Filipino Star - September 2008 Issue

Transcription

Volume XXVI No. 9 September 2008
www.filipinostar.org
Twenty Outstanding Filipinos
Abroad feted in Washington, D.C.
Seated from left: Minister Carlos D. Sorreta, Deputy Philippine Ambassador to the U.S., Nena M. Nera, Eusebio C. Kohn, Bob
Dacanay, Rozita V. Lee, Jun anthony6 Quion, Levy Mendoza Paler, Will Grant, Menchee Fulgado, Victor G. Lorica, Nonoy Mendoza
of FILIM & PGON. Standing from left: Manny Hipol, Master of Ceremonies, Gloria Caoile, Mistress of Ceremonies, Debra
Aguinaldo Nakama, Edmundo F. Relucio, Francis V. Talangbayan, Dolores Ortal, Dante Raul Q. Teodoro, Mark Asperilla, Zenaida
Kharroubi, Sonny Ungco, Elvira Phelps, Peter Yu, Dely Villalon and Aida J. Mendoza of FILIM & PGON. (Photo by PinoyGlobal Rene
Abella)
PAGE 6
Washington, D.C., Sept.15,
(Pinoy-Global) - Twenty prominent
Filipino high achievers were feted and
inducted in the Twenty Outstanding
Filipinos Abroad (TOFA) 15th annual
event during a 3-day festivities which
started Thursday, September 11, 2008
with an informal get together for the
2008 awardees, followed on Friday with
a VIP luncheon at J.W. Marriott Hotel
where the awardees briefly delivered
remarks. In the evening, a VIP dinner
reception was held at the Philipiine
Embassy with Philippine Ambassador
to the United States, Willy Gaa who
officially welcomed the 2008 TOFA
Awardees. On Saturday, the awardees
went on a tour of national sites and had
an authentic Dim Sum luncheon in a
restaurant in Virginia Falls. In the
SeePage 4
TOFA AWARDS
Will the Liberals catch up with the
Conservatives after the leaders’ debates?
Surigao Del Norte
Contents
Cooperative News . . . . . . .p. 3
To u r i s m
. . . . . . . . . . . . p. 6
Global Perspectives . . . . p. 10
Philippine Cuisine . . . . . p. 11
Filstar Photo Gallery . p. 12,15
Community News . . . . . .
Home Business
p. 15
. . . . . . . p. 15
Showbiz Gossip . . . . . . . p. 18
Classified Ads
. . . . . . . p. 21
From left: Stéphane Dion, Liberal party chief, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Jack
Layton, NDP leader, Gilles Duceppe, Bloc Quebecois, and Elizabeth May, leader of
the Green Party, only woman in the debate and first time participant.
See Page 4
Elections 4
"I will be guided by one
overarching principle the pursuit of justice.”
- Irwin Cotler
2
The North American Filipino Star
EDITORIAL
How do you decide which candidate to vote for?
Both U.S. and Canadian
elections are going to attract many
viewers. As both are going to be full of
drama and intrigue, it will be difficult
to make a choice but since we are
directly affected by the Canadian
elections, we better focus our mind on
the leaders’ debates scheduled for
Thursday, October 2, at 8 p.m.
If we believe the polls, the
Conservatives are supposed to be
forming the next government. But do
people really base their choice of a
leader by following the polls?
Undoubtedly, it is not the wisest way
to make a crucial choice of a leader.
Besides, they say that it is not over
until it is really over. Anything can
change people’s minds until the very
minute of casting their votes.
What will be the best way to
know which candidate to vote for?
After reading all kinds of news,
editorials, and talk shows, a person
may be led to believe that majority of
people will be voting Conservative.
On the other hand, there are those
who may not go with the majority and
just vote according to their own beliefs
and values, no matter what the polls
say. Do you belong to either one of
these two categories of voters? Is
there no other way by which we can
vote more wisely?
We would like to suggest that
voting this time around seems to
require more of an effort. We should
all do our homework, so to speak
because there is a lot at stake.
Whether we are a native-born
Canadian or a naturalized citizen, we
need to be more knowledgeable
about the economy as well in order for
us to know who of the parties can
make this country not only prosperous
but also just and fair.
If we rank the issues in
importance, everyone seems to agree
that economy is a priority. Hence, they
are going to devote more time to it by
omitting the opening and closing
statements of the candidates. But it
seems that this amount of time is
never enough to understand how the
economy should be managed by any
one of the protagonists in the debate.
We may merely have an impression of
each of the candidate’s ability to
deliver a message with clarity and
conviction, but we really cannot be
sure if what is offered as a solution to
our economic problems is the best
one. It is not the sizzle and dazzle of
a fiery speech that should convince us
to vote for one leader over another but
we should more or less know if it is
based on solid facts which can be
supported by concrete policies that
make sense to us. But like most
people, we are not so adept in figuring
out which makes better economic
sense - do we give tax cuts to
corporations, or to families and elderly
citizens? We also have questions that
are difficult to answer without doing a
lot of research.
Some of these
questions have been asked but the
answers may vary, depending on our
subjective opinions. How many
immigrants do we accept to help the
economy? Who is telling the truth
with regards to surpluses and deficits?
Who has the best plan for the
environment?
Who can offer a
solution to our health care crises?
Which party has the best team to
manage the economy? What is the
advantage of a majority government
over a minority one?
How do the
parties differ in their ideologies and
policies? Do they share your own
values and beliefs? Which one of the
parties say what they mean, and do
what they say?
Another point we would like to
bring up is related to the difference in
voting patterns. It has been reported
that urban centres usually vote Liberal
while rural areas vote for the Bloc or
the Conservatives. What causes the
polarization of votes? Moreover, It has
been mentioned that urban issues do
not seem to be given any attention by
the candidates. Perhaps, this may be
due to the fact that there are already
too many issues that need to be
discussed on the national level.
Municipal affairs seem to have a life of
their own and are taken care of by
local councilor and mayors.
Elections come and go but
the fact remains - it is all up to each
voter to decide on what is good for the
country. We need to be well informed
about the issues and be clear on what
direction we should go.
All
candidates will try to convince us to
vote for them as usual but who of
them deserve our votes?
We are quite fortunate to live
in a peaceful, democratic country like
Canada. No one should tell us who to
vote for but our own conscience.
Name ____________________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Telephone: Residence: _____________ Office: ______________
2 years (24 issues) $35
Status Report on New Cooperative Members
Registered during 2008
611-08
612-08
613-08
614-08
615-08
616-08
617-08
618-08
619-08
620-08
621-08
622-08
623-08
624-08
625-08
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627-08
628-08
629-08
630-08
631-08
632-08
633-08
634-08
635-08
636-08
637-08
638-08
Manonog, Amy
Reyes, Raquel P.
Balmes, Remedios
Ladyong, Luzviminda
Cacal, Josie
Roldan, Esmeralda
Molino, Helen Rose
Lusdoc, Christé
Bariquez, Hesil
Solidarios, Mary Ann
Cortez, Catherine
De Guzman, Mae
Mamuad, Maricel
Abenoja, Imelda
Bermudez, Claro
Locquiao, Letecia
Riendeau, Marivel
Riendeau, Martin
Cloutier, Nida
Dulot, Edenia
Cousineau, Evangeline
El-Hachem, Sly
Jaramillo, Greline
Torrecampo, Teena
Aguilar, Jean Janete
Agrgsor, Susana
Lee, Thomas
Valiente, Merle
The above members are
registered as having joined the Filipino
Solidarity Cooperative and listed in
chronological order. The first one on
the list, Amy Manon-og became a fully
paid member on January 26, 2008,
and the last two joined on the same
date, September 27, 2008,namely,
Councilor Marvin Rotrand and
Sherebel Villarosa.
Some of the members have
fully paid $100 for their common and
preferred shares, but others have
made a partial payment ranging in
amount from $5.00 and up. By way of
this list, we would like to remind those
who have not completed their payment
of $100 to do so as soon as possible
because the need for cash is very
critical in the success of the
Cooperative movement. In particular,
we need money to complete the
installation of coolers necessary to
offer our members fresh meat and
vegetables.
Out of the total of 666
639-08
640-08
641-08
642-08
643-08
644-08
645-08
646-08
647-08
648-08
649-08
650-08
651-08
652-08
653-08
654-08
655-08
656-08
657-08
658-08
659-08
660-08
661-08
662-08
663-08
664-08
665-08
666-08
Olanuza, Joy
Luzano, Antonio
Gao-ay, Gemma
Biaton, Annaliza
Cordova, Susana
Liwaliw, Joyce
Adriano, Lorellie
Caranza, Rita
Marcelo, Ricardo
Esperon, Michelle
Suni, May Gene
Santander, Gene
Macatao, Lorena
Alcantara, Nancy
Estrada, Jerry
Dupali, Concepcion
Eriza, Cora
Antolin, Minda
Gano, Hideliza
Batolina, Roselyn
Mejia, Narciso
Reyes, Ella Acacio
Foja, Emelie
Basilan, Rosa
Flores, Lina
Garlando, Corazon
Rotrand, Marvin
Villarosa, Sherebel
members, only around 250 have fully
paid. We were able to register only 14
members in 2007. During the time of
Jose Gaviola, there were about 595
members but only around 195 have
fully paid. Some of these members
have no forwarding addresses nor
current telephone numbers. We are
therefore making an appeal to these
people to let us know of their new
address and telephone number, and if
they are interested to continue their
membership. Please call us at 514733-8915.
We also would like to remind
our members to visit us and shop in
your own Cooperative Store. Even if
you buy $10 worth of groceries weekly,
will make a big difference in our cash
flow.
Thank
you
for
your
cooperation.
Zenaida Ferry Kharroubi
President, Filipino Solidarity
Cooperative, Inc.
The greatest discovery of my generation is that
human beings can alter their life by altering their
attitude of mind.
William James
Zenaida Kharroubi
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4950 Queen Mary Road Penthouse
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Jerry Estrada
Lina V. Fernandez
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Contributors
Tel.: 514-485-7861
E-Mail: [email protected]
Zenaida Ferry Kharroubi
Chief Editor & Publisher
Sam Ferry
Assistant Editor
News & Tourism
Bert Abiera
Hilda T. Veloso
Community News
Mary Joy Lizarondo
Sports News
Nida Verginom Butaran
Sales Representative
Founder
Opinions, comments of writers and columnists do not necessarily reflect that of
the management of Filcan Publications, Inc.
september 2008
3
COOPERATIVE NEWS
Equipping, organizing the Coop
We still have a long way to go
in the matter of making the Filipino
community patronize the Filipino
Solidarity Cooperative. First of all,
people have all kinds of excuses for
not buying from the Coop, the most
common one is to say that there is no
fresh meat and vegetables, and the
second one, is that the prices are
higher than their favorite Vietnamese
store.
The first one is true as we do
not yet have the proper equipment
but we have exerted all our efforts to
acquire freezers and coolers this
month.
Now that we have the
equipment, we still need money to
have them properly installed and
connected. There is still a lot of work
to be done - first of all, we need to get
quotations from companies who can
provide the necessary electrical,
it. We cannot tell you the store’s
name but you can find it out by
yourself if you want to check.
We also have to point out that
we are trying our best to keep up with
the competition. Whenever we find
out that our price is about 5 cents
more than the other store, we
immediately make our price the same
or even lower. So the best proof is to
see us and let us know about your
own experience. We need all of our
fellow citizens to start buying from us.
It is the only way we know that will
make our Coop become a viable
enterprise. Without your help, it is
difficult if not impossible to succeed.
