YEAR 11, No.

9 MARCH 2008 Home Paper of the 1999 Canadian Ethnic Journalists’ and Writers’ Club Winner for Best Editorial Toronto, Ontario

INSIDE
Ooops & Bloops
Portugal seeks independent probe on FCT affairs
(On page 6)

POEA, RP LABOR OFFICE IN CANADA

TIGHTEN SCREWS
Forget
dementia
-7

Filipinos get
jobs faster - 12

ON FILIPINO CAREGIVER RECRUITMENT

Employers using standard contracts to hire caregiv-
Payvanuvanua
bids safe fishing in
ers would have to sign and conform to a contract adden-
dum that specifically provided four conditions uphold-
Advocates vow

Batanes - 26 ing worker’s rights and protecting workers from unjust
and unwanted exigencies.
The contract additions included conditions that the
employer would shoulder the caregiver’s two-way cost
of transportation to and from Canada and the employ-
ee’s health coverage, where applicable, from the time of
arrival until the provincial health insurance is applied.
Dancing To Be A Star
Employers should also agree that they would only end
- 33
employment for just cause; and in cases of work-related
deaths, to pay for the repatriation of remains.
Frank Luna, chief of the Toronto-based Philippine Over-
In Mississauga - 37 seas Labor Office (POLO), said the conditions were reim-
posed in the wake of reports of bogus employers, workers
(To page 5)
Members of the cast of Justice for Caregivers, Justice for All! give Filipino community me-
diamen a ten-minute preview of a Petronila Cleto-written two-hour operetta during the Feb.
23 Kapihan of the Philippine Press Club-Ontario. Organizers say the play, to be shown in
Hamilton and other parts of Ontario, aims to give the public a compelling view of how care-
givers in Canada suffer under an insensitive Live-In Caregiver Program that promotes mod-
ern slavery and grave abuse of basic human rights. PHOTO: MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
END TO ROGUES
The days of unscrupulous recruiters are num-
bered. So are the days of those who abuse caregivers
and treat foreign workers as their own overworked
and underpaid slaves. (Related stories on page 4)
This, community advocates for caregiver protection
and welfare warned, as they geared up for a long battle
to end the insidious importation and exploitation of Fili-
pinos forced by economic paucity to tightly hold on to
a dangling sharp-edged dagger the advocates called the
Live-In Caregiver Program (LCP).
Advocacy groups Coalition for the Protection of
Caregivers’ Rights (CPCR) and Community Alliance for
Social Justice (CASJ) would be ready to name names
for media exposure, their leaders promised community
newsmen during the Feb. 23 breakfast forum of the Phil-
ippine Press Club-Ontario (PPCO) at Casa Manila.
Expose exploiters
The advocates’ promise came in the wake of calls
from community media practitioners for more specific
data and information that would substantiate the truth
and credibility of their sad and tear-jerking testimonies.
“Some of our colleagues at the PPCO have issued a
challenge to caregivers and community leaders to come
out in the open and identify recruiters and agencies who
exploit applicants under programs for caregivers and
other workers, especially women,” PPCO president and
Balita columnist Tenny Soriano said.
“We are reiterating our willingness to expose and
publish the names of these personalities or companies.
All we are asking is their cooperation and the courage to
tell the truth. It’s about time that we put to a stop these
nefarious activities,” Soriano added.
(To page 17)
2 Manila Media Monitor MARCH 2008
MARCH 2008 Manila Media Monitor
3 CALENDAR
MARCH 20 & 21: The Pillars Pabasa,
Our Lady of the Assumption Church,
starts at 12 noon.
MARCH 23: Word International Minis-
tries Ontario’s My Chains Are Gone, An
Easter Celebration Of Freedom, Unit
18, 951 Wilson Ave., 10:30 a.m.; 3 p.m.
MARCH 23 & 30: Filipino Centre To-
ronto Free Income Tax Preparation for
Individuals.
MARCH 26: Heart Throbs Piolo Pas-
cual, Sam Milby and John Lloyd Cruz in
TO Concert, Toronto Centre for the Arts,
7:30 p.m.
MARCH 30: Coalition for the Protection
of Caregivers’ Rights, Launch of Cam-
paign for LCP Changes.
APRIL 3: Canadian Ethnic Media Asso-
ciation Speaker’s Series with Capt. Aida
Gabriel, PAO, Canadian Armed Forces
Diversity Unit, OMNI TV, 6:45 p.m.
APRIL 4: Find Christina Calayca Group
Fundraising Gala, Ambiance Banquet
Hall.
APRIL 5: Filipino Centre Toronto Presi-
dents’ Ball, Fairmont Royal York Hotel.
APRIL 18: Filipino Centre Toronto 3rd
Round of the Filipino Singing Idol Com-
petitions.
APRIL 26: Gary V Live, Sony Centre for
the Performing Arts, 7 p.m.
MAY 3: Kalayaan Cultural Foundation
Ms. Kalayaan and Ms. Munting Mutya
2008, Kalayaan Cultural Community
Centre, Mississauga.
WHAT’S YOUR EVENT? Send to
mediamonitor@yahoo.com the
name of your group and event
details (what, where, when, what
time).
4 NEWS Manila Media Monitor MARCH 2008

‘Good enough to work,

good enough to stay’
Pura Velasco, head of
the Coalition for the Protec-
tion of Caregivers’ Rights
(CPCR), has sought the
support of the community
media to continue bringing
to the forefront “the fight
for changes to (Canada’s)
Live-in Caregiver Program
(LCP).”
“I know that in the 70’s,
during the campaign for the
right of domestic workers
to apply for landed status
in Canada, some of you had
chronicled the campaign in
your newspapers,” Velasco
told members of the Phil-
ippine Press Club-Ontario
during the club’s Feb. 23
breakfast forum at Casa Ma-
nila.
“I think the ‘Good
enough to work, good
enough to stay’ campaign
was an historical initiative
that our community should
honor, remember and emu-
late,” she said, noting that
everyone has come to anoth-
er stage of the struggle to get
Canadian politicians change
the old and flawed LCP.
Old hiring scheme
In a paper read before the
forum, Velasco said the LCP
brought in mainly women
from poorer countries to
work as live-in caregivers
to care for the young, the el-
derly, and the disabled.
The latest in the state’s
continuing hiring program
since a century ago, the LCP
evolved over time from var-
ious schemes such as the re-
cruitment of European nan-
nies and domestic workers
from the Caribbean islands.
Prior to 1940, all do-
mestic workers were given
landed status upon arrival in
Canada in exchange for one
year work.
In 1960, the Temporary
Employment Act was imple-
mented, then replaced by the
Foreign Domestic Worker
Movement (FDM) in 1981,
and subsequently by the LCP
in 1992 to meet the growing
demand for childcare and
long term care services.
Palpable flaws
Velasco said the LCP
was shaky, having been
founded on:
► A mandatory live-in
requirement with employer
through the contract period.
► A temporary stay-and-
work status for 24 months
Connie Sorio (right), an advocate and lobbyist for the protection of the rights
of migrant workers, calls on community leaders and the media for a more
concerted act to make influential Canadian parliamentarians be aware of and
understand the plight of caregivers, mostly Filipinos, staying and working
in Canada. Strongly agreeing to Sorio’s call are (from left) Philippine Press
Club-Ontario president Tenny Soriano and Coalition for the Protection of
Caregivers’ Rights head Pura Velasco. PHOTO: MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
within 39 months, subject to nomic well-being of work- volunteer work, educational
immediate deportation on ers, due to flaws in the LCP, upgrading, language ability
non-completion of terms. including: and other settlement aspects
►An employer-specific ► Unpaid wages and that showed that we will not
work permit binding a work- overtime pay, unsafe work- become a burden to Cana-
er to a single employer. ing conditions, verbal and da,” Velasco said.
Velasco cited some neg- physical harassment and “Many were not able to
ative effects impacting on abuse, loss of privacy and pass the mandatory immi-
the social, cultural and eco- confinement. gration interviews. Many

Caregiver’s reality cuts on neo-slavery

“What I’m experiencing
now under the Live-in Care-
giver Program is contrary to
what the Canadian Govern-
ment is propagating. Live-in
caregivers should only pro-
vide care for children, elder-
ly or people with disability.
They didn’t say that we will
work as domestic helpers.
They also said that we have
legal rights respecting fair
working conditions and fair
treatment under the employ-
ment standards legislation.
This covers rights in: days
off each week, overtime pay,
vacation with pay, minimum
wage, etc. The situation they
project is so dignified, but in
reality it’s not.”
These, teary-eyed Sol
Pajadura stressed in a testi-
mony read before the break-
fast forum of the Philippine
Press Club-Ontario and the
Community Alliance for So-
cial Justice (CASJ) on Feb.
23. The forum also kicked
off CASJ’s Campaign for
Changes in the Live-in
Caregiver Program.
Land of promise
Pajadura came to Cana-
da in January 2005, having
been attracted by the glit-
ter of permanent residency
the Canadian government
promised if she completed
24 months of caregiving
work in a three-year period.
With her arrival came her
dream of making Canada her
land of promise, where she
could be reunited with her
children and a loving family
she yearned to hug and kiss
in the last six years.
Before setting foot on
Canada, Pajadura worked
as a domestic helper in
Hong Kong, forced by eco-
a.m. to 7 p.m. or until 9 or 10
p.m. There were times that I
had to work from 7 a.m. of
Saturday until 3 or 4 a.m. of
Sunday,” Pajadura said.
“They gave me C$260
for my five-day work plus
C$60 for my Saturday work.
They never paid me my
overtime work,” she added.
Pajadura said her em-
ployers disregarded her right
to privacy by monitoring her
movements by way of cam-
eras installed all over the
house. The footages were
broadcast to computers at
her male employer’s office.
“I have a curfew time
on my day off. I have to be
Caregiver Sol Pajadura (left) tells of fears of los- back by 8 p.m. or I have to
ing a survival job and of facing deportation if she face my employer’s wrath,”
stood up to the abuse and slave treatment she she said.
gets from employers. Her story is one of a truck- “Working for them for
load of unending caregivers’ tales of woe that ad- nine months is really hard.
vocates, like the Community Alliance for Social It’s like walking on an egg
Justice headed by Hermie Garcia (right), have shell, one single wrong
documented and have become the bases to ask step and it will break. I’m
the Canadian government to act on the misgivings always anxious. I might
of an antiquated law like the Live-In Caregiver Pro- make a mistake in my work
gram. PHOTO: MANILA MEDIA MONITOR and they will get mad at me
and fire me out. I have to
nomic necessity to put aside pay, Pajadura put her inner endure verbal taunting and
a teacher’s diploma and a strength to a work search humiliating behavior from
seven-year old job as coor- in Toronto and landed a my male employer because
dinator of the Children’s Re- job with a family in Wood- I could not afford to lose my
habilitation Center in Panay, bridge. It took four months job. I have a family to sup-
the Philippines. to get the work permit. port back home, debts to pay
Frustrating start Abused to the max ... and I have to complete
To come to Canada, Pa- Pajadura said: “I have to my (caregiving tenure to be
jadura paid US$3,500 to an take care of an 11-year-old a Canadian permanent resi-
employment agency based boy with the Down Syn- dent),” Pajadura stressed.
in Windsor, Ontario. drome, a one-year old boy Empowered
But when she arrived, and a five-month old baby.” With help from migrant
she was told that her spon- An old woman helped groups in Toronto, Pajadura
soring employer no longer her care for the children. But said she was able to “em-
needed her services. she had to do all the house power myself and have the
Scarred but not broken chores: cleaning, laundry, courage to quit my job with
and clinging to her dream cooking, preparing babies this employer.”
of a good life for her family formula, etc. After this, Pajadura said
while being haunted by the “I was made to work she had found work, still as
nightmare of huge debts to Monday to Saturday, from 7 a caregiver, in Thornhill.
► Deskilling of work-
ers, most of whom have pro-
fessional backgrounds.
► Difficulty of work-
ers to move to better paying
jobs outside the LCP.
► Fear of losing a job
and of deportation.
► Emotionally-stress-
ful workers’ long separation
from families back home.
► Denied participation
in civic affairs.
Abused, ignored
Talking from experi-
ence, Velasco said “working
as a domestic worker under
the FDM in the ‘90s was
like being in prison. All my
employees treated me as if
they owned me.”
She said that conditions
were such that she and oth-
er caregivers have become
very vulnerable prey to a
bad employer’s abuse that
came in so many unimagi-
nable forms that trashed
labor laws, civility, human
dignity and equality.
Worse, the government
has turned a blind eye and a
deaf ear to the plight of tens
of thousands of women im-
ported from “poor nations”
to do “demeaning jobs” Ca-
nadians refused to do.
Velasco recalled how
Canadian officials, pointing
to the letter of the FDM and
LCP, heaped on caregivers
strict rules that broke any
resolve to bring any matter
against abusive employ-
ers before authorities at the
price of losing the privilege
for permanent residency.
“We were required to
get a release letter from our
previous employer as a con-
dition for issuing another
work permit. We were re-
quired to attend two critical
assessment interviews with
immigration officers who
would look at our savings,
went home because they or
their family members were
deemed medically or crimi-
nally inadmissible.”
Velasco asked why, on
top of these strict regula-
tions, Canadian officials
continued to ignore the ap-
plication of the basic rights
of caregivers to strict Cana-
dian employment standards.
Struggle
Velasco said efforts have
been going on to amend the
LCP, due to its violation of
human rights, the creation of
a venue for systemic abuse
due to the vulnerability of
the workers, and increasing
instances of inequality and
economic segregation.
Since 1981, the federal
and provincial government
have not passed any “funda-
mental changes to the FMD
and LCP that would improve
the working conditions and
the lives of caregivers,”
Velasco said.
“Caregivers are provid-
ing an essential service in
promoting the well-being
and quality of life of Cana-
dians. As Canadians age,
the demand for caregiving
services will correspond-
ingly increase. Lack of af-
fordable universal childcare
will add to the care deficit
Canadian families have to
worry about. Caregiving is
an industry Filipinos know
how to deliver profession-
ally and with caring attitude.
We have to take this indus-
try seriously. Caregivers are
at the center of this industry.
Let us take the high road of
campaigning for respect,
dignity, economic justice
and employment rights for
caregivers. Caregiving is our
major resource, our product,
our capital - we should value
it and fight for it,” Velasco
urged.
MARCH 2008 Manila Media Monitor
TIGHTEN SCREWS
being released upon arrival,
and workers being summar-
ily fired or abandoned by
their employers.
The POLO would verify
the contract and see to it that
the four conditions are aptly
provided, before sending
the contract for processing
to the Philippines Overseas
Employment Administra-
tion (POEA) in Manila and
before the workers are al-
lowed to leave for Canada.
Standard contracts usu-
ally sent to Service Canada
spelled out only minimum
labor standard requirements,
and might not fully address
workers’ special needs.
A positive Service Can-
ada-issued Labour Market
Opinion (LMO) is needed
for an employer to hire
workers outside Canada.
Contract addendum
Luna explained that
while “the contract is a pri-
vate agreement between the
employer and the worker,
it is subject to the laws and
policies of the Philippines,
which can prescribe addi-
tional conditions to protect
the interests of its nationals
going abroad.”
“Contracting parties to a
private agreement can stip-
ulate on additional condi-
tions, provided such terms
NEWS 5
forthcoming one with Al- 30,000 contract and perma-
berta. nent migrant workers with
The accords provided specific skills per year.
for the ethical, orderly, and Performing well
(From page 1) expeditious recruitment and Ian Wright, an official
and conditions are not con- dum of understanding with rary workers in Canada. deployment of workers to of a Toronto-based recruit-
trary to law, morals, public Alberta is in the works,” “We can only act on par- Canada; non-collection of ment agency facilitating the
policy, or customs and tra- Luna said. ticular cases when we are placement fees; and for the hiring of workers all over
ditions of both Canada and He urged worker-vic- fully informed,” he told the provinces to encourage em- Canada, said that so far, no-
the Philippines,” he said. tims and the public to report Manila Media Monitor in a ployers to support Human body has beaten the excel-
“There is nothing con- to the POLO and to pro- March 13 interview. REsource Development lent overall performance of
trary to law or policy of vincial officials violations Canadian Desk (HRD) efforts for workers, Filipino workers. (Related
both countries in the ad- of the “no-placement fee” Luna said that in this and the reintegration of re- story on p. 12)
ditional provisions that we policy for appropriate and regard, former Labor Sec- turning workers to the Phil- Wright, then following
require,” Luna clarified. immediate action. retary Arturo Brion, before ippines. up the verification of em-
He added that “Cana- Immoral recruiters he was appointed as Associ- “The government is ployment documents with
dian legal precedents, in “At this time when we ate Justice of the Supreme managing migration in a the POLO when the Manila
fact, lean towards interpret- are looking forward to more Court of the Philippines way that the interests of Fil- Media Monitor visited the
ing contracts in favor of en- Filipino workers coming to on March 17, has set up a ipino workers in Canada are office, said he was very im-
hancing workers’ benefits Canada, those unscrupulous Canadian Desk to handle well protected,” Brion said. pressed with how Filipino
and rights.” individuals should be iden- queries and coordinate with The signing of agree- workers topped skills train-
Without the addendum tified and prevented from Canadian provincial agen- ments with Canadian prov- ing programs conducted for
to employment contract, taking advantage of the cies on the deployment of inces is considered a mile- their deployment to various
any promise of a caregiv- more vulnerable sectors of Filipino hands to Canada. stone in Philippine efforts jobs in Canada.
ing job in Canada would be our society, in order that the POEA Director Salome to ensure decent working He noted how Filipino
empty, he hinted. ethical and orderly deploy- Mendoza was named to conditions and the continu- workers valued the training
No placement fee ment of workers as con- head the desk, which would ous training and successful they got from employers
Luna also reiterated that templated in our bilateral also attend to workers seek- reintegration of Filipino and hiring agencies and put
Philippine laws have pro- agreements are achieved,” ing jobs in Canada. workers. the skills learned to produc-
hibited recruiters to collect Luna said. Luna said Brion, who Canada’s interest for Fil- tive practice.
placement fees. Appraised on what earned his Master of Laws ipino workers has stressed Wright told Manila
He said regulations in transpired during the Feb. at the Osgoode Hall Law its recognition of the Fili- Media Monitor he had no
British Columbia, Alberta, 23 caregivers’ forum set School of Toronto’s York pinos’ capability to help ad- qualms recruiting Filipino
Saskatchewan and Manito- up by the Philippine Press University in 1994, has been dress its skills shortages. workers.
ba also banned the same. Club-Ontario and the Com- very passionate in working Alberta has a booming He credited the POLO
Labor accords the Phil- munity Alliance on Social out a better job deal for Fili- oil and gas industry and for giving high priority to
ippines has signed with Sas- Justice, he said he was glad pino workers, who immoral would be needing some Human Resource Devele-
katchewan in Dec. 2007, the community supported recruiters have found easy 400,000 workers until opment (HRD) as a surefire
British Columbia in Jan. actions that would stop prey due to the big labor de- 2010. way to enhance workers’
2008, and Manitoba in Feb. immoral recruiters from mand overseas. British Columbia would productivity and welfare.
2008 have expressly pro- further scamming Filipino Agreements need hospitality and con- Wright said Canadian
hibited such collection, with caregivers. Brion had earlier signed struction workers as it hiring agencies look highly
the placement costs being He said the POLO also pacts with officials of Sas- geared itself to host the upon HRD and skills devel-
charged to the employer. welcomed reports on abuses katchewan, British Colum- 2010 Winter Olympics. It opment, and Filipino work-
“A similar memoran- inflicted on Filipino tempo- bia and Manitoba - and a has been attracting some ers fit in this regard.
6 NEWS Manila Media Monitor MARCH 2008

