Filipino Star APRIL 2010 Edition

Transcription

Filipino Star APRIL 2010 Edition
Volume XXVIIi, No. 4 April 2010
www.filipinostar.org
Philippines to elect next president
Noynoy, Mar ratings
surge in latest poll
MANILA, Philippines - The trust
ratings of Liberal Party (LP) standardbearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino
III and running mate Sen. Manuel
“Mar” Roxas II have surged in the
homestretch of the campaign for the
May 10 polls, according to a recent
survey by independent pollster Pulse
Asia Inc.
Results
of
the
survey
conducted from March 21 to 28 among
3,000 respondents showed Aquino
leading the pack of presidential
candidates in terms of trust rating by
voters, with 69 percent saying they
have “big trust” in the LP presidential
bet.
Aquino’s rating was up five
points from 64 percent in the February
survey.
Only nine percent said they
have “small/no trust” in Aquino, a
significant drop of five points from 14
percent last February.
Meanwhile, 74 percent said
they had “big trust” in Roxas, or a fourpoint increase from 70 percent.
This makes Roxas still the
most trusted public official and
candidate in the upcoming elections,
Pulse Asia said.
The Aquino-Roxas tandem has
consistently led surveys on voter
preference for the May 10 polls as early
as September last year. In comparison,
their rivals in the May 10 national
elections had lower trust rating from
Filipino voters.
Only 61 percent of voters have
“big trust” in Nacionalista Party
See Page 4
Philippine Elections
Balanced reforms planned for
Canada’s asylum system
Ottawa, March 30, 2010 Legislation to improve Canada’s
asylum system deliver quicker
decisions on asylum claims and
provide faster protection to those in
need was introduced today by
Citizenship,
Immigration
and
Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.
“This balanced reform would
both increase support forrefugees in
need of protection and discourage
many of the unfounded asylum claims
that burden our system,” said Minister
Kenney. “These changes would result
in faster protection for those who need
our help and quicker removals of those
who do not.”
As the Auditor General of
Canada has said, delays in rendering
final decisions on asylum claims leave
the system open to abuse. Canada’s
existing system is crippled by long
delays and a cumbersome process
Contents
Editorial . . . . . . . .
. . p. 2
Cooperative News . . . . .
p. 3
Environment. . . . . . . ..p. 6-7
Health Matters
. . . . . . . p 23
Ask The Video Guy
which results in many claims taking
years to resolve with finality. These
delays encourage people not in need
of protection to make claims knowing
they will be able to live and work in
Canada for many years.
“Canada’s asylum system is
broken,” said Minister Kenney. “We
must act to avoid a two-tier immigration
system: one for immigrants who wait in
line - often for years - to come to
Canada and another for those who use
See Page 4
Immigration reforms
. .
. . p.10
Health News . . . . .. . . . .p. 16
Philippine Cuisine . . . . . .p. 15
Showbiz Gossip . . . .
Classified Ads
. , .p. 18
. . . . . . . p. 21
Inyo ng mabibili ang pangarap ninyong bahay
sa madaling panahon sa pamamagitan ng
tamang mortgage.
www.filipinostar.org
2
April 2010
The North American Filipino Star
EDITORIAL
Will the Filipino people choose the best
leader to be their 15th president?
In a few weeks, the 2010
Philippine elections will determine the
type of government that will exist for
the next 6 years. Will it be truly
democratic and committed to improve
the people’s welfare? Will it begin a
new era of enligtened leadership?
After all the constant accusations and
denials of political crimes, it is difficult
to see how the country can ever get
out of its numerous problems. There
are many presidential candidates, but
everyone of them seems to have some
weaknesses that make us doubt
whether there is really one leader who
can withstand a closer scrutiny of his or
her character.
As we review the reports from
various sources, there are many more
questions than answers in our mind.
We wonder how we can help voters to
choose the best person for the job. Will
voters be smarter or wiser not to vote
for money but for principles? Will they
be patriotic enough to do their share in
nation building? Will the person who
gets elected make a genuine effort to
change the direction of the country or
will he just do the same thing like most
of his predecessors?
How do we
know which of these candidates have
moral principles and vision?
According to the latest
statistics, there are about 50 million
registered voters. How will these
voters select their representatives and
the future president? How much do
they know about the issues? Do they
have any interest in understanding the
issues and vote for someone who
shares their values and beliefs? Or will
they let a rich candidate buy their votes
again? How much knowledge about
their candidates do they have now that
will allow them to vote wisely?
There are many issues which
are cited often in the media such as.
population
control,
corruption,
constitutional
change,
foreign
investments, poverty problem,
but
they seem to have not been debated
enough to make the voters see clearly
which candidate has the best
approach or solution to the various
problems.
In fact, there is
no
leadership debate organized at all. It
is alleged that this debate does not
seem to be a priority among the
candidates. It is hard to imagine the
reasons behind the reluctance of most
of the candidates to debate the issues.
It would have been a good exercise in
democracy - where people can listen
and really form their opinion before
making their choices. We hope that
some form of an open forum can still
be organized where all the candidates
can speak about their ideas to show
how much they have analyzed the
country’s problems and if they have
any insights about their solutions.
The political campaigns are
getting into the homestretch. The polls
show who are the leading candidates.
But things can change quickly if
alliances are formed by candidates
dropping off in favor of other
candidates. But what seems to be
crucial in this election is the ability of
the candidates to explain their
platforms and the interest of the voters
to find out more about their
candidates. It will be interesting to see
how much the people can appreciate
the informatrion which they can easily
access by means of the internet,
mobile phone, newspapers, television
and radio talk shows. In order to be
well informed about issues, it just takes
a little effort to keep one’s eyes and
ears open to receive valuable
information which can be used to
determine which of the candidates can
really make the changes that are
urgently needed to make the
Philippines become healthy once more
and be considered seriously as a
developing country in Asia.
International observers are
preparing to leave for the Philippines
soon. It is hoped that the interest of
volunteers and concerned citizens will
help prevent electioneerng and fraud.
We are not so interested in who is
actually elected but in seeing that the
elections are carried out openly and
cleanly. Perhaps, with the presence of
international observers, the Comelec
would be obliged to do their job
diligently. We are hopeful that the
electorate will take their duties more
seriously and use their knowledge to
vote for the right candidate. Moreover,
it will be gratifying to see the winner of
this election to be a person with an
unquestionable
integrity,
moral
principles and vision, one who can
establish a government that will serve
the people’s needs, a government that
is open, transparent, and responsible.
We must all do our part in making sure
that we participate in the public forum
and discussion of issues. Even though
we are away from the scene of the
elections, we can still play a role in
some other ways like getting others
interested in discussing the issues that
affect people’s lives. By continuing to
be interested in what happens in the
Philippine elections, we may raise the
consciousness of the people to be
more involved or concerned about
their government, and not to
participate in corruptive practices by
their apathy.
In spite of all the uncertain
future as of now, there may be some
reasons to be optimistic about this
election. For the first time, the results
are going to be known more quickly
and there is less likelihood of being
tampered with. On the other hand,
skeptics say that it might be easier to
cheat because machines are still
operated by imperfect human beings.
Nevertheless, it is our hope that there
are still honest people around who will
make sure that the true will of the
people will be respected and the right
person elected to lead the country to a
better future.
Zenaida Ferry Kharroubi
Minister Finley pleased
with discussions at G20
Labour and Employment
Ministers Meeting
Washington, D.C. , U.S.A.,
April 21, 2010 —The Honourable Diane
Finley, Minister of Human Resources
and Skills Development, today led
discussions at a meeting during which
G20 ministers shared information
about preparing their workforces for
the post-crisis economy.
“As a result of the quick action
undertaken by our Government
through our Economic Action Plan,
Canada is leading the G20 as we
emerge from this recession," said
Diane Finley. "Our Government’s top
priority is to continue creating jobs and
a skilled workforce to lead our
recovery.”
Minister Finley noted that G20
countries are all at different stages of
development and have different
experiences. However, despite their
differences, all countries would like to
prepare their citizens for the
opportunities and challenges of the
future by helping them acquire the
skills they will need to compete in the
labour market. The meeting delegates
agreed that their countries’ future
prosperity will depend on employment
and enhanced productivity.
In Canada, the federal
government’s Economic Action Plan
focuses on building the jobs and
industries of the future. It provides
enhanced
support
for
skills
development, apprenticeships and
training for Canadian workers.
Currently, the Government of Canada
invests over $4 billion annually for
labour market training and since
August 2009, the federal government
has provided $2.3 billion in loans and
grants to nearly 400,000 students.
“We are confident that this will
best help us to meet our goal of
creating the best educated, most
skilled, and most flexible workforce,”
said Minister Finley.
In September 2009, G20
leaders
directed
labour
and
employment ministers to assess the
evolving employment situation and the
impact of policies their countries have
already adopted, and the need for
additional measures to create good
jobs for citizens, now and in the future.
The objective of the meeting of
5450 chemin de la Cote des Neiges
Suite 511
Montreal, Quebec H3T 1Y6
labour and employment ministers was
to develop a set of recommendations
for G20 leaders under three themes:
1.
job creation and preservation
initiatives;
2.
quality of work and social
protection; and
3.
preparing the workforce for the
post-crisis economy.
Results from the discussions will be
forwarded
for
G20
leaders’
consideration.
Michelle Bakos
Press Secretary
Office of Minister Finley
819-994-2482
Media Relations Office
Human Resources and Skills
Development Canada
819-994-5559
Advertise in the
North American
Filipino Star
Call 514-485-7861
Tulips Festival tour
organized by
Gilmore College
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Time: 7:00 A.M.
Assembly place:
Plamondon Metro
(Van Horne Exit)
Return to Montreal: 7 p.m.
Call 514-485-7861
for ticket reservations
Tel.: 514-485-7861 Fax: 514-485-3076
E-Mail: [email protected]
Published by Filcan Publications, Inc.
Zenaida Ferry Kharroubi
Chief Editor & Publisher
Contributors:
Al Abdon
Jerry Estrada
Sam Kevin
News & Layout Editor
Bert Abiera
Founder
Hilda T. Veloso
Community News
Mary Joy Lizarondo
Sports News
The opinions expressed by the writers do no necessarily reflect that of the management
of the North American Filipino Star.
3
The North American Filipino Star
April 2010
Cooperative News
If people really understand what a cooperative can
do for the community, will they support it?
The
Filipino
Solidarity
Cooperative, founded in August 2004,
opened its store on July 15, 2005, but
should have been closed since July
2006 if the officers at that time took the
step of dissolution. But perhaps,
destiny dictated that it was not meant
to be dissolved because I took the
initiative of helping it survive since that
time until now. The future is still
uncertain as the Coop is constantly
facing a financial problem. As I have
already invested a lot of my own funds
to prop it up, I am still hoping that
members, and the community at large
will understand why the cooperative
should be supported in order to
enable it to become profitable and be
in a position to do what it is supposed
to do.
Perhaps, people have to
understand first what a cooperative is.
According to an article I have read, a
cooperative is
• An association of individuals who
collectively bear the responsibility of
entre-preneurship
• An enterprise controlled by its users
• An enterprise whose goal is to
maximize the various advantages for
its members as entrepreneurs, users
and members of a community
• An enterprise that uses its capital
without making it a measure of
member control
• An enterprise whose rules guarantee
equality among members in terms of
control and an equitable sharing of
contributions and profits
• An enterprise that seeks to work with
other cooperatives to increase
business and contribute to community
development
• An enterprise that puts education
front and center, notably by sharing
knowledge and information.
Just by the definition alone,
the Filipino Solidarity Cooperative has
not yet lived up to its true function. But
if more people, in particular the
members themselves, could be made
to understand their obligations, they
would probably be willing to be more
active in this equitable sharing of
contributions and risks in the operation
of a cooperative.
The founders,
numbering five people originally, had
invested different amounts of starting
capital but due to lack of accounting,
there was no clarity in the books and it
took a lot of time to make a financial
statement. Not only was it delayed but
it was very costly. All the money was
spent during its first year, and what
was left behind was only huge
amounts of debts. This was what I
inherited.
Since I have already had
shouldered practically the operation of
the Coop for almost four years with a
lot of my personal loans, I believe that
it will take another year of campaigning
to show that there is a way out of this
See Page 8
Cooperative News
Filipino Solidarity Cooperative Inc.
4151-A Van Horne Avenue
(between Lavoie & Legare)
Montreal H3S 1S2, QC
Tel. 514-733-8915 Fax: 514-485-3076
E-Mail [email protected]
Website: filipinosolidaritycooperativeinc.shutterfly.com
Save time - Shop by phone and ask for delivery for orders of $50
or more.
Your Coop needs your support.
Patronize your own store!!
Business Hours
Mon.- Wed
2 - 5 pm
Thur - Fri.
2 - 6 pm
Saturday
3:30 - 6:30 pm
Sunday
2 - 6 pm
Call 514-733-8915, or 485-7861
We accept lechon orders for parties.
Medium or large size
The Filipino Solidarity Cooperative will present the
2nd FREE
SEMINAR ON COOPERATIVES
Sunday, May 2, 2010
2:30 P.M.
5450 Cote des Neiges, Suite 511
Gilmore College International
Call 514-485-7861 for reservations
Coffee and snack served
Door prize given away for attendance donated by
Vasken & Co.
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From Page 1
April 2010
The North American Filipino Star
4
Philippine Elections
percent.
Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay
got 58 percent trust rating, while
former
Metropolitan
Manila
Development Authority chairman
Bayani Fernando had 24 percent;
television host/actor Edu Manzano, 23
percent; broadcaster Jay Sonza, 13
percent; and former Securities and
Exchange Commission chairman
Perfecto
Yasay,
11
percent.
Dominador Chipeco Jr. got nine
percent.
Aquino said he is thankful for
the people’s trust in him and that the
latest survey shows that the public
can distinguish between black
propaganda being thrown at him from
the real issues.
presidential bet Sen. Manuel Villar Jr., a
clear indication that his camp failed to
besmirch the positive campaign of
Aquino, according to LP director
general Chito Gascon.
Former President Joseph
Estrada placed third with 48 percent,
followed by former Defense secretary
Gilberto Teodoro Jr. with 36 percent,
Sen. Richard Gordon with 29 percent,
evangelist Eddie Villanueva with 22
percent and Sen. Jamby Madrigal with
21 percent. Environmentalist Nicanor
Perlas and Olongapo Councilor JC de
los Reyes each got nine percent.
Among Roxas’ rivals in the
vice-presidential race, Sen. Loren
Legarda registered a trust rating of only
59 percent. Those who said they had
By Aurea Calica
“small/no trust” for Legarda was 12
The Philippine Star
From Page 1 - Immigration Reforms
the asylum system, not for protection,
but to try to get through the back door
into Canada.”
It currently takes an average of
19 months for claims to be heard by
the Immigration and Refugee Board of
Canada (IRB).
The proposed
measures would shorten this so that
claimants would generally have a
hearing at the IRB within 60 days.
“This would allow those in need of our
protection to have security and to build
their new lives In Canada much more
quickly,” said Minister Kenney.
All eligible claimants would
continue to get a fair hearing at the IRB
based
on
their
individual
circumstances. Most claimants would
also have access to a new appeal
process at the IRB including the
opportunity, in certain cases, to
present new evidence.
“Through these changes, we
would create a more efficient system
where most failed claimants would be
removed from Canada within a year of
their final IRB decision,” said Vic
Toews, Minister of Public Safety. “This
would benefit all Canadians and
protect the integrity of our immigration
system.”