After the installation of the equipment,
we must fill them up with stock of
merchandise. Once they are full of
merchandise, we need to open the
store longer. Our one and only paid
Making the air conditioning unit work better - John Aquino climbing the ladder
while Ben Bade and Danny stand by to help when needed.
We can hardly wait to show all
our members the big change that will
happen soon. We visualize neatly
stacked shelves full of merchandise,
freezers and coolers humming quietly
and customers lined up in front of our
cashier. After all, there will be no more
excuses once we have all the fresh
meat and vegetables that your heart
may desire.
We are optimistic about the
future. We rely on the goodwill of the
community to come aboard for it is not
only one person who will benefit from
our cooperative movement. It will
If we work together and
support one another, we will not be
saying anymore negative things. We
do not have to waste our time
criticizing,and complaining. It is up to
each one of us to decide that building
our cooperative is the way to go. One
day, someone in your family may
benefit by the jobs we will create, and
other benefits that a cooperative
business offers.
Before
concluding
this
month’s cooperative news update, I
must acknowledge those who have
helped us - John Aquino, Danny
Volunteer workers - Rhoda Tremocha, Rosa Basilan, Joy Estabillo, Magnolia Camat, John
Aquino, and Ben Bade shown here moving stuff in the store.
refrigeration and plumbing work. We
have to find someone qualified who
will give us a good price we can
afford. We ask you or anyone who
knows someone who can do the work
at a reasonable price to give us their
name and telephone number.
Concerning the second issue about
prices, we must remind our
kababayan that this is not completely
true.
After canvassing prices
everywhere, we have found some
startling facts. For example, our
smoke mackerel, extra large, only
costs $6.66 but in another store, it
costs $11.29, almost double the price.
I hardly could believe that our price is
50% lower. You must see it to believe
employee who works as a cashier
from 12:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. will not
be able to handle the work by herself.
We need to have two or more
cashiers to man the store properly so
we can have more sales and to start
making a profit. But without more
funds, we will not be able to afford to
hire anyone but to rely on volunteers.
So far, the same people come
to the store to buy and the same
people come to help as volunteers.
We would like to ask other members if
they can give us a hand, specially
during the festive season.. If you
have some time to spare, we would
like to hear from you. We will give you
an orientation and training on the
cash register
Handy men - John, Jojie, Danny and Ben - fixing and moving equipment in the store
serve as our economic nucleus which Tolentino, Jojie (last name I forgot),
will be the source of more good things Ben Bade, Romy Lalisan who allowed
to come. Yet, It does not require a lot of his two workers to pitch in, Claro
effort from each member. If you come Bermudez and company with Flor Rillo
and buy at least $10 a week of who helped in moving two freezers last
merchandise, you will be helping the September 5. If I omitted someone’s
Coop become a bigger business name, please let me know for next
sooner than later.
update.
Zenaida Khraroubi
4
From page 1
TOFA Awards
evening was the formal prestigious
gala Banquet and Ball Award
Ceremony attended by the cream of
the crop of the Filipino community
from acoss from the nation. Aftr the
Ball, an authentic Filipino noche
buena (breakfast) feted the 2008 TOFA
Awardees and their guests at the VIP
suite of Nonoy and Aida Mendoza at
the J.W. Marriott Hotel.
“The TOFA event is an
incomparable experience. I have
received awards and have been
attending award presentations but the
TOFA function is an experience of a
lifetime. Class. Unique. Just plain
fantastique. To be included in the
“Circle of Leaders” is a distinct honor
ever bestowed to a Filipino achiever,”
commented Mrs. Dolores “Dolly” Ortal
of Honolulu, one of the 2008
awardees.
“The only goal of the TOFA
project is to highlight positive Filipino
image, and to discourage the practice
of the “crab mentality” attitude,more
specially
among
our
Filipino
community leaders,” explained Nonoy
Mendoza, originator of the TOFA
project which started in 1990. “I have
no hidden agenda, but to highlight
positive Filipino image among our
achievers inthe community.”
Voters get first chance
to see 5 leaders in
action
OTTAWA - Elizabeth May will
be the wild card in back-to-back
televised debates Wednesday and
Thursday that mark the beginning of
the last lap in an election that is frontrunner Stephen Harper's to lose.
Will the passionate, feisty,
albeit untested Green leader shake up
a staid format that some analysts
blame for turning off viewers in recent
elections and turning the much-hyped
events into forgettable snooze fests for
most everyone except political junkies?
Don't try to tell the five federal
leaders and their strategists the Frenchlanguage debate Wednesday and the
English-language debate Thursday are
ho-hum affairs.
Workers prepare the stage where the
federal leaders will debate Wednesday
and Thursday nights in Ottawa.View
Larger Image View Larger Image
and Thursday nights in Ottawa.
Kory Teneycke, Prime Minister Stephen
Harper's chief spokesman, put it this
way: "He's used to these guys throwing
darts at him every day in the House of
Commons, so this is nothing new."
NDP Leader Jack Layton was
just as blase. "I've been in debates with
a lot more than five people on the stage
so that doesn't concern me.''
In a sign of how uneventful the
federal debates have become,
however, experts have to go back more
than two decades to come up with a
Canadian example of a debate
exchange that was widely deemed to
have had an impact come voting day.
That was a pitched 1984 dustup over
september 2008
Urban issues in the federal election
David Miller, mayor of Toronto
hosted an event called “Urban Issues
in the Federal Election: which was held
on September 30, 2008 at the
University of Toronto. According to
some of the speakers, Harper is
fostering 'classic' U.S.-style divide
between the urban and rural, ordinary
people vs. the city elites. Cities must
be an issue in the federal election and
are being ignored to everybody's
detriment, a panel of urban experts
said "I frankly think there hasn't been
much discussion, if anything, about
cities in this election. Bits and pieces,
but not really," said Paul Bedford,
Toronto's former chief planner and
Metrolinx board's citizen appointee.
"The great irony is, here we are, 80 per
cent urban in this country, yet cities
don't seem to make it."
Further, Canadians risk a
damaging
polarization
between
conservative rural voters and liberal
urban voters similar to the divide
between Republicans and Democrats
in the U.S., argued Eric Miller, director
of the university's Cities Centre.
Prime
Minister
Stephen
Harper's recent comments that
"ordinary working people" are unable
to relate to government-funded cultural
elites were less about devaluing art,
since Harper himself plays piano, than
about creating a divide between liberal
cities and the rural, conservative
heartland, Miller said.
"I think the reason Mr. Harper's
comment about ordinary people and
these fancy elites resonates was not
just because it was an attack on the
arts," Miller told the Star.
"He's
using
classic,
Republican code-word, wedge-type
(politics). He's trying to differentiate
between the city slickers and the rural
people. He's trying to create that sort of
classic red-blue division that you see in
the States."
Richard Florida, director of the
Martin Prosperity Institute at U of T's
Rotman School of Management, spoke
about dismantling the divisions
between urban and rural issues, local
and national issues.
"We need to move across the
divide," Florida said, bemoaning the
state of U.S. affairs. He said cities
shouldn't be isolated from other
concerns. "It has to be our obligation in
urban areas to lead and help ... to
benefit everyone."
During
questions,
one
member of the audience raised the
political patronage between Brian
Mulroney and John Turner.
Still, no one in the political swirl
is taking anything for granted.
Leaders all but stopped
campaigning in the last couple of days
to prepare for the debates.
They will be held around a
custom-made table at the National Arts
Centre in Ottawa.
The debates are the leaders'
best shot at gaining fresh traction for
the last 11 days of the Oct. 14 election,
j
spectre of the Canadian Constitution,
which delineates the provinces'
authority over municipalities.
"The Constitution is an excuse
not to do something," Miller said later,
pointing to overlap in areas such as
immigration, which is a federal
responsibility, yet is an issue for cities,
where most immigrants settle.
Most of the panel, which
included environmental philosopher
Ingrid Stefanovic, argued that urban
issues were inseparable from national
issues – from climate change,
transportation strategy and the
country's
economic
health,
to
immigration and concerns about urban
sprawl and the environment.
Stefanovic, who argued cities
and the environment should be viewed
as one issue, He said: "I think all
political parties have to recognize cities
are going to be playing an important
role in this election."
Governments,
past
and
present, continue to demonstrate little
or no understanding of what's like to
be homeless, freezing to death on our
streets, or lining up at the food
kitchens or the food bank, not one of
them is waiting for years and years and
years for social housing. Oh yeah,
sure.. they all make "promises", that's
the easy part, because if they are not
"elected"-- hey... it's no longer their
problem right? Before any of the
parties make any more promises, how
about it if they spend just one week
with the homeless, the hungry, the
poor, the families waiting for social
housing? Maybe they will learn the
difference between having 'knowledge
of' and actual 'experience'life in the
Cities. Please stop with the promises
and actual DO something for a
change; that would be a start.
This maddening push for more
money by the Cities is very frustrating.
All of the national issues cited in the
article are legitimate and worthy of
debate, but to conclude that the
government doesn't have an urban
agenda already is bizarre. Have any of
these people been to rural or northern
Canada? If anything it should be those
rural people that are complaining that
the political parties don't care about
small communities and their values
and culture. The excuse is that Mayor's
like Miller will never have enough
money for many of his socialist, big
government programs. And as long as
there are federal and provincial
govenrments to blame, there is very
little
accountability
of
how
municipalities operate now. Have you
ever heard a municipality say "whoa,
thats enough money!"? Exactly.
You have to realize that Jack
will say and promise just about
anything to buy your vote. And just
because Jack says something doesn't
mean anything. If he ever had a
chance, he'd have us bankrupt before
his 4 years were up. The old saying "if
it sounds too good to be true..." fits
Jack to a "T".
Economy to be the focus
of the leaders’ debates
and Thursday nights in Ottawa.
The economy is expected to be
the most prominent issue in
Wednesday night's French-language
leaders' debate amid concerns about
the effects of widespread U.S.
economic turmoil on Canada.
Federal leaders are taking a
break from campaigning for the Oct. 14
election to focus on preparing for the
debate, which will feature more time
devoted to discussion on the economy
after
a
formal
request
from
Conservative Leader Stephen Harper
on Tuesday.
A translation of the Frenchlanguage debate will be available on
CBC Newsworld or online at
CBCNews.ca from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET.
The debate is also available in
French on Radio-Canada and RDI.
The request came on the same
day the Liberals accused Harper of
plagiarizing a 2003 speech to the
Commons from an address made two
days earlier by then-Australian prime
minister John Howard, a staunch U.S.
ally. Harper was urging Canada to join
the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
After initially dismissing the
issue as irrelevant, the Conservatives
released a statement in which a Tory
staffer admitted to being "overzealous
in copying segments" of Howard's
address. He resigned his current
campaign position. Harper has yet to
comment on the affair.
DR. EMILIA ESPIRITU
CHIRURGIEN DENTISTE / DENTAL
SURGEON
5790 COTE desk NEIGES RD.
SUITE A-024
MONTREAL, QUEBEC
H3S 1Y9
PHONE: 514-340-8222 (4077)
5
september 2008
An Interview with two candidates of the Town of Mount Royal Riding -
Irwin Cotler and Rafael Tzoubari
Irwin Cotler
Montreal, September 16, 2008
Mr. Rafael Tzoubari asked to
be interviewed by the North American
Filipino Star on Tuesday, September
17. We asked him typical questions
that are often asked of a political
candidate.
Interviewer:
What are the
reasons why you want to enter politics?
