November2012

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Volume 5, Number 11 • November 2012

Filipino Journal wins MFBC Exceptional Small Business Award

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Prime Minister Harper in Manila

Page 14 ►

Page 4 ► Prime Minister Stephen Harper, his wife Laureen and Senator Tobias Enverga climb aboard a Jeepney, an iconic Filipino bus.

APOAAA Bowl-For-A-Cause Kick-Off gets a jumpstart

Lyla Gray receives Social Services Award

Page 9 ►

Page 17 ►

Tagalog is the Fastest Growing Language in Canada

Page 6 ►

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The Pulse of the Filipino Community

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Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced new initiatives Aquino congratulates Obama to promote economic growth in the Philippines MANILA, Philippines – Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced support for an initiative that will promote economic growth and employment in the Philippines . The announcement was made during the Prime Minister’s visit to the country earlier this month.

“The Philippines is making real progress towards achieving sustainable economic growth and our Government remains committed to helping them reach this goal,” said Prime Minister Harper. “The initiative being announced today will help facilitate private investment in the country’s infrastructure and promote economic opportunities for young people in the Philippines – especially in the tourism sector.”

The Fostering Inclusive Growth initiative will be managed by the Asian Development Bank and will help national and local government agencies in the Philippines improve tourism and labour regulations. It will also promote public-private partnerships in infrastructure development, and assist youth in gaining employable skills that meet industry requirements.

The Fostering Inclusive Growth initiative complements previous Canadian initiatives in the Philippines , such as the Canadian International Development Agency’s Local Governance Support Program for Local Economic Development, which addresses the tourism sector, as well as the Improving Business

Climate project, which is improving business registration at the national and local levels.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced support of $15.5

million over four years, starting in 2013 and ending in 2016, for a project that will promote economic growth and employment in the Philippines.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper inspects the honour guard with Benigno Simeon Aquino III, President of the Philippines, at the Malacañang Palace.

President Benigno S. Aquino III sent a letter which was transmitted to the White House congratulating President Barack Obama’s victory over his rival Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

In a statement, presidential spokesman Edwin Laciera said Aquino wrote that the American people has given Obama a new mandate because they have trusted him to continue harnessing the voices and ideas of the American people. Aquino also said that the Philippines looks forward to deepening the cooperation between the two countries under the second four-year term of Obama.

Vice President, Jejomar C. Binay also expressed confidence that the warm and productive relations between the Philippines and the United States will continue with the reelection of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) likewise joined the world in welcoming the victory of President Obama. Ghazali Jaafar, the MILF’s vice chairman for Political Affairs, hopes that Obama’s second term would also mean more support for the search for peace and economic development in Mindanao.

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Institutionalized corruption

PEREZCOPE

by Perry

Diaz

PerryDiaz@gmail.com President Benigno “P-Noy” Aquino III’s administration has been touting the government’s success in fighting corruption. However, the numbers aren’t there. Except for the small fries, a big fish has yet to be caught in P-Noy’s much heralded anticorruption campaign, which was the linchpin of his crusade to eradicate poverty.

Indeed, his campaign slogan of “Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap” (No corruption, no poverty) has lost its purpose and meaning. Corruption is still around, more than 10 million households rated themselves as “poor,” almost eight million families claimed to be hungry, and joblessness is almost 30 percent.

Nobody would dispute that P-Noy is “honest and incorruptible,” which he is, without a shadow of a doubt. He is the epitome of honesty in government. If only his subordinates would follow his policy of “daang matuwid” – straight path – his government would be the envy of the world. But, alas, it isn’t t so.

The Philippines still ranks high – or should I say, low – in the Corruption Perceptions Index where she ranked 129 out of 182 last year. However, bad as it is, the country improved a little bit from previous years – 134 in 2010 when P-Noy assumed the presidency and 139 in 2009 during Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s time.

Nonetheless, the slow pace in ridding the Philippines of corruption still puts the country behind 11 Asian countries -- Singapore (5), South Korea (43), Brunei (44), Malaysia (60), China (75), Thailand (80), Sri Lanka (86), India (95), Indonesia (100), Vietnam (112), and

Bangladesh (120); and ahead of only four -- Pakistan (134), Laos (154), Cambodia (164), and Myanmar (180).

By the looks of it, the Philippines is in bad company of third-world countries. Ideally, it should be in the company of tiger economies like Malaysia, China, and Thailand, not to mention Singapore, which would be wishful thinking – that is, beyond our reach. Sad to say, the Philippines still has a long way to go in eradicating corruption.

So, why can’t the Aquino administration make real stride in fighting corruption and prosecuting corrupt government officials? There are thousands of cases gathering dust in the Office of the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court.

It seems like searching for evidence is like looking into a bottomless pit – you know it’s there but you can’t reach it.

A case in point was the celebrated impeachment case against former Chief Justice Renato Corona. He was convicted based on his admission that he had secret dollar accounts that he did not disclose in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN). But the prosecution failed to present evidence on the charges of corruption and ill-gotten wealth, which forced the prosecution to drop them.

Another case was former President Gloria Arroyo who was charged with five plunder cases.

However, due to insufficient evidence, the Ombudsman was forced to drop three of them. Although Gloria was arraigned on the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) plunder case, the wheels of justice are not turning fast enough. I would not be surprised if the case was dismissed.

Why? Is it because no crime was committed that the charges were dropped? There was prima facie evidence to file the charges but not enough to prosecute and convict them.

good advice today in tracking corrupt officials’ ill-gotten wealth. If you can follow where they hide their illgotten money, gotcha!

In many countries, like the United States, people with ill-gotten wealth deposit their money in banks in Switzerland or the Cayman Islands, where bank secrecy laws protect the identity of depositors. But in the Philippines, a corrupt official, a drug lord or a jueteng operator doesn’t need to go abroad to hide their dirty money. Yep, they can go straight to their local bank and open a foreign currency deposit account and nobody can see it, not even government investigators.

Known as “Foreign Currency Deposit Act of the Philippines,” Republic Act (RA) 6426 was signed into law by then President Ferdinand E. Marcos in 1974 during the martial law era. The law states that any information can only be disclosed “upon written permission of the depositor.” Many believe that it was enacted for the purpose of hiding the ill-gotten wealth of Marcos and his cronies.

But RA 6426 survived when the people power revolution toppled the Marcos dictatorship. Oddly, it remains in the books to this day.

Perhaps, the lawmakers find it useful.

After Corona was impeached and removed from office, there was a move by a few lawmakers to amend or repeal RA 6426. But P-Noy didn’t warm up to the idea and it ended up in limbo, never to see the light of day again.

Conspiracy?

Another bill that has been tossed around like a ping-pong ball was the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill.

FOI has been debated in Congress for many years. When P-Noy ran for President in 2010, he promised to sign an FOI bill into law if he won the election. But after he was sworn in as President, he showed reluctance in supporting it.

Last week, after Rep. Ben Evardone, Chairman of the House Public Information Committee, refused to put the FOI bill to a vote in his committee, FOI advocates claimed that there was a conspiracy to kill the bill and blamed P-Noy for his “flaccid support” for the bill.

But why would Evardone block the bill when he seemed to be supportive of it before? Makes one wonder if he was just following orders from higher up? Which reminds me of what he told the media said a few months ago.

In my article, “FOI: P-Noy’s foible” (August 29, 2012), I wrote: “In a recent televised interview with Failon Ngayon, he [Evardone] said that the Liberal Party doesn’t have a stand on the FOI bill and that it was not on P-Noy’s legislative priority agenda. Likewise, the bill’s authors, who include Deputy Speaker Lorenzo

‘Erin’ Tañada III and Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello, are helpless in getting the bill moving in the committee. And where is Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. in this moro-moro? Well, he was more like the team’s coach. But the team’s owner was P-Noy. And what P-Noy says is what they do.”

If P-Noy were really serious in fighting – nay, dismantling -institutionalized corruption, there are a few things that he could do: (1) Pass the FOI bill; (2) Remove the secrecy lid of RA 6426; (3) Comply fully with international anti-money laundering law requirements; and (4) decriminalize libel.

It’s a tall order, but if P-Noy wants to stand tall and leave a legacy, then no order is too tall that he cannot achieve. It’s not easy but it certainly is worth the effort.

BSP joins appeal for review of gold tax Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said there’s merit to the proposal from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to soften its stance on the gold tax as BSP has joined the clamor for a review of the 7-percent tax on gold sales.

Believing that the smuggling of the precious metal out of the country could become even more rampant if the tax issue remained unresolved, the BSP is proposing to adjust the method of computing the taxes on gold sales as against the call of legislators for the removal of the gold tax Guinigundo added that congress and BIR would have to work out a practical, acceptable, realistic base rather than the gross amount of gold on which to apply the tax rates.

The BSP is authorized to buy gold mined within the country where proceeds are charged a 5-percent creditable withholding tax and a

2-percent excise tax computed based on the gross amount of gold sales Gold from mining sites is sold from one trader to another. The last trader nearest to one of the BSP’s gold-buying sites and the final seller of the gold to the BSP is the one charged by the BIR with the taxes totaling 7 percent. Currently there are BIR offices in all of the five gold-buying sites of the BSP namely, Baguio City, Quezon City, Naga City, Davao City and Zamboanga City.

The Mine and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) for its part said all the government had to do was to give a little encouragement to small-scale miners and tighten up against the illegal mining of the precious metal.

MGB director Leo Jasareno said BSP had started meeting with small-scale miners to urge them to sell their gold to the government.

Follow the money Corruption is all about money.

So, as Deep Throat had told Watergate investigators, “Follow the money,” four decades ago, it is still

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Ilocos Norte: A History

Tagalog is the Fastest Growing Language in Canada

town of Pagudpud ,and walk along its quiet beach(not an international tourist attraction then) and visited my aunt in Davila in the town of Pasuquin ,where I explored its seashore doted with salt making huts. Alas, what was left are vivid memories!

It is the author's fervent hope that Ilocanos and non-Ilocanos alike will find the series informativebeing a part of the Filipino historical experience.

