiques. We were shown into a dark and dusty bodega where pieces of furniture were piled on top of one another so precariously I worried that these would fall and bury me within.

I could imagine the tabloid headlines screaming of a historian killed by antiques: “Historiador, patay sa antik!

Nadaganan ng aparador! ” What caught my eye in the dark was the top of the wrought-iron entrance to the old Colegio de la Concordia in Manila that had probably been sold for scrap after the renovation. The arch read “Ave Maria Purisima” and, below it, “Colegio de la Concordia.”

The price was reasonable, but I didn’t know how we would take it in the car back to Manila. My friend asked what I would do with it. I replied that it could be recycled as a headboard for my bed.

To cut the long story short, I did not buy it. And I have since been wondering if this arch was in use in the late 19th century. If it was, then under this arch passed Jose Rizal, the Rizal sisters, as well as Rizal’s loves Segunda Katigbak and Leonor Rivera. As a historian, I am keen about finding connections between past and present. This is the romance of collecting, or at least looking at, old things in shops and museums.

Filipinos are familiar with the story of Rizal and Leonor Rivera, especially how she was forced by her mother to break her engagement with him and marry an English engineer working on the Manila-Dagupan railway.

Unfortunately, the correspondence between the lovers is not extant because it is said that shortly before her wedding, Leonor gathered all of Rizal’s letters, read them, and burned every one. She then gathered the ashes and sewed these inside the hem of her wedding gown.

This may sound like a very romantic thing to do but for a historian

in search of those letters, it is very frustrating. I guess some things are meant to be kept private, to be kept between Rizal and Leonor and away from the prying eyes of historians and the curious public.

Two of the letters from Leonor that have survived give us a sense of what she was like and how the lovers tried to keep their relationship secret.

Leonor gathered all of Rizal’s letters, read them, and burned every one. She gathered the ashes and sewed these inside the hem of her wedding gown.

On Jan. 2, 1881, Leonor wrote Rizal: “Esteemed Friend, “I received your letter dated 30 of last month and I aminformed of its contents.

“If I have not answered your letters, it was not because I’m bored corresponding with you. In fact, twice I wrote replies, but on the day I did so, nobody came to visit me at the college (La Concordia), so I

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destroyed them, and besides I was already embarrassed.

“I am doubtful if the letter is yours, because the signature is different.

Perhaps you have put another name, fearing that I might despise it and if I despise it, it will not be your name that will be despised but somebody else’s. If that is what you think, you are mistaken for you do not know how glad I am when I receive one of your dear letters; but you did well in putting another name in case, as you say, it may fall into the hands of strangers.

“Command your servant who kisses your hand. Taimis” The second letter was written so many months later, on Dec. 28, 1881, saying: “Esteemed José “I would be glad if on the receipt of this you are in good health and happy.

“I was very much surprised that you had a letter for Papa and none for me; but at first when they told me about it I did not believe it, because he did not expect that a person like you would do such a thing. But later I was convinced that you are like a newly opened rose, very flushed and fragrant at the beginning, but afterwards it begins to wither. Before, however, when I did not write you, you wrote me, but now no more. It

seems that you have imitated my example when I went to Antipolo and you have done wrong, because I was not at my own house, and besides you know very well that you cannot hide any thing from those girls. I could very well write to Papa, but in order that you might not say anything, I did not, though Mama had ordered me to do so. You cannot have these pretexts because you are at your home and nobody meddles with you. Truly I tell you that I’m very resentful for what you have done and for another thing that I’ll tell you later when you come.

“Excuse the writing and all the mistakes you find in it. Command at your pleasure your true servant who kisses your hand. Taimis.”

Putting these letters in context is hampered by the fact that we do not have copies of Rizal’s letters that Leonor replied to. Why was Leonor worried about their relationship being made known or discovered by others?

A new book on Rizal’s loves should be written soon, if only to remind a younger generation that the National Hero fossilized in bronze and marble was made of flesh and blood like them. *** Comments are welcome aocampo@ateneo.edu

at

News-Phils

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013 18

MVP: Allow private sector to actively help end poverty

BY GIL C. CABACUNGAN AND MICHAEL LIM UBAC Philippine Daily Inquirer A TOP businessman yesterday called on Malacañang to include the private sector in mapping out fresh antipoverty programs as lawmakers blamed income inequality for chronic poverty amid robust economic growth.

Manuel V. Pangilinan, chair of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., said the government should allow the private sector to take an active role in ensuring that economic growth was shared and enjoyed by all classes.

“The imperative is inclusive, not exclusionary, growth. Business and government need to work together to identify areas that offer the higher levels of employment and income to our people—agriculture and tourism, for instance,” Pangilinan said.

Work in progress

Malacañang said eradicating poverty in the country was “not an overnight thing.”

President Aquino’s spokesperson, Edwin Lacierda, largely blamed the high level of poverty incidence on the lackluster performance of the agricultural-fishery sector.

“But again, this (defeating poverty) is not overnight. This is a work in progress and hence, for that reason, we also need support from both houses of Congress,” Lacierda said.

He also said the NCSB report was already dated. “These are all historical data. So the survey … the press conference on the poverty incidence was (based) on the first semester of 2012,” he said, but added: “We have already identified the areas where we need to improve on: in the agricultural sector.”

Pangilinan added that government should provide the guidance, encouragement and rewards. “Business should mobilize the resources for development. The franchise to inclusive growth is not the exclusive province of either business or government—neither can accomplish it alone,” he said in a text message.

Pangilinan was reacting to the report of the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) on Tuesday that poverty incidence had remained unchanged since 2006 amid high economic growth. The NSCB said poverty incidence in the first semester of 2012 was 27.9 percent, “practically unchanged” from the same period in 2009 (28.6 percent) and in 2006 (28.8 percent).

Trickle down doesn’t work

“Even if we build all the infrastructure that we need, only the rich and educated will benefit the most because they will know how to use them properly and productively, unlike the poor and uneducated,” said Sen. Ralph Recto in a text message.

He said only the educated class or the entrepreneurs and professionals would benefit from economic growth, leading to income inequality and the rich getting richer and the poor poorer.

“Trickle down really does not work.

High growth even leads to greater inequality even when it brings significant numbers out of poverty,” said Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello.

Recto said the government had the tools to break the paradox: Higher spending (specifically in education) and taxation.

Recto pointed out that expanding the middle class would also help in spreading the wealth across all classes.

“We must allow for more private sector investments in infrastructure, factories and food production to create more jobs and build the middle class. Government

Business mogul and PLDT chair Manuel V. Pangilinan called on the Palace to open its arms to the private sector in its antipoverty programs.

PHOTO FROM INTERNATIONAL RICE RESEARCH INSTITUTE

does not create jobs. It is the private sector,” he said.

He said the country needed to grow at a faster rate of at least 10 percent for a long period of time to reduce poverty to less than 10 percent by 2020.

To spur agri growth

Both Bello and Recto said that the centerpiece antipoverty tool of the government, the conditional cash transfer program, had been helpful. Bello said the results would be felt in the medium to long term.

Lacierda said the challenge was to spur growth in agriculture to create more

jobs, increase production and ensure that the production translates to a greater income for farmers since the bulk of the population was still in the agricultural sector.

Looking at the bright side, Lacierda noted that private investments had increased, and that public infrastructure spending in 2012 was around P250 billion.

Reacting to the NSCB data, Norio Usui, senior country economist for the Asian Development Bank, said on Wednesday that the government must solve the problem of jobless growth if it hoped to reduce poverty. ■

‘The Firm’... happen soon,” the source said.

“This could be fast.”

Rumors of the breakup were fanned by the glaring absence of Cruz, Marcelo and other partners from the “Casa Artusi” series of dinners hosted by The Firm for its blue-chip clients at its ultra-exclusive Rainmakers Lounge at the CVC Law Center’s penthouse.

Guests who asked why only Villaraza and allied partners Augusto A. San Pedro Jr. and Franchette Acosta were around at the event were told that Cruz and Marcelo would be holding separate dinners for their clients.

The Firm was formed in 1980 by Villaraza, Cruz, Tommy Rossel, Romy ❰❰ 10

Barza and current Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.

Falling out with GMA

After its office burned down in 1982, The Firm moved to the LTA Building in Makati owned by the family of former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, and stayed there until 2010 even after a falling out with former President MacapagalArroyo in 2005 that forced Cruz and Marcelo to quit her administration.

Villaraza and Carpio served as legal counsel for several allies of then President Ferdinand Marcos in the 1980s, but was relatively low-key during the terms of Presidents Corazon Aquino (1986 and

1992) and Joseph Estrada (1998 to 2001).

It was during the term of President Fidel V. Ramos that CVC Law again rose to prominence when Carpio was appointed presidential legal counsel. The Firm was largely credited with breaking up the decades-old monopoly of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. during this period. It was also during this time when CVC Law earned the monicker, The Firm, after a bestseller written by American author John Grisham.

Estrada impeachment

The Firm also took part in the impeachment trial of Estrada when Marcelo served as one of the prosecutors.

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The law firm’s roster of big-ticket corporate clients include Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., several companies under the Lopez group, among them ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp., Sagittarius Mines Inc. and several high-profile individuals.

CVC Law served as the external counsel of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in its latest round of legal battles with the shuttered Banco Filipino Savings and Mortgage Bank. It was also part of the successful operation to shut down the P14-billion Legacy scam in 2009.

Last year, The Firm served as advisers during the impeachment trial of former Chief Justice Renato Corona. ■

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013

19

Canada News NEWS BRIEFS LOBLAW TO COMPENSATE BANGLADESH COLLAPSE VICTIMS WHO SUPPLIED JOE FRESH ITEMS TORONTO—The only Canadian retailer to publicly acknowledge it used a manufacturer in a poorly made Bangladeshi building which collapsed and killed hundreds last week said Monday it will pay compensation for the families of victims. Loblaw Inc.—which had some products for its Joe Fresh clothing line made in one of the garment factories in the building—said it aimed to ensure victims and their families “receive benefits now and in the future.” At least at least 382 people died after the illegally constructed eight-storey Rana Plaza collapsed in Savar, Bangladesh, on Wednesday. About 2,500 survivors have been accounted for. By Diana Mehta, The Canadian Press

CLOSING ARGUMENTS TO BEGIN AT TRIAL FOR QUEEN OF THE NORTH SINKING OFF B.C. VANCOUVER—The sinking of the Queen of the North passenger ferry off British Columbia’s northern coast is a story made up of many chapters. Those chapters will be stitched together starting Thursday, when the Crown and defence present their closing arguments to the jury as Karl Lilgert’s trial nears its conclusion. The Queen of the North was on an overnight voyage heading south from Prince Rupert, B.C., in the early hours of March 22, 2006, when the ship missed a scheduled turn and sailed into Gil Island. A frantic rescue saved the lives of 99 passengers and crew.

By James Keller, The Canadian Press

ACCUSED KILLER LUKA ROCCO MAGNOTTA TO STAND TRIAL IN SEPTEMBER 2014 MONTREAL—The trial of accused killer Luka Rocco Magnotta will begin in September 2014, more than two years after his arrest in the death of university student Jun Lin. Magnotta faces five charges in connection with last May’s death and dismemberment of Lin, a 33-yearold Chinese national studying engineering at Concordia University. The 30-year-old Magnotta, a native of Scarborough, Ont., has pleaded not guilty to all counts. Parts of Lin’s body were mailed across Canada in a gruesome killing that made headlines around the world. By Andy Blatchford, The Canadian Press

Tories reverse course on foreign worker program after public outcry

BY STEPHANIE LEVITZ The Canadian Press OTTAWA—Amid a public outcry, the Conservative government is reversing controversial changes it made last year to the temporary foreign workers program.

The government announced Monday that employers will no longer have some flexibility to set the wages for foreign labour, calling a halt to what was known as the 15 per cent rule.

That rule allowed businesses to pay foreign workers up to 15 per cent below average wages for a job.

The Conservatives are also hitting pause on a program that fast-tracked the ability of some companies to bring in workers from outside Canada through what's known as an accelerated labour market opinion.

The government announced the 15 per cent rule and the new application process last year, saying they would help meet labour market demands and support the economy.

But after two companies were

outed in the last six months for using the foreign workers program at what appeared to be the expense of Canadian jobs, the Tories promised reforms.

“Canada is experiencing significant skills shortages in many sectors and regions, and Canadians must always have first crack at job opportunities when they become available,” Human Resources Minister Diane Finley said in a statement Monday.

“The purpose of the temporary foreign worker program is to help fill genuine and acute labour needs and we have been reviewing the program to ensure that goal is met and Canadian workers are never displaced.”

In 2012, 213,516 people entered Canada via the temporary foreign worker program, more than triple the number admitted a decade ago.

Put another way, the private sector brought in 25 per cent more foreign labourers last year than the number of economic immigrants accepted by the government, which has long insisted caps on its own programs are necessary so as not to flood the Canadian labour market.

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The new rules introduced Monday require a combination of regulatory and legislative reform.

Some of them were laid out in the federal budget introduced in March and included in the government's broader budget implementation bill, tabled Monday in the House of Commons.

They include the ability to charge employers a fee to bring in foreign labour rather than have the government absorb the cost of the program.

The government spends approximately $35.5 million per year processing applications, at a cost of approximately $342 per application, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada told a pre-budget briefing earlier this year.

At least two of the changes announced Monday appear to be directly connected to the recent scandals.

Earlier this month, it was revealed that The Royal Bank of Canada contracted with a supplier to provide ❱❱ PAGE 20 Tories reverse

Canada News

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013 20

Tories reverse...

VDP CRIME ALERT:

Sleight of Hand Dupes Victims Out of Jewellery VANCOUVER—A band of thieves is now targeting Vancouverites by using sleight of hand to dupe victims out of their jewellery.

Since December of 2012, the Vancouver Police Department has investigated 11 incidents where a group of bandits have been distracting unsuspecting elderly victims by placing fake gold jewellery around their wrists and necks. The thieves then removed the fake jewellery along with the victim’s own necklaces, rings and bracelets, and drove off in a waiting car.

Witnesses described two women of Eastern European descent, between 30 and 50 years old, who spoke broken English.

The women wore long skirts and scarves covering their heads. In some incidents, witnesses said the thieves were a man and woman. They’ve all been seen leaving in cars with varying descriptions, some with Quebec licence plates.

The Vancouver Police Department would like to remind residents to be alert and report any suspicious persons or activity

IT assistance, which resulted in the bank cutting Canadian jobs while the new supplier brought in foreign workers to fill them.

The new rules announced Monday add questions to the application employers must make to bring in foreign workers “to ensure that the (program) is not used to facilitate the outsourcing of Canadian jobs.”

And last year, a mining firm came under scrutiny for being approved to bring in foreign labour by claiming the ability to speak Mandarin was an essential requirement of the job.

The new rules will “identify English and French as the only languages that can be used as a job requirement.”

That change was included in the March budget.

The new program will also give the government greater authority to suspend work permits and labour market opinions if the program is being misused.

The seasonal agricultural worker program and the agricultural stream of the foreign workers program will be unaffected by the changes announced Monday.

The government said there are proven labour shortages in this industry and the ❰❰ 19

to police. While the incidents so far have occurred in East Vancouver, they could happen anywhere.

Anyone with information about these thefts is asked to call the Vancouver Police at (604) 717-3200 or Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 222-8477.

Safety Tips

• be cautious of strangers offering jewellery for sale on the street • be aware of your surroundings at all times • travel along well-lit streets • know where you’re going and walk with a sense of purpose with your head up high • keep your purse and belongings close to your body so they aren’t easily grabbed You remain anonymous, criminals don’t

To view “Most Wanted” mugshots, unsolved crimes or to submit an anonymous tip, click on the Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers website at www.solvecrime.ca. ■

unfilled jobs are temporary.