Tzoubari:
I have now
reached a point in my life when I want
to give back to the community. My
children are grownup and I have
reached a certain success in my career
and now I want to help the community.
Interviewer:
How do you
intend to help, and specifically, who do
you want to help?
Tzoubari: I want to help, more
than anything else, the people who are
disadvantaged, who do not have a
voice, the elderly, poor people. People
who are strong and educated, they
know what to do. I would like to help
the people who are weak and who
need help. I feel I can help as I have
walked the path of these people.
Interviewer: Of all the political
parties, you have chosen the
Conservative Party. Why? What
makes the Conservative party
attractive to you?
Tzoubari: The Conservative
Party has values that I believe in and
they are relevant to anybody who is
conservative at heart. On one hand,
they are closest to my religion, and on
the other hand, to business.
I
developed myself in business. The
Conservatives believe in less taxes,
less spending and they believe in
helping people who are in need. I am
not saying it is a perfect party, and I am
not saying it is a “fait accompli” but it is
something that can be improved and I
hope to be there to help it to improve.
This is my first time of going into
politics and the first time is important.
So far, I have very good experience
and opportunity with the grassroots. I
believe that our riding is ready for a
change.
Our riding is taken for
granted. After the election, we never
hear from the Liberal Party which is in
our riding forever. I don’t think there
was ever a Conservative in this riding.
If there ever is any time for change, this
is the time. Just look at the way
economically we are doing compared
to the United States. It is unbelievable.
Today, there is a crash in the market,
and Canada is not budging. We have
a srong dollar, low interest rates, low
unemployment, and this is due to the
vision the Prime Minister took by
reducing the GST ahead of everybody,
reduced the taxes ahead of everybody
so he is an economist and he
understands that in order to have a
good social program, we have to
support it with a good economy. After
the sponsorship scandal, the Liberals
were punished during the last
elections, and the Conservatives had a
chance to run the government and so
far they are doing a fantastic job. So
something is good - I don’t think we
should change it, we should reenforce
it. The Conservative Party in Mont
Royal is gaining ground - more
because of the policies, and I think
people are opening up - they don’t
give anymore “carte blanche”. The
voters
are
becoming
more
sophisticated, very knowledgeable,
and there is no more situation where
the Liberal Party is voted automatically.
We are thinking and if we see
something good, we embrace it and I
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Rafael Tsoubari
think it is time to embrace and give a
chance to a Conservative MP and
don’t give your vote foregranted, if it is
me or somebody else. Think about
who you are voting for. You tried
many years the Liberals, now try the
Conservative.
Interviewer: It has always been said
by many people in our community
that the Liberals are pro-immigrant.
Can you dispute this statement?
Tzoubari: This country is built by
immigrants. This country cannot
avoid immigrants. part of the mosaic
of this country, and part of the beauty
of this country is that we have
immigrants who helped build this
country. The immigrants cannot be
See Page 9
Interview
6
september 2008
TOURISM
SURIGAO
DEL NORTE
Sea, Surf & Sun
Beach in the vicinity of Surigao City
Cloud Nine Beach, Siargao Island
The pebbled beach of Mabua
Surigao del Norte is a province of
the Philippines located in the Caraga
region in Mindanao. Its capital is
Surigao City which is best known as
an embarkation point for island
hopping adventures. The province
consists of three major islands —
Dinagat Island, which is the largest,
Siargao Island, and Bucas Grande
Island — in the Philippine Sea, and a
small region at the northernmost tip of
the island of Mindanao. This mainland
portion borders Agusan del Norte, and
Surigao del Sur to the south.
The province is blessed with long
stretches of white sand beaches,
enchanting
rock
formations,
mysterious caves, and vast mangrove
Pagoda Off Siargao Island
A typical Caraga region landscape
The bonok-bonok maradjao karadjao festival is marked by street and stationary dancing
festivity in a mardi gras atmosphere. The festival is celebrated annually (September 9)
to honor Surigao City's Patron Saint San Nicolas de Tolentino and to show gratitude for
the blessings and good graces received.
7
september 2008
forests. The strong waves in Siargao
Island has made the province the
Surfing Capital of the Philippines.
Once a quiet and pristine place,
Surigao del North rural charm now
caught the fancy of local and foreign
tourists who frequent the province’s
numerous islands. Over the years,
Surigao del Norte has indeed become
a shangri-la for visitors from all over the
world, especially for surfers and body
boarders.
During the month of September,
the Maradjao Karadjao Festival is
celebrated in honor of the San
Nicholas de Tolentino.
Various
presentations of Bonok-bonok, a
dance performed as a thanksgiving
ritual, are seen during the fest.
The best white sand beach in the
area is on Sagisi Island, also an
excellent dive site. Mabua Pebble
Beach, features parallel lines of native
cottages and is an ideal spot for water
sports, such as windsurfing and jet
skiing. Other nothworthy places
include:
- General Luna Beach - A discovery of
foreign surfers and scuba divers. White
sand beaches line the shores for miles
and miles facing a handful of islets
some hundred meters away from the
unrushing waves of the Pacific.
- Buenavista Cave - Located near Sitio
Pagkawasan . Unique stone formations
inside the cave create an illusionary
vision of a majestic "King´s Court"
complete with other chambers.
Access to the province is provided
by numerous ferries that cross the
Surigao Strait between Surigao and
the island of Leyte carrying vehicles
and passengers between Liloan in
Southern Leyte and Surigao City.
a
Aerial view Bucas Grande Island
View of some of the islands that form Surigao Del Norte
This is the boundary of two provinces of Philippines, surigao del norte and surigao del
sur
Cloud 9, General Luna
Bonok Bonok Festival
Guyam is one of the smallest isllands surrounding the mainland. So small it will take you
only five minutes to walk around it.
8
september 2008
Filipino Solidarity Cooperative visited
Philippine Trade delegates took time out to visit the Coop last September 20, 2008
Joy Estab8illo, Secretary of the Filipino Solidarity Cooperative, (2nd from left)
during the open house of the Coop, August 28, 2008
Grace Yip, presedent of the Filcan Trade and Commerce, receives a souvenir from
the Isabella Trade Mission
Lisa Fischer (on extreme left) conducted a tour of the Coop by a dozen ladies who
are treated to a typical Filipino dish of pansit and adobo, August 28, 2008
Filipino Solidarity Cooperative, Inc.
Marché Coop Filipino
4711 Van Horne Avenue, Montreal H3W 1H8
Tel: 514-733-8915 E-Mail: [email protected]
Tangkilikin ang sariling atin. Patronize your Coop.
Customers browsing in the Coop during the cultural tour of CDN area
If you want to save time, we can prepare your order and then just come and
pick it up. Please call 514-733-8915. Not yet a member? Sign up now and
enjoy shopping at the Coop. Our priority is to serve your needs and budget.
We can take your order for lechon for pickup during the weekend but please
call before Thursday. We need a minimum total order of 15 lbs..
From Page 5
9
september 2008
Interview
avoided. If they are avoided, the next
four years, when we have an election,
we have to punish the governnment
that avoided the immigrants. The
immigrants have power and they have
to use this power and think They are
now outreaching and approaching
these communities. The immigrants
should use this power to choose the
government that helped them, I want
to be in this position. I am an
immigrant myself, This country gave
me a chance to prosper. I send my
children to the best school, I live in a
safe neighborhood - this is a fantastic
place to live in. The immigrant should
have a voice - I am an immigrant
myself I want to be that voice. Now,
the Conservative Party did a few good
things. For example, they reduced the
landing free from $950 to about $450
if I am not mistaken. it was during the
time of Mulroney that the immigration
increased from 80 000 to 250 000 and
it is in the interest of the government
now to open the gates to let the
people in to take care of the backlog 800 000 people waiting which is
completely unjust. When I will be in
government, I guarantee you that
immigration will be my priority.
Immigration is what feeds Canada.
Don’t forget the birth rate of this
country is very low and without
immigrants, we won’t be able to
finance and take care of the elderly,
and the elderly are the ones who built
this country. Kids in this country are
not enough, so the future of this
country are the immigrants. Any
government that does not take care of
the immigrants is making a mistake
and should be punished in the next
election.
Intrviewer Would you explain the new
immigration law that is being criticized
by the other parties?
Tzoubari: I think the new law is to
bypass the bureaucracy and give the
Immigration Minister certain powers
that can speed up the process. The
whole idea is to speed up the process
and not let the bureaucracy decide the
fate of so many people who are
coming to this country.
So the
Minister of Immigration can speed up
the process by these powers and
hopefully he is going to use it to do
good and time will tell if it will not be
used properly then they will pay the
price.
Interviewer: Can you give us more
details about this law? It is quite
important for our community to
understand this law well.
Tzoubari: I will be very happy to
forward to you more information.
Interviewer: Besides immigration,
what are your other priorities?
Tzoubari: Education - although it is
the jurisdiction of the provincial
government, my dream is to create
extracurricular activity for talented kids
and to have a lot of incubators for
talented kids so that they can be
developed and they can come from all
backgrounds, all walks of life. To tap
this talent and develop it, to create
incubators in all kinds of places in the
country so these incubators will
flourish - to transfer talent into action.
The government needs to be involved,
to put money into this, just as they put
money
into
research
and
development. When talented kids
become grown ups, they would
develop new sources of energy that
will save the planet. Whether a kid
comes from the poorest family, if he
has a talent, help him develop it. Also,
the other thing is about doctors. My
wife is a doctor, she works very hard.
Sometimes she sees 50 patients a day
and this is inhuman. The reason she
sees so many patients is because
there are not enough doctors. Again,
this is a provincial matter but the
federal government has to do
something. As a citizen I don’t care
where the money is coming from. I
care about when I am sick I want to be
taken care of. We are proud of our
system but it is not enough. For five
million people there are not enough
doctors.
Interviewer: How about accreditation
of foreign graduates of medicine or
nursing? Again, this is another issue
that has not been settled yet.
(Mr. Tsoubari’s answer to this question
is too long for an exact quote so we
just summarized the main points of his
answer. He pointed out that the issue
is related to selfishness, and
protectionism. Some groups want to
limit entry to their professions so it is
not easy to resolve the problem but he
believes that the federal government
Kung gusto ninyong magtrabaho para sa
eleksyon, tumawag lang kayo sa 514-482-0770
should do something about it. He said
he would want to see foreign
graduates practice their profession as
long as they have passed their exams
or obtained their licenses but he is
also aware that there are many issues
that must be resolved before this
happens.)
Interviewer: Our main objective in this
interview is to know your main
objectives and priorities.
In
conclusion, we would like to know if
there is anything else that we did not
raise in this interview which you would
like to add.
Tzoubari: What I would like to tell you
is what I have found most important,
especially with the Filipino community
- they’re hardworking people, they
came through the front door, not the
back door -. all they want is respect they’re very modest. In the case you
told me (caes about Mr. Danius
Sabadao that I worked on in July
2006), when you worked so hard in
preparing this and no one is
responding to you, this to me is
disrespectful. You respect the people
and they’ll give it back to you. and I
think
especially
the
Filipino
community, I know them, I know them
close. I see that they are hardworking
people, you treat them with respect
and you get a lot back.
Interviewer: As I said, my experience
with this file of Mr. Sabadao gave me a
reinforcement of what people say that
the Conservatives are not proimmigrant, to be honest with you.
See Page 22
Interview
Ako’y dumating sa
Canada bilang isang
imigrante.