Philippines-based Tagalog is the fastest-growing language in Canada. This is according to Statistics Canada, which has released the results of its 2011 Census of Population: Linguistic Characteristics of Canadians.

More than 200 languages were reported in the 2011 Census of Population as a home language or mother tongue.

According to StatCan “the home languages showing the strongest growth between 2006 and 2011 were primarily Asian,” and the “the population that reported speaking the Philippinebased language Tagalog increased by 64%, the highest growth.”

According to the survey, “nearly 279,000 people reported speaking Tagalog most often in 2011, up from 170,000 five years earlier.”

Tagalog is now the fifth most common non-official language spoken in Canadian households.

The top 10 immigrant languages spoken most often at home in 2011 were: Punjabi, Chinese n.o.s., Cantonese, Spanish, Tagalog, Arabic, Mandarin, Italian, Urdu and German.

Vancouver has one of the

Part I of the series

by Danilo V.

Donor ( M.A Ed. )

donordanilo@yahoo.com

A Very Personal Introduction Authors are motivated to pursue a research topic ,for the author of this humble work,it is purely personal- a search for his roots. Both my grandparents in my father side( Zambales and La Union )and mother side (Ilocos Norte) were Ilocanos. My early childhood memories of my brief grandparents visits to Manila are still fresh in my minds.I heard them speaking in "strange" language, I being born and raised in Tagalog speaking region ,pained that can not hold conversations with them until I learned Ilocano in my early teens when I frequently spent my summer school breaks in Ilocos Norte since 1967.I enjoyed the company of my relatives, relish the memories of simple farm life; hiked along the national highway from Barrio Abaca,to Poblacion,Lanao and Dampig and in the town of Bangui,Ilocos Norte . I visited the

November 2012

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CHAPTER I GEOGRAPHY Ilocos Norte is located in the north western part of Luzon,the largest island in the Philippine Archipelago.It is one of four provinces that comprises Region I: ILOCOS NORTE, Ilocos Sur ,La Union and Pangasinan.

The province is bounded in the north by Babuyan Channel ; in the south by the province of Ilocos Sur;in the west by West Philippine Sea (formerly South China Sea ) and in the east by the provinces of Cagayan and Kalinga-Apayao.

The total land area of Ilocos Norte is 346,789 hectares or 3,622 sq.kilometers.

Ilocos Norte can be reach by air:45 minutes from Manila ,55 from Kaoshiung, 80 minutes from Guangzhou,Hong Kong and Taipei and 2.15 hours from Shanghai; and by land, 8 hours from Manila and 4 hours from Baguio.

CLIMATE Two pronounce season prevail in Ilocos Norte;dry and wet.Dry from November to April and wet during the rest of the year.

TOWNS AND BARANGAYS Ilocos Norte is composed of two cities and twenty one towns with their corresponding numbers of barangays(barrios): 1.Laoag City-capital(80) 2.City of Batac(43) 3. Adams(1) 4.Bacarra(43) 5 .Badoc(31) 6.Bangui(15) 7.Banna/Espiritu (20) 8.Burgos (11) 9.(Carasi(3) 10..Currimao(23) 11.Dingras(31) 12.Dumalneg (1) 13.Marcos (13) 14.Nueva Era (11) 15.Pagudpud (16) 16.Paoay(31) 17.Pasuquin(33) 18.Piddig (23) 19.Pinili (25) 20.San Nicolas (24) 21.Vintar (33) (Part II -next issue) Note: For inquiries regarding sources/reference/bibliography etc., please e-mail me at : donordanilo @yahoo.com.

Copyright(C)by the author.

largest Canadian populations of Tagalog speakers, with 47,600 reporting to Statistics Canada that it was their primary language at home in 2011. Tagalog is now the most common immigrant home language in Edmonton and the second most common in Calgary, after Punjabi.

Philippine Ambassador Leslie Gatan states that the word has spread around that Canada is some kind of a promised land, and Filipinos who used to flock to America because the U.S. is a former colonizer, have discovered there’s a better pasture north of the United States.

Ambassador Gatan said that economic growth in Western Canada has created a wealth of new opportunities for Filipinos and that and many new immigrants are travelling to Edmonton, Winnipeg and Regina for jobs.

Last summer, the Philippines Embassy held trial Tagalog classes in Ottawa, in response to parents’ concerns that their children will forget how to speak the Filipino language. The Embassy hopes to expand the program to other cities next year.

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7

The Vatican II after Fifty Years

by Dr.

Eusebio Koh

T

he year 1962, fifty years ago, was a very memorable year. In April of 1961, the United States with Cuban rebels launched the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion of Cuba with the intention to rid the North American continent of the presence of communism. The USSR under Nikita Kruschev decided to arm Cuba with nuclear missiles to prevent future invasions. Those missiles could hit Washington D. C. in fifteen minutes if launched.

The missiles were discovered by American U2 aircrafts in October, 1962 which led to the thirteenday Cuban Missile Crisis. The United States under President John F. Kennedy was prepared to

confront and block Russian ships from reaching Cuba. Fortunately, diplomacy won out and the tension was defused. That was probably the closest we came to nuclear war.

But the year 1962 was memorable for a most pleasant event – an event that enriches the world, specifically the world of the Catholics which today number over a billion.

The Second Vatican Council (informally called Vatican II) is one important happening in the Catholic Church. It opened up the Church to the modern world. The council, a bright idea of Blessed Pope John XXIII, convened on 11 October 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI on 8 December 1965. Pope John passed away in June, 1963 and Pope Paul reopened the council upon his election to the papacy.

The popes who succeeded Pope John, namely Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul I, Pope John Paul II and the present Pope Benedict XVI were participants in the Vatican II. In talks before the Council actually met, Pope John had said that we needed to open the windows and the doors of the Church to take in some fresh air.

He was talking about ecumenism, renewal, reform and getting lay involvement in the liturgy and other aspects of the Church.

He invited the Protestant and Eastern Orthodox Churches to send observers to the Council and they accepted. There were also lay and women observers during the council meetings. Personally, I think it was Pope John who was the fresh air for through the Vatican II he brought the people closer to the Church and to the Lord Jesus Christ.

There were numerous documents approved by Council.

A Synod of Bishops was established to preserve a close cooperation of the bishops with the Pope. There were decrees on religious freedom, decrees on missionary activity, on the life of persons in religious orders, education for the priests, and the role of the laity. One important document stated that the Jews of today are no more responsible for the death of Christ than Christians.

A most accommodating document was on the dogmatic constitution on the Church. While claiming to be the “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic” Church of Christ, the document acknowledged that

“many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside its visible confines.”

Perhaps the most notable with immediate effects on individual Catholics was the decree to allow the celebration of the Mass in vernacular languages with greater participation of lay persons in the liturgy and the celebrant facing the congregation.

Latin of course was not abolished as the liturgical language of the Roman Rite and is still the basis of translations as in the case of the new Roman Missal. Here and elsewhere, traditionalists can still attend Latin Masses.

Vatican II opened the Church to modern times and also reached back to biblical times by stressing the central role of the Sacred Scripture in our devotion.

Bible study continues to be part of the activities of priest and parishioners.

For senior citizens like me, Vatican II has made changes in what and how the Church has become to us: 1. The Church is no longer some unapproachable Kingdom of God. We are part and parcel of the Church; we are the Church.

2. The Church has become less absolute in its relationship to nonCatholics and even non-Christians allowing that there are religious truths and aspirations outside the Church.

3. The Church is now understandable in its mission with the priest facing us and speaking our vernacular language.

4. The Church has invited us to be involved in the liturgy and the Eucharist. It has given value to us as thinking participants and listened to our opinions considering the increase of educated Catholics with advanced degrees in the arts (including theology) and sciences.

5. The Church has become a church of love, not of fear and coercion. It has given us freedom to act according to our clear conscience.

To mark the fiftieth anniversary of Vatican II, Pope Benedict XVI had declared the period from October 2012 to the end of November 2013 a "Year of Faith" and told parishes and religious institutions to find ways to celebrate and reaffirm the Creed. Either the Apostles’ Creed or the Nicene Creed is a statement of the Christian belief.

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Show You Care, Don’t Park There City Salutes Excellent Edmontonians City of Edmonton urges citizens to park responsibly this holiday season The City of Edmonton is asking drivers to leave designated parking stalls open for people who need them. Only those with accessible parking permits may use accessible parking stalls.

“Laziness is not a disability, but an excuse and there is no excuse for parking illegally,” said Mayor Mandel in proclaiming the week of November 2630, 2012 Accessible Parking Awareness Week. “By leaving accessible stalls for individuals who need them, we promote a safe, accessible, more livable Edmonton for everyone.”

Besides creating barriers for others, drivers who park in accessible stalls without a permit may be putting fellow residents at risk.

“Without accessible parking, individuals with disabilities may be forced to travel distances beyond what is specified by a medical practitioner. This puts them in danger of physical harm” said Shauna Helm of Edmonton’s Advisory Board on Services for Persons with Disabilities.

Parkers who violate accessible parking bylaws can receive a $250 fine, plus have to foot the bill for towing and impound charges.

Parking permits for people with disabilities are issued by Alberta Transportation.

For application forms, visit any Alberta Registry Agent or the Service Alberta Driver-Vehicle Information website.

The City of Edmonton honoured inspirational individuals at the 2012 Salute to Excellence Citation and Performance Awards, an annual event that celebrates residents who go above-and-beyond to enhance arts and culture, community service and sport in the city.

“These individuals have spent years volunteering for their communities to enhance the quality of life for their neighbours and peers,” said Mayor Mandel. “I’m proud to acknowledge their tireless work, leadership and commitment to excellence. It has surely enhanced Edmonton’s reputation as a great place to call home.”

Citation Awards honour individuals or groups who have given more than 5 years of distinguished service as volunteers and have been inspirational leaders in the areas of arts and culture, sports and community service.

Community Service

David Basham has given 15 years of distinguished service to the Edmonton Southwood Community League. Basham’s volunteer work and leadership with the League has encompassed, among others, the roles of neighbourhood watch director, executive member, and newsletter distributor.