In general, failed claimants
would be removed wihin a year of their
final IRB decision, compared with the
status quo in which it generally takes
4.5 years to exhaust all recourses.and
remove a failed asylum claimant.
Quick removal of failed claimants
would help discourage individuals from
using the asylum system to try to jump
the immigration queue to enter
Canada. These new measures exceed
Canada’s international and domestic
legal obligations to asylum seekers
and address key concerns raised by
the Auditor General of Canada in her
May 2008 report on managing the
detention and removal of individuals.
former Bukidnon Rep. Nereus Acosta
Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon
Akbayan
party-list
Rep.
Risa
Hontiveros-Baraquel
Bukidnon Rep. Teofisto Guingona III
former Sen. Sergio “Serge” Osmeña III
(independent)
former Senator and NEDA chairman
Ralph Recto
Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP)
President: Former President JOseph
Erap Estrada
Vice President: Makati Mayor Jejomar
Binay
Senators:
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile
reelectionist Senators Jinggoy Estrada
Miriam Defensor-Santiago
Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez,
Makati Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr.
businessman Jose de Venecia III
detained Brig. Gen. Danny Lim.
Lakas-Kampi-CMD Party
President: Defense Secretary Gilbert
"Gibo" Teodoro
Vice President: former Optical Media
Board (OMB) chair Edu Manzano
Senators:
reelectionist senator Ramon “Bong”
Revilla Jr.
reelectionist senator Manuel “Lito”
Lapid
reelectionist senator Richard Gordon
Other Presidentiables
President: Senator Richard Gordon
Vice-President: MMDA Chairman
Bayani Fernando
President: Senator Jamby Madrigal
Bangon Pilipinas
List of Candidates in the President: Brother Eddie Villanueva
Philippine Electins 2010
Nacionalista Party (NP)
President: Senator Manny Villar
Vice President: Senator Loren Legarda
Senators:
reelectionist Sen. Pia Cayetano,
detained Col. Ariel Querubin,
lawyer Adel Tamano,
former opposition Rep. Gilbert Remulla
of Cavite
Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Satur
Ocampo.
Miriam Defensor-Santiago (a guest
candidate)
Ilocos
Norte
Rep.
Ferdinand
“Bongbong”
Marcos
Jr.(guest
candidate)
Liberal Party (LP)
President: Senator Noynoy Aquino
Vice-President: Senator Mar Roxas
Senators:
former Senate President Franklin
Drilon
www.filipinostar.org
President:
(independent)
Ang Kapatiran
President:
JC
(independent)
Nicanor
de
Perlas
los
Reyes
REFUGEES REFORM
FAST BUT NOT FAIR:
CHOW
March 30, 2010 - OTTAWA Canada’s New Democrats have long
pushed for fast and fair reform to the
present
refugee
determination
process. Fast tracking the entire
process is a welcome change, but
every refugee claimant must be treated
equally.
“Prioritizing some countries
over others is dangerous. Every
person that faces persecution should
be treated equally, no matter which
country they come from,” says New
Democrat Citizenship and Immigration
Critic Olivia Chow. “All refugee
claimants should have equal rights to
the law and regulation.”
Today's Conservative government
April 2010
determination system.
- 30 –
For more information please contact:
Carole Saab, Press Secretary, 613222-5997
National Day of Reflection
on
the Prevention of
Genocide
Olivia Chow
announcement will deny refugee
claimants from some countries their
right to appeal the decision on their
claim. The Minister of Citizenship and
Immigration will list countries whose
citizens he deems unlikely to face
persecution.
“The United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees has stated
that even in democracies there are still
grounds for persecution based on
gender or sexual identity,” says Chow.
“For example, Mali may be a
democratic country, but they still
practice genital mutilation. We simply
can’t assume a country is free from all
forms of persecution.”
Changes to Canada’s refugee
system announced today mean that
the lives of refugee claimants rest on
the whim of the Minister of Citizenship
and Immigration, says Chow.
“Our refugee system is
supposed to protect those who are
fleeing danger and persecution, the
Conservatives’ measures to deport
claimants without any appeal is simply
not fair,” says Chow. “New Democrats,
like all Canadians, want to see a
refugee system that is fair and fast.”
With no right of appeal to the
proposed Refugees Appeal Division,
some of these claimants will clog up
the Federal Court, costing Canadian
taxpayers. Additional measures mean
refugee claimants who face imminent
danger if returned to their country of
origin can be deported before being
given an opportunity to complete the
pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA).
New
Democrats
have
suggested that hiring more permanent
refugee protection officers to clear the
backlog, and regulating unscrupulous
immigration consultants is the key way
to achieve a fair and fast refugee
5
The North American Filipino Star
Hon. Irwin Cotler (Mount Royal, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, two years ago the
House unanimously adopted a motion
designating April 7 as the National Day
of Reflection on the Prevention of
Genocide.
I rise today in remembrance and
commemoration
of
the
16th
anniversary of Rwandan genocide, of
horrors too terrible to be believed but
not too terrible to have happened,
where one million Rwandans, mostly
ethnic Tutsis and Hutus, were
murdered in less than 100 days.
But the worst horror is not only that
of the genocide itself but that this
genocide was preventable. No one can
say that we did not know. We knew but
we did not act.
And so, as the Security Council and
international community dithered and
delayed, Rwandans died.
Indeed, the great tragedy is not only
how many Rwandans were murdered
but how so few intervened to save
them, ignoring the compelling lesson
of history that the Rwandan genocide
occurred not simply because of the
machinery of death but because of
indifference in the face of incitement
and atrocity.
Never again.
Scotiabank Proud to be
Named One of Canada’s
Best Diversity Employers
for Second Year in a Row
TORONTO, March 23, 2010 –
Scotiabank has once again been named
one of Canada’s Best Diversity
Employers. The prestigious annual listing
is part of the ‘Canada’s Top 100
Employers Project’ and this year
recognized
45
organizations
for
excellence in having a diverse and
inclusive workplace.
“Scotiabank has a proud history
of treating employees equitably, fairly and
with respect and believes strongly in the
strengths that come from a diverse
workforce,” said Sylvia Chrominska,
Group Head, Global Human Resources
and Communications, Scotiabank. “We
have long understood that harnessing the
skills of all employees generates
innovative thinking and strong business
results. We are extremely honoured to be
named one of Canada’s Best Diversity
Employers.”
“This competition honours
employers
that
have
developed
exceptional inclusiveness programs for
employees from five groups: women;
visible
minorities;
persons
with
disabilities; Aboriginal people, and, LGBT
peoples, said Tony Meehan, Publisher,
Canada’s
Top
100
Employers.
“Employers selected for this award
understand the business case for equity
and are actively promoting diversity in
their organizations.”
This year, more than 2,600
employers started the application process
for the 2010 Canada’s Top 100 Employers
Project, which was then reduced to
several hundred short listed employers
for the Best Diversity Employer Award.
Each
employer’s
diversity
and
inclusiveness programs were reviewed to
determine how these efforts compared to
those of other employers in their field.
Scotiabank’s ‘Advancement of Women’
initiatives topped a list of seven reasons
the Bank was selected as one of
Canada’s Best Diversity Employers. The
"ScotiaWomen's Connection" online
resources guide, as well as quarterly
networking
sessions
for
women
employed at all levels within the bank
received
special
mention.
Also
noteworthy was Scotiabank’s regularly
measurement of its women's workforce
representation targets, and requirement
that managers and senior executives be
accountable for the Scotiabank's
progress in this area.
Other reasons for selection
included Scotiabank’s diversity training
for hiring managers, recruitment targets
for Aboriginal peoples, accommodation
and accessibility programs and funds to
support disabled job applicants and
employees, and initiatives with external
employment
services
to
recruit
employees from diversity groups, in
particular.
“At Scotiabank we value and
celebrate diversity,” said Cory Garlough,
Vice President, Global Employment
Strategies, Scotiabank. “Our steadfast
commitment to diversity can be found
throughout all of our policies and
programs which are designed to attract
and retain employees with diverse skills,
talents and experiences. We work very
hard to create an environment in which all
employees have the opportunity to thrive
in their careers. We are proud to have
been recognized again as one of
Canada’s Best Diversity Employers.”
About Scotiabank
Scotiabank is one of North
America's premier financial institutions
and Canada's most international bank.
With close to 68,000 employees,
Scotiabank Group and its affiliates serve
approximately 14.6 million customers in
some 50 countries around the world.
Scotiabank offers a diverse range of
products and services including personal,
commercial, corporate and investment
banking. With more than $507 billion in
assets (as at January 31, 2010),
Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (BNS)
and New York Exchanges (BNS). For
more
information
please
visit
www.scotiabank.com
For further information:
Deborah Clark, Scotiabank Public Affairs,
[email protected]
416-933-0646
Cuisine de Manille Restaurant
“Serving You Quality Filipino Foods Since 2003”
5710 Victoria Ave., Montreal, Quebec
Tel. No. : (514) 344-3670
As a way of
saying thank you
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www.filipinostar.org
April 2010
The North American Filipino Star
6
ENVIRONMENT
Earth Day: No more burning
rivers, but new threats
Pollution before the first Earth
Day was not only visible, it was in
your face: Cleveland's Cuyahoga
River caught fire. An oil spill fouled 30
miles of Southern California beaches.
And thick smog choked many cities'
skies.
Not anymore.
Forty years after that first Earth
Day on April 22, 1970, smog levels
nationwide have dropped by about a
quarter, and lead levels in the air are
down more than 90 percent. Formerly
fetid lakes and burning rivers are now
open to swimmers.
The challenges to the planet
today are largely invisible — and
therefore tougher to tackle.
"To suggest that we've made
progress is not to say the problem is
over," said William Ruckelshaus, who
in 1970 became the first head of the
Environmental Protection Agency.
"What we've done is shift from the
very visible kinds of issues to those
that are a lot more subtle today."
Issues such as climate change
are less obvious to the naked eye.
Since the first Earth Day, carbon
dioxide levels in the air have
increased by 19 percent, pushing the
average annual world temperature up
about 1 degree Fahrenheit (1.6
degrees C), according to the National
Oceanic
and
Atmospheric
Administration.
"We've cleaned up what you can
see and left everything else in limbo,"
said Kathleen Rogers, president of
the Earth Day Network.
Improvements took shape in the
form of the Clean Air Act, the Clean
Water Act and changes in the way
businesses treat the environment,
said Denis Hayes. Those reforms, he
added, grew out of the first Earth Day,
an event Hayes helped coordinate.
"It is the most powerful,
sweeping, society-wide change
America has had since the New
Deal," Hayes said. "The air is cleaner
despite the fact that we have twice as
many vehicles traveling twice as
many miles."
Nancy Sutley, head of the White
House Council on Environmental
Quality, said progress in the past 40
years is about more than just laws. It's
also about innovation that made
cleaner cars. And that innovation,
Sutley said, "is going to be the
answer for tackling climate change."
No place illustrates progress
more than the Cuyahoga River.
Cleveland's main river used to
periodically catch fire. On June 22,
1969, trash and an oil slick ignited.
The river burned for half an hour,
drawing national attention to water
pollution nationwide.
People did not swim in the river at
the time, and anyone who fell in
needed to be checked by a doctor.
"The river bubbled like a
cauldron. There were all kinds of
chemicals in there, and that was what
was bubbling at the bottom," said
Wayne Bratton, a boat captain then
and now, and the first president of the
Cleveland Harbor Conservation
Committee.
On Tuesday, Bratton was aboard
his boat, The Holiday. He looked over
the starboard side at Collision Bend
and described by telephone what he
saw: "I'm looking at a lot of gulls,
there's a loon, a lot of black heron."
People now fish in the river, which
holds 60 species. There is a spiffy
amphitheater on the river bank, which
never would have been built when the
water had a dreadful stench, Bratton
said.
It is not just the Cuyahoga. In
1957, the Public Health Service
declared
the
Potomac
River,
Washington's
link
with
the
Chesapeake
Bay,
unsafe
for
swimming. Now Rogers lets her
children swim in it.
"I don't even wash them off any
more," she said.
In Los Angeles in the 1960s and
1970s, the joke was that if you moved
in during the summer you would not
notice the nearby mountains until the
winter. Now peak smog levels are
only one-third as high as 40 years
ago, he said.
"Unfortunately, it leads some
people to think that we don't have a
problem any more," said Sam
Atwood, spokesman for the South
Coast Air Quality Management
District.
The region still has 6,000 yearly
premature deaths linked to unseen
tiny particles in the air that cause
heart and lung problems, Atwood
said.
In 1970, Ruckelshaus said, about
85 percent of pollution was from
places like factories or power plants
that the government could regulate.
Now such sites account for only 15
percent, with most pollution coming
from sources like farms, which are
harder to control.
That makes fixing the remaining
problems politically difficult, said
Russell Train, chief environmental
adviser in 1970 to President Richard
Nixon.
"Back in the '70s, people felt the
threat of environmental mistakes and
misbehavior," Train said. "There was a
real threat to your health, and people
knew that. Today, people will accept
that as a general principle, but don't
feel any immediate threat from
climate change or indirect source
pollution from farmers."
Last month was the hottest March
on record worldwide. It was 1.4
degrees (2.5 degrees Celsius)
warmer than March 1970, according
to NOAA.
The average temperatures for the
last 40 years are higher than the rest
of the 130 years of record-keeping,
said Deke Arndt, head of climate
monitoring at NOAA's National
Climate Data Center.
And,
this
week,
German
scientists published an analysis in the
scientific journal Nature that says the
greenhouse gas agreement reached
by some international leaders last
December in Copenhagen would
lead to a 10 to 20 percent increase in
carbon dioxide levels by 2020.
That puts "in dire peril" chances
for limiting the effects of warming, the
researchers said.
Still, the White House's Sutley is
optimistic.
"The Cuyahoga River is not on fire
anymore, and air quality in Los
Angeles is not as bad as it was 40
years ago. I think people get those
connections," Sutley said. "People
get that something is changing about
our climate." a
Pinoy student develops cheap
oil technology
In a bid to produce cheaper oil
as a solution to the increasing cost
and harmful effects to the
environment of fossil fuel, an 18year-old
student
from
the
University of the Philippines (UP)
has developed a technology that
uses recycled plastic to harvest
algae for oil production.
Janella Mae Salamania, a
student of Applied Physics in UPDiliman, whose project plan on
renewable
energy
“Oilgae
Harvesting Using Plastics” that
deals on cheaper method of
growing and harvesting algae for
the production of oil has caught
the attention of the Finnish
government.
Salamania is among the 30
talented students, and the only
Filipino, who was selected recently
from 995 students from 65
countries to participate in the
Millennium Youth Camp in
Helsinki, Finland from June 6 to 13.
She said the applicants for the
Youth Camp were asked to
produce a project plan as the basis
for the selection of the 30 students.
Other selected participants came
from countries such as Finland,
Romania,
Hungary,
Croatia,
Slovenia, the United States, Costa
Rica, Argentina, India, Japan,
Thailand, Taiwan, New Zealand,
and South Africa.
In Salamania’s project plan,
recycled plastics and other plastic
materials will be utilized to harvest
algae instead of the expensive
method using stainless steel for oil
production.
With the use of recycled
plastics, “we can actually harvest
oil from algae as a source of
renewable energy,” Salamania told
the Manila Bulletin.
“The harvested oil from algae
will serve as an alternative to the
expensive and harmful fossil fuel.
By using recycled plastics for
www.filipinostar.org
harvesting oil from algae, we can
also help solve the problem on the
disposal of non-biodegradable
plastics,” Salamania said.