“These reforms will require that greater efforts be made to recruit and train Canadians to fill available jobs,” Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said in a statement.

“They will also help ensure the temporary foreign worker program is only used as intended_to fill acute skills shortages on a temporary basis.”

Opposition politicians have argued that the growth and alleged abuse of the program pokes holes in the Conservative government's claim to have created thousands of jobs in Canada since the 2008 recession.

In a report released Monday, the Alberta Federation of Labour said that in 2010, Alberta's economy lost 8,600 jobs but at the same time, 22,992 foreign workers were allowed in.

Three out of every four jobs created in Alberta are filled by foreign workers, said Gil McGowan, the federation's president.

“It's clear to us that there is a huge and growing disconnect between what the Harper government says this program is supposed to be about and what it's actually become,” McGowan said. ■

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FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013

21

Reactions to NBA player Jason Collins coming out as gay The Associated Press Reaction from NBA veteran Jason Collins' first-person account published in Sports Illustrated, as he came out as the first gay male player in the four major American professional sports: ___ “If you have learned anything from Jackie Robinson, it is that teammates are always the first to accept. It will be society who has to learn tolerance.” —Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers. ___ “It is also the straightforward statement of a good man who wants no more than what so many of us seek: to be able to be who we are; to do our work; to build families and to contribute to our communities.” —former President Bill Clinton. ___ “Hey Jason Collins-you are now an activist!!! And trust me, you will sleep a lot better now—freedom is a sweet feeling indeed!” —tennis great Martina Navratilova. ___ “Jason has been a widely respected player and teammate throughout his career and we are proud he has assumed the leadership mantle on this very important issue.” —NBA Commissioner David Stern. ___ “Hopefully he can pave the way for other gay men in sports to be able to live free. I really do feel like it's all coming together now, the dominos are starting to fall in a positive direction in all aspects of the LGBTQ community and it's such an exciting time.” —U.S. women's soccer player Megan Rapinoe, who came out just before the 2012 London Olympics. ___ “I only want one thing out of my teammate: a commitment to winning.

Whether he is straight, gay, black, white, from Earth, or from Mars is immaterial.

Just help us win.” —Miami Heat forward Shane Battier. ___ “I think he is immensely brave. I think it's a shame in this day and age he has to be immensely brave, but he is.” —Former NBA player John Amaechi, who came out as gay in 2007.

“Don't suffocate who u r because of the ignorance of others.” —Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant. ___ “I will always support people for being who they are. Happy for (at)jasoncollins34 that he can lead an honest life.” — Cleveland Indians outfielder Nick Swisher. ___ “I don't think he'll be received any differently. There shouldn't be any reason you would view him differently.” — Milwaukee Bucks guard J.J. Redick. ___ “Jason represented everything that we look for as a member of the Atlanta Hawks and we are proud he wore our jersey.” — Atlanta Hawks managing partner Bruce Levenson. ___ “I'm sure there were, who cares though?” —former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson, asked if he ever had a gay teammate. ___ “Jason is one of the best teammates that I've ever had. He was a great presence in the locker room and an even better person.” —Atlanta Hawks forward-centre Zaza Pachulia. ___ “Jason Collins' commitment to living openly is a monumental step forward toward greater equality and he immediately becomes a role model for youth all across this country.” —Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin. ___ “The time has come. Maximum respect.”

—Lakers guard Steve Nash. ___

a part of.” —Former NBA player and Stanford assistant coach Mark Madsen, a college teammate of Collins'. ___ “I've got gay friends, gay people who work for me. It's not like anything out of the norm.” —Lakers forward Metta World Peace. ___ “Jason Collins showed a lot of courage today and I respect him for taking a stand and choosing to live in his truth. (hash) nbafamily.” —Heat guard Dwyane Wade. ___ “We salute you, (at)jasoncollins34 for your courage and leadership. Any time you want to throw out a first pitch at Fenway Park, let us know.” —statement from the Boston Red Sox. ___ “you have made sports what it should be and that's “OPEN” proud of you for being you.” —former Wizards teammate Martell Webster, who continued his tweet by teasing Collins that his jump shot “is still weak lol.”

“I feel a movement coming.” —former U.S. men's national soccer team player

“Great teammate, mentor and better person !!” —Wizards guard Bradley Beal. ___ “Still going to whoop you on the golf course.” —Former NBA guard Nick Van Exel, in a tweet to Collins. ___ “Basketball does not define Jason Collins. His decision to come out publicly doesn't define Jason Collins. What defines Jason, is he is a first-rate human being who made a huge contribution to (Stanford), and every team or community he has been www.canadianinquirer.net

Robbie Rogers, who revealed earlier this year that he is gay. ___ “What Jason wrote was beautiful on multiple levels. It's not a reaction to some rumour and it's not some unwanted outing.

It's his message, and it was delivered under his control and on his terms.” —Former NFL linebacker Scott Fujita. ___ “I have known him and his family for a long time, since his sophomore year in high school when we started the recruiting process. He is a tremendous player and smart, fierce competitor. Jason is (a) guy you want to have on your side.” —Cal basketball coach Mike Montgomery, Collins' coach at Stanford. ___ “Somebody had to be the first.” — Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. ___ “I feel like everybody on my team, everybody on every team, deserves to be loved by their teammates for whatever type of person that they are.” —Miami Marlins pitcher Kevin Slowey. ■

Immigration

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013 22

BC AS CAN BE:

A Trip Back to CapU

BY FRANCES GRACE QUIDDAOEN

I just recently took a trip back to Capilano University, a year and a half ago after completing three months of studies under the Business and Culture for Foreign Trained Professionals (BCFTP) program. I was invited by Leslie Kozak, the manager of CapU’s Continuing Education Program to speak to the present batch of BCFTP participants about my experiences as a new immigrant.

The early morning promised a bright, rainless day as I walked briskly to the bus stop to catch the no. 22 bus that would take me to 41st Avenue and Knight, where I would transfer to bus 41 headed for Joyce Station and then take bus 130 to CapU at North Vancouver. This was a new route I’ve discovered which hopefully would cut my commuting time. In the past, when I was a full time student, it always took me an hour and a half to commute to CapU, dreading the incline from Purcell Way (when I was

not lucky enough to have caught Bus 239 that stops right at CapU entrance) up to the university entrance which I hiked for a good five minutes. By the time I rounded the third floors stairs to our classroom, I would be red in the face and a little out of breath and thankful that I beat the 9 A.M. class opening with a minute or two to freshen up in the washroom.

That Monday morning in Les’s class, I sat down from across Timi, a fellow lawyer from the Philippines, now a budding entrepreneur/importer in BC, who was my classmate at the first BCFTP class and whom Les also asked to speak to the class that morning. We listened to a Nepalese student’s presentation of nonviolent communication and how it can improve relationships. He had some of the participants act out confrontational situations to demonstrate how expressing our observations, feelings and needs and making a request instead of demands can set the tone for a better understanding and connection. He came to class complete with props of animal head bands which Les and Noel, a Filipino student and a new immigrant gamely wore as shown on the

The author (first from left) with students of Capilano University’s Business and Culture for Foreign-trained Professionals - Megha Shakya (Nepal), second from left; Timi Mintu (Philippines), fourth from left; Noel Trinidad (Philippines), fifth from left and Joy Hu (China), sixth from left with Continuing Education Program manager, Leslie Kozak, third from left.

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The first BCFTP class that I attended in October 2011, less than a month after landing in Canada was under the Employment Skills Access program, a 12-week fulltime intensive course that provided new immigrants with Canadian business perspectives and an understanding of the Canadian workplace. On top of that, it trained participants on Microsoft office and basic accounting; gave out World Host and First aid certificates which were great for resume building. The best thing of all was that it was absolutely free and still is. Since then, the indefatigable and highly articulate Les has rolled out several BCFTP classes. I learned the present class is fortunate to have a project management course included in the program after which the participants would be ready to sit for the project management certification exam and it now has a practicum component for that needed Canadian work experience.

The present class which was a mix of new immigrants from Iran, Pakistan. China

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and Rumania, among others, was eager to know about starting a business in Canada and Timi was delighted to give more information about how he got started in his business of importing freeze dried fruit snacks that he markets under the brand name, “FRUBBAS”. As for the questions they had for me, I liked the one about how I might do things differently as an immigration consultant. My take was that you should know where your niche is, who your potential market is and take care of your clients because if you do, the business will build itself.

I certainly took something away from that brief visit, most of which was a reminder of how it was to be excited about going back to school and embracing what Canada had to offer. A lot of things still excite me and this journey is still unfolding. ■ New immigrants interested in Capilano University’s Business and Culture for Foreign-trained Professionals should check out www.capilanou.ca/ce/esa/#BCFTP.

Immigration

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013

Romeo Candido...

PANGARAP: SO, OUR JOURNEY BEGINS:

So, Do You Know Where You’re Going To?

BY BOLET AREVALO

DO YOUR homework. Only an informed decision will make it easy for you to wheel your fortune towards the life you have dreamed of.

How much do you know about the country you are moving to?

What made you decide to choose one country from another? Why Canada? Why not Australia? New Zealand? Or other countries?

What is it about this country that attracted you? Or you have never even thought about asking yourself these questions?

I do not want to think that majority of us are caught in a situation where we will just take off to the first country that will take us. We are not necessarily compelled to jump into a boat because we are refugees or political asylum seekers.

That being said, we have time and the resources to check out what we are going into. Doing that has never been easier with the Internet and all the progress of technology. If you did not do that when you left, do it now.

Where is this place on the map? Who inhabits it? Who rules it? What is the culture? How big is it? How cold is it

23

and now Romeo’s wife. They have a 6-month-old son, Rizal Mangosing Candido.

When destiny gives him some downtime, Romeo makes music. “I enjoy making music. It’s my favorite outlet. Songs. And getting friends to record them,” he shares. ❰❰ 27

there? How many people populate it? How do people live?

If there is one thing really necessary, study its economic profile because you are not going there for a vacation, you are going there to build a life. You will need a job, a source of livelihood.

Which industries thrive? Which ones are developing fast? What skills are they looking for? Do you have those skills? Are the people there prosperous or are they poor? Are they complaining or are they happy?

What can the government promise me if I make enough money for them to be able to collect taxes from me? How will my children benefit? How will my old age and my medical needs be provided for?

In what part of this country should I settle? Which province can offer me greater opportunities? Which one needs me and my skills?

I do not know anybody from this country.

How do I socialize and network? Or if I have distant relatives or long-lost friends there somewhere, how do I connect or reconnect with them?

To my mind, it will be your own fault if you come here and realize you know nothing. It is not like you were led here by somebody who blindfolded you. You have all the freedom and the chance in ❱❱ PAGE 36 So, Do

‘Longaniza’: breakfast of champions (and [possibly] of dancing inmates)

Among his many pieces, he holds no specific one in higher regard. “There is no piece dearest to my heart. They are all a reflection of me, and all time capsules of where I am as a creator. I usually resent them all a little after they’re done.”

He does concede, however, that “Prison Dancer” is his strongest work to date. “It’s a culmination of everything else I’ve worked on,” he says.

“Rolling Longaniza,” on the other hand, is one of his favorite projects. The piece “started as a story from Ron Josol (FilipinoCanadian actor and comedian) about his youth. This is his life. I was just interpreting it. As a kid, him and his dad were makers and sellers of a special Cebuano longaniza (sausage made of various ground meats).

We made a nine-minute short film about that experience. I love love love that film,” Romeo enthuses.

Matters of import and other serious stuff

Call me a zombie, but picking Romeo’s brain was an absolute feast. A “Z-Day” buffet, if you will.

I ask: What are the biggest challenges and rewards of being an artist from a “race minority,” given the Filipino’s seemingly

intrinsic bent towards colonial mentality?

He says: “I’m over the whole ‘colonial mentality’ discussion. Success in the arts is a bit of the Wild West right now. There are plenty of new paradigms of what success in the arts means. Filipinos are the most viral type of media consumer, and that is the thing I’m focusing on. Whether they will ‘pay’ for content is a different question. I don’t think it’s a question of colonial mentality. It’s a question of if they’ll ‘buy’ it. Undoubtedly they want a discount...”

Has the Philippine indie film scene changed for the better over the years? What do you feel needs to be done to establish the industry as a global art form? “I don’t know.

I think indie film is a non-monetizable art form for the most part. It’s global already in that it can be put on YouTube and get into festivals. But better or worse? I don’t know. But I think the filmmakers are really good. Better now and more prolific.

Cinematography is top notch. Postproduction is way better. And all the big TV actors are doing indies,” is his reply.

He is no stranger to the “starving artist” days, and although past those, he still doesn’t see himself as “successful” (his benchmarks of success being Jay Z, Stephen Spielberg, Mark Zuckerberg). He says that he has “made a living being creative, and if that’s successful then the secret for me is having a lot of different skill sets. Multi-platform.

Multi-disciplinary.”

And, by way of a parting shot, I ask the unavoidable, necessary evil: Any advice you can give to aspiring Filipino directors?

To which he replies, quid pro quo, the unavoidable, necessary evil: “Get a day job.” ■

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Seen and Scenes

AMBASSADOR GATAN MEETS WITH PCTC OFFICERS IN VANCOUVER

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013 24

Ambassador Leslie B. Gatan meets with Philippines Canada Trade Council (PCTC) Board of Directors at the Philippine Consulate Office in Vancouver. With Ambassador Gatan in photo are Deputy Consul General Anton Mandap, PCTC President Laarni E. Liwanag, Directors Leo Valdes and Wilbur Victoria.

MAPUA ALUMNI BC CHAPTER Mapua Alumni BC Chapter’s Dinner Dance held at St. Patrick Community Centre on April 20. Photos taken with Dexter Tarampi, President with Officers and Members of Mapua Alumni BC Chapter. Photos by Bert Morelos.

SPRING PARTY The Ateneofest 2013, in coordination with the UP Alumni Association in BC, was held on April 20 at St. Monica Parish Hall in Richmond. It was a night of celebration and camaraderie between the two alumni groups, their families and friends.

Photos by Eugene Piezas and Angelo Siglos.

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Seen and Scenes

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013

▲ The Knights of Rizal Canada Regional Council headed by George Poblete, KGCR, hosted a get-together party for some friends and supporters headed by Fil-Can Senator Tobias C. Enverga, Jr. (Photo by Ariel Ramos, St. Jamestown News Service - Dindo Orbeso)

SCARBOROUGH KNIGHTS OF RIZAL 21ST ANNIVERSARY HAWAIIAN PARTY

▼ BETITO FAMILY - Photo shows the wedding of Dr. Shara Ann D. Betito to Dr. Mark Cabrera at the Mt. Carmel Church in Sta. Barbara, Hollowood, California, U.S.A. recently. Shown in photo from left to right include: Kathleen D. Betito, Dr. Michelle D. Betito, Atty. Antonio B. Betito(father of the bride), the couple Dr. Shara and Dr. Mark, Mrs. Erlinda D. Betito and Atty. James Anthony D. Betito. - Romy Zetazate, St. Jamestown News Service

The Canada Region Council Officers and the Knights from the Rizal Chapters in the GTA came to join the Scarborough Chapter in their 21st Anniversary”Hawaiian Dinner Party”.

Over 160 Knights, Ladies and friends attended. Our Consul General Hon. Junever Mahilum-West graced the event.