10
Global
Perspectives
Isaac T. Goodine
Introducing the Canadian Centre
for Global Professionals
“We begin with the end in mind”
The Canadian Center for Global
Professional (CCGP) is a fledgling notfor-profit,
membership-based
organization whose purpose is to
improve the job prospects of
immigrants. The policy and intent of
the CCGP is to coordinate efforts to
address the wasteful and socially
damaging
issues
of
underemployment, under-utilization, and
under-appreciation of immigrant
professionals residing in Canada as
well as others who will come in the
near future. The leading co-founders
are Dr. Monjur Chowdhury, based in
Ottawa, and Monzur Ali, based in
Toronto. Together they have identified
a Core Group of Charter Members who
would form one category of
membership. All of the Core Group
hold a combination of three degrees,
of which at east one degree was
obtained from a Canadian University.
All have five or more years of work
experience outside their home country
prior to immigrating to Canada, and all
have been in Canada more than ten
years. It is intended to expand this
category of membership to by
invitation and to add other categories
to include mainstream Canadian
professionals, and organizations.
The intent is to build a capacity
for CCGP to serve its membership by
establishing an administrative office to
serve as a Registrar to document and
authenticate the profiles of members;
to serve as a Catalyst to attract
cooperation
from
mainstream
Canadians as individual professionals
& organizations; and to facilitate
education and training programs that
would be custom designed and
delivered by member institutions of the
CCGP. The purpose would be to close
the immigrant success gap. Immigrant
serving organizations are sometimes
operating along parallel lines and they
would benefit from better coordination
of efforts toward convergence for
synergy and to achieve cost-effective
results. Currently, numerous agencies
act and speak on behalf of immigrants
but the Immigrants lack an effective
channel of communications to voice
their concerns and propose solutions.
This is particularly frustrating for those
who have already invested at least
fifteen years in the process of
immigrating and integrating. In many
cases both savings and loans have
been used to sustain families while
job-waiting in Canada.
The CCGP would collect and
compile data, conduct applied
research and prepare proposals that
incorporate input from all stakeholders
to insure that the people who are
affected most, the “new Canadians”
who have been here for at least ten
years, would participate fully in the
process. They would play a proactive
part in promoting productivity in
Canada.
The CCGP would address the
three main issues impeding the career
success of immigrants; lack of
recognition
of
foreign
earned
educational qualifications; lack of
recognition of experience gained at
home and in other countries prior to
immigration; and lack of language
september 2008
skills.
Much has been written
recently, in the press, about the fact
that “immigrants” have cost more for
services they receive than they have
“paid in taxes’. True; mainly because
even the most highly qualified and
skilled are employed at subsistence
level jobs and not empowered to
contribute as they could and would
gladly do. The processing time is five
years and the length of time it takes to
become fully employed is ten years
after arrival in Canada. In most cases
the impediment of language is based
on inexperience and lack of
communications skills on the part of
both the Canada-born and Foreignborn Canadians.
The statement that immigrants
have cost more than they have paid in
taxes is only part of a broad picture
and leaves out some categories such
as the economic immigration window
that attracts investment. One particular
case is worth mentioning as it
illustrates that an inhospitable climate
in Canada—cold winters and the
unfriendly business environment has
driven some back to their place of
origin in significant numbers. I the
early 1990s residents of Hong Kong
were uncertain about the future as China
was set to regain sovereignty in 1997.
Many came to Canada under the
economic immigration window and a
large number, reportedly, invested an
average of $600,000 in property and
businesses in Canada and thereby
qualified for immigration. Recent
published reports state that no less
than 200,000 Canadians of Hong Kong
origin have returned to live and work in
Honk Kong where the job prospects
and the political system are more
favorable to international business and
commerce.
The CCGP proposes to offer
workshops to groups from diverse
cultures to establish a “common
language” and thereby open channels
of communication to help develop
skills in using English as a global
working language (EGWL). This is the
“working language” of the United
Nations system, the Multilateral
Development Banks, and International
Inter Governmental Organizations,
and EGWL is the language of
international commerce and cultural
interaction without which there can not
be peace and prosperity on a shared
basis. In regard to recognition of
foreign earned qualifications and
experience the CCGP would assist
Canadian authorities by fostering links
with external bodies involved in
accreditation and with institutions
offering
programs
to
foster
competency based education and
training to help in bridging the gap with
Canadian requirements.
With another election looming
on the horizon in Canada politicians
are looking for votes, wherever they
can find them, and there are a lot of
new-Canadians who can now vote. At
least one cynical writer has already
concluded that the only interest
politicians have in anyone else at this
time is to get votes. In any case, there
is renewed interest in debating the
merits of immigration and at least two
members of parliament, Liberals,
Michael Ignatieff and Maurizio
Bevelacqua, have submitted a
proposed plan “to harness the skills
and talents of every citizen”. The
proposal is comprehensive and above
See Page 17
Global Perspectives
RESTAURANT
LA MAISON NEW KUM MO
66565
565 CCote
ote ddes
esk NNeiges
eiges,
Montreal, QC (Corner Appleton)
5047 Henri Bourassa Est
Montréal, QC H1G 2S1
Tel.: (514) 322-3133, 322-3130
Bean Curd Seafood Soup
1/2 Crispy Chicken
Salt and Pepper Pork Loin
Stuffed Bean Curd with
Shrimps
Sauted Seasonal Vegetables
Steamed Rice
Fish Maw Seafood Soup
Baked Lobster with Ginger
Seafood with Chinese
Broccoli
Saltand Pepper Cuttle Fish
Fried Sea Bass Fish
Steamed Rice
$37.95
4 Persons
Bean Curd Soup
1/2 Crispy Chicken
Shrimp Cake with Chinese
Broccoli
Sweet and Sour Pork
Seafood with Bean Curd in
Hot Pot
Salt and Pepper Squid
Fried Sea Bass Fish
Steamed Rice
$58.95
4 Persons
Fish maw seafood soup
2 Baked Lobsters with Ginger
Seafood with Eggplant
in Hot Pot
Stuffed Bean Curd with
Shrimp
Seafood with Chinese broccoli
Fried Sea Bass Fish
House Fried Rice
Special Fried Noodles
$125.95
$63.95
6 Persons
F R E E D E L I V E RY
Minimum order of $10
Delivery hours:
11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
10 Persons
514-733-6029
514-733-1067
For party menu, call Kenny
11
september 2008
Tinolang Manok Cooking
Instructions:
In a stock pot, heat oil and
sauté garlic, onion and ginger.
Add water and the
chicken.
Bring to a boil and
simmer for about 20 minutes or
until chicken is almost done.
Season with patis
Philippine Cuisine
Tinolang Manok
Add papaya and continue
to simmer for an additional 5
minutes or until papaya softens
but not overcooked.
Add sili leaves then turn off
the heat.
Serve steaming hot with
plain rice.
Hours:
Mon.-Tues. Wed.
Thursday -Friday
Saturday
8 AM-5 PM
8 AM-6 PM
8 AM-5 PM
Closed on Sundays.
Fill up your freezer for the summer season.
Pork loin
Approximately
15 lbs
Beef
Blade steak
2.39lb
2.99lb
Half or Whole
pork
Cut & Wrapped
Tinola Manok Ingredients:
1 kilo whole chicken, cut into pieces.
1 small young papaya or sayote, cut into small pieces.
2 tablespoons ginger, crushed and slliced into strips
1/2 cup dahon ng sili (chili leaves)
1 liter of water
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 red onion, diced
4 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons patis (fish sauce)
Front quarter of beef
2.09lb
1 litre of fresh
blood with purchase
when available
1/2 pork
2.49lb
8.49lb
Regular smoked
bacon
Pork Spare Ribs
Fresh Belly
with skin
4.79lb
10 lbs & over
2.99lb
lb
Boneless leg
of ham
3.99lb
Beef
short ribs
Home smoked
meat
2
1.19lb
Approximately 200 lbs
1.35 lb
.99
Picnic ham
(with bone)
4.69lb
St.Chrysostome St. Remi St. Edouard
Napierville
Fresh pork blood
Fresh bacon
Fresh liver
Pork skin
Sherrington
Barrington
Available
203
Havelock
Hemmingford
Jackson Road
202
219
Lacolle
Sortie
Exit No.6
Canada
219
Parc
Safari
Class
Covey Hill Road
Boucherie Viau Inc.
Malone
Moders
U. S. A.
Champlain
83 Covey Hill, Hemmingford QC J0L 1H0
Tel.: (450) 247-2130 or (450) 247-3561
15
12
september 2008
Sally Cerin’s 85th Birthday Celebration
August 30, 2008, Holiday Inn Airport, Dorval, Quebec
(Photos by Al Abdon of Hollywood Junkies)
Sally waving from the limousine which will bring her home
from the birthday party.
Sally posing for souvenir of her birthday, Sally getting a big birthday kiss from Larry Day, emcee of
a surprise party given by her daughter,
the popular radio show “Saturday Night Live” broadcast
Betty Corpuz (in blue dress, in the
from Holiday Inn Airport, Dorval.
photos below)
september 2008
13
14
september 2008
RP shares, currency plunge as US rejects emergency bailout
September 30, 2008
Philippine share prices on Tuesday
declined after American lawmakers
quashed the Bush administration’s plan
to acquire bad debts from troubled
American financial institutions.
The 30-company Philippine Stock
Exchange (PSE) index lost 37.93 points
or 1.4546 percent at 2,569.65 while the
all-share index shed 26.0 points or
1.804 percent to 1,622.25.
The drop was much lower than the
session's opening which saw the
bellwether PSEi plunging by as much as
155.81 points or 5.9753 percent while
the all-share index plummeting 76.6
points or 4.6502 percent.
The plunge came after Wall Street
dove by nearly 800 points as American
congressmen rejected the $700-billion
bailout plan of the Bush administration.
At the trading’s close, losers trampled
gainers, 95 to 24, while 30 stocks were
unchanged.
Volume traded reached 3.617
billion valued at P3.033 billion.
Astro del Castillo, managing
director at First Grade Holdings, said
the market’s sharp fall in the opening
minutes just mirrored the nearly 800point slide by Wall Street Monday
overnight.
“This is not a surprise, considering
the slump in the US market. We are
really shaken," he said.
Until the US government finds a
way to infuse additional capital to its
financial markets, investors are
expected to continue the sell-off, del
Castillo said.
Investors take advantage of bargains
But other analysts noted the rally
staged by the bourse after the early
minutes of panic.
Jason Lagrimas, analyst at online
stockbrokerage firm 2TradeAsia, said
investors were able to pick up some
bargains.
“Everything hinges on how the US
will work out a new plan after the US
House rejected the $700-billion bailout
plan. The world is now looking how US
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson will
work with the US Congress for the
approval of the new plan," he said.
Peter Lee, IGC Securities analyst,
said the slight rebound in the local
bourse showed its “resilience" as he
noted that other markets in the region
also showed some spunk in the light of
the Wall Street's bloodbath.
"I think this performance will reverse
investors' sentiment from fear to that of
confidence. A lot of investors were
waiting to buy. Asian markets are also
only down by 3 percent even as they
opened lower than that," he said.
Tuesday’s decline could only be
described as a “mild correction," Lee
added.
Telecommunications
giant
Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co.
was flat at P2,685.
Geothermal
power
producer
PNOC-Energy Development Corp.
slipped P0.30 or 6.9767 percent to P4.
Property giant Ayala Land Inc. slid
P0.20 or 2.1277 percent to P9.20 while
rival Megaworld Corp. dove P0.06 or
4.1096 percent to P1.40.