Valerie Bright has donated more than 30 hours a week for many years making a remarkable impact in Edmonton’s Parkview community.

Her numerous community league roles include spearheading redevelopment of the community league (as co-leader), managing fundraising projects, serving on the executive, and organizing the Tot Time program.

Bill Thomas founded the Golden Dreams band in 1991 which is devoted to arranging and providing volunteer musical performances for seniors. Thomas has contributed an exceptional number of hours organizing gigs, practicing with members, and performing in lodges, hospitals, and extended care facilities, enhancing

the lives of approximately 50,000 people over the past 21 years.

Sport Stuart Winkler A gold winning ski jumper in the 1975 Deaflympics, the late Stuart Winkler gave Edmonton’s ski and running communities more than 30 years of volunteering. An inspirational figure who overcame disabilities, he became a role model who shared his time with the Nordic community, Canadian Birkebeiner Society, and Edmonton Ski Club.

Performance Awards were also given to individuals and teams who have gained outstanding recognition at the national or international level.

More than 80 performance awards were also bestowed upon some of Edmonton’s brightest sports stars, teams and coaches for achievements in a wide variety of sports ranging from diving, swimming, shooting, bowling, fencing, rowing and volleyball.

The Salute to Excellence Committee is presently seeking nominations for the 2013 Citation and Performance Awards.

Speak up for those who are silenced.

Call the Family Violence Info Line at 310-1818.

Help is available in more than 170 languages. www.familyviolence.alberta.ca

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Alberta

9

APOAAA Bowl-For-A-Cause Kick-Off gets a jumpstart

By LFS Filed by Jose “Pepito” Magpayo

November 25, 2012, Calgary The Alpha Phi Omega Alumni Association of Alberta (APOAAA) Bowl-For-ACause, held at the Century Bowl and Casino, Calgary, obtained commendable start as 3 teams consisting of APOAAA members and their families compete on a friendly 2-1/2 hour bowling match. The dominating team led by Boy de Leon sealed the fate of the other 2 teams, as the more senior but vigorous team dominated the young and the restless. The children also had their bowling moments and fun.

However, everybody felt the heart of a champion as each participant provided their whole-hearted donations of used clothing/ shoes and pre-school educational supplies. The event was a starting point to collect old clothing and pre-school educational supplies for typhoon victims and “balikaral” programs sponsored by

APOAAA which are projected to be sent to nominated institutions in the Philippines on March 2013.

“It was a meaningful experience to have our fraternal brothers and families come together and have fun while having them participate service projects”, Nick Sanchez, a senior member quoted. “All

great deeds comes from humble beginnings”, he added. APOAAA is determined this coming year to get its members, families and friends collectively involved to its line of service projects and attain this coming year’s theme of “One APO, One Family, One World”.

The next Bowl-For-A-Cause

event will be held on December 16, 2012 at Century Bowl and Casino, 1010 42 Avenue, SE Calgary, AB. APOAAA is the 246th chartered alumni association of Alpha Phi Omega (APO) International Service Fraternity and Sorority Philippines based in

Alberta, Canada and a member of the Alumni Council of North America (ACNA). For APO information, refer to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Alpha_Phi_Omega, http://www.apo.org.ph/ and http://www.apo.org/Home

Alpha Phi Omega

Alumni Association of Alberta APO Philippines #246 Member: ACNA

“Ductu, Amicitiam, Servitium” Alpha Phi Omega Alumni Association of Alberta (APOAAA) is the official 246th alumni chapter of Alpha Phi Omega (APO) Philippines and a long standing member of the APO Alumni Council of North America (ACNA). Founded on December 16, 2006 and officially incorporated in Edmonton, Alberta under Societies Act, the alumni association has grown to a strong 128 members from all of Alberta. It is the association’s goal to have it’s members and associated families united and participate in community-based service projects in Alberta and in the Philippines, maintaining camaraderie and cooperation among its members and other APO alumni associations worldwide.

APOAAA has been actively involved in numerous community service in Alberta and in the Philippines. Alpha Phi Omega International Service Fraternity and Sorority was founded on December 16, 1925 at Lafayette College, Pennsylvania, USA. For ΑΦΩ history and related links, refer to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Phi_Omega and http://www.apo.org/ Home

ALL APO BROTHERS AND SISTERS ARE VERY MUCH WELCOME TO REGISTER AS MEMBER AT APOAAA. FOR MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION, PLEASE EMAIL TO: aa_bayani@gmail.com.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: December 7, 2012: APOAAA INSTALLATION/INDUCTION CEREMONY (APO Phils

#246), with Bro. Mel Adriano, 7PM, Greenwood Inn & Suites, 3515 , 26 Avenue, NE, Calgary, AB, T1Y 7E3.

December 16, 2012: APOAAA BOWL-FOR-A-CAUSE (an anniversary service event in Calgary and Edmonton), 12:30~3PM, Century Bowling, 1010, 42 Avenue, SE, Calgary, AB. Venue and time in Edmonton will be determined. Please bring old clothes in good shape and/or pre-school supplies donations. Donation boxes will be available at venue.

December 22, 2012: Post 87th FOUNDING ANNIVERSARY AND APOAAA CHRISTMAS

PARTY 6PM, Greenwood Inn & Suites, 3515 , 26 Avenue, NE, Calgary, AB, T1Y 7E3.

For details and registration for the upcoming events indicated above, please contact Bro. Adrian

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The Filipino Journal is published twice a month in Winnipeg. We are committed to help you attain your marketing, sales, and company objectives. Your company advertisement in our newspaper will surely appeal to 50,000 Filipino’s and Canadian readers. Advertisers can expect to get their message to its readers and consumers in this area. People read the Filipino Journal because of its very informative news, entertainment sections and useful everyday information on living in Canada.

Filipino Journal is the no.1 Filipino-Canadian Newspaper in Alberta that published 10,000 copies once a month. We are the largest and fastest growing Filipino-Canadian newspaper, with 70,000 Filipino’s and Canadian readers.

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Filipino Journal SOCIAL MEDIA SERVICES

Social media marketing brings your company to the fastest growing networking hubs on the Internet.

We can help you reach out to, collaborate with, and market effectively to targeted audiences in their on-line haunts.

Social Media Marketing services include: Social Media Strategy - finding your potential clients on-line and figuring out how to reach them.

Corporate Facebook Pages – building and managing effective Facebook presences; Twitter Services – using Twitter the right way.

Our social media marketing services can: * * * * * * *

increase brand awareness; create buzz; promote and advertise products and services; generate sales; establish expertise; drive more web site traffic showcase and demonstrate product effectiveness.

Facebook, MySpace, Flickr and YouTube get millions of visitors daily. Tap into this vital social phenomenon and reach a vast new audience, contact the Filipino Journal today to find out how.

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Ron Cantiveros (204) 489-8894 ron@FilipinoJournal.com

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“Super Visa”: Get your Parents and Grand Parents faster to Canada

Immigration News

by Columbio (Jon) Salvador, BSc.

Certified Canadian Immigration Consultant

(About the writer: Jon Salvador is a licensed immigration consultant and a member in good standing with the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC). He has more than 20 years of management and business experience in Canada. Prior to establishing his immigration consulting company, he worked for a U.S. based computer company and then at TELUS, the 2nd largest telecom company in Canada in various management positions.

He is originally from Manila, Philippines and graduated from DLSU (De La Salle University) in Manila with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. He also studied Business Management at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. If you would like to request articles on other immigration topics for future “Alberta Filipino Journal” publications, you can contact Jon at (403) 241-6276 or at jon@nuerainc.ca or the publisher of this newspaper.

Family Reunification is important to the Canadian government. To alleviate the backlog of more than 165,000 parents/ grandparents sponsorship applications in 2011 that was taking up to 8 years to process – the Parents and Grand Parents Super Visa was implemented on Dec. 1, 2011. As of December 1, 2011, parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents (PRs) are eligible to apply for the Parent’s and Grandparent’s Super Visa. The Super Visa is a special Visitor/Tourist Visa valid for 10 years and is renewable every 2 years (instead of every 6 months).

The Super Visa was announced by the government to temporarily replace the Parental PR Sponsorship program that was suspended for 2 years - pending government policy review. For the next 2 years starting Dec. 1, 2011, the government will not accept any new Parental PR Sponsorship applications to reduce the existing backlog of more than 165,000 applications. The Super Visitor Visa will enable parents and grandparents to visit family in Canada as a Visitor/Tourist for up to two years without the need to renew their status.

For 2012 and 2013, the government announced that it would admit up to 25,000 parents and grandparents per year... for a total of 50,000 for 2 years. This is a 60% annual increase from 2010 and the highest levels of admission allowed in the past twenty years. Canadian citizens and new PRs should take advantage of this opportunity to bring the parents and grandparents to Canada.

b. be found admissible to Canada c. provide a written commitment of financial support from his/her child or grandchild in Canada who meets a minimum income threshold (LICO). d. prove that he/she have bought Canadian medical insurance coverage for at least one year e. undergo an Immigration Medical Examination.

Canadian Visa officers will consider several factors before deciding if the person is admissible. The person must be a genuine visitor to Canada who will leave by choice at the end of the visit. The following things would be considered by the Visa officer prior to approving a Super Visitor Visa: • the person’s ties to the home country; • the purpose of the visit; • the person’s family and financial situation; • the overall economic and political stability of the home country; and • an invitation from a Canadian or a PR host.

Note: The person cannot include dependants in the Super Visitor Visa application. Only the person’s spouse or common-law partner is eligible to accompany him/her under this program.

2. Required documents when submitting applications Persons applying for the new Super Visitor Visa must provide the following: a. A valid travel document (such as a passport). b. Two recent passport photographs of each family member. Make sure the photographs meet the Visa office requirements. c. The application fee unless the person is from a visa-exempt country.

The fee will not be refunded, even if your application is not accepted. d. Proof that the person has enough money for his/her visit to Canada.