Portugal seeks independent probe on FCT affairs

Save the FCT Move- looked at and scrutinized.” posed body could have de-
ment leaders Francisco He said “members termined” whether or not
Portugal, Camilla Jones and of the board - who were FCT president Linda Javier
Frank Aquino jointly called themselves the subject of had improperly repaid her
for an independent inves- the resolutions - convened, husband Felino $9,820 for
tigation on what they con- chaired the meeting and an alleged loan used to cov-
tinued to claim as seeming literally judged themselves er part of the FCT building’s
abuse of authority and fund innocent by participating in acquisition cost.
mismanagement in the Fili- the vote.” Portugal told the press-
pino Centre Toronto (FCT). The SGM meeting, at- con that he, during his time
The call came after the tended only by less than 80 as an FCT official, could
trio found fault with the of over 700 members, “was not recall having seen or
proceedings of the FCT not the proper venue to de- signed any paper to that ef-
Special General Members termine” the innocence or (From right) Francisco Portugal, Camilla Jones and Frank Aquino seek com- fect, the reason why he and
(SGM) meeting on Jan. 27, guilt of persons who could munity action in pushing for substantial changes in the Filipino Centre To- his group sought the forma-
2008 when members reject- have violated the FCT con- ronto (FCT) in a press conference at Casa Manila. Photo: ARIEL RAMOS tion of a committee to look
ed all four resolutions Por- stitution, he added. into their claim.
tugal and 47 others signed “The accused, in any construed as conduct un- lished articles. Portugal explained that Asked by media if he
and filed for board action a proceeding, cannot be the becoming of a member and Part of the Reason for he, Aquino and Jones ab- was hinting that the docu-
year before. judge and jury at the same “willfully committed to the Judgment penned by Justice stained from voting in the ments presented for scruti-
Judge and jury time,” he stressed. detriment of the interests of Geoffrey Morawetz also SGM meeting because they ny by FCT members during
In a statement read Resolution the organization.” read: “During this hearing, believed the 2007 FCT of- the SGM were either faked
in a press conference at The resolution Portugal The resolution urged the counsel for the respondents ficials were disinterested in or forged, Portugal clarified
Casa Manila on March 22, referred to was the one that 2007 board to form a spe- requested that certain decla- finding out the truth.” that he and his group were
Portugal called the SGM claimed the Ontario Superi- cial committee - to include rations be made to the effect “We believe that the “not assuming anything.”
meeting “orchestrated” and or Court found several FCT a representative of the cross that the respondents had not whole proceeding is a Documented evidences
“manipulated,” where “evi- directors “guilty of violat- section of the FCT’s mem- committed willful neglect mockery,” he said. In the Jan. 27 SGM dis-
dence could not be carefully ing” the FCT constitution, bership - “to determine ap- or default in the execution Loan repayment cussions, Javier expressed
propriate penalties regard- of their duties.” (Court File “Only a properly com- (To page 34)
www. FinancialProblem.ca ing the court findings.”
It asked that the com-
No. 05-CV-299439PD2,
Dated 20060407) Labor shortage
with credit cards and bank loans
haunts Canada
mittee’s recommendation When voted on, the
Too many loans & credit cards? be heard and voted on at a SGM attendees unanimous-
Paying too much interest? special members’ meeting. ly quashed the resolution.
Afraid to pick up your own phone? But in the Jan. 27 SGM Present during the SGM, By MILA V. ECHEVARRIA
Looking for consolidation? meeting, FCT officials con- Portugal, Jones and Aquino Is it true that Canada has labor shortage?
tended the section of the joined in the deliberation of Are Canadian employers finding it more difficult to fill
Please see page 13 for our detailed advertisement Superior Court’s Reason for the four resolutions but ab- in job vacancies locally, or even nationally?
CREDIT MANAGEMENT SERVICES Judgment was misquoted stained from voting. Here in Ontario, it does not appear that way. Does it?
416-780-1020 and taken out of context
in conversations and pub-
Mockery
Back at the presscon,
But in Alberta, there is no question about it.
(To page 13)
MARCH 2008 Manila Media Monitor
Forgetting dementia
With partners, Forex Parcel
Services president Ted Dayno
have set up a new remittance
company called “Remit X”, offi-
cial launching of which was post-
poned from its original date of
Saturday, March 15, at the Delta
East Hotel on Kennedy Road in
Scarborough.
The official invitation to the
launching states, “Remit X --- Get
Your Money There”.
But Ted, how would this work
on me when “X” translates to
“No”, “Nil”, “Nada”?
Are you sure my remittance
will get to where it is to be sent?
***
In her weekly episodes, tele-
vision co-host Mary Grace San-
tos always says “Filipino, Eh!
… the most talked about TV
show.”
Hhhmmm. Reminds me of
“under-arm deaodorant” Veto’s
TV advertising pitch in the late
60s and early 70s, “It’s you that
they are talking about.”
Filipino, Eh! airs 8-9 a.m.
Saturdays, A Channel, Cable
20.
***
Ace Alvarez
In his radio program Talakayan
on Saturday, March 22, program
host Jess Cabrias complained on
the fact that media identification
cards were not honored by the
producers of the Sarah Geronimo,
et. al. concert at the John Bassett
Theatre in downtown T.O.
Jess said that he will suggest to
the new officers of the Philippine
Press Club-Ontario (PPCO) that
the Community Liaison Branch
of the Toronto Police counter-sign
the ID cards to be issued by the
next PPCO administration.
Jess, bakit Toronto Police? Sa
RCMP na kaagad!
There you have it, folks! You
will be under police power under
the new PPCO administration to
be elected on April 19, 2008 - if
the suggestion of radio announcer
Jess Cabrias goes through. In oth-
er words, martial law!
Whatever happened to the me-
dia as the fourth estate?
***
On March 17, the Federal
NDPs sent out a press release
that read “Harper Wrong to
Limit Immigration Applica-
tions.” Sub-head was “Olivia
VIEWS
Chow says government putting
cheap labour ahead of family
reunification.”
The following day, the Con-
servatives came out with a press
release stating, “Conservatives
to shorten immigrant wait times
- families reunited sooner and
skilled workers here faster.”
The lead of the story read, “Last
year, under the strong leader-
ship of Stephen Harper, Canada
welcomed the highest number
of newcomers in our history,
429,649, surpassing the previous
high set almost 100 years ago. “
Ho-hummmm. Politicians …
politicians ….
***
Among the youngest members
of the PPCO is freelance writer
Ricky Caluen.
Last month, a PPCO member
sent an electronic file supposed to
be a test for dementia.
Ricky hit his “Reply All” but-
ton and wrote, “Ano ba itong ‘De-
mentia Test’ at sino ba kayo?”.
Uh-oh! The youngest is now
possessed of the oldests’ malady!
***
Some quarters are stress-
ing the importance of building
a monument for the victims of
communism in Ottawa.
Teka … teka … teka …. How
about us who are likewise vic-
tims of communism in Toronto?
That is, twice, or thrice a week,
we get these releases from vari-
ous organizations propagating
the work of the reds.
***
Jan Inniss, who sent the fol-
lowing, said that this was a true
story which happened in Char-
lotte, North Carolina.
A lawyer purchased a box of
very rare and expensive cigars,
then insured them against, among
other things, fire.
Within a month, having
smoked his entire stockpile of
these great cigars and without yet
having made even his first pre-
mium payment on the policy, the
lawyer filed a claim against the
insurance company.
In his claim, the lawyer stated
the cigars were lost ‘in a series of
small fires.’
The insurance company re-
fused to pay, citing the obvious
reason, that the man had consumed
the cigars in the normal fashion.
The lawyer sued and WON!
Delivering the ruling, the judge
agreed with the insurance com-
pany that the claim was frivolous.
The judge stated nevertheless, that
the lawyer held a policy from the
company, which it had warranted
that the cigars were insurable and
also guaranteed that it would in-
sure them against fire, without
defining what is considered to be
7
unacceptable ‘fire’ and was obli-
gated to pay the claim. Rather than
endure the lengthy and costly ap-
peal process, the insurance com-
pany accepted the ruling and paid
$15,000 to the lawyer for his loss
of the cigars lost in the ‘fires’.
After the lawyer cashed the
check, the insurance company had
him arrested on 24 counts of AR-
SON!!! With his own insurance
claim and testimony from the pre-
vious case used against him, the
lawyer was convicted of intention-
ally burning his insured property
and was sentenced to 24 months
in jail and a $24,000 fine.
The story was the First Place
winner in the recent Criminal
Lawyers Award Contest.
***
Here is another one from Jan
Inniss, the love story of Ralph
and Edna.
Ralph and Edna were both
patients in a mental hospital.
One day while they were walk-
ing past the hospital swimming
pool, Ralph suddenly jumped
into the deep end. He sank to the
bottom of the pool and stayed
there. Edna promptly jumped
in to save him. She swam to the
bottom and pulled him out
When the Head Nurse Di-
rector became aware of Edna’s
heroic act, she immediately or-
dered her to be discharged from
the hospital, as she now consid-
ered her to be mentally stable.
When she went to tell Edna
the news she said, “Edna, I have
good news and bad news.”
(To page 8)
8 VIEWS
Ooops ...
(From page 7)
“The good news is you’re be-
ing discharged, since you were
able to rationally respond to a
crisis by jumping in and saving
the life of the person you love.
I have concluded that your act
displays soundmindedness.
“The bad news is, Ralph
hung himself in the bathroom
with his bathrobe belt right af-
ter you saved him. I am so sorry,
but he’s dead.”
Edna replied: “He didn’t
hang himself. I put him there to
dry. How soon can I go home?”
***
This one, meanwhile, is from
Jojo Taduran:
A woman arrived at the Gates
of Heaven. While she was waiting
for Saint Peter to greet her, she
peeked through the gates.
She saw a beautiful banquet
table. Sitting all around were her
parents and all the other people
she had loved and who had died
before her.
They saw her and began call-
ing greetings to her “Hello. How
are you! We’ve been waiting for
you! Good to see you.”
When Saint Peter came by, the
woman said to him, “This is such
a wonderful place! How do I get
in?”
“You have to spell a word,”
Saint Peter told her.
“Which word?” the woman
asked.
“Love.”
The woman correctly spelled
“Love” and Saint Peter welcomed
her into Heaven.
About a year later, Saint Peter
came to the woman and asked her
to watch the Gates of Heaven for
him that day.
While the woman was guard-
ing the Gates of Heaven, her hus-
band arrived. “I’m surprised to
see you,” the woman said. “How
have you been?”
“Oh, I’ve been doing pretty
well since you died,” her husband
told her. “I married the beautiful
young nurse who took care of you
while you were ill.”
“And then I won the multi-
state lottery. I sold the little house
you and I lived in and bought a
huge mansion. And my wife and I
traveled all around the world. We
were on vacation in Cancun and I
went water skiing today. I fell and
hit my head, and here I am. What
a bummer! How do I get in?”
“You have to spell a word,”
the woman told him.
“Which word?” her husband
asked.
“Czechoslovakia.”
Moral of the story: Never
make a woman angry. There will
be Hell to pay later!
Welcome
spring with
NEWNESS.
AD INQUIRIES?
Call 416-285-8583
Unpaid ‘volunteers’
should stay out
Elections must definitely be
coming at the Philippine Press
Club Ontario (PPCO) that not
only in e-mail messages within
the group that one member lam-
basts the incumbent leader, but in
free-over-the-air radio broadcast
as well.
In one open letter, my good
friend, radio broadcaster and
PPCO member Jess Cabrias
branded incumbent PPCO presi-
dent Tenny Soriano as having
“dictatorial tendencies”, which,
regardless of the e-mail broadcast
proves that still members do exer-
cise democratic rights having the
freedom of speech to say so.
But granting for the sake of
argument that, indeed, the incum-
bent president of the PPCO has
dictatorial tendencies, how can
one really run the affairs of a com-
munity organization, including the
PPCO, with soft hands.
I don’t really agree with what
most community leaders say that
“We could not really run the af-
fairs of our organization strictly
similar to the terms of corpora-
tions operating for profit, because
our members are volunteers and
not paid for what they do.”
On the contrary, I believe that
to assume the leadership in a com-
munity organization means ruling
such organization with an iron
A recent visit to America gave
this writer a chance to backtrack
in television, reminiscing decades
past while enjoying reruns of TV’s
storied past.
It started with The Cosby
Show’s reunion on Oprah.
Images of the erstwhile kids,
now mostly parents themselves,
and the iconic father already push-
ing in years, sent viewers pining
for the proverbial good old days.
It is a lost world too in Phil-
ippine television with the prepon-
derance of glitz, gossip and West-
ern glam.
One longs for shows that did
not dish out stressful language and
skimpy wear, programs that one
looked eagerly forward to nightly
or weekly and series that remind-
ed us that life was not created by
God as a complicated matter.
The era of I Love Lucy, Bo-
nanza, Little House on the Prai-
rie, Bewitched, My Three Sons
and so many more was the same
era of such legendary homespun
TV programs like Buhay Artista,
fist, so to speak, otherwise, the
reasoning that members are vol-
unteers and not paid for what they
do likewise, adds up to the disad-
vantage in realizing the purposes
for which the organization was
formed. Why? Because nobody
will work towards the collective
goal, except the president himself
and one or two officers and/or
board members. Everybody is a
volunteer, remember?
During the last eleven years, I
have seen many community orga-
nizations fail in their objectives,
mostly after soft leaders were
elected to the topmost post - usu-
ally with the title of president.
In the PPCO, however, I am
agreeable to the leadership style
that Tenny Soriano provides in
that this organization is kind of
tough to manage considering that
members are all media people
and are “stars” in their own right,
hence, mostly are leaders them-
selves. If this is the case, how
can one, as a president, lead the
bunch? Hhhmm. One has to have
dictatorial tendencies, I suppose.
What about this branding by
some quarters that some of those
practicing newspapermen from
way back in the Philippines have
brought their (bad?) behavior over
here. Ha! Ha! Ha! The branding
spared me and my wife, Gie, since
Down television’s
memory lane
TangTarangTang, Tawag ng Tang-
halan, Kwarta o Kahon, Hamon
sa Kampeon, Student Canteen,
Spin a Win, FlordeLuna and Two
for the Road.
It was a bygone period that is
easy to describe to children today,
replete with pride and yearning.
The closest we had to flesh
exposure was during boxing bouts
and sports fests and when Pilita
Corrales’ then daring gowns of-
fered a teasing glimpse of her
décolletage and thighs without
meaning to throw seniors into a
fit.
The most we had of screen
violence was from ridiculous suit-
clad Pinoy cowboys aping John
Wayne or Charles Bronson, bran-
dishing their guns aboard steeds
and stallions borrowed from the
race tracks.
The nearest to Jerry Springer
we had were asides by comic ac-
tors and characteristic nastiness
from contravidas like Lucita So-
riano, Eva Darren, Bella Flores
and Celia Rodriguez.
Manila Media Monitor MARCH 2008
we were from Philippine broad-
cast and not print. Whatever the
specific behavior referred to was
nowhere mentioned? And who are
these newspapermen alluded to?
Tony Sicat, Nestor Arellano, Ten-
ny Soriano, Jojo Taduran (of both
print and broadcast), Hermie Gar-
cia, Ramon Datol, Butch Galicia,
Wesley Chua and/or Tony Ang?
What about the issue that the
current PPCO leader or leaders
have not done anything for the
betterment of the media in To-
ronto? I strongly believe that the
incumbent administration (please
read this as the president) of the
PPCO has taken all steps for the
betterment of the media in To-
ronto. However, it was very un-
fortunate that most media people
here could not care less about the
treatment they get, or accorded
to them by their various publics.
In other words, it was the coop-
eration, or non-cooperation of the
media members themselves that
led to how they are perceived and
treated by their publics.
One perfect example was the
March 14 Sarah Geronimo etal
concert at the John Bassett The-
atre where ID cards of media were
not honored. Well, only the ama-
teurs who think that their media
ID cards is the alpha and omega
(To page 13)
All those were glossed over
and it seemed, the Filipino was
more astute about knowing what
to ingest and what to reject on
TV.
The good shows lasted, the
bad ones disappeared after a quick
season.
Things began to change for
the worse in the variety show
genre when the grating voices of
and shamelessly hammed rendi-
tions by Imelda Papin and ilk
filled the airwaves; when comics
milked laughter at the expense of
guests and contestants, raising the
ante by insulting their physical
handicaps or blemishes; when the
newscasts began sensationalizing
and editorializing; and when kid-
die programs started making quiet
exits.
Drama became less a state-
ment about life and more a lachry-
mal activity when each new soap
aimed to break the barriers of real-
ism and credibility.
After Gulong ng Palad, it was
(To page 10)
MARCH 2008 Manila Media Monitor VIEWS 9