“Algae biofuel has not yet
replaced fossil fuel and remains
uncommercialized in the country
because the mass production of oil
from algae remains expensive,”
she added.
She said that given the chance,
Salamania would present her
study to the government “to further
study and invest on this kind of
renewable energy source.”
“It would be good if the
government will help research
other cheap materials, aside from
plastic, to harvest oil from algae,”
she explained.
Salamania pointed out that the
use of algae as alternative source
of fuel is better than planting
jatropha and converting it to fuel.
“When we plant jatropha, we
tend to compete with the farmers’
lands instead of helping them with
their livelihood,” she said.
“There are plenty of algae in
the Philippines where we can get
our source of oil. If we develop
harvesting of algae and set up a
production of oil, we don’t just help
the environment, but we also
generate a source of income for
the fishermen,” she added.
Salamania,
an
Oblation
scholar, plans to pursue graduate
studies, either a masteral in
Physics or Geology, when she
finishes college.
“When I finish my studies, I
would like to work with the
government, probably with the
PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric,
Geophysical and Astronomical
Services Administration) or work in
prestigious institutions abroad like
NASA (National Aeronautics and
Space Administration),” she said.
a
April 2010
7
The North American Filipino Star
12 million Pinoys pledge to save Mother Earth
More than 12 million Filipinos
nationwide have committed to do
simple
environment-friendly
deeds that will protect and
preserve the planet, surpassing
the 10 million target set by the
Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR) and
Earth Day Network Philippines.
Some 12,301,866 Filipinos
have promised to do simple
environment-friendly acts, a
month after the “10 Million
Movement” was launched.
The pledges were made
during the Earth Day 2010
celebration at SM Mall of Asia in
Pasay City yesterday.
Commitments include simple
acts of loving the planet, which
include participating in Earth Hour
2010, planting native trees,
practicing waste segregation,
using compact fluorescent lamps
(CFLs), switching off lights when
not in use, patronizing mass
transport, and using biodiesel or
other types of clean fuel.
Other green acts are use of
reusable grocery bags, use of a
glass of water when brushing,
walking or riding a bike, use of the
stairs instead of elevator, putting
candy wrappers inside pocket,
and use of a pail and dipper when
taking a bath.
The environment pledgers
also vowed to recycle used water
from washing clothes, not to kill or
harm native plants, animals and
insects, and even share their time,
A teary-eyed Ma. Luz Magallanes, mother of 18-year-old construction worker Muelmar
Magallanes, who saved the lives of 30 people at the height of storm ‘Ondoy’ last year,
receives the 2010 Fr. Neri Satur Award for Environmental Heroism yesterday as part of
activities marking Earth Day. With her is husband Samuel (right). Looking on (from left)
are NCCA executive director Malou Jacob, Education Secretary Mona Valisno, and
Climate Change Commission vice chairman Heherson Alvarez. The trophy for the award
was designed by National Artist for Sculpture Abdulmari Asia Imao Sr.
skills and resources to a noble
environmental cause.
The 10 Million Movement was
launched jointly by the DENR and
Earth Day Network Philippines last
March as an activity for this year’s
Earth Day celebration in the
Philippines.
Environment
Secretary
Horacio Ramos considered this
year’s theme, “Hamon ng
Panahon: Climate Change; 10
Milyung Solusyon (Kilos Na!
Ngayon Na!)” as timely and
appropriate for it is “attuned to the
global efforts to mitigate the
impact of global warming and
climate change.”
In his speech at the SM Mall of
Asia, Ramos emphasized how the
state of the environment plays a
critical role in the pace and
sustainability of the country’s
development.
The DENR, through its
Environmental
Management
Bureau (EMB), also launched
yesterday a program that will give
recognition to the country’s most
eco-friendly government offices
next year.
The DENR wants to set a new
platform of competition among
government agencies including
government-owned
and
controlled corporations, which
contest results would be one of
the highlights of Earth Day 2011.
Participating
government
corporations are the Bases
Conversion and Development
Authority,
the
Philippine
Amusement and Gaming Corp.,
the
Philippine
Charity
Sweepstakes, and the Philippine
Economic Zone Authority, among
others.
EMB director Juan Miguel
Cuna said the project aims to
assess the implementation of
environmental
management
programs
of
participating
government offices for an entire
year.
The government agencies will
be rated according to how they
conserve the environment through
programs such as electricity
conservation,
waste
management, water conservation,
fuel conservation, air pollution
prevention, greening, emergency
preparedness
and
green
procurement.
The competition will run from
May 2010 to April 2011.
Outstanding offices will be
awarded in Malacañang on Earth
Day 2011 on April 22. a
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www.filipinostar.org
From Page 3
April 2010
The North American Filipino Star
8
Cooperative News
problem through the goodwill and
support of the community at large. I
have to point out that it is not only
money that will help the Coop survive
but most important of all, it is the
support of members and other fellow
citizens who can make the difference
between success and failure. All they
have to do is to try and shop regularly
from their own cooperative store.
I firmly believe in the power of
education so I am continuing to
conduct
free
seminars
about
cooperatives . I am also planning on
contacting associations to explain to
them the need to cooperate with each
other in order to succeed.
The only reason I moved the
Coop out of the old place is to save on
the rental and to have the time to
search for a better location. Only three
months is left in our current lease. I
am negotiating to move the Coop to a
front store location, in partnership with
another business. Time is needed to
make plans
and to update the
accounting records, before calling the
members to a general assembly. I am
also spending time to familiarize myself
Avoid common
mistakes when
selling your business
(NC)—Most business owners
have built their company from the
ground up and often bank on the
success of its sale to fund their
retirement, their family's future, or other
business opportunities.
Although owners generally
know their business better than
anyone
else,
far
too
many
underestimate the complexity of the
sale process.
Here are five common
mistakes owners make when trying to
sell their business:
1. Failing to plan in advance
By preparing a succession
plan or exit strategy in advance,
usually you have the opportunity to be
in control of the sale process and sell
on your terms.
Taking a proactive approach will allow
you to:
• Pay less tax on the proceeds
• Enhance the value of the business
• Position your business in the best
possible light
2. Failing to present the business to
multiple purchasers
Competition
provides
negotiating leverage and is key to
achieving premium pricing and
favourable terms on a transaction. The
business should be offered to a limited
number of pre-qualified buyers in a
controlled process, which encourages
competition
while
maintaining
confidentiality and control over the flow
of information.
3. Not understanding what the
business is worth
Sale transactions often fail
with the different sectors of the
government where cooperatives can
get some assistance. But I cannot
present any applicatiion until the
financial records of the Coop are
updated. It is my priority to catch up
with the backlog of accounting work in
the various companies that I am
handling - Gilmore College, North
American Filipino Star, and the Filipino
Solidarity Cooperative. As everyone
may realize, it is not an easy job to
juggle among all these three entities.
With the advent of nicer
weather, it may encourage our
members to come and visit the Filipino
Solidarity Cooperative on 4151-A Van
Horne Avenue (between Lavoie and
Legaré). We cannot put any sign as
this is a residential building. We have
put the telephone number only on the
basement window - Tel. 514-733-8915.
The business hours are listed on page
3 of this newspaper.
Thank you for reading this
article. May it convince you to do your
grocery shopping at the Coop and
benefit from our low prices.
Zenaida Ferry Kharroubi
President (2008-2011)
because of the inability of buyer and
seller to come to an agreement on
price. Most business owners invest
much of themselves in their business.
It helps to get independent and
objective advice on how a purchaser
will view the business and what is
realistic to expect from a market
transaction.
4. Losing control over the process
To achieve the best results, the
seller must maintain control of the
transaction process.
Confidentiality is critical, as
misinformation can have a disastrous
effect on operations and result in
termination of the transaction. It is
essential to have an action plan that
includes the appropriate timing and
content of communications to
employees, suppliers and customers.
Timing and information should
not be released too soon in the
process, as providing exclusive rights
in the early stages can weaken your
negotiating leverage and increase the
risk of falling victim to potential bidding
tactics.
Negotiations should also be
lead by experienced and credible
professionals, which would reduce the
risk of emotional decision-making and
could significantly increase your
chance of receiving favourable terms.
potential buyers and assisting in the
negotiations
throughout
the
transaction process.
Blogs, chat rooms,
social networking
sites, and taxes?
A growing concern
As the surge of aging baby
boomers increases, more business
owners will be considering their
succession strategy and exit plan.
Being more prepared for the transition
will help avoid the obvious pitfalls and
increase your chances of a successful
sale.
If you are considering selling
your business, Aon's M&A Transaction
Advisory Group can guide you through
the process. More information can be
found
online
at
www.aon.com/successionplan.
(NC)—Canadians are some of
the most active Internet users in the
world. A recent Ipsos-Reid study
reveals that 82% of Canadian
households have Internet access. We
are social networkers, we blog, we
manage our financial affairs online.
This is why online services are
growing by leaps and bounds every
year, particularly within the federal
government.
www.newscanada.com
The Canada Revenue
Agency offers a new
online
option
for
paying taxes
(NC)—Chances are you have
been filing your taxes electronically for
years. According to the Canada
Revenue Agency (CRA), almost 60% of
Canadians are now electronic filers.
Since you choose how you file your
taxes, why not choose how you pay
them too? Put your chequebook away
and skip the long line-ups at your
bank. My Payment isthe latest
electronic service available on the CRA
Web
site
(available
at
www.cra.gc.ca/mypayment). It's fast,
secure, and easy to use. Taxes due
today? No problem—pay today. It's like
using your debit card online. Funds are
transferred directly from your bank
account at a participating financial
institution and sent to the CRA in real
time. You can even make payments on
behalf of family members, all in one
simple transaction.
My Payment is not just for tax
time either—you can also use it to
make instalments, to repay a Universal
Child Care Benefit amount, or to repay
a goods and services tax credit amount
paid to you in error. Own a small
business? Use My Payment year-round
for your CRA business accounts like
payroll deductions and GST/HST.
Another advantage of My Payment is
5. Not focusing on the business
A business owner seldom has
the time or resources to effectively
manage a transaction, which can affect
the operation of the business and
could decrease the value of the
business and add strain to personal that you can combine personal and
relationships.
business tax payments into one single
transaction, all from the comfort of your
A
professional
Mergers
and home or office. No one loves paying
Acquisitions (M&A) adviser can guide taxes, but at least now you can do it
an owner through the transaction from home in your pyjamas.
process, by planning an exit strategy,
providing an objective valuation, www.newscanada.com
helping identify a wider range of
www.filipinostar.org
The Canada Revenue Agency
is an innovator when it comes to
offering online services so that
taxpayers can manage their tax
accounts on their own schedules, from
the comfort of home or work. One of
these services is My Account for
individuals, and it's a big help at tax
time.
My Account (available at
www.cra.gc.ca/myaccount) is secure,
convenient, and saves time. It allows
you to view and manage tax and
benefit information online, and it is
available seven days a week. With My
Account you can:
• Track your return and your refund;
• View and apply for child and family
benefits;
• View your GST/HST credit payment
details;
• View your tax-free savings account
information;
• Set up your direct deposit;
• Get your NETFILE access code;
• Create a payment plan; and more.
If you need information right away and
are not registered for My Account,
Quick Access (available at
www.cra.gc.ca/quickaccess) gives you
fast, easy, and secure access to some
of the information in My Account such
as viewing your RRSP deduction limit
and your Tax-Free Savings Account
contribution room. You just need to
correctly answer a few questions to
use Quick Access.
So this tax season, put your Internet
skills to good use and get a jump on
managing your taxes—quickly, easily,
and online with My Account.
www.newscanada.com
April 2010
9
The North American Filipino Star
The Power of
Cooperation
Do we really need a
Filipino Cooperative?
By Jerry Estrada
I have read the success stories
of McDonalds, Warnaco, Wal-Mart and
Google. I have also read stories of
business tycoons in the Philippines like
Henry Sy (owner of Shoemart),
Robinson’s, Lucio Tan and others.
Many of us have also read stories
about small business successes. How
did they start from nothing, how they
became successful and how they
became winners.
Management, if we define it briefly,
is getting results through people.
That’s why involvement of people in a
certain task is very important in order
to get the commitment of every
individual member of an enterprise.
Many of these stories illustrate the
fact that there is no definite formula but
they only give a hint that before we
start any economic activities, one
should ready himself on backbreaking
planning, brainstorming, and sleepless
nights.
By experience, co-operatives in
the Philippines became big and
successful because of some valuable
ingredients that led them to impressive
achievement.
These
significant
elements of success have no
difference in the aforementioned
stories. There’s no secret formula but
consistency in everything they do.
Actually, some storylines of many
co-operatives become successful
organization. Without this, it is like
driving a car without anything in mind
where to go. Without planning, it is just
like a basketball team without a game
plan.
Even if the co-op has the best
chairman, honest Treasurer, even with
the presence of dedicated volunteers,
with no continuous planning, without
vision, without collaboration of people,
without meeting of minds, the best
results would not come out.
In any business endeavor, success
doesn’t happen by accident. It requires
continuous planning and teamwork
among owners. Collaboration of
people is one of the pre-requisites to
get a better output.
Third, Financial Report. This is about
transparency. A government without
transparency is questionable. A sports
game without somebody showing the
score is not a competition but mere
exercise.
One may say that this is a very
tedious matter. It requires time and
effort. But without a financial report, it is
just like driving a car without side
mirrors.
People would be eager to know the
real status of the business. In the
Philippines, the co-op board of
directors conducts their regular
meetings every month. However, they
always ensure that financial report is
present.
Financial Report is an instrument
that serves as guide in making good
business decisions. It is a device that
informs co-op officers about the health
of the business.
The rest is divine intervention.
because of the following factors that
led them to something. These are
basic ingredients that could make a cooperative grow and prosper.
I called these basic factors the
three feet of co-op success. Without
one, a co-op would fail. It is like a
round chair with three feet, that if one
foot is missing, it will not stand up. The
chair will fall onto the ground.
First, Organizational Structure. This
is a basic requirement of any
organization. It is just like organizing a
hockey team. A team could not win
without players, not just only ordinary
players, but strong, trained and
exceptional players.
In a co-operative, with nice and
good people in place, it would make it.
Without people who assume important
positions like the co-op President
down to the committee in-charge, it
could lead to failure.
It is very important also to note that
co-operative work is, most of the time a
voluntary job. A labor of love for the
community, gratis! If a member
volunteers himself to help us out,
embrace him. Welcome him as a part
of the team. Volunteers would come Live a fuller retirement
and go. They go when don’t like the by tapping into home
players of the team.
equity
Second, Continuous Planning.
Another basic requirement. Planning
(NC)—There was a time not too long
is also very important to any
ago when retirement meant easing into
a simple and relaxing lifestyle. But
today's hip and healthy seniors are
ditching the rocking chair for travel,
volunteer work, exciting hobbies and
even new careers. As such, many are
realizing the financial benefits of
reverse mortgages, allowing them to
access the equity in their home to
support a well-deserved change of
scenery.
With a reverse mortgage, such as CHIP
Home Income Plan from by HomEquity
Bank, homeowners 60 years and older
can receive up to 40 per cent of the
value of their home and instantly
improve cash flow. Today, interest rates
on reverse mortgages are comparable
to those of other home equity
borrowing options. And unlike
traditional loans where regular
payments are made to someone else,
reverse mortgages pay the borrower.
Homeowners are not required to
service the interest nor repay the
principal for as long as they own and
live in their home.
Now is the perfect time for Canadian's
savvy seniors to spring into action by
putting their home equity to work. With
so much left to accomplish, financial
freedom is truly just a reverse
mortgage away.