The amount of money may vary depending on the circumstances of the visit, how long the person will stay and whether the person will stay in a hotel, or with friends or children. You can get more information from the Canadian visa office in your country or region. e. Other documents such as identification cards, proof of employment (if any), a letter of invitation from children/relatives or friends in Canada, and a proposed travel itinerary.

In order to obtain a Parent or Grandparent Super Visitor Visa, the person also need to provide:  Evidence of the parent or grandparent relationship to the Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident (PR) you wish to visit (e.g., birth certificate, baptismal certificate or other official document naming you as parent or grandparent);  Proof that your child or grandchild meets the Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) threshold;  Proof that you have bought a private medical insurance valid for a minimum of one year from a Canadian insurance company that: o Covers health care, hospitalization and repatriation; o Provides a minimum coverage of $100,000; and o Is valid for each entry to Canada and available for review by a Port of Entry officer.

Listed below are the details regarding the Super Visitor Visa program for parents and grandparents: 1. Who can apply To apply for the Parent and Grandparent Super Visitor Visa, the person must: a. be the parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or a Permanent Resident (PR) of Canada; 3. Medical Examinations

The person will be required to undergo an immigration medical examination in order to come to Canada. Instructions on completing the examination will be provided by the visa office. The person is not required to complete the examination before the submission of application forms. However, it would be a good idea to have a medical check-up before submission of the Super Visitor Visa application so that there are no surprises with regards to the person’s health condition.

4. Processing Fees The fee for the Super Visitor Visa is $150 per person for a multipleentry visa or $75 per person for a single entry visa. It is better to obtain a multiple entry visa, just in case the person gets a job offer with an LMO while in Canada and the person has to exit Canada to obtain a valid Work Permit.

5. Frequently Asked Questions: Listed below are some frequently asked questions about the Super Visitor Visa program and the government policy to temporarily suspend Parental PR Sponsorship program for two (2) years starting 2011. The Canadian government has published the answers to these questions in their website. As an added bonus, there is also information at the end of this article on how to check if the “immigration consultant” with whom you may be dealing with and paying a fee - has a license or not and also how to report “fake” consultants practicing without a license to the ICCRC – the new regulatory body of Canadian Immigration Consultants.

Q1: What does the temporary pause of family sponsorship program mean for sponsored parents and grandparents whose PR applications have already been submitted?

A: Applications received at CIC’s Case Processing Centre in Mississauga, Ontario before Nov. 5, 2011 will continue to be processed using current procedures. Applications for which the initial sponsorship application was approved before November 5, 2011 will continue to be accepted.

Q2: What happens to parent and grandparent PR sponsorship applications received on or after November 5, 2011?

A: The pause came into effect on November 5, 2011. Applications received at CIC's Case Processing Centre in Mississauga, Ontario (CPCMississauga) prior to November 5th will continue to be processed.

Applications received on or after November 5, 2011 will be returned in their entirety, including fees. Please do not call the CIC Call Centre to ask about the status of your application.

Wait for an Acknowledgement of Receipt, or for your application to be returned.

Q3: Is the government changing the criteria for the parents and grandparents category?

A: The current parent and grandparent sponsorship program is unsustainable. The current wait time is between 7 to 8 years to process parental PR applications. To address this, CIC is looking at ways to better manage application intake and wait times in this program. The temporary pause will prevent the backlog from growing while new policy options are considered.

Q4: What makes the Parent and Grandparent Super Visitor Visa different from what is available now as a Visitor Visa or TRV (Temporary Resident Visa)?

A: Currently, visitors to Canada usually may only visit for six months at a time. Most visitors who wish to stay longer must apply for an extension, and pay a new fee, every six months. With the Parent and Grandparent Super Visitor Visa, eligible parents and grandparents will pay fewer fees and have some certainty that they will be able to enjoy the company of their families in Canada for a longer period of time.

This program took effect on December 1, 2011. According to the government, CIC will be able to issue the visas, on average, within eight weeks of the application. This means that instead of waiting for up to eight years, a parent or a grandparent can come to Canada as a Visitor (but not as an immigrant or permanent resident) within eight weeks!!

Q5: Is the Parent and Grandparent Super Visitor Visa a multiple entry visa? What’s the difference between the Super Visa and the 10- year multiple entry Visa?

A: Yes, the Super Visa is a multientry visa that will provide multiple entries for a period up to ten years.

However, a person can also apply for a single entry visa, if they wish (this option is not recommended). The key difference is that the Super Visa will have status periods for each entry that last up to two years, while the 10-year multiple entry visa status period for each entry is only six months. The Visitor is allowed to stay is longer without the need to renew visa every 6 months.

Q6: If parents and grandparents are already in Canada and their Visitor Visa will expire soon, what should they do? Will they be eligible to apply for the new Super Visitor Visa from within Canada?

A: No, they cannot apply from within Canada for the new multiple-entry Super Visitor Visa. The application must be done outside Canada at a Visa office. However, they can apply for an extension of their visitor status, of up to two years, by submitting an application to the Case Processing Centre in Vegreville, Alberta, so long as they meet all the criteria.

Q7: What happens if a parent or grandparent (PGP) with a sponsorship application already submitted decides that they would prefer to visit Canada up to 2 years instead of immigrating and not becoming a Permanent Resident?

Can they cancel their PR application and apply for a Super Visitor Visa instead? Will they be refunded the fees paid already?

A: PGP sponsorship applications can be withdrawn at any time. Whether a full or partial refund will be given is determined by the stage at which the application is at in the queue. If processing has started, only a portion of your payment may be refunded. If, however, processing has not started on your application, a full refund will be given. Please allow up to 16 weeks for the delivery of your refund. (NOTE: This decision should be seriously considered. There is a big difference between the rights and benefits enjoyed by Canadian permanent residents compared to Visitors. Visitors are not entitled to Canada pension, medical coverage,

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Canadian passport, etc.)

Q8: How do I check, if the “consultant” with whom I am dealing with and paying a fee is a licensed immigration consultant?

A: Licensed immigration consultants are listed in the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC) website members’ directory: http://www.iccrc-crcic.ca/public/ membershiplistFull.cfm?

ICCRC is the new regulatory body for licensed Canadian Immigration Consultants. ICCRC replaced CSIC (Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants) when Bill C-35 was enacted as law effective June 30, 2011. ICCRC is now responsible for regulating the activities of licensed Canadian Immigration Consultants who are members and who provide immigration advice for a fee or other considerations.

Stiff penalties are now in effect for persons without a license who provide immigration advice for a fee (ie. up to $100,000 fine and/or 2 years in jail).

Starting June 30, 2011, only licensed immigration consultants, licensed Canadian lawyers and paralegals in Ontario who are members of the Ontario Law Society can charge a fee to process and handle Labour Market Opinions (LMOs) applications, Work Permits, Permanent Resident (PR) applications, Family Sponsorship applications and any other services involving immigration.

NOTE: If the person is not listed in the ICCRC website member’s directory then chances are the person is NOT a licensed immigration consultant and should be reported to ICCRC for illegal activities.

Q9: Where should I report “fake consultants” providing advice or processing immigration related documents like LMOs, Work Permits, PR applications, etc. without a license?

A: Fake consultants charging fees and practicing without a license after June 30, 2011 can be reported to the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC) for investigation. ICCRC has hired several ex-RCMP staff to conduct the investigations.

Documentary evidence (ie. proof of illegal activities) such as: samples of advertising materials, sample flyers, promo materials, letters, documents, copies of contracts, receipts of payments made, video of illegal transactions, etc. should be collected and provided to support the allegations of illegal activities.

You can report suspected illegal immigration consultant activities to ICCRC at: Tel: 1-877-836-7543 (toll-free) or Fax: 1-877-315-9868 (toll-free) or Email: services@iccrc-crcic.ca Legal Disclaimer: This news article is designed for general information only. The information presented in this article should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a consultant/client relationship. Each individual situation is different and people should seek proper advice on their specific cases with a licensed immigration consultant of their choice.

November 2012

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by Ron

Cantiveros

ron@filipinojournal.com

2013 Chevy Spark 2LT

T

he Chevy Spark is a rather cute car. For any Transformer 2 movie fans out there, the Chevy Spark was a tough little green beast named Skids. If you have to YouTube that Transformers clip, don’t worry I had to as well.

If you do a lot of city driving, you’ll enjoy zipping along in the Chevy Spark. This bad boy trumps around time quite easily with adequate handling. This car is well suited for city driving. As for highway driving, getting from 0-100km/hr took about 13 seconds.

The interior is surprisingly roomy. Chevy’s new MyLink multimedia system dominates the centre stack and very easy to work with. The interface is simple and colourful. The inside is dominated

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by hard plastic along the dash and including the temperature control knobs.

Under the hood, is 1.2l fourcylinder engine that pumps out 84 horsepower and produces a mere 83 lb-ft of torque.

On the first day I had the car, exiting one of the downtown parkades, one of the attendants commented on the cute aluminium rims. All models come with the 15” dual colour machine face painted aluminum rims. While they may look and handle great in the summer, I suspect they’ll make driving challenging during winter with snow and ice ruts. In the spring, just like every other Winnipeg, dealing with potholes will be a challenge.

The Spark directly competes with the Mini Cooper, Scion iQ and Fiat 500. Keep in mind, all those cars are 2-doors. The Spark has 4 doors plus the hatchback. For 4-dorr comparisons, consider the Toyota Yaris, Ford Fiesta, Nissan Versa and Hyundai Accent.

Seating in the back is fair with limited leg room for my hulking 5’8” stature. It would fit infants and kids quite easily. Dropping the seats to open up the rear cabin space involves a bit of work and doesn’t allow for a completely flat trunk. My hockey bag barely fit.

There’s more than enough room for your gym bag. Then again, if you’re like most Filipinos, lots of space for your gym bag and a couple basketballs.

The Spark comes in three

trim levels starting with the LS ($13,495), LT ($16,695) and 2LT ($18,495) 5-speed manual transmission models, with available option for a 4-speed automatic.

The names of the available

colours that are offered for the Spark are are far from standard.

