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WINTERLUDE: CLEARING THE WAY FOR SPRING.

YEAR 10, No. 9 March 2007 Home Paper of the 1999 Canadian Ethnic Journalists’ and Writers’ Club Winner for Best Editorial Toronto, Ontario

Longer job stay for temp foreign labor(See page 7)

‘STOP LYING’‘STOP LYING’ PINOY IMMIGRANTS AGREE : NO TO SECOND-CLASS TREATMENT

(Stories on page 4)Gov’t asked to give status to Pinay live-in caregiver

Hopeless romantics

-- 6

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3MARCH 2007 Manila Media Monitor CALENDAR

CALENDAR is a public service feature of Manila Media Monitor and the Philippine Consulate Toronto through Leilani Medi-na.

MARCH 21: The Most Races Show on Earth! stand-up comedy show, Panasonic Theatre, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

MARCH 24: Club Filipino of Brampton, Capi-tol Banquet Hall, Mississauga.

MARCH 25: Filipino Center Toronto Induction of Offi cers

MARCH 30: Opening of the Brampton East Employment Resource Center

MARCH 31: Sto. Domingo Filipino Associa-tion in Canada Event

MARCH 31: Candace Santos in The Phenom-enal Candace Live in Concert, Metropol Ban-quet Hall and Theatre, March 31.

APRIL 14: The APO Experience (Apo Hiking Society), Living Arts Centre Hammerson Hall, Mississauga.

APRIL 28: Philippine Independence Day Council Little Miss Philippines Pageant.

MAY 6: Philippine Independence Day Council Mr. & Ms. Philippines Pageant.

MAY 24-27: De La Salle Alumni Association 6th World Congress hosted by the Toronto Chapter, Holiday Inn Select Airport

JUNE 2: Will Ganzon Dinner-Dance Show, Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Parish Dance Hall, 6:30 p.m.

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4Manila Media Monitor

MARCH 2007NEWSNews

“But as of now, we can only agree with (New Dem-ocratic Party {NDP} leader Jack) Layton when he said: The government needs to stop lying to immigrants,” Efren, 33, a native of Ma-jayjay, Laguna, told Manila Media Monitor.

Layton recently stressed this as he called on the Con-servative government to tell the people what happened to the $307 million earmarked last year to improve settle-ment programs.

In 2006, the federal gov-ernment also promised to allot $18 million for offi ces and agencies to assess and recognize immigrants’ for-eign credentials.

It has been nine long months since the vows were made; yet no action has been taken, Layton said.

In a recent question pe-riod in the House of Com-mons, Layton blasted the Harper government for re-neging on its promises.

Efren, together with wife Mila, expected the high positive assessment they got from the immigration consul at the Canadian Embassy in Manila would land them into jobs, at least commensurate with their academic quali-fi cations and professional experiences -- Efren being a civil engineer and Mila, a certifi ed public accountant.

“Our professions were on the list of needed jobs posted on the embassy walls then, and we were looking forward to doing what we have been trained to do and knew we could do well,” Efren said.

Like many of the mil-lions of immigrants from all over the globe who set foot in Canada in search of the good life, Efren and Mila later regretably and disap-pointingly found out that the only jobs available for them were as hands in stores, factories, streets, seniors’ homes, etc.

“We were lucky then in the late 60s, when jobs we were tailored to do back in the Philippines were abun-dant here. ‘Ika nga, lima singko, sila pa ang nagha-

habol sa iyo,” recalled Mang Carlo, a retiree.

“Frankly the government is treating new immigrants like second-class citizens. It is failing the new Canadians in this country because it does not allow them to use the skills, the talents, the ex-perience and the credentials that they have brought with them,” Layton said.

“We feel duped. Why assess us for nothing?” la-mented Rosa, 29, a Manila top-notch college summa cum laude grad, who left a well-paying comfortable nursing job, thinking she could do better in Canada.

Her seemingly impec-cable credentials were only good for a part-time day-care job, as many of the in-stitutions she applied with wanted to try her fi rst as a volunteer.

Rosa said she has been saving money for her return to Inang Bayan, never to come back to a hostile host.

Another plan?Layton said the NDP has

put forward a seven-point plan to speed up the rec-ognition of credentials and employment experience of immigrants.

The proposal was based on years of consultation and

working with immigrant-serving agencies and new Canadians, Layton said.

The plan batted for the creation of an agency with online and toll free line facilities where potential immigrants could access information on assessment criteria, education and li-censing bodies and recogni-tion processes.

Information and pre-as-sessments would also be

STOP LYING TO IMMIGRANTS

made available at orienta-tion sessions in international visa offi ces so potential im-migrants could get assess-ment and accreditation prior to their arrival to Canada.

The plan included coor-dinating with professional bodies and provincial ac-creditation offi ces to ensure a uniform recognition process nationwide; the conduct of more mentorship and train-ing programs for newcom-

ers; and the establishment of reciprocity agreements so that immigrants arriving in Canada would be work ready.

“I’d love to attend the bridge training courses be-ing offered. But between spending the money I brought with me to get my-self and my family through the high cost of Canadian living and on an expensive course or program that can

only promise something I still have to compete for, I chose the fi rst,” quipped Re-nato, a lawyer from Cebu.

“So I had to take on a survival job, which is not among the jobs catalogued on embassy data and immi-gration ads. Anyway, how can I fi nish a training course on an empty stomach?” he asked.

Survival jobs never pro-vided surpluses to fund tu-ition or professional upgrad-ing.

Do moreLayton chided the gov-

ernment to do more, say-ing visa processes and the points system used to as-sess immigrant applications should jive.

“The tragic fact is that we lure people to come here, we give them points for their experience, and their profes-sional credentials,” he said, adding “they come here and the doors are simply closed,”

BY ACE ALVAREZ and BUTCH GALICIA

Not one. Not 10. Not even 100 or 1,000. Tens of thousands of over 118,200 immigrants from

the Philippines who arrived since 1996 are still feeling the pinch of giving up most, if not all, of their prized possessions to anxiously exact expectations of milk and honey in a taunted highly-developed country.

And if they had their way and the cash to boot to start afresh, they would rather return to the homeland, not only to avoid the cold and harsh Canadian weather but also the cold and harsh treatment they get from a government callous to their plight and the surprisingly similar-to-the-Philippines semantics, rather than con-crete action, from politicians.

UNRECOGNIZED, WASTED: Potential mass of intelligent and professionally-trained immigrants

(Continued on page 18)

JACK LAYTON JIM KARYGIANNISDIANE FINLEY

Gov’t asked to grant permanent residencystatus to Filipino live-in caregiver

Live-In Caregiver Program (LICP) gradu-ate Juana Tejada’s dream of becoming a permanent resident is taking shape.

Health offi cials have reaffi rmed, in a letter re-ceived on March 8, Te-jada’s Ontario Health In-surance Program (OHIP) coverage. She got her OHIP card the next day.

Community leader Gene Lara said the reaf-fi rmation would enable Tejada to get much-needed and rather costly $40,000 treatment for

lung cancer, a medical set-back that had immigration authorities put on hold her application for permanent residency, as health offi cials subsequently suspended her OHIP coverage.

An applicant for per-manent residency could be ineligible for status if found with a criminal record or a serious medical problem.

Tejada had foregone treatment for almost a year since the health department suspended her OHIP cover-age, Lara told members of the Philippine Press Club

Ontario during a March 10 breakfast forum.

It was not until Febru-ary when she fi nally went through a CT scan and bi-opsy, courtesy of immigrant advocates, community and church leaders who raised $1,000 for her, Lara said.

“It’s such a relief for everyone. We hope it’s still not too late. The more delay she has with her treatment, the more dangerous it will be for her,” Lara was ear-lier quoted by Toronto Star’s Nicholas Keung.

But early March, after-

Star profi led Tejada’s plight, health offi cials wrote Tejada, saying she had “met the re-quirements” and was “eli-gible” for continuous On-tario health coverage “from June 15, 2003 until Aug. 28, 2007,” when her open work visa would expire.

The same letter said OHIP would pay back any outstanding medical claims.

The Star earlier reported that Tejada had worked two years as a nanny, hoping to later reunite with her hus-band, parents and six sib-lings in Canadian soil.

In January 2006, she was fi nally eligible to apply for residency and went for the required medical exam, which turned her dream into a nightmare as Tejada was to learn she had devel-oped lung cancer.

Star’s Keung earlier reported (Tejada) found herself stuck in a Catch-22: She needed to be in good health to pass the medical requirement for immigration but couldn’t get treatment because


5Manila Media MonitorMARCH 2007 News

Gov’t asked to reconsider ...(From page 4)OHIP denied her benefi ts as long as the medical clearance was outstanding.

“This is a per-fect case of a hard-working person falling through the cracks of our immigration and health systems,” Sister Celeste Reinhart of St. Jamestown’s Our Lady of Lourdes Church told the Toronto Star.

Tejada had found a job with a Tim Horton’s outlet, but she still had to send money to the Philippines to support her fami-ly, leaving herself enough to get her through under the roof of a relative in North York.

Meanwhile , Lara said groups that initiated a fund drive to help Tejada also hoped immigra-tion offi cials would somehow open their hearts and help Tejada become a perma-nent resident.

“This woman has given three years of her life caring for a cou-ple of Canadian families and their children.,” Sr. Re-inhart said. “This is a time for us to show our grati-tude for her hard work.”

Dear Kababayan: Back home, we know that you have not lost your social consciousness to the North

American wind. We are familiar with stories about the charity programs you support in the homeland and are elated by your good intentions but disheartened because of the dole-out attitude such charity programs engender among our fellowmen.

Having seen what direct dole-outs do to increase our people’s dependence on charity, we have resolved never to succumb to the temptation of no-strings attached contributions. There is simply too much mendicancy and very little imagination going around. As a reac-tion, the trend these days among NGOs is to provide a fi shing rod, rather than serve the fi sh, to their clients.

Our foundation, organized years ago by all the major TV networks operating in the country, lives by that tenet. It is called the Southeast Asian Foundation for Children and Television but more familiar as Anak TV. To give you a clear picture of the organization, who runs it, its chief advocacy and key projects, visit our website: <anaktvweb.com>.

Our focus is responsible television, especially because it impacts on our vulnerable children who today are unable to see themselves as Asian or Filipino simply because the economy does not allow stations to produce enough local material. On the one hand, the advocacy promotes child-sensitive TV; it also pursues family-friendly and prudent view-ing on the other.

It is in the area of responsibly-made, quality TV programs FOR Filipino children where we wish to interest you and the Filipino associations you belong to.

There is a shocking dearth of material for kids back home. This is awful considering that nearly half our population is under 18, technically kids. In a predominantly one-TV-set-per-household environment and where TV literacy, in particular, and media education in general, is absent, you can expect that our Pinoy kids are exposed to the same inanities as their adult companions at home: telenovelas, reality shows, showbiz gossip programs, stupid comedies and talent contests.

Whatever programs there are for kids, whether in the pre-school, grade school or high school brackets, are oftentimes canned shows imported from Japan, US, Australia, Taiwan, Korea or Britain. There are only two (2) locally produced programs genuinely for kids and as we write, their existence could be endangered.

To be sure, there is no lack of artistic gift in the country. On the contrary, there is a surfeit of talent in the writing, production design, TV research and performance fi elds such

An Appeal from the Homeland


AT THE FORUM. Community leader Gene Lara appeals for moral and fi nan-cial support to help 37-year old caregiver Juana Tejada Lara attain her dream - that of becoming a Canadian permanent resident. Tejada is trying to sur-vive symptoms of lung cancer that must be treated so immigration offi cials can reconsider her application for status. Lara spoke before members of the Philippine Press Club Ontario (PPCO) under President Tenny Soriano (5th from left) during the club’s breakfast forum at Casa Manila on March 10. Fo-rum chair is PPCO director Tony Sicat. Photo: LARRY TORRES/Innovations


MARCH 2007

Hopeless romantics

Views

Ace Alvarez

A Toronto Star news item fi rst week of March states, “Ontario needs more doctors.”

Dah! They’re driving taxicabs in Toronto al-ready!

***Another Toronto Star

headline on Sunday, March 4, yells, “Holy Profi t”.

The story partly stated, “While 3,000 mostly poor congregants donate as much as 10% of their earnings to the evangelical Prayer Pal-ace, Pastor Paul Melnichuk and his sons drive luxury cars and live in multi-mil-lion dollar mansions.”

Hhhhmmm. I think I want to organize my own evangelical group, too. Kaya, mga kapatid ….

***Almost every Friday

before noontime, singer and Philippine Press Club-Ontario (PPC-O) member Chito Sarabia e-mails out his “TGIF” (for :Thank

God, it’s Friday).Anybody of you who

knows Chito Sarabia per-sonally please don’t every ask the guy the following, “How’s your job, Chito?” or “How was your day at work, Chito?”

The answer rests on that regular e-mail every Friday morning.

***For her help in dissemi-

nating regular information to Manila Media Monitor readers and viewers of TV program Front Page Philip-pines, the two media outlets

gave a very nice plaque of appreciation to Philippine Consulate General’s offi ce Public Information Offi cer Caroline Martin recently after the completion of her tour of duty in Canada.

True that the simple ceremonies held at the Con-sulate General’s offi ce was delayed.

Reason: Manila Media Monitor Editor Butch Gali-cia - who was tasked with the preparation of the cer-tifi cate of recognition had a hard time looking for a frame.

Wal-Mart and all the stores could not come out with an 11” x 8.5” frame af-ter the Philippine Indepen-dence Day Council (PIDC) gave Certifi cates of Appre-ciation to all its volunteers, member organizations, me-dia and everybody some-time back.

***Myrna Soriano, wife

of PPC-O President Ten-

SARABIA

ny Soriano, inquired with Manila Media Monitor, why the February, 2007 issue came out two days after the publication’s usual release date.

Unto Myrna, this writer - who manages the publication, states, “We beg for your very kind understanding. Much as we wanted to release the paper as regularly sched-uled, we were derailed at the other end of the work fl ow. Our graphics people at Trimedia Networks, namely Danny Samson, Jun Afable and Erlinda Domingo did not want to work on February 14. They’re the very romantic type and wanted to cel-ebrate Valentine’s Day”.

***Re the request made by

this publication’s graphics artist, MMM editor Butch Galicia replied to me, “No probs. A day, or two, would not make a difference. Sa

atin naming mga pilayboy, araw-araw ay Valentines Day.” Another very roman-tic guy.

Note to advertisers: So, if you need to advertise your products, or services, saan pa kayo mag-a-advertise, e, di dito na sa Manila Media Monitor. Mga romantiko ang mga tao dito, at hindi masusungit! Telepono bi-lang (416) 285-8583.

***PPC-O member Faye

Arellano on a photo taken during the breakfast fo-rum hosted by PPC-O at Casa Manila: “Thanks Ariel (referring to PPC-O member Ariel Ramos who took the photo). Reminds me of high school class pictures …. Mukhang well-behaved tayong la-hat ano? Hahahahaha … Cheers ….