Opinion
High Treason? Best laid plans
By RICKY CARANDANG
Seven countries - China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, NATO’s plans for Afghanistan debating whether to pull out of veloping world and human rights
Brunei, and the Philippines - claim partial or full ownership of the call for no less than a complete de- Kandahar next year, or in 2011 or abuse worldwide.
disputed Spratly Islands, just off of Palawan. feat of the Taliban, just like what whenever. Given that Democratic front-
These overlapping claims have been a source of tension over the the Americans aimed for in Viet *** runners Obama and Clinton are
years since the Spratlys (Kalayaan Islands) are believed to contain Nam and Iraq. In my last issue, I urged read- attracting large followings of
significant reserves of oil and natural gas. We all know what happened ers to learn about Canada’s World, younger people, it seems that the
China was the most aggressive in pursuing its claim. In 1999, in Viet Nam and while we did the massive, ongoing study of our youth vote in the U.S. will be very
the Philippines - under President Joseph Estrada - led an effort to achieve complete victory of sorts nation launched by Simon Fraser big next November.
prevent tensions by getting all the claimants to agree not to take ac- in Iraq, it has by no means put an University. Which makes one ask why
tions to provoke other claimants. end to insurgency resulting in vio- Last month, Environics Re- in our own elections is the youth
Angry neighbors, upset officials lence and loss of life. search released the results of the vote so low? How do we turn
But in 2003, the Philippines - under Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Roland Paris, director of the first poll taken in that study. them on?
- rocked the boat that it previously steadied when it signed an agree- Centre for international Studies at Some of the results were sur- It’s likely to stay low unless
ment with China to jointly undertake seismic studies of the Spratlys the University of Ottawa, is high- prising, particularly regarding our federal political parties rise
and explore for oil and natural gas. ly critical of what’s transpiring in our relationships with the United to the challenge of young Cana-
Naturally, the other claimants were angry. After getting them Afghanistan. States. dians.
to agree not to rock the boat, the Philippines sucker-punched them In an article, he calls Wash- Although we have strong ties ***
with the China deal. ington’s 2002 action an effort to with the U.S., most Canadians It’s time for adults to learn
China’s traditional ally, Vietnam was so angry it had to be let in “build peace on he cheap”. (I am strongly disapprove of their for- how to distinguish between politi-
to the deal to appease them. tempted to ask, could this be be- eign policy, astoundingly naming cal correctness and cultural sensi-
Aside from angering our neighbors and potentially undermining cause George W. Bush already the U.S. as the country with the tivity.
regional stability, Arroyo’s action may also be illegal. had his sights fixed on Iraq?) most negative influence in the Too often, under the expedi-
Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez - then acting justice secretary Today, says Paris, the opium world. ence of political correctness, fool-
- told former Senator Frank Drilon, then allied with the administra- trade is still flourishing, insurgen- Fifty-two percent named the hardy decisions will be made in
tion, that she believed that the deal violated the constitution. cy is on the rise and support for U.S. with Iran a distant second at the hope that a given problem will
While it was a deal between the state owned oil firms (PNOC the elected Karzai government is 21 percent. just “go away.”
of the Philippines and CNOOC of China) of the two countries, it dwindling. However, Canadians over- The knee-jerk reaction of the
implicitly gave China access to our oil reserves. Paris even suggests we may whelmingly support a Democratic Halton Catholic School Board to a
Officers of the Foreign Affairs Department were also upset be- have to settle with less hardline government over a Republican by single complaint about the “athe-
cause the deal effectively strengthened China and Vietnam’s claim elements in the Taliban since, giv- a margin of 7 to 1. ism” of the author of the Golden
to the Spratlys. en current trends, complete defeat Young Canadians are more Compass series of children’s
Why GMA made the deal with China seems impossible. That’s the pros- engaged in international issues books resulted in them being re-
What would compel Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to sign a deal pect Canadian politicians ought to than Canadian politics feeling we moved from school libraries.
that potentially undermines regional stability, possibly grants China be facing instead of pandering to could do more to tackle environ- Last month, which happened
parity rights to oil reserves in the Spratlys that we claim to be ours, the egos of NATO generals and mental issues, issues in the de- (To page 16)
and likely violates our constitution?
How about $2 billion a year?
After the Spratly deal was signed, the Chinese government com-
mitted $2 billion in official development assistance a year to the
Philippines until 2010, when Arroyo is supposed to step down from
office.
My sources tell me that the Spratly deal was an explicit precon-
dition to the loans.
A sizable amount to be sure, but for the Arroyo administration
the China loans are particularly appealing.
Not so much because the interest rates are so low and the repay-
Mahal kita
ment terms so lenient, but because Chinese loans do not have the
cumbersome requirements that loans from the US, Japan, the EU,
and big multilateral lenders have - requirements for documentation, Last month was Valentine’s The first real time this link Valentine’s day not just with ro-
bidding, transparency and other details that make it very difficult for day. I love that day because it’s was made was around 1382 by the mantic love but all types of love.
corrupt public officials to commit graft. a day about love and all the good writer Sir Geoffrey Chaucer with And that’s ok I think, though
In November of last year, those cumbersome requirements made things that come with love: car- his famous poem it strikes me as odd that we only
it impossible for some government officials and private individuals ing, trust, friendship, intimacy and “For this was on seynt Volan- have one word that describes the
with sticky fingers to avail themselves of World Bank’s generosity. passion. tynys day, Whan euery bryd co- whole range of feelings we call
Loans from China are good for sticky hands All these things make life myth there to chese his make. love: I love that dress, I love my
It had gotten to the point where a corrupt government could no worth living and not having them, (For this was on St. Valentine’s child, I love that man.
longer make a dishonest buck. That is until China’s generous offer or worse not having experienced day, When every bride comes here Can someone please explain
came along. them at all, makes us less than to choose his mate)” this to me. I’m certain these are
Given China’s laxity with certain conditions, it’s no wonder why what we could be. The poem was written to different types of love so we
almost every big ticket government project funded by Chinese ODA Out of interest, I looked up the honor the first anniversary of the should be able to have different
has been the subject of allegations of graft and corruption. history of Valentine’s. engagement of King Richard II words (so there is no maling pag-
There’s Northrail, Cyber Education, the Fuhua agricultural proj- I mean, it is celebrated ev- of England to Anne of Bohemia kakaintindi). Even in inang-wika
ects, Southrail, and of course the ZTE National Broadband project. ery year, but I’ve never actually signed in 1381. (It is interesting to natin, I count 10 or 11 different
Until the ZTE National Broadband scandal, the Chinese govern- learned what it means. note that when Richard and Anne words (can you find these?).
ment has had little official reaction to any of these allegations. By the way, we also have our married eight months later, he was Regardless of how you say it,
Why should they? The $8 billion is a loan, not a grant. own Valentine’s in the Philip- 13 and she was 14. Now that’s love is a universal theme.
It enhances their influence in the region, strengthens their claim pines, the Panagbenga festival. starting early.) We are hardwired by nature to
to the Spratlys, and expands their influence in the Philippines. But in true Filipino style, we take Interestingly, nothing much love and be loved.
The best part is, regardless of what Philippine officials do with the whole month to enjoy it. happened to poor old Valentine Even our brain chemistry
the money - whether they put it to good use or steal it - it still has to Well, the origin of Valentine’s (in terms of love at least) until the changes when we are in love.
be paid back. comes to us from the Catholic mid-1800 when Leigh Schmidt Nature wants us to fall in love.
Its no wonder that anytime some midlevel Chinese official faith. There several Valentine and Esther Howland each sepa- God wants us to love each other.
comes to the country, congressmen and administration officials lit- saints (11 in 1969) but the Valen- rately saw business opportunities Society demands that we love
erally trip over themselves to roll out the red carpet. tine honored on February 14, are and created St. Valentine’s Day as each other. The media is all about
For corrupt Administration officials and their cronies, $8 bil- Valentine of Rome and Valentine we know it today. us falling in love.
lion represents unprecedented opportunities for graft on a scale that of Terni. So that’s my brief history of Then of course, there’s Valen-
would shock ordinary Filipinos. But the Church does not link how Valentine’s Day began, as tine Day - an entire day, a whole
(To page 14) these saints with romance (what a sourced from wikipedia.org. 24 hours, devoted to love.
surprise). Of course, today we associate (To page 34)
10
I was watching the History
Channel on Good Friday when
on the television screen flashed
a brief story of Canada’s patron
saint Jean de Brebeuf, a French
Jesuit missionary who bavely
preached the Gospel among the
Hurons and suffered and died on
March 16, 1649 in the hands of
the Iroquois. (Story on page 30)
What immediately came to my
mind was another French saint,
Eugene de Mazenod, founder of
the Oblates of Mary Immaculate
Down TV’s ...
(From page 8)
downhill in the content, theme and
story treatment departments, each
new soap outsmarting the other in
hackneyed plots, surprises and in-
credible twists.
Viewers were content then
with winning prizes like a bag of
groceries or a flashlight, as long as
they had fun and were able to earn
their two minutes of fame on TV.
Today, woe to any TV pro-
gram that offers prizes less than
ten thousand pesos, viewers con-
sidering them pathetic and perya-
variety.
GENERAL DENTISTRY
Dr. Gilbert Chan
Dr. Daphne Chien
Dr. Janet Ho
Dr. Janet Wong
Dr. Michael Chin
VIEWS
Remembering Fr. Rey
(OMI), which mission spread
to Canada in 1841 and has since
stayed in Canada to this day.
In fact, one of my batchmates
when I attended the OMI Junio-
rate in Cotabato City, the Philip-
pines in the early 70s - Fr. Nestor
Silva, OMI - has been with the
Innu in Natuashish, Labrador for
sometime now.
All these, intertwined with a
solemn recollection of Christ’s
passion and death and His joy-
ful resurrection during the Holy
The penchant of networks in
offering astronomical prizes has
only created a mass of viewers
who depend on luck rather than
labor to eke out a living.
The sweepstakes and lottery
mentality has become prevalent
among average TV users these
days that it will take a lot of undo-
ing to rectify it.
We now ask: Can our children
now describe their TV years with
the same pride, yearning and thrill
when they are later asked by their
own kids?
Week, carried me back to the years
I spent as an OMI seminarian.
Not that it made me holier,
but it made me recall a batchmate
whose life struck an astonishing
similarity, albeit in different cir-
cumstances, with that of St. Jean
de Brebeuf.
I am talking about Fr. Jesus
Reynaldo Roda, OMI, the latest
priest to have been murdered in
the Philippines.
Fr. Rey, reports said, was
praying at his mission’s chapel
in Tabawan Island, South Ubian,
Tawi-Tawi, when armed men
forced their way in and tried to
abduct him on Jan. 15, 2008.
Fr. Rey struggled and resisted,
even explicitly telling his kidnap-
pers that he would rather die with
his mission than be taken away.
Irked by his statement, the
armed men brutally beat and
killed Fr. Rey, and left his partly
dismembered body lying on the
ground.
Three years together in the
seminary - before I quit and he
went on - was not long enough for
me to know Fr. Rey that much.
Soft-spoken and calm, he
looked so frail and delicate dur-
Manila Media Monitor MARCH 2008
ing those times, but was a willing
volunteer when we needed a tenth
body to play basketball, an extra
hand to dig a canal or a big heart
to lend us a few pesos to see My
Fair Lady at a local theater during
one once-a-month Free Sunday.
Fr. Rey had no pretensions
about his endowments, but he was
sure to be there when we needed
him physically.
My 1980 Mindanao Cross
files told me that Fr. Rey was born
prematurely on Feb. 5, 1954.
His parents, Bonifacio Roda
and Benigna Albores of Cotabato
City, thought that he would die.
“A towel kept warm with drops of
hot water served as his incubator.
And the boy grew up with some
speech difficulty.”
A stammer or two would be
obvious when Fr. Rey talked,
but we scientifically explained it
as the relative slowness of sound
as against the speed of light that
sparked the genius in him.
Fr. Rey was academically
gifted, and we expected him to be
sent to Rome for higher theologi-
cal and canonical studies.
He shared his wealth of ideas
and knowledge, even tutoring the
Latin class slowpokes like me in
the deep of the night so we could
engage our teacher in a Caesarian
war of words the next morning.
We, his batchmates who have
become exes, were excited when
we learned that Fr. Rey would be
ordained on May 10, 1980.
This was the same feeling of
celebration we had when we heard
of the ordination of batchmates Fr.
Raul Biasbas, Fr. Paul Yazar, and
Fr. Silva.
Fr. Biasbas, I was told, might
take over the post of Fr. Rey in
Tabawan, having been in a mis-
sion in another island also in the
Philippines’ southern tip.
The last time I saw Fr. Rey was
in the early 90s before I moved
back to Manila from Cotabato
City where I stayed for more than
two decades.
He had a heartwarming smile
for me, as if reminding me to re-
read The Imitation of Christ by
Thomas à Kempis.
Whatever that smile meant, it
was Fr. Rey who flashed it and
that was enough for me to feel that
I had a priest who could pray for
me everytime I went astray.
With Fr. Rey gone from earth,
that smile, I knew, would go on
flashing from heaven.
*****
Atin Ito
editor Vicente
Alvarez Cruz
wrote 30 ear-
ly morning of
March 24.
The sad
Easter Mon-
day news
was relayed VIC A. CRUZ
by Atin Ito
publisher Eddie Lee to peers and
friends.
I haven’t had the honor to per-
sonally exchange views with Mr.
Vic Alvarez Cruz, but I know that
he had steered well Atin Ito.
As he joins the Omniscient
Editor above, I offer my condo-
lences to his family. butchgali-
cia@yahoo.com
Manila Media Monitor MARCH 2008 NEWS 11
Pambansang Kamao Ryerson U clears stude of
beats the split Facebook group cheat raps
The Engineering Fac- zero for an assignment worth book group,” Avenir told
ulty Appeals Committee 10 percent of his grade that, the Toronto Star.
of Ryerson University has however, did little effect on Avenir’s lawyer John
decided on March 18 not to his passing mark. Adar told newsmen on
expel a freshman for run- He would also have March 18 that his client has
ning a Facebook chemistry to attend a workshop on remained undecided on ap-
study group a professor had academic integrity and his pealing the decision before
argued as cheating, wire transcript would have a note the university’s senate.
news reports said. on it saying he was disci- Victory for RU studes
The committee’s seven- plined. “We’re very excited
page decision cleared Chris The committee’s deci- Chris won’t be expelled and
Avenir, 18, of cheating sion came after a 90-minute this is very good news for
charges, and restored his expulsion hearing was con- students who want to use
passing grade in the course. ducted on March 11, closed Facebook to study,” said
The committee said it to the public at Avenir’s re- Nora Loreto, head of the
found no proof the Face- quest. Ryerson Students’ Union.
book group led to cheating, Technology dean Loreto believed Avenir
but stressed the site provid- James Norrie said the rul- was “still innocent ... but
ed “the potential for large- ing showed “due process considering we were facing
scale cheating.” works” and hoped the case expulsion, I think this is a
But it meted Avenir a “will spark broader debate victory, certainly a broader
The Philippines’ Pam- on these deep issues.” victory for the students at
bansang Kamao or Na-
tional Fist Manny Pac-
quiao (right) connects
with a left to the jaw of
Embassy warns of raffle text scam
The Philippine Embassy in Ottawa has warned Filipinos in Canada against falling vic-
“Are we Luddites here
at Ryerson? No, but our
academic misconduct code
Ryerson.”
Debated case
Avenir earlier faced one
says if work is to be done count of academic miscon-
Mexico’s Juan Manuel tims to unscrupulous people using phone and text messages promising large cash winnings individually and students duct for acting as the ad-
Marquez in their World from purported Philippine raffle draws. collaborate, that’s cheating, ministrator of the online
Boxing Council super Ambassador Jose Brillantes urged everyone to be careful in providing personal infor- whether it’s by Facebook, group and 146 counts for
featherweight cham- mation or paying money to senders of such phone or text messages. fax or mimeograph,” Nor- each classmate who was a
pionship fight at the In the latest text scam, notices were sent via a text message from a certain Sec. Rey A. rie said. member of it.
Mandalay Bay Events Mendez of GMA Charity Foundation, informing the recipient that his/her Smart roaming More wary He said he joined the
Center in Las Vegas, SIM number won in a lottery. The recipient was asked to give out personal information and “I’m really relieved - it’s online study group last fall,
Nevada on March 15. ten Smart Buddy cards worth P300 each before a supposed prize could be claimed. Upon good news, and I guess I’ll then later took charge of the
Pacquiao dethroned sending through SMS the activation PINs of the Smart Buddy cards, the sender’s number be more attentive to (mis- web page.
Marquez with a 12- would either be inactive or the Sec. Mendez would have given the victim the run-around. conduct) policies when my His case ignited debate
round split decision The victim would then realize that he/she had been duped. name is on the line - even over whether the study
(115-112, 114-113, 112- Brillantes said such fraudulent schemes should be made known to the embassy, which though I don’t really have group constituted online
115). Getty Images would report it to authorities in Manila. PR any regrets about the Face- (To page 35)
12
Filipinos top
Canadian
labor market
performance
Philippine-born immi-
grants, both men and wom-
en, have the most likelihood
to land a job as soon as they
step on Canadian soil.
A recently released Sta-
tistics Canada study noted
that people born in South-
east Asia, particularly the
Philippines, had “the stron-
gest labor market perfor-
mance” of all immigrants to
Canada in 2006.
The Statistics Canada
study, however, did not dig
deeper into the reasons be-
hind the basic figures and
other data it based its find-
ings on.
The study, the second in
a series of analytical articles
based on the Labor Force
Survey (LFS), viewed la-
bor market performance as
the immigrants’ unemploy-
ment, employment and la-
bor participation rates.
The study came at a
time when Canada has been
grappling with increasingly
acute labor shortages (see
Call center job not worth the time, effort and pay
DAVAO CITY - Like
zombies, they stumble out
of the elevator, haggard,
red-eyed and sleepy in
shabby crumpled clothes,
disheveled hair, some in
sandals and pajamas, their
hands gripping either a big
coffee mug or a water bottle
- and chattering away in
English.
This is a typical scene in
one of the Philippines’ big-
gest call centers along Ayala
Ave. in Makati City, during
the graveyard shift, which
starts at 10 p.m. and ends at
6 a.m., takes off.
No glamorous job
Despite efforts by the
country’s call companies to
glamorize the industry, call
center agents are resigning,
job-hopping, moving or get-
ting fired by the hundreds -
just as fast as they get hired.
The image of a “successful
call center executive” mak-
ing it in the business world,
is turning sour.
The turnover rate in the
country’s call centers has
gotten so worse that it has
hit 60 to 80 percent, accord-
ing to the Call Center Asso-
ciation of the Philippines.
This rate, at which work-
ers either get hired or fired,
has given the Philippines
the world’s highest turnover
for call centers worldwide.
FEATURES
related article on page 11).
Canada has the second-
highest proportion of immi-
grants among Western na-
tions, and many provinces
are trying to attract new-
comers to help fill the gap.
Changing profile
The study said countries
of birth for immigrants to
Canada have changed over
time, shifting most nota-
bly in the mid-1980s from
mainly European toward
more Asian ones.
The Asian-born, includ-
ing those from the Middle
East, were the largest group
of settlers to Canada as of
2006, the study added.
Many were born in the
People’s Republic of China,
Hong Kong, India, Viet-
nam, the Philippines, Iran
or Pakistan.
For working-age Asians,
the employment rate was
much weaker than that of
the Canadian born, particu-
larly among very recent im-
migrants.
Globally, it is an ac-
cepted norm in the industry
to have a 30 to 40 percent
turnover.
Both Australia and India
call centers have turnover
rates of only six to ten per-
cent.
State officials are
alarmed that the new
emerging industry, which
has generated around US$2
billion in annual revenues,
is reeling from a worsening
turnover crisis.
“It’s like a zoo factory
over there and we’re the
new blue collar workers”
says Rommel Benitez, 32,
who quit his call center job,
his eyes still bulging with
dark eye-bags, due to lack
of sleep.
“We can’t relax, we’re
always in a hurry. We’re al-
ways being watched. Coffee
breaks are barely 15 min-
utes and our lunch at mid-
night is under time pressure
- we can’t even swallow our
food,” Benitez adds.
Deliberate strategy
Cathrina Wallace, re-
searcher and industry ana-
lyst with the Journal of Ser-
vice Industry Management,
says the high turnover of-
tentimes, is the result of
a “deliberate strategy of
frequent employee replace-
ment,” to provide enthusi-
The 2006 rate was 63.8
percent compared with 83.1
percent for their Canadian
counterparts.
But generally, work-
ing-age immigrants born
in Southeast Asia had labor
market outcomes close to or
better than those of the Ca-
nadian born.
Strong results
Within Southeast Asia,
people born in the Phil-
ippines had particularly
strong results, the Statistics
Canada report said.
Filipino-born very re-
cent immigrants had an
unemployment rate of 5.4
percent, only a little higher
than the 4.9 percent for the
Canadian born.
Comparatively, very
recent immigrants born in
the United Kingdom, Italy,
Poland, Portugal, Romania
and other European nations
had an 8.4 percent unem-
ployment rate.
But established Euro-
pean-born immigrants had
a 2006 employment rate of
83.9 percent, slightly higher
than the Canadian-born.
This group represented
33 percent of all established
immigrants aged 25 to 54.
Having a hard time
The labor landscape
may not be as rosy for very
recent immigrants of core
working age born in Latin
America, who continue to
experience higher unem-
ployment rates and lower
By AURELIO A. PEÑA
Philippine President GLORIA ARROYO gets the
feel of call center operation. OPS/PIA
astic and highly-motivated
customer service at low cost
to the call center.
“What you see here is
an industry-wide policy of
firing and replacing em-
ployees to keep their work-
force fresh and motivated,”
Wallace notes.
“This strategy is not
consistent with giving good
job to Filipinos and devel-
employment rates in 2006.
Their unemployment
rate was 2.1 times higher
than their Canadian-born
counterparts.
So were their peers born
in Africa, who posted lower
employment rates.
In 2006, some 70,000
very recent African-born
immigrants had an unem-
ployment rate of 20.8 per-
cent, over four times higher
than the Canadian born.
Jobless women, youth
In general, working-age
male immigrants were more
likely to seek work than
their female counterparts.
The study said more im-
migrant women were job-
less in 2006, compared with
Canadian-born women.
The former’s unem-
ployment rate was 2.8 times
higher, and their participa-
tion and employment rates
significantly lower, than
those of women born in
Canada.
oping people for higher job
responsibilities,” says in-
dustry analyst Ben Teehan-
kee who chairs the Human
Resource Management De-
partment of La Salle School
of Business in Manila.
Broken promises and
misleading advertising by
the country’s call centers
were also blamed by agents
who quit or “requested to be
MARCH 2008 Manila Media Monitor
Filipino caregivers enjoy a treat from
Western Union.
Although the study said
very recent youth immi-
grants aged 15 to 24 tended
to be highly unemployed
than their Canadian peers,
the study noted that they
also had a comparatively
higher school attendance.
Province-wise
The study stressed that
its analysis focused on On-
tario, British Columbia and
Quebec where most immi-
grants have settled.
In Ontario, Asian- and
African-born immigrants
aged 25 to 54 had higher
unemployment rates and
lower employment rates
than the Canadian born.
In British Columbia,
Asian-born and European-
born recent and established
immigrants had 2006 labor
market outcomes compara-
ble to the Canadian-born.
In Quebec, very recent
and recent immigrants born
in Latin America, Asia and
Africa had 2006 unemploy-
fired,” to avoid paying pen-
alties for quitting too soon.
Many call center firms
are still stocked to a denial
mode on this reality.
Broken promises
The nation’s big dailies
are filled with full-page ads
with screaming headlines
like: “Are you getting paid
for your performance?”
“Ride your future with
us!” “Great careers happen
overnight!” “Entrust your
dreams with us!” “Earn as
much as P40,000 a month!”
“Get our P10,000 signing
bonus!”
Most of the call centers
that came out with such ad-
vertisements either ignored
or neglected the promises
they made, according to
Marisa Tiongko, 25, another
call center agent who quit.
“I was promised
P15,000 monthly salary and
another P5,000 for food and
transport allowance dur-
ing training - but I got only
P11,500 monthly with no
training allowance. They
lied. It wasn’t worth it,”
says Tiongko, a graduate in
mass communication from
Legaspi City.
Cheap labor
After hurdling a two-
week training, most call
canter agents usually get
only P11,500 to P13,000
ment rates two to four times
higher than that of Canadi-
an-born Quebeckers.
StatsCan reports
The first Statistics Can-
ada report on immigrants in
the labor force was released
on Sept. 10, 2007.
The second report, as
earlier discussed, built on
the findings from the first
report and addressed how
well immigrants from spe-
cific regions or countries of
birth fared in the Canadian
labor market in 2006.
A third report, to be out
in the spring of 2008, would
analyze the relationship be-
tween immigrants’ source
region of post-secondary
educational attainment
and their labor market out-
comes.
Statistics Canada would
release a final report for the
fall of 2008. It would ex-
amine the characteristics of
immigrant employment in
Canada. With Wires
monthly, plus benefits like
SSS coverage, health in-
surance, housing plan, etc
- which are deducted from
the agent’s salary every
month.
This is equivalent to less
than US$300 monthly in the
Philippines, a far-cry from
the US call center agent’s
average salary of US$2,500
monthly.
Many American call
center companies made the
Philippines their favorite
choice for investments in
business process outsourc-
ing (BPO) precisely due to
cheap labor from abundant
highly-skilled English-
speaking Filipinos,” quips a
human resource manager of
People Support, Inc.
Still bullish
Joji Ilagan-Bian, presi-
dent of Davao-based call
center firm Six-Eleven Inc.,
however, remains very bull-
ish about the future of the
industry.
Bian says the Philip-
pines is a big player in the
global market for BPO and
has been cited as one of the
top countries worldwide for
BPO investments.
BPO services offered by
call centers include market-
ing, sales, customer care,
investor relations, book-
(To page 14)
MARCH 2008 Manila Media Monitor
Drink and drive?
Lose your car!
HAMILTON, ON - Those who repeatedly
drink and drive risk losing their cars perma-
nently under a new civil law that took effect
recently.
The legislation set a new national standard
for keeping Ontario’s roads and families safe
from drinking drivers.
The law allowed the civil courts, at the re-
quest of the Attorney General, to impound, for-
feit and sell a vehicle, if the court found:
Ź That the vehicle was involved in, or is
likely to be involved in, a drinking and driving
offence, and
Ź The vehicle is owned or driven by a per-
son whose driver’s licence was suspended for a
drinking and driving offence two or more times
in the preceding 10 years.
Victims of any accident or crime resulting
in the forfeiture could apply for compensation
from the proceeds of the vehicle’s sale.
The law was part of amendments to the Civil
Remedies Act of 2001 and the Safer Roads for a
Safer Ontario Act of 2007.
“Ontario is a leader in road safety across
North America,” said Transportation Minister
Jim Bradley. CNW
Unpaid ‘volunteers’ ...
(From page 8)
of everything would be slighted by the incident.
Certainly, the rules governing private events
such as this one is upon the call of the organiz-
ers, and not subjected to the privileges attached
to a media identification card.
Let me tell you one thing. At the time that
Tenny Soriano was encouraged by several
people to run for the PPCO presidency, I also
expressed an affirmation to run for the same of-
fice. However, because I shared - and continue
to share Tenny’s vision for the media here in our
locale, I retracted my expression to run for the
office. Why was it so? Because Tenny did not
own any media company, hence, would not tend
to protect his own interests over what ought to
be, unlike me, who runs three media entities, two
of which are aimed to serve our community.
Labor shortage ...
(From page 6)
Alberta needs workers. It is evident by ‘Hir-
ing Now’ billboards posted on side roads.
Almost all establishments in all sectors are
hiring.
I went to Edmonton, Alberta, my first time,
13
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on Feb. 6 to attend a seminar on Hiring Foreign
Workers, organized by the Alberta Employment,
Immigration and Industry.
The seminar was attended by recruiters and
immigration consultants.
The eight speakers representing different
government agencies spoke on issues facing
foreign recruitment programs and services and
the roles of recruiters and immigration consul-
tants.
These are some of the key issues that were
covered in the seminar:
In Alberta, there is legislation, under the Fair
Trading Act, that prohibits recruiters or employ-
ment agencies from collecting placement fees
from employees.
In the Philippines, the Philippine Overseas
Employment Authority has issued a memoran-
dum to all recruiting agencies prohibiting them
from collecting placement fees.
The average processing time to process a
Labor Market Opinion (LMO) in Alberta is six
to eight months.
The Labor Market Opinion issued by Ser-
vice Canada is the letter of approval a Canadian
employer must obtain to hire foreign workers.
In certain occupations in Alberta and British
Columbia, the LMO applications from employ-
ers who qualify to participate in the Expedited
Labor Market Opinion (ELMO) Pilot Project
are processed within five days.
416-780-1020
Head Office : 970 Lawrence Ave. West # 105 (Lawrence & Dufferin)
Toronto ON M6A3B6 (Located on the main floor in back of the building)
Web : www.cmsgroup.ca
3 convenient locations - Toronto, Mississauga and Scarborough
There are 33 occupations under the ELMO pilot project.
The partial list of occupations included food and beverage
servers, food counter attendants, food service supervisors, ho-
tel front desk clerks, hotel and hospitality room attendants, con-
struction laborers, commercial janitors, delivery drivers, indus-
trial meat cutters, welders, roofers, machinists, civil engineers,
petroleum engineers, mechanical engineers, manufacturing and
processing laborers.
Alberta has an immigration program called Provincial Nomi-
nee Program (PNP), in which an eligible employer can nominate
foreign workers for permanent resident status.
Food chain outlets do not qualify under the PNP, but hotel
and lodging businesses qualify.
Most temporary foreign workers in semi-skilled or low-
skilled occupations will have to leave Canada after two years.
They may re-enter Canada after four months, if re-hired.
Highly skilled foreign workers who needed to pass the pro-
vincial trade certification examination have six months to pass
the test.
If, after two attempts they do not pass, their work permit will
not be renewed and they will have to leave after one year.
Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan are tapping on
foreign workers to fill job openings.
Filipino foreign workers are quick to fill these jobs.
I saw that a lot of Filipino foreign workers in Alberta are
working in food chain outlets and hotels as room attendants.
Some of the Filipino foreign workers paid a hefty fee, rang-
ing from US$5,000 to US$8,000, despite Alberta’s regulation on
placement fees, expecting that they can eventually become per-
manent residents.
Some of them can be under the PNP, but most will have to
leave after two years.
Does Canada need foreign workers?
With the oil boom in Alberta, British Columbia’s hosting of
the 2010 Winter Olympics, the baby boomers - the largest seg-
ment of population- retiring and the low birth rate, Canada will
continue to hire foreign workers.
(Mila V. Echevarria is a certified Canadian immigra-
tion consultant and member of the Canadian Society
of Immigration Consultants)