Driving around in a bright Jalapeño Metallic green subcompact definitely turned heads.

The Spark also comes in Salsa

November 2012

Red, Techno Pink, Denim Metallic and Lemonade Metallic.

The road tester 2013 Chevy Spark 2LT was provided by Vickar Community Chevrolet in Winnipeg.

Inaugural MFBC Awards Gala celebrates Filipino entrepreneurial spirit and excellence

T

he Manitoba Filipino Business Council celebrated thirty-five businesses nominated in seven different business categories at a gala awards dinner at the Gates on Roblin.

In it's inaugural year, the Awards Gala was a sold out event

and was the hottest event ticket in Winnipeg with an audience of over 250 community leaders, business professionals and entrepreneurs.

There was a tremendous amount of work involved to bring this high calibre event together in such as short period of time.

The gala awards evening provided local Filipino businesses the opportunity to share thier unique stories and honour those businesses doing exceptional work in our community. The Awards Gala gives entrepreneurs and smaller Filipino businesses something to aspire to.

By all accounts, this year's MFBC Awards Gala was a resounding success. When 250 seats are sold out and 35 businesses are nominated, the MFBC can only expect those numbers to grow. A bigger venue and more companies striving for growth and excellence.

It's an exciting time to be Filipino, especially in Manitoba.

It's an exciting time to be part of the membership that makes up the MFBC dynamic. Members feed upon each other's successes, make new business connections and grow current business relationships.

MFBC Exceptional Small Business Award:

Filipino Journal - Rod Escobar Cantiveros, Publisher/VP Marketing & Ron Cantiveros, Publisher/Photographer.

I am dedicating this award to my late mother, Mrs. Rosalinda Natividad-Cantiveros for starting the Filipino Journal over 27 years ago. Her passion for our community is why you are reading this newspaper. She believed in the unique stories that our community continues to share in each and every issue. My parents started the Filipino Journal to give our people in our community a voice. They wanted to make a difference in our community, not win awards. We thank our advertisers for their business and support. To our team of writers, photographers, and volunteers, this award would not have been possible without your contribution. To our readers, keep reading, keep sharing and keep patronizing the businesses that support the Filipino Journal. – Ron Cantiveros

Award presented by Mr. David Palubeski, President/VCEO - Lombard North Group.

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Photos by Rob Bueneventura

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TELUS STORE OR AUThORizED DEALER

Northwest Beacon Hill Centre

Naughty or nice, you still get a FREE Xbox .

Dalhousie Station Market Mall North Hill Centre Northland Village Mall

®

207 14th St. NW 822 Crowfoot Cres. NW

Northeast Country Hills Town Centre CrossIron Mills Deerfoot Mall Marlborough Mall Pacific Place Sunridge Mall 1353 32nd Ave. NE 2520 23rd St. NE

Southwest Banker's Hall Bow Valley Square Chinook Centre The Core Southcentre Mall Westbrook Mall Westhills Towne Centre 321 6th Ave. SW 1708 8th St. SW 2008 33rd Ave. SW 4623 Bow Trail SW 6039 Centre St. S 16061 MacLeod Trail S

Southeast Deerfoot Meadows Quarry Park

We’ll give you a FREE Xbox 360 with Kinect when you bundle Optik TV and Internet on a 3 year term.* ®

TM

Shepard Centre

TM

1061 Macleod Trail SE 1288 42nd Ave. SE 3012 17th Ave. SE 4410 50th Ave. SE

Get Optik TV and Internet from $68/month.† Call 310-MYTV (6988).

7845 Flint Rd SE

Airdrie 2145 Summerfield Blvd.

Strathmore 55 Wheatland Trail 331 3rd Ave.

Go to telus.com/optiktv or visit your TELUS Store or Authorized Dealer.

Okotoks ®

31 Southridge Dr. 118 Elizabeth St.

Offer available until December 31, 2012, to residential customers who have not subscribed to TELUS TV or Internet service in the past 90 days. Minimum system requirements apply. Final eligibility for service will be determined by a TELUS representative. *A cancellation fee applies for early termination of the service agreement and will be $10 for TV services and $8 for Internet services, multiplied by the number of months remaining in the term. Xbox 360 with Kinect offer available while quantities last. Offer includes Xbox 360 4 GB console with Kinect. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $299. TELUS and Microsoft reserve the right to substitute an equivalent or better product without notice. Offer cannot be combined with promo prices. †Price includes Optik TV Essentials and Optik High Speed Internet. TELUS, the TELUS logo, Optik, Optik TV, Optik Internet and the future is friendly are trademarks of TELUS Corporation, used under licence. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox with Kinect are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. © 2012 TELUS. FFH121129BC_1_Filip Journal.Calgary.indd 1

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US-based Pinay fashion designer turns dreams to reality

One of the biggest, self-made immigrant millionaires in the US is a Filipino.

Fashion designer Josie Natori who manages the family-owned Natori Company, recently gained recognition from finance publication Kiplinger as an immigrant who excelled in the field of fashion designing.

Natori’s company earned a spot on the Kiplinger list when, in 2011 it earned $150 million in retail sales after teaming up with mass retailer Target for a budget-friendly line of lingerie and loungewear.

Born Josefina Almeda Cruz, Natori is the daughter of construction tycoon Felipe Cruz. In 1964 she moved to the US to study economics.

After working in the corporate world for a while, she and husband, Ken, decided to put up their own business.

She eventually landed into high-end lingerie design business.

The Natori Company now employs nearly over 400 employees.

The 64-year old entrepreneur said her company is unique in the design world because of its East-meetsWest aesthetic brought about by her background and heritage.

The Kiplinger's list also includes Jamaican Lowell Hawthorne, founder and CEO of Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery and Grill; Austrian Hollywood actor Arnold Schwarzenegger; Indian Shama Kabani, founder and CEO of the Marketing Zen Group; Google co-founder and director of special projects, Russian Sergey Brin; and Salvadorans Carlos Castro, president and CEO of Todos Supermarket and Jose Wilfredo Flores, owner and founder of W Concrete.

November 2012

Pinoy filmmaker is best director in US film festival Another Filipino is fast making a name in the international field of filmmaking.

Will Fredo was named Best Director in the ongoing International Film Festival Manhattan (IFFM) in New York City which runs until Nov. 15 at the Quad Cinemas, 34 West 13th Street, New York.

Will Fredo earned his feat for the movie “The Caregiver,” which tells the story of an injured “sepaktakraw” player and his male caregiver. The two eventually developed an unlikely attraction that had the caregiver thread an unexpected discovery of his real self.

Fredo, who is known for disturbing and provocative films, is the only Filipino winner of

the Merit and Juried awards handed during the award night which coincided with the opening ceremonies on Nov. 8.

Other winners were Stefan Immler for “Oxygen for Ears” (Best US Documentary), Tetsu

Shiratori (Japan) for “Inori” (Best Global Documentary), Daren Press for “Theresa is a Mother” (Best US Narrative) and Nikolay Iliev (Bulgaria) for “The Foreigner” (Best Global Narrative).

Rico Blanco treats fans with a gig during album launch Singer-songwriter Rico Blanco launched his second album “Galactik Fiestamatik” by letting the music do the talking instead of the usual press con.

The one-hour show showcased Rico’s ingenuity as an artist as he did everything from writing the songs to the arrangements in which he used unorthodox musical instruments.

The former Rivermaya frontman dished out a 10-song set, complete with dazzling laser

lights and a marching drumline. The songs in the album include topics on relationships, social commentaries, and even discarding one’s personal problems.

Rico also performed his earlier singles such as “Your Universe,” “Antukin”, as well as a medley of some of Rivermaya’s previous hits that include “Posible,” “Liwanag Sa Dilim,” and “Hinahanap-Hanap Kita.”

He encouraged young and upcoming artists to continue composing original music and

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never stop honing their craft “Galactik Fiestamatik” is distributed by Warner Music Philippines and is available on iTunes as well as in local record stores.

November 2012

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Filipino Journal

Lyla Gray receives Social Services Award

Happy 30th Birthday Katie

Lyla Gray of Edmonton received a Social Services Award at the 14th AFP Edmonton and Area National Philantrophy Day at a luncheon held November 16, 2012 at the Shaw Conference Centre. Lyla Gray was nominated by Erlinda Tan and her philantrophic deed caught the attention of the community and the media. ''I'm just an ordinary next door person.'' this how Lyla Gray describes her decades of selfless support to people in need.

In the last 10 years alone, she has welcomed over 20 people into her home,some stayed a couple of weeks and some stayed eight to ten months. From new immigrants, to cancer patients, receiving treatment, to people fleeing abuse, she helps without boundaries, accommodates

Katie Angeles celebrated her big 30th birthday with family and friends at the Tropika Restaurant last Friday.

November 17, 2012. Katie is married to Michael Angeles, son of Jun and Hermie Angeles of Edmonton.

strangers and sacrifices her privacy. Beyond her walls, Lyla helps hundreds more, in any given day becoming a cab driver, delivery person and social worker.

Lyla gives of herself and also an amazing organizer of support

from the Filipino community whose business leaders and members have learned to rise to her call. Recently retired from work and a small business owner, Lyla has never bought her own house, choosing instead to use her money to help others. ''You don't have to be rich to help'' she says, ''all that is needed is your heart''. We are truly proud of our kababayan who made a difference in our Filiipino community in Edmonton.

Lyla Gray

Lyla with friends

L-R Standing Brenda Kamisky, Lyla Gray, & Leximina Serrano, L-R Seated Grace Demera, Cecille Ruiz Brown. Erlinda (Dolly) Tan, Maria Fe Deriquito

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Kaite with her daughters Aaliyah and Ayla

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November 2012

Knight of Columbus Nazareno Council Celebrates Christmas Ryan Ladores Holds A Bachelor Party The Knight of Columbus Nazareno Council celebrates its annual Christmas party with dinner and dance at Before Heading to Manila for A Wedding the German Canadian Cultural Centre last Saturday November 24, 2012. It was also an evening recognizing A group of childhood friends and awarding the knight of the year Teddy Tuazon and family of the year Ike Cornel. and relatives got together at the Wild West Shooting Centre at West Edmonton Mall for a Bachelor party for Ryan Ladores before leaving for Manila to tie knots with Donna Parahan of Laguna Philippines. Ryan and Donna will exchange vows on Saturday, December 22, 2012 Teddy Tuazon receiving the Award as Ike Cornel Awarded the Family of the Year at the posh Makati Shangri-La Knight of the Year from Grand Knight Bong Estoque Hotel Garden followed by a dinner and dance in Shangrila Ballroom. Invited guests are from the Ladores and Parahan families and friends and relatives from Canada. Congratulations to Ryan and Donna for their forthcoming wedding.