Globe Telecom Inc., the country’s
second-largest
telecommunications
company, climbed P15 or 1.4851
percent to P1,025.
Peso returns to P47 to $1 level
As a result of bad news in the world’s
biggest economy, the Philippine
currency plunged back to the P47 to a
dollar level.
The peso opened at P47.10 to a
dollar on Tuesday, 35 centavos weaker
than its opening rate on September 29.
Data from the Philippine Dealing
and Exchange Corp. showed that the
peso has already hit a low of P47.45 to
a dollar.
The market has exchanged a
volume of $194 million when it opened
at 9 a.m. in Manila.
Currencies are trading under “very
volatile times," Chinatrust (Philippines)
Commercial Banking Corp. Oliver
Jimeno said in an earlier interview.
"It is news driven. There is no one
clear direction (for currencies)," Jimeno
said. a
‘Tighten your belts’ – GMA
Look for opportunities in US crisis – Speaker
September 30, 2008
Amid the US financial crisis that is
creating ripples around the globe,
President Gloria Arroyo on Wednesday
urged Filipinos to tighten their belts
while the government wages “battles in
all fronts” to insulate the Philippines.
“We will not be complacent, and
[we will] continue to monitor the global
situation, while at the same time
improve our fiscal management and set
mitigating measures to insulate the
economy in this volatile global
situation,” President Arroyo said in
Bacolod, where she formally opened
the Masskara Festival that runs through
October 19. Bacolod City will also
celebrate its charter day in that period.
Mrs. Arroyo also said her
administration was “working hard” to
contain inflation, strengthen the
banking system, sustain economic
growth and improve the country’s fiscal
health.
Her government, meanwhile,
scaled back its economic forecast, a
day after the US House of
Representatives rejected the $700billion bailout plan proposed by
President George W. Bush. (See related
front-page story.)
In her speech, she urged
Negrenses—the residents of the
province—to diversify and look for
other opportunities, such as tourism
and information technology, to improve
the local economy in the face of the
new global problems that could spill
over to the local sugar industry.
“We have to sit down, and see what
we can do to keep the sugar industry
competitive,” the President said.
She was to meet with leaders of the
sugar industry and hear their concerns,
particularly about the tariff rates and the
need for government to aggressively
push for sugar to be placed on the
highly sensitive list before it reaches
zero-tariff in 2010.
ICT corridor
Local protests
Information
communications
technology (ICT) also presents
opportunities to this province.
Also on Wednesday, President
Arroyo inaugurated the ninth branch of
Convergys’ call center in Bacolod that
will create some 1,000 jobs before yearend. The project is part of the
government’s program to develop an
information communication technology
corridor here.
But just as Mrs. Arroyo was to
begin her speech at the Bacolod Public
Plaza, about 30 protesters scuffled with
the police who drove them away.
A group of protesters from Task
Force Mapalad raised their banners
calling on the Arroyo government to
implement land distribution, particularly
the land still owned by the family of the
President’s husband, lawyer Jose
Miguel Arroyo.
Kate
Kossmann,
Convergys’
Some 10 militant Bayan Muna
corporate communications officer, said members managed to get close to the
the opening of their branch shows that President, who had to stop her speech
they remain strong in the face of a momentarily as she was heckled to
current global economic crisis.
step down from government.
“The financial crisis is cyclical, and
There were also other groups
we will just have to ensure that our protesting, but police prevented them
growth continues,” she said, adding from blocking the route of Mrs. Arroyo,
that Convergys is set to open another who will spend the night in Bacolod to
five branches in Metro Manila, Laguna meet with business and local
and Cebu by next year. Once those are government leaders.
complete, Convergys will have more
In the end, the President had the
than 20,000 employees in its 14 last word, as she urged the audience in
branches.
Bacolod to be more aggressive in their
fight against insurgency and “to put a
stop to their [rebels] ideological
nonsense once and for all.”
Opportunity in crisis
House Speaker Prospero Nograles said
also on Wednesday that Filipinos
should seize the opportunity borne out
of the US financial crisis, which is
driving American companies to relocate
overseas.
The government should launch an
aggressive campaign to bring in more
investments to the Philippines, he
added.
Nograles said he earlier filed a
resolution that calls for the lifting of the
equity restrictions in the Constitution,
adding that support for the measure is
gaining in the House with 160
lawmakers coming forward to sign up
as co-authors.
“Our
strong
economic
fundamentals should be our best
selling point in offering refuge to
relocating American investments.
However, we cannot maximize our
potential as an attractive destination for
investments which are now relocating
out of the US because of our equity
restrictions,” he added in his press
statement.
Nograles said now is the best time
for the government to also encourage
US-based Filipinos to invest their dollardenominated savings in Philippine
industries, like mining and agriculture.
“The trend in the global money
market is focused on the more stable
gold
and
other
mineral-based
investments,” he added.
“Our economic managers should
be able to take the crisis as an
opportunity to mobilize the country’s
sleeping potentials and not just remain
in the defensive posture,” the Speaker
said. a
september 2008
Home Based Business
By JeanJanete Aguilar
As I browsed the internet for
some business ideas, I discovered
that today
its daily archive of
questions are relating to small
businesses. Scores of people looking
for very specific business intelligence,
such as how to conduct online
surveys, how to make aromatic
candles, or, hmm, how to recruit
singles to a website dating business.
Anyway, the more general questions
that caught my interest is about a
recent accounting grad who says she
hates her current job and wants to
open a private music studio in his
apartment. (Of course, most of their
questions will relates to starting and
running any kind of business.)
Some of the best businesses
in the world have been started by
people who hated their jobs and
longed for something and the
following fit best in picture.
It’s one thing to make
lemonade out of lemons. But how
about making a fortune out of
someone else’s junk? Read Brian
Scudamore
1-800-GOT-JUNK
inspiring words.
How did you get started? - In
1989 I was in a McDonald’s drive-thru.
I was a high school dropout one
course short of graduation and I knew
I needed to find a way to pay for
college. In the drive-thru there was a
beat-up pickup truck in front of me that
said Mark’s Hauling. I thought the
hauling business was a great idea and
with my last $700, I bought a truck and
got started. I drove around town and
when I saw someone with a pile of
junk I knocked on their door and
offered to take it away from them for a
fee. That helped me fund my college
education. I actually dropped out one
year before graduation because I was
learning more from my business than
from school.
Advice for entrepreneurs Have a clear vision – Know what your
future looks like, feels like, and acts
like. It has to be a compelling vision
that gets your people excited and
focused. Latch onto that picture as
though it has already happened.
Transport yourself into the future so
you can see it with picture clarity.
15
Share it with your team so they can
see it and do what it takes to achieve
it.
It’s all about people - When
people come to our head office there
is a decal on the wall that says: “It’s All
About People.” Every decision we
make we take into consideration the
people in the business. We are only as
strong as the weakest person in the
company. Never ever compromise on
the quality of people you bring into the
organization. It’s first who, then what?
Franchise – I weighed the
pros and cons of franchising. With the
franchising model I believed we could
get all the brilliant minds from different
backgrounds and together we could
build something much bigger than I
could have ever done alone. Because
there are so many people with
different investments in the company
we are all unified in this business. I ran
the business for 10 years prior to
franchising so I worked out all the
bugs and tweaked the model. You
need a proven success story before
you can sell to franchisees. Jumping
in too soon can be deadly. Building
upon a success story can be a great
model.
Mistakes to avoid? - The
biggest mistake relates back to
people. All the times that I made the
wrong decisions were with the wrong
people at the franchise or head office
level. The longest day in a manager’s
life is the day you realize you have the
wrong person on board. We are a lot
more careful through our interview
process to make sure we bring the
right people to the table. We are
careful and selective. It’s easy in startup phase when employment levels are
down and it’s hard to find good people
to compromise but you can’t
compromise on the level of people
you bring into the organization.
Don’t interview one by one We do something a little unique when
bringing new people on board. We
have a group interview process – one
or two employees interview 6-10
candidates at once. We see how they
interact as a group, how social people
are, and how quickly they can think on
their feet. You learn a lot all at once.
You can see how they stack up against
each other immediately. It’s an
effective time saver and reveals the
best people, who rise to the top
throughout the process.
Ask the right questions – The
most important interview question I
ask is: ‘Why do you want to do
this?’Are they giving you a BS answer
or are they passionate and honest
about why they are excited. Are their
eyes sparkling? People have to have
that spark for what we’re building to be
a part of our brand. That’s our most
important interview question. Why do
you really want to do this? How badly
do you want this?
Learn from your mistakes - To
me it’s less about the mistake than
what you do with that mistake. Do you
learn from it and improve from it?
Learn while the company is small so
you don’t make mistakes when the
company is larger. We debrief with the
team to make sure we don’t repeat
those mistakes.
If you were starting in a
different industry, what would it be? I’m so in love with my business and
my industry and building a global
brand that it’s hard to answer. I’m so in
love with the one I’m with that this is it
for me. I don’t believe that I’ll get into
another business. I’m about staying
focused. When you find the right idea
my advice is to keep at it. “Follow your
dreams - but run a check on them first
to make sure they make
From Page 10 Global Perspectives
all would establish a coherent policy.
The proposal would 1) modernize the
immigration system, 2) provide for
effective language training, and 3)
provide a bridge-to-work program
suited to the Canadian labor market.
For the past couple of
decades policy has been made on
the fly, by making decisions, on the
spot and creating precedents that are
treated as if it is a government policy.
Governance of the system is “third
world” in approach and corruptible.
Arbitrary decision making by various
officials has resulted in unplanned
and uncoordinated actions by a host
of players. For the first ten years of
their stay, the vast majority of new
Canadians have been relegated to a
combination of low paying jobs and
guided
toward
continuing
their
“education”. Usually this is in expensive
programs, often financed by loans, with
fees paid to public funded Universities
and Colleges offering courses that are
“useless” as far as job preparation is
concerned. Almost all immigrants are
recommended for studies in English or
French as a Second Language and on
completion become officially certified as
having “second class” language skills in
the Canadian context---with a foreign
accent Eh?
The three main impediments
to career advancement for new
Canadians have been identified as;
lack of Canadian work experience,
lack of recognition of foreign
credentials, and language barriers.
There are hundreds of
thousands of people in Canada who
have been impeded in their career
aspirations because they lack
language skill that can be readily
acquired by a competency based
approach. We must drop the
designation of English as a Second
Language and replace it with English
as the Global Working Language
(EGWL). That is the language in
which the World Works now.
If I may so bold as to propose
an additional link, and a possible
natural organizational member of the
CCGP network, it would be Gilmore
College, with the 17 year history of
providing career education and
bridge-to-work programs for the
Immigrant communities in the
Montreal area.
IsaacT Goodine
Tel: 1 232 5524
Few Canadians will be influenced
by leaders' debates: Poll
Millions of Canadians will
watch the televised election debates
this week, but only a small fraction
believe their votes will be seriously
influenced as a result, suggests a new
poll for Canwest News Service and
Global Television.
The telephone survey of 1,000
Canadians found that 60 per cent of
respondents intend to watch the
English-language leaders' debate on
Thursday night. But only nine per cent
said their vote will be significantly
influenced, while 44 per cent said the
debate won't affect their vote at all.
At the same time, more than a
third of respondents - 35 per cent www.filipinostar.org
said they won't be watching either the
English-language debate, or the U.S.
vice-presidential election debate, also
scheduled for Thursday night.
Such numbers suggest there
is far less at stake for the candidates in
the Canadian debates than the media
hype surrounding such contests often
implies.