Chapter Commander Sir Manny Yanga, KCR, welcomed the guests. Adviser Sir Joe Luzadas, KGOR briefed the attendees of the history of Scarborough Chapter, that was formed by Sir Joe Faminial, KGOR on April 26, 1982. (We missed the Chapter founder Sir Joe Faminial, KGOR and his wife Lady Olive, who cannot attend this celebration.) The program included songs by Philippine Broadway singer Ms. Karen Tan and the Hawaiian dancers who entertained the guests.

KALESA Kalesa Travel Inc. inaugurated its new office at 104 Ave., Surrey, BC. Pictured: Eleanor Green, Art Viray and Susie Viray, incorporators.

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25

IN TORONTO... ▼ ONTARIO FILIPINO WOMEN’S CLUB - Lawyer Robin Martin (2nd from right), the official candidate of the Progressive Conservative Party for MPP in the Eglinton/ Lawrence Riding in the comming provincial election is shown with some officers of the Ontario Filipino Women’s Club (OFWC) which includes Marilyn Rasie, Noemi Toniutti, Rebecca Reyes, and OFWC President Annabelle Migalbin and Ann Yamamoto. (Dindo Orbeso, St. Jamestown News Service)

My Story

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013

27

FILIPINO-CANADIAN IN FOCUS

Romeo Candido

BY ANGIE DUARTE Philippine Canadian Inquirer I SAT on the assignment for weeks.

“Research phase,” I called it.

Albeit true to a degree, I buried my head in the Internet much as an ostrich in sand.

The internet was my shield; the research, my alibi.

I was intimidated.

Fearless, tattooed travel-writing, bandmanaging, rock-n-roll hoochie-cooing woman that I am: scared witless.

His credentials are amazing. His body of work, well-deserving of the attention it receives; garnering more than a few second and third glances, and perhaps a lusty cat-call or two.

“Lolo’s Child,” His directorial feature length debut, opened the Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival in 2002; the very first of its kind in Canada by a Filipino.

In that same year, the film (which has since toured the world) won for the young director the prestigious Ishmael Bernal Award for Young Cinema at Cinemanila International Film Festival in the Philippines. This was again another “first” for Direk Romeo: he was the first Filipino from abroad to receive the award. He is the author of several short documentaries, like “Dancers! Pick Up Your Bamboos!” (an homage to the genre of Filipino folk dance), and “KUYA Medley” (which chronicles a Toronto based Filipino R&B singing group). He also wrote and directed a quirky short film, “Rolling Longaniza”, about a Filipino sausage maker in the suburbs of Toronto. This aired nationally in Canada in February 2005.

But wait, there’s more! “The Romeo Candido Karaoke Show,” a multimedia show, has been mounted in Vancouver, Chicago, and Washington DC. “St. Jamestown,” the pilot episode of a TV series set in a neighborhood in downtown, which was co-written and directed by Romeo likewise hit Canadian in February 2005.

This director’s genius is not confined to the realm of indie film, mind you. In 2004, Romeo composed an original score and sound design for a new play called “Banana Boys,” which earned him a Dora Award nomination under the Best Original Score/ Sound Design category. In May of 2005, Romeo, in conjunction with the Carlos Bulosan Theatre Company, he directed his first professional theatre production of “The Romance of Magno Rubio,” a play about five Filipino farm laborers in California in the 1930s.

In 2006, he wrote, directed, and edited his second feature length film, “Ang Pamana: The Inheritance” (oh, and lest I forget, he also composed the main theme of the movie’s score; which makes me think he got a second helping of “talent” when Heaven was handing it out.) The supernatural thriller film explores Filipino folklore; a world of

kapres, duendes, mananaggals, aswangs come to celluloid life.

2007 saw his return to the stage for the score and sound design of fu-GEN Theatre Company’s “Singkil,” which had its run at the Factory Theatre in Toronto.

Most recently, Romeo wrote and created “Prison Dancer,” an original “transmedia musical” (having both a digital and stage component) inspired by the viral YouTube sensation, the Dancing Inmates of Cebu.

The play bagged six awards at LAWeb Fest, one of North America’s leading festival and awards show for web series creators.

With best producing, writing, directing, composing, cinematography and best ensemble cast wins, “Prison Dancer”: the Musical also received advanced selection to be part of Europe’s 1st web series festival— Marseille WebFest.

Does the word WOW! sum it up? Hardly.

WHEW! is perhaps a better choice.

In between all that: Romeo directs TV commercials in the Philippines to—as he candidly confesses, in a half-joke-half truth statement—pay rent for his apartment in Toronto. It’s no secret; advertising is the money maker, and Romeo certainly knows how to shake it.

His is a cap heavy with feathers; ostrichsized plumes Which brings me back to my head, buried in cyber sand.

Oh, how I wanted to dazzle him with my brilliance, for fear that he’d see right through my pathetic attempts to baffle him with my b.s.

But I couldn’t. Three college courses on film crit would hardly be enough; despite the temptation to throw in some references to the imagery of “Citizen Kane” (let’s discuss Rosebud to death), the groundbreaking techniques of “Das Boot” or “Metropolis,” and maybe throw in a socially relevant comment or two about “Maynila, sa Kuko ng Liwanag.”

To the regular Joe, these may have seemed impressive. But who was I fooling?

These wouldn’t even stir one lash framing the trained eye.

So I froze. And I sat. And I “researched” some more.

Then an email from my EIC: Urgent.

Subject: Romeo Candido. Message: this must have fallen through the cracks...

It sure had. The cracks of my self confidence.

Bite the bullet, Angie. Send the email with your interview questions.

I did: I had to. I wanted to. I was now more curious than intimated: Who is Romeo Candido?

Otherness: the ‘baon’ phenomenon

Romeo was born in Canada: Newfoundland, to be precise. His family chose to seek a better life on Canadian soil, at the height of the Philippines’ dictatordriven martial law days.

He grew up in Kingston, Ontario. The eldest of three; kuya (big brother) to

Director at work; multi-layered selfie.

Portrait of an artist.

younger sisters Trina and Anna. His dad was a Music and Religion teacher, while his mom worked at Queen’s University as an administrator and office worker.

He recounts that his feelings of “otherness” set in at a very early age. He brought baon (packed meal) to school: rice and—presumably—ulam (viand). He was ridiculed for it.

“I realized then that what I thought was ‘normal’ was not the norm, and something as small as rice being made fun of informed everything. I think the feeling of being an outsider can be seen in all of my projects,” Romeo shares.

Otherness was his origin.

The brown piece in a multi-colored mosaic

Romeo compares life in Canada to a mosaic: “cultures can intersect, mix and still remain separate from each other, so communities get to preserve many aspects of their culture”.

This, in stark contrast to the Filipino sense of togetherness: “rich, or poor, saint or sinner, Pinoy is Pinoy.” Food, tradition, and a sense of struggle; the glue that binds our race.

Growing up in this mosaic—the piece that perhaps stood out a tad more than others—Romeo continued to use his sense of otherness to fuel his passion for the creative: drama clubs, improv crews, band, and content creator; among a myriad of high-school activities.

“I always rebelled against people’s perceptions and misconceptions of what Filipino was. For both Filipinos and for non-

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Filipinos. I always had a sense of shame and defiance for being Filipino. Good thing about being Filipino, humor is one of our main ways of coping. So everything is jokes and melodrama in equal proportion.”

In another interview (remember my research phase?), Romeo quips that he opted to be the “funny brown guy,” as opposed to the “brown guy who smelled of dried fish.”

Baon. Dried fish. Upturned noses: these produced humor, purposeful rebellion, an isolated sense of astute artistry of which the world would soon take notice.

Destiny and the drop-out

To those familiar with his work, it would seem that Romeo chose his path well.

Au contraire. HE did not choose THE PATH; THE PATH chose HIM. At the age of 19, he found himself dropping out of Theatre School—stifle those gasps; for destiny had her hand on the drop-out—choosing instead to join the original Canadian company of Miss Saigon.

After a successful two-year run, Miss Saigon closed and Romeo moved on to join a recording group called KUYA. Driven by destiny’s dictates, he moved to doing one man shows, moved to film, moved to advertising, moved to television, moved to digital. Now, destiny has taken him full-circle, coming back to theatre with “Prison Dancer.”

Destiny has also led him to Caroline Mangosing, Executive Director of the Kapisanan Centre of Arts and Culture, ❱❱ PAGE 23 Romeo Candido

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013

28

Elections in B.C. The Tories: Conservative Party 101

BY KATHERINE MARFAL-TEVES Philippine Canadian Inquirer THE Conservative Party of Canada evolved with the merger of Canadian Alliance (formerly Reform Party of Canada) and Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (Tories). The merger was an effort to unite a right political front against the thendominant Liberal Party. The merger was accomplished in 2003, but came to power only in 2006, as a minority government. It was only in 2011 that it became a majority government for the first time.

Former Reform Party leader and current Prime Minister Stephen Harper is the undisputed party leader. Harper’s personal stand on issues and policies is considered the same stand of the party as a whole.

POLICIES

War Involvement: All 110 Conservative Party MPs, "conscientious objectors" to "wars not sanctioned by the United Nations" voted, on 3 June 2008, not to give a special "program" on this issue in the Parliament of Canada.

China ties: Consistent in all recent Canadian government policies are strong ties with China. In 2013, the Conservative administration approved the acquisition of Nexen by a Chinese firm. It also advanced, as of 2013, the FIPA agreement, containing guarantees that Chinese buyers would have the legal right to sue.

Government reforms: The Conservative Party supports reform of the Senate to make it "elected, equal, and effective."

Transparency and accountability: The Harper government policy is scathing conservative practices, sometimes even being described as the "sharpest thorn in Harper's side".

Domestic issues: In its founding documents, the Conservative Party avowed principles of lower taxes, smaller government, decentralization of federal government powers to the provinces, and conservation of traditional religious and cultural values.

Abortion: Party leader Stephen Harper declared that, "As long as I’m Prime Minister we are not reopening the Abortion Debate.”

Same-sex marriage: Harper has repeatedly stated that his government will

not attempt to ban same-sex marriage in Canada. Same sex marriage was recognized nationwide in Canada since 2005 with the Civil Marriage Act. Historically, the original Conservative Party traces its roots to the first Canadian national government under Prime Minister MacDonald in 1867. It is strongly identified with the British Empire, and favored a government system patterned after that of Great Britain that promoted trade protectionism.

This was opposed to the Liberal Party’s nationalistic policies and free trade reciprocity with United States. But in 1942, in an effort to broaden its base after decades of decline in popularity, the Conservative Party (Tories) was forced to merge with The Progressive Party of John Bracken to form the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. Bracken eventually became Prime Minister.

As a result of this, many conservative economic policies where reversed, such as the signing of the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement of 1989. In spite of these changes, the party still pursued independent foreign policies, like a strong stand against the abuses of the State of Israel, accepting refugees from foreign regimes sanctioned by USA and its allies.

This was against the policies of then US President Ronald Reagan and Britain Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

From 1993 to 2004, there was in-fighting between the Progressive Conservative Party and an upcoming conservative party—The Reform Party. The Reform Party advocated reforms on traditional conservative policies. This division resulted in three consecutive Liberal Party majority governments, from 1993 to 2006.

Thus, to remedy this, the Progressive Conservative Party and Canadian Alliance (former Reform Party) agreed to merge to form the present Conservative Party. Prime Minister Harper, leader of the Reform Party, became the undisputed leader of the merger since then.

On January 23, 2006, the Conservatives won 124 seats over Liberal Party’s 103 seats of the 308-member of House of Commons.

This enabled the Conservatives to form a minority government, with Harper as Prime Minister up to the present. ■

Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently launched consultations with businesses on the Canada Job Grant.

Voting 101 What you need to know as a first-time voter in Canada THE provincial elections are barely two weeks away. Read up on the necessities so you can cast your ballot and make your vote count on May 14.

QUALIFICATIONS

To be able to vote, you need to be: • a Canadian citizen • at least 18 years of age on General Voting Day • a resident of the electoral district • a resident of British Columbia for at least six months before General Voting Day • a registered voter for the electoral district or registered as such in conjunction with voting • not disqualified by the Election Act or any other enactment from voting in the election.

All voters need to provide proof of their identity and residential address to receive a ballot or to register to vote.

Prepare any one of the following options: • One official document issued by the Government of B.C. or Canada with your name, photograph, and residential address (ex.: driver's license, B.C. Identification Card or BCID, B.C. Services Card).

• A Certificate of Indian Status from

the Government of Canada.

• Two documents of identification that contain your name, at least one of which must display your residential address.

(Digital or electronic documents such as e-bills are accepted. Anything handwritten, photocopied, or electronically scanned or photographed will not be accepted.)

For a list of accepted documents to use as proof of identity, log on to www. elections.bc.ca/index.php/voting.

VOUCHING

Fear not if you don’t have the required documents. You can be vouched for by a direct family member or someone who can legally make personal care decisions for you.

The voucher: • must be a registered voter in the same electoral district.

• must have the abovementioned documents as proof of his or her identity.

• a spouse, parent, grandparent, adult child, grandchild, or sibling.

• must have the legal authority to make personal care decisions in behalf of the ❱❱ PAGE 30 Voting 101

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Elections in B.C.

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013 30

The Greens: Green Party 101

Voting 101...

BY APRIL SESCON Philippine Canadian Inquirer

applicant. To this end, the voucher must possess: o an order of the Supreme Court of British Columbia granting him or her permission to vote; or o a valid Representation Agreement naming him or her as a representative or monitor of the applicant under the Representation Agreement Act of British Columbia.

You and your voucher must each state a solemn declaration as to your identity and place of residence.

A voucher can vouch for: • more than one voter as long as they are direct family.

• only one voter if this voter is not direct family.

• all voters he or she is legally in charge of if the voucher is a personal care authority.

A voter who has been vouched for cannot vouch for anyone else. ❰❰ 28

FOUNDED in 1983, the Green Party is, at its core, geared toward sustainability.

Environmentalist, writer, lawyer, and former executive director of the Sierra Club of Canada Elizabeth May stands at the helm of this federal party. May secured a spot in the House of Commons—the first, for herself, and among the Greens—in the 2011 federal elections.

But the Greens also stand for more than the environment. They aim for a “smart economy,” “strong communities,” and a “true democracy.”

SMART ECONOMY

“A smart economy is a green economy,” states the party in their Green Book 2011, dubbed their “full and comprehensive vision” of Canada’s future.

The Greens’ “smart economy” aims to “[turn] old-industry blue-collar jobs into new-industry green-collar jobs”; it stands upon “non-polluting systems and energy sources,” hoping to jumpstart thousands of jobs by investing in renewable energy and expanding this industry.

The party seeks to build more sustainable modes of farming, fishing, and forestry and has set their sights on a revenue-neutral carbon pricing architecture.

STRONG COMMUNITIES

“Strong communities mean creating opportunities for young Canadians,” to the Greens. To build stronger communities, they aim to: lower income taxes and introduce full income splitting for married couples and families; re-work the standard nine-to-five job by creating opportunities to work at home, share jobs, adjust working hours, and grant leeway for child care for working parents.

The Greens also plan to secure long-term funding to repair and rebuild infrastructures for recreation, transportation, water works, and arts and culture.

A strong community also means that “older Candians are active and engaged”— that they should “[live] with dignity and independence.” To this end, the Greens aim to secure pensions and programs on mental and physical health for the elderly.

TRUE DEMOCRACY

“Canadian democracy is in trouble,” warn the Greens. According to this federal party, “[p]ower is increasingly centralized” into MPs who become “more and more irrelevant.” To this end, the Greens intend to engage and debate to involve the citizen and to “[m]ove to a fairer electoral system that reflects the true will of the voters.” The voting system ought to be reformed by way of a national discussion, says the party; consider, for instance, whether the “first past the post” policy ought to be replaced.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently launched consultations with businesses on the Canada Job Grant.