Photos by Dario Juanillo

Rocsines ‘’ Ines’’ Marquicias celebrates 75th Birthday Nanay Ines Marquicias enjoyed her 75th Birthday celebration last Friday, November 23, 2012 at Rolymie Restaurant with her relatives and friends.

Nanay Ines and Jacky both celebrating their birthdays. Jacky is Nanay Ines with her Family the daughter-in-law of Nanay Ines and wife of Joseph Marquicias

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Centre Street Transit Lanes opened OMNI Alberta Recognizes Immigrants For Their Filed by Jose “Pepito” Magpayo Contributions to Canada in New, One-Minute New transit priority lanes will begin dedicated transit lanes will go into Biographical Interstitials operation on Centre Street N. starting Monday morning.

Centre Street N. is a critical transit corridor that serves about 150,000 residents in the growing communities of north-central Calgary.

Approximately 20,000 vehicles per day use Centre Street. Calgary Transit operates approximately 90 buses per hour on nine routes (including one BRT route) from north-central Calgary to the downtown core. These services carry over 3,000 transit passengers per hour during peak periods and about 35,000 passengers per day.

Reconstruction of Centre Street between 42 Avenue N.W. and 54 Avenue N.W. began in July to replace the road bed, which had deteriorated due to heavy use over the years. While the road was being reconstructed, dedicated transit lanes were added in two areas at the same time to improve bus movement. The area has also been improved for pedestrians with new wider sidewalks.

The dedicated transit lanes were needed because traffic volumes along Centre Street and the major cross streets such as McKnight Boulevard resulted in significant delays for buses, especially during peak times. In order to address traffic flow and improve bus travel times for customers, dedicated bus lanes were designed in both directions so buses can bypass regular vehicle congestion.

Traffic was reduced to two lanes during construction, one in each direction. Four lanes of traffic are now open to motorists and the new

service Monday. Northbound, the new transit lane begins at 43 Avenue and ends near Thorncrest Road.

Southbound, the new lane begins near 54 Avenue and ends south of McKnight Boulevard.

The dedicated lanes will have benefits for both transit customers and motorists. Transit service reliability will be increased at all times of the day because buses will no longer experience extended delays at traffic lights. Traffic flow adjacent to the new dedicated transit lanes will be improved because vehicles will no longer be delayed behind buses that have stopped to pick up and drop off passengers.

Access Calgary buses and cyclists will be permitted in the new dedicated transit lanes. All other right-turning vehicles may briefly enter/exit the lanes at intersections where they are turning. Those areas are indicated by a dashed white line on the pavement.

The reconstruction of Centre Street was completed under the Major Roads Reconstruction Program, which is dedicated to reconstructing Calgary’s aging roadways. Calgary Transit identified the need to create Transit Priority lanes in order to improve transit movement through this area. Both projects were undertaken at the same time.

Budget for the road reconstruction comes from provincial and City sources. The Transit Priority component was funded by the federal government through the Build Canada Fund.

Filed by Jose “Pepito” Magpayo

One-minute interstitials titled, Multicultural Heroes reveal the untold stories of 30 immigrants who settled in Alberta and flourished in their communities Beginning Tuesday, Dec. 4, OMNI Alberta is set to recognize outstanding local residents with a series of 30, one-minute interstitials entitled Multicultural Heroes, celebrating and sharing individual stories of new Canadians and their contributions to the Province of Alberta. Each biographical video will provide viewers with a short

Filed by Jose “Pepito” Magpayo

It’s that time of year again – holiday parties are happening across the city and people are taking time to celebrate the season with friends and family.

Big Rock Brewery, Associated Cab and the Calgary Police Service want everyone to make it home safe and sound from celebrations, and are launching their seventh

*BBQ Buffet* Everyday 5 p.m Midnight

(Wednesday is Closed)

The campaign will involve more than 100 bars and restaurants in Calgary, who will display 350 posters and distribute more than 25,000 coasters. The phone number for Associated Cab is prominently displayed on the promotional material to encourage Calgarians to book a safe ride home.

info@FilipinoJournal.com � (204) 489-8894

HOT FOOD •Vegetable tempura •Spring roll •Cinamon Bread •Soup

Book your Next Special Party!

Phone us for reservation!

Start on Dec. 1, 2012.

annual campaign to ask Calgarians to know their limits.

Starting Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012, and running through December, a city-wide campaign will remind consumers to act responsibly while enjoying the holidays and not get behind the wheel of a vehicle if they are impaired.

Advertise with us!

BBQ BUFFET VEGETABLES •Kimchi •Spring sprout •Salad •Pickle

Institute in Edmonton; Omar Moreno, hailing from war torn El Salvador, is a three-time National Junior Boxing Champion and now Canada’s leading apprentice Jockey; and Frank Lee, one of the most respected and recognized martial artists in the world.

Multicultural Heroes is produced by OMNI Television and Delsur Films with the participation of Alberta Film. Producers are Richard Hardy (Hard Tiimes) and Jimmy Bustos (Hard Tiimes).

Partners encourage safe holiday celebrations

Enjoy our Food!

MEATS •Beef (Bulgogi) •Galbi •Chicken (Regular, Spicy) •Pork (Regular, Spicy) •Squid •Shrimp •Pork belly

glimpse into the untold story of the individual and how they overcame adversity, settled, and flourished as a new Canadian. The Multicultural Heroes campaign will air exclusively on OMNI Alberta beginning Tuesday. Dec. 4.

Profiles featured on Multicultural Heroes include Gerda Vandenhaak, survivor of the German occupation of Holland during World War Two and founder of Children of the Light; Dr. Arvind Koshal, Director of Cardiovascular Surgery at the Mazankowski Heart

780.466.5666

7729 85 St NW Edmonton, Alberta Canada T6C 3B4

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November 2012

The Pulse of the Filipino Community

Horoscope This is a good time to work on large project that is important but try to avoid any situation that requires the assistance of others. Nothing can slow you down today -- your energy is booming and people are climbing all over each other to line up and see what you’ve got to offer!

You are better than ever at looking at complicated situations and making them simple. Any other tasks that require a great deal of your focused brain power are good, too. This is a time period of gradual maturing of your attitudes and overall approach to life.

Today will give you quite a few opportunities to make business connections. Be sure to follow up! Romantically, someone who cares about you is intent on making you understand just how much. A day where you feel emotionally distant but you would actually prefer to be more involved.

You are a bit bored today. This is a good time to make a list of all the activities you can remember that get you excited or make you feel good. Today, help yourself out by taking a break from all the deliberations! Let go of worry and free yourself from making yet another list of pros and cons.

There would be mixed trends on the career front. This is an excellent time to take the initiative or to begin a project that you have been considering. ACTION is the theme for today.

If you are a more relaxed, easy-going person, you will simply feel more energy and drive than usual.

While there are some planetary challenges affecting your right now, there is also an abundance of energy headed straight for your professional life. It will be necessary for you to step out, shake hands and use your charm to win over new associates.

Spiritual activities may give you relief for the day. You will find it interesting that you have made a difference in a person’s life by saying a few encouraging words to them. The surprising thing about this is that what you suggested to them is common sense to you.

Life is not a race, it’s an experience. There is no need to rush around from one adventure to another, trying to fill your days with action! You’re likely to absorb energy like a sponge which could result in some sort of unpleasant feelings.

Effective communication is a strong suit for you and you will need to make the most of this skill right now. Make sure you get some good quality time by yourself and remember to treat yourself to something that puts a smile on your face.

You will get tantalizing close today. Yep, your plans will come together perfectly, and you could win some admirers along the way. Your drive is admirable, but if you focus too much on what could be better, you will miss out on all the things are that working so well.

This is a time for withdrawing your energy, attention, and efforts from the outside world and external goals in order to replenish yourself. Today, reach out to other people and you will be able to touch the energy that’s floating out there and bring it closer to your heart. Making connections with special people will be very easy right now, as well as rewarding.

Today you will want to treat yourself to something special.

This is an excellent idea and something that we have to remember to do every once in a while or else we feel neglected, almost to the point of depression. Always maintain a positive attitude and avoid undue worry and stress.

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Pisa 1 Tiklop Darang 2 Sibangot Palara 3 Karaniwang gawi Asta 4 Iliban Sudoku Puzzles are games of patience, numbers Karga 5 Marami: Ingles and genius! The Tigil 6 Syudad sa Nueva satisfaction of solving a challenging Sudoku PuzzleEcija is one of the ____Ipil, uri ng 7 Bahagyang ulan greatest accomplishments any sudoku game player can experience. punong kahoy 8 Crisostomo Bayan sa Quezon 9 Tulutan Here is the puzzle. Good luck!

New York 13 Kulob Berde sa trapiko 15 Ancient Greek No Records Available 19 Sertipikong buwis Pantukoy ng pamayanan Halimuyak ng kape 20 Bayan sa Benguet Article 22 Ms.Avila Ethical Trading Initiatives 23 Almusal Simbolo ng Iridium 26 Inangkin Government Issue 29 Asiwa Artistang Rose 31 Higpit ng tali Aklas 33 Panghalip Tambak ang gawain 34 Uri ng kulisap Ialay 36 Unang bilang Ibon 38 Tubos: kasalungat

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Daily Sudoku: Sat 6-Aug-2011

hard Solutions for Palaisipan & Sudoku will bevery posted online www.FilipinoJournal.com

Visit our Web site - www.FilipinoJournal.com - all photos & articles available online!