"What debates actually do is
reinforce the beliefs of party partisans
rather than change voters' minds,"
said Darrell Bricker, president of IpsosReid, the company that carried out the
poll.
16
september 2008
Wild about Wowowee
Taping of eclectic TV show thrills Filipino community
Dancers perform during the Wowowee TV show taping at the MTS Centre on Sept. 28, 2008. Contestant Marie was one of the thrilled winners
Fans (left to right) Leo Abaya, Mayet Abaya, Eden and Brent Maribojoc react during the
Wowowee TV show taping
September 29, 2008
If you mixed The Ed Sullivan
Show and The Price is Right inside a
Filipino disco, you might have a
phenomenon close to Wowowee, the
live taping of which drew a huge
cross-section of Winnipeg's Filipino
community to MTS Centre yesterday,
during the only Canadian stop on its
world tour.
For some the appeal of the
eclectic television show seemed to be
cultural, with people tearing up,
cheering and singing as the
Philippine national anthem was
played inside MTS Centre.
"When I call my family (in the
Philippines) we talk about Wowowee
... this time I said, 'Watch it to see
me,'" said an excited Chion Laoag.
The 56-year-old -- decked out in a
sandwich
board
welcoming
Wowowee to Winnipeg -- attended
the marathon taping with her sister
and sister- in-law.
The variety-style show, hosted by
Willie Revillame, airs six days a week
in the Philippines, first premiering in
February 2005.
"It's great, very good," Laoag said.
"We love Willie, we gave him the
nickname Papie."
Young ensembles of sexed-up
singers and dancers hit the stage
during the show -- often for extended
periods of time -- grooving to urban
music, shimming to 1950s pop
classics and gyrating in everything
from hot-pants to evening gowns and
sweater-vests. Sixteen-year-old vocal
prodigy Charice Pempengco -whose YouTube video launched her
to fame -- also performed.
Next came contests that sent
spectators rushing to the stage to
compete in ever evolving off-the-wall
competitions.
Lucio Guzzi isn't from the from the
Philippines, he moved to Canada
from Italy in 1968, but he recently feel
in love with a Filipino woman --and
Wowowee.
"Willie, the people, the music, the
costumes and dancing ... It's
exciting," enthused the 53-year-old
restaurateur, still breathless after
appearing on stage yesterday.
But believe it or not, this is the
second time he has appeared as a
contestant on Wowowee.
"I was on the show in the
Philippines," he said, explaining he
went to a taping earlier this year while
travelling with his girlfriend.
Guzzi walked away from the show
yesterday with $50, a T-shirt and a
massive smile.
"There is a lot of adrenalin," he
said, noting the show's energy is
infectious.
Contestant Beth laughs with host Willie Revillame (left)
In fact, only a few notes of the
Philippine variety show's theme song
was enough to send voices and
hands soaring towards the MTS
Centre's vaulted roof even before the
production was underway.
Spectators paid between $28 and
$148 to watch in the extravaganza,
with some travelling from as far away
as Vancouver and the United States.
a
Personal - Professional
Salon May Bo
Walking distance from Cote Vertu Metro
820Decarie Suite 3
Telephone: 514-883-8856
514-747-2291
september 2008
17
Photo Gallery
A nice family portrait of Marivel and
Martin Riendeau with baby Emilien.
Gilmore International College students and their friends at the Denis
Charbonneau Apple Orchard, September 21, 2008, blessed with fine weather
MSK? Mahilig sa kodak - posing again for a souvenir of the apple picking picnic
Maricel Mamuad with Joven, Edenia
Dulot’s son, with the mascot
John Aquino climbs a ladder to get the
best apples and a better view
Those who missed the first general photo are here for the souvenir
Sept. 30, 2007 photo - not sure if it was published last year but the pumpkins are just
irresistible so we have to make sure it gets published for sure.
CAR -
How much are those bags worth? Bem Bade
and John Aquino have really filled up their
bags for the price paid.
MINI VAN - 4 x 4
Save $1000 - $2000 - $3000
Call Steve 514-963-1212
5800 Cote de Liesse, Ville Mont Royal
www.montrealautoprix.com
The lowest price in Canada
18
FILIPINO STAR
SHOWBIZ GOSSIP
Charice performs duet with Celine
Dion at Madison Square Garden
Earns rave reviews from NY Times, NY Post
"First of all you look spectacular
you're beautiful, you're shaking, how
do you feel? Don't be nervous I think
people will understand that you're
nervous. But let me tell you one thing,
the talent we're not going to talk about
because you have that, we're not
going to talk about strength because
you have that (Celine pointing to
Charice's mom Raquel Pempengco)
and so the love. And I have to tell you
that the family we have to talk about
because you have that too. One time
my manager, my husband told me
'Celine', because when I started to sing
I was 12 years old so 12 and 16, it's the
same, okay?
"He told me 'Celine I know you're
nervous, don't be scared. You love to
sing. When you go up there you'll be
nervous don't be.' I will give you an
image that you can think about, think
about that. All the people you see in
front of you are your brothers and
Charice on stage with Celine on the big
screen at Madison Square Garden
september 2008
sisters. You are singing in your living
room and it's your family," Celine told
Charice.
Celine Dion was deeply moved by Charice
Charice in return said that she was
ready to sing and agreed to dedicate
their song "Because You Loved Me" to
her mother Raquel.
The crowd, in a standing ovation,
roared and praised Celine and Charice
after their performance.
"You did amazing, and the roof of
the Madison (blew) up tonight," said
Celine.
Celine also said that she loved
Charice and that she could not wait to
perform with Charice for a full concert.
"When you do perform in Madison
Square are you going to invite me? I
love you and I can not wait to be with
you to perform here for a whole
concert," Celine said before she let
Charice leave the concert stage. a
Banana Split Girls and their true
working relationship
The country's pride, Charice again
proved that dreams do come true after
she performed a duet with one of her
favorite international stars -- Celine
Dion, September 15, Tuesday at
Madison Square Garden in New York
City.
In the concert dubbed as "Taking
Chances World Tour, "Charice sang
the hit "Because You Loved Me" with
her idol Celine.
The song was actually chosen for
and dedicated to Charice's strength
and love -- her mom Raquel
Pempengco.
In the concert, the Canadian
international star first told the life story
of Charice.
"This young girl's name is Charice.
I'm so excited. She's 16 years old and
she's from the Philippines. Let me tell
you she has a voice that can literally
blow the roof off Madison Square. But
the real story is, Charice and her mom
escaped a terrifying experience and
had to leave Charice's violent father.
You know, to start a life on their own,
Charice vowed to save her mom from
life's desperation. Through prayers
and dreams and God-given talent, an
incredible voice, Charice entered and
won every singing contest in her
native country and eventually got
noticed. By such a fortunate chance
people saw the show on Oprah and
Oprah wanted to take her under her
wing and David Foster joined them.
"I had a chance to see Charice
perform one of my songs in Oprah last
week. I have a little difficulty to talk
right now because I met Charice and
I'm so emotional and so I'm searching
and looking for my words trying to
control my emotion. I invited here to
come her tonight to sing with me...,”
said Celine Dion.
After Celine's lovely introduction to
Charice she invited her to come up on
stage and join her. Celine then told
Charice how spectacular she is and
how she looked really beautiful.
Celine asked the young diva how
she feels to be with her on the same
stage. Charice admitted that she's
nervous but Celine calmed her and
said that she does not have to be.
Banana Split Girls: Cristine Reyes, Angelica Panganiban, Princess Ryan and Dianne Medina
The latest comedy sitcom of ABSCBN is set to launch this coming
October 2008.
During a press
conference held last September 25,
rumors were answered by some of the
girls included in the show. Cristine
Reyes, Angelica Panganiban, Princess
Ryan and Dianne Medina are among
the beautiful ladies who will be
entertaining us in the show.
Other casts of the show like RR
Herrera, Valerie Concepcion, and
Roxanne Ginoo were absent during
the conference because of previous
commitments.
Although reports of competition
have been released, the ladies denied
such reports and told everyone that
they are all friends and are just having
a good time together.
They say they are also spending
some bonding time moments to relieve
them from stress and pressure. It is
also a good time to build camaraderie
among them.
Just last week, Cristine Reyes was
hospitalized due to severe fatigue and
less sleep. She has been taping three
shows consecutively. It’s so nice to
see the happy girls with all the giggles
and short fun stories. We sure hope
that the show and these girls’ career
last. a
19
september 2008
Claudine denies rift with Angelica
on set of 'Iisa Pa Lamang'
Nakakalungkot kasi ang dami niyang
pinagadananaan ngayon," she said.
“Ang hiling ko lang na bilang
kaibigan at katrabaho ni Gabby na
sana ay ipagdasal natin kasi hindi
madali ang pinagdadaanan niya. Ang
tagal niyang hindi nakita ang tatay niya
tapos ito pa ang nangyari. So
ipagdasal natin ng strength pa at grace
from God," she added.
Claudine
also
shared
her
happiness about her two kids -- Sabina
and Santino. Despite being busy
fulfilling her showbiz commitments,
she said she makes sure that she has
quality time for her kids.
"And the babies are big na. Sabina
is doing well in school. Si Santino is
running and running. He's advanced
for his age," she said.
Barretto is married to actor
Raymart Santiago. a
Ogie celebrates 20 years in
showbiz
Claudine Baretto
Angelica Panganiban
ABS-CBN star Claudine Barretto
said that she has nothing against costar Angelica Panganiban, who plays
the role of Scarlet, a kontrabida in the
hit television series "Iisa Pa Lamang."
In an interview, Barretto dismissed
speculations that there's tension
between her and Panganiban on the
set of the series.
"We are very, very close. She's like
my little sister," Barretto said.
The actress said she treats
Panganiban like she does other young
female stars of ABS-CBN.
"Everybody in ABS-CBN, I treat
them as my little sisters," the actress
said.
The youngest of the Barretto
sisters also extended her appreciation
to all the viewers and supporters of the
series.
"Maraming salamat sa suporta
niyo, sa lahat ng nanonood ng 'Iisa Pa
Lamang', sa lahat ng gumagaya ng
lines namin. On behalf of everybody,
our directors, our crew and AD namin,
maraming salamat sa lahat, sobra,"
she said.
Barretto even shared that viewers
will be seeing more interesting twists in
the series.
"Marami pa kayong aabangan,
sobra sobrang daming twist ng 'Iisa Pa
Lamang','" she said.
New movies
Barretto will soon be busy
shooting other movies under Star
Cinema.
"Aside from 'Iisa Pa Lamang', I will
be doing a movie, of course, under
Star Cinema," she said.
Barretto said she hasn't yet been
told what the story of the film is about.
"Maraming nakapila na movies,
and I'm not sure if we are allowed to
say kung ano yon," she explained.
The actress said she will be doing
the movie next year, and it's definitely a
love story.
Condoles with Gabby
Barretto also expressed sympathy and
extended her condolences to the
leading man in the series, Gabby
Concepcion, whose father Rollie
Concepcion passed away last week.
"You know I wasn't able to go to the
funeral or to the wake because I left. I
was out of town, but my prayers are
always with him and his family.
Celebrating his 20 years in show
business, Ogie Alcasid will stage a
grand concert at the Araneta Coliseum
on September 27, 2008. Dubbed as
“20/20,” the show promises a night of
good music, impressive production
numbers, and a roster of A-list talents
who will join this momentous event.