PHOTO BY SHAUN MERRITT

In addition, “whatever is ‘dumbed down’ must be ‘smartened up’” in Canadian journalism, to keep corporations from controlling the media. The Greens also state that Canada should adopt the spirit of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to secure human rights. They urge as well for the country to stick to its commitments and achieve the Millennium Development Goal to make poverty history.

10 CORE PRINCIPLES OF THE GREEN PARTY OF BC

1.

Sustainability—the party strongly advocates for stewardship of the Earth.

2. Social justice—the party states that “poverty and inequity [are] unacceptable,” vying for individuals to “fulfill their potential” regardless of the color of their skin, their citizenship, gender, or sexual identity.

3.

Grass roots democracy—the party aims for further public participation and citizen involvement in the government’s decision-making processes.

4. Non-violence—the party maintains that “violence is almost always self-defeating” and always the last choice.

5.

Community-based economy—the party believes that the economy should “provide for human needs within the natural limits of the earth.”

6.

Gender equality—the party stands against “domination and control,” opting instead for “the ethics of cooperation and understanding.”

7. Diversity—the party welcomes the “cultural, sexual, and spiritual diversity of the human race.”

8. Decentralization—the party states that “power must be returned to local communities” in matters that directly

affect them.

9.

Personal and global responsibility—the party believes that “responsibility [should be] shared at all levels of society” for the sake of global sustainability and international justice.

10. Ecological wisdom—ethical rootedness to and awareness of the earth and its many life forms.

ELIZABETH MAY

May was the executive director of the Canadian faction of the Sierra Club from 1989–2006. The Sierra Club, a global volunteer-based organization, is one of the largest and oldest of its kind, dating back to 1892.

May is a steward of the environment since the early ‘80s. In 2001 she staged a 17-day hunger strike in front of Parliament Hill to urge the relocation of families affected by Canada’s biggest toxic dump, the Sydney Tar Ponds. She helped found Environmental Defence Canada (then the Canadian Environmental Defence Fund), a charity that aids against pollution of the environment and its effects to the individual’s health.

In 1986, May worked as Senior Policy Advisor to then federal Minister of Environment Tom McMillan. May had a hand in agreements to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions that lead to acid rain; May wrote new legislation, created five new national parks; contributed to the clean-up of the Great Lakes and the Sydney Tar Ponds. May also took part in the Montreal Protocol, an international treaty that phased out production of substances known to deplete the ozone layer. ■ For more info, visit www.greenparty.ca and www.greenparty.bc.ca.

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WHEN AND WHERE TO VOTE

Check the mail and the local newspaper and other media for notices, or call the information service number for voting opportunities and venues.

• General Voting: Eligible voters may vote from 8 A.M. to 8 P.M. on General Voting Day. • Advance Voting: Advance voting is also an option from 8 A.M. to 8 P.M. from Wednesday to Saturday the week before General Voting Day. • Absentee Voting: If unable to vote at the abovementioned, voters may go to other allotted voting venues in their province.

• Alternative Absentee Voting: eligible voters who may be out of the country, physically disabled, or stranded in a remote location may vote in the district electoral office between when an election is called and until 4 P.M. (Pacific Time) on General Voting Day. They may also vote by mail by requesting a voting package before the election is called.

Packages are available at www.eregister. electionsbc.gov.bc.ca or by calling Elections BC at 1-800-661-8683. They may also visit any district electoral office in B.C. after April 8, 2013 and before 4 P.M. (Pacific time) on General Voting Day. • Special Voting: special voting opportunities may be provided to assist eligible voters who can’t attend General Voting Day due to confinement in a hospital, mental/care/correctional facility, or other remote community or work camp. ■ For more info regarding venues, vouching, assistance with reading, writing, or translation, taking time off from work, and other voting options and exceptions, log on to www.elections. bc.ca/index.php/voting.

Elections in B.C.

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013

31

Jane Sterk Leader, Green Party of BC Q: Why did you enter politics?

Jane Sterk: In 2000 - 2001 my husband, John and I sailed down the coast to Mexico. While visiting Mexico I witnessed the effects of the mindless consumption we practice here in a wealthy Western nation was having on the people of Mexico. I felt we needed to consider the ramifications of our public policy on others. The Green Party is the only party that has this awareness as part of its principles.

Q: Why did you choose the party that you are in?

Jane Sterk: I having lived the majority of my life in Alberta only moving to BC in my mid-fifties I did not naturally identify with the Green Party. However when I got back from my travels and started looking into what I could and how my energy and passion could best be used to solve the problems I was seeing in our society I came across the Green Party and I realized their approach to politics and their 10 Core Principals was exactly what I believed in and we needed to reclaim our democracy and solve the problems we as a society are facing Q: What do you stand for?

Jane Sterk: Essentially I stand for the 10 Core Principals of the Green Party of BC: Sustainability—this is really the heart of British Columbia's Green Party thinking. We must consider the welfare of our descendants, for at least seven generations, if we are to be wise stewards

of the earth.

Social Justice—the worldwide increase in poverty and inequity is unacceptable.

All must be able to fulfill their potential regardless of gender, race, citizenship, or sexual identity.

Grass Roots Democracy—Every human being deserves a say in the decisions that affect their lives and not be subject to the will of another. We will work to increase public participation at every level by directly including citizens in decision-making processes.

Non-Violence—we all know in this complicated world there are times when we may be called to arms, but we will maintain that violence is almost always self-defeating, and always the very, very last choice. We must work to end war, and eliminate the root causes of crime.

Community Based Economy—rather than people being subservient to the economy, the economy should provide for human needs within the natural limits of the earth. Local self-reliance to the greatest practical extent is the best way to achieve this goal.

Gender Equality—the ethics of cooperation and understanding must replace the values of domination and control.

Diversity—we celebrate the biological diversity of the earth and the cultural, sexual, and spiritual diversity of the human race.

Decentralization—the people most affected by a problem must have the authority to solve it. Distant administrations cannot be responsive.

Power must be returned to local communities.

Personal and Global Responsibility— global sustainability and international justice can only be achieved when responsibility is shared at all levels of society.

Ecological Wisdom—the earth sustains all life forms. Whatever we do to the earth we do to ourselves.

Q: If elected, how will you improve the economic conditions of Canadians and Canadian businesses in British Columbia?

Jane Sterk: We will foster investment in

Getting to...

renewable energy and energy efficiency that shifts BC to a low-carbon economy and creates local jobs at the same time.

We will focus on local and regional economies that support business, cooperative, not-for-profit and public creation of jobs to stimulate the region.

Furthermore, we would decrease taxes on industries and individual practices that promote individual and community health. Lastly, we will finance a provincial Green Venture Capital Fund to encourage local green business startups and support the creation of greencollar jobs in the green technologies and renewable energy sectors. ■

Major Gary...

balanced business and cultural growth.”

Wat’s campaign builds on BC Liberal’s current results for Richmond: • Funding fare gates for the Canada line and providing traffic fare revenue back to Richmond to support local policing • Backing a $10.2-million Richmond Hospital renovation project, including a new, expanded Emergency Department • Opening a new$16.4-miliion Samuel Brighouse Elementary School for local students • Providing funding for skills training at Richmond’s Kwantlen Polytechnic University • Expanding international air travel through Vancouver International Airport ❰❰ 32

Wat commits to stand up for Richmond Centre by: • Advancing our local economy and creating jobs (she supports the BC Jobs Plan that’s already producing concrete results) • Fighting for safer communities and stronger policing • Enhancing the quality of education for our children • Improving road infrastructure, access for goods, and public transit • Advocating for expanded health care services to match our local growth • Protecting services for our growing seniors population • Enhancing our links to the AsiaPacific to promote jobs and the economy For more information on Teresa Wat, visit www.teresawat.ca. ■

Wat at the BC Election Debate at Aberdeen Centre PHOTOS FROM FACEBOOK

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❰❰ 32

Why should people vote for Gary Law?

To Law, he has the heart to serve the community. With his experience, he believes that he has the skills to win in the forthcoming elections.

“The way I see myself is, whatever other participants have, I also have. I work a lot. I believe that if you want to serve the community, you need to know the needs of the community you want to serve,” says Law. As for why people should vote for him, Law states: “Because I am a fair person, not just today or tomorrow. When I was a child, I want to be fair, because I want people to respect me, and I know that people will only respect me if I also respect them.”

“I thank every person in this community.

For me, everyone is important and that’s why I focus on people. You, [the people], are my boss.” ■

Elections in B.C.

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013 32

Getting to Know Teresa Wat

BY ANGIE DUARTE Philippine Canadian Inquirer RICHMOND Centre BC Liberal candidate Teresa Wat is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mainstream Broadcasting Corporation CHMB AM1320, and was named one of B.C.’s top 100 most influential women by the Vancouver Sun in 2010.

She also served as the News Director at Channel M Television (now OMNI TV), and previously served as a Communications Advisor at B.C.’s Cabinet Policy and Communications Secretariat.

As News Director at Channel M Television, Wat was responsible for the launch of the first ever live Cantonese, Mandarin and Punjabi daily television news programs.

With a 20-year track record in business, government, bureaucracy, and its many arms, Wat says that service in this field is in her blood.

Not only is she armed with experience in the field, and an intrinsic passion for the work, she also possesses a deeply-rooted understanding of the issues especially

Major Gary Law Independent Candidate for MLA Richmond Centre

BY KATHERINE MARFAL-TEVES Philippine Canadian Inquirer “WHATEVER I say, whatever I do, I represent myself, not any party. When you are part of a party, it is hard to voice out your opinion. I want to show my leadership, and not to copy other people’s ideas,” says Major Gary Law, independent candidate for MLA Richmond Centre.

In order to pursue his political aspirations, Law took a leave of absence from the Burnaby RCMP, November of last year, where he worked as a corporal.

He was responsible for the detachment’s auxiliary police officers program.

Major Law hails from Hong Kong.

He came to Canada in 1982 as an international student in Parkdale Collegiate Institute in Toronto, where he completed Grade 13. He enrolled at Dalhousie University in the Faculty of Business Administration where he received his Bachelor of Commerce Degree in 1987.

Military career

In 1989, Major Law started his military career as a Second Lieutenant. He joined the 11th (Victoria) Service Battalion. He transferred to the 12th Service Battalion

as a Lieutenant in 1991, and was placed in the Supplementary Reserve List in 1993.

At that time, he also received an opportunity to work in Hong Kong as a high school teacher for Economics.

While teaching, he also joined the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force. Due to his outstanding performance in his recruiting course, he received a best overall standing in all the subjects, including the Silver Whistle and the Commandant's Certificate for the Highest Academic Result. He was assigned to the Emergency Unit of the Force, and was tasked to handle high profile cases and situations.

Back to Canada

Law went back to Canada in 1995, and joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as a regular member. After graduation, he was assigned to work in the Richmond Detachment.

He was then named as the Commanding Officer of the British Columbia Regiment (Irish Fusiliers) Army Cadet Corps.

At present, he serves as an Area Cadet Instructor Cadre Officer in the Pacific Region. ❱❱ PAGE 31 Major Gary

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important to new Canadians.

Having moved to Vancouver from Hong Kong in 1989, Wat is no stranger to the immigrant experience.

She believes that those in office must “understand the challenges of the new immigrants instead of casting blame.”

Furthermore, she is committed to helping new Canadians integrate into the mainstream.

Wat bears a deep sense of responsibility for her community, having herself been afforded many opportunities for growth and success.

“As a new Canadian, who was given great opportunities in Richmond, and one who has had many opportunities to see and hear success stories about Richmond in my work in the ChineseCanadian media, I feel I have a unique and broad perspective on Richmond’s development as an international centre of trade, culture, and education,” she says.

“I feel that I need to give back to the community that has been so good to me and my family. I know that I can contribute to the quality of life and to ❱❱ PAGE 31 Getting to

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013

33

Entertainment

Piolo, Gerald star in Matti’s Cannes-bound film ‘On the Job’ will premiere in the Directors’ Fortnight of the festival to be held in France in May

BY BAYANI SAN DIEGO JR. Philippine Daily Inquirer THERE is a third Filipino film that will premiere in Cannes next month.

Apart from Lav Diaz’s “Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan” and Adolfo Alix Jr.’ s “Death March” in the Un Certain Regard section, Erik Matti’s “On the Job” was selected to be part of the Directors’ Fortnight, “a noncompetitive, independently programmed section that is held parallel” to the main competition of Cannes.

Matti’s film, an action thriller, features popular stars ( Piolo Pascual, Gerald Anderson, Rayver Cruz, Shaina Magdayao, Empress Schuck) and veteran actors and indie favorites ( Joel Torre, Angel Aquino, Vivian Velez, Joey Marquez, Leo Martinez, Michael de Mesa, Al Tantay and Niño Muhlach).

Matti considered the film a “maindie,” a marriage of mainstream and independent

filmmaking styles. The film is coproduced

by Matti’s Reality Entertainment and Star Cinema, the film arm of ABS- CBN. “On the Job” was inspired by a real- life corruption case that involved prisoners being released for a day to work as assassins for politicians.

Matti recounted: “My cowriter Michiko Yamamoto and I did research for two years. We interviewed prison wardens, prisoners, policemen.”

Martinez, who plays a crooked general in the film, recalled: “As early as the story conference, we already felt that this film would go places. Matti was very meticulous on the set.”

That mainstream actors like Pascual and Anderson got to tackle out- of- thebox roles was a positive development, Martinez pointed out.

The ABS- CBN heartthrobs are cast as hired killers in “On the Job.” “We had a series of major character ❱❱ PAGE 34 Piolo, Gerard

The director, Erik Matti. Matti is known for “Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles” (2012), “Gagamboy” (2004), and “Mano Po 2: My Home” (2003), among several others.

PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK

FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT, CANADA:

The Philippines’ ‘Prince of OPM’ releases new album worldwide

BY BABES NEWLAND babescastronewland@gmail.com

VANCOUVER, B.C.—He truly is a premier pop balladeer “epitomized.” 23-year old Timmy Pavino from “across the border” (Kirland, Washington, USA) has managed to endear himself to many Filipinos living in British Columbia. Together with his passionately driven and fully supportive mom-manager Vallie Pavino always in tow, Timmy Pavino became Vancouver’s favorite artist import to perform in various Filipino-Canadian community events.

Timmy took no time relocating himself to the Philippines last year to follow his dream, his ultimate mission in life—singing. He joined a televised nationwide talent search on TV5’s “Kanta Pilipinas” and soon after was managed briefly by Media Nation.

2012 also marks Timmy’s first entry into the Philippine music scene with the release of his first OPM single, “Pag Pwede Na Ang Puso Mo,” written by prolific songwriter and 2013 Himig Handog Awardee Soc Villanueva. Other Villanueva compositions on Timmy’s OPM album include “Nothing

Without You” (in collaboration with Arnel de Pano); “Maghihintay Pa Ba”; “Your One and Only Man”; and “Cool”.

Then there is Jungee Marcelo’s “Wagas” and an inspirational ditty entitled “Di Na Maghahanap Kailang Pa Man,” composed

by Timmy’s voice mentor and aunt, the critically acclaimed songwriter/1970s80s hit-maker, Cecille Azarcon-Inocentes, completing Timmy’s OPM compilation.