***This writer to Butch

Galicia on a press release that a family will estab-

PSST, MAY PULIS. BEHAVE MUNA!

lish this and that in their hometown somewhere in the Philippines: “Please hold the item until we see something. For me it’s bet-ter to tinker with my electri-cal system at home, rather than tinker with some items coming to us, because the latter zaps us more, rather than the electrical system at our homes.

“As Chito Sarabia stat-ed in one of his TGIF items, After everything is said and done, more is said than done.”

***Butch Galicia replied,

quoting our print journal-ism mentor, the late Bert Corvera - whom we both place at a special place in our hearts (sabi sa inyo, romantiko kami, e): “Sabi nga ni Bert, don’t believe anything until you see, hear, smell, taste and feel something.”

***(Continued on page 20)

Manila Media MonitorMARCH 2007 7 News

VANCOUVER - Temporary foreign workers can stay on the job for up to 24 months without having to ask for an extension.

Employers can also start using the online services of the Human Resources and Social Develop-ment (HRSDC) ministry to apply for a labor market opinion (LMO) and, upon request, the ministries of Citizenship and Immigration (CIC) and HRSDC will process work permits and LMO’s simul-taneously.

HRSDC Minister Monte Sol-berg and CIC Minister Diane Fin-ley jointly announced on Feb. 23 these twin measures aimed to re-solve labor shortages being felt in some areas of Canada.

Solberg said the improvements to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) would “make it faster and easier for Canadian em-ployers to meet their labour force needs.”

“Employers who have ex-hausted their search for Canadian workers often need to hire tempo-rary foreign workers to work for a period longer than a year,” and raising the period of stay of for-eign workers would allow this to happen, Solberg added.

“The changes (to the TFWP) will reduce the time that employ-ers have to wait to get the workers they need,” said Finley. “As well, extending the time that workers can stay in Canada provides more security and stability to the work-ers and to the employers.”

The program allows employers to hire temporary foreign workers when there are no Canadian citi-zens or permanent residents avail-able for the positions.

Previously, temporary foreign workers with less formal training would have to leave Canada after twelve months, for four months, and then re-apply to come back.

With the changes, they could stay for up to 24 months without having to request an extension.

Colin Hansen, British Colum-bia (BC) Minister of Economic Development, welcomed the im-provements, saying it would as-sure the presence of a labor force that would sustain “our booming economy.”

Mark Von Schellwitz, vice-president of the Canadian Restau-rant and Foodservices Associa-tion, said the industry expected a shortage of 44,000 workers in the next ten years in BC alone.

“It is going to get worse and worse. So we also need a perma-nent solution,” Schellwitz said, adding that restaurants would also like to see servers and cooks to re-main permanently in Canada.

Albertje Willems, chief op-erating offi cer with K&F Global Partners here, said the changes would make a difference to for-eign workers, to Canadians and the economy.

K&F has been hiring workers from Europe for construction proj-ects in Alberta and BC. “In some areas of Canada, projects are not

being completed and sometimes not even being started,” she said.

However, Wayne Peppard of the Building and Construction Trades Council, said the the twin measures has not done anything to protect workers from exploita-tion.

“These people are vulnerable. They are indentured to their em-ployer - whether it is 12 months or 24 months. If they don’t like the employer, they can’t move. If the employer doesn’t like them, they are sent home. And that’s not fair to the workers,” Peppard stressed.

He said foreign workers on construction jobs for Canada Line, a rail-based rapid transit line in BC, were being paid less than the minimum wage.

The measures, according to the Canadian Federation of Inde-pendent Business, are a good fi rst step in dealing with some of the issues faced by small businesses.

“With the shortage of labor at an all-time high, foreign workers are a more and more important re-source for small businesses trying to deal with the issue,” said Cath-erine Swift, president and CEO of CFIB.

“However, CFIB research found that the immigration and temporary foreign worker process is cumbersome and complicated to navigate. Today’s announcement shows the government is listening to small business’ concerns and is beginning to address the issues,” she added. PR, Wires

Longer job stay for temporary foreign labor

Gone are the days when the Metro Toronto police force had fewer than three percent of visible minorities, leaving crime in the ethnic com-munities unsolved and serving newcomers to Canada far less.

“Today, our number for visible minority police offi cers is close to 17 percent … and we have offi cers representing just about every [minority] community and language group,” said Toronto Police chief Bill Blair.

“Believe me, it has helped us solve a lot of crimes because they understand the language, the culture, the little nuances that are impor-tant for police work,” Blair told Canadian Ethnic Media Association (CEMA) members in a gathering on Feb. 6.

Blair said that in the last graduating class of new recruits, the police had more than met its targets. “Fifty percent of the graduating class comprised visible minorities and women.”

“Visible minorities are also represented on every specialized unit in the force,” he added. “It’s not just getting them in, it is using them in every specialized unit.” Zuhair Kashmeri, CEMA

Blair: Toronto police meettarget as diversifi ed force

AT THE FORUM. Newly-elected Markham School Board member Marlene Mogado (with mike) outlines her programs and projects to enhance educational services and commu-nity life in Markham. Mogado spoke before members of the Philippine Press Club Ontario (PPCO), which President Ten-ny Soriano (3rd from left) heads, during the club’s monthly breakfast forum at Casa Manila on March 10. Forum chair is PPCO director Tony Sicat. Photo: LARRY TORRES

from the monitor’s deskAce Alvarez


MARCH 2007

Patatawarin po!

from the monitor’s deskAce Alvarez

Views

Pinoy traveler:Unsung, unheraldedbut unbowed

roundaboutMag Cruz Hatol

All this traveling I chalked up in recent years could mean any or all of the following : frequently creased clothes; constantly being in a state of time warp; enormous mobile phone bills; actually look-ing forward to airline food; fantas-tic mileage but a stagnant savings account; disheveled luggage with wobbly wheels; a disenchanting look at one’s self and nation.

In nearly every airport, I bump into the ubiquitous Pinoy traveler.

The giveaway stance and gesture, the unmistakable leer, a tentative smile and later, a radi-ant face of recognition “Kabayan! Kamusta?”

The former stranger is sud-denly a new acquaintance.

Alas, they are not the typi-cal tourists one fi nds herded by a fl ag-hoisting tour leader. Nor the camera toting, duty-free panick-ing credit card tourist that fi ve-star resorts woo.

Sociologists and statisticians erroneously call them the troops of the Filipino diaspora but the true

Pinoy never ever leaves home. He brings home with him any-

where his wanderlust or working visa takes him.

Like Indians and Chinese, they huddle in cliques, ever loyal to the language, accent, witticism and cuisine of the homeland, always yearning for news, no matter how tawdry.

Even entertainment gossip bolsters his link with the country because he is certain that the mor-sel of gossip is masticated, shared and swallowed by his own family and friends back home.

Overheard in a few recent trips, in a variety of accents and tones:

“You are right ; you should try working in Hong Kong fi rst be-fore trying out Bahrain.”

“Try entering Singapore from Malaysia; there are cheaper fl ights out now from Clark to KL.”

“I heard it is diffi cult to get into Canada. Just like getting into the US and Australia. It is easier to penetrate Singapore and Brunei.”

“My cousin has a brother in Italy; he wants me to join him but placement fees are steep.”

“Can we become Japanese citizens if we stay long enough to marry a local?”

“Is Dubai all right? Is it not as boring and lonely as Jeddah?”

“This airport looks like NAIA half a century from today.”

If God were an anthropologist listening in on airport conversa-tions, He would have concluded that the Pinoy is a clever voyager, never content and constantly ea-ger.

Which is why the Pinoy has planted the fl ag in even the most unfashionable nooks of the world (Iraq, Afghanistan , Sudan), found comfort and acceptance in the most unfriendly climes of the planet (Finland, Oman, Alaska) and has weathered every political and ideological upheaval known (China, America, Romania).

God would probably fi nd it amusing that the Philippine econ-omy, once propped by agriculture,

is now sustained chiefl y by the sweat of Pinoy labor overseas.

And the Philippine govern-ment is so densely constituted that it makes no bones about increas-ing terminal fees at an airport that is best described as a domestic ter-minal in the pre-war years; adjust-ing taxes upward to further bite into the poor migrant worker’s take home pay and of late, de-manding increased contributions to a variety of overseas worker funds.

The migrant Pinoy worker does not fret if his airline meal is served in a box. He will always fi nd a way to sneak a call home anywhere he is.

He hardly cares if his fl ight does not earn him enough miles for a future upgrade.

But he does mind it if his hard earned foreign currency gets a lousy bargain back home because every penny of it meant sacrifi ce of the highest order.

He would cheer visiting politi-cos and government functionaries in the name of pakikisama, lend-ing a hand at showing strength in numbers.

But he will jeer at the same guest once the program is over because that imbecile who fl ew in fi rst class at his expense and just descended the stage to return to his deluxe accommodations was one of the opportunist Judases who repaid his economy-saving labor with more onerous taxes


Sa isang pribadong pagtitipon, Tata Peles sat beside me …

“Ace, I read a news item in the January issue of Manila Me-dia Monitor that the Committee to Protect Journalists, the Inter-national Federation of Journalists and Reporters Without Borders - For Press Freedom named the Philippines as the second country most dangerous for journalists; and this is after either Iraq, or Af-ghanistan.”

“Yes, the Philippines is consis-tently named as second place for the last four years now,” I replied.

“Well, you’re lucky, that you’re in Canada,” Tata Peles ca-sually commented.

“Not really, even Toronto is kinda’ dangerous for people like me, especially I move about in the Filipino community.”

“How is that so?” Tata Peles seemed surprised. “Do they kill media people here, too?”

“You seemed you could not believe what you’re hearing. Let me explain.”

“… oh, incidentally …,” Tata Peles interrupted, “don’t you want to eat anything. I noticed you haven’t eaten at all. Are you on diet?”

I said, “No, I’m not. I’m just testing how long could I stand without really eating.”

“See, I run two media com-panies - one for print, the Ma-nila Media Monitor, which is the publishing arm of the publication bearing the same name. The other is Russell International, an inte-grated company for everything that involves media.”

“I don’t understand what you mean, Ace,” Tata Peles seemed lost furthermore.

“Tata Peles, you mentioned ear-lier the fi ndings of separate studies conducted by the CPJ, IFJ, and the “Reporters Without Borders.”

“Yes, and how does that relate to the reason why you’re not eat-ing?” Tata Peles was quick to in-terrupt.

“See, recently I got an inqui-ry from a friend who sells cars for one dealership. He wanted to know how much it would cost to have a 15-second commercial aired on the TV program I pro-duce for OMNI Television,” I pro-ceeded to explain.

“Of course, Tata Peles, before one could air a commercial, one has to have a commercial pro-duced fi rst.

“After having sent him our rate card, he started asking for what he called a ‘discount’.

“So, I shaved out the fee meant for conceptualizing and writing the script. He wanted more.

“I’ve taken out also the amount as fee for the music rights to be used for the commercial. He wanted more.

“And …,” Tata Peles eagerly awaited the next price slash as if I owned Wal-Mart.

I continued, “So, I slashed also the budget for the voice-over and gave him the fi nal price for the production of his commercial. But he asked me further if there were no more hidden charges in the quote.”

“I breathed deeply and ex-claimed, ‘Oh my gosh’.

“I excused myself and told my inquiring friend that I would call him back within a few minutes. I just needed to consult somebody.

“So, I phoned my video edit-ing studio and inquired if he could cut back on his professional video editing and studio time fees.

“ … Oh, I need to tell you Tata Peles that my editing studio has a complete broadcast editing ma-chine; that each equipment would

not cost less than $10,000 in value. The Betacam SP Player-Recorder machines alone costs $35,000 each brand new; and I’ve known my video editor for the last nine years. He has become one good friend, too. In fact, sometimes, he asks my help on some of his gigs - with fee at rate.”

“And what was his reply on your requests?” Tata Peles led me back to my inquiry.

“My video editor said, ‘Ace, what you are asking me is practi-cally to work for you for free’.”

“So, what happened?” Tata Peles inquired.

“Unknown to my friend at the other end of the line, my face red-dened.”

***“A week later, Tata Peles, I

phoned my inquiring car sales-man-friend what the decision of his boss was.

“I was told, namamahalan daw sa TV commercial produc-tion cost.”

***“Three weeks later, I went to

visit my car salesman-friend at the dealership and inquired about their 2007 top of the line car mod-el that I would want to either lease or purchase.”

“O, ano ang nangyari?” Tata Peles asked.

“When he presented to me the quote, I asked, can we take out the freight fee?”

“We can’t do that, Ace,” he said.

“Can we take off the fee for license plates?”


Luminato

9

Our journeyBy Eva Agpaoa

Human rate ofexchange for OFWs

ViewsMARCH 2007 CommentaryBen Viccari

and fees. Indeed, the Pinoy traveler,

nay, the traveling worker, is the industrious termite one only hears about during beheadings, hostage situations and evacuations. Sadly, outside of these breaking news reports, he is mere statistic that greases the cogs and wheels of the perpetually wanting Philippine

Pinoy traveler: Unsung ...(From page 8)

that the skills are commonly sought in Singapore, Hong Kong and elsewhere. Our animators are employed by American and Aussie fi rms. What we lack is capital and a vision.

It is our idea to start a kitty for young producers and writers of Filipino programs FOR Filipino children. Instead of importing animes from Japan or pre-school programs from Britain, we could be producing and exporting these instead, with a typically Pinoy fl avor and design. Our foundation desires to start that fund. We can do it in alliance with you and your association.

The mechanics are simple and easy. We can start with as little as US$20,000, kept in trust jointly by

our foundation and your group. We circulate announcements that we are ready to fi nance the pilots of innovative TV programs for and about Filipino children, particularly in the education and cul-tural genres. With a qualifi ed board (see our website and look at our offi cers, a veritable who’s who in local media and broadcasting) and a stable reputation behind it, our foundation is in the best position to conduct the national search, assess entries and professionally guide every aspect of production. [At the risk of sounding boastful, when the local broadcasters’ association (KBP), the government and UNICEF seek professional advice relative to prudence on TV and child-sensitive television, they enlist our help.]

The best entries are then tied up with any of our member TV stations by a contract. Airtime, easily the biggest ticket in any pro-duction endeavor, is underwritten during the co-production venture. In effect, the production is shepherded by the foundation, the TV station and your organization, every step of the way. Each partner is credited as co-producer. The station makes money; the producer and his team make money too, thanks to our start up funds which revert to the mother account that we will jointly maintain.

The idea is for the new producer, thru the home station that adopts him, to loan part of the amount to realize the program. After two or three pilots are produced, the foundation and the station go about town promoting the new show among advertisers and other likely supporters. That way, funding is assured to produce the rest of the season, with the original money returned to the foundation kitty so that another group, after being similarly screened, may use it to start another novel undertaking for television.

It is not remote to estimate that the US20,000 fund is generally intact even after two years with up to four new and quality chil-dren’s programs on air. The cycle continues because the foundation is expected to defray fund management costs and administrative expenses as its counterpart support.