Gala guest JOSIE DE LEON
Call center job not worth the time, money and pay ...
(From page 12)
ings, etc.
Although the Philip-
pines and India have the
most number of call centers
in the world, “it’s fascinat-
ing to note that Indian call
centers are now moving
to Philippine cities,” says
Bian, who also runs a large
training institute for call
center agents in Davao,
with ready jobs waiting for
them in Manila and Makati
call center companies.
Mad scramble
In a recent survey in-
volving 12 cities nation-
wide, Davao ranks third in
English-speaking skills.
As more and more call
centers are put up in ma-
jor Philippine cities, the
number of qualified Eng-
lish-speaking applicants
available nationwide is no
14 PEOPLE & EVENTS Manila Media Monitor MARCH 2008
Find Christina gala to raise spring search fund
The Find Christina Ca-
layca Group will conduct
a fundraising gala at the
Ambiance Banquet Hall
on April 4 to raise money
and continue a toothcomb
spring search for Christina
at the Rainbow Falls pro-
vincial park in Schreiber,
Ontario where she was re-
ported missing since Aug. 6
longer keeping up with the
fast rising number of call
centers desperately seeking
for applicants.
More than 100 call cen-
ter firms are competing to
entice any English-speak-
ing applicant they can lay
their hands on - whether
very young or very old,
Filipino or foreigner, part
time or full-time, retired or
moon-lighters, etc. - as long
as they can speak very good
English.
In one Makati-based call
center, it is not surprising to
find young agents like 19-
year-old Sandy Tordesillas,
a student at Letran Univer-
sity, sitting side-by-side at
the operations center with
retired teacher Leonardo
Manriquez, 64, from Pan-
gasinan, or, even a foreigner
last year.
Group chairperson Kar-
en Caguicla said CityNews
anchor and reporter Francis
D’Souza would host a short
program that included an in-
spirational talk from David
Francis of the Jon Francis
Foundation, who would fly
from Minnesota and share
his experience and motiva-
like Maxim Motovsky, 52, a
Russian trader who speaks
good English and wants to
earn extra money.
“As long as they speak
very good English, as long
as they pass our one-month
training, we’ll hire them
and pay them well” says a
human resource manager at
Convergys, one of the coun-
try’s biggest call centers,
with branches in Makati,
Quezon, Pasig, Bacolod
and Cebu cities.
Ineffective training
The high turnover rate in
the industry is also blamed
on call center training pro-
grams which failed to pro-
duce many good agents for
the jobs.
“Our training was a di-
saster. I was glad they fired
me. We can’t focus and think
tion to search the Sawtooth
Mountains in Idaho for 12
months for his son.
Entertainment, featuring
singer Josie De Leon and fi-
nalists of Canadian Idol and
champions of Rising Star
competitions, would be in-
terspersed with a full course
dinner, raffles and dancing.
Caguicla said all gala
during training at two in the
morning. That kind of train-
ing doesn’t make sense to
me,” says Jayson Ramirez,
34, an entrepreneur who
needed extra income.
At Convergys, train-
ing managers boast to new
trainees that only one out of
every 100 applicants they
interviewed are actually
hired, “so you’re the best,
the cream of the crop!”
Eventually, only three to
five out of every 20 trainees
survive the intensive one-
month training.
The rejection and ter-
mination of thousands of
English-speaking trainees
in many call centers na-
tionwide in their efforts “to
keep standards high in the
industry” is costing the call
center industry millions of
proceeds would bankroll
costs for trained people and
equipment needed for rug-
ged terrain searches.
Surplus money would
go to a scholarship fund in
Christina’s name.
Funds are also being
raised with the sale of a CD
single Missing You, written
by Christina’s uncle and
pesos in wasted training ex-
penses, admits one training
manager of Advanced Con-
tact Solutions.
Knowing why
Both ACS and Conver-
gys have “exit interviews”
for all agents either resign-
ing, or getting fired, to find
out the reasons and causes
of the high turnover rate.
A pattern is slowly
emerging from these studies
- bad training design, op-
pressive trainors, too much
stress, too much pressure,
“prison-like” condition, pay
not worth the effort, etc.
It may take some time
before a single factor would
emerge to take all the blame
for the abnormally high rate
of turnover that the Philip-
pine call center industry is
experiencing. PNA
performed by her cousin’s
vocal group, For U.
Donations could be
made at any TD Canada
Trust branch, Account
#1289-6370645. PR
Treason ...
(From page 9)
Filipinos to pay loan
And at the end of the
day, that $8 billion is going
to be paid back. Not by the
grafters in and out of gov-
ernment; not by the Chinese
citizens; but by the millions
of ordinary middle class
Filipinos who go to work
everyday, pay their taxes,
struggle and to keep their
small and medium busi-
nesses afloat.
The price will also be
paid indirectly by tens of
millions of poor Filipinos
who will not have access to
health care, quality educa-
tion, and a functioning court
system because those re-
sources are not going where
they should be going.
There’s a word for that.
Its called Treason.
For AD
INQUIRIES
Call
416-285-8583
MARCH 2008 MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
Velasco is
Mrs. Pillars
Valentine
Ninety-year old Nena
Velasco was all beauty and
grace as she accepted the
honor of being Mrs. Pillars
Valentine 2008, replacing
Mrs. Pillars Valentine 2007
Antonia Vidal who would
be turning 94 this year.
Velasco’s crowning
highlighted the Pillars’ re-
cent 31st Valentine’s Day
dinner-dance at Our Lady
of Assumption Church hall.
In a talk, Philippine
Consul Imelda Panolong
lauded the Pillars for its in-
volvement in keeping senior
citizens active participants
in community affairs.
Panolong vowed furth-
wer consulate support to
Pillars’ activities, particu-
larly on its Dual Citizenship
awareness program.
Pillars president Gerry
Elises cited the good job
members have done to
make the event successful,
as he thanked the Filipino
Centre Toronto line dance
group led by Odi Arena
and Nora Taculad, United
Filipinos Association of St.
Jamestown head, for her
support. RHEZA EVAN-
GELISTA/PR
PEOPLE & EVENTS
Envergas
mark 25th
nuptial year
(Above) Jun and Rose-
mer Enverga mark their
25th year as a happily
married couple with a
celebration highlight-
ed with a Renewal of
Vows officiated by Fr.
Fernando Suarez at the
Monte Maria Shrine, the
first ever in the shrine.
(Right) Jun and Rose-
mer pose for posterity
as they slice the wed-
ding anniversary cake
during the reception at
the Shangri-la.
15
Foreign Service Officer
examinations set
The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto has an-
nounced the conduct of the Department of Foreign Affairs’
Foreign Service Officer (FSO) examinations this year.
Applicants in North and South America could take the
FSO qualifying test at the Philippine Embassy in Washing-
ton D.C. on May 4.
The FSO written examination would be on Aug. 20 to
22 and the last stage, the FSO oral examination is tentative-
ly set on Dec. 3 to 5. Both would be conducted in Manila.
Application forms from Canada should be received and
processed by the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C.
not later than April 4.
Examinees should be knowledgeable on the econom-
ic, political and social conditions of the Philippines , and
should possess not only facility in oral communication, but
also the personality traits essential to the performance of
the duties of Foreign Service Officers.
They should be willing and able to accept assignments
to any post where their services might be required.
Applicants must not be more than 35 years old on Dec.
31, 2008; should have completed a four-year course or its
equivalent; and should be a Filipino citizen.
If married to a foreigner, the applicant should obtain
prior authorization from the Secretary of Foreign Affairs,
through the BFSE, to take the qualifying tests. PR
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16 PEOPLE & EVENTS Manila Media Monitor MARCH 2008

Mabuhay Radio shifts to Boses Pinas

Mabuhay in
Filipino means
long live.
And the
people running
Mabuhay Radio
over CHHA 1610
AM will always
carry this undying
spirit with them,
but under a new
program name -
Boses Pinas and
an additional car-
rier, Rogers Cable
TV Channel 951.
Director Deo
Moreno said Bo-
ses Pinas has
embarked on a DEO MORENO ONBOARD BOSES PINAS
mission “to exclu-
sively feature local talents.”
Moreno acknowledged the Filipino CNAC-O sends
community’s rich and vibrant array of
bands, singers, actors, poets, broadcasters, books, goods to
comedians, and talents of other artistic ex-
pression. townmates
He said Boses Pinas is aired 10 p.m. Members of the Camarines Norte
Monday to Friday. Web broadcasts are Association Canada-Ontario (CNAC-
on www.bosespinas.com or at www.tri- O) have foregone with their usual Yule
p1610am.com. gift exchanges.
Moreno said Boses Pinas would go on Instead, they opted to collect new
receiving materials for radio from Filipino- and used textbooks, educational materi-
Canadian homegrown artists seeking to als and goodies, to be sent to their town-
promote their artistic work. mates in the Philippines.
Materials could be sent in MP3 form Beneficiaries included students of
to Jason Bagni at trip1610@yahoo.ca or the Camarines Norte State College and
moreno.deo@gmail.com. needy parishioners of Mercedes, Cama-
Moreno said Boses Pinas would only rines Norte.
offer the best of community artists like JP CNAC-O, on Dec. 30, 2007, facili-
Sunga, Carmela Antonio, Out of Luck, and tated the shipment of two boxes - one
many more. containing educational materials for
He said Boses Pinas is preparing for a the state college and, another box of
big blast off by the end of April and a hom- food goodies and non-perishable items
ey May 24 Gloc-9, a concert of local hip- for the Mercedes parish through parish
hop artist JP and Dagamuffin with Filipino priest Fr. Violeta.
rappers. CNAC-O officials said the books
Boses Pinas would also promote events and goods came from members and
of Asian Heritage Month like Young Asian friends.
Idol. The books included titles for use in
Moreno said Boses Pinas has negotiated the elementary, secondary, and college
the participation of local artists in shows of levels. Also given out were general ref-
artists from the Philippines, as it has bro- erences like dictionaries and thesaurus-
kered a partnership allowing local talents to es. JENNIFER SJ MACLEAN/PR
perform in the Philippines.

Commentary: Best laid plans ...