I was utterly swept up into Timmy’s seamless vocal style and artistry. This young man is surely the real deal. No one should miss out on listening to Timmy’s songs in his first OPM album available digitally worldwide via iTunes and CD Baby. When asked what was his greatest motivation to record an all-OPM album, Timmy said, “it is what I have always wanted to do. By way of singing in my native tongue, I hope to inspire other aspiring Filipino singers born and raised outside the Philippines to learn and appreciate our language especially when matched with beautiful melody.”

For those in Manila, catch Timmy Pavino performing “live” in his 1st Philippine concert entitled “You & My Music” at the Music Museum on July 13, 2013; and his comeback concert at the Benaroya Hall in Seattle, WA on October 12, 2013. ■

Entertainment

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013 34

Music summit OPM chair’s top priority

BY MARINEL R. CRUZ Philippine Daily Inquirer TO CREATE a manifesto that will address the local music industry’s problems is the aim of a two-day summit being organized by the Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mangaawit (OPM), according to its chair, Ogie Alcasid.

The summit is set in July or August. “We will identify problems and try to come up with solutions,” Alcasid told INQUIRER. “We will create a manifesto that we hope to present to President Aquino. He has three more years in office; We’d like him to know what we need before he leaves.”

Alcasid pointed out: “We cannot neglect the industry. Music is intrinsic to our culture. It’s quite sad that young people don’t even know Basil Valdez.”

He said OPM planned to invite Korean music personalities to discuss the phenomenal success of K Pop. “We may learn something from them,” he said.

At a press conference for the GMA 7 game show “Bonakid Preschool Ready Set Laban,” of which he is host, Alcasid said he was pleased that the local hip-hop scene was thriving. He also cited the success of young recording artists Daniel Padilla and Angeline Quinto.

Alcasid, his wife singer Regine Velasquez and their son Nate, just returned from a 12-day US trip. “There wasn’t much time to go sight-seeing,” he said. “We got to watch ‘ Mamma Mia’ on Broadway. It was a surreal experience for Nate’s yaya.

She enjoyed Times Square very much. We all did.” (“Ready Set Laban,” a 15-minute game show, airs Saturdays, 11:45 a.m., on the Kapuso channel.) ■

Comedian and singer Ogie Alcasid, chair of Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit (OPM). Alcasid has plans to launch a two-day summit set to identify, discuss, and address problems in the local music industry.

PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK

Piolo, Gerard... discussions with Piolo and Gerald,” Matti recalled. “I had to make them forget how different they were from their characters and get to the very core of the people they were portraying.”

According to its website, the goal of the Directors’ Fortnight is “to help filmmakers get discovered by critics and audiences alike.”

Matti joins an acclaimed roster of Filipino filmmakers who have screened their works in the Directors’ Fortnight: Lino Brocka (“Bona,” 1981), Mike de Leon (“Kisapmata,” “Batch ’ 81,” 1982), Mario O’Hara (“Babae sa Breakwater,” 2004), Brillante Ma. Mendoza (“Foster’s Child,” 2007), Raya Martin (“Now Showing,” 2008) and Auraeus Solito (“Busong,” 2011).

“I admit I knew very little about Cannes before. So when we got in, I looked up the Directors’ Fortnight and realized that I was in the company of big names in Philippine cinema,” Matti said.

Matti hopes to attend the festival with ❰❰ 33

PHOTOS FROM FACEBOOK AND TWITTER

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some of his actors, led by Torre, Pascual and Anderson.

He said: “It’s exciting. Filipino filmmakers are doing a good job. The world will see the variety of Filipino films now: From the abstract to the poignant, from the humorous to the serious.”

Martinez is likewise glad that there are three Filipino films in Cannes this year.

“There is still hope for Philippine cinema.”

“Thousands of films applied. It’s difficult to get in Cannes. Having three entries is a big deal for Filipino cinema,” Matti agreed.

Matti was one of the honorees in the first INQUIRER Indie Bravo! Tribute three years ago.

The Directors’ Fortnight will be held from May 16 to 26.

Singaporean Anthony Chen’s debut film “Iloilo” will also have its world premiere at the Directors’ Fortnight section of Cannes. “Iloilo,” which tells the story of a Filipino nanny, top- bills local actress Angeli Bayani, who’s also in the cast of Diaz’s “Norte.” ■

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013

Entertainment

35

A horror film before a horrific row Actress says her Cinemalaya entry is a dream come true–the family feud is another story

BY BAYANI SAN DIEGO JR. Philippine Daily Inquirer GRETCHEN Barretto has had a pretty bad week parrying intrigues, the fallout of a very public family feud with mom Inday and sister Claudine.

Ironically, only days before the horrific controversy broke, she finished work on her big-screen comeback, “The Diplomat Hotel,” a horror movie by Christopher Ad Castillo—an entry in the New Breed section of this year’s Cinemalaya.

At press time, she has not broken her silence in the face of pointed attacks, but neither has she acknowledged the defense put up by siblings who have taken her side. In any case, it seems the congenial atmosphere on the movie set gave her strength for the brewing storm.

As colleagues, cast and crew tell it, food overflowed every shooting day, as Gretchen constantly sent them all sorts of yummy treats.

She filled the pantry of coactor Mon Confiado’s trailer with cups of instant noodles. (Mon lost 40 pounds in a month for his role, and nearly gained it all back.)

“Gretchen is so generous and fun to be around,” Direk Chris said. “Because she knew we were working long hours in chilly temperatures in Baguio City, she also sent us a lot of coffee. The crew felt how much she cared that we were working so hard.”

Prior to the scandal, Gretchen told the INQUIRER why she laid out the hearty feasts: “I work best on a happy set.”

Just sharing

Friends regularly sent her fruits, cakes, pastries and barbecue, she said. She merely decided to share the goodies with the team.

“We all enjoyed the food. That’s how artists bond during break time.”

She obviously had a blast. Seiko producer Robbie Tan said Gretchen had long wanted to do an indie film. “She’s serious about acting,” Tan related. “During our Seiko days, she always came to the set prepared and asked the right questions about her role.”

She’s been a regular at Cinemalaya screenings over the years, accompanying longtime partner Tonyboy Cojuangco, main patron of the independent film festival, which is in its ninth edition this year.

And this year, Gretchen finally took the plunge, accepting a Cinemalaya project.

She explained: “Only time constraints kept me from doing this in the past. When the project was offered to me, I had just finished a teleserye (ABS-CBN’s “Princess and I”), and I could finally say yes. Plus, it’s a good movie.”

It’s a dream come true, she swore, but it could have been a nightmare. “I’m not a big horror fan,” she admitted. “I easily get terrified. I actually turned down this project because I was afraid of filming at the abandoned Diplomat Hotel in Baguio, which is known as a haunted place.”

Fortunately, she was spared from spooky encounters. “I thank God that I had no extraordinary supernatural experiences during the shoot,” she said. “I prayed a full month before filming began, for protection and for a swift shoot.”

Portraying Veronica, a disgraced

Gretchen Barretto, 43: actress, model, and singer; soon to be on Cinemalaya screens in “The Diplomat Hotel,” a film by Christopher Ad Castillo.

PHOTO FROM GRETCHENBARRETTO.NET

reporter grappling with inner demons, was challenging, Gretchen admitted.

She elaborated: “It’s fresh. I had no peg for the role. I just embraced the character and enjoyed every minute of the shoot.”

To prepare for the film, “I studied the script and the character. The rest just flowed.”

Payback time

She described working with Direk Chris as “intense but fun, almost carefree.” She added, “It’s a great honor to work with such a dedicated artist. His love for his craft is simply contagious—which did all of us a lot of good.”

In turn, her coworkers collected only

De-stresser, intelligence... ❰❰ 39

stage, I go back to the previous levels to get more stars.

Dilys Ng Hong Kong teacher

I have to say that it is one of my favorite games so far! I was totally addicted to it.

I remember it was several months ago, friends kept sending me requests and posts of Candy Crush.

I sort of ignored them in the beginning, but later there were so many people talking about this game, and I even saw news articles about people now being called “candyholic.” I was curious.

It was quite boring at the first 20 levels, and then when it came to level 29, that was the level I couldn’t get through on the first try, and I was, like, hey, what happened? I was stuck in that level for two days!

The craziest thing was my friend taught me to change the time on my mobile/iPad

(move it like two hours ahead, then I can get extra lives immediately). That was the way I finished the game so fast. I helped my friends play the level(s) they couldn’t get through. As my friends knew I finished up to level 350 (in the PC version), some asked me to help them out in this game.

They even gave me their Facebook password, and asked me to complete the level(s) for them! I have to admit I was completely out of my mind, and those friends who gave me their FB passwords because of this game were all crazy, too!

Joyce Tupas-Edaño Physician and mother of three I got curious when my son Iggy (who’s eight) kept nagging me for my iPad because he wanted to play Candy Crush.

At first there were only three people on my friends’ list playing it, and to be honest, I thought only [people with nothing better to do] spent time playing

online games. My husband doesn’t play, so I was also reluctant. But then in the wee hours, I have to nurse my infant son, and I needed something to keep me awake to burp him. Candy Crush did the trick for me. I draw the line on buying life and boosters, though. I don’t think I’m going there.

Ferdinand Ong General Manager, Living Innovations It’s a very addicting game. I got started because my wife started playing, and my siblings also. I haven’t purchased anything but I open the app every time I am idle. I feel upset when I get stuck in a stage for a long time.

I know some people who have a real talent for it. My wife started a few months before me and my siblings are way further. For me it’s more the game itself, though it’s also fun to know your friend’s level. ■

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fond memories of the actress.

“Gretchen fully captured her character’s nuances and added her own dimensions to it,” Direk Chris said. “It’s not an easy role.

It’s dark...but she performed admirably.”

Producer Alemberg Ang was equally impressed. “She hates wasting time. She values efficiency and efficacy—values I admire in coworkers.” The producer recounted that he immediately thought of Gretchen when he read the script.

Gretchen said it felt like a duty on her part to make an indie film. “I wanted it to be my contribution to Philippine movies. I couldn’t say my career was complete unless I had done an indie film. It’s payback time for me. I truly love this industry.” ■

Entertainment

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013 36

‘Katsudon’-to go... serve ice cream. Lunch came in bento boxes.

Leading the Family Mart officials were SSI executive director Anton Huang, who’s been named Philippine Family Mart president; Family Mart International business development manager Taro Kosaki, Family Mart executive vice president Masachika Koizumi, Philippine Family Mart director Bobby Dy, Ayala Land VP and head of business development and strategic planning commercial business group Cora Dizon, and Family Mart general manager Ed Paredes.

The officials were one in assuring that Family Mart would reshape conveniencestore shopping experience in the country.

Huang explained his family’s entry into the convenience-store business.

“We’ve always been on the lookout for new retail formats to broaden our target market, so this is aligned with the vision of widening our customer base.”

He added, “This, of course, dovetailed the country’s very good economic performance and also our demographics that’s getting younger… Getting a largeformat retail space can be difficult, but a convenience store space is just right.” ❰❰ 39

PHOTO BY SHAI BARZILAY

So, Do... the world to know as much as possible about the place. There is not a news blackout or some such thing preventing you from knowing the harsh realities of being able to survive abroad.

Coming is a personal decision. Any decision-making must be an informed one.

It was not like you were made to enter your marriage with a shotgun to your head.

I know at least three people who have asked me ten years ago how to migrate.

True to form, I patiently explained the process, printed the necessary forms, walked them through the appropriate website. Today, they are still back home figuring out how to migrate.

It takes a decision, a firm decision. If the matter is not simple, then it may have to take a little bit of time to make the final decision, but you will still have to make one. If you cannot do that, then something is not clear that needs to be, or there was really no intention to make a decision in the first place.

Just for an example, it took me only two weeks to decide whether or not to go, then another six weeks to secure all the documents required for the skilled professional category. Then I chose a date, my birth date, on which I would not forget to file my application, so that I would know when my filing anniversary fell every year of waiting.

I should like to understand people who may not find it easy to decide on a big matter like packing up and leaving your country for good. I have two things to discuss here.

First, if the money you will spend for filing the application is spare money or something you really have saved up for this purpose, then file it as soon as you can. Let years pass you by with your application efficiently counting the time for you. It takes an average of three to four years before applications can be approved; five to six years for some, and in rare cases, only one to two years, which might be a little bit too soon for many.

Thus, there is plenty of time to think things over. Consider whatever you pay as an investment that may pay off for you, or money you would spend or depreciate some other way anyway. But the best thing ❰❰ 23

is that time is flying on your side.

Second, leaving is really not a joke, but a very major decision. But to me, no one ever leaves for good. Country will always stay there in your heart, in your whole being.

Country will always be there to welcome you back and to enjoy for a visit. Friends will always be there, if you have chosen them well. You cannot choose relatives, but they will also be there when you visit.

How do you make the final decision? I cannot give you a formula. If you have the money, if the reason is compelling, if you had done your research, if you feel good about it, you just know. It is just in you. Even if you do not have the money now but have a way of raising it when you get an approval, then the decision should come along.

How a person makes decisions—how fast or how firm—speaks of how he has made out in his lifetime and how he wants to see his future. Sometimes, the person just needs a little push or encouragement.

In the absence of people who will do that for you, make sure you are well informed.

An informed decision is a good decision.

And only you, can make it for yourself.

Making good decisions does not happen overnight, nor does it have a cut formula.

Assuming you meet requirements, it is important to be fully aware or informed.

Next to a decision is the action. Do it as soon as possible so that time passes by working for you. ■ Nobody ever said that our journey will be easy. But as I write and as you read, we share our strengths and we can hold to the promise that “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).

Bolet is a marketing communications practitioner and dabbles in writing as a personal passion. She is author-publisher of the book: “The Most Practical Immigrating and Job Hunting Survival Guide, proven simple steps to success without the fears and the doubts”. The book is available in Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Chapters/Indigo and other online bookshops worldwide, and in National Book Store and Power Books in the Philippines. Check out www.amazon.com/ author/boletarevalo.

Room for growth

Also at the launch, Japan’s Family Mart officials noted how there are more than 50,000 convenience stores in Japan, but only about a thousand here. This denotes the big room for growth.

Family Mart opened in Japan in 1973.

(Not many know that the 7-11 store chain also originated in Japan.)

Huang also noted the growing middle class in the Philippines, while Ayala Land’s Dy, now Family Mart director, pointed to how the convenience store concept is integrated with the mixed-use developments that are fast going up all over the country.

After the Family Mart at Glorietta, there will be about 40 more stores in the country this year, and that number will double next year. The projection is 900 stores in less than 10 years.

Also opening this year are stores in Exchange Regency (Residence Hotel) in Ortigas, with other branches in Global 1 Eastwood City in Taguig, Dela Rosa Carpark 1 in Makati City, Metro Point Mall in Pasay City, and the District in Cavite City already in the works.

The officials said that Family Mart

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would be differentiated from other convenience stores mainly by the more convenient shopping experience. “You’ll not be smelling of frying oil when you come out of the store”—and more varied and better quality offerings, including Japanese staple, like sake, kani salad and the famous Meiji chocolate.

Other food-to-go-items are corned beef/egg rice, onigiri tuna mayo, California maki, cold noodles, sushi tray, and omu rice (omelette fried rice), popular Japanese products from Meiji, Kirei and Nissi, among others.

There will be free Wi-Fi access, clean rest rooms and comfortable dining spaces.

Everyday staples

Family Mart has branches worldwide, including South Korea, US, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Taiwan, China.

It also has everyday staples including newspapers, magazines, tobacco products, snack items, breads, milk, soft drinks, fruit juices, and a limited number of grocery items such as cleaning supplies, paper products and personal hygiene essentials.

Family Mart harps on traditional Filipino family values, and to come across as “family” to its customers.