From your end, you may also branch into actual scholarships in the various branches of TV production, again with strings attached, rather than actual dole-outs. The funds earmarked for Filipino youths desiring to pursue technical education or broadcast com-munication leading to TV production can be “borrowed”, rather than given outright. We can outline the mechanics of this particular idea another time.

Since your group co-owns every production yielded, you may also wish to look into the possibility of co-producing DVD versions for sale to the various Pinoy communities in the US and Canada. Everybody wins. You make money, we spread our wings further, the North American-based Pinoys have new, more appropriate and intelligent things to support from the homeland and the new Fili-pino writers/producers make bigger names.

We hope we have explained the concept clearly and engagingly enough for you to salivate at the juicy prospects. If you or your group fi nd the idea promising and doable, let us hear from you soonest. If we receive even just one enthusiastic reply, we will be able to sleep well knowing that our cause has not been lost.

All the best,Mag Cruz Hatol, Secretary General, Southeast Asian Founda-

tion for Children and Television, [email protected]; offi ce : (632) 374-7066, 373-3739

An appeal from ...(From page 5)

economy.Unsung, unheralded but un-

bowed.To them, a text message re-

ceived from a friend is dedicated: “ We are pilgrims on the road of life. We bring nothing when we die. But we leave behind love shared, hope given and goodness done.”

Those old enough to remem-ber the infamous Army - McCar-thy hearings will fi nd a striking resemblance to them in state-ments by two Conservative Party MPs last month. They said there are terrorist supporters (unnamed) among Liberal Party MPs.

In 1954, the hearings labored on as Wisconsin junior Senator Joe McCarthy repetitiously attempted to prove that the US Army was crawling with Communist party members.

It took the combined guts of CBS producer Fred Friendly, CBS newsman-interviewer Edward R. Morrow, CBS president Bill Paley and Army counsel Joseph Welch to bring McCarthy’s campaign down to the dust it deserved.

Fortunately in the 2000s, we can rent the video of the 2005 movie “Good Night and Good Luck”, an extraordinary and his-torically accurate recounting of those days.

I’m no spoiler when I tell you it has a happy ending as McCarthy begins his decline into oblivion. It’s history, the kind of which we should be reminded at times like these.

It should be recommended viewing for all loose cannons in Ottawa.

***According to the leaked letter

that surfaced recently, in 2002, cit-izen Stephen Harper condemned the Kyoto accord as “a socialist scheme to suck money out of rich countries.”

Today, Prime Minister Harper seems to be dedicating himself to the wearing of the green, even if he’s still opposed to Kyoto.

One wonders at Harper’s un-derstanding of the word “social-ist.”

According to the Canadian Ox-ford Dictionary (COD), socialism is “a political and economic the-ory of social organization which advocates that the community as a whole should own and control the means of production, distribution and exchange.”

The company Kyoto keeps Signatories to the Kyoto ac-

cord include the United Kingdom, Belgium, Brazil: Costa Rica, Den-mark, Iceland, Germany - hardly the poor socialist countries im-plied by the Harper letter.

According to the logic of that

2002 letter then, Canada might well qualify as a socialist state, with our universal medicare that right wing ideologues assail daily with their rationalization of two-tiered medicine - the fi rst step to-ward unbridled privatization as in his revered United States.

Throwing baby out withbath water

Examples of state-owned fa-cilities that right wing ideologies brought down are to be found in the Harris-Eves regime in Ontario 1995-2003: the chaotic privatiza-tion of Ontario Hydro and the gift to Spanish interests of that iconic rip off, Highway 407.

Socialism, as described in the COD, may be ultimately repres-sive and doomed to failure but where the common good is con-cerned, some nationalization may not be such a bad thing, providing a Charter of Rights and parliamen-tary system of government exists.

One has only to look as far as the world’s armament industries to see how private ownership thrives on ways to make death pay a dividend.

They should all be publicly (Continued on page 10)

I was in the Philippines in Feb-ruary and for the fi rst time, I really took a good look at my country. Yes, I was born there and I grew up there but like many of us, my life revolved around the small world which was my village. Since leav-ing, I have been back many times but always to my village to visit my family. This trip was different. I really got a chance to see and ex-perience my country.

And what a beautiful country it is. What incredible potential and drive to succeed it has. It’s every-where. The air shimmered and vi-brated with the energy of people rushing about working and living -- from offi ce workers in Manila to ferry workers in Iloilo to the beach side masseurs in Boracay carrying their tattered blankets looking for their next client. This is the Philippines, at least part of it. They are the lucky people -- they have jobs, they can feed their families and maybe save a little for the future.

But some still have to struggle, fi nding it hard to make ends meet I instinctively wanted to reach out and help, but I knew I couldn’t.

For every person who has work, many others sit by jobless and watch in frustration as life passes by. They are frustrated by

the impotence of not being able to provide for themselves, and their families; of not having the chance to contribute and be part of it all.

This frustration at times drives persons to do things they might later regret, to allow themselves to be exploited because their needs are so intense and to allow them-selves to be treated as less than who they are.

And this frustration - this in-tense need - is so palpable it hangs in the air between them and others, like a thick fog, clouding thoughts and judgments. They allow oth-ers to degrade them because they need the job. They allow others to humiliate them because their child is hungry. And some days it feels like the fog will never lift, that it just keeps getting thicker and thicker. And it breaks hearts.

What do others see when they look at a Filipino? How does the world judge our worth? I know they mostly see that fog and frus-tration and need. And they are tempted to exploit it. Is that our national export? Our face to the world? What is the Human Rate of Exchange? Is a Filipino worth as much as an American? A Swede? Is it one to one? Five to one?

There is a gap and it’s a wide gap but it’s unfair and unjust.

Certainly in front of a foreign employer I feel that gap. In front of an immigration offi cer, with all my papers in order, I feel that gap. And most defi nitely at an embassy trying to get an entry visa, I feel that gap - immense and heavy - a steel door shut tight with the key just beyond my reach.

But it truly is amazing that people keep going and their spirit somehow fi nds a way.

I met Sunshine at a coffee shop in Bacolod City. She was there with her husband and daughter, and I was there having lunch with an old friend.

Sunshine had been working overseas (let’s call that country X so we won’t offend anyone in par-ticular), and from country X had received a job validation to enter Canada as a caregiver. This was a golden passport. All she needed was to schedule an interview with the Canadian embassy in X. She got the interview, but three weeks after her contract in X expired, she would have to go home and then come back. She begged, she pleaded, to have the date moved so she would not have to travel back from Bacolod for the interview.

They would not budge. So, she resigned herself to spend the


10Manila Media MonitorMARCH 2007 Views

By Butch DG. GaliciaOmerta

Throw the bookkanako, Bay!

Don’t fear,Butch is here.Like to feel any better?He’s six feet under.But to his loyal gangO, ‘di ba! Parang natutulog lang!

If I still could have my way shortly after I have completed that course on Womb to Tomb 101, I’d love to etch the words above on that perennial marble centerpiece (kung kaya pa ng budget) adorn-ing my resting place. Naive (nai-iba) na, cute pa! Simple pero rock ang arrive (dating)!

Oh, no! Don’t get me wrong. I am not depressed. Neither am I suppressed or oppressed. I am just a member of the press who - by all means, intents and legal purposes it may swerve - does not want to write 30. Most times, I like to be stiff but not frigid.

Anyway, not after my 53rd birth anniversary that quietly passed by - because I had little time and cash for birth anniversa-ry bashes - early March and which I look forward to every new year.

Likewise, not at this time

when there is a lot to write about well-kept wampums haunting big names and groups in the commu-nity. How about the juicy gossips fl oating around town?

Not yet! Not in this issue. Publisher Ace Alvarez granted

me only so much space so that the Manila Media Monitor could thank all its past, present and fu-ture advertisers and supporters for keeping the paper within the easy reach and intelligent perusal of a growing but decisive community for ten years now.

Peks man, X-men (cross my heart), promise to the bones! I would get the controversial wam-pums and the evidence-laden gos-sips into the pages of later issues.

Sabi nga nila, hanggat may makakating dila, hindi mauubos at mamamatay ang balita.

If you think this kind of sus-pense is killing you, make me fi rst (unahan na ninyo ako).

But I can’t guarantee that what you do to me won’t be construed by my friends as a political killing or an affront to press freedom they can level against Ate Glo Ayoko.

***

Siyanga pala, have you heard about Consuelo Debobo, the dam-age control specialist that usually backfi res and does little to respond to a given situation?

Consuelo Debobo came in the form of an Ontario Health Insur-ance Program (OHIP) card health offi cials recently reissued to sick-ly live-in caregiver and taxpaying foreign worker Juana Tejada.

This was the same health card they stripped away from Tejada for almost a year, to complement an immigration ministry provi-sion in what human rights advo-cates called a fl awed, anti-women and highly-discriminatory Live-In Caregiver Program law.

Tejada fi nished the program and became eligible for permanent residency. But her dream of gain-ing status and bringing her family into Canada dampened when her medical exams showed she had developed lung cancer. Immigra-tion held her application.

Taking away Tejada’s health benefi ts was tantamount to, at the least, blocking all of Tejada’s chances to get into the immigra-


owned with no shareholders permitted, to offer an eventual possibility of international disar-mament.

***For Torontonians, a long-

awaited festival celebrating a di-versity of arts disciplines ranging from opera to cabaret, from the-atre to carnival is taking shape and comes to us on June 1 to 10.

It promises to be a multilay-ered, multicultural event featuring a variety of exhibits and perfor-mances, many of which are free to the public.

This spectacular installation by Xavier Veilhan will be one of the many outstanding features of Luminato. As it deserves, it car-ries its own title - Luminato, a word its organizers hope will be-come an annual fi xture attracting Torontonians and visitors alike to a number of exhibits, performanc-es and special events.

Among the Canadian and in-ternational talents to be featured, as of March 1, are fi lm, stage and opera director Atom Egoyan, composer Philip Glass, poet Leon-ard Cohen, playwright George F. Walker, theatre impresarios David Mirvish and Albert Schultz, the amazing Cuban dance ensemble Vida and China’s Chen Wei Dance Arts and some of Canada’s great-est operatic stars including Rich-ard Margison and Isabel Bayrak-darian.

Some of the focal points of Luminato will be the Distillery, Roy Thomson Hall and Harbour-front, where at the latter location the offi cial festival hub will be

the spiegeltent’ntavern, a unique venue reminiscent of a 1920s Eu-ropean cabaret.

It will be free during the day to all visitors through the festival’s run, and evening performances will be given at the moderately priced Spiegel show.

During the closing weekend, a free event, Carnivalissima will feature Toronto’s best carnivals such as Caribana and the Brazil-ian Ball, together with the spirit of international carnivals including New Orleans’ Mardi Gras, Bo-livia’s la Diablada and Jamaica’s Jiunkano

The Government of Ontario, the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation, the City of Toronto, Tourism Toronto, Toronto Waterfront Revitaliza-tion Corporation and the Canada Council for the Arts are named as government partners, and corpo-rate sponsors include The Globe and Mail, National Bank Finan-cial, Toronto Star and Toronto Life.

For updating, Luminato’s web-site is http://www.luminato.ca/

(Used with permission. Ben Viccari is the President of the Canadian Ethnic Media As-sociation [CEMA] and makes frequent appearances on OMNI TV Commentary. Some of his commentaries are republished in this publication and slightly ex-panded in some cases from their 70-second broadcast originals. For more of his work, please visit Ben’s website at: http://canscene.ripple.ca)

Commentary ...(From page 9)

Keeping seniors at easeAllowance Program

11Manila Media MonitorMARCH 2007 News

(EDITOR’S NOTE: The Manila MEDIA MONITOR has compiled a number of programs the federal government of Canada has been im-plementing to benefi t the province’s seniors. Manila MEDIA MONI-TOR, in this series, will provide insights to these programs for seniors on this space, hoping it would keep the paper’s valued senior readers informed.)

PART 6

The allowance is a monthly benefi t for low-income seniors whose spouse or common-law partner is eligible for, or is receiv-ing, the Old Age Security (OAS) pension and the Guaranteed In-come Supplement (GIS).

To qualify, you must be 60 to 64 years old; be a Canadian citi-zen or legal resident when your benefi t is approved (or have been one when you last lived in Cana-da); and have lived in Canada for at least 10 years after turning 18.

You must not be divorced or voluntarily separated from your spouse or common-law partner for more than three months.

If you have not lived in Can-ada for at least 10 years since you turned 18, but have lived or worked in a country that has an in-ternational social security agree-ment with Canada, you may still qualify.

You may qualify for the al-

lowance for the survivor if your spouse or common-law partner has died.

You may qualify for the al-lowance for the survivor if your partner, in the case of same-sex couples, died on or after January 1, 1998.

If you think you are eligible, contact us at Canada Benefi ts website canadabenefi ts.gc.ca. Call toll free 1-800-622-6232.

Applied but turned downIf you have previously applied

for the allowance or the allowance for the survivor (formerly the Spouse’s Allowance and the Wid-owed Spouse’s Allowance) but did not qualify, you can apply again. Also, since July 1, 2000, changes to the legislation have made same-sex common-law partners eligible for the allowance.

Application kitNormally, an application kit is

sent to you when records show you

may be eligible for the allowance or allowance for the survivor.

Complete the application and return it quickly. You could lose some benefi ts if you don’t apply right away.

If you need help completing the application, call us. A service agent will answer your questions or make an appointment for you to meet with an agent.

Individuals must apply for the allowance and the allowance for the survivor on their own behalf. If applying for someone else, call for details.

DocumentsYou will have to provide some

or all of the following documents:► For seniors with a spouse

or common-law partner who re-ceives or is eligible for the GIS - birth/baptismal certifi cate, mar-riage certifi cate/statutory decla-ration and proof of cohabitation, and citizenship/immigration doc-uments.

► For seniors whose spouse or common-law partner has died - birth/baptismal certifi cate; mar-riage certifi cate/statutory declara-tion and proof of cohabitation; cit-izenship/immigration documents; and death certifi cate of spouse or common-law partner.

The birth or baptismal certifi -cate will prove your age. You do not have to send these documents

if you have applied for a Canada Pension Plan (CPP) benefi t. If you cannot obtain one of these certifi -cates, call for information about other documents that you may be able to use instead.

If married, you must provide a marriage certifi cate. Common-law couples must sign a “statutory declaration” and prove that they have been living together for at least one year.

Couples married in Canada but don’t have a marriage certifi cate may get it from the institution in which they were married or they may contact the Registrar of Vital Statistics in the capital city of the province or territory in which they were married.

Couples married outside Can-ada may call us for help if they don’t know how to get a copy of their marriage certifi cate.

If in a common-law relation-ship, provide a statutory declara-tion that gives the date when you and your partner began living to-gether. Call us for a copy of this form and for help to complete the declaration.