(From page 9)
to be Black History Month,
the Toronto District School
Board voted to establish
WE ALSO OFFER COMPLETE an experimental school for
PACKAGE WITH... Black students by the end
of next year.
DJ & CHOREOGRAPHER for It’s true there were many
more than just one advocate
DEBUT and WEDDING for such a school but the
board’s blind acceptance
of the experimental school
without due study and dis-
course is of the same cloth
as the Halton incident.
In the first place, it is
widely known that the Gov-
ernment of Ontario will not
fund special schools of a
religious or ethnic nature,
yet the Toronto Board went
ahead and called a vote on
the subject.
As yet, we do not know
the proposed optimum size
for DJ call SOL of an experimental all-black
416-833-0375 school nor of the bench-
marks for judging its suc-
905-472-8442
cess.
Whatever the size, it ob-
viously will not come near
to the institutional capacity
to cope with all the students
who comprise the 40 per-
cent dropout rate for Black
students.
What would be the time
frame for assessment of the
project? Even were the ex-
perimental school to prove
highly successful what
would be happening in the
meantime to the 40 percent
in the rest of the Black com-
munity?
Meanwhile, the entire
Black community, includ-
ing graduates still faces a
reluctance by employers,
arbitrary checks by police
and gang pressures.
There’s no denying
that segregation, whether
imposed or voluntary, sets
people apart.
By accepting what they
believe to be an “easy” so-
lution, the Toronto District
School Board has shown
total lack of realism.
And in any form of seg-
regation, aren’t we laying
ourselves open to the closet
racists who’re always ready
to use insinuation and innu-
endo without coming right
out in the open.
Better to have thought
out the situation now than to
face the inevitable conflict
of ideas that will emerge.
(Used with permis-
sion. Ben Viccari is the
President of the Canadian
Ethnic Media Associa-
tion [CEMA] and makes
frequent appearances on
OMNI TV Commentary.
Some of his commentar-
ies are republished in this
publication and slightly ex-
panded in some cases from
their 70-second broadcast
originals. For more of his
work, please visit Ben’s
website at http://canscene.
ripple.ca)
MARCH 2008 Manila Media Monitor PEOPLE & EVENTS 17
Name names ...
(From page 1)
Unscrupulous recruiters
PPCO forum guest speaker Connie So-
rio told the community media that the un-
abated operation of unscrupulous labor re-
cruiters remained one of the root causes of
many a caregiver’s problems.
Sorio is the program coordinator of
Global Partnerships, Asia Pacific, Kairos:
Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives.
In a segment of Front Page Philippines
TV shown on March 2, Sorio said these
recruiters operated in Manila and in key
Philippine cities, and even in Hong Kong
where most Filipino caregivers are enlisted
for jobs in Canada.
Reports showed that techno-savvy but
shameless recruiters also used cyberspace
for their misdeeds.
The Philippine Overseas Employment
Administration (POEA) has noted a rise in
the number of complaints from job search-
ers victimized by online illegal recruiters
and scammers.
Consider reprisal
During the PPCO forum, Sorio said it
had become common to see and hear care-
giver-victims crying over how they have
been promised permanent and well-paying
jobs, only to find out - when they land in
Canada - that they had no employers, and
are “released upon arrival.”
“Airport-to-airport” recruitment for
“ghost” jobs, so it was called.
Sorio agreed that exposing illegal re-
cruiters would nip the issue in the bud and
provide a meaningful step to protect care-
givers from any subsequent misfortune.
She, however, asked media to be dis-
creet when naming those who did wrong.
The protection of an affected caregiver
from any form of reprisal or harrassment
should be highly considered, she said..
Political inaction
Sorio told Manila Media Monitor that
efforts have been pursued in the last 18
years to seek the Canadian government’s
more positive and substantive action on
foreign workers’ issues.
“Unfortunately, there had been none to
this day,” she said, as she urged the com-
munity to pound on and make federal and
provincial legislators aware of the problem
and the need for immediate but long-term
solutions.
Sorio even hinted at using the communi-
ty’s strong electoral numbers, to make poli-
ticians take notice of concerns of gypped
and maltreated foreign workers.
Stale lip service?
CASJ president Hermie Garcia, also
publisher of The Philippine Reporter, said pino workers “to attend orientation pro- ment Services Corp., Al Hirsh Manpower ministrator Baldoz said.
several politicians have vowed to support grams various groups regularly conduct so Services, Inc., Arjams Manpower Services, Also very recently, the Philippine gov-
calls for changes to the LCP. they may get a good grasp of their rights and A-Top Manpower Corp., Celmina Shipping ernment, through its Department of Labor
Garcia named the politicians as Mem- responsibilities while staying and working Agency, Inc., Centrepoint for Interworld and employment and the POEA, signed
bers of Parliament Peggy Nash, Olivia in Canada.” Manpower Services, Inc., agreements with the Canadian provincial
Chow and Jack Layton; Member of the POEA efforts Dell Maritime Services Co., Flourish governments of British Columbia, Mani-
Provincial Parliament Cheri DiNovo and In the last six months, the POEA has Maritime Shipping, Golden Harvest Human toba and Saskatchewan that would strictly
Ontario NDP leader Howard Hampton. cancelled the licenses of recruitment agen- Resources and Management Corp., Guid- regulate the hiring and employment of Fili-
He said Liberal Party head Stephane cies that charged placement fees more than ance Int’l Inc.; Honey Int’l Manpower Ser- pino workers. (See banner story)
Dion also knew of the plight of caregivers. the amount allowed by Philippine laws or vices, Lidros Service Contractor, Inc., Nar- The agreements covered ample work-
“But whether or not these intimations collecting fees for host countries prohibit- can Shipping and Placement Agency, Inc., ers’ protection from unscrupulous recruit-
of political support have seen the daylight ing such practice. Onward Resources and Dev’t Services, ers and exploitative employers, on top of
and have not staled as frozen lip service re- POEA Administrator Rosalinda Di- Prima Manpower Services, Inc., Sea- gaining immigrant status in Canada.
mains to be seen and heard of,” an observer mapilis-Baldoz said the agencies included Mar Int’l Manpower Agency, Seven Ocean Detestable crime
told the Manila Media Monitor. Tierra Mar Services Inc., Micro Pacific Int’l Manpower Corp., Silver Kind Int’l Former POEA Administrator Tomas
Inform the consulate Manpower Dev’t Corp., Ren-Glo Enter- Placement Philippines and VGE Interna- Achacoso once said: “Illegal recruitment is
Meanwhile, Philippine Consul General prises Placement Agency, Castle Rock Hu- tional Manpower Services. one of the most detestable crimes a Filipino
in Toronto Alejandro Mosquera reiterated man Resources and Management Corp., Baldoz said that in 2007, the POEA fa- can commit to another Filipino.”
earlier calls for Filipino workers landing in Madison Overseas Placement, Inc., cilitated the arrest of 26 suspected illegal “It so debases a man that victims in-
Toronto and its suburbs to make their pres- Adventure Placement and Promotion recruiters and conducted 147 surveillance cluding their kin suffer in the consequent
ence known and felt by the consulate. Co., Rubies Int’l Services, Inc., PMAC Int’l operations resulting in the closure of nine loss of face and properties. It is a crime that
“It’s a matter of picking up the phone Management Services, Inc., FEIMS Int’l illegal recruitment firms. has brought about misery to thousands of
or visiting the consulate and making your Manpower Services, Inc., Future Careers No placement fees innocent victims and their families.”
consular officials know who you are, where Recruitment Agency, Inc., Six C’s Man- Lately, the POEA warned recruitment Civil society could do without recruit-
you are and how you are doing. This would power Centre, Inc., RDRI Int’l Manpower, agencies against charging placement fees ers who exploit the helplessness of work-
make it easier for everyone to respond to Skyline Int’l Placement Agency, Inc., on Canada-bound Filipino workers. ers from the so-labeled Third World, even
any unlikely exigency,” Mosquera said. 200 Millennium Maritime and Ship- “Canada’s system - either by law, policy plunging the latter into deep debt to pay for
He also encouraged newly-arrived Fili- ping Agency, 3D Manpower and Place- or practice - disallowed the collection,” Ad- hopes of a better life, he added.
18 PEOPLE & EVENTS Manila Media Monitor MARCH 2008
Western Union treat for caregivers
Western Union (WU) and Philippine consulate in Toronto
officials treat Filipino caregivers (some of the 100 attend-
ees in photo below) to a day of fun, food and entertainment
sdubbed Kasiyahan Para Sa Caregivers at the Thornhill
Community Center. In left photo are Consul Imelda Pan-
olong, Coco Banana owner Luis Tiangco, WU director for
retail marketing Moises Calo, entertainer Mikey Bustos,
WU country development manager for the Philippines Chi-
to Gonzalez, vice consul Edna May Lazaro and event host
Chris Zoleta. PR

Ronquillos Benito wins Alberta MLA post

cited for
community
involvement
Consul General Alejandro
Mosquera (middle) hands
over to Nonoy (right) and
Nordith Ronquillo a cer-
tificate citing the couple’s
active involvement in com-
munity affairs in Ontario.
The Ronquillos jointly cele-
brated their 60th birth anni-
versaries at the Square One
Adult Community Center
in Mississauga on Feb. 29.
Photo: JOJO TADURAN
Voters of Edmonton-
Mills District have chosen
Carl Benito as their Member
of the Legislative Assembly
during the March 3 provin-
cial elections in Alberta.
Benito, of the Progres-
sive Conservative Party
of Canada, notched 4,416
votes, after updated reports
from 72 of 73 polling places
have been counted, a press
release said.
Trailing him were Wes-
lyn Mather, Liberal Party,
with 3,740 votes; Christina
Gray, NDP, 1,395; Robert
Leddy, WAP, 300; and Da-
of Honor’s Society in the
real rstate industry.
He completed a Bach-
elor of Arts degree at the
University of Alberta and
communications studies at
the Far Eastern University
in the Philippines.
Benito is married for 28
years to Estrella Benito, a
registered nurse. They have
three children.
BENITO Benito was past vice-
chair of the Holy Trinity
vid Hrushka, Green Party,
Parents’ Society and volun-
276.
teer at St. Theresa’s Parish
Benito is a realtor and
and Welcome Centre for
investor, inducted into the
Immigrants in Mill Woods.
Hall of Fame and a Member
MARCH 2008 Manila Media Monitor 19
20 Manila Media Monitor MARCH 2008

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ADVERTISERS’
INDEX
Hogan Chevy.com (2)
Eagle Building Services (2)
Dr. Evangeline M. Bernabe &
Associates (3)
Goldentuller & Associates (3)
Rolly’s Garage (3)
Dr. Arla Rondilla Dentistry
Professional Corp. (5)
Dr. Albine A. Miciano Cosme-
tic & General Dentistry (6)
Action Honda (7)
Ellesmere-Kennedy Dental
Centre (10)
TRIPLE FETE. Birth anniversary fellows GIE ALVAREZ (March 17), BUTCH Front Page Philippines (11)
GALICIA (March 12) and CHITO SARABIA (Feb. 27) share a celebration of life Amit Bhatia Credit
with their spouses and friends at Tenny and Myrna Soriano’s place. (Above, Management Services (13)
from right) Gie and Ace Alvarez, Butch and Evelyn Galicia; (below, from left)
Amor Gaborno, Gie, Chito, Maribel Montemayor and Evelyn. Also present
Conrad Fajardo - Remax (14)
during the birthday bashes are Chuchi Punsalan and Ricky Caluen. Kaakbay Financial Services
(15)
New Conservatory of Music
(16)
Home Karaoke (16)
Timeless Images (16)
Forex (17)
Marc Ballesteros-Concert (18)
TFCko (19)
Osilla Institute (19)
Dr. Roslyn Sim-Sabilano
Dentistry Prof. Corp. (20)
Russell International (20)
TFCko (21)
The Tropical Deli (22)
Gonzales Dentistry
Professional Corp. (23)
The Edge Group (24)
UMAC Toronto (25)
Lovely Travel & Tours
Int’l, Inc. (26)
Dr. Bernarda Rosales
Verzonilla Family &
Cosmetic Dentistry (27)
Mary’s Esthetics (27)
Innovation (27)
Casa Manila (28)
Clemente Cabillan (28)
Liland Insurance Inc. (29)
Roadsport Honda (30)
OCDC Parcel Services (31)
LDV Computers (32)
Dr. Miriam Bernacer (33)
T.H.D. Consultants (33)
musicpad.com (34)
Saratoga Money
Remittance (35)
MPP Laura Albanese (35)
SOS with Lani Misalucha (36)
Superb Travel (38)
CHIN Radio (38)
Seoul Driving School (38)
Ma. Louisa Diaz (39)
Dr. Santiago & Associates (40)
Fairview Dental Centre (40)
MARCH 2008 Manila Media Monitor
GMA revokes EO 464
MANILA - Philippine
President Gloria Maca-
pagal-Arroyo on March 5
revoked Executive Order
464 that prevented govern-
ment officials from attend-
ing congressional hearings
on alleged corruption in the
government unless Malaca-
ñang allowed it.
Effective immediately,
executive officials could
no longer invoke EO 464
to excuse themselves from
legislative inquiries, Arroyo
said in a statement.
Arroyo said executive
officials have been instruct-
ed to abide by the Constitu-
tion, existing laws and ju-
P1.127T
nat’l budget
approved
President Gloria Maca-
pagal-Arroyo on March 11
signed into law the P1.127-
trillion General Appropria-
tions Act (GAA) for 2008.
The national capital out-
lay was P91 billion higher
than the P1.136 trillion
2007 budget.
The budget included al-
lotments for the departments
of education with P146 bil-
lion; public works and high-
ways, P94.5 billion; national
risprudence when invited to
legislative inquiries.
CBCP calls
The Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philip-
pines, in an earlier pastoral
letter, called on Arroyo to
scrap the Palace gag order,
in the wake of Senate in-
vestigations into the con-
troversial national broad-
band network (NBN) deal
with Chinese company ZTE
Corp.
The CBCP urged the re-
vocation “so that those who
might have knowledge of
any corruption in branches
of government, may be free
to testify before appropriate
investigating bodies.”
The CBCP also dared
the Senate and the Ombuds-
man to use their distinct
power to fight corruption
and the media to be objec-
tive in their reporting, as the
bishops’ group encouraged
the creation of a “culture of
truth and integrity - the new
version of people power.”
“We are convinced that
the search for truth in the
midst of charges and alle-
gations must be determined
and relentless, and that the
way to truth and integrity
must be untrammeled, es-
pecially at the present time
when questions about the
moral ascendancy of the
The PHILIPPINES 23
But Neri could not be
forced to answer questions
about conversations with
President Arroyo regarding
the NBN scandal.
SC spokesman Jose Mi-
das Marquez said all ques-
tions where Neri would
invoke executive privilege
would be sent back to the
high court that would de-
cide whether the questions
would transgress executive
privilege or not.
Marquez said that this
would help the SC deter-
mine the parameters and
specifics of executive privi-
lege.
He said the SC would
be able to resolve in a few
weeks whether executive
privilege was present in the
three questions asked by the
Senate to Neri during ear-
lier NBN hearings.
The controversial ques-
tions were: “Did the Presi-
dent have any interest in
the NBN project?”; “Did
the President order Neri to
prioritize the NBN deal?”
and “Did she (President)
order the continuance of the
project despite allegations
of bribery?).”
The SC said it had no
objections to compromises
reached between the Senate
and Neri regarding execu-
tive privilege. PNA

UN cites RP for gender parity

defense, P56.1 billion; inte-
rior and local governments,
P52.6 billion; agriculture,
P23.8 billion; transporta-
tion and communications,
P22.3 billion; health, P16.3
billion; agrarian reform,
P13 billion; judiciary P10.2
billion; and foreign affairs,
P10.1 billion.
The budget is premised
on revenues of P1.236 tril-
lion, P1.108 trillion from
taxes. PNA
Lobby team to push US
ok of equity bill for vets
MANILA - A Philip-
pine team is set to go to the
U.S. in April to lobby with
the U.S. Congress for the
approval of measures that
seek to provide full benefits
for Filipino World War II
veterans.
Rep. Antonio Diaz,
chair of the House Com-
mittee on Veterans Affairs,
said the lobby group would
talk to House Speaker Nan-
cy Pelosi and several U.S.
congressmen to firm up
support for the passage of
U.S. House Resolution 760
and Senate Bill 1315, also
known as the Filipino Vet-
erans Equity Bill.
Approved in the com-
mittee levels, House Reso-
lution 760 and Senate Bill
1315 sought to correct the
U.S. Congress’ Rescission
Act of 1946 that rescinded
benefits for Filipino vet-
present government are
being put in question,” the
CBCP statement said.
Executive privilege
On the same day that Ar-
royo revoked EO 464, the
Supreme Court (SC) opined
that former National Eco-
nomic Development Au-
thority chair Romulo Neri
could be summoned by the
Senate to attend hearings
on the scrapped US$329.48
million NBN deal.
erans, who fought coura-
geously side by side with
the Americans during the
last world war.Some 18,000
veterans would benefit from
the approval of the bill,
which would grant each
veteran at least US$7,329
worth of benefits, which
regular US veterans were
receiving.
The benefits included
health care, disability and
dependent indemnity com-
pensations, death pension
and full burial costs.
Diaz said the veterans,
particularly those who saw
action in Bataan and Cor-
regidor, “fought so hard
that they managed to delay
the military advances of the
Japanese forces to Australia
and Hawaii for the next five
months,” to the great ad-
vantage of American forces
in the Pacific. PNA
EMPOWERED FILIPINO WOMEN join anti-government protest rally on UN-
proclaimed International Women’s Day.
Woman empowerment
- this is the latest of a string
of social successes the Phil-
ippine government has late-
ly been proud of.
The United Nation’s
Convention on the Elimi-
nation of All Forms of Dis-
crimination Against Women
has named the Philippines
as one of the top six nations
that have made strides in
gender parity worldwide.
New Zealand topped
the list followed by the four
Scandinavian countries.
Philippine President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
bragged about this in a re-
cent visit to Calamba, La-
guna where she kicked off
the country’s celebration of
Women’s Month in March.
Arroyo said the UN
has noted “big declines in
the discrimination against
women” in the Philippines.
She added that the
World Economic Forum has
also cited the Philippines as
among the top ten nations in
gender parity.
“We are on schedule
in implementing the UN
Millennium Development
Goal, particularly that on
gender equality, by 2015,”
she said, adding that the UN
goal has been integrated
into the state’s Medium-
Term Development Plan.
Arroyo said the Philip-
pines was the only country
in Asia to have bridged the
gender gap in education and
health.
In Asian education, the
Philippines ranked first in
gender parity as far as the
literacy and enrollment
rates were concerned.
She said women even
surpassed men in simple and
functional literacy rates.
Filipino women also
ranked higher than men in
net enrollment rate and also
had lower drop-out rates
than the men, she said.
Healthwise, Filipino
women were found to live
longer than the males, Ar-
royo said. PNA
Desjardins backs
moves for ARMM
polls’ success
COTABATO CITY
- Canadian Ambassador to
the Philippines Robert Des-
jardins has expressed his
government’s willingness
to support activities deal-
ing with the improvement
of democratic processes
in the Autonomous Re-
gion in Muslim Mindanao
(ARMM).
Desjardins, in keynot-
ing the recent 2nd Election
Security Summit for the
scheduled Aug. 11 ARMM
polls, said the summit has
allowed open discussions
where certain agreements
were reached between and
among the military, govern-
ment line agencies, and civ-
il society groups, especially
on election-related issues.
“Democracy neces-
sitates the engagement of
every citizen in governance
to be vigilant, participative
and committed to make de-
mocracy work,” he said.
Citizens CARE, a poll
watchdog accredited by the
Commission on Elections,
organized the summit.
The group would close-
ly monitor proceedings for
the ARMM elections in at
least 1,500 villages in two
cities and 80 municipalities.
PNA
24 Manila Media Monitor MARCH 2008
MARCH 2008 Manila Media Monitor
Imelda Marcos cleared of dollar salting
MANILA - The Manila
Regional Trial Court on
March 10 cleared former
First Lady Imelda Marcos
of 32 counts of dollar-salt-
ing, saying in its decision
that conspiracy was not
established and the prose-
cution’s evidence was mere
hearsay.
Judge Silvino Pampilo
Jr. of Branch 26 said the
“cases were filed in 1991
and have been fermenting in
the courts for 16 years now.
It is time to write (finis) to
these issues and unburden
the taxpayers who have to
shoulder the cost of long-
drawn litigation.”
Pampilo said the Swiss
Bank documents the pros-
ecution presented in the
cases “are not even original
documents” and violated
the Best Evidence Rule as
provided in Rule 130, Sec-
tion 3 of the Rules of Ma-
ñalac.
The judge also ruled
that the prosecution “failed
to prove that there was con-
spiracy between, and among
the accused in the case.”
Marcos’ co-accused,
Hector Rivera, was also
acquitted. Another co-ac-
cused, former ambassador
Roberto Benedicto, died in
May 2000.
In a later emotional rep-
artee with reporters, Marcos
said she had been vindi-
cated, adding she hoped all
other cases filed against her
during the time of former
President Corazon Aquino
would be dismissed in her
lifetime.
The Presidential Com-
mission on Good Govern-
ment, through then Solicitor
General Francisco Chavez,
claimed Marcos was liable
for maintaining a foreign
exchange account abroad
The PHILIPPINES 25
and for her alleged “failure
to report interest earnings”
to authorities.
Chavez charged that the
former First Lady and her
late husband, former Presi-
dent Ferdinand Marcos,
maintained illegal accounts
in Swiss Bank Corp. in Ge-
neva, Switzerland.
Philippine laws pre-
scribed that Filipino citizens
were not allowed to have a
foreign exchange account
abroad without the approval
of the Central Bank of the
Philippines.
The Aquino administra-
tion earlier seized US$3 mil-
lion from an alleged Marcos
Swiss bank account. The
money is deposited with the
government treasury.
Pampilo handles 70 per-
cent of cases filed against ST. THERESE RELIC. Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (right)
the Marcos family and al- views the relic of St. Therese of the Child Jesus after attending the March 8
leged cronies; the rest by farewell mass officiated by Bishop Leopoldo Tumulak (second from right) in
the Sandiganbayan. PNA honor of the Saint of the Little Way. Photo: MARCELINO PASCUA, OPS/NIB