HomEquity Bank, Canada's newest
bank, now offers CHIP Home Income
Plans at lowest rates ever. For details,
visit www.chip.ca, call 1-866-522-2477
or contact your financial advisor or
mortgage broker.
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10
Ask the
Video Guy
Al Abdon
zzzWhat are CCD Sensor?
Ever since camera film was
invented in the 19th century, the camera's
lens focused light onto the light-sensitive
silver halide salts of the photographic film,
whether the end result is still or motion
pictures. With video, the camcorder's lens
focuses the image onto an electronic
sensor called the CCD, short for chargecoupled device. The CCD sensor
contains hundreds of thousands of lightsensitive diodes called photosites, which
record the intensity of the light they
receive and convert that measurement to
an electrical charge. The intensity of that
charge corresponds with the strength of
the light each photosite receives.
From Grayscale to Living Color
Photosites
are
ultimately
converted into the pixels within a video
image, but there's an intermediate step,
as CCDs don't record color. They only
detect and record the intensity of the light
hitting them, recording the grayscale
image. The grayscale image they've
captured is then transmitted to a separate
color filter array, which captures the
individual red, green and blue primary
colors.
In the case of higher-end
camcorders with multiple CCDs, each
CCD is dedicated to capturing a single
element of the color spectrum. They
receive light via a prism inside the
camera. The prism takes the light entering
the camera's lens, splits that light into red,
green and blue, and then sends those
colors off to the matching CCD, where the
intensity of each color is encoded. The
need for the three individual CCDs, one
for each primary light color, is one of the
reasons why three-CCD pro cameras are
more expensive than consumer-grade
CMOS cameras. CMOS (complementary
metal-oxide semiconductor) chips bundle
both the camcorder's image sensor and
its central processing unit (CPU) into a
single chip.
Regardless of whether you have
a small CMOS camcorder with a single
image
sensor
and
relatively
unsophisticated CPU, or a 3CCD pro unit
with a separate and complex high-end
processor, these chips do a whole lot of
April 2010
The North American Filipino Star
work that used to be done by many
mechanical parts and a lot of chemicals in
film camera days. But first, these chips
need to interact with the camcorder's
lens.
Of course, not all aspects of how
a camcorder sees light involve
electronics; the physics of the
camcorder's lens also plays a significant
role. More than any other aspect of
videography, how a lens operates is a
carryover from the first days of still and
movie photography.
The size of the iris needs to move
in contradistinction with the amount of
light it's receiving. Lots of light will narrow
the camera's iris. Less light will open it. In
consumer camcorders, this is all done
automatically by light-sensing circuitry
inside the camcorder. Better camcorders
allow these settings to be changed
manually as well.
Of course, if the image is too
dark to begin with, there simply won't be
enough light entering the lens to record a
decent image, regardless of how wideopen the iris is. This can result in
electronic noise being visible in a
recorded image. Hence the need for a fair
amount of sunlight or, when inside, video
lights, for a smooth, evenly-lit image.
Similarly, since iris settings also
affect depth of field, videographers and
their predecessors, the original movie
cinematographers,
have
long
manipulated the size of the camera's iris
to impact how much of the shot is in
focus. For example, beginning most
famously with 1941's Citizen Kane,
cinematographers would often use a
combination of plenty of light and a
dramatically closed-down iris for deepfocus images.
So What Happens on the Other End?
These days, camcorders use a
variety of storage mediums. But whether
it's DV or HDV tape, a hard drive or even
Flash media, they're recording a digital
version of the intensity of the light flowing
into their lens.
On the opposite side of the lens,
your computer or digital TV takes the
information and reverses the above
process. It increases the intensity of light
Mother's Day gifts
with a personal touch
(NC)—Flowers. Spa days.
Lavish dinners. On Mother's Day, there
are a variety of ways to recognize the
special women who have made a
difference in our lives. In fact, a recent
study conducted by Yahoo indicated
that over 85 percent of consumers
celebrate the second Sunday in May,
spending billions of dollars on gifts.
Times are changing, however,
and many experts are noticing an
increased trend towards Mother's Day
gifts with a more personal touch.
According to Shelli Gardner, CEO and
co-founder of crafting company
Stampin' Up!, a growing number of
Canadians are choosing handmade or
personalized Mother's Day gifts that
were created especially for the
receiver. “Showing your love and
appreciation for Mom doesn't have to
cost a fortune,” said Gardner. “The gift
with the greatest impact, the one that
shows you truly wanted to make
someone feel special, is the one you
make yourself.”
Gardner
suggests
the
following Mother's Day gift ideas for
creative types:
Handmade cards: Creating a
unique do-it-yourself Mother's Day
card can be as simple as gathering
coloured paper, punches and rubber
stamps, or investing in a ready-made
cardmaking kit that includes all
in specific areas of the image it's playing
back, based on the intensity of the
electrical charge.
It might be a little confusing at
first when you read your operating
manual but a little practice of your toy will
make you understand why these cameras
records an image in full living colour.
required supplies. Include favourite
photos, phrases, and colours, and
don't be afraid to get decorative with
ribbons and other accessories.
Personalized jewellery: There
was a time when handmade Mother's
Day jewellery meant paper-clip
necklaces and other grade school art
projects, but there are some new
options available that make it easy for
creative types of all ages to create
professional-quality
customized
necklaces, bracelets and other
adornments. Consider taking a class
at a local studio, or invest in a kit like
Stampin' Up!'s Simply Adorned
collection, which includes chains,
bracelets and locket-style charms
(visit stampinup.ca for information
about where to buy). For example,
consider adding an antique-style
charm with a favourite childhood
photo to a necklace chain for a
keepsake that will be (literally) close to
Mom's heart.
Mother's Day scrapbook: The
entire family can get together to pool
favourite photos, vacation mementos
and other special souvenirs to create
a special Mother's Day scrapbook.
Work with a traditional album and
crafting materials or go high-tech and
try an option like My Digital Studio, an
easy-to-use software-based design
studio that features thousands of
exclusive images, colours, and
accessories.
Remember that it is your
imagination that creates great videos and
the mastery of the camera operation is
your tool.
Good luck this summer and
happy shooting!
Al Abdon - Hollywood Junkies
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April 2010
The North American Filipino Star
Cotto wants
Pacquiao
Miguel Cotto wants revenge against
Manny Pacquiao.
This was the statement made by
Emanuel Steward, who has assumed
the role of Cotto's trainer in a story that
appeared in the Puerto Rican
newspaper El Vocero (The Voice).
Steward, whose Kronk Boxing Club
in Detroit spawned Thomas Hearns,
said Cotto wants another crack at
Pacquiao, who won by 12th round
knockout in their November 2009
welterweight (147 lbs) duel at the MGM
Grand in Las Vegas.
Steward and Cotto are now paired
together in preparation for Cotto's June
showdown with Yuri Foreman for the
latter's world super-welterweight crown.
"He feels that his defeat to Pacquiao
was humiliating and that he wants to
face him again," said Steward, who
believes that his ward still has what it
takes to make waves in the big stage.
Considering the hardship of making
a megabuck matchup between
Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather,
Steward said promotional outfit Top
Rank can easily pair Pacquiao against
Cotto at 154 lbs, a weight class that
Cotto has found comfortable.
revenge
11
vs
Miguel Cotto
Steward said the reason why Cotto
lost to Pacquiao was the fact that Cotto
had poor balance and that he knows
how to remedy the flaw and also
rekindle the fire in Cotto's belly.
Although Cotto is not among those
being eyed to face Pacquiao when the
Filipino champ returns to the ring in
September or November, he could end
up being on the same ring with the
world's No. 1 fighter this year since
they’re are both promoted by Top Rank.
Andre Berto of Haiti, one of the
holders of the welterweight title among
a bevy of alphabet soup organizations,
said he holds the key to putting an end
to the startling domination of poundfor-pound king Manny Pacquiao.
“You have to fight fire with fire,”
said Berto, the reigning World Boxing
Council (WBC) 147-lb king, when
asked about his chances in the event
he gets into the ring with his
counterpart from the World Boxing
Organization (WBO) in an interview
over On The Ropes Boxing Radio
Show.
Although Pacquiao’s promoter
Bob Arum hasn’t decided on who will
be his next opponent but has penciled
either September or November as the
most likely dates for the much-awaited
return of the Filipino, Berto is hoping to
land that fight.
On top of the list is the winner of
the May 1 clash between Floyd
Mayweather and Shane Mosley,
Mexicans Antonio Margarito and Juan
Manuel Marquez and even Puerto
Rican Miguel Cotto.
“I believe it would be a very
entertaining fight because, unlike with
Joshua Clottey and a lot of people, I
would definitely let my hands go. It’s
definitely going to be an entertaining
fight. I mean have the hand speed, I
have the power, and as the action gets
turned up I get turned up,” said Berto,
stressing that he will put on a much
stiffer resistance against Pacquiao.
Unlike Clottey, who Pacquiao
toyed with for 12 rounds last month in
Dallas, Berto said he will not be
intimidated.
Berto, who has an immaculate
record of 26-0 with 20 knockouts, said
Pacquiao “lacks defense” and is “easy
to hit.”
However, Berto insists that if he
given the opportunity to square off with
Pacquiao, he already knows what to
do.
“If I get in the position I know it will
be an entertaining fight because I
know I’ll be able to touch him
whenever I wanted to touch him and
get in there with some power and I
think it will be able to stop a lot of that
jumping around and stuff. It would be
an entertaining fight,” added the
Florida-based Berto, who stands 5-8
1/2 and is at least two inches taller than
Pacquiao. a
a
Late dictator Ferdinand Marcos makes cameo in busy
campaign season
The waxy-looking corpse of
Ferdinand Marcos, dead almost 21
years and chilling in a refrigerated
glass coffin here in his home town, has
joined the Philippine political circus.
In the chaotic run-up to national
elections May 10, about 85,000
candidates are clamoring after 17,000
positions, from town council member
to president. Political violence has
claimed at least 80 lives, including 57
in one incident. And families that have
long called the shots in the Philippines
are angling for advantage.
That's why the body of the former
president is putting in a publicitygrabbing campaign cameo, with the
careful contrivance of his widow,
Imelda. The former first lady -- who
became infamous for her many fancy
shoes and whose first name became a
synonym for greed -- is 80 and is once
again running for political office, along
with her son, her daughter and a
sizable gaggle of lesser Marcos kin.
"My friends were kidding me
sometimes, saying, 'Mrs. Marcos, you
have many beautiful projects, but the
best yet is your husband,' " she said in
an interview this week. "He is dead, but
he looks like he is sleeping."
Elections in the Philippines are
personality-driven, a kind of national
soap opera in which distinctions
between infamy and celebrity tend to
blur over time. So there is a cold but
compelling political logic behind the
kiss Imelda gave to the chilled glass of
her husband's coffin recently in front of
news photographers.
It creates buzz and gets the
Marcos name out there among the
country's 50 million registered voters,
many of whom are too young to
remember the years of martial law,
corruption and repression that came
with the celebrity couple.
Imelda has a post-election agenda
for the chilled remains of Ferdinand,
who fled the country in 1986 aboard a
U.S. plane after a "people power"
revolt. She wants him buried in a state
cemetery for heroes in Manila, the
capital.
Imelda said. "He is right there next
door."
Corazon Aquino, who replaced
Ferdinand Marcos as president and
died last year, was the first to say no to
a state burial for him. She rose to
power after her husband, opposition
leader Benigno Aquino Jr., was
assassinated by military personnel at
the Manila airport in 1983; Aquino
maintained that Ferdinand Marcos had
Former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos kisses the glass coffin of her husband, the
late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who remains unburied since his death in 1989, in the
town of Batac, north of Manila, on March 26, 2010.
He died in 1989 in exile in Hawaii,
where he was first put in a refrigerated
crypt. Four years later, his corpse was
allowed back into the Philippines. The
body now lies in a mausoleum beside
the Marcos family home, serenaded by
loud and continuous choral music.
"I see him as often as I can,"
ordered the killing. Since then, a state
funeral has been a political non-starter.
Until the campaign season of
2010.
A billionaire presidential candidate
running second in the polls says he is
open to the idea.
"I don't see a problem with that," Sen.
www.filipinostar.org
Manuel Villar Jr. has told reporters.
"President Marcos's accomplishments
should be viewed with a proper
perspective."
A candidate representing the party
of the current president, Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo, also has said he
would consider it.
The presidential front-runner,
however, is firmly in the "no" camp, and
like many long-simmering issues in the
Philippines, it's a family thing: He is
Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, son
of Benigno and Corazon.
His mother's death in August
triggered a huge outpouring of
emotion from the electorate, which
resulted in Noynoy Aquino's sudden
elevation from an unremarkable
lawmaker to a presidential candidate
who, in a recent poll, had won the "big
trust" of seven out of 10 voters.
When reporters asked Aquino
whether he would allow Marcos to be
buried in Manila, he was emphatic:
"What has he done to warrant a burial
[at the cemetery for heroes]? We have
so many problems from his time until
now, why should we honor him?"
In the living room of the Marcos
family home, Imelda said she was
hardly surprised by the Aquino family's
position.
Dressed in black, her toenails
painted red with silver highlights,
Imelda invited reporters to accompany
her to see another corpse. She rode in
a bulletproof sport-utility vehicle.
The occasion was a wake for a
Marcos family political coordinator
who had been fatally shot Sunday.
SEE PAGE PAGE 14 - MARCOS
12
The North American Filipino Star
April 2010
The North American
Filipino Star Photo Gallery
Gilmore College International students celebrate their classmates April birthday.
From left: Jenaline Macadangdang, Ninh Sam, Dilge Karatas, and Magalie
Dorismond, stagiaire from College Laurendeau. Standing: Adorina Ortega, Ruby
Tubadeza, Verlyn Shulak, and Zenaida Kharroubi, teacher/director. April 20, 2010.
Cubs and Scouts having breakfast at the Camp Tamaracouta Lodge, March 27,
2010 while their Scout Leaders, Romy Valenzuela and Jovanni Ortiz watch.
APO president, Ed Vasquez with members of his organization who helped organize a
fund raising social dance party on Friday, April 16, 2010 for the benefit of Laging
Handa Scouts Group 0592.
Follow the leader - Cubs and Scouts hiking at Camp Tamaracouta, March 27, 2010
being led by Jovanni Ortiz, Laging Handa Scout leader.
Laging Handa Scouts posing for souvenir of their winter camping, March 27, 2010
Campers are: Ian & Neil Gravel, Christian and Ryan Masangcay, Jamie Ezra Cello, Kyle
Fernandez, Jillian Fatima Caunin, Manzano children: Astrid Camille, Elyza Mae, and Julie
Ann, Christian Carl and Cassandra Faith Apuyan. Absent: Justine Gwendolyne Sy, Dawn
Sarto, and Mikhaela Flor. Adult leaders: Romy Valenzuela, Jovanni Ortiz and parent The whole group poses for souvenir on a big tree trunk, March 27, 2010 at Camp
Tamaracouta Scout Reserve. This photo taken by Arnold “Noli” Ortiz.
volunteer, Arnold “Noli” Ortiz.
www.filipinostar.org
April 2010
The North American Filipino Star
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www.filipinostar.org
13
14
April 2010
The North American Filipino Star
Willie laughs off Pulse Asia Aquino recoils at Ampatuan
findings
endorsement
“Wowowee” host Willie Revillame
just laughed off the latest Pulse Asia
survey report that says 35 percent of
Filipinos will not vote for the candidate
he endorses.