You must also provide objec-tive proof that you and your part-


OTTAWA - Member of Par-liament Olivia Chow (NDP, Trin-ity-Spadina) has called on the federal government to take im-mediate concrete steps to amend or lift “a cruel 10-year residency requirement on the old age secu-rity” and “fi nally provide fairness for seniors” after years of neglect.

Chow told the House of Com-mons that a multitude of immi-grant seniors “are forced to live in isolation with barely the means to support themselves.”

“The situation is dire for far too many. They must choose between medication and rent payments,” she said, as she asked federal offi -cials: Would the minister carry out more humane steps to give seniors more respectable lives?

She added that the Immigrant Seniors Advocacy Network had been telling the government that the “restrictions on sponsoring elderly relatives are too tight and that they cannot access old age se-curity; and that without assistance for public transport, seniors are isolated and lonely.”

“The government is turning its back on Canadian seniors,” Chow stressed as she chided Lynne Yelich, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Re-sources and Social Development, who vaguely told the House the ministry was addressing Chow’s issues in Bill C-36, in a particular provision that “will ensure that we do not compromise our immigra-tion.” PR

10-year residency requirement onold age security ‘cruel’ - Chow


MARCH 2007ViewsOmerta ...(From page 10)

Musikang kay ganda aming kinagisnan, Bata pa kami ng mapag-aralanNadama namin ang kasiyahan,Sa bawat notang mapapakinggan.

Lumang maong at kamiseta’y suot namin sa tugtuganAno mang ayos namin ay huwag na lang ninyong pansinin Ang mensahe ng himig namin sa inyong isipan ay itanim.

Hindi nyo’ ba napapansin, makulay ang mundo natinIkaw at ako ay iisa, at sa musika ay nagsamaHanap dito, hiram doon ng gitaraSa pagtugtog dala-dala na rin namin ang gitara.

Sa likod ng musika ay nais naming iparating Ang mensahe ng himig namin sa inyong isipan ay itanim.

Hindi nyo’ ba napapansin, makulay ang mundo natinIkaw at ako ay iisa, at sa musika ay nagsamaHanap dito, hiram doon ng gitaraSa pagtugtog dala-dala na rin namin ang problema.

Ang mensahe ng himig namin sa inyong isipan ay itanim. (2x)

Sa Likod Ng MusikaTitik at Himig: CHITO SARABIA

tion system, and at the worst, let-ting symptoms of lung cancer get into poor Tejada’s system.

Will Consuelo Debobo be able to cure a a year’s utter disregard of simple logic and ethics?

Will Consuelo Debobo also be able to bring back Tejada to the pink of health she had when she entered Canadian airspace three years ago and on which basis - so said the old fl awed book no politi-cian dared edit for fear of losing votes said - she was permitted to do a caregiver’s job?

Whatever, Tejada, her family, friends and supporters can only pray that all is not lost, hinted community leader Gene Lara be-fore the community media at the Philippine Press Club Ontario (PPCO) Almusalan on March 10.

Now is the time for all good

men to come to the aid of Juana!***

This is a classic example of the callousness of immigration and health authorities to understand and respond to a situation requir-ing common sense, moral decency and love for humanity.

It bespeaks of a bureaucracy’s inability to go beyond bookish reason to prove itself worthy of its global image as a system that cares for its people and its guests.

Ottawa seems to forget the wee but lasting contributions of Juana’s kind - the good dedicated guest worker and taxpayer - to Ca-nadian society and the economy.

Come to think about it. Throw-ing the book can be dangerous to one’s health ... especially if it’s hard bound.

***Philippine Press Club Ontario

president Tenny Soriano asked:

The words ‘compassionate’ and ‘humanitarian’ - are they still part of Canadian vocabulary and still in the Canadian dictionary?

***GREAT EXPECTATIONS:

A must-read and must-compre-hend book title for heartless inhu-man public servants who simply want to stay out of trouble with their masters and stay in a well-paying job until their terms end.

***In his undying universal poem

Desiderata, Max Ehrmann in 1952 wrote: If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser per-sons than yourself.

True enough, I felt being a total stupid o v e r b e a r i n g schmuck when I once questioned the credentials of Chito Sarabia to be a PPCO member.

I have writ-ten a lot of prose in so many columns but I never knew if people read and understood me; unlike Chito’s simple, brief and terse poetry and music (see Sa Likod Ng Musika above) that could get its message across

with ease.I had been a ranking offi cer of

organizations and spoke and lec-tured a lot on communication but I never knew if people listened and understood what I said; un-like Chito who could set anyone’s mood, hit anyone’s emotions, and make people appreciate life when he croons his wide array of multi-genre songs.

Now, I understand that what I knew and did may be better than what Chito knew and could do; but what Chito knew and could do

is a far better kind of media work.My apologies, Chito, for not

having treated you as an equal. ***

O, hintuan na ang pagiging insek (as in insecure) at kaplasti-kan! Balik tayo sa epitaph ko, in relation to birth anniversaries.

My community journalism mentor Patricio Diaz once said: “I no longer celebrate my birth anni-versary. It reminds me that I am another year nearer my grave.” And he must be nearing 90 now. [email protected]


MARCH 2007

Feature“I’ve got 80 plus regis-

tered for First Reconcilia-tion/Communion and Con-fi rmation. I am sure there are more since I continue to receive calls, but they do not come to register.”

“It is surprising that most parents do not even know the basic formal prayers. I guess it is their shyness that is affecting their learning too. So, I am really hoping the elders will take on the role of teaching. It will be more effective that way.”

That was how Fr. Nestor Silva of the missionary Ob-lates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) summed up one of the challenges of his work to spread the Gospel among the Mushau Innu (The People) in the tiny town of Natuashish “in the middle of the vast wilderness” of Labrador.

“I am here in Natuash-ish, Labrador for over a year now. A reserve for the Mushau Innu, the communi-ty is about 600 people, most of them Roman Catholics,” he said.

Like most missionaries, Fr. Iting had to practice a lot reading in Innu Aimun.

“I am beginning to get familiar with the words. But when I listen to the local ra-dio broadcasts, I still fi nd it hard to pick out most of the words. I guess the books I am reading are in another dialect of the same language line,” he averred.

“My accent too is dif-ferent from theirs,” he said,

Fr. Iting Silva, OMI:Fr. Iting Silva, OMI:Among the InnuAmong the Innu

By BUTCH GALICIA

but was quick to note that he had been able to successful-ly get God’s message across during Masses he had been proclaiming in Innu.

Fr. Iting has never been new to this kind of parish as-signment in wintry Canada, as he had seen 10 years of mission work in Saskatch-ewan, he told this writer, a classmate in the seminary in the early 70s, in a long-dis-tance phone talk.

Used to sub-zero tem-peratures, Fr. Iting always looked forward to his regu-lar 30- to 45-minute around-the-village strolls, meeting and talking to parishioners who have taken him warm-ly into their presence.

The village band council had even built a new church, an offi ce, a sacristy and the parish priest’s residence, new additions to Natuash-ish’s sparse skyline.

“The ground fl oor (of the rectory) is for the offi ce and sacristy. The second fl oor is for the residence. It is nice and compact. It even has a big picture window in the washroom. Too bad, it faces the busiest street. It will be covered by a bigger curtain,” Fr. Iting quipped.

Some of the amenities that characterize modern living might not be imme-

diately available. But being a true missionary, Fr. Iting could meantime do without the washer and drier and a wash basin, all of which could only be delivered ei-ther by plane or by boat to Natuashish.

Fr. Iting said he had de-cided to stay put in Natuash-ish only in January, to avoid the big expense of jetsetting to and fro Goose Bay.

“To save, I hitch rides on charter fl ights. Quite a number of times, only a ca-daver and I are passengers. We keep quiet the whole trip,” he said.

The phone line would also have to wait, although Fr. Iting said he had access to the Internet with a slow dial-up old computer.

No big deal! “Being with the Innu is all that mat-ters. And keeping the fl ock closer to the Lord is fulfi ll-ing enough,” he stressed.

Fr. Iting, a native of Co-tabato City, the Philippines, entered the OMI Seminary in 1970.

He was ordained an Ob-late priest by then Bishop Orlando Quevedo at the Holy Rosary Church in Cotabato City on Dec. 14, 1981.

The Oblates have a pro-vincial house in Ottawa.

Fr. Nestor ‘Iting’ Silva, OMI fi nds his missionary life fulfi ll-ing among the Innu whose warmth extends to a half snow-covered church and a rectory, both completed last month.

Manila Media MonitorMARCH 200714Who? What?

Proud parents Franco and Catalina Agostinis tender a surprise party for daughter and debutante STEPHANIE HERA at Whistlers McNeil Room on Feb. 24. Seated, from left, are the debutante’s Ninang, Amor Mangolino Pineda; the debutante’s mother; and her father. Stand-ing are Fr. John Pilkauskas and Fr. Roselle Azares of St. Boniface Church and Rose-marie Ferrer. TS

Stephanie, 18

ALICE FERUELO (4th from left) gets a birthday party from fellow nurses Nelia, Genieve, Cristina, Arlene, Zarah, Perla, Robert, and Zeny at the 4 East Nephro Department of the St. Joseph Health Center. RAZ

Bash for Alice

For over ten years, the San Juan and Recinto families of North York and Scarborough, re-spectively, have never failed to send books and teaching/learning materials for ill-equipped libraries in schools in the Philippines.

The donations - new and used textbooks and publications such as student workbooks, teachers’ guides and curriculum/instuctional manuals - constituted the donors’ continuing gesture of giving back, “para sa kanilang pinagmulan.”

The books covered classifi ed titles in elementary, secondary and collegiate subjects in Eng-lish, Literature, Education, Social

Sciences, Mathematics, Science, Technology and General Refer-ences.

On March 1 alone, San Juans and Recintos shipped, through door-to-door cargo, 118 books, monographs and magazines to the Tambo Elementary School in Lipa City, Batangas, through air force Major Cesar Recinto. The same school received 125 books in 2001.

In November 2006, some 67 volumes were sent to Guintas National High School in Antique, through Joyce Rodriguez. The school earlier got 318 volumes.

Other benefi ciaries included

Fil-Can families send books,learning tools to RP schools

BY: JENNIFER S. J. MACLEANthe Camarines Norte State Col-lege which got 633 volumes from 1999 to 2001; Lakan Dula High School, Manila, 222 books in 2001; Marikina College of Arts and Trades, 45 teachers’ referenc-es in 1999; Makati High School, 38 titles in 1999; and FEATI Uni-versity, 258 selections in 1996.

The teaching and learning materials were “age-appropriate, biased-free and curriculum-rele-vant,” donor Tony San Juan said.

The books, dictionaries, en-cycopledias, learning cassettes/ tapes and library materials came sourced from family, friends, ga-rage sales and used book sellers.

Ontario has launched the Newcomer Champion Awards to recognize Ontarians who have enriched cultural diversity, facili-tated harmony and understanding or helped newcomers to success-fully settle and integrate.

Ontario Minister of Citizen-ship and Immigration Mike Colle on March 2 said the awards would acknowledge contributions in ar-eas such as cultural outreach, cul-tural celebration and connecting newcomers to communities.

Award applications would be accepted until April 13.

Nomination forms, eligibility requirements and additional de-tails about the awards have been posted at www.citizenship.gov.on.ca/honoursandawards.

Newbie champs citation set

LILY ZARAGOZA (4th from left), 92, reigns as the 2007 Ms. Valentine of The Pillars, an association of Filipino-Canadian seniors in Ontario under President Frank Maralag. Sharing Zaragoza’s glory are her children, nephew, nieces and grand children. MP

The Pillars’ Valentine Lady

ANDREW JACOB SORIA-NO, born on Dec. 26, 2006, will be baptized on March 25. His proud parents are Glenn and Mary Ann, and big brother Jared Austin.

Andrew Jacob’s Baptism

Gaborno-Sunga WeddingRANDOLPH LESTER GABORNO and JAMILLE ANNE SUNGA tie the knot before Rev. Jeremy Cit-ron at the Mississauga Civic Centre on March 10. Concelebrating with them the sanctity of their mar-riage are (below, from left) Anne’s father Jose Sunga and Randolph’s parents Edna Valencia and Amor Gaborno. Family and friends later joined the newlyweds in a reception of post-nuptial tradition,

FARM TOOLS. These were bought for Guinsaugon mud-slide victims out of the funds raised from the Rebuilding Lives concert put up by the Community Alliance for So-cial Justice (offi cers’ photo below) and participated in by Filipino-Canadian artists. Photos: CDRC, CASJ

Rebuilding in Guinsaugon

toasts, fun and dancing. PHOTOS: WILLY SANTIAGO

JUANITA RIEGO joined her Creator on Feb. 13, 2007. She was born on Nov. 29, 1917. CP

Juanita Riego, 89

Consulate, PPCO, 3M honor Carol Martin TOP PHOTO. Outgoing consulate communications and information offi cer Carol Martin (2nd from left) receives a plaque of com-mendation from Philippine Consul General in Toronto Alejandro Mosquera (3rd from left), Consul Imelda Panolong (left) and Vice Consul Edna Mae Lazaro (right), on behalf of the men and women who com-pose the consular staff . Martin completes her duty with the consulate and is given an appreciation bash on Feb. 16. Leilani Medina takes over Carol’s post. MIDDLE PHOTO. Manila Media Monitor executives Gie and Ace Alvarez also thank Martin for her news contributions that benefi t the community. (PHOTO

15Manila Media MonitorMARCH 2007 Who? What?

A Canadian of Filipino roots is among those composing the 104-member Ontario Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform (CAER).

Cornelio (Junior) Reyes of Belleville, Ontario, says he fi nds the assembly “very interesting and challenging.”

Reyes named to Ontarioelectoral reform assembly

By ACE ALVAREZ

REYES

Reyes was born in the Philippines, where he ob-tained a Bachelor of Sci-ence in Criminology (with a major in handwriting analy-sis) and worked for the Ma-nila Police Department for fi ve years, before coming to Canada in 1976.

He worked as an I.T. co-

ordinator at a major retailer for 15 years and travelled across Canada and enjoys bowling, curling, reading and listening to music.

The selection to the electoral assembly began quietly in April 2006 when Elections Ontario sent 124,000 letters to randomly selected registered voters.

The letters asked people to respond if they were in-terested in being part of the Ontario Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform - a fi rst for the province.

Of the 12,000 respon-dents, 1,200 were invited to selection meetings, where one person from each riding was selected randomly to sit in the assembly.

The CAER assesses Ontario’s electoral system, among others, and recom-mends whether Ontario re-tains the current system or adopt a new one, a role usu-ally reserved for expert pan-els or royal commissions.

In Ontario, the Citizens’ Assembly discusses the op-tions for voting dates and how votes are translated into seats for Members of Provincial Parliament.

If the Assembly recom-mends a change, Ontario voters will have their say in a referendum in October.

Electoral reform is on the agenda in many coun-tries, but few have given such a direct voice to citi-zens.

Jesus First Ministries (JFM) church has become the proud owner of a 44,500-square ft. facility in the heart of Brampton.