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

November 2012

The Pulse of the Filipino Community

Persons with Disabilities Issued Emergency Alert ID Cards Filed by Jose “Pepito” Magpayo

Persons with disabilities face numerous challenges on a daily basis, but in cases of emergency, those challenges are amplified when emergency responders struggle to obtain information quickly to assist them in handling the incident at hand.

The Calgary Police Service has teamed up with eight communitybased organizations to launch the Emergency Alert Identification Card pilot program.

“This much-needed resource will bring peace of mind to the families we work with,” says Sharon Nagel, with the Ability Hub and the Persons with Disabilities Chief Advisory Board for CPS. “There is nothing scarier than knowing your loved one might not be able to communicate with emergency responders when they need it most.”

About the size of a driver’s license, the front of the card features a photo of the person and their emergency contact information. The back of the card contains information about the individual’s disability,

level of communication, special considerations, behavioral concerns, safety concerns, medical conditions, type of medications and any potential side effects.

In situations where a person with a hidden disability becomes lost, or confused, these cards provide important information for anyone who may find them and how to reach their loved ones or emergency contacts. Hidden disabilities such as mental illness, developmental or neurological disabilities can often be misconstrued as alcohol or drug induced impairment, limiting public assistance to the person in need.

“Time, and information, is of the essence when a person with a disability becomes separated from their routine and the people they love,” says Cst. Patty Desormeau of the Calgary Police Service Diversity Resources Team. “The ID cards will assist not only the police with the important information they need, but provide much needed information to anyone who may find the person,

ideally resulting in a quicker return home.”

The cards can not only be carried by persons with disabilities, but by parents of special needs children. If the parents are involved in an accident and are unable to communicate, this will alert emergency responders to the fact they have a child with special needs, and ensuring they are looked after.

For the majority of the individuals with disabilities who receive the card, it may be their only form of identification.

To obtain a card, individuals are asked to contact their serving agency.

Agencies involved include: • The Ability Hub • Autism Calgary Association • Southern Alberta Brain Injury Society (SABIS) • Epilepsy Association of Calgary • Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada • Canadian Mental Health Association

Winter Recreation Program registration starts!

Filed by Jose “Pepito” Magpayo

People can peruse and pick their favourite activity to participate in because The City’s new Recreation Program Guide is online now.

The City of Calgary Recreation offers more than 10,000 activities for Calgarians to choose from this winter. Registration begins on Monday, Nov. 26, and spots fill fast!

“We are always adding new program options based on trends and what citizens want. For instance, this season, they can try one of our new strength or wellness programs,” said Pam Manzara, Fitness & Wellness Coordinator.

“As we like to say: ‘there is more than you think!’”

People can warm up this winter with a new dance program, learn to skate or “wiggle, giggle and move” for both parents and tots - there is always something for everyone.

The Winter Recreation Program Guide is filled with registered programs, drop-in fitness

opportunities and special events and workshops.

People can browse and book City programs online by simply creating an account a few days before registration to ensure access.

Once an account is created, people can login to the Recreation Guide website and ‘voila’, the numerous recreation programs are ready to be explored from your handheld device or computer.

Alternatively, you can pick up a copy of the Winter Recreation Program Guide on stands at a recreation facility or local grocery store.

For more information please visit calgary.ca/ recreation.

Onward/ By 2036, 90 per cent of people living in Calgary will report that

they participate in active lifestyles that include informal and structured recreational opportunities. Daily physical activity is an important component of health and wellness.

Filed by Jose “Pepito” Magpayo

Although we haven’t had a lot of snow this winter, that hasn’t stopped some fine Calgarians from being Snow Angels and shoveling their neighbour’s sidewalk. Now it’s time to say thanks to those Snow Angels and give back to them.

If a Snow Angel has helped you this winter by shoveling your sidewalk, call 3-1-1, tell us your story and nominate your Snow Angel. All Snow Angels who are nominated are entered into a draw for a variety of prizes.

All nominated Snow Angels will also be recognized by Mayor Naheed Nenshi for their contribution to the community.

So call 3-1-1 and make sure your Snow Angel gets the recognition they deserve. Last year, we had 569 nominations for Snow Angels. This year we hope to match or exceed that.

Alternatively, mail your story to: Attn: Snow Angels The City of Calgary Community & Neighbourhood Services #104, Box 2100, Station M, Calgary, Alberta, T2P 2M5 The Snow Angels campaign was initiated by The City of Calgary nine years ago as a way to respond to the growing older adult population affected by icy sidewalks. This volunteer program encourages Calgarians to shovel the sidewalk of an elderly or infirm neighbour. The latest civic census reports that there almost 100,000 people over the age of 65 living in Calgary.

To learn more about becoming a Snow Angel, or for stories about Snow Angels and their contributions, visit the website at calgary.ca/snowangels

LOOKING FOR

General Maintenance & Repair as well as Courier & Delivery.

Wage is $15-20 per hour, depending on experience and skill level.

ParisHoldings@gmail.com

sellers; fire tenders (a bit smoky at times but a wonderful way to meet many people); mascots and mascot attendants; volunteer coordinators and runners. Before and after the Festival, volunteers are needed to put up and take down displays.

Surf to the Festival website - www. airdriefestivaloflights.com or leave a message at 403-912-XMAS (9627). Submitted by Bob Abbott and Tina Petrow.

Visit our Web site - www.FilipinoJournal.com - Now on

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It’s time to reward your Snow Angel, nomination deadline April 13

780-708-6115

Filed by Jose “Pepito” Magpayo

wonderful people from Airdrie and surrounding areas. We are trying to encourage families to come out and volunteer together as a group.

The Airdrie Festival of Lights Society, a non-profit organization, needs new volunteers to keep glowing. The Festival needs 10 to 15 people per evening for 31 evenings, plus many more volunteers for setup and takedown. Both inside and outside places are available and positions include: train drivers, train attendants and train ticket

Alberta

Please contact at

The Airdrie Festival of lights starts Dec. 1st !

The event is pretty much the same as last year, but we have added a dancing lights feature this year.

We will still have free admission (donations are greatly appreciated though), as well as inexpensive train rides and hot chocolate. It runs from the 1st to the 31st of December and as usual, we desperately need more volunteers through-out the festival and I cannot tell you how great the volunteers have been thus far.

It gives people a chance to come out and help, as well as meet some

Filipino Journal

24 Filipino Journal

Alberta

The Pulse of the Filipino Community

November 2012

Sabog Ka Na Naman Ba—o Sabog Ka Lang Mag-isip?

(On Growing Old and Dying Gracefully)

by aLfie vera mella elfideas102@yahoo.com

I

sa ka ba sa mga taong makikitid ang pag-iisip upang ipilit na ang lahat ng mahilig sa Rock music at lalo na ang mga miyembro ng isang Rock band ay merong bisyo? Naniniwala ka ba na bago maging ganap na musikero ang isang tao e dapat e matuto muna siyang uminom,mag-yosi, at mag-droga?

I'm turning 42 this January 2013. I may still feel very youthful as ever but I admit that I could already feel the literal pains of adult age. I no longer jump the

stairs nor run very fast like a child just for the heck of it, because I knew that one crazy twist or fall may result in a broken bone or at the least a sprain that will never heal easily just like when I was still a child.

But I'm conscious that one reason I have reached this age still with a considerable functional body and mind is because, ever since, I never smoked, drank, nor dabbled with drugs—despite the fact that I was an active character in the Philippine Alternative Rock music scene. I never believed that Rock music should be accompanied with the so-called drugs and vices. And I know damn well that this has helped my body age gracefully.

The only true prerequisites in becoming a Rockstar are creativity, musical skills, and the passion for music—that's all—not drugs nor smoking nor drinking nor assuming that macho and careless character.

In the annals of Rock music, often elevated to iconic status were the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Keith Moon, Brian Jones, Sid Vicious, and whole lot more who didn't even reach their prime age.

Sorry but I don't regard these Rockstars as my idols.

While I love the music that their bands created, I never admired their lifestyles. Besides, there are much more admirable music icons whose tickets to proficiency and prolificity are their pure creativity and talents and not an irresponsible lifestyle—artists who become old to be able to realize their fruits of passion and labor.

Not to disrespect the memory of these artists, but may their lifestyles and early deaths serve as lessons to fellow artists and musicians, especially those who are younger than I am.

There is so much more that lies ahead of our future. Let's

just think of our children or your future children and families.

We should live for them and we will inevitably be their first role models.

To die at a very young age because of illnesses and diseases secondary to the use and abuse of drugs and other vices is a sad way to meet one's death. But I don't consider this tragic.

Why? Simply because this is preventable. While you're still young or your body is still able to recover, may you stop dabbling in vices that do nothing but overwork and wear your body organs.

Yes, all humans die anyway, but everyone can choose to grow old and die gracefully.

I know that many of my fellow artists and musicians will raise their brows for this post of mine, but the heck!

I'm just bursting the delusional bubbles of those who

think that they are invulnerable and their bodies powerful to withstand the ill effects of drugs and all the other vices.

Sa Madaling Salita Ang tangi mong kailangan upang maging isang ganap na musikero o artista sa anumang larangan ay pagkamalikhain, imahinasyón, kakayanan, hilig, at tiyaga na matutunan pang maige ang pasikut-sikot ng napiling sining—hindi ang pagkalulong sa masasamang bisyo na pulos katarantaduhan lamang na ang karaniwang resulta lamang ay sakit at maagang pagkamatay o pagkasira ng ulo.

Or, in Simple Words The requirements in becoming a musician or artist are creativity, imagination, skills, passion, and willingness to learn more the aspects of the art one has chosen—not engaging in all these body-deteriorating and minddestroying vices whose likely results are illnesses or early death.

Animal & Bylaw Services reminds Calgarians to ensure their dogs do not enter prohibited public spaces

Bluetooth technology keeps drivers up to speed on Deerfoot

Filed by Jose “Pepito” Magpayo

Filed by Jose “Pepito” Magpayo

With winter upon us, it is important for pet owners to remember that many Calgary families are out enjoying the city’s outdoor spaces for activities such as tobogganing and skating, and many of these areas are prohibited for dogs.