Not many know that it was strong family ties among the Tantocos that also brought Family Mart to the clan. Anton’s cousin, Donnie Tantoco, who heads Rustan’s Supermarkets, has always had strong ties to Family Mart. In time, Anton and Donnie—the eldest of the third-generation Tantocos—decided to talk to Ayala about a partnership to bring in Family Mart.

“Now is the right time (to bring in Family Mart),” stressed Huang. He noted that when Family Mart and other convenience stores began to take off in Japan, it was also when the country had impressive GDP growth, much like what we have now.

“We’re after differentiating and executing (the convenience store concept) properly,” said Huang.

In the meantime, however, when it comes to soft serve ice cream, Huang can do only up to two twirls—he should do better than that.

Three more branches are set to open in the next few months, which include stores in Glorietta 5 and Ayala Avenue MRT Station 3. Family Mart is on track to open 40 stores this year. ■

PHOTO FROM JPELLGEN - FLICKR

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013

37

Lifestyle Flamenco Festival Fosters International Collaboration Vancouver, British Columbia – April 9, 2013 Annual International Jondo Flamenco Festival Announces 2012 Program Peña Bulería Flamenco Club is pleased to announce the 9th Annual International Jondo Flamenco Festival, on May 24 and 25, 2013 at the Fei & Milton Wong Experimental Theatre, Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, Vancouver, BC. “2013 marks the 10 anniversary of Peña Bulería Flamenco Club’s inception as a community-based cultural organization and the 9th edition of the Annual International Jondo Flamenco Festival.“ said festival director, Pirouz Ebadypour.

“In an age when war, unrest, poverty, discrimination, and social injustice plagues our planet, live arts and dialogue constitute a humane way out and our festival aims to do just that by providing an alternative.” Mr. Ebadypour added.

Since its inception in 2003, Peña Bulería Flamenco Club has sought to enrich communities through education and by bringing unique presentations that showcase internationally acclaimed world-class artists. This year, while one showcase aims at innovating a new and ground-breaking style by fusing Persian and Flamenco musical, song, and dance traditions, the other showcase aims at demonstrating the raw energy of flamenco in its more traditional context.

By including members of the local flamenco community in its signature events, the festival aims at encouraging and empowering distinguished local artists.

The festival also provides workshops in various disciplines such as dance, singing, and guitar, and presents award-winning films that explore the flamenco culture, and lectures.

“Every year, we strive to increase our capacity and fine tune our programming in order to reach and affect more communities in a more meaningful way. This year, we are following that tradition by partnering with Simon Fraser University’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts as a co-presenter and other community arts partners to deliver and foster unprecedented signature programming” said Mr. Ebadypour.

“Metro Vancouver has a thriving, vibrant flamenco community. The festival creates

incredible opportunities for everyone to grow and learn. It’s a chance for us to share ideas, to learn from each other and to experience the privilege of collaborating with some of the most respected and talented performers the world has to offer” added Mr. Ebadypour.

Audiences can expect to be enthralled by two exciting presentations: Friday May 24 ZYRYAB

A three year old project in which internationally renowned artists from Iran, Spain, Canada, and the US fuse traditional Persian instrumentation, harmonies, and movement with flamenco traditions. This new fusion concept, pioneered by Pirouz Ebadypour with the stage name of “Pirouz de Caspio”, attempts to highlight the manner in which Persian musical forms have set the early foundations of Flamenco forms dating back to 870 A.D. when “Zyryab” (a well-known Persian polymath) migrated from the city of Shiraz, Iran (then “Persia”) to Cordoba, Spain to further his knowledge. He is most notably known for his contributions towards building the first guitar in Spain by modifying the original Persian instrument “Oud” and adding the fifth pair of strings. His other significant contribution was writing the first musical melodies that fast became the norm of the music in the Iberian peninsula region (including North Africa) where to this date, are still being played.

Flamenco Festival

This project aims at identifying and rediscovering these influential elements and bringing them to life on stage in the correct context as they relate to one another today. This is a significant undertaking and will take years to fully realize, and while this project is still in its infancy, the immediate results have already set a strong precedence and provided sufficient grounds for justifying the relationship claims and further pursuing this path. For this reason, the musicians who partake in the creation of this magical experience, are recognized internationally to be at very high levels in their own fields, representing both sides.

Through this discovery journey, we are constantly and pleasantly surprised by the endless number of possibilities and how relevant these seemingly distant traditions are, even today, in the way they complement each other from the song forms to presentation style, to melodic harmonies, modes, and most importantly, the cultural angle.

• Tickets: https://zyryab_2013.eventbrite.ca • Official Facebook Page: https://www. facebook.com/events/148682695308732/ • Official Festival Site and Peña Bulería Flamenco Club: http://www.flamenco.ca Saturday May 25 CAMINO REAL

A traditional flamenco showcase featuring internationally acclaimed flamenco artists from Spain and France. Antonio Arrebola,

To win 2 free tickets to the show, email your spring photos to editor@ canadianinquirer.net. The winning photo will be published in the next issue of Philippine Canadian Inquirer.

born in Malaga, Spain with a Madrid-style of dance will be joined by 2 singers (Cristo Cortes and Pirouz de Caspio) and one flamenco guitarist (Ricardo Diaz) for an intense showcase of flamenco rarely seen in Vancouver. Antonio's style of dance and complexity of movement is described as traditional with a modern twist and full of raw energy. Cristo Cortes, a familiar name from past presentations, is one of the most respected flamenco singers in Europe.

• Tickets: https://caminoreal.eventbrite.ca • Official Facebook Page: https://www. facebook.com/events/514497808617714/ • Official Festival Site and Peña Bulería Flamenco Club: http://www.flamenco.ca ■ For more information about the festival, please visit www.FLAMENCO.CA Tickets are available online at the Eventbrite Box Office using the search terms “flamenco” or “Jondo Flamenco Festival” in the search field: • BOX OFFICE: www.eventbrite.ca • INFO: 604.767.5522 • WEB: www.flamenco.ca The 9th edition of the Annual International Jondo Flamenco Festival is co-presented

by Peña Buleria Flamenco Club and Simon Fraser University’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts. Peña Bulería also supports the flamenco community by providing a free 24-hour streaming flamenco radio station “FLAMENCO BEAT” (flamencobeat. com), with over 15,000 monthly listeners world-wide.

Media contact: Pirouz Ebadypour Peña Bulería Flamenco Club Tel: 604.767.5522 | Email: pirouz@ flamenco.ca | Web: www.flamenco.ca

Lifestyle

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013 38

Are you spying on your kids on Facebook?

BY PAM PASTOR Philippine Daily Inquirer UH-OH, MY MOM is trying to add me on Facebook. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard this from friends, panicking about their parents’ desire to enter their social media world.

I’m friends with both my parents on Facebook. I’m even friends with my grandparents. And no, I don’t try to control their settings—they can see everything I post and they have complete access to my wall, which is probably why my grandma has started liking my photos from years ago.

My mother is a Facebook wiz. She has it down pat—she posts photos and videos, updates her status regularly, and shares links and memes and tags like there’s no tomorrow.

Facebook chair and CEO Mark Zuckerberg will not be pleased with my father. On the day he signed up to the site, he thought the status bar was a search bar.

And I was horrified to discover that his first search wasn’t for his devoted daughter —it was for a noontime show nip-slip.

Newbie

It was only minutes later that he decided to type “chat with pam pastor” in the status bar, after his search for Anne Curtis failed. I’m not surprised that he has completely stopped using the site.

My grandma, a Facebook newbie (she signed up in January, after my uncle gave her an iPad mini for Christmas), is the queen of hilarious comments. When I posted a photo of myself in a wedding, with one of my friends holding up a bottle of Absolut Vodka behind me, she replied: “Like you, Pam… but not the bottle of vodka at your back sana mineral water na lang HEHEHE…” And when she saw a photo of me with the other bridesmaids in the church, she posted, “Ganda! Apo ko ’yan! Pam payat ka?” And when I said no, I still wasn’t payat, she wrote: “Payat na even by faith! You can have what u say! Psalm 37:4 ‘Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart!

AMEN AMEN!’” Her Facebook comments are so funny that my friends go to my page just to see if she’s posted anything.

Full access

I took a quick survey to find out if people my age and younger are as open as I am to connecting with their parents on Facebook.

I discovered that a number of them— Larissa Mae Tan, 29; Chezka Arellano, 28; Paolo, 18; Zi, 24; and Myeth, 30—are

friends with their parents on Facebook, and give them full access to their posts.

David Sta. Maria, 29, even helped his parents register their accounts.

Charmaine Palermo, 32, said, “I’m friends with my mom and I let her see everything. I really have nothing to hide. Good that when my mom joined Facebook, I wasn’t going out often anymore and I’ve been good.”

There are those who aren’t Facebook friends with their parents—but only because their parents do not use the social-networking site. “No, my parents can’t even use Microsoft Office, much less the Internet,” said Nico Quejano, 28.

Some of them consider that a blessing.

Charlie, 27, said, “I’m lucky because my parents don’t really have the patience to go online, so they don’t have Facebook!

I have other relatives I’m friends with, though, but I screen the posts. I usually block them from posts or photos when I’m having a few drinks or partying, or when I talk about things I know would upset them—tattoos, politics, religion.”

But some kids of parents who aren’t Internet savvy say they wouldn’t mind connecting with their parents online if they decided to take the social networking plunge. “I’d be okay with showing them everything,” said Aubrey Bautista.

Sonny Rodriguez, 22, said he might screen his posts if his parents decided to start using Facebook. “’ Yong angsty posts at medyo naughty, I’d definitely hide it from them and my relatives, hahaha!”

Limits

Other people aren’t Facebook friends with their parents by choice. “I don’t have any plans of adding them or accepting their friend request,” said Jigs, 24.

Nyko Rodriguez, also 24, said, “I’m not friends with my parents on Facebook.

I love them, but I don’t want them to see everything I do. Example: Boys. Haha.

Everything talaga ’yong boys?!”

Majority of the people I talked to say they are friends with their parents on Facebook, but they restrict what their parents can see. Facebook gives its users control over who sees which posts— there are settings that can be used to hide status updates, photos and even their entire wall from individuals or groups.

“They don’t see anything from my feed,” said Frank, 28.

When asked what kind of posts he hides from his parents, Josh Mags, 24, said, “All posts not relevant to them.

In short, it’s very rare that they see my posts.”

Miko, 26, is only friends with her mom. “Dad thinks Facebook is a waste of time. I control their access so that they can’t post random or old photos on my

PHOTOS FROM BLUE JEAN IMAGES

wall. But I let them see everything.”

Some Facebook users say previous experiences have led them to change their privacy settings. Sheena Ong, 29, said, “I limit the stuff they see because I already had a bad experience with them making unnecessary comments on my picture or status. They only see our basic family pictures.

The rest, especially recent pictures, I hide from them since they have the tendency to publish my pictures publicly, as they don’t know how to make their settings private in Facebook.”

Paranoid

Emma, 16, said, “I don’t let them see everything because they like to comment weird stuff on my posts. When I’m, like, with my friends, I think it’s weird when they comment on those.”

Czarina Maye, 25, said that while her parents have access to all her posts, she sometimes jokes about blocking them. “So far I still allow them (to see everything).

But they’ve been pretty paranoid about my posts. May follow-up questions on why I posted this or that. Medyo hassle at times to explain, so as much as possible, I don’t post na lang para no questions. Binibiro ko minsan na I’ll block them para they won’t see my updates, but siyempre ayaw

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ko naman ng ganun.”

Nothing to hide

Carla Bianca Ravanes, 24, said her mom doesn’t have her own Facebook account but sometimes borrows hers to check up on old friends or relatives.

“They see everything on my account. I guess it was different from when I was younger. Now I have learned to filter what I post so as not to embarrass myself or my parents. Now there’s no longer anything to hide. I only post what I would not be ashamed to do or say in public.”

As David Sta. Maria said, “I think Facebook should be treated like any other human interaction. If you don’t want others to learn about a certain activity, don’t do it— or at the least, leave no damning evidence.”

Irene Andrea Perez, 31, said her mom knew her better since they have become Facebook friends. “I was a little wary when my mom started using Facebook and extended family added me up, but it helped. They’re unrestricted. Mom now knows what I’ve been doing, who I am with, where I am (I cross-post via Instagram, Twitter and Foursquare) — better relationship, less questions. And the best thing: most relatives have stopped asking when I’m getting married. They realized I’m busy and happy.” ■

Lifestyle

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013

39

De-stresser, intelligence booster, family bonding– why they’re crazy about Candy Crush every 30 minutes. One can, however, ask fellow Candy Crush-playing Facebook friends to send life. Even quicker, one can purchase life, tickets (to get to the next episode; each episode has 15 levels), and even boosters. Candy Crush, created

by King.com, has 365 levels (so far).

‘We agreed that we can play only after David’s bedtime (9 p.m.)’

BY CHECHE V. MORAL AND ANNE A. JAMBORA Philippine Daily Inquirer AND YOU thought only people who had so much time on their hands (read: slacking school-age kids) were “Candyholics.”

We probed and found the unlikeliest players of the phenomenal online game Candy Crush Saga, all addicted to the glorious cling-clang of aligning falling make-believe bonbons and, quite possibly, even the monotonous intonation of the voice-over’s supremely limited vocabulary: “Sweet!”

“Delicious!”

“Divine!”

For the uninitiated, each Candy Crush level opens to a random mix of vari-patterned candies. A player has to complete an objective to unlock the next level, say, “Clear all the jellies” by aligning similarly patterned candies. A player has a maximum number of five lives per cycle, and it regenerates one life

Here, so-called Candyholics share both with reluctance and mirth their own journey navigating the sometimesfrustrating, often-gratifying stages of this seemingly innocuous virtual escape.

Jojie Lloren Fashion designer I’ve been playing for a few months now; my friends say they see me now only via the Facebook updates on my Candy Crush level. I do play online games, though, and Candy Crush is nice because it’s not like other games where every level just gets harder and harder.

There’s variety. I don’t buy life and tickets; I tend to wait for friends to send me. I’m now on level 165, I think. But while waiting for tickets to get to the next ❱❱ PAGE 35 De-stresser, intelligence

'Katsudon'-to go, twirl-allyou-want ice cream—bar is raised for convenience stores Tantocos, Ayala partner with Japanese to open Family Mart

BY THELMA SIOSON SAN JUAN Philippine Daily Inquirer JAPAN'S top convenience store has just opened at Glorietta, offering what is getting to be the hot-selling food-to-go, which for sure, foodie town Metro Manila will binge on for weeks to come—katsudon and chicken adobo rice.

Then there’s the soft serve ice cream (ginumis with green tea flavor, believe it or not), which you can twirl to the max.

Unlimited twirl—now, we thought we’d seen everything in foodie heaven.

You can’t get any more hybrid than that—an interesting fusion of Filipino and Japanese palates (although admittedly, the Filipino katsudon is really different from the honest-to-goodness Japanese katsudon).

Family Mart is the Tantoco family’s first venture into the convenience-store business, capping months of speculation about what the country’s foremost luxury retail clan was really up to. (Not yet, Chanel.)

In fact, Family Mart is the venture of the Tantocos’ Stores Specialists Inc. (SSI) with Ayala Land and their foreign partners Itochu Corp. and Family Mart Co. Ltd. of Japan.

This joint venture, which will pour in P2 billion in five years, is out to raise the bar for the convenience-store business in the country, primarily through a cleaner, fresher, brighter environment.