More Filipinos likely to sleep with empty tummy www. FinancialProblem.ca

MANILA - United Na-
tions-run World Food Pro-
gram (WFP) country direc-
tor Valerie Guarnieri has
warned that the Philippine
government could end up
feeding more people to save
them from going hungry,
as the market price of rice
continued to spike beyond
the reach of ordinary house-
holds.
“Price rises mean people
who previously were able to
meet their own food needs
through the market with
their own income have been
sort of pushed over that
precipice and are no longer
able to feed their families,”
Guarnieri said.
“So we see people who
suddenly would be eligible
for assistance,” she said,
adding: “We’re seeing it in
many countries.”
She also warned Manila
could be hit in the pocket
by having to boost spend-
ing on subsidies to maintain
current prices of the lowest-
quality rice being sold to
the poor. The WFP has been
providing food aid to about
1.1 million of the Philip-
pines’ 90 million people.
Guarnieri said the UN
was unlikely to ramp up its
food aid to the Philippines
immediately. Yahoo.com
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26 TRAVEL & TOURISM
Payvanuvanuan Festival reels in fishing season in Batanes
“The vanua that I could
not see, I found, was a natu-
ral part of the landscape; it
was the sand I was stand-
ing on and the water before
me, where a passage could
be made out of the shallow
terrace and the rocks that
jutted out here and there: it
was the unique and rare ac-
cessway for going out to sea
and to land.”
“But the cooperative
work of ritual, of May-
vanuvanua, transforms
this space into a manmade
‘port’, where principles for
order and precedence have
been established.”
Thus narrates Maria
Mangahas in her study on
‘Making the Vanua’ Collec-
tive Fishing Technology in
Batanes and An Austrone-
sian Archetype of Society
submitted to the University
of the Philippines Depart-
ment of Anthropology and
published by the Philip-
pine Linguistics Congress
in 2006.
Community
Vanua represents more
than just an imaginary fish-
ing accessway of a sturdy
group of people who have
made Batanes, the north-
ernmost and smallest Phil-
ippine province composed
of ten islands, their home.
Vanua signifies anything
and everything essential to
an ideal community life.
Every year in mid-
March, the fisherfolk of
Sitio Jura at Racujaide, ‘re-
build’ the traditional vanua
on the east side of Batan Is-
land, continuing an ancient
notion of working, catching
fish, feasting and strength-
ening the spirit of kalipusan
(close kinship and commu-
nity cooperation) together.
The ‘rebuilding’ of the
vanua marks the start of the
fishing season, when the
village elders gather the na-
tives to pray for Divine in-
tervention to keep the fish-
ermen safe and bring home
a bountiful catch from the
Pacific Ocean.
The unique ritual that
FISHERMEN OF BATANES - particularly those from Sitio Jura, Barangay
Racujaide, Mahatao town - set sail, ready to cast their nets in the vastness of
the Pacific Ocean, braving winds and waves to bring home the sea’s bounty
to waiting families and the community. The mid-March Payvanuvanuan Fes-
tival marks the start of the fishing season in Batanes. During the festival,
the fisherfolk perform a ritual to pray for safety in the high seas and a good
catch. Visitors are treated with fresh fish delicacies from the Pacific Ocean.
highlights the rebuilding of
the vanua has evolved into
what is known today as the
Payvanuvanuan festival.
The payvanuvanua
ritual to open the mataw
(March to April fishing sea-
son) - when the dibang (fly-
ing fish) and arayu (dolphin
fish) are abundant - is prac-
ticed only by the Ivatans of
Batanes and the Yamis of
Taiwan’s Orchid Island.
Sacrifice
Mangahas, in her study,
says the ritual begins with
the selection of a spot on the
beach where the vanua will
be put up.
“Along the beach
there was only one tataya
(boat), covered with coco-
nut leaves. It belonged to
the one chosen to make the
Umdinaw nu Vanua or first
fishing trip. Places where
the other boats would be
drawn up on the beach were
marked by big stones or
driftwood. I counted 14.”
Then, the ritual offici-
ant calls the community to
witness the sacrificial rite
when a pig, bought from
money shared by the island-
ers, is offered to God.
At the strike of the right
hour acording to a good
fisherman’s reckoning, the
officiant stands over the pig
and says in Ivatan: Manma
kadiman su viñay aya aysay-
ang su vanua ya Dita’tan,
as an sino u may suerte su
marahet diaten na ma’sa a
mapia su cooperasyon, nu
u dia na am nu viñay aya a
tayto namen dimahen.
Nu mapia ya vuhawan
Island resort officials ban bikini opens,
other irreverent events on Holy Week
CEBU CITY - The
town council of popular
tourist spot Sta. Fe has im-
posed a ban on any activ-
ity tending to ridicule the
culture of townfolk and
the teachings of the Roman
Catholic Church during the
Holy Week.
The ban covered bi-
kini opens, drama and film
showings against the faith,
disco parties, concerts, loud
noises and games that dis-
turb the solemnity of Holy
Week activities marking
Christ’s passion and death.
Violation of the ban,
am isadiw namen su vanua
da yanu apuapu namen di
Dita’tan, as nu marem aya,
am akmanchi siya u karu-
ariem da Waryen kada Kasi
isavasavat namen a maka-
raya du vanua aya Dita’tan,
as akma kamu anchi ni-
rakayan vunus du yuhwan
namen aya.
(We kill this animal as
a sacrifice. May this animal
absorb any misfortune in
to start Maundy Thursday
(March 20) and to end on
Black Saturday (March 22),
carried a penalty of impris-
onment of six months to a
year or a fine of P2,000 to
P5,000 or both.
In authoring the ordi-
nance providing the ban,
councilors Renato San-
gundo and Roger Ilustri-
simo said they intended
to push tourism in Sta. Fe,
but “without sacrificing the
good tradition and culture
of its constituents.”
They said it was their
desire to lay out equal op-
Manila Media Monitor MARCH 2008
store for us members of the
fishing group, who are to-
gether with good coopera-
tion, during the season.)
He sticks a knife into
the pig’s neck, takes a coin
and lets the pig’s blood
trickle on it while saying in
Ivatan: I pay for the vanua
with this.
The pig is washed and
butchered. The officiant
examines the pig’s apdo
(gall bladder) and interprets
its fullness as a sign of the
abundance of fish to catch.
The pig is cooked and
shared in a feast. But not af-
ter everyone has a sip or two
of mañivaheng or palek, na-
tive sugarcane wines.
The women also cook
name (finger food).
Meanwhile, the tribal
elders and guests retire to
a makeshift shelter built
out of coconut trunks and
leaves after the payvanu-
vanua ritual.
There they discuss mat-
ters of culture and tradition,
including the proportionate
subdivision of what pork
remained after the feasting,
among those who donated
for the pig’s purchase.
Invisible, meaningful
“After Mayvanuvanua,
the newly constructed
vanua or port was still, to
me, invisible; there were no
portunities for businessmen,
tourists and the Church.
Sta. Fe is one of three
towns in Bantayan Island, a
favorite destination of local
and foreign tourists during
the Holy Week.
The island-resort is
well-known for having
been given by the Vatican
an indult or a license - a
papal exemption - allowing
residents to eat meat during
the Lenten season, at which
time villagers, mostly fish-
ermen, stop fishing to ob-
serve Church traditions.
PNA
physical ‘portlike’ structures
erected at the vanua,” Man-
gahas says in her study.
“But what Mayvanu-
vanua clearly had accom-
plished was to demarcate a
period of time when care-
ful actions were expected
and many taboos to be ob-
served.”
“At a later visit, I no-
ticed that this sign, written
in English, had been post-
ed in the shelter: This is a
house for us and everyone is
allowed to enter but be sure
not to make foolishness or
unnecessary movement.”
The vanua is sacred to
the people of Batanes. It is
their innate belief of what
a peaceful and productive
community is, their life.
DOT to promote
medical tourism
Medical tourism would
be one of the Philippine
Department of Tourism’s
high-valued packages as the
agency intensified its mar-
keting promotions on the
country’s wellness sector.
The industry is com-
posed of the spa business,
medical tourism, including
recuperative services and
cosmetic surgery, and spiri-
tual healing.
Tourism Secretary Jo-
seph Ace Durano said the
Philippines “is fast becom-
ing a destination of foreign
patients undergoing surgical
or recuperative treatments
because of the huge sav-
ings they get from offshore
medical services.”
Durano said medical
tourism has become rev-
enue generators in the Phil-
ippines, Malaysia, Thailand
and other countries, which
have started beefing up ef-
forts to attract the growing
number of medical tourists
from all over the world.
Health data showed
medical tourism has con-
tributed US$400 million to
the Philippine economy in
recent years. PNA
MARCH 2008 Manila Media Monitor The PHILIPPINES 27
NEWS ROUNDUP
Honest Sorosogon trike driver returns P77K
SORSOGON CITY - More than being honest, tricycle driver Alfredo Mejorada is a hero
worthy of emulation. He saved the job, integrity and reputation of Senior Police Officer
3 Nicanor Ponong. Mejorada, 45, was heading home for breakfast after the morning rush
when he found a clutch bag inside his trike. At home, he took a peek at the bag and found
a thick wad of cash. He consulted his brother, and both decided to bring the bag and the
money, some P77,000, to the police. A bank withdrawal slip in the bag led them to Ponong,
provincial police supply officer, who said the money would be used to buy supplies for all
town police stations in the province. “Had it not been returned, perhaps I would be placed
under investigation, face suspension or even dismissal from the service,” he said. Mejo-
rada said “I may need money for my family but not other people’s money.” Mayor Leovic
Dioneda said Mejorada’s name and feat should be in the city’s Hall Of Fame. “Mejorada
is a role model for all to emulate and his honesty, to replicate.” PNA

Alaminos fishermen save dolphin

ALAMINOS CITY - Bayanihan, an eight-foot rough-toothed dolphin, is safe. The sea
mammal is at the Ocean Adventure’s swimming pool in Subic, recuperating from wounds
and a broken tailfluke, which dolphins use to propel them in the water, said to have been
caused by a shark attack. Fishermen in Barangay Baley-daan spotted Bayanihan, so named
to signify community enthusiasm and cooperation that sparked the dolphin’s rescue, near
an oyster culture farm. The dolphin appeared weak. The fishermen called village officials,
who in turn advised aqua-culturist Catherine Rabadon and veterinarian Ronald Abarra,
who administered first aid to the dolphin. Full medical attention was later given by the
staff of the Philippine Marine Mammal Stranding Network. PNA

Officials padlock Bacolod sex toy shop

BACOLOD CITY - The City Legal Office and the police padlocked on March 2 a shop
selling sex gadgets and toys in the newly-opened 888 Chinatown Square, a Divisoria-type
mall here. Police said they seized some P120,000 worth of sex paraphernalia from the
store Diosa Achiverra owned. City hall and police earlier received complaints about the
store’s products and its violation of the Anti-Pornography Law. PNA

Lucena son wins Rockefeller award

LUCENA CITY - Nestor Jardin, president of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, was
conferred the 2008 John D. Rockefeller 3rd award for outstanding professional achieve-
ment. Jardin was cited for being a “cultural leader of rare energy, commitment and vision
and who has set an extraordinary example both regionally and internationally.” He is the
second Filipino to win the award, after the late National Artist for Music Jose Maceda in
1987. Set up in 1986, the Rockefeller award honored individuals from Asia and the United
States who have made particularly significant contributions to the international under-
standing, practice, or study of the visual or performing arts of Asia. PNA

Bulacan woman just wants passport, visa back

MALOLOS CITY - Balikbayan Fil-American Catalina Bautista, 85, was willing to for-
give burglary suspect Dexter Lintag and forget that the latter robbed her of jewellery dam-
asked in gold and diamonds worth about P300,000. That is, if Lintag would return back
her passport with a US visa that Bautista said were also taken in a recent burglary at her
home. Bautista was even willing to give some of the jewellery to Lintag to buy food for his
family. “Naaawa ako sa kanyang asawa at mga anak,” Bautista said. But Lintag seemed to
have blown his chances to walk out of jail. He told police, who arrested and recovered the
loot from him on March 5, he did not know anything about the passport and visa. PNA

Seafood batchoy, anyone?

ILOILO CITY - Seafood batchoy is set to hit the discriminating palates of Ilonggos when
Deco’s Original La Paz premiers the new soup concotion on March 17, in time for the
observance of Holy Week when people abstain from eating meat. Deco’s owner Federico
Guillergan said the seafood fare was made of miki noodles, fish ball, tuna flakes, crab
meat, squid rings and shrimp strips, revolutionizing the original ingredients of noodles,
strips of pork and beef and gizzards. Seafood batchoy, however, would cost more. PNA

Cotabato cops’ shootout a ‘freak incident’

COTABATO CITY - A freak shhotout? Not when the lives of two policemen and a num-
ber of pedestrians along busy Ortuoste St. here were on the line. On his hospital bed nurs-
ing a bullet wound in his thigh, Senior Inspector Wally Kasuyo, acting city deputy police
chief for operations and spokesman, said “I was in full police uniform when I politely
asked (Police Officer 1 Maulidin) Adzar, then in plainclothes, for proper identification on
the gun he had when a shot rang out, prompting me to return fire,” and wounding Adzar
in his arm. Adzar, also in a hospital, told investigators he was about to show his badge and
hand-over his issued .45-caliber pistol to Kasuyo when the gun went off. Adzar ran away
from the scene, voluntarily gave himself up to a city police-substation and asked to be
brought to a hospital. Both policemen later learned that they were distant relatives. PNA

Munggo or balatong sustains Isabela farmers

SAN MATEO, Isabela - Besides bagging the 2007 Galing Pook Award, farmers here
looked forward to their town being cited as the Munggo (balatong) Capital of the Phil-
ippines. Mayor Roberto Agcaoili said the town started munggo production in 2002, to
respond to decreasing rice yields caused by rice farming using fertilizers and chemicals.
To reverse the dwindling income of farmers, palay and munggo were intercropped. The
initiative received financial aid from higher officials. Today, the town has more than 7,000
hectares planted to munggo during the dry season with an average yield of 800 to 1,000
kilos per hectare and sold at P32 per kilo. This meant additional income - from P25,600
to P32,000 - for every farmer tilling a hectare of land, agcaoili said, adding that munggo
production also restored soil fertility in the rice farms. Women have also begun to process
and sell munggo food delicacies like butchi, bread, guinataan and lumpia. PNA
28
SC issues habeas
data, amparo writs
The Supreme Court
(SC) on March 11 issued
two writs of habeas data,
marking the writ’s first is-
suance since the High Tri-
bunal promulgated the Rule
on Habeas Data on Feb. 2.
The habeas data rule
was passed as an indepen-
dent remedy to enforce the
right to informational priva-
cy and the complementary
“right to truth,” and an ad-
ditional remedy to protect
the right to life, liberty, or
security of a person.
In separate two-page
resolutions approved on
March 11, the High Court
granted two petitions for
writs of habeas data and
amparo filed by Ayala
Foundation, Inc. executive
vice president Guillermo
Luz and Anakpawis party
list member Francis Saez,
on March 3 and March 5,
respectively.
Respondents in both cas-
es were Armed Forces Chief
of Staff Gen. Hermogenes
Esperon, National Police
Director General Avelino
Razon, and other officials,
who the SC ordered to make
verified returns of the writs
before the Court of Appeals
(CA), Manila within five
working days from service
of the writs. The CA was
ordered to separately hear
and decide on the petitions
on March 18.
The SC also directed the
CA presiding justice to raf-
fle the cases among mem-
bers of the appellate court.
Luz petition
In his petition for the is-
suance of a writ of amparo
and writ of habeas data,
Luz sought the appearance
of Gen. Esperon and mili-
tary agents before the Court
to either confirm or deny
whether the military has
been placing him under sur-
veillance for his suspected
involvement in a plot to oust
Philippine President Gloria
Manila Media Monitor
MARCH 2008
Macapagal Arroyo, particu-
larly that of his alleged par-
ticipation in the execution
of the “Pen coup.”
Luz asked that the re-
spondents submit to the
Court and disclose to him
all the photographs, re-
ports, data, or information
gathered in a case buildup
against him.
He also prayed “that
after due hearing, dur-
ing which Petitioner (Luz)
seeks for the opportunity
to demonstrate utter lack of
basis to put him under any
form of surveillance,” the
respondents are enjoined
to respect his “right to be
left alone,” to stop any on-
going case buildup, and to
suppress or destroy any da-
tabase of information gath-
ered against him.
Luz said the lack of re-
sponse to his public denials
and his unanswered letter of
inquiry, which he claimed
Esperon received, constitut-
ed “an unwarranted distur-
bance of (his) peace of mind
and an unjustified incursion
on (his) right to security and
privacy.”
Saez petition
In a petition for the writ
of amparo and for the writ
of habeas data with prayers
for temporary protection or-
der, inspection of place, and
production of documents,
Saez prayed that respon-
dents Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo, Gen. Esperon, and
others produce before the
Court the Order of Battle
containing his name.
Saez asked that his name
be stricken out from this
“list of persons considered
as targets for neutralization
by the (Armed Forces).”
He called for the de-
struction of documents he
claimed the military had
intimidated him into sign-
ing, saying he was a rebel
returnee who agreed to be
an intelligence asset.
Saez claimed that he had
acceded to the military’s in-
vitation to go to their camp
to “clean his record” be-
cause of the fear generated
by the information that he
was in the Order of Battle
and that he had been “in-
vited” by “not less than 10
armed soldiers in civilian
clothes.”
It was during these vis-
its that he was made to sign
the documents he wished
destroyed, he said, adding
that he had to seek the help
of the Court since he “is
afraid he will be killed, or
abducted and killed” should
his name remain in the Or-
der of Battle.
Baculo petition
The SC also resolved on
March 11 to grant the peti-
tion for amparo Traveler’s
News publisher Nilo Bacu-
lo, Sr. filed, praying for the
Court to protect him from a
murder plot by respondents
Mayor Paulino Salvador
Leachon and other officials
of Calapan City, Oriental
Mindoro.
Baculo said the plot
was a result of his efforts
as a journalist to inform the
public of the “acts of public
officers which he believes
to be illegal, fraudulent, and
morally reprehensible.”
Writ issuances
The issuances brought
to 23 the number of writs
the SC issued since the Rule
on the Writ of Amparo took
effect on Oct. 24, 2007.
The High Court created
the writs of amparo and ha-
beas data as additional rem-
edies to protect the constitu-
tional rights of the people.
The writs were part
of the recommendations
made during the National
Consultative Summit on
Extrajudicial Killings and
Enforced Disappearances
Chief Justice Reynato Puno
convened from July 16 to
17, 2007. SC PR
MARCH 2008 Manila Media Monitor 29