The church recently closed the $4.45- million transaction on Feb. 1 after almost three years of ne-gotiations.

The facility, conveniently located at Hwy 410 and Steeles Ave., will be the permanent home of the vari-ous ministries of the church and its community ser-vices arm, Hedgedale Community Centre (HCC).

JFM is a multicultural, Christian charismatic church pastored by a Filipino, Jerry Berenguer.

HCC is a registered non-profi t community center that caters to individuals in the Greater Toronto Area.

JFM concludes $4.45-M deal for church, center

BELOW) Balita publisher Tess Cusipag (holding mike) cites Martin’s (right) invaluable support to the Philip-pine Press Club Ontario (PPCO) and to individual me-dia entities. The PPCO, through president Tenny Sori-ano (4th from left) and members Romy Sison, Imelda Suzara, Jess Cabrias, Butch Galicia, Ariel Ramos, Gie Alvarez, Nelson Galvez, Joe Damasco, Ricky Caluen, Ace Alvarez, Jojo Taduran, Mogi Mogado and Melinda Rustia cite Martin with a Testimonial of Recognition. Also completing his tour is consulate staff Manny Gascon. Photos: MOGI MOGADO, JUN MARTIN

Philippine Consul in Toronto Imelda Pa-nolong is set to induct the offi cers of Club Filipino Brampton (CFB) at the Capitol Banquet Hall in Mississauga on March 24.

The inductees are Carmelita Matugas, president; Fred Gadin, 1st vice president; Flor Cabading, 2nd vice president; Malut Alilain, secretary; Wilma Salucop, assistant secretary; Ofelia Gadin, treasurer; Nersa San Miguel, assistant treasurer; Gener Ur-rutia, auditor; Romy Benedicto, assistant auditor; Doris Yaraa, PRO and membership committee chair; and Ben Joson, PRO.

To take their oaths as board directors are chair Orly Villanos, Ben Matugas, Nilo Perez, Ed San Miguel, Alberto Gadin, Per-lita Villanos, Julie Maneja and Nenette Dul-guime.

In the past, the club has donated to the ANCOP housing project, put up a bus shel-ter in Brampton and supported local educa-tional and feeding programs. PR

Panolong to inductClub FilipinoBrampton offi cers

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MARCH 2007Who? What?

CHECK TURNOVER. Filipino-Canadian Seniors Association The Pillars members Frank Maralag, Mila and Timmy Lupango, Caridad Bercasio-To-mas, Joaquin Corpus, Carmelita Domingo and Rommy Solis hand over to Consul Imelda Pan-olong a cheque donation to the National Disaster Coordinating Council for Bicol typhoon victims. in Bicol.

The Firm’s areas of practice also include:► Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorneys► Estate Planning and Taxation► Commercial Lending► Employment Law

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and the PhilippinesAreas of Practice: ► Corporate ► Real Estate ► Immigration ► Personal Injury

LUBUSAN PONG MAGLILINGKOD SA INYO. SALAMAT PO.

Barrister and Solicitor at Devry Smith & Frank LLP95 Barber Greene Road, Suite 100,Toronto, Ontario M3C 3E9Phone: 416-446-5828 / Fax: 416-449-7071Email – fl [email protected] Inquiries at Phone: 416-449-1400

GandangTONNIE FURTO

Cell No. 647-868-5935Beauty Queen

Allowance program(From page 11)ner have been living in a conjugal or marriage-like relationship for at least 12 months.

Documents to prove cohabitation include tax returns, GIS applications, joint bank accounts, wills, investments, and bills.

If not born in Canada, you must show citizenship or immigration documents.

If you have not lived continuously in Canada since the age of 18, submit proof of all the dates when you arrived in or left Cana-da. The passport has this.

Calculate benefi tsThe allowance is based

on annual income, exclud-ing the OAS pension and the GIS, for the previous year plus that of your spouse or common-law partner. The allowance for the survivor is based on your previous year’s income.

As of January 1, 2004, the maximum monthly ben-efi ts you can receive are $820.48 for the allowance and $905.83 for the allow-ance for the survivor.

Most seniors get less than the maximum amounts because they have income from other sources.

You must also report your CPP, private pension

income and superannuation, foreign pension income, RRSPs that you cashed, employment Insurance benefi ts, interest on any savings, any capital gains or dividends, income from any rental properties, any employment income, and income from other sources

In some situations, such as when you stop working or when your other pension income drops, benefi ts may be calculated by estimating income for this year, instead of using last year’s income.

If you or your spouse or common-law partner have a lower income this year, your benefi ts may increase.

If you and your spouse or common-law partner separate voluntarily for more than three months, your allowance will end.

If you and your spouse are separated for reasons beyond your control (for example, if one of you has to live in a hospital or nurs-ing home), call for more in-formation.

You qualifi ed for the allowance for the survivor because your spouse or common-law partner died. If you remarry, your allow-ance will end. It will also end if you live in a com-

mon-law relationship for at least one year. You must no-tify us of any changes.

When benefi ts beginOnce your application is

approved, your allowance will begin the month after one of these dates, which-ever is latest: your 60th birthday; when you meet the residence and income requirements; or when your spouse or common-law part-ner qualifi es for the GIS..

If you apply for the al-lowance after becoming eligible for benefi ts, you can receive a retroactive payment of up to 11 months plus the payment for the month in which you apply.

Payments usually ar-rive in the last three bank-ing days of each month. If your payment is more than a week late, or if you lose it, inform us.

We can deposit your payment into your bank ac-count through the direct de-posit service.

We need to know per-sonal information like your social insurance number; telephone number, includ-ing the area code; home ad-dress, including the postal code

Likewise is your bank-ing information like the name of your bank or fi nan-cial institution, the bank’s branch number and account

number.Moving

If you plan to move, in-form us of your new address and postal code as soon as possible, so we can update our records and make sure your payment gets to you on time. Even if your pay-ments are deposited directly into your bank account, we need to know your new ad-dress so we can send you information and your yearly income tax slip or renewal form.

Outside Canada?The Government of

Canada designed the allow-ances to support low-in-come seniors living in Can-ada. If you spend more than six months in a row outside Canada, we will make pay-ments for the month you leave and for six months after that. Then payments will stop.

If you stay outside Can-ada for a longer period, then return, you can always re-apply when you come back to live in Canada.

Cost-of-living increasesWe will increase your

pension payments to re-fl ect increases in the cost of living as measured by the Consumer Price Index. We apply any increases every three months - in January, April, July and October.

Your monthly payment

will not go down if the cost of living falls.

When benefi ts endWe stop paying the Al-

lowance and the Allowance for the survivor if you do not reapply for the benefi t for the coming year; your income, or the total income of you and your spouse or common-law partner, is above a certain level; you leave Canada for more than six months in a row; ff you qualifi ed for the allowance for the survivor because your spouse or common-law partner died, then you remarry or begin living in a

common-law relationship; and if you die.

If you are receiving the allowance and your spouse or common-law partner dies, you will be switched to the allowance for the survi-vor. Your benefi ts will then be calculated on the basis of your income alone.

At the age of 65, most people who receive the al-lowance or allowance for the survivor have their ben-efi t automatically changed to an OAS pension. At this point you may also be eli-gible for the GIS. Benefi ts Canada

17Manila Media MonitorMARCH 2007

The Canadian Ethnic Media Associa-tion (CEMA) has expressed alarm over the growing number of murders, acts of vio-lence, unjust incarcerations and punitive censorship of journalists worldwide.

While declaring common cause with the rights organizatons monitoring the alarm-ing situation, CEMA stressed the need for a free press education campaign in the coun-tries concerned, given the literacy and edu-cation level of most of these countries.

CEMA cited 2006 fi gures from the New York-based Committee to Protect Journal-ists (CPJ), stating that in 2006, at least 55 journalists died around the world doing their jobs. The number rose from 45 in 2005.

For the fourth consecutive year, Iraq was in a category all its own as the deadli-est place for journalists.

The Philippines and Afghanistan ranked side by side second to Iraq, with three apiece. Russia, Mexico, Pakistan and Co-lumbia each had two journalists killed last year.

The CPJ said another 37 media support workers – interpreters, drivers, fi xers and offi ce workers died in line of work since the invasion of Iraq in March 2003.

CEMA declared common cause with or-ganizations as Amnnesty International, Ca-nadian Journalists for Free Expression and Pen International Canada in protesting and opposing violations of human rights wher-ever they occured.

CEMA also called on the organizations involved in monitoring the violence against journalists to mount an education campaign in the countries concerned.

CEMA said the campaign should be mounted at the offi cial government level and among the public to impress the criti-cal role that a free press ciould play in the lives of ordinary people, keeping in mind that many of these countries have an ex-tremely poor literacy and education level.

LONG LIST of journalists killed in the Philippines since 1986, the year when the country purportedly re-gained democracy after martial law.

CEMA joins call vs media slays

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is inviting men and women representing di-verse communities and interested in a ca-reer in policing to list up for the 5th OPP Bound recruitment program at the Provin-cial Police Academy in Orilla from July 15 to 20. Participants will have the chance to live the life of an OPP recruit at the Acad-emy, doing fi rearms, drill, physical training and practical exercises. The deadline for application to the program is May 4. Fur-ther information may be obtained at www.opp.ca. CNW

OPP urges camptraining diversity


MARCH 2007NewsStop lying to immigrants ...(From page 4)

one of the great trag-edies seen in all immigrant communities.

A Statistics Canada re-port said more new immi-grants were highly educated with degrees and skills yet were unable to fi nd jobs in their fi eld and had become “persistently poor.”

(A news item of the StatsCan report was pub-lished in the February issue of Manila Media Monitor and could be read at www.manilamediamonitor.com).

“Canada’s failure to recognize the credentials of qualifi ed, skilled and profes-sional foreign-trained im-migrants in the workplace is widening the prosperity gap for new Canadians,” said Layton.

“New immigrants con-tribute to the country by providing essential servic-es, yet they continue to be discriminated against and forced to accept low-paying jobs. This is unfair to them as they are hardworking Canadians trying to provide a better quality of life for their family,” he added.

With the new federal budget expected to be an-nounced in a few weeks, Layton said NDP would be pushing to see the foreign-credential recognition issue on the agenda.

“One topic it (the bud-get) should deal with is making use of immigrant

skills and experience we have here in Canada,” Lay-ton said. “We will use this issue as a lever, see how far we can take it.”

Karygiannis reactsStill in Ottawa, Scar-

borough-Agincourt MP Jim Karygiannis likewise questioned the Harper gov-ernment’s commitment to remove barriers faced by foreign-trained workers.

The former Liberal ad-ministration, Karygiannis said, committed $68 million over six years for foreign credential recognition.

It had invested time and money to raise the issue with the medical communi-ty; set up a program to work with sectors to break down barriers to credential rec-ognition and labor market integration in non-regulated professions; and put up a Foreign Credential Recog-nition Secretariat. “(The current leadership) inher-ited the framework and the funding. But it slashed the program and cut the fund-ing,” he said.

Karygiannis, in a press release, said these actions have deprived new Canadi-ans of the chance to contrib-ute to their new homeland and these have deprived all Canadians of the benefi t of much needed skills.

Gov’t seriousStill in Ottawa, Citi-

zenship and Immigration

minister Diane Finley ex-pressed the government’s serious commitment to put up an offi ce “to help quali-fi ed foreign-trained profes-sionals become accredited so they can practice in their chosen fi elds in Canada.”

In a press statement, Fin-ley called for cooperation at all levels of government to give new immigrants better working opportunities.

“Improved labor market integration is critical so that Canada can continue attract-ing and retaining the skilled immigrants it needs,” Fin-ley said.

Visible MinoritiesMeanwhile, Senate

Human Rights committee chair Sen. Raynell Andrey-chuk noted “that members of visible minorities are still signifi cantly under-repre-sented in the public service, compared to their labor market availability.”

Andreychuk advised the Public Service Commission (PSC) to keep trying harder, as the committee was set to fi le a report on its prelimi-nary fi ndings on issues of alleged discrimination in the hiring and promotion practices of the Federal Public Service (FPS).

The PSC has made progress in hiring for wom-en, people with disabilities and aboriginals, commitee deputy chair Sen. Sharon Carstairs noted, but urged

the PSC to hire more visible minorities so that “it will ultimately truly represent Canada in the make-up of its workforce.”

The committee urged:► That bonuses of

deputy ministers be tied to performance assessments in terms of progress on diver-sity and job equity goals.

► That FPS develop concrete means to carry out its action plan ensuring equal access to executive level positions and all occu-pational categories for each of the designated groups.

► That FPS adopt a spe-cifi c policy to ensure the ef-fective removal of systemic barriers existing in hiring and staffi ng processes.

This should include a communication strategy geared towards reaching out to different populations across Canada; strategies to acquire and maintain ex-ternal candidates; support for offi cial language train-ing, particularly within im-migrant communities; and minimizing the use of tem-porary contracts.

CASJ bidIn the community front,

the Toronto-based Commu-nity Alliance for Social Jus-tice (CASJ) has succeeded to bring to the attention of lawmakers the concerns of immigrants affected

by stringent immigration policies resulting in “immi-grants ending up as a source of high quality cheap labor in Canada.”

In a petition circulated to the federal and provincial legislatures, CASJ chairper-son Edwin Mercurio said the alliance sought for:

► A review of policies and practices of Ontario’s regulatory boards, asking for changes to allow for a highly informed, profes-sional, fair and effi cient ac-creditation process.

► The provision of ef-fective social supports to allow immigrants to settle and fi nd appropriate jobs commensurate to their for-eign education, training and experience.

► The reformation of the Live-In Caregiver Pro-gram to allow applicants to enter Canada as skilled im-migrants, giving them ac-cess to housing and social service support, legal and labor protection, and bring their families with them .

► The provision of le-gal, professional and aca-demic services to immi-grants seeking credential recognition.

► The legislation of a Fair Registration Code that would recognize the spirit of the strict points system to assess the academic and

professional capability of immigrants.

► The provision of gov-ernment-subsidized loans to foreign-trained profession-als to use their skills and practice their professions.

► The establishment of a department within a new-ly-created public Access Centre to fairly evaluate the equivalence of standards between regulatory bodies and educational institutions in different countries and in Ontario.

Mercurio said the Fili-pino community should be represented in the group.

CASJ president Hermie Garcia said access to trades and professions for immi-grants has high priority in CASJ’s advocacy mission.

Garcia said despite their high educational attainment, long professional experi-ences, strong command of English and familiarization of North American institu-tions, many Filipino immi-grants have suffered from economic marginalization.

A CASJ survey con-ducted by York University’s Dr. Philip Kelly and Mila Astorga-Garcia attributed the situation to the non-rec-ognition of foreign-earned credentials, institutionalized de-skilling, de-profession-alization and occupational segmentation.