The City of Calgary has 150 public off-leash areas and much of the city is accessible to leashed dogs, but areas such as playgrounds and sports fields where Calgarians are likely to be engaged in active recreational pursuits are prohibited spaces for dogs. This is to ensure dogs and their owners have the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors while lessening the potential for conflict with other people. In large crowds or areas where the public is actively taking part in

sports or play, it’s easy for any breed of dog to become excited or frightened, sometimes leading to unpredictable reactions.

Under the Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw, dogs are also not allowed in or on school grounds, golf courses, cemeteries, wading or swimming areas, or any other area where there is signage indicating that dogs are prohibited. Anyone who takes a dog into a prohibited area is subject to a specified penalty of $100.

When in designated offleash areas, dogs must be under the control of their owners at all times which means in sight and responsive to commands to be able to return to the owner. Dogs should not be bothering other dogs

or other users of the park. Even in designated areas, dogs cannot be off-leash on public pathways.

To find a listing of Calgary’s off-leash areas, visit Calgary.ca or download the City of Calgary Pets App for smart phones and other mobile devices.

For information on the Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw please visitCalgary.ca/ animalservices.

Onward/Animal & Bylaw Services works with Calgarians to ensure that cats, dogs, their owners and neighbours live together in safety and harmony.

By 2020, more than 86 per cent of citizens report that Calgary is a safe city to live in.

Calgary – Travelers now have a new tool to help them with their daily commute.

The City of Calgary’s Transportation Department is activating the Travel Time Information System along Deerfoot Trail Monday, November 26. This technology harnesses the publicly available data of Bluetooth devices travelling on roadways, estimates the travel time between points along those roads and displays the information on overhead message boards to travelers as they pass by.

“Now we can deliver accurate information about travel times directly to drivers during their commute,” says Gord Elenko, Manager of The City of Calgary’s Roads Traffic division. “Drivers will be able to make informed route planning choices in real time.

We believe it will eventually help reduce congestion and decrease driver frustration.”

Currently, the system consists of 15 sensors and seven permanent message boards from Airport Trail in the northeast to Barlow Trail in the southeast. The detection system is programmed to filter out signals from vehicles drivers and pedestrians who are near Deerfoot Trail but not traveling on it.

The technology encrypts and monitors Bluetooth signals without tracking other information about the traveller. This minimizes the impact to individuals’ privacy.

Some travel time data is stored so it can be studied by The City for future transportation planning purposes. Eventually, this project will be expanded to include sections of Crowchild Trail and Glenmore Trail in the southwest.

“This is a pretty new

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technology and we’ve created the largest deployment of it in any major City in North America,” says Michael Gray, The City’s Advanced Traffic Management Systems Engineer. “It is exciting to work with a new technology like this. One of the ongoing advantages is that as more devices provide more data, our timing will become more accurate.”

Initially the system will operate from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, in order for The City to test and monitor the system while having it in operation during the peak travel times. Once the reliability of the system is assessed an expansion of its hours of operation will be rolled out.

This project was made possible through the cooperation and collaboration of three levels of government. The City of Calgary is grateful for the resources provided by its provincial partner – specifically the use of the Government of Alberta’s recently installed electronic messaging boards along Deerfoot Trail and its support with traffic management during sensor installation.

Additional support was provided by the Government of Canada’s Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program and The City’s Intelligent Transportation Systems fund.

This is one more step taken in the joint effort to improve safety on Calgary’s roads. The new Travel Time Information System supports Alberta’s Distracted Driver legislation by providing important information to travelers using Deerfoot Trail. Drivers using handheld devices while on the road face a $172 fine.

November 2012

The Pulse of the Filipino Community

by Gem & Lita Anis

A Journey of Faith to Fatima, Portugal

I

t was a beautiful April morning when our plane from Los Angeles landed at Lisbon where we`re welcome by our tour guide named Maria Da Bagao.

After checking in at the Hotel Cinquentenario Maria took us on a panoramic sightseeing tour of the capital and largest city of Portugal, Lisbon.

Located on the estuary of a river, the Tagus, is the Monument to Discoveries (Padrao dos Discobrimentos) built in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator. The landmark is a replica of a 3-sailed ship prepared to depart with the sculptures of important historical figures of Portugal - explorers such as Ferdinand Magellan, Vasco da Gama and Cabral, poet Camoes,

pilgrimage were spent in Fatima, the major Catholic pilgrimage site in Portugal, about 80 miles north of Lisbon. The name Fatima evolved from the Arabic name Fatma, name of a Moorish princess. Yearly some 4 million people visit Fatima drawn by the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary as seen by the three children, Lucia dos Santos and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto, while guarding their sheeps in the Cova da Iria. The apparitions started on 13 May 1917 (on every 13th day of six consecutive months) and culminated on 13 October 1917 with the Miracle of the Sun (the sky appeared to open up and the sun seemed to race toward the earth) witnessed by the 70,000 people including reporters from anti-religious media gathered in a torrential rainstorm.

Sent by God with a message of prayer, repentance and consecration, The Lady of the Rosary, as she called herself, confided to the

Filipino Journal

children three secrets - a vision of hell; a prophecy of the end of WW I, start of WW II, calling for the consecration of communist Russia; and a vision of death of the Pope and other religious leaders.

Our Lady is enshrined at the Basilica of Our Lady of Rosary with its quiet atmosphere and beautiful grounds. With 15 church altars, the basilica is built at the site of the Marian apparitions and contains the tombs of Francisco and Jacinta.

At the very heart of the basilica is the Chapel of Apparitions. A marble pillar holding the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary marks the exact location of the apparitions.

Nightly we joined pilgrims from all over the world in the candlelight procession to pray the rosary.

In the hamlet of Aljustrel and Valinhos we saw the two homes of the little shepherds, Stations of the Cross, site of the first and third visit of the Angel of Peace, site of our Lady`s fourth apparitions and

crusaders, monks, cartographers, and cosmographers.

The city`s icon and a Unesco World Heritage Site is the Belem Tower (Torre de Belem), a fortress to guard the entrance to Lisbon`s harbour. Belem is famous as the starting point for many of the expeditionary voyages of discovery of the unknown during the Age of Explorations in the 15th and 16th centuries.

We visited Santarem, one of the world`s oldest cities, walked through its narrow streets to the Church of St. Stephen to see the 750-year old Holy Eucharistic Miracle, a relic of the Bleeding Heart. Later we heard mass at Santo Antonio Padua church built on the site where the patron saint of lost objects was born.

The FNAA held their annual growth & development and use The last two days of our educational retreat on Nov. 3, these insights to find ways to

Alberta

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Our Lady & the shepherd children

stopped at the parish church where the three seers were baptized and at the cemetery where Francisco and Jacinta were once burried.

The following morning we left Fatima, crossing the border into Spain.

FNAA Annual Educational Retreat 2012. The theme was Moving Forward, Flying High Together.

The retreat reflected on the FNAA’s activities in previous years, assess the organization’s

Gem & Lita at Lucia da Santos’ home, Aljustre!

Rossio Square, Lisbon

The Basilica of Our Lady of Rosary, Fatima

Visit our Web site - www.FilipinoJournal.com - Now on

strengthen relationships and build a solid working team that will fulfil the vision of the FNAA. The retreat was facilitated by Dr. Lucenia Ortiz, Senior Consultant

in Diversity and Settlement at the Edmonton City Hall. The attendees enjoyed a delicious lunch catered

by Fat Jakks restaurant, coffee, pastries and fresh fruits. It was a very interesting and fruitful event.

26 Filipino Journal

Alberta

The Pulse of the Filipino Community

November 2012

Damian Bernal Baptism

Beth Dequina Aperocho celebrates Birthday

Congratulations to the parents of Damian Bernal, Candice and Mike Bernal of Edmonton who recenty baptized their child at the St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Sobor Parish Saturday, September 29, 2012.

Reception followed at the Bonanza Buffet attended by relatives and friends.

Beth Aperocho of Edmonton held a dinner celebration at the Rice Bowl Chinese Restaurant last Friday, November 16, 2012 with a group of friends. Beth Aperocho was former President of the Filipino Nurses Association of Alberta (FNAA) and recently elected Vice President of Filipino Retirees' Association of Alberta (FRAA).

Damian

Mike, Katana, Father Yuriy, Candice, and Damian.

Carlos Bernal, Monica Bernal, Mike Bernal, Katana, Phil Bernal, Candice Bernal, Damian, Anand S, Megan Bernal, Josh Bernal, Glynda Bernal, Jacob Bernal, Nikki Bernal.

Beth Aperocho

L-R Arce, Danny, Beth(birthday celebrant) Yola Hipolito, Letty Tria, Hermie Angeles, Jun Angeles, & Robert Tria Seated- L-R Lulu Bernal, Tony Bernal, amd Reby Bengco.

Justin and Alice Roque's 80th Birthday Celebration

Nikki Bernal, Megan Bernal, Mark Relos, Cody Bernal, Arlene Bernal, Jason Svekla, and Nicole Kosturic.

Nikki Bernal, Megan Bernal, Janis Bernal, Mark Relos, Mike Bernal, Katana, Father Yuriy, Damian, Candice Bernal, Cody Bernal, Arlene Bernal, Jason Svekla, and Nicole Kosturic.

Alice Roque with husband, Justin and brother, Alice who celebrated her 80th with grandchildren and Sen. Angara in French Creek Sen. Ed Angara and wife, Gloria.

Restaurant in Parksville, Vancouver Island, B.C..

Visit our Web site - www.FilipinoJournal.com - all photos & articles available online!

November 2012

The Pulse of the Filipino Community

Visit our Web site - www.FilipinoJournal.com - Now on

Filipino Journal

Alberta

27

28 Filipino Journal

Alberta

The Pulse of the Filipino Community

Visit our Web site - www.FilipinoJournal.com - all photos & articles available online!

November 2012