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30 CANADIAN HISTORY
On March 16, 1649, Brebeuf died a martyr
The dawn attack on
the Huron Nation’s village
of St. Ignace was sudden,
fast and fierce. Some 1,200
well-armed Iroquois seized
the village with ease.
Later, they besieged
nearby St. Louis village
where they laid hands on
Jesuit missionaries Jean de
Brebeuf and Gabriel La-
lemant, who the Iroquois
dragged back to St. Ignace.
The two priests were
tied to stakes and brutally
tortured by fire, necklaces
of red-hot hatchets, burn-
ing coals, mutilation, mock
baptism with boiling water
and scalping.
A respected and beloved
figure among the Hurons
who fondly called him
Echon, Brebeuf was also
assailed with blows to his
head, face and body.
Yet, all he thought of
was his Hurons who have
also fallen captives. “My
children,” he said to them,
“let us lift our eyes to heav-
en at the height of our afflic-
tions; let us remember that
God is the witness of our
sufferings, and will soon be
our exceeding great reward.
Let us die in this faith; and
let us hope from his good-
ness the fulfillment of his
promises. I have more pity
for you than for myself; but
ST. JEAN DE BREBEUF
sustain with courage the few
remaining torments. They
will end with our lives. The
glory which follows them
will never have an end.”
“Echon,” they replied,
“our spirits will be in heav-
en when our bodies shall
be suffering on earth. Pray
to God for us, that he may
show us mercy. We will in-
voke him even until death.”
Brebeuf’s friend Paul
Ragueneau wrote of him:
Fr. Brebeuf “suffered like a
rock, insensible to the fires
and the flames, without ut-
tering any cry, and keeping
a profound silence, which
astonished his executioners
themselves.”
Death and martyrdom
came for Brebeuf at about
4 p.m., on March 16, 1649,
nine days short of his 56th
birth anniversary and weeks
Manila Media Monitor MARCH 2008
after his 27th year as a
Toronto’s 1st subway ride
priest, much of it spent in
Canada with the Hurons.
Recovered days later,
Brebeuf’s body was boiled
in lye to remove the flesh.
The bones, which be-
came church relics, were
buried along with that of
Lalemant’s in one coffin.
Brebeuf’s remains were
laid to rest in the Church
of St. Joseph at the recon-
structed Jesuit mission of
Sainte-Marie-Among-The-
Hurons across Highway 12
from the Martyrs Shrine
Catholic Church near Mid-
land, Ontario.
A brave adventurer, a
skilled writer and a careful
ethnologist, Brebeuf - the
Apostle of the Hurons - was
canonized a saint by Pope
Pius XI on June 29, 1930
with seven other missionar-
ies, known as the Canadian
Martyrs.
St. Jean de Brebeuf was
proclaimed the patron saint
of Canada, and his feast day On March 30, 1954, crowds of onlookers gathered at Davisville Station to wit-
would fall on October 19. ness an historic journey. Representatives from the Toronto Transit Commis-
Many Jesuit schools are sion (TTC), the provincial and municipal governments, and other dignitaries
named after him, such as were to leave at 11:50 a.m. on Toronto’s very first subway ride. Construction
College Jean-de-Brebeuf, of the Yonge subway line began in Sept. 1949, taking over four years to com-
Brebeuf College School plete at a cost of over $60 million. Over 1.7 million cubic yards of material
and Brebeuf High School. was removed from the ground underneath the city to make way for five kilo-
Taken from a biograph- metres of tunnel. Since that day in 1954, Toronto’s subway system has been
ical sketch by NAGUS extended several times. It now has almost 70 kilometres of track and carries
MACDOUGALL and nearly one and a quarter million people each working day. Toronto City web-
Wikipedia entries site and City of Toronto Archives, Series 381, File 298, Image 11847-19.
MARCH 2008 Manila Media Monitor PHILIPPINE HISTORY 31
Magellan
On March Sixteen Fifteen Hundred Twenty One
On March 16, 1521 when ...
“... the Philippines was
When Philippines was discovered by Magellan discovered by Magellan ...”
They were sailing day and night Little did the late Fili-
Across the big ocean pino novelty songwriter,
Until they saw a small Limasawa island. comic balladeer and actor
Roman “Yoyoy” Villame
Magellan landed in Limasawa at noon know that his first record-
The people met him very welcome on the shore ed song Magellan (see left
They did not understand box) waxed in 1972 would
The speaking they have done do more than just pound
Because Kastila gid at Waray-Waray man. boring historical facts and
figures into the brains of
When Magellan landed in Cebu City schoolchildren who would
Rajah Humabon met him they were very happy rather play piko (hopscotch)
All people were baptized than daydream while their
And built the church of Christ teacher rattled off.
And that’s the beginning of our Catholic life. With Magellan, Vil-
lame, a regular guest in To-
When Magellen visited in Mactan ronto’s concert halls before
To Christianize them everyone he died on May 18, 2007,
But Lapu-Lapu met him on the shore opened the consciousness
And drive Magellan to go back home. of the Filipino people to a
whole new horizon of histo- Filipino actor Gardo Versoza (left) takes on the role of native chieftain Lapu-
Then Magellan got so mad ry put into jumpy music and Lapu in this scene reenacting the April 27, 1521 Battle of Mactan, in which
Ordered his men to camouflage candid, quite accurate but Portuguese circumnavigator Ferdinand Magellan was killed. Lapu-Lapu has
“Mactan Island we could not grab gramatically cranky (call it since been honored as the first Filipino national hero, and Magellan has
Cause Lapu-Lapu is very hard”. poetically licensed) lyrics. been credited to have discovered and placed the Philippines on the global
Thanks to the song, many political, trading and ecclesiastical map. Flickr photo
Then the battle began at dawn Filipinos today - young and
Bolos and spears versus guns and cannons old alike, schooled or un- that he and his troops final- sion, and that medics should The last two lines of
When Magellan was hit on his neck schooled - would remember ly met their match in Mac- be required to be present in the Philippine National An-
He stumble down and cried and cried. that Portuguese circumnav- tan island chieftain Lapu- any military clash. them, Lupang Hinirang,
igator Ferdinand Magellan Lapu and his warriors who The song has remained has said it all: “Aming liga-
“Oh mother, mother, I am sick in March of 1521 reached killed Magellan and drove popular not because of the ya, na pag may mang-aapi,
Call the doctor very quick the Philippines, which he the conquistadores back to Filipinos’ love for comic ang mamatay nang dahil
Doctor, Doctor shall I die named as Islas de San Laz- their equally-historical ship, novelty, but because it has sa iyo (But it is glory ever,
Tell my Mama do not cry (3x). aro or Islands of St. Laza- the Victoria; that Lapu-Lapu enriched Philippine history when thou art wronged; For
rus; that Magellan island and his men might as well and has described the Filipi- us, thy sons to suffer and die
That’s the end of Magellan in the island of Mactan hopped and did what he set be the first Filipinos who no penchant for diplomacy - English version by Camilo
long time ago, ladies and gentlemen. out to do as head of a Span- defended Philippine sover- and, if provoked, their love Osias and A.L.Lane circa
ish expedition to the East, eignty against foreign intru- of the native land. 1934).
32 MONEY Manila Media Monitor MARCH 2008

Banker sees RP peso to hit 38 to US dollar

CEBU CITY - The
Philippine peso is expected
climb as high as the P38
level versus the US dol-
lar by the year-end, said
Rolando Avante, executive
vice president and treasurer
of Chinatrust Philippines
Commercial Bank Corp.
An eight-percent growth
rate of the currency is fore-
cast, but the Philippine
economy would face “more
GOT A FOREX DEAL?
challenging” times ahead
because of political issues,
avante said during a recent
economic briefing here.
Although the economic
environment would be de-
pendent on how the global
market performed, any po-
litical turmoil would always
be a threat to the economy,
he said.
”It makes investors
and foreign market players
more cautious because they
don’t know how the turmoil
develops.”
But Avante said the re-
cent controversy involving
the Arroyo administration
has caused a “positive turn,”
in relation to the volatility
of the currency.
“The uncertainty of the
political situation helps sta-
bilize the peso at the P40
level. Otherwise, we could
have seen the peso appreci-
ate more,” he said.
Contrary to the warnings
of exporters and overseas
Filipinos, the Philippines
would continue to attract
foreign investments, espe-
cially in the mining sector,
even if the peso went up to
38 against the greenback,
Avante said.
The Philippines ranked
fifth among countries that
have large mineral depos-
its.
”Still, the attractiveness
of the country will be de-
pendent on what is the long
-term outlook of the peso in
the local and global mar-
ket,” Avante said.
In a presentation, he cit-
ed the continued inflows of
foreign direct investments,
remittances from overseas
Filipino workers (OFWs),
portfolio investment flows,
weakening of the US dollar
and wide interest rate dif-
ferentials as the factors that
raised the peso’s value.
Remittances from
OFWs, which hit US$14.4
billion in 2007, are expect-
ed to further rise this year.
Avante said more money
transfers are expected due
to the partnerships between
banks and telecommunica-
tion companies.
”But up to what point
can remittances from OFWs
make the peso appreciate,
considering that it accounts
for about 10 percent of the
nominal gross domestic
product?” he asked. PNA

Check out if you got your peso’s worth for the

dollars you have had exchanged since February
Strong currency rewards society’s greedy
18, courtesy of Manila Media (Money) Monitor. Despite the rosy picture moting economic stability, ‘positives’ of a ‘firm’ Phil- Barrios supported the
state officials paint as to the not to act as a state lapdog ippine peso was reminiscent position of the Global
US$ Cdn$ strength of the Philippine out to condition the minds of the 1990s when Mexican Filipinos Coalition, which
March 14 41.35076 41.89281 peso against the American of the people, Barrios said. authorities simply but igno- stressed that under prevail-
March 13 41.35445 42.01582 dollar, overseas Filipino Earlier, BSP Deputy rantly viewed a strong peso ing foreign exchange condi-
March 12 41.25244 41.67991 workers (OFW), exporters Governor Diwa Gunigundo as a good thing. tions, “the big winners are
March 11 41.04488 41.23684 and many more continue to asserted the need to educate Shortly before the Mex- a small number of benefi-
March 10 40.95464 41.05140 be ‘big losers’ in a political people to clarify misper- ican peso crashed in 1994, ciaries: the government, the
March 7 40.70360 41.05010 melodrama reeking of eco- ceptions, particularly from its exchange rate against ruling elite, oil companies,
March 6 40.39541 41.01644 nomic insanity. those who “feel they’re not the dollar demonstrated re- utilities and importers, in-
March 5 40.73382 41.15176 Attempts of the Bangko getting the positive impact markable stability, evidence cluding smugglers. A strong
March 4 40.55505 40.73215 Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) of a firm peso.” in the authorities’ eyes of peso also rewards jetsetters
March 3 40.90543 41.44248 “to sugarcoat the peso’s Barrios retorted that a the success of reform and and those with insatiable
Feb. 29 40.40664 41.23758 strength is not credible.” statement like that from a foreign confidence. taste for imported goods,”
Feb. 28 40.32897 41.49306 In a paper, investment state official was deeply Barrios also pointed out Barrios said.
Feb. 27 40.22459 41.13512 banker and equity capital- troubling, as it gave the that “the BSP’s claim that He observed that “the
ist Raymond Barrios hit impression that the govern- US-sourced remittances are strong peso has swayed
Feb. 26 40.37405 40.94868
the BSP for commission- ment would rather ignore overstated is irrelevant. All more Filipinos to stay home
Feb. 25 40.58703 40.66633
ing a study to invalidate the issues and concerns of its the currencies have moved instead of looking for high-
Feb. 22 40.57690 39.97535
general growing impression citizens. in the same general direc- er paying jobs overseas.
Feb. 21 40.33271 40.01015 that the rapid change in the While admitting differ- tion and the values of re- Remittances will likely
Feb. 20 40.74543 39.98391 peso-dollar exchange rate is ences in relevant circum- mittances increased in peso decrease. The Philippines
Feb. 19 40.60907 39.96743 hurting many Filipinos. stances, Barrios noted that terms regardless of where must position itself to a
Feb. 18 40.62767 40.34265 The BSP should be pro- the BSP’s trumpeting of the they came from.” transition in the economy.”
FATF cites Canada’s MARCH 2008 Manila Media Monitor MONEY 33
strides vs laundering,
terrorist financing Health, safety seminar to save money,
raise productivity in workplace: PCCT
Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has vowed to
carry out more intensive efforts to halt the laundering of
Canadian dollars and prevent the money from going into
the pockets of terrorists. Filipino businessmen has partnered with consult- quire people to miss work, safety and insurance board
Flaherty made the promise as he cited a recently-re- might not realize it; but ing training and services costing businesses money, premiums for companies.
leased Financial Action Task Force (FATF) report saying daily, in Ontario, hundreds firm, Ontario Service Safe- aside from the hefty fines Kramer said PCCT
that Canada has been making steady progress in combat- of businesses are fined a ty Alliance (OSSA), for and penalties paid for vio- members would benefit
ting money laundering and terrorist financing. lot of money for violating the conduct of an informa- lations of the health and from the seminar as it would
“The FATF evaluation was done eight months ago, health and safety rules in tion seminar on workplace safety law. save them money, reduce
and we have made considerable progress since that time the workplace, under the health and safety. Norman Kramer, a con- absenteeism and increase
to identify and shut down this criminal activity,” Flaherty Occupational Health and PCCT president Rafael sultant with OSSA, said productivity.
said. “When the actions the Government has taken recently Safety Act of Ontario. Nebres cited statistics say- businesses should equally The first of a series of
are fully implemented, Canada will be compliant with vir- To get its members and ing about 300,000 work- focus on this aspect in the workplace health and safety
tually all of the FATF’s Recommendations.” the Filipino business com- place-related injuries are workplace as a higher than seminars would be con-
Flaherty said the FATF report showed Canada had a munity get themselves occuring in Ontario yearly. average frequency of acci- ducted at the Golden Valley
solid regime in place in terms of legal structure, law en- beyond workplace risks, Nebres said that some dents, or severity in injuries Banquet Hall on April 7.
forcement powers, international cooperation and anti-ter- the Philippine Chamber of 100,000 of these injuries caused to employees, could Non-PCCT members
rorist-financing standards. Commerce Toronto (PCCT) were serious enough to re- result in higher workplace are urged to address inqui-
“This is consistent with the very positive assessment ries to torontopcct@yahoo.
of Canada’s financial sector released by the International PCCT, OSSA sign pact on workplace safety com, or call phone number
Monetary Fund earlier this month,” he said. 416-850-4966.
The FATF noted that amendments to the Proceeds of Meanwhile, PCCT vice
Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act president for membership
and related regulations addressed the deficiencies it identi- Oswald Tugadi said the
fied in a June 2007 report. workplace health and safe-
The FATF is an international body that develops and ty seminar “is part of the
promotes measures to combat money laundering and ter- PCCT board’s commitment
rorist financing. to provide business-related
“We will be relentless in our efforts to combat money informational seminars and
laundering and terrorist financing, and strengthening the workshops for members.”
Canadian regime is key,” Minister Flaherty said. Tugadi said 80 repre-
Flaherty noted that Budget 2008 provided $10 million sentatives of member busi-
over two years for the Canadian Security Intelligence Ser- nesses received certificates
vice and the Canada Revenue Agency’s Charities Director- of participation during the
ate to boost capacities to combat terrorist financing. Feb. 25 Business Planning
Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day added that the I seminar conducted by the
government has invested “$400 million to support the Centennial College Cen-
provinces and territories in recruiting 2,500 new front-line tre of Entrepreneurship, a
police officers,” with the tools and resources they needed PCCT partner for members’
to tackle crime. PR education and training re-

8 rogue driving firms lose license

quirements. PCCT Media
Relations
QUEEN’S PARK - Ontario has revoked the teaching Philippine Chamber
privileges of eight more driving schools. of Commerce-Toronto
A press release from the Ministry of Transportation said (PCCT) president Rafa-
its audits revealed the schools issued Beginner Driver Edu- el Nebres (seated, left)
cation certificates to student drivers who had not completed and Ontario Service
the training. Safety Alliance (OSSA)
The driving schools which licenses were revoked in- official Norman Kramer
cluded Best Choice and Royal Canadian, both in Etobi- (to his right) pose after
coke; Gondal and Opkar, both in Brampton; Big City in signing an agreement
Toronto; Community 2000 in North York; North Star in highlighting OSSA’s
Mississauga; and Seneca in Scarborough. commitment to provide
“Driving schools that fail to meet Ontario’s high stan- consulting services on
dards will not be certified to teach novice drivers in this workplace health and
province. Ontario will not tolerate driving schools giving safety issues affecting
certificates to untrained drivers,” said Transportation Min- PCCT member orga-
ister Jim Bradley. nizations. Witnessing
At least 418 licensed Beginner Driver Education course the earlier signing are
providers at 663 locations and 278 high schools are deliv- PCCT board members
ering ministry-approved courses across the province. More (standing, from left)
than 100,000 students have completed the course annually. Flor Vendiola, Remer
In 2007, the ministry removed 22 businesses from its de Mesa, Roel Sarmago
list of approved driving schools. CNW and Ed Joaquin. PR
34 Manila Media Monitor MARCH 2008

Portugal seeks independent probe ... NOTICE for GSIS pensioners

(From page 6)
surprise how Portugal could
not have known the loan
when the latter was present
in all meetings and negotia-
tions that capped the acqui-
sition of the FCT building.
She presented docu-
ments proving Felino indeed
issued a loan to the FCT.
The documents included
the two-sided images of a
$9,820 check payable to real
estate solicitors Evan Ken-
ley and Felino’s CIBC bank
statement with $9,820 deb-
ited from it.
The FCT president also
showed a bank deposit slip
of the Evan Kenley law firm
dated Dec. 17, 2002 - the
closing day for the deal to
buy the building - listing
those who lent money. The
list included Felino’s name.
Javier said Felino also
received a promissory note
the FCT issued to each lend-
er. The notes were signed by
herself as president; Portu-
gal, executive vice presi-
of matters discussed (in the
board meeting) will be com-
promised if any member is
allowed to participate, and,
any member can hijack the
agenda of the board and the
board would not be able to
accomplish its work.”
Many members said they
entrusted the elected board
with the right and privilege
to govern sans intimidation.
Longkines report
The other resolution
urged the new board of di-
rectors to form a special
committee to look into al-
leged FCT mismanagement
contained (in the Julito
Longkines report for 2003
and 2005).
FCT director Irene Turn-
er told the SGM the Long-
kines report was unauthor-
ized and should not even be
dignified as an audit report.
“A true audit would have
involved a review of FCT’s
records and a discussion of
any allegation of impropri-
ing FCT affairs.
Building repair
Javier said one of the
major allegations in the
Longkines report referred to
building materials sourced
through Felino.
She said there were two
quotes for the renovation of
the main and lower building
levels. The quotes amounted
to over $300,000 for materi-
als and $100,000 for labor.
But the completed reno-
vation work on the main and
lower levels, the floors, ceil-
ings, walls, washrooms, the
lobby, the Rizal Hall, the
Ottawa Hall and the main
office in Suite 103 only cost
$150,000. She said receipts
and documents were avail-
able for anyone’s scrutiny.
Time to move on
FCT officials viewed the
SGM rejection of the four
resolutions Portugal and
his group raised as having
cleared FCT president Javi-
er and her spouse Felino and
The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto on March 5 sends notice to pensioners
of the Philippine Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) that the GSIS Voice
Authentication System (GVAS) is operational.
Pensioners who have received their eCards may come to enroll at the Consulate at
161 Eglinton Ave. East, Suite 800, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4P1J5.
Enrollment in the GVAS enables pensioners to activate their Ecards and to avail of
the annual reporting system using their home phones.
Five days from the date of their GVAS enrollment, the pensioners should activate
their eCard, through their home phones, by phoning GSIS at 011632-976-4827.
One month from the date the pensioner activates his/her eCard, they can start with-
drawing money from their account (their account remains with Union Bank in the Phil-
ippines) at any Canadian bank bearing the logos at the back of their eCards.
The consulate may also be reached at Tel. No. (416) 922-7181 or by fax at (416)
922-2638. PR
A staffmember of the
Philippine Consulate
General’s Office in To-
ronto helps retired Manila
public school teacher
and pensioner Severina
Bustillos Paca (seated),
through the process of
getting a Government
Service Insurance Sys-
tem e-card to resume
getting her suspended
pension. Paca came from
Alberta for the process-
ing. ROMY ZETAZATE