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MARCH 2007 Manila Media MonitorManila Media Monitor 19

20MARCH 2007 Manila Media MonitorManila Media Monitor

“No, we can’t, Ace,” he said.“I pushed some more, ‘can we

take out the administrative fee?’.”“No, Ace. I’m so sorry, we

can’t.”“Okay, wala na bang hidden

costs diyan sa quote mo? What about your sales commission?”

“He replied, “Ace, you’re practically asking me to work for free.”

“So, I exclaimed, ‘E ganoon naman pala, e bakit tawad ka ng tawad sa services ko. You’re practically asking me to work for nothing!”

“Ha! Ha! Ha! … ” Tata Peles laughed profusely, and declared, “Ace, e talagang dapat nga mag-practice ka na huwag kumain.”

“Aba’y totoo nga palang de-likado ang Toronto sa katulad mo na nasa media, ano?” Tata Peles symphatized.

“E teka muna,” the old man continued, “E, hindi ba commu-nity work mo iyan.”

“Community work? Paanong magiging community work ito? Tulad sa Manila Media Moni-tor, hindi naman nag-co-commu-nity work ang imprenta namin. Naniningil e. Hindi rin naman community work ang trabaho ng kumpare ko - si Oscar Cruz, who handles the delivery in East York and Scarborough.

“Likewise, Joe Damasco’s delivery for downtown Toronto, North York, Mississauga and Brampton is not community work either.

“E, hindi naman aandar ang

From the Monitor’s Desk ...(From page 8)

mga sasakyan ng mga kaibigan kong iyon kung community work ang ilalagay sa tangke ng gasolina.

“Ang graphics artists namin sa Trimedia Networks - si Danny Sam-son, Jun Afable at Erlinda Domingo, lupa na nga ang kinakain, e.”

“Lupa? Totoo?” Tata Peles al-most fell from his chair.

“Oo, lupa. Ayun at ang inaatu-pag e, ‘yong darating na ‘Miss Earth Philippines Pageant’ sa Ma-nila. E ‘di ba lupa iyon.”

“Ang editor ko sa Manila Me-dia Monitor - si Butch Galicia, e, graduate pa iyon ng Advanced Journalism sa Berlin, Germany, at kung hindi ko babayaran, e baka German ang gamiting linguwahe sa pahayagan, so, papa’nong maiintindahan ng tao ang binaba-sa. Hindi na nga maintindihan ng mga tao ang ilan sa mga babasa-hin dahil sa bali-balikong Ingles, dadagdagan pa namin.

“Tata Peles, masakit ang ti-yan ko. Palagay ko, kailangan ko nang kumain.”

“E, talagang dapat, Huwag ka’ng paparis sa ibang diyaryo na bagsak ng bagsak ng presyo para lamang makakuha ng advertisers. Dapat talagang kumain ka. Naka-katawa nga e, ang daming pahina ng mga pahayagan ng iba, wala namang laman.

“Bakit ba?” Tata Peles wanted the details. “Ang sukatan ba ng diyaryo ay nasa dami ng pahina nito?”

“Tata Peles, sila po ang tanun-gin ninyo at hind po namin gawain sa Manila Media Monitor iyon.”

A recent e-mail message from Buckley’s colds and cough syrup: “PUBLIC AUDITIONS FOR FACE OF FUTURE BUCK-LEY’S TV AD”.

O, pagkakataon na para sa mga mapapait ang mukha na mag-ing model.

***Voltaire de Leon in a mes-

sage to Manila Media Monitor: “Can you spare someone to cov-er the event?”

Reply: “Would you volun-teer, Voltaire, to cover the event for Manila Media Monitor?”

***A forwarded message from

PPC-O member and freelancer Jojo Taduran about a story of two nuns - one of them was known as Sister Mathematical (SM), and the other one was known as Sister Logical (SL).

It is getting dark and they are still far away from the convent.

SM: Have you noticed that a man has been following us for the past thirty-eight and a half min-utes? I wonder what he wants.

SL: It’s logical. He wants to rape us.

SM: Oh, no! At this rate he will reach us in 15 minutes at the most! What can we do?

SL: The only logical thing to do of course is to walk faster.

SM: It’s not working.SL: Of course it’s not working.

The man did the only logical thing. He started to walk faster, too.

SM: So, what shall we do? At this rate he will reach us in one

minute.SL: The only logical thing we

can do is split. You go that way and I’ll go this way. He cannot follow us both.

So the man decided to follow Sister Logical.

Sister Mathematical arrives at the convent and is worried about what has happened to Sister Logi-cal. Then Sister Logical arrives.

SM: Sister Logical! Thank God you are here! Tell me what happened!

SL: The only logical thing happened. The man couldn’t fol-low us both, so he followed me

SM: Yes, yes! But what hap-pened then?

SL: The only logical thing happened. I started to run as fast as I could and he started to run as fast as he could.

SM: And?SL: The only logical thing

happened. He reached meSM: Oh, dear! What did you

do?!SL: The only logical thing to

do. I lifted my dress up.SM: Oh, Sister! What did the

man do?SL: The only logical thing to

do. He pulled down his pants.SM: Oh, no! What happened

then?SL: Isn’t it logical, Sister?

A nun with her dress up can run faster than a man with his pants down.

Jojo caps the story, “ … and for those of you who thought it would be dirty, I’ll pray for you!”

Ooops & Bloops ...(From page 6)

money and went back to X for her interview. This job validation was a ticket for her family to Canada.

Now here was the tragedy. And it was truly senseless. She had been refused an entry visa back to X so that she could attend her interview. She had a letter of endorsement from her mayor and other prominent members of her community, but was still denied.

She lost her interview spot and lost her job validation. Her dream to start a new life in Canada evap-orated back into the fog.

Listening to her story at that coffee shop … watching her little girl work her way through dessert and feeling content that life at the moment was good, I felt the im-mense gap of our Human Rate of Exchange.

Sunshine knews that she would have to wait at least another two or three years before she could get another chance.

She knews that she would be away from her daughter on an-other contract in X or some other country.

She knew all this but she was not daunted. Instead, she smiled and told me she was prepared to do what it took so that her family could have a better life.

I left my country - the Philip-pines, with mixed feelings.

I see so much hope and poten-tial but so many roadblocks that I’m torn between joy and despair.

But then I think of Sunshine and her incredible spirit and this brings a smile to my face.

Our Journey ...(From page 9)


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MARCH 2007

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo delivers her speech during the 21st an-niversary celebration of the historic EDSA People Power Revolution at the People Power Monument along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Quezon City on Feb. 25. Photo: REY BANIQUET – OPS/NIB

For 21 years now, the EDSA call for ‘Magkaisa’ has not changedFor 21 years now, the EDSA call for ‘Magkaisa’ has not changed


MARCH 2007The Philippines

The basic fact? Large numbers of extrajudicial killings are taking place in the Philippines.

While President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her military cohorts have as-sured encouraging steps to get rid of this dirty blot to their human rights record, “there is a huge amount that remains to be done.”

Thus concluded Profes-sor Philip Alston, special rapporteur of the United Nations Human Rights Council, in a Feb. 21 press statement on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary ex-ecutions in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, President Arroyo said the govern-ment is making progress in resolving the extrajudicial killings of activists and me-dia members.

“The government is more than sincere in its ef-forts to resolve these kill-ings; we have taken im-mediate concrete steps,” Arroyo said.

Alston spent 10 days in the cities of Manila, Baguio and Davao, invited by the government to “inquire into

the phenomenon of extraju-dicial executions.”

He met with persons and groups of varied social lean-ings who could shed light and present “documentation and detailed testimony” on the issue.

He said he was given voluminous professionally-prepared and detailed data by the parties, both public and private, he dealt with.

But he found “consider-able variation” in the sub-missions, some being “en-tirely credible” and others, “superfi cial and dubious.”

“The word ‘propagan-da’ was used by many,” he said, adding he took them to mean “that the overriding goal of relevant groups in raising extrajudicial execu-tion questions was to gain political advantage in the context of a broader battle for public opinion and pow-er, and that the human rights dimensions were secondary at best.”

“Some suggested that many of the cases were fab-ricated, or at least trumped up, to look more serious than they are,” he said, re-

ferring to government and military offi cials.

Alston said “there is inevitably a propaganda

element in such allegations (on extrajudicial and politi-cal killings) ... but I met no groups who challenged the

basic fact that large num-bers of extrajudicial execu-tions are taking place, even if they disagreed on precise fi gures.”

He said the informa-tion given by some groups “proved credible under cross-examination.”

“My focus goes well beyond that adopted by ei-ther Task Force Usig or the Melo Commission, both of which are concerned es-sentially with political and media killings ... in many ways, a symptom of a much more extensive problem,” he added, saying the Usig/Melo scope of inquiry was inappropriate for his use since the approach was re-active, many killings were not reported, or not pur-sued, and for good reason; and a signifi cant proportion of acknowledged cases of ‘disappearances’ involved persons killed but not re-fl ected in the fi gures.

Uncertain as to how many were victims of sum-mary killings, Alston said he was “certain that the number is high enough to be distressing.”

“More importantly, numbers are not what count. The impact of even a limit-ed number of killings of the type alleged is corrosive in many ways. It intimidates vast numbers of civil society actors, it sends a message of vulnerability to all but the most well connected, and it severely undermines the political discourse which is central to a resolution of the problems confronting this country,” he stressed.

Of particular concern in the Philippines are:

► Killings by mili-tary and police, and by the NPA or other groups, in the course of counter-insurgen-cy operations.

► Killings not in the course of any armed en-gagement but in pursuit of a specifi c counter-insurgency operation in the fi eld.

► Killings, whether at-tributed to the military, the police, or private actors, of activists associated with leftist groups and usually deemed or assumed to be covertly assisting the com-munist front. Private actors

Alston: RP must do more to end summary slays;Arroyo takes quick action on Melo suggestions

LESS WORDS, MORE ACTION TO END KILLINGS


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CEBU CITY - For men who “fall short” of their partners’ expectations, there are sex gadgets and implants being peddled in busy Os-mena Blvd., this city.

The use of locally-crafted sex gadgets and im-plants, which scandalized the Spanish clergy of early Philippine history, has sur-vived for the last four cen-turies.

Pablo Nabizaga, 42, from Jaguimit, Naga town

25MARCH 2007Manila Media Monitor

‘Trip to Heaven’ peddled in Cebu streets

in southern Cebu and known to his clients as Doctor Bo-litas, peddles these gadgets and contraptions.

Bolitas are round pellets of penile implants, purport-edly capable of enhancing a woman’s sexual pleasure. They are made of plastic, silicon, glass, jade or ivory.

Nabizaga’s best seller, however, is the “goat’s eye,” a thin ring made of hide surrounded with a tuft of hair made from goat’s

eyelashes. ”You have to soak it fi rst

in alcohol before using it so that it becomes clean and soft,” Nabizaga says, add-ing that a adept workers in a backyard factory near a goat

abattoir in Tabunok, Talisay City assembles “goat’s eye” and supplies these to him.

He washes and airs them one by one before selling them to vendors at P10 apiece.

Retail prices vary ac-cording to diameter size: from P70 to 90 each.

Marlon Omtawar, 35, a “goat’s eye” seller and Nabizaga’s client, advertises his goat’s eye as Biyaheng Langit (Trip to Heaven).

Last year, he admits hav-ing sold - at one time - 100 pieces to a Japanese tourist

and another 500 pieces to a Davao trader.

Ardent clients who re-turn seven months after purchase only pay P20 for a new replacement, Omtawar avers.

Nabizaga notes that the small-diameter “goat’s eye” is the fastest moving item in his stock.

Most of his products, are big hits in February and December, on Valentines Day and Christmas.

Nabizaga says clients are usually men who “fall short” of their partners’ ex-

pectations and men “who want to please their part-ners.”

He says expatriates, mil-itary men, drivers, overseas contract workers, students, old men, even husbands with their wives and some-times mistresses in tow, buy from him.

Women also get their goat’s eye for their lovers and husbands, he quips.

Nabizaga also sells sex rings, or rambutan in street slang.

Rambutans are elastic

Goat’s eye: Looking for-ward to a trip to heaven

By ED BARRITA


Manila Media MonitorMARCH 2007

26

PRES. MAGSAYSAY 1955(It was March 17, 1957.) The C-47 took off smoothly from the Cebu airport and into the moon-bright Philippine night. It was 1:17 a.m., and the plane radioed the tower at Malacañan Palace to have Presi-dent Ramon Magsaysay’s car at Manila’s Nichols Field at 3:15 a.m. Then there was only silence. Two hours later, when the plane failed to arrive, the silence became ominous. By dawn, Philippine naval ves-sels and air-force planes, later joined by the U.S. Air Force, were scouring the lovely in-land sea between Cebu and Manila. By ra-dio and whisper, the news spread: the Phil-ippines’ beloved President Magsaysay was missing. The long morning wore on. In the barrios, priests offered up special prayers, and Filipinos clustered silently around ra-dios. Then, as night began to fall, came the “very bad news.” Wreckage had been found in a mountain ravine near Asturias, only 22 miles northwest of Cebu city. One newspaperman, badly burned, was the only survivor of 26 aboard. President Magsay-say was dead. In the barrios and the streets of Manila, Filipinos wept.

Open Door. To his people, Ramon Magsaysay, 49, was a kind of combination Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt and Andrew Jackson, with none of their faults: a war hero and a man of peace. He was the President who had opened Mala-canan Palace to the people. Palace corridors and reception rooms, once the preserve of suave politicians and their richly gowned ladies, were thronged with peasants or plantation workers bringing their troubles. Magsaysay listened to them all.

Rugged, tall (5 ft. 11 in.), plainspeaking, Magsaysay was indefatigably energetic and incorruptibly honest (“My parents taught

me to be a good Christian. Do you know of any good Christian who is dishonest?”). He was a blacksmith’s son, who came out of the Zambales mountains to work as a chauf-feur and mechanic to pay for his mechani-cal engineering studies at the University of the Philippines. He fought the Japanese as a guerrilla, at war’s end commanded an army of 10,000 men - but was especially proud of his U.S. Army rank as a captain in a motor pool. Elected to the Philippine Congress, he battled his own Liberal Party when it in-dulged politics and corruption in the army, goaded the politicos so much that in 1950 President Elpidio Quirino made him Secre-tary of Defense.

The Communist Hukbahalaps in 1950 were 16,000 strong; in some areas they levied taxes, ran their own schools, news-papers and factories. They maintained their headquarters brazenly in Manila and drew up a plan for seizure of the city itself. Farm-ers, forced under antiquated laws to pay 70% of their crops to hereditary landlords, gave the Huks sanctuary, and soldiers, often unpaid for months, felt small inclination to hunt them down. Sleeping only three hours a night, Magsaysay took to the air, island-hopped from army post to army post. When he found soldiers living in shacks and eat-ing miserable food, he fi red their offi cers on the spot. Dropping in unannounced on a remote post one cold night and fi nding sol-diers sleeping without blankets, he furious-ly roused the offi cers from bed, made them distribute blankets to the enlisted men.