“Kung hindi kami magaling na
endorser… Kung may sinasabi sila…
Bahala na ang taong bayan na magdesisyon. Malalaman din naman natin
‘tong lahat eh, sa darating na
panahon,” Revillame said in an
interview on “TV Patrol World.”
Saranggani and Leyte, respectively.
First–time
congressional
candidates are Kapuso journalist Maki
Pulido (in Pangasinan) and actress
Lani Mercado (Cavite). Former actor
Dan Fernandez is seeking reelection in
Laguna.
Gubernatorial candidates include
Star for All Seasons Vilma Santos
(Batangas), actor-director Cesar
Montano (Bohol), and former actor
Emilio Ejercito popularly known as
Liberal Party standard bearer
Senator Benigno Aquino III recoiled
from an endorsement from Andal
Ampatuan Jr., the main accused in the
massacre
of
57
civilians
in
Maguindanao,
but
the
rival
Nacionalista Party said his family was
responsible for the clan’s rise to
power.
But Aquino was quick to point out
that Ampatuan wore Villar’s colors on
Thursday.
The Nacionalistas said it was the
late President Corazon Aquino who
gave Andal Ampatuan Sr., the political
clan’s patriarch, his break into politics
when she appointed him officer-incharge of the municipality of Shariff
Aguak.
In a statement, the Nacionalista
Party also said that former Arroyo
Cabinet members now in Aquino’s
camp, and key figures in the Liberal
Party, were also responsible for the
Ampatuans’ reign in Maguindanao.
The party slammed the “black
propaganda” being peddled by the
Liberal Party that the Ampatuans were
supporting Villar’s presidential bid.
Presidential candidate Senator Benigno
'Noynoy' Aquino III shakes hands with
members of Manobo tribe while campaigning
in Butuan city, April 21, 2010
Presidential candidate Senator Benigno 'Noynoy' Aquino III shakes hands with members of
Manobo tribe while campaigning in Butuan city, April 21, 2010presidential candidate Senator
Manuel "Manny" Villar (C) waves to supporters while campaigning in General Santos city in
southern Philippines April 11, 2010. At left campaigning for Villar is world boxing champion
Manny Pacquiao and at right is television personality Willie Revillame.
The controversial TV personality is
currently campaigning for Nacionalista
Party bet Manny Villar, along with
People’s Champ Manny Pacquiao and
Comedy King Dolphy.
Willie argued his case by pointing
out the estimated 100,000 strong
crowd who attended the “Wowowillie
Rockatropa” event in Davao.
“Ito ang tunay na survey. Hindi
lapis lang. Hindi tanong lang. Ito ang
survey,” he said.
From endorsers to candidates
While many celebrities like Willie
are asked to endorse politicians, many
more stars themselves run for public
service posts.
A “24 Oras” report says the tally
chart totals 111 celebrities this year.
In the race for the highest national
position is former President Joseph
“Erap” Estrada, an actor and a movie
star.
Actor-host Edu Manzano, former
broadcast journalist Loren Legarda,
ex-news anchor Jay Sonza, and
newscaster Alex Tinsay are going
head-to-head for vice president.
Seeking re-election in the Senate
are actors Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr.,
Lito Lapid, Tito Sotto, and Jinggoy
Estrada. Media personalities Gilbert
Remulla, Kata Inocencio, and Rey
Langit, as well as Jukebox Queen and
former Camarines Sur Vice-Governor
Imelda Papin, are also trying their luck
as solons.
People’s Champ Manny Pacquiao
and hunk-actor Richard Gomez give
the political arena another try by
running
as
congressmen
for
Jeorge Estregan (Laguna).
Rommel Padilla (Nueva Ecija) and
Jestoni Alarcon (Laguna), meanwhile,
are running for vice-governor.
Running for provincial board
member in Batangas is Christopher de
Leon, and in Laguna, Angelica Alarva
a.k.a. Angelica Jones.
In city/municipality positions, the
frontrunners as mayors are Herbert
Bautista (Quezon City), and reelectionist candidates Joey Marquez
(Parañaque) and Mon Ilagan (Cainta,
Rizal).
Isko Moreno, Jobelle Salvador,
Rico J. Puno, Aiko Melendez, and Anjo
Yllana have also filed their candidacies
for vice mayor in Manila, Makati,
Quezon City, and Parañaque,
respectively.
But the highest number of
celebrity candidates are running as
councilors.
Ogie Diaz, Ara Mina, Roderick
Paulate, Glenda Garcia, John Lesaca,
Gian Sotto, Arnel Ignacio, Alfred
Vargas, Jaime “Jimmy” Fabregas, and
Precious Hipolito are running in
Quezon City, while Robert Ortega, Lou
Veloso, Yul Servo, are competing in
Manila.
Other celebs seeking political
seats in their respective city or
municipalities
include
Marjorie
Barretto in Caloocan, Maybelline dela
Cruz in Dagupan, Pangasinan,
Monsour del Rosario in Makati, Alma
Moreno in Parañaque, and Cristina
Gonzales-Romualdez in Leyte.. a
‘‘No, thank you. It must be a joke.
I never talked to him. We never asked
his endorsement,’’ Aquino said after
photographs of Ampatuan, wearing
yellow and flashing Aquino’s Laban
sign, appeared on the front pages of a
number of newspapers.
Authorities at the maximumsecurity jail on Tuesday allowed
Ampatuan to hold a news conference,
during which he announced his clan’s
decision to back Aquino.
Aquino said he and other
opposition senatorial candidates,
including his rival, Nacionalista
standard bearer Senator Manuel Villar
Jr., were victims of cheating carried
out by the Ampatuans in the
Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao in the 2007 elections.
He said the opposition senatorial
slate was trounced 12-0 by the
administration’s Team Unity in the
Ampatuans’
bailiwick
of
Maguindanao.
Continued from Page 11 - MARCOS
There have been four such political
killings this year in Ilocos Norte
province, a region that for decades has
been a Marcos family stronghold.
The slain man was Andres M.
Peralta, 41. His family and friends were
gathered around a glass-covered
coffin in the living room of his home
when Imelda arrived, with a dozen
reporters.
She comforted the widow, hugged
the children, listened solemnly to
songs of mourning and held an
impromptu news conference -- in the
living room, with the coffin as the
backdrop.
"Look at those children," she said
tearfully, pointing to youngsters near
the coffin. "This man was diligently
sending these children to school."
She was asked why she is running
again for political office. After returning
to the Philippines from exile in 1991,
Imelda ran twice for the presidency,
losing badly. But she won a
www.filipinostar.org
Andal Ampatuan Jr., center, a principal
suspect in a recent massacre that killed 57
political rivals and journalists, flashes the
'Laban' sign which means fight as he is
escorted by guards at the Bureau of Jail
Management and Penology in Taguig, south
of Manila, on Tuesday April 20, 2010.
“Before the LP again starts to
distort facts in order to discredit
Senator Villar, let it be known how the
Ampatuans came to be the most
powerful clan in Maguindanao. And it
all started with a political appointment
from Noynoy’s mother, then President
Cory Aquino,” the NP said. a
congressional
seat
in
1995,
representing a district on her home
island of Leyte, which had fared well
under her husband's rule, with
generous government spending on
roads, schools and power plants.
"I am campaigning to be a mother
who not only serves but also loves,"
Imelda replied.
She is running for a congressional
seat being vacated by her son,
Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., who
is seeking a seat in the national
Senate. Her daughter Imee is running
for provincial governor against an
incumbent who is Imelda's nephew.
What does it signify, Imelda was
asked, that so many members of the
Marcos family are running for public
office?
"We can reinstate the vision of
Ferdinand," she said. "This country can
be great again."
a
April 2010
15
The North American Filipino Star
then slice the pork into cubes. Set
aside the meat stock.
* In a wok or kawali, sauté the garlic
and onion in oil for 5 minutes. Then
add the pork, liver, patis, MSG and salt.
Then pour in the vinegar and boil
without stirring. Afterwards pour in the
meat stock and simmer for 10 minutes.
Philippine Cuisine
Brown rice with vegetables
Ingredients
* 3 /4 cup Egg Beaters® Original
* 1 bag (16 oz each) frozen stir-fry
vegetables, thawed
* 1 teaspoon minced garlic
* 2 cups cooked brown rice, chilled
* 2 tablespoons La Choy® Lite Soy
Sauce
* 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
* 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
* La Choy® Chow Mein Noodles,
optional
Directions
1. Spray large nonstick skillet with
cooking spray. Heat over medium heat.
Add Egg Beaters; cook without stirring
until edges and bottom begin to set.
Lift uncooked portion and gently turn
to scramble. Continue cooking until
set. Remove from skillet. Cover and
keep warm.
2. Spray skillet again with cooking
spray. Add vegetables and garlic; cook
and stir 6 minutes, or until vegetables
are crisp-tender. Stir in rice, soy sauce,
sesame oil and ginger; cook until
heated through. Stir in cooked Egg
Beaters. Garnish with chow mein
noodles, if desired. Serve immediately.
arble cake is a classic childhood
cooking memory. Whether using lurid
colours for a psychedelic finish, or just
chocolate and vanilla, it's a teatime
treat.
* Add the pig’s blood and sugar and
stir occasionally until the mixture
thickens. Put the oregano and green
chili then let it simmer again for 5
Heat oven to 180C/gas 160C/gas 4. minutes.
Grease a 20cm cake tin and line the
bottom with a circle of greaseproof
paper. If you want to make life easy,
simply put all the ingredients (except
BUSINESS HOURS
the cocoa powder) into a food
Mon. Tue. Wed.
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
processor and whizz for 1-2 mins until
Thu. Fri.
8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
smooth. If you prefer to mix by hand,
Saturday
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
beat the butter and sugar together,
Sunday
Closed
then add the eggs, one at a time,
mixing well after each addition. Fold
Picnic ham
Pork loin
Beef
through the flour, milk and vanilla
(with bone)
Approximately
Blade steak
extract until the mixture is smooth.
15 lbs
3 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp cocoa powder
Divide the mixture between 2 bowls.
Stir the cocoa powder into the mixture
in one of the bowls. Take 2 spoons and
use them to dollop the chocolate and
vanilla cake mixes into the tin
alternately. When all the mixture has
been used up (and if young kids are
doing this, you'll need to ensure the
base of the tin is fairly evenly covered),
tap the bottom on your work surface to
ensure that there aren't any air
bubbles. Take a skewer and swirl it
around the mixture in the tin a few
times to create a marbled effect.
2.29lb
3.29lb
Half or Whole
pork
Cut & Wrapped
Approximately 200 lbs
1.29
Fresh Belly
with skin
Fresh pork blood
Fresh bacon
Fresh liver
Pork skin
Filipino Pork Dinuguan
Available
2.25lb
10.
Beef
short ribs
1 litre of fresh
blood with purchase
when available
1/2 pork
00
Pork Spare Ribs
4.89lb
10 lbs & over
.99lb
1
4.79lb
St.Chrysostome St. Remi St. Edouard
Napierville
Sherrington
Barrington
202
219
203
Havelock
ea
Regular smoked
bacon
2.99lb
Pork Head
3.29lb
8
Hemmingford
Jackso
n Road
Canada
219
Lacolle
Sortie
Exit No.6
Parc
Safari
Class
Covey Hill Road
Boucherie Viau Inc.
Malone
U. S. A.
Moders
Champlain
83 Covey Hill, Hemmingford QC J0L 1H0
Tel.: (450) 247- 2130 or (450) 247- 3561
Ingredients:
225g butter , softened
225g caster sugar
4 eggs
225g self-raising flour
lb
.79lb
Bake the cake for 45-55 mins until a
skewer inserted into the centre comes
out clean. Turn out onto a cooling rack
and leave to cool. Will keep for 3 days
in an airtight container or freeze for up
to 3 months.
0.99lb
Front quarter of beef
Home smoked
meat
Marble Cake
Ingredients:
Beautitudes of Leadership
Blessed is the leader who knows where
he is going, why he is going, and how to
get there.
Blessed is the leader who knows no
discouragement, who presents no alibi,
Blessed is the leader who knows how to
lead without being dictatorial,
Blessed is the leader who leads for the
good of most of the people,
and not for the personal gratification of his
own ideas,
Blessed is the leader who develops
leaders while leading,
Blessed is the leader who has his head in
the clouds but his feet on the ground,
Blessed is the leader who considers
leadership an opportunity for service.
Anonymous
1/2 kilo pork ( liempo or pork belly)
2 tbsp. cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium sized onion, sliced
2 cups pork liver, sliced into cubes
1/2 cup vinegar
2 tbsp. patis
1 tbsp. salt
1/4 tbsp. MSG
1-1/2 cup pork meat stock
1 cup pig’s blood
2 tsp. sugar
3 pcs. Green chili peppers
1/4 tsp. oregano
How to cook dinuguan:
* Cook the pork in approximately 3
cups of water for 30 minutes. Let it cool
www.filipinostar.org
15
16
The North American Filipino Star
April 2010
Candidates court Philippine pastor
Boasting seven million followers, Quiboloy will soon 'reveal' whom God has
chosen as country's next president
The Philippines' tele-evangelists members cast their ballots together. Quiboloy began preaching, first in Quiboloy says his Kingdom of
exert a larger-than-life influence Analysts here say rival candidates' his local community, then in Davao Jesus Christ offers Filipinos a place
each time elections come around. policies are often similar in the City, then across the whole country. to play sports and music, as well as
This year, Filipino presidential Philippines, so electoral contests
His theology is relatively simple. worship. "We're like a magnet to
candidates are hoping to bag the
them. When they're bored and have
support of one in particular: a man
nothing to do, we provide a place
who calls himself the "Appointed
for them to go," Mr. Quiboloy says.
Son of God."
Many of his overseas followers
Apollo C. Quiboloy, 59 years
spread the word among their family
old, a successful pastor in his
and friends when they return home.
hometown of Davao City, became a
As a result, Mr. Quiboloy now
sensation five years ago after
counts about seven million people
announcing a revelation. He says
in his congregation. Devoted tithing
he was summoned by God on April
enables him to jet about in a
13, 2005, to complete the work of
Gulfstream
aircraft
and
a
Jesus Christ and restore humanity
helicopter—"It's God's will to give,"
to its original state of grace before
he says. Recent scandals in the
the biblical Adam bit into the apple.
Roman Catholic Church also have
His message received broad
bolstered his flock, he adds.
acceptance in the Philippines, a
He also has non-Filipino
country of nearly 100 million people
followers from around the world.
with a long history of tailoring
Shishir Bhandari from Nepal
various beliefs to local practices.
stumbled across Mr. Quiboloy's
Political analysts and election
Kingdom
while
studying
in
Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy has emerged as a potentially powerful kingmaker in the
candidates now say his millions of
Singapore, and has been with the
Philippine presidential election. Candidates are hoping to win his endorsement.
followers—and those of several
group for eight years. "When I heard
other local religious leaders—could tend to focus on personalities rather Mr. Quiboloy says Jesus Christ died Pastor Quiboloy speak, something
help tip the balance in the country's than on taxes and deficits.
to give humanity a chance of inside me changed," he says.
May 10 presidential election.
The country's religious leaders salvation. But to complete the
The Philippines, though, is
Dozens of presidential, senatorial can offer endorsements as an easy process, he says, God appointed where Mr. Quiboloy exercises the
and local election candidates are alternative to the boisterous him his son to teach people to most clout. In 2004, he accurately
counting the days to Mr. Quiboloy's electioneering and confusing back- submit themselves entirely to God's forecast Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
birthday on Sunday, when he will and-forth accusations that are will. "This is the Sonship, and would be elected president. But this
announce which candidate God persistent features of political
has revealed to him as the next campaigns here. There are plenty of
president of the Philippines.
potential kingmakers from which to
Some main contenders in the choose.
vote have paid repeated visits to Mr.