CEMA Speakers’ Series

dent; Erlinda Gallardo, trea-
surer and Edgar Adan, chief
financial officer (CFO).
Likewise shown before
the SGM was the 2002 FCT
Financial Report Adan pre-
pared, showing a list of per-
sons, including Felino, who
loaned money to the FCT.
After Javier’s presen-
tation of documented evi-
ety with the individuals in-
volved,” Turner said.
She said that to a large
extent, Longkines was “au-
diting” himself, being then
the FCT CFO and internal
auditor at the same time.
This would be conflict of
interest, as the internal audi-
tor could not properly make
an audit when he was CFO,
all others earlier accused of
committing acts inimical to
FCT interests.
In closing the SGM, The Canadian Ethnic Media Association will feature Capt. Aida Gabriel,
FCT board chairperson Dr. Public Affairs Officer of the Canadian Armed Forces Diversity Unit, in its
Victoria Santiago thanked
the members for their sup-
Speakers’ Series at the Majestic Board Room of OMNI Television on April
port and participation. 3, 6:45 p.m. Capt. Gabriel will talk about steps the Armed Forces is taking
Santiago said “it was to inform ethnic communities of career opportunities for young men and
time to move forward and women. PR
unite as Filipino Canadians”

dence, the SGM rejected
the Portugal etal. resolution
invoking the internal inves-
tigation of the Felino case.
Confidentiality
The Jan. 27 SGM like-
wise rejected two other res-
olutions.
One sought for the atten-
dance of any FCT member
in good standing in any and
all board meetings, as a non-
voting participant.
Dr. Nenette de Villa ar-
gued that the Corporations
Act was very clear in say-
ing that “the confidentiality
she said.
Javier confirmed that
Longkines took over as CFO
when Adan left the FCT.
Business as usual
De Villa noted that the
application for injunction
submitted to the court in-
cluded an Aug. 22, 2005
report and the Financial
Report for 2003 dated Sept.
12, 2005, both prepared by
Longkines.
She said that even with
these, Justice Morawetz
ruled in April 2006 to let the
then board continue govern-
able and willing to turn the
page on this chapter of the
Filipino Centre of Toronto.
Cannot afford
Reviving the issue on
building improvement costs,
Portugal told the presscon
the “FCT cannot afford to
use the equity in the build-
ing for much longer.”
He said the FCT was
bought for some $1 million
and the $850,000 mortgage
has since grown to $1.4 mil-
lion. Close to $200,000 was
raised from the community.
He also raised concerns
about the propriety of com-
pensating sitting members
of the board and their kin.
Costly suits
When asked if another
court battle was in the off-
ing, Portugal told media that
suits should be avoided.
“Let the FCT’s money
remain with FCT,” he said.
FCT officials have earlier
admitted that lawsuits have
proven very costly for FCT,
surpassing the $300,000
mark and all shouldered by
the FCT. With a report (From page 9)
from REY TOLENTINO
FinancialProblem
www. .ca
with credit cards and bank loans
Too many loans & credit cards?
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Afraid to pick up your own phone?
Looking for consolidation?
Please see page 13 for our detailed advertisement
CREDIT MANAGEMENT SERVICES
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Our Journey: Mahal kita
That’s a pretty strong support system all about one
thing. But with all those strong and important fac-
tors rooting for us, finding love has to be one of the
hardest things to do.
It’s a rigged system, I’m sure of it. Some sort of
practical joke. We’re hardwired to do it, but every
imaginable obstacle gets in the way.
I mean just look at the different ways men and
women go about it.
If that isn’t proof enough that the whole thing is
crazy, I don’t know what is.
And the joke doesn’t end there. If you do find
love, if you’re lucky to find that special someone,
then you live your days in silent abject terror that
one day, that special someone will no longer love
you back.
They’ll just get up one morning and say “Hon-
ey, I’ve changed my mind. Bye.”, or worse, “Hon-
ey, I guess I never really loved you the way you
loved me, but now I think I’ve found that really
special someone, so I’m leaving you. I know you
would want me to be happy.”
Ok, so I might be a little over dramatic. But
actually I’m not. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I’ll take all the bad stuff that might happen, all
the possible hurts that might get inflicted along the
way. I’ll take all of these gladly because being truly
in love, I mean really loving someone and knowing
that you are loved back.
Well there can be no better high. Mahal kita.
(info@thenannyexpert.com)
MARCH 2008 Manila Media Monitor
Ryerson U ...
(From page 11)
cheating or, as Avenir ar-
gued, an exchange of aca-
demic ideas in line with
such practices as tutoring
and mentoring.
The online study group
was named Dungeons/Mas-
tering Chemistry Solutions
after a study room students
knew as the Dungeon.
When the web page was
discovered, Avenir’s chem-
istry professor gave him an
F - from a grade of B - in the
course and charged him with
academic misconduct.
The professor had ex-
plicitly asked that students
should perform their work
independently.
In dispute was a note
that appeared on the group’s
main page, which read: “If
you request to join, please
use the forms to discuss/post
solutions to the chemistry
assignments. Please input
your solutions if they are not
already posted.”
Ryerson University of-
ficials earlier said it had to
ensure that students did their
own homework, but many
students said the charges
were unfair.
Support for Chris
Earlier, on March 8, the
Manila Media Monitor was
furnished by friends of Ed
and Perry, parents of Avenir,
an e-mail asking for support
for their son.
“We are asking your
help in any way you can to
support Chris in his fight for
these accusations because
he is representing the whole
studentry in the whole world
and he is fighting for his fu-
ture. We will greatly appre-
ciate any legal help or ad-
vise that can be extended to
Chris by our Filipino com-
munity.We are also asking
for your prayers for Chris’
victory. We don’t know why
this had to happen to our son
but for sure there is a reason
that only God knows,” the
request for support said.
“Chris will greatly ap-
preciate if you can ask your
kids to rally behind him thru
petitions or your presence
on Tuesday, March 11, 2008
from 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
at Ryerson U. campus in
Toronto during his Appeal
Hearing,” it added.
Outlining the events of
the Avenir case, the e-mail
said “Chris was singled out
and charged with cheating
and a misconduct for all 146
counts since he was the ad-
ministrator. He did not cre-
IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE!
Call 416-285-8583
35
ate this group, he just joined
them to help out with his
Chemistry course since he
had a heavy load last semes-
ter. He volunteered to be the
admin when he wanted to
help his three classmates be
accepted in the group since
the admin determines who
gets accepted or not.”
It said: “Chris missed
out all the appeal dates
when they emailed him of
these accusations during the
Malugod na bumabati sa inyo at sa
Christmas holidays. Chris
wasn’t opening his emails
from Ryerson thinking these
inyong mag-anak ng isang
were just Newsletters. He
found out about this when
the school emailed him on
Feb.1st regarding the expul-
MALIGAYANG
sion recommendation by his
Chemistry professor for he
hasn’t responded on the pre-
vious emails about the dis-
ciplinary notice. It is ironic
PASKO NG
that they used the email ( a
new technology when they
are against another new tech
- Facebook) to contact and
PAGKABUHAY
charge Chris, instead of by a
phone call or a memo letter
when he was not responding
for an explanation.”
36 Manila Media Monitor MARCH 2008
MARCH 2008 Manila Media Monitor
T.V. Carpio soars in
Across The Universe
Filipino-American T.V.
Carpio is on her way to
carving an indelible mark in
Hollywood filmdom, hav-
ing received great reviews
for her protrayal of a major
character in the movie mu-
sical Across the Universe.
Born Teresa Victoria
Carpio in Oklahoma City in
1981, T.V. is a singer, song-
writer and actress.
She is the daughter of
Asian performer Teresa
Carpio.
In Across The Universe,
T.V. plays Prudence, a for-
mer high school cheerlead-
er-turned bisexual bohe-
mian.
Nominated for Best
Motion Picture (Comedy or
Musical) at the recent Gold-
en Globe Awards, Across
the Universe is a ground-
breaking movie musical,
springing from the imagina-
tion of renowned writer-di-
rector Julie Taymor (Frida,
Broadway’s The Lion King)
that brings together an origi-
nal story and 33 revolution-
T.V. CARPIO
ary Beatles songs - includ-
ing Hey Jude and All You
Need is Love - that defined
a generation.
In the movie, T.V. im-
presses audiences with her
solo rendition of I Wanna
Hold Your Hand, a song
supposed to express Pru-
dence’s feelings for a fellow
cheerleader.
Quoting from the film’s
production notes, director
Julie Taymor says casting
“T.V. is a lucky discovery.
Along with having a beau-
ENTERTAINMENT 37
tiful singing voice, T.V. is
a dancer and former ice
skater. So I had Prudence
become a skater in the cir-
cus scenes because T.V.
could ice skate. Then, I
thought, ‘Well, she’ll be the
cheerleader because she’s
so good physically.’ As you
get to know the actors, you
create more and more for
them.”
The feeling was mutual
as Carpio recalls, “I wanted
so much to make Julie’s
vision come alive. When
she would tell us what she
saw, it would never be just
what’s written on a piece of
paper - it would be some-
thing just completely out
of this world ... we were so
honored to be a part of that.
We couldn’t even believe American Idol finalists
this is our job.”
Carpio has acted in U.S. Filipino-American RAMIELE MALUBAY, 20, (left, first row) remains a favorite
TV shows, including The in the seventh season of top-rated television singing competition American
Jury and Law & Order. Idol (AI). Malubay joins other AI finalists (first row, from left) Brooke White, 24
She debuted in Broadway and David Archuleta, 17; (2nd row, from left) Chikezie Eze, 22; Jason Castro,
via Rent as Alexi Darling. 20; Syesha Mercado, 21; Kristy Lee Cook, 24; (back row, from left) Amanda
She lives in New York City. Overmyer, 23 (eliminated on March 19); Carly Smithson; 24; Michael Johns,
GoodNewsPilipinas 29; and David Cook, 25 in this AI photo after the March 12 results.

Peaceful Fountains of Desire, a Chinese

Bond Girl
RACHEL
GRANT
Fil-Can artists in Miss Saigon Mississauga run
MISSISSAUGA - City Centre
Musical Productions (CCMP) is set
to present Miss Saigon at the Mead-
owvale Theatre here on March 27,
28, 29, April 2, 3, 4 and 5 at 8 p.m.
with matinee shows on March 29,
30 and April 5 at 2 p.m.
The Miss Saigon Mississauga
run, is part of Music Theatre Mis-
sissauga’s 2008 Encore Series.
A powerhouse of talented Fili-
pino-Canadian names topbill the
cast that includes tenor virtuoso,
Leander Mendoza as The Engi-
neer, siblings Neil and Alison Sali-
nas as Thuy and Gigi respectively,
Chyrell Samson as Mimi, Rergina
Simon, and Chinese-Canadian Ka-
tie Lai, who first appeared in the
Mirvish Production of Miss Saigon
as three-year-old Tam, as Kim.
Boublil and Schönberg’s Miss
Saigon updates Pucchini’s Madame
Butterfly to the modern world in a
moving testament to the human
spirit and a scathing indictment of
the tragedies of war.
Miss Saigon’s story revolves
within the turmoil of the Vietnam
War, where Chris, an American
soldier and Kim, a Vietnamese bar
girl, fall in love, only to be sepa-
rated during the fall of Saigon.
Miss Saigon is an epic, daring
pop opera universal in its emotion-
al power as it deals with controver-
sial, contemporary issues.
Miss Saigon was an internation-
al sensation when it made its world
debut in the West End in 1989.
Filipino artist Lea Salonga-
Chien is acclaimed for her portray-
al of Kim in the musical, reaping
for her the Olivier, Tony, Drama
Desk, Outer Critics, and Theatre
World Awards, the first to win
various international awards for a
single role. PR
agent posing as a masseuse to get to James
Bond in his Hong Kong hotel room, is sent
to extract information from 007 on orders
from the Chinese government. But Bond
always comes out on top (M16 files).
Philippine-born model-actress Rachel
Louise Grant de Longueuil (Rachel Grant)
gave justice to the role of Peaceful in the
James Bond flick Die Another Day, her
first big-screen performance.
Born to an English father and a Filipino
mother, Grant was moved to England when
she was a baby. She attended dance and
drama lessons in England and got her first
screen job, dancing for Top of the Pops.
A Miss Great Britain titlist, Grant had
acting stints playing the role of Niña in
the sci-fi TV series Sci Fright. Lately, she
landed roles in the films Double Zero, The
Purifiers and ‘Til Death.
Grant, who graced the March issue of
FHM Philippines, attended the GK summit
in Manila on Jan. 11, then helped build a
GK village in Taguig.
Filipino-Canadian artists (from left) Chyrell Samson, Leander
Mendoza, Katie Lai, Alison Salinas and Neil Salinas take to the
stage as they portray roles in the Mississauga run of Broadway
hit Miss Saigon at the Meadowvale Theatre from March 27 to
April 5. Photo courtesy of cast member REGINA SIMON
Bayern TV to
feature Pandan
efforts on
conservation
PANDAN, Antique -
German film outfit Bayern
TV is set to show sometime
this year the continuing ef-
forts of people here to con-
serve natural resources.
Philippine Endangered
Species and Conservation
Project (PESCP) manager
Ma. Theresa Ibabao said
Bayern TV Film conducted
an expedition in the area
last year.
The outfit’s production
staff consisted of team head
Eberhard Meyer, Chris-
tian Mayrhoffer and Urich
Scram.
They spent a week mak-
ing the film, professionally
shooting footages of areas
where the PESCP has been
active with livelihood, law
enforcement, research and
conservation activities, Iba-
bao said.
At least 30 others under
PESCP’s wildlife educator
Alexander Alabado assisted
the Germans.
“The involvement of
the Philippine National Po-
lice was highlighted in the
film,” she added.
It was then very timely
when the Pandan police in-
tercepted a truck full of il-
legally-cut narra hardwood
timber.
Narra is the Philippine’s
national tree.
Ibabao is the first Fili-
pina deputized forest ranger
in Panay. PNA
38 LAUGHS & LEISURE Manila Media Monitor MARCH 2008

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
SEOUL DRIVING SCHOOL 11 12

YELLOWBIRD 13 14
15 16 17
4862 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario
BATID 18
21 22
19 20

WIKA 23 24
28 29
25
30
26 27

31 32 33
34 35
36 37

PAHALANG 5. Bitbit 23. M___hayag,

1. Sabihin sa sulat 6. Nota ng musika peryodita
6. Uri ng sakit 7. Iagpang 24. Darang
11. Nagpasikat 8. Bukol 26. Upa
13. Gunita ng nakaraan 9. Walang magulang 27. Watas
14. Sapot ng gagamba 10. Lagimlim 29. Uri ng kahoy
15. Tawag sa amo 12. Katutubong ugali 30. Utos sa drayber
16. Agad-agad 17. Ililipat 33. Isda, pag inulit
18. Ahensiya ng pagbabalita 22. Matubig na prutas 35. Ingkong
19. Panlasa
S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
20. Hulapi I S A A D T I P U S
A
21. Ipamalas G 11 12
23. Dahong tuyo, pag dinoble O N A G P A K I L A L A
13 14
25. Pinong kikil T A L A A L A A G I W
26. __wig, kumpol 15 16 17
28. Nagmamahalan sa B O S A L I P A L A
30. Tinapay 18 19 20
31. Alo A P D I L A A N
B 21 22
32. Desetso A I P A K I T A
34. Semana Santa T 23 24 25 26 27
36. Pataba I
A S A L A L B U
28 29 30
37. E_____, sable D M A G K A S I P A N
PABABA 31 32 33
1. Inalipusta W A L I W A K S A Y A
I 34 35
2. Takalan ng butil M A H A L N A A R A W
3. Pagdurugo K 36 37
4. Barkilyos A A B O N O S P A D A

NAGBIBIRO LANG PO!

Reg. # 4533253

919 Ellesmere Road Sus, tama na ang

Suite 107, Scarborough
Ontario M1P 2W7
daldal! Gawin mo!
Guro: Ano ang tawag sa taong salita Dad: Anak, ibili mo ako ng soft drinks.
nang salita kahit walang nakikinig? Anak: Coke o Pepsi?
Student: Teacher!!! Dad: Coke!
Guro: Tumpak! Get one whole sheet of Anak: Diet o regular?
Manila paper, may long test kayo! Dad: Regular!
*** Anak: Bote o can?
Titser: Heto na ang results ng exam nin- Dad: Bote!
yo. Si Boyet, nakakuha ng 99 percent. Anak: 8 oz. o litro?
Boyet: Ano, kaya nyo yun? Hindi pa ako Dad: Tubig na lang!
nag-review, ha! Huwag na kayong mag- Anak: Natural o mineral?
aral! Magtanim na lang kayo ng kamote at Dad: Mineral!
kalabasa! Mga utak kiliglig! Anak: Malamig o hindi?
Titser: The rest got 100 percent. Dad: Hampasin kaya kita ng walis?!
MANILA - TORONTO - USA - EUROPE ***
Misis: Darling, mahal mo ba ako?
Anak: Tambo o tingting?
Dad: Animal ka!
OR ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD Mister: Handa akong mamatay alang- Anak: Baka o baboy?
alang sa ‘yo. Dad: Layas!
Misis: Sus! Puro ka satsat, hindi mo na- Anak: Ngayon o bukas?
man ginagawa! Dad: Ngayon na!!!
*** Anak: Hatid mo ko o hindi?
Misis: Honey, malapit na tayong mag- Dad: Patayin kaya kita?!
ing tatlo dito sa bahay. Anak: Sasaksakin o babarilin?
Mister: Pinasaya mo ako sa balita mo! Dad: Babarilin!!
Misis: Oo, dito na titira ang nanay ko! Anak: Ulo o tiyan?
*** Dad: Pesteeeee!!!!
“Super baba Fashionista: Tatang, naiinom po ba Anak: Ipis o daga?
and halaga ... yung tubig dito?
Tatang: Bakit? Type mong nguyain?
Dad: Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!
***
Super below *** Patient: Doc, ninenerbyos po ako.
fare talaga.” Sa presscon: Doc: Alam ko ang nararamdaman mo.
Reporter: Madam GMA, kailan po ba Pareho tayo. Ikaw ang una kong surgery.
matatapos ang paghihirap ang Pinoy? ***
“Handang Maglingkod Sa Ating Kababayan” GMA: Kaunting tiis na lang, at masa- Student leader: It takes 15 trees to pro-
Tel (416) 751-9588 Fax (416) 751-9133 sanay na kayo.
***
duce paper students use for their exams.
SAVE THE TREES!
MARCH 2008 Manila Media Monitor 39
40 MARCH 2008 Manila Media Monitor

.
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tle
N

Do
as
Mt. Pleasant
N

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ont

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Dr. Victoria Santiago Dr. Joy Y. Ho
Dr. Amy Fan Dr. Belinda Sunga-Castillo
MISSISSAUGA OFFICE Dr. Anthony John Eng Dr. Dat Phung TORONTO OFFICE
Dr. Randolph J. Krumme Rosedale Medical Clinic
Mississauga Corporate Centre
3660 Hurontario St., 2nd Floor 600 Sherbourne St., Suite 307
SPECIALTY DENTISTRY Toronto, Ontario M4X 1W4
Mississauga, Ontario L5B 3C4
(Behind Novotel Hotel) Dr. Ali Adibfar & Dr. Robert Eng - Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (Across Sherbourne Subway)
Dr. Mark Mojgani - Periodontist dr.vsliu@bellnet.ca
Nickee Dela Cruz & Catherine Ibeas - Registered Dental Hygienists
905-272-3455 416-967-9272

PICTURE PERFECT SMILES

The team of professionals who make up the Fairview Dental Centre
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