The army awakened, Magsaysay launched savage forays to root out the Huk activists. At the same time, he struck at the roots of their power—the discontent that made potential Huks of every Filipino farmer.

“They are fi ghting the government because they want a house and land of their own. All right, they can stop fi ghting because I will give them a house and land,” he cried. And he did, setting up settlements complete with houses and electric lights in unused lands. “I don’t know where to put all the Huks that have surrendered,” he said triumphantly, and the Huk rebellion was broken.

Honest Election. In the past, the army had dominated Philippine elections as the bullyboy of the politicians in power. In 1951 Magsaysay undertook to insure the Philippines’ fi rst free election. He jailed mayors or town offi cials for allowing pho-ny registration, warned trigger-prone local bosses, once arrested a town’s whole po-lice force for murdering opposition voters. The results were incontrovertible proof of Magsaysay’s honesty in Philippine eyes: his party was resoundingly defeated.

By 1953, Maysaysay was fed up with Quirino’s Liberal government. He had been offered one too many bribes, had seen one too many corrupt colleagues, he said. But when the rival Nationalists approached him to lead a military coup d’état, he refused (“I might be a good dictator, but how do you know about the next one?” he asked them). Then they asked him to become their presi-dential candidate. His speech at the nomi-nating convention was short. “I am a man of action. Therefore I am not a speechmak-er,” he said, and sat down. He was elected President by a landslide.

As President, Magsaysay was the U.S.’s sturdiest defender and stoutest friend in all Asia. When opponents taunted him as an “American puppet,” he replied defi antly that he would run for election any time on the platform of friendship with the U.S. He had no patience with neutralism. “Between

Death of a FriendTIME, Monday, Mar. 25, 1957 (A Reprint)


The Philippines: Recalling ‘The Guy’

MARCH 2007 Manila Media Monitor 27

our way of life and Communism, there can be no peace, no paralyz-ing coexistence, no grey neutral-ism,” he said. “There can only be confl ict—total and without rec-onciliation.”

Smiling Now. Even his well-wishers worried over Magsay-say’s impatience with experts and technicians. When forced to listen to them, he cracked his knuckles nervously and rolled his head back and forth on his neck. “The professor’s reports aren’t as important as people,” he said; what saved him from folly was his instinct for what the people wanted and needed. Whenever he could, he got out of the palace to go back to the barrios. Filipinos lined the roads along his route, and he extended his hand to brush their fi ngers as he passed. Bound-ing up steps two at a time, mopping the sweat from brow and neck with a towel, he shook hands in city halls and in the village squares, talked under mango trees among nipa huts, pledging a new pre-fabricated schoolhouse here, discuss-ing a new road or a new irrigation dam there. Magsaysay himself seemed to draw strength from the contact. Looking out at the sea of people, Magsaysay said proudly: “People smile now. It’s only six years since no one smiled and everybody was afraid of his neighbor.”

Ramon Magsaysay fl ew whenever he

Death of a friend ....(From page 26)

President Ramon and Mrs. Luz Banzon-Mag-saysay with Eleanor Roosevelt (center).

could, at any time and in any weather. He shrugged off protests impatiently; any other way wasted time, and he was a man in a hurry. Last Saturday Magsaysay fl ew down to Cebu. He talked at three universities, to the local war veterans, to the Chinese Chamber of Com-merce. Then he decided to fl y back to Manila that night.

After the crash, the Cabinet hurriedly summoned Vice President Carlos Garcia home from Australia, where he has been attending the SEATO Conference. A nondescript politi-cian forced on Magsaysay by the Nationalists, Garcia is unlikely to be more than a care-taker until the presidential elections, to be held this fall. Just who that successor will be, no one can predict. Magsaysay so completely dominated Philippine politics and affections that in all likelihood he would have been nominated by both parties. There was no one like him —a man in whom Filipinos saw their best, just as he always saw the best in them.

The Guy: Time cover, Nov. 26, 1951

The Community Folk Arts Council of Toronto (CFAC) and its member groups is inviting the public to see 18 ethnic community Easter displays at the 42nd Annual Easter Around the World Festival at the City Hall Rotunda on April 1 from noon to 5 p.m.

Admission is free.Participating countries

include Hungary, Serbia, Madeira, Poland, Pioneer Canada, Russia, the Phili-pines, Ukraine, Macedo-nia, Peru, Slovak, Portugal, Lebanon, Romania, Colom-bia, Mexico, Croatia and Chile.

Food, fl owers, fun and fashion are the key words

CFAC showcases RP Easter traditions in 42nd Easter Around the World festival

during the festival, which yearly draws huge crowds who want to experience how Easter is celebrated worldwide.

The culinary bounty celebrating the end of Lent and the coming of Spring promise to delight senses.

At the festival, one can buy traditional home baked goods and decorated eggs, bring the children to learn about the many traditions of Easter and try his/her hand at the intricate designs un-der expert instruction from a master of the art of egg decoration.

The Easter event is one of Toronto’s longest run-ning annual festivals.

CFAC is a not-for-prof-it, charitable organization that presents the heritage of over 91 nationalities found in Toronto.

CFAC showcases inter-national traditions through events like Global roots, Christmas Around the World, First Night and Taste of Toronto.

The council also brings groups from other nations to perform in Toronto, and sends its own member groups to perform in places as far away as Taiwan.

Through its activities, the council helps to bring about a higher profi le for the heritage and arts in the greater Toronto area. PR

MALIGAYANGPASKO NGMULINGPAGKABUHAY

28Manila Media MonitorMARCH 2007 Provincial RoundupThe Philippines

Sandugo Festival, a yearly historical event in Tagbilaran City, Bohol every March, commem-morates the blood compact and association or treaty of friendship between Datu Sikatuna Spanish conquistador Captain General Miguel López de Legazpi in March 16, 1565. The two

March in BoholSandugo (One Blood) Festival

were believed to have made a cut on their left arms with a dagger and sprinkled their blood into a cup fi lled with wine, which both drunk in honor of their friendship and brotherhood. This was 44 years after Ferdinand Magellan was killed attacking Mactan Island in Cebu. The Sandugo (dugo means blood in the Visayan language.) treaty was a traditional way to for-malize treaties of friendship in the Philippines. Magellan himself took part in several of these ceremonies before attacking Mactan Island. It was the fi rst international treaty of friendship and comity between the Filipinos and Spaniards.

included hired thugs in the pay of politicians, land-owners, corporate interests, and others.

► Vigilante, or death squad, killings.► Killings of journalists and other media per-

sons.► ‘Ordinary’ murders facilitated by the sense of

impunity that exists.The military has relentlessly pushed the idea that

the recent rise in killings was due to purges commit-ted by the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed group, the New People’s Army.

But the evidence to support the theory was un-convincing, Alston said. Human rights groups have documented very few such cases.

“Some killings may have been attributable to the AFP, but they were committed by rogue elements. There is little doubt that some such killings have been committed,” he said.

The military remained in a state of almost total denial of its need to respond effectively and authenti-cally to the signifi cant number of killings which have been convincingly attributed to them,” he said.

“The President needs to persuade the military that its reputation and effectiveness will be considerably enhanced, rather than undermined, by acknowledging the facts and taking genuine steps to investigate.”

Alston also took jabs at the Melo Commission re-port: “It is not for me to evaluate the Melo Report. That is for the people of the Philippines to do.”

The President showed good faith in responding to allegations by setting up an independent commis-sion.; but the political and other capital that should have followed was drained away by the refusal to publish the report and the justifi cations given were unconvincing.

“Extending a Commission whose composition has never succeeded in winning full cooperation seems unlikely to cure the problems still perceived by those groups. Immediate release of the report is an essential fi rst step,” Alston said.

“The increase in extrajudicial executions in re-cent years is attributable, at least in part, to a shift in counterinsurgency strategy that occurred in some areas, refl ecting the considerable regional variation in the strategies employed, especially with respect to the civilian population,” he said.

“In some areas, an appeal to hearts-and-minds is

combined with an attempt to vilify left-leaning orga-nizations and to intimidate leaders of such organiza-tions,” he added.

Alston said that “in some instances, such intimi-dation escalates into extrajudicial execution. This is a grave and serious problem and one which I intend to examine in detail in my fi nal report” due to come out in the next three months.

As this developed, President Arroyo named Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Sergio Apostol to monitor the progress of directives she issued on Jan. 31 based on the recommendations of the Melo Commission.

At the justice department, Secretary Raul Gonza-lez has liberalized admission requirements, particu-larly when the threat level on bona fi de witnesses is high. Regional State Prosecutors are authorized to grant provisional coverage to high risk witnesses un-der threat pending confi rmation of their admission.

Gonzalez directed regional state, provincial and city prosecutors to be proactive in seeking out bona fi de witnesses in cases involving political killings, media murders and human rights violations.

The President has also asked the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to delve deeper into the matter of extrajudicial killings, as she approved the release of P25 million for the Commission to do its task.

Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon issued on Feb. 4 a memorandum ordering strict adherence to the doctrine of command respon-sibility, as recommended by Justice Jose Melo, chair-man of the Melo Commission.

Command responsibility refers to the “account-ability or responsibility or answerability of the com-mander of a Military Force or Unit for the acts of his men, inclusive of the authority to order, to direct, to prevent or control the acts of his men.”

Supreme Court chief Justice has recently an-nounced the setting up of special courts to prosecute the perpetrators of extrajudicial killings.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has also re-quested for European Union assistance in the ongo-ing investigations, the Palace was informed.

Diplomats from Europe, Japan and other coun-tries as well as the UN Special Rapporteur Philip Alston welcomed the news of these actions by the Arroyo administration in separate briefi ngs earlier this month. PR, OPS

Alston: RP must do more to end political slays(From page 24)

Candaba kids for bird fl u free RPCANDABA, Pampanga - Some 60 grade school children in this town frequented by migratory birds have joined the drive against bird fl u, learning about the dreaded disease from art and literature workshops facilitated by artists from the Cultural Center of the Phil-ippines. The workshops were part of the Stay Bird Flu Free Philip-pines campaign sponsored by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the People of Japan. Similar programs were con-ducted in the cities of Butuan and Roxas. PIA

Ifugao studes go into recyclingTABUK, Kalinga - The St. Louis College of Bulanao has launched a series of seminars to teach students and the community here on how to control waste and garbage and con-vert trash into cash. SLCB Presi-dent Bishop Prudencio Andaya Jr. said the college clean brigade could help participating students defray school tuition fees and other ex-penses by collecting and recycling or selling trash. Other in-kind in-centives will also be given to stu-

DSWD seeks more foster homesPANGASINAN - Social welfare offi cials here are looking for more adoptive and foster parents for 147 children who needed permanent and loving families, facilitated through the government’s adoption and foster care program. The children have been initially provid-ed with basic social interventions by the community-based social workers. PIA

E. Samar eyes bigger coco plantHERNANI, Eastern Samar - The Integrated Coconut Processing Plant here is set to expand as it acquires soon a bigger decorticating machine, to raise production of coconut fi ber and meet growing de-mand. Mayor Cesar Tagun said the plant’s output was only 1.5 tons of coconut fi ber, way below the requirements of coco fi ber users. Coconut fi ber is essential in making geonets or geotextiles used in preventing soil erosion. Tajun said the plant’s output included coco-nut by products such as soap, crude oil and virgin coconut oil. PIA

dents. The program taught participants how to sort waste, put this in proper containers, collect garbage, recycle usable waste materials, and apply other ecology-friendly practices. PIA

Dog bites man, risky in AklanKALIBO, Aklan - Rabies has claimed the lives of four persons in Aklan in the last several months, sending offi cials to raise alarm bells over the vaccination of the province’s more than 55,300 dogs to ensure zero rabies case. Health offi cials said 1,172 Aklanons were dog bite victims in 2006. Offi cials called for the full implementation of the Rabies Ordinance that provided for the elimination of stray dogs, compulsory leashing and caging of dogs, castration to regulate dog population and encouragement to owners to be responsible pet owners. Stray dogs have also caused countless fatal motorcycle ac-cidents in the province for years. PIA

Tandag, Surigao N. soon a cityTANDAG, Surigao del Sur - Tandag, one of 12 candidates for city-hood, is sure of its conversion awaiting President Arroyo’s signa-ture. Tandag mayor Alexander Pimentel said the cityhood papers had been signed by Senate President Manuel Villar. Pimentel said the approved measure would be submitted to the people of Tandag for a plebiscite. Tandag, along with Cabadbaran of Agusan del Norte and Bayugan of Agusan del Sur were the three towns of Caraga re-gion submitted for conversion into a city. PIA

More shuttle services to ClarkC L A R K ZONE, Pam-panga - Clark Development Corporation (CDC) offi -cials have an-nounced the opening this year of new shuttle routes between the Diosdado Macapagal International Air-port (DMIA) and the eastern provinces of Luzon, as it signed ac-cords with fi ve transport fi rms in a bid to increase passenger servic-es. The transport fi rms included Philtranco, Partas, Triangle Phils., Airport Shuttle Service Inc. and Genesis. Most of the transport fi rms have stations in Cubao, Pasay and near the Ninoy Aquino Interna-tional Airport. PNA

29MARCH 2007 Manila Media Monitor


MARCH 2007The Philippines

MANILA - The Moro Islam-ic Liberation Front (MILF) on March 11 warned of an impending collapse of its ceasefi re agreement with the government if military forces continued attacking its po-sitions in Southern Philippines.

MILF chief negotiator Mo-hagher Iqbal issued the warning after a week of fi erce fi ghting be-tween MILF mujahideen and gov-ernment troops in the jungles of Midsayap, North Cotabato.

The military earlier claimed the fi ghting broke out on the eve-

ning of March 7 when at least 300 MILF rebels attacked two mili-tary outposts in the town. Bomber planes supported ground troops against the rebels.

Despite the attacks, Armed Forces public information offi cer Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said the military was committed to the pursuit of a peace pact with the country’s largest secessionist movement.

“We’d like to say that the Armed Forces of the Philippines really puts primacy to the ongoing

peace process with them (MILF),” he said.

But Iqbal said the military ap-peared “to be repeating what it did in the years 2000 and 2003, when it launched campaigns against the MILF” while negotiating with government for a peace accord.

In 2000, then President Joseph Estrada ordered an all-out offen-sive against the MILF resulting in the capture of scores of MILF camps, including the rebel group’s main headquarters Camp Abuba-kar in Maguindanao.

In 2003, the defunct South-ern Command ordered an assault of the MILF position at the Bu-liok (Liguasan Marsh) complex in Pikit, North Cotabato after the receiving information that the place was used as “staging area” of criminal elements.

“The government is repeating what it did in 2000 and 2003 and it begins to appear that it’s avowed policy of ‘primacy of the peace process’ is now a rhetoric,” said Iqbal.

The MILF claimed the mili-

tary sparked the skirmishes in North Cotabato, that the military initiated the attacks.

Iqbal said the MILF “will not take this aggression sitting down.”

Formal peace talks between the MILF and the government hit a snag on August 2006, on the is-sue of ancestral domain.