Manuel Villar, Sen. Aquino's
Quiboloy's mountainside retreat close rival for the presidency, says
here near Davao City in the he considers the homegrown
southern Philippines in the hope of Iglesia ni Christo church to be one
winning his endorsement. Leading of the most powerful power brokers
contender
Benigno
"Noynoy" in the country, while many
Aquino III speaks in hushed tones candidates have courted Mariano
whenever Mr. Quiboloy's name is "Brother Mike" Velarde, the lay
mentioned, apparently mindful of leader of the Catholic charismatic El
the tongue-lashing he received from Shaddai group. A Protestant
the pastor when a sinus infection preacher Eduardo "Brother Eddie"
prevented him from attending a Villanueva is cutting out the
televised debate earlier this year middleman and running for
hosted at Mr. Quiboloy's cathedral. president himself.
Opposition lawmaker Benigno 'Noynoy' Aquino, a presidential candidate, speaks to
Sen. Aquino later flew to Davao City
Mr. Quiboloy, though, is the foreign journalists Thursday in Manila.
for a private meeting.
latest—and arguably the most
Loren Legarda, a candidate for influential—player in a crowded everybody can inherit it through time, "even I don't know who it is
vice president, says she considers market. He is a dynamic preacher, me," Mr. Quiboloy explains in an yet," he says.
Mr. Quiboloy's Kingdom of Jesus with a knack for captivating tens of interview at his retreat, the Garden
Mr. Quiboloy says his deceased
Christ as one of the most important thousands of listeners. He started of Eden Restored.
mother appeared to him in a dream
constituencies in the country. his mission from the bottom up. He
Mr. Quiboloy has combined his and said he should pray for Sen.
"Pastor Quiboloy's group is a very split from his local Pentecostal message
with
some
sharp Villar, while Corazon Aquino, the
solid voting bloc," Sen. Legarda congregation in the 1980s and marketing. While other evangelist late president and democracy icon,
says, although she adds that she spent five years on a small plot of and non-Catholic groups sputtered, appeared in another vision and
considers Mr. Quiboloy a friend and family-owned land high up the Mr. Quiboloy expanded his asked Mr. Quiboloy to support her
isn't courting his support.
slopes of Mount Apo, the Sonshine Media Network to son, Sen. Aquino.
It is unclear how many Philippines' tallest mountain. There, broadcast across the globe,
Mr. Quiboloy is hedging his bets
members of Mr. Quiboloy's flock, or Mr. Quiboloy says he received a targeting the millions of Filipinos for now, though, perhaps until a few
any other congregation, will vote en series of visions and audible who work—and can vote—in Hong more opinion polls come in. "I'm
masse at the request of their pastor. instructions from God to begin a Kong, the Middle East, Europe and awaiting the final revelation from my
But officials from a variety of new mission, while he subsisted the U.S., and who find in his Father," he says. a
denominations privately estimate mostly on reject bananas from a ministry a taste of the home they left
that among the most close-knit nearby plantation.
behind.
groups, 70% or more of their
Then, when he was ready, Mr.
In Dubai, for instance, Mr.
www.filipinostar.org
April 2010
17
The North American Filipino Star
Arroyo names manicurist to ‘Swing votes’ will decide poll
key post
victor
President Gloria MacapagalArroyo has named her manicurist to
the board of a major government
agency,
her
spokesman
said
Thursday.
The appointment of Anita Carpon
to the board of a body responsible for
lending tens of millions of dollars for
the housing needs of government
employees has drawn sharp criticism.
Arroyo's spokesman Gary Olivar
defended Carpon's new posting and
confirmed her other job as the
president's stylist.
"Having a relationship of trust with
the president should not count against
someone," Olivar told AFP.
Carpon is a government employee
and was named to the agency's board
to represent low-paid workers the fund
is serving, he added.
"The president wants the poorer
government employees represented
in the board because they are the
ones with the housing needs," Olivar
said.
Local media reports say Carpon
will receive a monthly salary of about
130,000 pesos (about 2,900 dollars),
double that of the president herself.
Olivar would not confirm the figure.
The appointment was slammed by
the camp of presidential candidate
Benigno Aquino, who is leading in
polls ahead of the May 10 election.
Butch Abad, Aquino's campaign
manager, accused Arroyo of acting
without regard for the public good.
"She further deepened the culture
of political patronage in this country by
putting people who are loyal to her in
positions which are delicate without
any regard to the qualifications of
these people," Abad said.
He said this followed a recent rash
of controversial Arroyo appointments
in the judiciary and the top military
ranks less than three months before
the end of her term.
"These appointments are meant to
put people in positions of influence in
the hopes that if she is out of power,
she will still be able to exercise some
degree of influence," Abad said. a
The so-called swing votes would
decide the winner of the race for
president in the May 10 elections.
Fifteen million of such votes, Rep.
Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos of
Ilocos Norte said on Thursday, will be
cast in the 30 percent of the balloting
that may turned into manual polls in
case of breakdown of Precinct Count
Optical Scan (PCOS) machines,
collectively the main feature of the
country’s first automated elections next
month.
More than 50 million registered
voters are expected to cast their ballots
and 15 million of them represent the 30
percent.
Marcos, a senatorial candidate of
the Nacionalista Party (NP), said that
the 30-percent manual voting could
fuel cheating and later translate into
“swing votes” for eventual president,
the successor to President Gloria
Arroyo.
“Sanay ang mga mandaraya sa
manual voting. Malamang na dayain
nila ang 15 milyong boto mula sa
manual voting dahil sa hindi pa nila
alam kung paano madadaya ang
automated polls. [The cheats are at
home with manual voting. It is certain
that they will be able to pull it off with
the 15 million votes from the manual
balloting because they do not know yet
how to cheat in automated polls],” he
added.
If the votes for the four leading
candidates for president are too close
to call, Marcos said, the 15 million
swing votes will dictate who the next
leader of the Philippines is.
Unlike the NP senatorial contender,
a candidate for president also on
Thursday batted strongly for the
Commission on Elections (Comelec) to
conduct a parallel manual count of
votes in the May 10 elections.
Sen. Maria Consuelo “Jamby”
Madrigal, an independent aspirant,
threatened to go on a hunger strike if
the Comelec would deny her demand.
Madrigal virtually jumped on
Comelec
Commissioner
Rene
Sarmiento, who was holding a press
briefing, and told him that she was
worried about possible massive
cheating that might happen in next
month’s balloting.
She said that a parallel manual
count, wherein the Board of Election
Inspectors (BEIs) will have to count
ballots after the ballots are transmitted
to canvassing centers, ensures that the
ballots were accurately tallied by the
PCOS machines.
“We do not believe that there will
be a 100-percent problem-free
automated elections. We hope that the
[Comelec] en banc will listen to us.
Otherwise, we will go on hunger strike
until the elections,” Madrigal warned.
Alyansa Agrikultura, a coalition of
farmers and fishermen, also pitched for
a parallel manual count.
The coalition is composed of 42
federations and organizations of all
major agricultural sectors, which are
said to constitute 40 percent of the
voting population, or 16 million voters
nationwide.
Its chairman, former Trade and
Industry Undersecretary Ernesto
Ordoñez, also on Thursday said that
besides
Madrigal,
four
other
candidates for president are backing
their stand.
Ordoñez identified the aspirants as
Madrigal, former President Joseph
“Erap” Estrada, Brother Eddie
Villanueva, Nicanor Perlas and JC de
los Reyes.
The Comelec had said that they
were looking at possibly holding a
parallel manual count. a
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www.filipinostar.org
The North American Filipino Star
18
FILIPINO STAR
SHOWBIZ GOSSIP
Robin Padilla on kissing Toni:
'I'll be a gentleman'
"Sabi ko huwag kang mag-aalala
dahil ako ay magiging mahinahon sa
bawat dampi ng aking labi. Ako ay
magiging maginoo sa bawat segundo,"
Padilla said.
[I said 'Dont' worry because I will
be gentle with every touch of my lips. I
will be a gentleman every second.]
Padilla, who is aware of Gonzaga's
"smack-only-policy" in films, said he is
just thankful that the actress agreed to
do a kissing scene with him.
Angel
Aquino
back
on
teleserye with La Greta, Bea
Angel Aquino
Actress Angel Aquino is making a
comeback in acting for television with
actresses Gretchen Barretto and Bea
Alonzo in ABS-CBN's upcoming
television series "Till My Heartache
Ends."
Aquino said that it was a dream
come true for her to be able to work
with two of the country's talented
performers.
"I'm very excited and I'm very
happy to be back on telenovela again
especially with Gretchen and Bea, and
these are actresses that I've wanted to
work for so long ," Aquino said.
Aside from working with Barretto
and Alonzo, Aquino said she is also
thrilled about her role. For the first
time, she will be an evil stepmother.
"I'm so excited, excited ako about
my role and the entire teleserye...'yong
role ko, it's not usual. I'm a highfashion contrabida. So gusto ko 'yon,"
she said.
In the series, her character's main
goal is to ruin the life of Barretto.
"Kasi, I will be her evil step mom,
so talagang the aging evil step mother.
I will try to make lives miserable for
them. And si Bea, ita-try ko imanipulate to work against Gretchen.
Parang that's the storyline I heard
about when they called me for a
meeting," Aquino said.
This early, Aquino said she's
having fun bonding with the lead stars
Alonzo and Barretto.
"Tawa lang kami ng tawa. Actually,
we haven't really done anything yet.
Ngayon, text pa lang kami at throwing
lines," Aquino said.
Also part of the upcoming series is
actor Derek Ramsay. a
Sarah says Rayver is dating
someone
Sarah Geronimo
Pop star Sarah Geronimo shrugs
off reports that she and rumored
boyfriend Rayver Cruz have broken
up after keeping their relationship
under lock and key for two years.
She told ABS-CBN News,
“Paano naman mangyayari yong
magbi-break kami na hindi naman
kami naging kami?” Sarah also
cleared for the nth time that she and
Rayver are “just friends” and that the
latter is dating someone else.
Sarah also refuted allegations
that Rayver stopped pursuing her
because of her strict parents.
Reports say that the parents have a
rift with the boy.
In a previous interview with
Bulletin
Entertainment,
Sarah
insisted that her parents are in good
terms with the actor.
“Siyempre natural lang po sa
magulang na maging over protective
sa kanilang anak. Pero hindi po
totoo na meron silang...” she said.
In other matters, Sarah also
denied that GMA-7 dangled before
her a P30-million contract in 2009.
“Wala,” she said sounding
surprised over the allegation.
Sarah, now also dubbed as the
Box Office Queen, might do a
musical-drama series with singeractor Sam Milby .a
April 2010
Toni Gonzaga
Actor Robin Padilla and Toni
Gonzaga will finally shoot their first film
together this coming April.
Padilla confirmed that the filming
will start soon.
"Mukhang itong darating na buwan
ay mag-uumpisa na kami ni Ms. Toni
Gonzaga. At ito ang aking tinutuunan
ng pansin sapagkat marami na din ang
masyadong naghihintay ng pelikulang
'yan," Padilla said. [It looks like Ms.
Toni Gonzaga and I will start filming
next month. I will focus on this
because many people are eagerly
waiting for the film.]
Dubbed as the "Bad Boy of
Philippine Movies" for his anti-hero
roles, Padilla said the film also involves
a kissing scene.
"Maganda ang script. Medyo ang
gusto lang ng aking director ni Bb.
Joyce Bernal ay umaatikabong halikan.
[The script is good. Director Joyce
Bernal wants a passionate kissing
scene]," he said.
Padilla said he had already
assured Gonzaga that he would
remain "a gentleman" while filming the
"sensitive scenes."
Robin Padilla
"Ako naman ay konserbatibo din
naman. Serious po ito hindi po talaga
siya (Toni) nakikipaghalikan. Pero sa
pagkakataong ito ay nagpapasalamat
kami at kanyang ninamnam ang tamis
ng aking pangako," Padilla said.
[I am conservative as well. This is
serious and Toni does not usually do
kissing scenes. But in this case, we
thank her because she was swayed by
my sweet promise.]
Padilla vowed that he and
Gonzaga will do "everything" to make
the film worth watchin. a
B-day girl Kim Chiu donates
incubators
In lieu of a lavish party to celebrate
her 20th birthday, Kim Chiu visited two
charitable institutions to extend help.
Kim’s heart bled after reading a
magazine write-up about four babies
sharing just one incubator at Dr. Jose
Fabella Memorial Hospital.
"Di ba mga bata sila? Hindi sila mga
pusa [o] mga manok na share-share,”
Kim said on “Showbiz News Ngayon” last
April 21.
Kim went to the Holy Family Home
www.filipinostar.org
Charity last April 18 and to Fabella last
April 20, the day after her birthday, to do
outreach. She spent time with the kids
and dropped by the hospitals' maternal
high-risk and care ward.
While giving out diapers, milk, and
blankets, Kim felt for the young patients’
health conditions.
“Habang namimigay ako, parang
ang saya-saya nila. Parang [sinasabi nila
na] 'Uy salamat,...birthday mo ikaw pa
ang nagbibigay.' Na-touch ako sa mga
mommies na nandito.
"May isa nga, ginagawa [niyang]
incubator ang sarili [niya]. [Naging]
human incubator [siya] para lang
mainitan ‘yong bata. Nakakalungkot kasi
kulang-kulang ‘yong gamit [sa hospital],”
she said.
Before leaving Fabella hospital,
Gerald Anderson’s screen partner
donated two incubators, each of which
costs at least P220,000. a
April 2010
19
The North American Filipino Star
Anne Curtis: ‘I feel disrespected’
Actress-host Anne Curtis said
Wednesday she felt disrespected and
disheartened over the publication of
the photo of her "wardrobe
malfunction" in Boracay on tabloids
and on the web.
"I really feel upset [that] it's coming
out. Sana they had a little respect man
lang," Curtis said in an exclusive
interview with ABS-CBN News.
The young actress said the
incident was just an accident, and she
was not expecting it to spread in the
Internet.
Curtis, who was wearing a bikini,
was dancing on stage when the right
part of her top folded and accidentally
showed her right breast.
The photo, which went viral on
social networks such as Facebook,
also landed in different gossip sites,
blogs and tabloids.
The
wardrobe
malfunction
happened while she was taping for the
summer special episode of musical
variety show “ASAP XV” in Boracay.
those who published and uploaded
the picture. “Kasi pagkatao ko ‘yon.
Ako ‘yon, katawan ko ‘yon… Sa tingin
ko, wala silang puso sa ginawa nilang
ganoon.”
Moving on
She called on the people who
were able to take a shot of the incident
using their camera phones to delete it.
She also appealed to those who
uploaded the photo to take it down
from their sites and blogs.
While conceding that “this is not
something to be proud of,” Curtis said
the only thing that she can do now is
to “move on” and hope that ‘”it will
pass already.”
“I’m not proud ‘yong nangyaring
‘yon. Sobra nga akong nalungkot at
kinabahan sa nangyari kaya ako naiyak
after ‘ASAP’…. nakakalungkot talaga
na pinagpye-pyestahan pa ng mga tao.
Hindi ko naman gusto ‘yon. Kahit
sinong babae ayaw mangyari ‘yon sa
kanila,” she said.