New retail format

Family Mart was introduced to media by the top executives of SSI, Ayala Land and Itochu at the Conservatory of Peninsula Manila last Monday. For the media luncheon, a canopy was set up in the Conservatory foyer where food tables were spread out, offering the more than 80 items sold at Family Mart 24/7—from the burgers (chicken, cheeseburger, fish burger) to the sandwiches (chicken caesar with parmesan cheese), cha soba to the soft ❱❱ PAGE 36 ‘Katsudon’-to go

PHOTOS FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS AND MICHAEL PIERACCI

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Business

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013 40

BSP tightens watch on property loans

Asia United hopes to make it on list of top 10 banks

Bank lending to affiliated property companies

Indicative offering price at P80 to P110 per share

BY MICHELLE V. REMO Philippine Daily Inquirer

BY DORIS C. DUMLAO Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas has tightened its watch on the loan exposures of conglomerate-owned banks to sister companies in the property sector on concerns that this could threaten the stability of the banking industry.

BSP Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said the regulator was mindful of risks associated with a robustly growing economy, including a sudden rise in demand for properties and the corresponding growth in bank lending.

“We are monitoring this matter closely,” the central bank official told the INQUIRER, saying the loan exposure of banks to sister companies owned by the same conglomerates was one of the things the BSP was looking at keenly the moment to ensure the country’s banking sector would remain stable.

Exposure comes both in terms of loans directly extended to a real-estate company and loans granted to borrowers who will use the money to buy properties built by the same company.

Aside from putting a bank’s stability at risk, another problem with a heavy loan exposure to property firms is the potential to cause asset price bubbles. The Asian crisis in the late 1990s was aggravated by a property bubble that led to huge losses for banks in the region.

But while the BSP recognized that the situation merited closer monitoring, Espenilla said concerns that the country’s

banking sector was starting to become overly exposed to property developers were unfounded.

He said that based on the latest assessment by the BSP, the loan exposure of banks to the real-estate sector remained within ceilings set by the regulator.

“We are satisfied that such exposures are presently within allowable regulatory limits and are broadly adequately managed,” Espenilla said. “We see no reason for undue concern at this time.”

BSP regulations require banks to keep their outstanding real-estate loans within 20 percent of their total loan portfolios.

This is under study for potential tightening because the 20-percent ceiling covers only loans extended to commercial property developers. Loans extended to individual borrowers wanting to buy real properties currently are not covered.

Another BSP regulation sets limits on loans banks may extend to “related interests” such as firm owned by the same conglomerates owning the banks.

The rule states that outstanding loans and guarantees granted by a bank to a single director, officer, stockholder, or related interests (Dosri) must be limited to an amount equivalent to its unencumbered deposits and book value of its paid-in capital contribution to the bank.

In addition, except with the prior approval of the BSP’s Monetary Board, combined outstanding loans and guarantees to all Dosri should not exceed 15 percent of the bank’s total loan portfolio or 100 percent of the bank’s networth, whichever is lower. ■

ASIA United Bank, which is set to go public next month, aims to triple its size and join the roster of the country’s top 10 banks within the next five years.

In a briefing on Thursday, the bank said it had set an indicative price range of P80 to P110 per share for its initial public offering. This suggests that the bank is aiming at raising P7 billion to P9.68 billion from the offering, including the over-allotment provision.

AUB first vice president Andrew Yap yesterday said in an investors’ briefing that this offering was “the (investors’) last chance to own a stake in a major bank.”

He noted that this bank was comparable to Security Bank 10 years ago.

Yap said the bank was pursuing the initial public offering to comply with the requirement for the upgrade of its status from commercial to universal bank, to elevate its profile and to pursue growth aspirations.

Part of the plan is to expand the bank’s branch network. AUB currently has 54 branch licenses in restricted areas in Metro Manila. The plan is to build a network of at least 250 branches in five years from 107 branches at present.

AUB does not expect to declare dividends in the next three to four years, being on a growth mode. “Since we started, no cash dividend has been

paid ... What you won’t get in cash, you’ll get in increase in value of shares,” AUB president Abraham Co said.

Ramon Sy, the bank’s vice chair, said: “We want to be among the top 10 banks within the next five years.”

AUB expects to finalize the pricing of its IPO by May 2.

The domestic offer period will run from May 7 to 14 while the listing on PSE was set for May 17.

The bank is offering up to 88 million primary common shares, with the base offer consisting of 80 million shares while additional eight million shares were set aside for over-allotment.

UBS AG Kong Kong branch and Credit Suisse (Singapore) Ltd. have been mandated as the joint bookrunners and joint lead managers for this offering. Mandated as sole global coordinator is UBS AG. Named local IPO underwriters were First Metro Investment Corp. and BDO Capital and Investment Corp., Co said.

AUB said the proceeds from the listing would be used for possible acquisitions, the purchase of bank branch licenses in restricted areas, branch network expansion, information technology infrastructure investments and general corporate purposes.

This exercise is also seen allowing the bank to beef up its capitalization and further strengthen its position in preparation for stringent capital adequacy requirements under Basel III international guidelines. ■

Bookstore chain to open more branches

BY RIZA T. OLCHONDRA Philippine Daily Inquirer NATIONAL Bookstore Inc. of the Ramos family may open up to 15 new branches this year as it anticipates sustained demand for its products, Adrian Ramos yesterday told reporters.

The stores will be set up in major malls nationwide. National Bookstore will fund the expansion using internally generated funds, Ramos said.

One of the stores, a 450-square-meter branch, will open at SM Aura next month.

According to Ramos, National Bookstore will continue its expansion program in the

Philippines even though it opened a store in Hong Kong about 5 years ago.

The company considers Hong Kong to be a test market, Ramos said.

“In the Philippines, it’s a great business.

National Bookstore is still known as a preeminent source of stationary, school and office supplies,” Ramos explained.

He noted that, as the Philippine population grows—with the economy along with it—demand for school supplies will remain robust.

Onthe company’s plan to join the stock exchange, Ramos said this would require approval from shareholders of Vulcan Industrial and Mining Corp., a sister firm. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

PHOTO FROM RUFFYBIAZON.PH

Sports/Horoscope

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013

Barefoot lass breaks mark

BY MARC ANTHONY REYES Philippine Daily Inquirer DUMAGUETE CITY—Angelica de Josef removed one of the oldest records to underscore Western Visayas’ solid campaign in track and field even as the National Capital Region’s pool wonder Regina Erin Castrillo broke yet another meet mark in scooping her sixth gold medal in the 2013 Palarong Pambansa yesterday.

The 14-year-old De Josef, running barefoot, topped the girls’ high school 800-meter run at Gov. Mariano Perdices Memorial oval in two minutes, 17.2 seconds to shatter the 2:18.3, 18-year-old Castrillo ruled the girls’ elementary 100meter butterfly in record time at the San Lorenzo Teves Aquatics Center. She clocked one minute and 8.29 seconds to break the 2011 feat of 1:09.38 by Frances Pillado of Mimaropa in the eliminations then improved on her mark with a 1:06.29 effort in the finals.

“I’m on the right track; I hope to sweep it all if I can,” said Castrillo who will vie

for a perfect 7-of-7 in the 50m free today.

Castrillo earlier won the 200m individual medley and 50m fly in record times and the 100m free and shared in NCR’s record victory in the 200m medley relay and in the 400m medley relay.

Catherine Bondad, another NCR swim star in the high school division, notched her fifth gold in ruling the 800m free, while Central Luzon’s Rafael Barreto matched that golden haul in the boys’ elementary category by winning the 100m fly.

Christopher Lirazan of Western Visayas was hailed the fastest boy of the meet after beating Socksargen’s Romnick Nor in a controversial photo-finish in the 100m.

Socksargen sought a review of the tape, saying its own video of the dead-heat showed Nor clearly won.

“In our tape, although not official, it shows that Nor’s torso was first to cross the line,” said Napoleon Comicho of Koronadal Physical Education for School Sports.

After hours of deliberation, however, Palaro officials said Lirazan won the race in 11.1 seconds, and Nor second in 11.3. ■

41

Pacquiao or Marquez vs Bradley

BY ROY LUARCA Philippine Daily Inquirer SUDDENLY, Timothy Bradley is a hot commodity—the unbelievable object of a tug-ofwar between arch rivals Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez for their next fights.

Marquez claims he’ll be fighting Bradley on Sept. 14, but Cameron Dunkin, Bradley’s manager, denied that a deal has been forged with the unbeaten American, whohanded Pacquiao a dubious split decision loss last June.

Now, Team Pacquiao wants Bradley as the eight-division world champion’s opponent on his return to the ring on Oct. 13, most probably at Venetian Macao.

Pacquiao’s first priority, of course, would have been a fifth fight with Marquez, who knocked him out in the sixth round last

Dec. 8 in Las Vegas.

But Marquez is shrewdly using that stunning ending as a bargaining chip.

After earning $6 million for the fourth bout with Pacquiao, Marquez told the Mexican media recently that PacquiaoMarquez V would happen only if he’s given a guaranteed purse of $20 million.

That figure would virtually mean a 5050 sharing between the fierce rivals, something unacceptable to Pacquiao’s camp.

In response, Team Pacquiao, through business adviser Michael Koncz, offered Bradley a $6 million guarantee for a rematch.

Bradley, who was unimpressive in besting former Pacquiao sparring partner Russian Ruslan Provodnikov in his last outing, has yet to agree to the Pacquiao offer.

But the lure of more money, as Bradley stands to get much less against Marquez, may be too difficult to resist. ■

HOROSCOPE ARIES

(MARCH 21 - APRIL 19) You may have some trouble communicating today, Aries.

It’s as though something is distorting your perception. Don’t be surprised if, once evening comes, you feel like forgetting about all of your responsibilities and traveling to the other end of the world. Tomorrow you will see clearly again, but doubtless there are adventures in store for you!

TAURUS

CANCER

LIBRA

(JUNE 22 - JULY 22) You’re in splendid shape today, Cancer! Did a fairy godmother magic away all the little difficulties of the past few weeks? Enjoy this moment of relief from your worries. As for your love life, some exciting opportunities may arise. Be on the lookout for them, and whatever you do, don’t let them escape!

(SEPT 23 - OCT 22) You may be a bit unclear about your professional direction today, Libra. Your motivation has disappeared without warning. What happened? It may be that you need to become involved in projects that have more universal resonance. Projects of a narrow scope that concern only your interests no longer hold your attention.

LEO

SCORPIO

(JULY 23 - AUGUST 22)

(OCT 23 - NOV 21)

CAPRICORN

(DEC 22 - JAN 19) Today isn’t a good day to sign contracts or make any substantial purchases. Go to the grocery store, by all means, but buy hamburger not tenderloin.

Keep your money in a safe place and save your reserves. Don’t negotiate anything today, Capricorn. No matter how good the offer sounds or how compelling the deal, just walk away.

AQUARIUS

(JAN 20 - FEB 18)

(APRIL 20 - MAY 20) You’re radiant and glowing with happiness today. This is a refreshing change after the gloom and doom of the past few weeks. The decisions you made worked out for the best. Or, even better, perhaps you’re in love? In any case, Taurus, it will be even easier than usual for you to communicate with others and share your joy. Let the good times roll!

GEMINI

It’s certainly clear that you have faith in your actions, Leo! You feel no fear or doubt as you progress toward your goals, cruising along on calm seas under clear skies. This new atmosphere is likely the product of your renewed commitment. Reward yourself for your accomplishments, by all means, but you should wait a few days before launching a full-fledged celebration.

It could be that you see mirages, Scorpio, most notably in the environment around you. You may have the impression that people are lying to you or hiding something from you. Or it may be you’re the one who lies about certain things or hides what you do. Why are you making things so complicated? Don’t be afraid to express your feelings today.

SAGITTARIUS

VIRGO

(NOV 22 - DEC 21)

(MAY 21 - JUNE 21)

(MAY 21 - JUNE 21) Your goal for the day seems to be to enchant your mate.

There’s no reason not to try. Indeed, today is excellent for love. But don’t exaggerate your romantic wiles, Gemini. Since the day’s aspects tend to distort your perception of things, you may be betrayed by what you see in the mirror.

Be careful of what you do and how you do it!

Are you certain that you can’t modify your current situation, Aquarius? Are you a prisoner of a lifestyle that isn’t of your own making or that may be a throwback from the past? People have been asking you to take on too many responsibilities and this is what weighs you down. Don’t be afraid to be alone and distance yourself from these situations. Learn to say no and make your own life!

PISCES

(FEB 19 - MAR 20) This is a moment to start being creative in your life and stop being afraid of not having any talent. Who’s to say what talent is? And in the romance department, the love of your life might be right in front of you. Try lifting your eyes from the romance novels and look around, Virgo. The perfect mate could be any number of people in your daily life. You just have to let yourself see.

Hold tight to your money, Sagittarius, because you may have some strange (though noble) impulses to give it away or spend a large amount on something completely useless. You should think about spending your money in a better way or, better yet, not at all. Why not consider donating some time rather than money to those in need?

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The forecast for you is excellent, Pisces. You can rely on today’s aspects to restore your confidence, which has been sorely tried in the past few days. The warrior of seduction within you can swagger forth, certain of conquest. However, don’t go too far. Wait a few days for reality to dispel the cloud of ecstasy and you will be able to see the future more clearly.

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013

Art-inerary

42

Travel ARTINFORMAL

The Galleries to Go To

BY APRIL SESCON Philippine Canadian Inquirer Y’ALL art brutes. Here’s a handy guide on Manila’s must-see art spaces—or some of them, at least (what with the number of galleries these days—like the proverbial mushrooms following that brief spell of rain).

SILVERLENS It came about as all-photography, but now it’s home to media across all genres, nongenres, cross-genres. One goes to Silverlens for the artists they represent: the coveted, the oft-praised among the contemporary and modern crop. Among them: Maria Taniguchi, Mariano Ching, Patricia Eustaquio, Ryan Villamael, Constantino Zicarelli—what with other exhibiting artists, Silverlens raises the bar up high. www.silverlensgalleries.com MANILA CONTEMPORARY One of the largest galleries in town.

The space—due to sheer size—churns out group shows month after month, with the solo sandwiched here and there. MC doles out masters (Arturo Luz, National Artist, is on view as I type this; Betsy Westendorp of the soft pastel strokes recently held court) along with the contemporary and modern ilk. Of-note exhibitions this year include “Nightwood,” by Valeria Cavestany and Christina Quisumbing Ramilo (the ladies built wooden rooms, glass bottle trees, and a wooden hut in the gallery) and “Exit This Way” by renowned painter Elaine Navas. www.manilacontemporary.com

BLANC

THE DRAWING ROOM

Bedrock of the up-and-comers, Blanc puts its finger on the pulse of current and keeps it there. Dina Gadia, for instance: indemand for her cheeky collage, she held her first show in Blanc. Gadia was cited finalist in 2012’s Ateneo Art Awards and named one of “6 Young Artists to Invest In Now” by ROGUE Magazine. Blanc has its fair share of the famous to its roster, but its edge lies in picking out the most promising. www.blanc.ph FINALE Finale once stood like any other shop on Megamall’s fourth level, the so-called “art walk” where galleries were all but commercial entities. Now, it’s a huge warehouse. It’s also one of the most respected galleries in the country. February of this year saw it hosting Roberto Chabet (touted Father of Philippine Conceptual Art, Chabet passed away this Tuesday) from ground floor to high beam of its ceiling in “Labyrinth.” Last year, Finale held a landmark exhibition of self-portraits

by Filipino artists, all of which came from mega-collector Paulino Que’s treasured trove. It had everything from a small Juan Luna to Maria Jeona, known for c*nts and neon pink and glitter in kitschy work that inspire comparisons to Tracey Emin. www.finaleartfile.com

Yet another prestigious space. The Drawing Room holds court to Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan; art star Kiko Escora, hyperrealist; mentor-to-many Roberto Feleo, revered for his vitrines; Kawayan de Guia, with multiple awards to his name; sound artist Lirio Salvador; street artist Mark Salvatus.