Text by Loretta G. Ramirez, Photos by
Mitch S. Mauricio
For two decades, Ogie Alcasid has
entertained fans here and abroad with
his music and punch lines. The
ultimate singer and a composer has
come up with songs that will continue
to serenade listeners in the years to
come. Talented as he is, Ogie has also
successfully ventured into acting and
hosting. Definitely a total performer, it’s
no surprise that his past 20 years in the
industry have been marked with such
considerable success, and this special
concert is his way of giving thanks to
his fans and friends.
Why 20/20?
“Kasi, 20 years na ako sa showbiz
and hindi ba kapag sinabi mong 20-20,
malinaw ang vision mo? Parang
ganoon, e. Ngayon kasi malinaw na
ang lahat,” Ogie explains.
His
countless
hits
and
unforgettable performances, of course,
did not remain unnoticed. With five
Gold Records, three Platinum
Records, three Double Platinum
Records, eight TV shows and 30
movies under his belt, Ogie has
nothing more to prove and “20/20” will
mark another milestone for the singer-
Ogie Alcasid
songwriter who shows no signs of
slowing down.
Directed by Rowell Santiago and
Gerard Salonga, the grand celebration
will be graced by top celebrities, led by
his girlfriend, Asia’s Songbird, Regine
Velasquez. "Kasama din sina Gary
Valenciano, Piolo Pascual, Michael V.,
Judy Ann Santos, Marian Rivera, Kyla,
Jaya, and more,” Ogie confirms.
He adds that his children, Leila
and Sarah, will be flying in from
Australia with their mom, Michelle Van
Eimeren, to join the festivities. It will be
the first time that his daughters will
watch him perform live in such a major
event.
“Watch the concert. Enjoy the
music that you've been enjoying for the
past 20 years. This is my way of
thanking ‘yung mga bumili ng mga CD
ko and watched my concerts for the
past 20 years," concludes the musical
genius. a
Bong’s 42nd birthday bash, a Cristine Reyes
suicide rumor
success
Bong Revilla & wife Lani Mercado
Actor-politician Mr. Bong Revilla
celebrated his 42nd birthday last
September 24 at C3 Events Place in
Greenhills, San Juan. Aside from his
close relatives and immediate family
with wife Lani Mercado, Bong was
given a taste of his women in the past
like Gretchen Barretto, Ruffa Gutierrez,
and Ruffa Mae Quinto.
Gretchen came to the party with
close friend Ruffa, who both dealt with
the snobbing issue with Lani.
Gretchen’s message was “To Lani and
Bong, I hope that you’ll happy
forever!” And she said this with all
smiles and giggles.
The party was a star studded affair
with people from showbiz and politics.
Close friends also came like Ogie
Alcasid, Aga Muhlach, Eddie Gutierrez
and wife Annabelle Rama, Anjo Yllana,
William Martinez, Michelle Madrigal,
Lovi Poe, yasmien Kurdi, Marivin
Arayata, Lolit Solis, German Moreno,
Miriam Quiambao, Motherd Lily, Jenny
Miller, Carlene Aguilar, Wilma Galvante
and so much more.
Bong said he is so happy and very
much excited to see his second apo
which is a girl this time. a
laughs
off
Cristine Reyes laughs off the
rumor that she was confined in a
hospital after she tried killing herself by
drinking an entire bottle of perfume
from Victoria’s Secret. It’s said she had
a fight with her mom who refused to
give her money.
"Ngayon pa ba ko magsu-suicide
na tatlo ang shows ko?" she says. "May
dalawa kong teleserye, ‘Kahit Isang
Saglit’ and ‘Eva Fonda,’ tapos may
gag show pa akong ‘Banana Split.’
Walang reason para tapusin ko ang
buhay ko."
Could it be she tried to commit
suicide because Dennis Trillo dumped
her? "Naospital ako dahil sa sobrang
kapaguran. Kabi-kabila ang tapings ko
kaya bumigay ang katawan ko. Bahala
na kayo kung gusto o ayaw n’yong
maniwala." a
Christine Reyes
More Showbiz Gossip - SEE PAGE 21
20
september 2008
Showbiz Gossip
21
september 2008
Continued from p.19
Gabby’s dad dies of a ‘broken
heart’ at age 72
“My dad was driving. It was around
8:20 p.m. They stopped at a traffic light
along Shaw Boulevard (in Mandaluyong
City) and that’s when my dad had chest
pains. He reached for his medicine kit
but it was too late. Mang Rolly doesn’t
drive. Luckily, a good Samaritan came
to their rescue and drove them to the
nearby Lourdes Hospital. He was
declared DOA (Dead on Arrival).”
Gabby was in a Makati meeting with
his lawyer when it happened.
Rollie’s remains lie at the chapel of
the family-run O.B. Montessori de San
Juan, Montessori Lane corner P.
Guevarra St., San Juan City. Interment
date will be set by Gabby’s mom, Baby
Arellano, who is arriving from the States
today with Gabby’s sister Rina and
brother Jojo. Gabby’s brother Dinky is
arriving tomorrow, also from the States.
The three other Concepcion siblings are
based here.
Gabby said that his main purpose in
coming home was to visit his father. In
an interview with Funfare during the
week of Gabby’s arrival, Rollie said that
it was Gabby who was regularly buying
his medicines in the States and sending
them here.
Gabby is in the cast of the ABS-CBN
soap Iisa Pa Lamang with, among
others, Susan Roces.
“These past few days,” observed
Dolor Guevarra, Susan’s manager,
“Gabby was obviously ‘bothered’;
parang he couldn’t concentrate on his
acting and Susan tried to console him.”
a
Joyce Jimenez gets stitches after car
crash
discharged anytime Tuesday.
Faimly picture: Rollie Concepcion with son Gabby
Six months after his much-awaited,
long-delayed reunion with son Gabby
Concepcion (who came home last
March from the States after 13 years),
Rollie Concepcion died of a massive
heart attack Tuesday night. He was 72.
“He died of a broken heart,” said
Nadia Montenegro, Gabby’s friend,
meaning literally and figuratively.
The tragedy has to happen while
Gabby is enmeshed in a court case with
his manager Rose Flaminiano who filed
a P22-M “breach of contract” suit
against Gabby. But Gabby said that
there were “discrepancies” in the fiveyear contract. Flaminiano, who helped
Gabby come home, accused him of
“walang utang na loob” (ingrate) even if
showbiz-watchers
claimed
that
Flaminiano “moved heaven and earth”
to bring back Gabby because she knew
that he’s a “gold mine.”
In an interview with Funfare
yesterday, Gabby said that his father
was gravely affected by the controversy.
“To divert his mind, I even asked
him to take a vacation in Palawan,” said
Gabby. “I found out that Rose had been
calling up my dad and I pleaded with
her to leave my dad alone and not to get
him involved. I told her that we could
sort out the problem between the two of
us, without her bothering my dad. Pero
hindi niya ako pinagbigyan. I told her,
‘Hindi ko ito malilimutan if something
bad happened to my dad’.”
According to Gabby, his dad, who
had been on medication for a heart
ailment and confined to a motorized
wheelchair, and a business partner,
identified as “Mang Rolly,” were on their
way to Makati from the Concepcion
home in San Juan City when it
happened.
Joyce Jimenez
Actress Joyce Jimenez suffered cuts
and bruises but is otherwise OK after
figuring in a car accident in Urdaneta,
Pangasinan early Monday, doctors said.
Dr. Romel Menguito of Medical City
Pasig's general surgery section said
Jimenez will need to undergo suturing for
lacerations on her forehead. He said
Jimenez did not suffer any broken bones,
according to x-rays.
He added that the actress could be
ABS-CBN's morning show “Umagang
Kay Ganda” reported that Jimenez, road
manager Don Boy Espiritu and personal
assistant Lenlen Transpote were on their
way back to Manila around 3 a.m. from a
taping in Baguio City when the accident
occurred.
The vehicle, a Toyota Forerunner,
reportedly flipped four times after it tried
to avoid an oncoming truck.
Jimenez was reportedly wearing a
seatbelt, which prevented her from
suffering a more serious injury.
Jimenez’s friend, actress and host
Ruffa Gutierrez, earlier said Jimenez
would be transferred to The Medical City
after being admitted to a hospital in
Pangasinan.
Gutierrez said Jimenez was sitting in
front of the car and sleeping.
“[The]
airbag worked. It saved her life!”
Gutierrez said in a text message.
Jimenez, who got married recently in
the United States, is in the Philippines to
promote her lingerie business. a
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22
From Page 9
Interview
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.ikes-world.com
Tzoubari: Oh, no. no, This file is 14
years old. The government, when you
started this, I saw the date, it’s 2006.
The government is new, they just
became the government in 2006.
Consider the 14 years before that. This
file did not start with the Conservatives.
A lot of people blame the
Conservatives because they take only a
spot. This file started long before that.
Just like the soldiers in Afghanistan people forget who sent the soldiers to
Afghanistan It was a fait accompli,
when the Conservatives came to
power, the soldiers were already there they were just not equipped it was a
situation you came into when they just
started to be in power. However, this
should be taken cared of. I hope I will
be there to help you.
(For lack of space, we could not quote
the interview in its entirety. The rest of
the interview centered on why the
Filipino community has always voted
Liberal. He wondered what the Liberals
had done for the community. He said
that we should be more discriminating
in giving our votes, not just to give it
“carte blanche.” He said: “If you’re
giving your vote so easily, you’re not
getting anything back. Let them fight
for it.. Let the Conservatives or the
Liberals fight for your vote. You have
given your votes to them for many
years. What have they done for you??
However, he said that change iis
starting to happen in voters attitude
and that the Consesrvatives are gaining
ground - among the Jewish population,
it’s 28-29%. He therefore pointed out
that the Filipino vote will decide on who
will be the next MP because of our big
population in this area.
The interview ended with the
final message that the election is not
really only on October 14 which is the
last day. People can vote every day,
one can go to Decarie Square with two
pieces of ID and vote. There will be
advance polling on October 3, 4 and 6,
2008 (in more than one location.)
INTERVIEW WITH MR. COTLER
The following day, September
18, we came to Mr. Cotler’s office for
the interview which lasted more than
half an hour. Our main topic is about
the reasons why he wanted to run
again after so many terms and what is
the difference between the Liberals and
the Conservative. As a voter, why
should I vote for the Liberals again?
Mr. Cotler’s reply is quoted
hereunder:
I must admit that I had thought
seriously whether I should run again. It
is an important commitment but I have
to say as I told the Philippine
Benevolent and Scholarship Society
several days ago that I regard this as
both an honor and a privilege to
represent this riding, a riding in which I
grew up, a riding in which I still live, a
riding where the values and aspirations
of people here really reflect and
represent my own, and I believe that I
also have the best constituency office
not only in Quebec but in the country,
and I want to ensure that the same
quality of service, involvement and
commitment for the people in this
riding, including the
Filipino
community, an important component of
the riding, permeates. I will in a
moment outline my agenda for action
and what distinguishes us from the
Conservatives, and why that agenda for
action is yet another reason for me in
wanting to run because of those issues
we are involved in which are continuing
and I want to continue further and I like
mention that in every campaign, that
the first group I happen to address
when an election is announced turns
out to be the Filipino community. The
first group I intend to address after the
election is over and I have been
fortunate to win the election has been
the Filipino community so I hope that
tradition will continue.