She noted that there is no use
“crying over spilled milk,” and that she
hopes other people would also forget
the incident.
Sam to the rescue
Sam Milby, her former boyfriend,
rushed to comfort the actress, who
was shaking and crying after the
dance number.
Curtis said before the dance
number she even used double-sided
tape to secure the top of her bikini.
"Hindi naman talaga maiiwasan,
but to upload it or to even spread it,
that's what makes me sad. Nakakadishearten na may mga taong ganoon.
Bakit nila kailangang gawin sa akin
ito?"
She said she was already
ashamed of what happened. What
made the situation even worse was
when some people circulated the
photo, she added.
Exposed breast
She said she was angry and she
felt violated when the photo spread.
Some tabloids did not event attempt to
cover or blur out her exposed breast
when they published the picture, she
lamented.
No publicity stunt
Anne Curtis
She said this is not allowed even
in Hollywood.
“Nakakalungkot ‘yong ginawa
ninyo. Sana nakakatulog kayo ng
maayos at sana masaya sila sa
ginagawa nila,” she said.
The actress said that it would be
up to Viva Communications Inc. and
ABS-CBN to decide what legal action
to take against those who published
her photo.
photo)
She said she will support it if Viva
decides to pursue a case against
The actress made the statement
with Milby, her leading man in the
upcoming movie "Baby, I Love You."
Like Curtis, Milby said it was
“extremely disrespectful” to publish
the photo.
Milby denied the wardrobe
malfunction was just part of a publicity
stunt for the upcoming movie.
"Who would want to expose
themselves for a publicity stunt? Anne
has never exposed herself. I don't think
that she is really elated," Milby said,
dismissing the rumors raised by the
tabloids.
He also made this appeal to the
public: “Sana you guys will have
respect. Kung nanay mo ‘yon, sister
mo, family members, siyempre you
wouldn’t want that to come out. Sana if
you do have a picture, you won’t
release it.” a
Angel Locsin bares rift with pa over alcoholic rumor
Angel Locsin
Angel Locsin has admitted that
her father got affected by allegation
that she is an alcoholic.
During her live interview on “The
Buzz” Sunday, the actress cried as
she confessed that she and her
father had a misunderstanding after
he initially believed the rumor that
she has a drinking problem.
“Actually kami ngayon ni daddy
medyo
meron
kaming
hindi
pagkakaunawaan kasi naniniwala siya
sa isyu na alcoholic [ako],” she said.
The 25-year-old star did not deny
that she and her friends went to a bar
and had a couple of drinks, but these
were part of her preparations for her
upcoming movie with Aga Muhlach.
In the film, she is taking on a role of a
prostitute.
“Kailangan
ko
ring
maexperience talaga. Sa group ko, sa
friends ko, sa career ko rin kasi may
mga bagay na hindi mo naman basta
pwedeng iimbento ang emosyon, ‘di
ba?” she said.
Locsin also brushed off reports
that she packed her bags and left
their home. “Bahay ko ‘yon. Paano ka
maglalayas sa sarili mong bahay?
May mga detalyeng lumalabas na
tama naman kaya lang mali lang
‘yong mga rason na nakalagay.”
She also felt offended that some
people were even alleging that she is
becoming unprofessional. “May mga
trabaho daw ako na hindi nasisipot.
Wala pa naman akong ginagawa. Ano
ang hindi ko masisipot na trabaho?”
At first, she said she felt that
www.filipinostar.org
there was no need to address the
issues because she knows herself.
After her rift with her dad, however,
she said she finally decided to set the
record straight.
“Okay naman kami kasi tatay ko
naman siya, anak pa rin niya ako.
Kaya lang ayoko lang kasi na ilang
taon kong tinrabaho na makuha ko
ang trust ng daddy ko, tapos
mababahiran ‘yon ng duda dahil sa
isang isyu na hindi mo alam kung
saan nagmula,” she said.
Although intrigues are part of her
job as an actress, she said as a
human being she still gets affected
by these rumors. a
Showbiz Gossip Continued Page 20
April 2010
The North American Filipino Star
20
Showbiz Gossip
Continued from p.19
Cesar Montano appeals
privacy after son s death
Cesar Montano
(son Christian Angelo inset)
Actor Cesar Montano issued a
statement following the death of his
son,
Christian
Angelo,
who
committed suicide in their home in
Quezon City on Friday morning
apparently due to a "love" problem.
In an official message sent to the
media, Montano said he was
surprised when he heard about the
tragic incident.
"To our dear friends from the
media: I received the shocking news
of my son, Christian Angelo's death
early this morning while I was in
Bohol. I, along with my wife Sunshine
and daughter Angela, immediately
flew back to Manila first thing today to
be with my son," he said.
"No words can describe the grief
that my family and I are experiencing
with this devastating news. He was
young, a cheerful, thoughtful and
loving son who has a generous heart
and spirit," Montano said.
"I was just with him yesterday
before leaving for Bohol. Little did I
know that it would be the last time I
was to see him alive."
Montano (real name Cesar
Manhilot) said a friend and neighbor,
Dr. Tony Leachon, pronounced his
son dead on arrival at the Malvar
General Hospital in Quezon City.
The actor also confirmed that
Christian Angelo died from a single
gun shot wound in the head.
Montano said they are still trying to
get all the facts pertaining to the
death of his son.
He appealed for understanding
to give them the privacy they need
while they grieve over their loss.
"We are still trying to piece
together some facts pertaining to his
death. While I am still reeling from
this tragic incident, my family and I
would like to appeal to everyone to
respect the privacy of my grieving
family all this time. Thank you very
much for your understanding. May
God's strength be with all of us,"
Montano said.
Suicide
Christian Angelo, 23, Montano's
‘Kawawang Cowboy’ Fred Panopio
for rides into the sunset at 71
son with his late first wife, shot
himself in the head with a .45 pistol
inside their house along Yakal Street,
Tivoli Royale subdivision in Barangay
Batasan Hills, Quezon City at around
6 a.m..
According to Manhilot's helpers,
Christian Angelo took his own life
allegedly due to problems with his
girlfriend.
The report said Christian Angelo
was talking to someone over the
phone before he ended his life.
In
an
earlier
interview,
Superintendent Chris Mendoza,
commander of the Batasan Police
Station, said Christian Angelo was
rushed to Malvar Hospital in Quezon
City and was declared dead at 6:40
a.m.. The boy died of a single
gunshot wound in the head.
He said that household helper
Alicia Pancho was the one who
discovered the victim in the kitchen
located at the 2nd floor of the
Manhilots' house.
Pancho called the police station
at the subdivision’s security quarters,
the police commander said.
He
said
crime
scene
investigators found the boy’s
bloodied body slumped in one
corner of the kitchen with a .45 pistol
by his side.
Aside from the gun, a landline
phone and a cellular phone were also
found near the boy’s body.
No to autopsy
Montano reportedly rejected an
autopsy for his son since he believes
his son really took his own life. He
also believes there was no foul play.
According to Scene of the Crime
Operatives (SOCO) chief Inspector
Rizaldy Odi, who went in Montano's
house, they read a text message
allegedly from the boy's girlfriend
saying that she had already forgiven
him if he was asking for forgiveness.
The report said Christian Angelo
was able to reply to his girlfriend
before the unfortunate incident.
Chief Superintendent Leonardo
Espina,
police
spokesman,
meanwhile,
said
that
police
investigators would have to continue
the investigation despite Montano's
statement.
"As a matter of investigative
procedure, we will proceed with the
investigation of the case to determine
if there was a suicide case, as initially
reported, or not," Espina said.
Montano was not home when the
incident happened as he was busy
campaigning in Bohol.
The incident happened during
Friday's kick-off of the campaign for
the local elections.
Montano is running for governor
of Bohol. a
Fred Panopio
Filipino singer and comedian,
Fred Panopio has passed away. He
was 71.
According to niece Joy Esguerra
Panopio, Panopio succumbed to
cardiac arrest. His remains lie at Green
Park Pasig.
Panopio rose to fame in the 1970s.
Although he was more known as a
singer, owing to his success, singing
in the unique yodeling style
associated with country music,
Panopio started out as a bit actor
appearing in films alongside Philippine
movie greats Jess Lapid and
Fernando Poe Jr.
Among earlier films that Panopio
did was “Teen-age Crush” (1960),
“Tatlong Baraha” (1961), and “Omar
Cassidy and the Sandalyas Kid”
(1970).
The movie “Dito sa Pitong
Gatang,” which makes use of a ditty of
the same title that he popularized, was
released in 1992.
At the peak of his career, Panopio
juggled both singing and acting,
releasing comic tunes such as “Mani,”
“Mekenie Gold,” “Naku! Inday Bakit
Mo Ibinigay,” and “Nasasabik Sa Iyo,”
while doing the movies “Baldo Is
Coming” (1971) as Billy Dikit,
“Gangsters daw kami!” (1971) as Legs
Diamond, and “Sweet Caroline”
(1971).
The most indelible image of
Panopio that stuck to the minds of
many, however, is that of the man in
cowboy get-up singing on national TV,
the tune “Ang Kawawang Cowboy” –
his biggest hit next to “Dito sa Pitong
Gatang.”
Panopio was last seen as a guest
performer on “Wowowee” last year,
during which host Willie Revillame
addressed him as a “Living Legend.”
a
Derek Ramsay denies verbally
abusing Panganiban
Angelica Panganiban & Derek Ramsay
Derek Ramsay has denied
accusations of verbally abusing her
actress
girlfriend,
Angelica
Panganiban.
Ramsay said he is clueless how
the allegations came about, but he
said whats important is that he,
Panganiban, their respective families
and friends know the truth.
I dont know where theyre getting
these stuff from, but its okay. Its part
of the job. If they want to throw more
things at me, its okay, he said.
He also maintained that his
relationship with Panganiban has
seen many obstacles, but they are
better than ever. In fact, the couple
and their friends are already
preparing for their 3-week vacation
in South Africa.
Im really excited for Angel to
actually bring her to another side of
the world and show the stuff that I
like to do, my passion. So, Im really
www.filipinostar.org
excited to show that to her, he said.
Will he finally propose to
Panganiban while they are in South
Africa?
No plans. But Im a very
spontaneous guy. I dont know what
my next move will be, he replied.
New teleserye
Meanwhile, Ramsay admitted
that he gets intimidated by Gretchen
Barretto, his co-star in his next
teleserye.
It's Gretchen Barretto. Such a big
name. Ive never worked with her
before. Just like I first worked with
Maricel Soriano. I was like in shock.
I was staring its the same feeling as
that, he said.
He added that he maybe feels
intimidated but at the same time [I
am] very, very excited to actually
work with her.
Im always excited to work with
new people and to see what the
reactions going to be. Hindi pa nga
nag-uumpisa madami ng nagrereact. So, its exciting and something
to look forward to, he said.
Their tapings are expected to
begin first week of April. a
April 2010
21
The North American Filipino Star
John Lloyd Cruz evades Shaina Julio Iglesias smitten by Pinay
issue
beauty queen?
him.
Cruz and Magdayao's alleged
romantic affair became the talk of the
town as reports swirled that the 2 went
to Boracay a day before the scheduled
arrival of other celebrity hosts of
“ASAP XV.”
Reports said they arrived on the
island on Thursday, while other
“ASAP” hosts came Friday and
Saturday.
told ABS-CBN News.
But Krissa Mae was quick to deny
rumors that she and Iglesias are
romantically involved.
"I really don't think so... He's the
same age as my father and he was
showing me pictures of his beautiful
wife and beautiful, beautiful kids. He's
very proud of his family and he's not
trying to be malandi nang ganun," she
said.
Shaina Magdayao
Krista Kleiner
Hunk actor John Lloyd Cruz
continues to keep mum on his
rumored romantic relationship with
young actress Shaina Magdayao.
ABS-CBN News chanced upon
Cruz on Boracay Island where musical
variety show “ASAP XV” staged a
show last Sunday. Cruz and
Magdayao are among the program’s
hosts.
Instead of putting the issue to rest,
Cruz neither confirmed nor denied the
rumored relationship.
"Talk to my manager…. nandito
tayo ngayon sa Boracay, so magenjoy tayo. Sorry, I don’t mean to be
rude but I have to go now," the actor
said as he hurriedly left before other
entertainment reporters could mob
Latin crooner Julio Iglesias is
reportedly smitten once again by a
Filipina beauty.
Iglesias chose Binibining Pilipinas
International 2010 winner Krista
Kleiner, who is known by her screen
name "Krissa Mae," to join his 15-city
world tour.
The music legend gave an onthe-spot audition to Krissa Mae
during his concert at the Araneta
Coliseum over the weekend and he
immediately gave her a 3-month
contract to perform with him
worldwide.
"I couldn't be happier and more
excited and more thankful," Kleiner
John Lloyd Cruz
Meanwhile, actor John Prats,
Magdayao’s former sweetheart, said
he is “happy” for the “Rubi” star.
"Kung totoo man ‘yon, I'm happy
for her. Basta ako, masaya ako where
I am now. I’m moving on and I'm
thankful [to] my friends and family,”
Prats, who is also hosting “ASAP XV,”
said. a
Julio Iglesias
Kleiner is the girlfriend of prince of
RnB, Jay R.
Iglesias was once married to
Filipina socialite Isabel Preysler and
they had 3 children, including pop
star Enrique Iglesias. a
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22
Editorial
A dangerous idea
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 23:04:00
02/18/2010
Filed Under: Military, Police, Elections
Most Read
SENATE PRESIDENT JUAN
PONCE ENRILE has a well-deserved
reputation for legal acumen, but it is a
reputation shadowed by a history of
political ambition. His absurd and
dangerous idea, first floated last
September and then repeated the other
day, that in case of a massive failure of
elections later this year the Armed Forces
of the Philippines and the Philippine
National Police can intervene and choose
an acting head of government, is classic: it
is, at one and the same time, patently
unconstitutional and incredibly selfindulgent.
“Walang Presidente, walang Bise
Presidente at walang Senate President,
there is no one who will take over… Para
hindi magkagulo, kailangang mag-take
over ang military at pumili ng OIC [officer
in charge] na mangangasiwa ng bansa
pansamantala,” Enrile told ABS-CBN. His
second sentence is clear enough even
non-Filipino speakers can understand it: to
prevent chaos, the military must take over
and choose an OIC to govern the country
temporarily.
He used a new provision in the
Constitution (new, that is, in our
constitutional history) to argue his position.
Article II, Section 3 explicitly describes the
Armed Forces as the “protector of the
people and the State.”
Last September he included the Philippine
National Police, as another of the state’s
“institutions of legitimate violence,” in the
caretaker role. “The Constitution is just a
piece of document and if it is not enforced,
nothing will happen,” he said then. “Who
will enforce the Constitution? It is the
police and the military if there is no civilian
authority that can enforce it, that can issue
the command.”
This is all wrong, and runs directly
counter to the spirit of the Constitution
Enrile says he wants to see enforced. In
the first place, his fixation with a military
solution to a potential political crisis
reflects his own background: an eminent
lawyer who served as Ferdinand Marcos’
martial law administrator, a powerful
defense minister who encouraged the
formation of a corps of military rebels in the
depths of martial rule, an astute politician
who masterminded a (failed) military coup
against Marcos that was redeemed only by
the first emergence of people power.