That said, they open their doors too to the new. Street artist Vermont Coronel launched his first show in The Drawing Room. Said exhibition (“Spirit of a Place”—monochrome layered stencils; and “haunting” won’t cut it) was named one of the finalists at the Ateneo Art Awards, the prestigious annual award for modern and contemporary art. www.drawingroomgallery.com VARGAS MUSEUM The University of the Philippines’ resident museum, gallery, archive. The ground floor plays host to monthly shows (on view, currently: Anton del Castillo’s “BUENVIAJE: An Ode to Good Voyage,” central of which is an assemblage of that Filipino caravan, pulled by cow or carabao with baskets and woven things aplenty). The second floor pays homage to art history with a collection graced

by Juan Luna, Fernando Amorsolo, Fabian de la Rosa and other painters from the “Amorsolo school”; modernist works by Victorio Edades, Juan Arellano, Vicente Manansala, and Diosdado Lorenzo; a survey of works by women artists; sculpture by Guillermo Tolentino and Graciano Nepomuceno. The third floor houses archives and memorabilia. www.vargasmuseum.wordpress.com

It lives up to its name: it looks just like another house on the block. They have tables out in the back patio so you can sit in a group with your friends on opening night, drinking your beer in comfort, as opposed to standing around holding wine. AI prides itself on, among others, Jose Santos III, Marina Cruz, Riel Hilario, Joel Alonday—names you can pick out at first glance. Newer talent makes the rounds in many group shows. www.artinformal.com WEST GALLERY Four small rooms, four shows side-byside. West is a bastion in the scene. West is the gallery to go to for the tried and tested and true; but no less for the younger ilk, too. It’s run by artists—a family of artists, in fact (famous painter/cartoonist Malang, Soler and Mona Santos). It’s one of the most accommodating galleries to artists and art collectors. Shows run the gamut from pop (see: Nemo Aguila, Ernest Concepcion, Dex Fernandez) to minimalist sound and video installations (see: Kaloy Olavides), to the top, top sellers in the scene (see: Rodel Tapaya, Andres Barrioquinto, Ronald Ventura). www.facebook.com/westgallery ATENEO ART GALLERY The curation is, often, of the highest quality. In what used to be the campus library, the Ateneo Art Gallery turned into one whole building for exhibits and special collections. To the left from the door: the permanent collection, “In the Eye of Modernity,” a survey of neo-realist works by masters spanning several decades.

The crown jewel: Joya’s 12-feet-long “Granadean Arabesque.” The right wing rotates exhibitions. The AAG recently welcomed the return of David Medalla, international artist and one of the first Filipino conceptualists. www.ateneoartgallery.org

FRIDAY MAY 3, 2013

Travel

43

Food as art and entertainment makes Newfoundland’s St. John’s a dining destination

BY SUE BAILEY The Canadian Press ST. JOHN’S, N.L.—New Year’s Eve at Raymonds restaurant in St. John’s, N.L., will feature a luxurious 12-course tasting menu of seafood and wild game crafted by celebrated chef Jeremy Charles.

Each dish is based on a walk-in-thewoods theme and will showcase flavours from throughout the island, paired with wines from around the world.

The price?

A bell-ringing $325 per person, including the wine, tax and tip.

A more typical dinner for two at Raymonds—think cornish hen with foie gras jus or pan roasted cod with Jerusalem artichoke puree—will top $300 with appetizer and dessert, depending on which wine you choose from a 42-page list. Bottles range from about $40 to more than $2,000.

It’s still a surprise to many people from out of town that fine dining of this calibre not only exists but thrives on the Rock. And while Raymonds is the jewel in this city’s culinary crown, it’s in fine company with a growing list of restaurants that increasingly delights globe-trotting food lovers.

The offshore oil boom has brought new visitors, executives and wealth to a province famous for its kitchen parties and culture of hospitality.

“Europe, Scandinavia, Japan. People are coming up from all over,” said Charles, a soft-spoken and unassuming wizard in chef’s whites.

Raymonds, named for his grandfather and the father of restaurant manager and sommelier Jeremy Bonia, was chosen Canada’s best new restaurant last year by Air Canada’s enRoute inflight magazine.

“I think we take a fairly simple approach with ingredients,” Charles said. “We try to forage and source all local Newfoundland ingredients and, if not, Canadian.”

Those basic elements include the freshest seafood, moose, rabbit, duck and lamb— grazed in summer on salt grass islands in the North Atlantic—that he infuses with French, Italian or whatever modern twists inspire him.

Charles refined many of those techniques during the decade he spent away, cooking for the Molson and Bronfman families at a remote fly fishing camp in Quebec, and working as a private chef in Chicago and Los Angeles.

“Not everyone’s expecting to see such food, I guess, in St. John’s. But it’s great to be a part of this whole food movement and I think we really have come a long way in the past few years,” he said.

“A lot of people are pushing themselves to put out wonderful products and we’re so proud of what we have here. We’re so

PHOTO FROM RAYMONDSRESTAURANT.COM

excited to share what we have with the rest of Canada and the world.”

St. John’s-based food writer and critic Karl Wells said Raymonds is worth every dollar for those who can afford it, and it seems there are many who can. Reservations in high season are recommended weeks in advance.

“It wasn’t that long ago that I wrote a column being critical of a particular restaurant here that was charging $40 for an entree. Well, I mean, that sounds kind of silly now,” Wells said.

Word is spreading about the quality and quantity of Newfoundland eateries, in a range of prices and tastes from Mexican to Indian to the Japanese fusion of Basho Restaurant and Lounge.

The excellence of down-home pub food has been honoured too. The Duke of Duckworth in St. John’s, best known for its fish and chips and its recurring role on the

hit CBC-TV show “Republic of Doyle,” was ranked 10th on this year’s Vacay.ca list of Canada’s top 50 restaurants.

And there’s no shortage of places to find modern twists on traditional favourites such as Jiggs dinner (boiled salt beef with carrot, cabbage, turnip, pease pudding and potato), figgy duff raisin pudding and desserts made with indigenous blueberries, partridge berries and bakeapples.

Award-winning creations also abound at the Newfoundland Chocolate Company.

Wells traces the local food revolution in part to the rise of celebrity chefs and their myriad cooking shows. That media-driven foodie craze has generated a wave of new and ambitious chefs now making their mark in culinary competitions and at the helms of their own restaurants.

Wells laughed as he recalled arriving in Vancouver four years ago as a judge for the

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Gold Medal Plates national championships.

It was tough to convince some people that Newfoundland has more to offer than fried foods and fish and chips, he said.

“It’s not that way anymore. Two years ago, Jeremy Charles was our gold medalist here and he went out and won the silver medal nationally. He damn near won the gold, and that really made a huge difference.”

Wells credits long-standing St. John’s restaurants such as Bianca’s and The Cellar, where many chefs got their start, for first pushing the boundaries of fine dining. Easier flight access to London and New York City, along with the popularity of international cruises, has influenced the appetites of many Newfoundlanders, he said.

That growing demand for good food has made it easier to get fresh micro greens, herbs and other ingredients, said chef Mike Gillan of the recently opened St. John’s restaurant Saltwater.

“I think overall the experience of eating has changed. People did it at one time strictly for nourishment and now they really go for it for entertainment. That’s where we become as much performers as we are chefs.”

Dave Snow, president of Wildland Tours, said some of the best food is found outside St. John’s. He has offered snow crab feasts in season at Battle Harbour in Labrador, and raves about Nellie Cunningham’s fresh breads and pies, available May to October, at the Clode Sound Motel and Restaurant in Charlottetown, N.L. “You don’t see as much wealth out there,” Snow said. “But rural Newfoundland is where our heart and soul come from, for a lot of us anyway.” ■ If you go: For information on where to eat: www. newfoundlandlabrador.com/thingstodo/ fooddining; http://nl.edining.ca/

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Canada

46

The Other Side of the Ampeso Story

BY ANGIE DUARTE Philippine Canadian Inquirer THERE are two sides to every story.

Something we have always heard, but often forget.

Quick to believe what we are fed, the first story told is often the one perceived as true; especially when accompanied by visuals that may or may not have been edited in support of one’s story.

Such seems to be the case with the red-hot news bit and video circulating: a purportedly drunken Jose Ampeso, the Philippine consul general to Vancouver, and his presumed alcohol induced tirade against a Filipino man applying for a passport.

Video has Ampeso, yelling at one Proceso Flordeliz, Jr. (complainant), supposedly after his refusal to donate to the Red Cross.

According to Flordeliz, the conversation went as follows (as transcribed in various news reports): Flordeliz: Is this where you pass your requirements for passport renewal?

ConGen Ampeso: (grinning slightly) Magdo-donate ka ba? (Will you be making a donation?)

Flordeliz: (smelt alcohol in Ampeso’s breath) I don’t think I’d do it today, maybe next time.

ConGen Ampeso: Now, are you going to donate? Kahit magkano ok lang. (Any amount will do).

Flordeliz: Ok lang one dollar? Ito lang nakayanan ko eh. (Is one dollar ok? It’s all I am able to give).

ConGen Ampeso: (shouting) One dollar? Para sa Pilipinas yan tapos one dollar lang ibibigay mo? Ang cheap mo naman, para sa Pinas yan! (One dollar?

That is for the Philippines, and all you will donate is one dollar? What a cheapskate you are, that’s for the Philippines!)

This is how it’s being painted out: the story of an irate, arrogant public official who may have thrown back one-too-many over lunch. That is their side; one that media has made public, causing a feeding frenzy as blood in shark-infested waters.

But what is Ampeso’s side?

A long day, aggravated by insults

The story unfolded on April 19, at a hotel in Alberta, Canada for Vancouver mission’s passport renewal outreach program.

Flordeliz had a 4 P.M. appointment. He approached the table of the consul general, where the aforementioned exchange supposedly took place.

Ampeso says it had been a long and tiring day; one which started at 8 A.M., resulting in the service and passport renewal of over a thousand applicants.

Furthermore, he was unjustly provoked and ridiculed by Flordeliz.

Ampeso said the passport applicant

“insulted me and poked fun at being requested to make a donation to the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC).”

“That’s why I became so agitated while explaining to him that if he had to give anything at all, it has to come from the heart for the typhoon victims. It was purely voluntary,” he said.

“And definitely, it was not a requirement for a passport application or rendition of any other consular services, contrary to what some allege. Thus, any allegation or insinuation that we were forcing people to give is entirely untrue,” he said.

“Please take note that this incident took place at about 4 P.M. I was visibly tired after continuously assisting hundreds of passport applicants in the front of the line that afternoon, ending in fact until 10:30 p.m. on that day,” he said.

Under the influence?

A long and tiring day is one we can all relate to: patience wearing thin at the end thereof. Still no excuse for “losing it,” but definitely an understandable scenario.

But was Ampeso inebriated, as Flordeliz claims? Pointing to the his breath “which smelt of alcohol,” and his occasionally slurred speech?

In his official statement, Ampeso denied being rude or arrogant at the event, although he did apologize for any untoward offense made. He did not, however, address the question of whether or not he was drunk.

What most reports do not mention is that Ampeso has had a stroke, a kidney transplant and is on 10 daily maintenance medications. And although this does not mean he wasn’t drunk, it most certainly offers an alternative, viable explanation for the slurring of his speech.

Insufficient evidence

The 28-second video clip, captioned “Rude, arrogant, drunk consul. More fun in the Philippines!,” was posted on the YouTube video-sharing website, furthering the public and media frenzy.

Ampeso says that “The video alone is not sufficient to draw any reasonable conclusions from, one way or the other.

Hence, it is unfair and unjust to use it to malign my character.”

The consul general has been a career diplomat over the last three decades, serving in various overseas posts. He says that his number one goal is to serve the people, always doing his utmost to efficiently work for Filipinos abroad.

Ampeso claimed the 28-second video “does not tell the whole story” of the events which transpired on April 19.

A witness comes forth

Amidst the seeming one-sided portrayal of events, a witness has come forth.

Alex Barros, a volunteer at the passport application outreach, tells a tale different

from the one much-hyped. Barros feels it is his moral responsibility to let fellowFilipinos hear the story’s other side.

He recounts Flordeliz, coming in with his incomplete forms, for his 4 pm appointment. Ampeso tells him to fill-out the missing bit of information. Flordeliz leaves the room, in search of a pen.

He returns, to find that there are other “walk-in” applicants also being serviced; meaning, perhaps, that he had to wait a tad longer than expected. At this point, Ampeso asks him if he wishes to make a donation to the Red Cross.

According to Barros, it was Flordeliz who raised his voice first, saying “Kala ko ba donation? Bakit parang compulsory?”

(I thought it was a donation? Why do you make it appear compulsory?)

Sensing a potential kerfuffle, Barros approached Flordeliz, and asked him to calm down, and please show the consul general some respect; to which Flordeliz cursed in Filipino, inciting the other applicants, saying “’Tang ina, siya pala ang consul? Dapat hindi tayo bibigay diyan! Baka ibu-bulsa niya lang! (Filipino curse word, followed by: Turns out he’s the consul? We shouldn’t give any money to him! He might just pocket it for himself!)

This pushed tired Ampeso’s buttons; all the wrongs ones. He got up, yelled back at the applicant that no one was forcing him to donate; that it was a voluntary donation from the heart. He then ordered the volunteer staff to process Flordeliz’ papers; that the situation would be done with, and the man would leave the room.

This was all that was captured on video.

Apology

Regardless, Ampeso says he’s sorry, apologizing last Thursday for any offense his outburst may have caused.

He is set to return to the Philippines early next week, as the Department of Foreign Affairs has required him to explain his side to the home office.

DFA spokesman Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez said the collection of voluntary donations from members of the Filipino community is commonplace among Philippine missions abroad, especially during calamitous times.

For his part, Ampeso clarified that funds collected during the Alberta outreach program “are fully recorded” and “will be remitted soonest in full to the PNRC.” PCI tried to contact Flordeliz for his side of the story. Mr. Flordeliz sent us the following response: “I’m sorry but I think I’ve done enough interviews already. Also, my statement was already broadcasted by Balitang Canada, our own TV Patrol and GMA News, so I’m sorry to say that I won’t be making future interviews anymore, except to answer new allegations by Ampeso’s party. This is also for the protection of my family.” ■

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Publisher Philippine Canadian Inquirer Editor Melissa Remulla-Briones editor@canadianinquirer.net Associate Editor Laarni de Paula Editorial Assistant April Sescon Correspondents Lizette Lofranco-Aba Gigi Astudillo Angie Duarte Maria Ramona Ledesma Katherine Marfal Frances Grace Quiddaoen Agnes Tecson Graphic Designer Victoria Yong Illustration Danvic Briones Photographers Solon Licas Ryan Ferrer Angelo Siglos Operations and Marketing Head Laarni de Paula 1-888-668-6059 laarni.liwanag@canadianinquirer.net Sales & Advertising Alice Yong (778) 889-3518 alice.yong@canadianinquirer.net PHILIPPINE PUBLISHING GROUP Editorial Assistant Phoebe Casin Graphic Designer Shanice Garcia Association Publisher Lurisa Villanueva 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.: 1-888-668-6059 or 778-8893518 | Email: info@canadianinquirer.net or inquirerinc@gmail.com Member Canadian Association of Journalists National and Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada Richmond Chamber of Commerce

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