And now to go to the second
and most important question - what
distinguishes
us
from
the
Conservatives, for example, which
relates also to what is my agenda for
Mount Royal, for Quebec, and Canada
which is also related to why I believe it’s
important for me to run again. How we
can advance that agenda if the Liberal
Party will form the government and
even if we don’t form the government, I
will still fight for this agenda. The first
which I mentioned again to the
Philippine Benevolent and Scholarship
Society is the promotion and protection
of the Canadian Charter of Rights and
Freedoms. I believe as someone who
is involved in initially for over 25 years
ago in the drafting of the Charter and as
one who had the responsibility to
enforce the Charter as the Minister of
Justice and the Attorney General of
Canada, I believe that the Charter has a
transformative impact not only on our
laws but also on our lives. Wherever I
go in this country and I speak to women’s groups, minorities, or
immigrants, the disadvantaged, and
wherever I go, I ask them - Are you
better off now with the charter than you
were before the charter? The answer
is invariably yes. That’s why all public
opinion polls on this at least show 85%
of Canadians believe in the importance
of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
What differentiates us from the
Conservatives, is for me, when I was
Minister and as a member of
Parliament, the Charter of Rights is the
centerpiece of my policy, a center
piece of the policy of the Liberal Party the Liberal party is the party for the
charter, for the people of the charter, for
the children of the charter, for
successive generations. Regrettably,
the Conservatives have marginalized
the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
They don’t even show up - I attended
four major commemorative occasions
on the 25th anniversary of the Charter
of Rights and Freedoms which we were
celebrating. The Conservatives did not
have any representation or presence at
any of those things. And we also
translated the Charter into the Filipino
language. Secondly, let me talk about
another
fundamental
difference
between us and the Conservatives, and
this is a matter of principle as well as a
matter of policy. We believe and I’ve
said this previously that the test of a just
society, the kind of society we wish to
live in is how does it treat the most
vulnerable amongst us - children,
women, minorities, immigrants, I could
go on. Now it’s not just as a matter of
rhetoric. It’s a matter of how we
actually act on that commitment. The
first legislation that I introduced when
I was Minister of Justice was a law
called the protection of children and
other vulnerable persons. I might add
that I got the inspiration from my
daughter who was 15 years of age at
that time said to me - Daddy, if you
want to know the real test of human
rights - always ask yourself anytime in
any situation, in any part of the world, is
it good for children? That is why we
named the law Gilles law, she inspired
that law. Children’s rights are a priority
for us, therefore, we have reinserted
our comprehensive child care system
with early learning development.
Before the Conservatives came into
power, we had already
secured
federal-provincial agreements for a
comprehensive child care system but
the Conservatives dismantled that
comprensive agreement and therefore
the 125 000 childcare spaces that
could have been created were not
created. So, we are not only referring
that policy but we are broadening it.
Stéphane Dion has announced our
initiative with regards to child care. I’ll
give you a copy of it.
With regard to women, again
as Minister of Justice, I had the
opportunity to enact the first ever law
to protect against trafficking of women
and children, and we had as our model
with regards to trafficking, the
prevention of trafficking, prosecution of
traffickers, and protecting the victims of
traffickers in almost every community.
in particular, the minority community
has been a victim of trafficking. And
that is on the issue of women where
again I think we can differentiate
ourselves from the Conservatives.
Let me now go to immigration.
I think immigration is of major
importance.
The
Conservative
government
sought
to
initiate
legislation, before they dissolved
parliament, and this is one good thing
about dissolving parliament or we
would have brought them down on this
issue, they were going to change the
immigration
policy
and
give
discretionery powers to the Minister of
Immigration which arbitrarilly would
have
limited
the categories of
people..They were going to tighten the
categories that we wish to broaden to
facilitate immigration into this country,
they would give discretionary powers t
the Minister which would have
arbitrarily limited not only the number
of people but also the categories of
people, they would have diminished
the importance of family reunification
and that’s why Stéphane Dion of our
party announced
a whole new
immigration policy and immigration
fund in order to facilitate immigration to
Canada to broaden the opportunities
and access to become permanent
residents to enhance the opportunity to
get credit for credentials whether it
would be in regards to doctors or
nurses from foreign countries or people
who have been delayed to secure work
in this country. a full comprehensive
development in that regard and I would
give that to you as well. The Liberals
would like to restore and streamline
immigration system. Now, we will
september 2008
therefore invest a total of 800 million
dollars in new federal funding to to
clear immigration backlog towelcome
more immigrants and to ensure that
they succeed. I know this issue well, I
chaired a cabinet committee on
immigration and refugees when I was a
Minister in the Liberal government.
These are the things we were
proposing before we got defeated in
2006. These are the things we are
going to do, a whole set of issues. For
us, it defines us as a country - what we
will do for immigrants is a reflection of
how we deal with those who are the
most vulnerable amongst us. So when
we want to make a just society, we
don’t only make speeches about it, we
want to say what we concretely are
going to do and immigration is an
example what we concretely are going
to do and with regard to childcare, it’s
also concretely what we will do in that
regard as I mentioned to you before.
Let me go to the next area and
that is health care. I think health care is
not only a crucial test of what kind of
society do we want to live in - the
Filipino community has been intricately
involved as healthcare professionals in
the delivery of health care and the like,
We believe that we have a desperate
shortage in this country with respect to
doctors, nurses and other health care
professionals, and that we have
deficiencies in the matter of
pharmacare and home care, and so we
have announced a major initiative - a
doctors and nurses fund in order to
invest 420 million dollars to train
doctors and nurses and other
professionals to keep up with the
increase of demand.
Too many
Canadians are without a family
physician - they wait too long in
emergency rooms, I don’t have to tell
you about all the problems we have the lack of sufficient health care
professionals. This will be the doctors
and nurses fund which will address that
concern. Also, several days ago, we
announced 900 million dollars to deal
with catastrophic drugs for cancer
patients and diabetes patients.
Nobody should have to make a
decision, a terrible and difficult decision
to impair health care, the drugs that
they may need and the limitations of
their budget. So we are therefore now
going to have 900 million dollars
pharmacare system . But the main
thing here is, as I put it, the doctors and
nurses fund, what it is going to do is
that it will increase capacity to train
graduate doctors and nurses and
medical technicians, and remove the
bottlenecks. This is also very important
for your community. We also have a
slow process of licensing - new
healthcare professionals - another item
that is important to the Filipino
community and new immigrants. We
will provide financial support to assist
foreign trained health professionals to
obtain their Canadian qualifications
more quickly or award medical
students .When I was at the meeting of
the
Philippine
Benevolent
&
Scholarship Society, I sat to a young
Filipino student who is doing a masters
in biomedical ethics Those students
choosing needed specialties in family
medicine, geriatrics, will be given
support. This is going to be a whole
september 2008
new initiative in the area of health care.
Now we move on to the area
of education - which is also a crucial
area. We will provide major support for
students and for research. In other
words, we will increase support for
students to make learning more
accessible and we will significantly
increase research funds so that more
Canadians can succeed in the 21st
century knowledge-based economy.
Here are the list of the measures we
are going to take. What we will do
essentially is to make post secondary
education
more
accessible.
Education is of major value to the
Filipino community. A series of
measures which will provide about
200,000 needs-based bursaries, 3500
per year, by the 4th year, our plan will
reduce the number of Canadians for
whom cost remains an insurmountable
barrier to education. When I talked to
Filipino students the other night, I
heard about their problems of access
to higher education, the problem of the
cost being a barrier to higher
education. We are going to ensure
that every student is entitled to $5000
student loan regardless of parental
income, and also guarantee a lower
interest rate for all student loans, etc.
That’s just regarding students. We will
allso offer research and development
support
to
universities.
The
Conservatives have done nothing
about pharmacare, they have done
nothing to address the shortage of
healthcare professionals, and that is
why we have a doctors and nurses
fund.
They have not addressed
sufficiently the issue of caregivers
which we are going to do. In the
matter of child care, as I mentioned,
we had an initiative
that the
Conservatives dismantled. We are
going to go back to that initiative. We
have a commitment to universal early
education. If elected, we will create
125 000 childcare spaces available.
Two and a half years ago, we have our
plan with Minister Ken Dryden, but the
Conservatives dismantled it.
On
healthcare, we showed you the
differences, on immigration, we
showed you the differences, on
education, we have differences and on
anti-poverty, which is a priority for us,
we call the 30-50 plan. With regard to
poverty, we want to reduce poverty by
1/3 in this country, we want to reduce
poverty amongst children by 50% over
the next five years. The Conservatives
do not even have a plan. People may
criticize our plans. We are prepared to
improve them. At least people can tell
us how we can improve our plans but
they don’t have a plan at all. With
regard to anti-poverty, it is a priority for
us. Health care, childcare, educational
access to immigration are not their
priorities. And finally, in our list of
priorities in the whole area of social
justice is judicare - legal aid system for
people.
Before we lost the last
election, as Minister of Justice and
Attorney General, I secured an
agreement with all provincial ministers
of justice. We unanimously agreed
upon to set up a sustainable legal aid
system for civil and criminal legal aid.
The
Conservative
government
scrapped that also..
So here is
another area of difference. It’s not my
style to be critical but what I am saying
are concrete facts. We’re delivering on
this . Before we got defeated, we had
a national policy to create a
comprehensive and sustainable policy
program for criminal justice. The
Conservatives just did not follow this
when they became the government.
(The rest of the interview
cannot be quoted in its entirety so we
have to summarize the remaining
parts. Mr. Cotler continued to present
the differences in policies between the
Liberals and the Conservatives. He
said that even though people may
criticize their plans, at least they have a
plan, unlike the Conservatives who do
not have any.
It would appear from Mr.
Cotler’s presentation that there are
many programs which the Liberals
introduced and which have been
scrapped or dismantled by the
Conservatives when they became the
government.
For example, the
childcare
plan,
healthcare,
immigration, educatiion programs,
legal aid system, human rights
legislation, and foreign policy. He also
pointed out that the Conservatives
23
engaged in spending which wiped out
the
surplus
that
the
Liberal
government left behind. Instead of
being the best economy of the G8
countries, now Canada is considered
as having the worst economy of the G8
countries according to economists.
Another point that was
brought out in the interview is the
claim that the economy is not as well
managed as it has been when the
Liberals were in power. They were
able to finance all the different
programs because of the economic
surplus. But since there is no more
surplus, the Conservatives could not
afford to have any plans which they
canot afford to finance.
Mr. Cotler also offered an
explanation of Green Shift plan by
presenting the Triple E initiative” - 1)
Protecting the environment, 2) Energy
Technology
3)
Improving
the
Economy.
With
regards
to
the
immigration processing fee that has
been lowered by the Conservatives,
Mr. Cotler pointed out that even if that
is true, the restrictive policies of the
Conservatives do not compare well
with the Liberals’ open and
comprehensive policy on immigration.
In particular, they have proposed the
Canada Fast Track measure which will
allow tempoary workers, international
students and live-in caregivers to apply
for permanent residence within
Canada.
24
september 2008
Education raises the bar
but lowers the barriers to a rewarding career.
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Certified International Trade
Professional (C.I.T.P.)
Administrative Assistant
COURSES
Personal Support Worker (Nursing Aide)
•
Languages - English, 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
• Integration of Foreign Graduates
of Nursing (Permit Pending)
• Early Childhood Education
Assistant
Sunday French class - from left: Maricel Mamuad, Hesil Bariguez, Imelda Abenoja, Z.
Kharroubi (teacher), Mary Ann Solidarios, Christé Lusdoc, and Helen Rose Molino
Seminars:
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Telephone: 514-485-7861
Fax: 514-485-3076
Website: gilmorecollege.com
SNOWDON
To register by appointment,
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New classes start as soon as
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Filipino Star - September 2008 Issue

Transcription

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