Secondly, Enrile is giving short
shrift to the Constitution. The “protector of
the people” provision was written into the
post-Marcos Constitution precisely to
prevent
another
military-backed
dictatorship, not to provide the armed
services with a back door through which
they can enter the corridors of
Malacañang. Indeed, the “protector of the
people” provision comes only after the
framers of the 1987 Constitution reiterated
one of the fundamental principles of a
genuine democracy: to wit, that civilian
authority should at all times be supreme
over the military. There is nothing in the
Constitution, absolutely nothing, that
empowers the AFP and the PNP to, as
Enrile said last September, choose among
themselves or from any institution “the one
to run the country.”
Thirdly,
Enrile
pretends
to
see
impossibilities where there are, at worst,
only difficulties. “Imagine if you have no
election, you have no president, no vice
president, no Senate. The 12 senators
cannot function. In fact there are only 11,
The North American Filipino Star
one of them cannot vote. He is in judicial
custody. There are only 11. They cannot
function,” he said last year. (The 12th
senator, of course, is Magdalo ringleader
Antonio Trillanes IV.) We agree; they
cannot function—if they wait until after
June 30 to elect a Senate president who
can serve as acting president in case of a
general failure of elections. But why wait till
then? The 14th Congress still has one
more session left, in May. Why pretend that
that possibility, of electing a new Senate
president in May, does not exist?
Lastly, Enrile himself holds the
key to the crisis he says we should avoid at
all costs. Last September he could have
offered to give up the Senate presidency,
which he says he did not seek and does
not need. The other day he could have
offered to return to the Senate in May with
the avowed intention to exercise his
leadership
in
that
chamber—the
leadership that is the subject of his “Gusto
Ko Happy Ka” (I want you to be happy) reelection campaign ads—to persuade his
colleagues to elect a new Senate president
before chaos erupts. Why didn’t he say so
then? And why doesn’t he do so now?
It can only be self-indulgence. And that
doesn’t make any of us happy.
Malaya February 23, 2010
Lack of ‘noblesse oblique’
I saw absolutely nothing offensive
about Lopez’s remarks, some with touches
of humor. Other pundits and keen
observers of presidential politics were
aghast by Noynoy’s complaint about what
he called the "biased" treatment he
received from the moderator.
One columnist observed that the
latest episode in the campaign
demonstrated
Aquino’s
"increasing
petulance and childishness and seeming
inability to brook criticism that he has been
exhibiting as the race tightens between
him and Villar…"
Other presidential campaign
watchers bluntly said that Aquino, by his
behavior, is obviously "none too smart and
none too verse" in highly sensitive issues
and in promoting and explaining whatever
policies and programs, if any, he intends to
carry out.
As a matter of fact, Noynoy
Aquino’s attitude invites comparison to his
closest rival Manny Villar, who has
shunned what he calls "shallow, issue-less
politics… Through the years in my political
life, I have learned to avoid saying words
that don’t matter." Apparently, he was
referring to the gutter language that some
would-be presidents and senators seeking
reelection have hurled at him lately, in the
august hall of the Senate, and even before
and after the start of the official campaign.
When Aquino made such a big
fuss, loudly saying he didn’t like the
moderator, it was politically most telling
about his character as a public official.
There is I think an amazing
political fact in plain sight and is rich with
bad implications about him. It’s there in the
pathos and pathetic behavior he showed
during the presidential debate. He lacks
"noblesse oblique," that is to say, as a
senator seeking the highest post in the
land he should have complied with the
unwritten obligation of honorable,
generous and responsible behavior
toward others!
And, indeed, as I used to tell my
political science students at the University
of Santo Tomas, a man who aspires to the
highest office of the land should have four
qualifications: first, he should love the
country and the people; second, he should
be prepared to support the Constitution;
third, he should have a special aptitude for
the office he desires; and fourth, he should
have virtue and justice as they are
understood by his fellow citizens.
SALVATORE SENESE (ITALY)
General Secretary:
GIANNI TOGNONI (ITALY)
Nestor Mata
‘Sen. Noynoy Aquino fails to act
respectably and responsibly toward
others.’
WHY, oh why, was Sen. Noynoy
Aquino, the Liberal Party’s presidential
candidate, in a swivet over a moderator’s
way of conducting last week’s debate of
six candidates for the presidency
sponsored by the Philippine Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (PCCI)?
Aquino was in a state of extreme
agitation when he blasted the moderator,
well-known journalist and columnist Tony
Lopez, as "biased" in favor of his closest
rival Sen. Manny Villar, the Nacionalista
Party’s standard bearer.
The forum consisted of four
rounds --- a five-minute presentation by
each of the six candidates, two rounds of
questions, and a two-minute summation
by each of them. The order of speaking in
the first round was drawn by lot an hour
before the debate. Ex-Defense Secretary
Gilberto C. Teodoro drew No. 1, Villar was
No. 2, Aquino No. 3, ex-President Joseph
"Erap" Estrada No. 4, Sen. Richard Gordon
No. 5 and Bro. Eddie Villanueva No. 6.
In the second round, the first
question-and- answer part, the candidates
answered questions in alphabetical order. H.E. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
The third round, the second set of six President of the Republic
questions, was in reverse alphabetical Malacañang Palace,
order. And in the final round, the order of JP Laurel St., San Miguel
speaking, once more, went back to A to Z. Manila Philippines
Colleagues of Lopez in punditry
saw nothing wrong in the manner he Voice: (+632) 564 1451 to 80
moderated the presidential debate. Neither Fax: (+632) 742-1641 / 929-3968
did they find anything objectionable in how Cell#: (+ 63) 919 898 4622 / (+63) 917
Lopez, columnist of The Manila Times as 839 8462
[email protected].
ph/
well as editor and publisher of BizNews, E-mail:
[email protected].
ph
introduced each candidate.
Aquino was introduced by Lopez
as having "very good pedigree," being the H.E. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
son of ex-President Cory Aquino and Sen. President of the Republic of the
Ninoy Aquino, a congressman for nine Philippines,
As Jurors of the Permanent
years and senator for three years.
Peoples'
Tribunal, and as part of the larger
Estrada, the moderator said, was
"the most popularly-elected president human family, we recognize that the
ever," Gordon as "mayor, builder of Subic, dramatic and worsening human rights
action man, and senator," Teodoro was "a situation in the Philippines is the
bar topnotcher" with a Harvard University responsibility for us all. During the PPT's
degree in Master of Laws, Villar was Second Session on the Philippines held in
described as "someone who is a self-made The Hague in March 2007, we expressed
tycoon, former House Speaker, former our commitment to defeat those powers
Senate President, and former future which, under the pretext of the so-called
President, probably," and Villanueva as war on terrorism, deprive the marginalized
"someone who wants to produce a peoples of a life in justice, dignity and
peace.
miracle."
www.filipinostar.org
April 2010
We sympathize greatly with the
plight of the Filipino people who suffer
from poverty and who cannot afford
medical care. That is why we admire and
fully support health professionals who can
volunteer their talents and time to help the
more needy. Forsaking private gain, they
teach their skills to community volunteers
and provide their health services for free.
They should be treated as heroes of the
Filipino people, worthy of our esteem and
emulation.
It was thus with great alarm that
we received the news about the
questionable arrest and detention of 43
volunteer health workers in Rizal province
in your country. The victims include two
medical doctors, one registered nurse,
one midwife and 39 community health
workers.
We are greatly dismayed to hear
that in the morning of 6 February 2010,
combined elements of your government's
Philippine National Police and Armed
Forces of the Philippines barged into the
private home of Dr. Melecia Velmonte in
Morong, Rizal. Without showing any legal
cause nor mandate, your security forces
proceeded to conduct an illegal search of
the premises and illegally took into
custody the 43 volunteer health workers.
They were handcuffed, blindfolded,
manhandled and taken, not to prison, but
to a military camp.
We are appalled to hear that as of
this writing, that they are still in detention in
the military camp, even undergoing
interrogation. Relatives, lawyers and
human rights organizations have not been
allowed to visit them. Initial reports from
the Commission on Human Rights and
non-government
human
rights
organizations said that the victims
remained in handcuffs and blindfolded for
more than 36 hours; they were denied
food and bathroom privileges confined in
dark cells, forced to listen to sounds of
gunfire and slapped several times during
the night. They were not allowed to speak
to each other and they were forced to
admit that they were members of the New
People's Army. And today, your military
officers arrogantly did not heed the orders
of the Supreme court to bring all the 43 to
court.
As the Chief Executive and
Commander in Chief of the Republic of the
Philippines, you have the obligation to
uphold and defend the rights of Filipino
citizens. We see in this lamentable episode
that the citizens' inviolable right to be
secure in their persons, houses, papers
and effects against searches and seizure
has been violated. The victims are clearly
suffering physical and psychological
torture, their right to be informed of their
alleged offenses is being trampled and
they have been denied access to legal
counsel of their choice.
As the Chief Executive and
Commander in Chief of the Republic of
the Philippines, you also have the
obligation to enforce the law. Those
who attack the inviolable rights of the
citizens must be brought to justice. For
starters, Colonel Aurelio Baladad of the
202ndInfantry Brigade of the Philippine
Army and Superintendent Marion
Balonglong of the Rizal province PNP,
should be relieved of their duties and
undergo judicial investigation for gross
ignorance and violation of the Bill of
Rights.
We pray that your government
would put an immediate end to this
deplorable situation. Release the 43
volunteer health workers. Return all
their private belongings and the
belongings of Dr. Melecia Velmonte.
Thank you for your attention
April 2010
23
The North American Filipino Star
and prompt action.
Salvatore Senese (Italy )– PPT
President
Gianni Tognoni (Italy) – PPT General
Secretary
François Houtart (Belgium) – Session
President
Irene Fernandez (Malaysia) – Session
Judge
Ties Prakken (The Netherlands) –
Session Judge
Lilia Solano (Colombia) – Session
Judge
Øystein Tveter (Norway) – Session
Judge
With copy to:
Gen. Avelino Razon, Ret. PNP
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process
Office of the Presidential Adviser on the
Peace Process (OPAPP)
7th Floor Agustin Building I
Emerald Avenue
Pasig City 1605
Voice:+63 (2) 636 0701 to 066
Fax:+63 (2) 638 2216
[email protected]. ph
Norberto Gonzales
Secretary, Department of National Defense
Room 301 DND Building, Camp Emilio
Aguinaldo,
E. de los Santos Avenue, Quezon City
Voice:+63(2) 911-9281 / 911-0488
Fax:+63(2) 911 6213
Email: osnd@philonline. com
Atty. Agnes Devanadera
Secretary, Department of Justice
Padre Faura St., Manila
Direct Line 521-8344; 5213721
Trunkline 523-84-81 loc.214
Ambassador Brillantes Says Thank You to
Western Union for Sponsoring the Caregivers’
Christmas Party
Good news of the new
caregiver regulations were released
recently in Filipino newspapers
nationwide.
The Filipino Migrant
community were sure to have read it
and breathed a unanimous sigh of
relief. A few months back, prior to all
these newspaper releases, at the
basement of Our Lady of Assumption
Church in Toronto, in the middle of the
Christmas party sponsored by Western
Union, a jovial Filipino Migrant Workers
crowd breathed the same. In the midst
of the colorful lanterns, scrumptious
Pinoy feast and “himig Pasko,”
Ambassador Brillantes was happily
relaying the news to this beaming
crowd. The already happy party was
made happier. Free food, Christmas
atmosphere, games and prizes,
soaring Pinoy spirit, what better way to
receive news such as this? “Thank you
to Western Union,” Ambassador
Brillantes started off “By sponsoring
gatherings such as this, our Filipino
Migrants have an outlet of get together,
relaxation
and celebration. This
speaks volumes to Filipinos who
otherwise would have celebrated
Christmas without their families.”
6430 Victoria Avenue
Montreal, QC
Tel.: 514-733-7816
Thai Gold Shrimp 60-70
2/$9.99
In another portion of the
program, a letter of appreciation was
given from the Ambassador to Mr.
Brian Fox, VP nd General Manager of
Western Union Canada, thanking him
and his team for responding to the
recent calamity that struck the
Philippines last year. Aside from a
substantial
monetary
donation,
Western Union also reduced the
money transfer fee significantly during
the period of disaster.
Being the
preferred money transfer company of
majority of Filipinos here in Canada
due to its Money in Minutes service,
emergency of otherwise, this meant a
great deal to Filipinos responding to
their loved ones in the Philippines. Not
only did the emergency money arrive
safe and fast, the extra dollars gained
by the fee reduction meant additional
Pesos for their families to purchase
extra food and medicine. The letter,
announced by Ottawa Consul General
Joseph Angeles, summed up the
appreciation of the Philippine Embassy
for initiatives such as this taken by
Western Union.
Lastly, in the interview with
Ambassador Brillantes closing off the
party,
Ambassador
Brillantes
expressed his gratitude and well
wishes, on behalf of the thousands of
Filipino Migrant workers and their
families, to Western Union, who keeps
giving back to the Filipino community,
who keeps displaying understanding
of this community and who resolves to
constantly create memories such as
this.
Prices valid from
April 23 - 31, 2010
Bitter Melon
$1.49 lb
Echalotte
3/$1.00
Eggplant
99¢ lb
Picnic Pork
99¢ lb
Pork Belly
$1.99 lb
Saba Mackerel
425 mL - $1.59
Rice parfumé Jasmin
Elephant - 8 kg 12.99
18 kg - $27.99
Wai Wai all flavor noodle
30 pcs $7.49 case
Shredded Young coconut
454 g - $1.19 pack
Grated Cassava
454g - 99¢
Barrio Fiesta
Patis 750 mL
$1.79
Coconut Milk 400 mL
79¢
Chicken Legs
$1.19 lb
Pangasinan Patis
750 mL - $2.29
Tilapia - no clean
18 lbs - $20.95
Super Bihon 454 g
99¢
Del Monte Spaghetti Sauce
250 g - 89¢
www.filipinostar.org
Oishi chip
2/$1.00
Buenas Macapuno String
340g - $1.29
April 2010
The North American Filipino Star
24
Education raises the bar
but lowers the barriers to a rewarding career.
Early Childhood Education Assistant
Office Assistant
Certified International Trade
Professional
P.A.B./PSW Nursing Aide
Sunday French class students with their teacher, Zenaida Kharroubi
Catherine Cortez, a student taking keyboarding course (touch typing) keeps her eyes on the
book. Keyboarding trains students to type by touch, developing speed and accuracy.
COURSES
• Languages - Eng., French, Spanish, Mandarin,
Tagalog
• Accounting & Bookkeeping
• Keyboarding (Touch Typing)
• Computer Literacy
• Microsoft Word, Excel, Access
• Personal Support Worker
(Nursing Aid, PAB)
• Early Childhood Education
Assistant
• Office Technology
• International Trade (C.I.T.P.)
• Integration of Foreign Graduates
of Nursing (Permit Pending)
• Daycare Management
Seminars:
• Writers Helping Writers
• Cooperatives - Its role, structure, importance
• Leadership Training
Enroll in the International Trade Program at Gilmore
International College.
Earn a C.I.T.P. diploma (Certified International Trade
Professional) Call 514-485-7861 for information.
• Global Entrepreneurship
• International Trade Research
•
•
•
•
International
International
International
International
Marketing
• Legal Aspects of International Trad
Trade Finance
• International Trade Management
Logistics
• Intercultural Aspects of Trade
Market Entry & Distribution
www.filipinostar.org
5450, chemin de la Cote des Neiges
Suite 511
(corner Edouard Montpetit)
Montreal, QC H3T 1Y6
Tel.: 514-485-7861
Fax: 514-485-3076
Cote des Neiges
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: gilmorecollege.com
Formateur agréé de la Commission des
partenaires du marché du travail