But negotiators expressed op-timism the talks would soon re-sume, and an agreement reached to render a lasting solution to a decades-old confl ict. PNA

MILF-military ceasefi re pact may collapse

32Manila Media MonitorMARCH 2007 Money

Philippine exporters and producers stand to gain most with the Doha Round’s goal to reduce trade barriers in both developed and devel-oping countries.

World Trade Organiza-tion (WTO) Director-Gener-al Pascal Lamy stressed this in a forum with members of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI).

Philippine exports are concentrated on electric and electronic equipment, ma-chinery and vehicles and ap-parels, accounting for over 70 percent of the country’s exports to the US, Japan, the EU, China and Hong Kong China in 2005.

Lamy said the Doha in-dustrial tariff negotiation, if successfully concluded, would substantially reduce tariff barriers Philippine ex-ports face in target markets.

“Being a developing country, the Philippines is entitled to the fl exibilities available for developing countries. These additional fl exibilities do not provide full exemption of the Phil-ippines from concessions, but provide breathing space

Doha Round trade talks toopen marts for RP exports

for the government to cover their most sensitive sector and achieve developmental objectives,” said Lamy.

From a systemic view-point, WTO has provided a global level playing fi eld for Philippine exports, making sure they enjoyed the “Most Favored Nation and Nation-al Treatment” without being discriminated against.

The WTO also provided a forum to solve trade dis-putes fairly when they hap-pen, and the Philippines has benefi tted from the protec-tion of the dispute settle-ment system.

“In agriculture, the Phil-ippines also has offensive interests. For example, the Philippines is the world’s largest coconut exporter. It has an interest in making sure that trade distorting do-mestic subsidies and export support is reduced as a re-sult of this Doha Round and markets in other countries are more open.”

Lamy explained that the Doha Round is also negoti-ating new rules, like trade facilitation.

“As the Philippines is strategically located, global disciplines cutting red tape and facilitating customs clearance will greatly en-hance the country’s com-petitiveness.”

He pointed out that the Doha Round could bring more market access, a fairer playing fi eld, new disci-plines and better enforce-ment of existing rules.

“On the other hand, ev-ery country in these nego-tiations, including the Phil-ippines, needs to contribute, the bigger ones contributing more, the weaker or the smaller ones contributing less.” EDU LOPEZ

PASCAL LAMY

DO NOTFORGET

Your income tax return for 2006 has to be fi led on or before April 30, 2007.If you fi le your return after April 30, 2007, your GST/HST credit, Canada Child

Tax Benefi t (including those payments from certain related provincial or territorial programs), and Old Age Security benefi t payments may be delayed.

Self-employed persons: If you or your spouse or common-law partner carried on a business in 2006 (other than a business whose expenditures are primarily in con-nection with a tax shelter), your return for 2006 has to be fi led on or before June 15, 2007. However, if you have a balance owing for 2006, you still have to pay it on or before April 30, 2007.

FREE INCOME TAX PREPARATION SERVICES ► MARCH 18: Association of Filipino-Canadian Accountants, Bayview Hill Community Centre, 1 to 4 p.m.► MARCH 18 & 25: Filipino Centre Toronto, FCT Rizal Hall, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.► MARCH 24 & 31, APRIL 14: Club Filipino of Brampton, Chinguacousy Library, Brampton, 10 a.m to 3 p.m. ► MARCH 31: Gateway Centre for New Canadians and the Association of Filipino Canadian Accountants, Gateway Centre, Mississauga, 1 to 4 p.m.

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo inspects the state-of-the-art facilities of Sykes-Cebu Call Center on Feb. 26. With the President is Asia- Cebu General Manager and Call Center Director Rosario Durano. OPS/NIB

33Manila Media MonitorMARCH 2007 Money

US$ Cdn$March 09 48.51932 41.42443March 08 48.68628 41.25673March 07 48.74571 41.35654March 06 48.77818 41.47550March 05 48.84921 41.35642March 02 48.70935 41.44140March 01 48.56443 41.45934Feb. 28 48.59052 41.52752Feb. 27 48.25740 41.45932Feb. 23 48.25401 41.65006Feb. 22 48.24241 41.52839Feb. 21 48.12526 41.44171Feb. 20 48.06312 41.08465Feb. 14 48.48549 41.57986Feb. 13 48.45257 41.45987Feb. 12 48.34045 41.15223

GOT A SWEET FOREX DEAL?

The Confederation of Philippine Exporters Foun-dation (Cebu), Inc. (Phil-export Cebu) and aid agen-cies from Canada and the Netherlands have signed a memorandum of under-standing that would provide Philippine small and medi-um enterprises with training to improve competitiveness and marketability abroad.

Under Pearl 2 or the Private Enterprises Accel-erated Resource Linkages project, the aid agencies would carry out a three-year

Business Support Organiza-tion Program (BSOD).

Assistance through the BSOD would include semi-nars and workshops, organi-zational strengthening, mar-ket information systems, export diversifi cation, and other training modules.

Pearl 2 is funded by the Canadian International De-velopment Agency in part-nership with the Center for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries, an agency of the Dutch Min-istry of Foreign Affairs.

Cebu SMEs get support fromCanadian, Dutch aid agencies

Remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFW) totalled $12.8 bil-lion in 2006 on the back of a record high $1.3 billion remittance in December.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said the 2006 OFW remittances was $500 million higher than projections.

The BSP said the 2006 OFW infl ow was 19.4 per-cent higher than the 2005 send-ins through banks.

The strongest infl ow came in December, reach-ing $1.3 billion and rising by 37.2 percent compared to the year-ago level.

“This is also the highest monthly remittance level ever recorded thus far,” the BSP said in its yearend re-mittance report.

The BSP said the strong cash remittances were due to two major factors that have kept monthly OFW infl ows in excess of the billion-dol-lar level for eight consecu-tive months last year.

BSP Governor Amando

Tetangco Jr. said more Fili-pinos were sent abroad and most sent money through banks in 2006.

Tetangco said fi nan-cial conduits have also made it easier and cheaper for OFWs to send money through banks.

He said banks and non-bank remittance companies have competed intensely to make remittances faster, safer and more effi cient.

Remittance channels have adopted advanced systems and new technolo-gies such as Internet/online banking, phone banking and through short messag-ing system.

Banks have also devel-oped fi nancial products and services to attract OFWs. These included bill pay-ment arrangements, inter-national money/cash cards, remittance network expan-sion and new correspondent remittance agreements with host countries.

The bulk of OFW remit-tances still came from the

‘06 OFW infl ows hit $12.8B highCheck out if you got your peso’s worth for the dollars you have had exchanged since Feb. 12, courtesy of Manila Media (Money) Monitor.

US, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Italy, the United Kingdom, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Sin-gapore, and Taiwan.

The Philippine Over-seas Employment Admin-istration said deployment in 2006 reached 1.1 million.

Deployed were 831,318 land-based and 260,737 sea-based workers.

More than eight mil-lion Filipinos are recorded working overseas, the num-ber nearly a tenth of the country’s population.

Meanwhile, former senator and labor leader Ernesto Herrera noted the big contribution of Filipino workers in Canada, who sent home a record $283.46 million from January to September last year alone.

Herrera credited the surge in money transfers to the “buoyant migrant labor market, particularly for pro-fessionals and other skilled workers,” in Canada, which has been one of the biggest benefi ciaries of the global

commodities boom. He said Canadian com-

panies have aggressively drafted petroleum and min-ing engineers, construction and transportation workers as well as services staff.”

Herrera said the bursts of growth in Canada’s min-ing and energy industries have actually spilled over to other industries.

Canada is a world top producers of gold, silver, copper, nickel, zinc, alumi-num and other precious and industrial metals.

With the bullish global energy markets, Canada’s production of synthetic crude oil from “oil sands” has also been growing by leaps and bounds, the Trade Union Congress of the Phil-ippines offi cial said.

Canada’s oil sand de-posit in northern Alberta is the world’s largest and con-tain the equivalent of 1.7 trillion barrels of oil.

“This is where our OFWs, our modern-day he-roes, go,” Herrera said.

Send-ins from Filipino workers in Canada cited

General Motors is the fi rst marketer to test drive Zoom Media’s new interactive “billboards.”

Targeting car-buyers 18 to 34, the 50 boards throughout Zoom’s resto-bar network in Montreal are equipped with 12” high-defi nition video screens with audio.

Motion sensors activate the billboards as people pass by, inviting them to stop and learn more about eight dif-ferent Pontiac and Chevrolet models and view video of the cars, making choices via four “touchless” buttons.

Brochures about the cars will also be in postcard racks installed on the boards. Based on an existing web applica-tion and developed by Cossette Media, there are four dif-ferent programs and each provides information options on two models.

The boards went up in early February and will run until summer.

“It was important to engage young consumers and give them the opportunity to live a virtual experience,” says Ju-lie Courtemanche, account manager at GM’s media agency Cossette Media, in a release.

“The interactivity provided by these new billboards enables us to extend our campaign’s reach which, up until now, was limited to the web.”

“Our interactive board provides not only a wireless Internet and mobile network compatibility that allows for remote updating, but also collects data on the interactivity which is supplied to our clients on an on-going basis,” adds Andy Querin, president of Zoom Media. David Brown, as released in Marketing Daily

GM goes interactive in Montreal34

Manila Media MonitorMARCH 2007 Wheels

Twenty years ago on Val-entine’s Day (Feb. 14), the Acura brand was launched in Canada, the start of a bold brand venture. The fi rst Jap-anese luxury nameplate had arrived in Canada.

Created to bring per-formance, elegant design, advanced technology and higher levels of customer service to the luxury import market, Acura has grown from two nameplates in 1987 to six distinctive mod-els, including two utility vehicles, Acura RDX and MDX, and an exclusive-to-Canada luxury compact se-dan, the Acura CSX.

“Acura has dramatically advanced its products and technology over the past 20 years,” said Jim Miller, ex-ecutive vice president, Hon-da Canada Inc.

“Acura’s commitment is to always be ahead with customer-relevant technolo-gies and products that add to our customer’s quality of life. We thank those Canadi-ans who have embraced the Acura brand over the years,” Miller said.

Since then, over 320,000 Acura cars and trucks have been sold in Canada. Acura builds two products at Hon-da Canada’s facility in Allis-ton, Ontario.

Toyota Canada Inc. an-nounced that EnerGuide named three of its models as the most fuel effi cient in their respective classes for 2007.

Toyota’s three class-leading vehicles are:

► 2007 Toyota Yaris (manual transmission): Most Fuel Effi cient Sub-Compact, with a rating of

6.9 L / 100 km city and 5.5 L / 100 km highway. The Yaris Hatchback won the category last year - its fi rst year on sale in Canada.

► 2007 Toyota Prius: Most Fuel Effi cient Mid-Size, with a rating of 4.0 L / 100 km city and 4.2 L / 100 km highway. The revolu-tionary gasoline-electric hy-brid Prius has been named

best in class every year since the mid-size version was in-troduced in 2004.

► 2006 Toyota Sienna FWD: Most Fuel Effi cient Minivan, with a rating of 11.7 L / 100 km city and 8.1 L / 100 km highway.

EnerGuide announced the winning vehicles at the Canadian International Auto Show.

Toyota bags 3 Energuide awards

The all-new 2007 Acura RDX Technology Package, a luxury-performance cross-over utility vehicle (CUV), is the Canadian Utility Ve-hicle of the Year.

Thus voted the Automo-bile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC).

Acura RDX is year’s Canadian Utility Vehicle

The competition started in October in Ontario where over 70 AJAC members tested and evaluated 65 products in 13 categories.

The RDX initially won as Best New CUV between $35,000 and $60,000.

Honda Canada Inc. mar-

kets fi ve vehicles under the Acura brand -- the exclu-sive-to-Canada Acura CSX luxury compact sedan, RL, MDX, TL and TSX.

Both the CSX and the MDX are produced at the Honda of Canada Mfg. fa-cility in Alliston, Ontario.

Acura turns20 in Canada

36 Manila Media Monitor MARCH 2007

SHOWBIZ

Pinoy

Bakekang fi lm in the makingThe spectacular rise of Bakekang on the

boob tube charts - since its premiere on Sept. 11, 2006 over GMA 7 - is inspiring fi lm writ-er and director Carlo J. Caparas and Donna Villa to produce its movie version.

If Caparas had his way, he wanted the fl ick on the roll this March, but Villa insist-ed that a potential award winning fi lm like Bakekang would suit all intents and purposes if shown during the December Metro Manila Film Festival.

Caparas hinted that Philippine teleseries newest queen Sunshine Dizon would still fi ll in the shoes of Bakekang in the movie, not-ing Dizon’s incomparable portrayal of the comics character Caparas himself created 30 years ago.

On Feb. 18, 1978, Nora Aunor did Bakekang. Dizon’s reprise of the Aunor fi lm is expected to be very novel and different from the fi rst, he said.

The director said Dizon’s fans have be-come so used to her transformation from a lovely, beautiful lass to an ugly, pitiable tele-serye character that they would shout foul if someone else played the role in the movie.

Earlier rumors said Jolina Magdangal and Kris Aquino were eyed to do Bakekang. Even Ai-Ai delas Alas wanted in. But Dizon beat them to the draw.

Besides, Dizon has become so accus-tomed to the prosthetics that she would have no qualms wearing them over and over in the fi lming process, he said.

“Sulit na sulit ang pinaghirapan ko,” Di-zon said on learning she had been chosen for the movie, as she expressed elation over the decision of Caparas.

Dizon said Bakekang was her biggest break in prime-time Philippine television. While the show was not really one of GMA 7’s big-ticket projects, it rapidly took off and shot up at the ratings.

Is Dizon ready to be compared with Nora Aunor who did the movie version? In an earlier interview, Dizon mused: “I know that it is inevitable, but I wish that people would not compare us because Ate Guy (Nora’s monicker) is Ate Guy. She is the Superstar and I am not even close to that. I just hope people will give me the chance to show them my capabilities in playing this character without judgment.”

“What Bakekang’s biggest lesson will ultimately be is giving people the inspiration to fi nd their talent, to claim what they are good at, and hope that things will be better. That looks may be important to some, but in the end, it is the person’s character that really counts,” she said.

SUNSHINE DIZON ... as ...

BAKEKANG

1978 BAKEKANG POSTER

Hot and sultry White Castle 69 model and Maxim Phil-ippines March 2007 poser Roxanne Guinoo staved off ru-mors that she was the ‘signifi cant other’ that spawned the marital breakup of Meryll Soriano and Bernard Palanca.

Fresh from her own split with boyfriend Joross Gam-boa, Roxanne said she always tried to keep off Bernard who frequently sent her text messages. She said she did not want to be known as coveting someone else’s husband.

At 21 (she was born on Feb. 14, 1986), Roxanne had been too busy with her acting and modelling projects to even bat an eyelash for Bernard.

Roxanne: No part inMeryll-Bernard split

ROXANNE GUINOO

A Star Circle Quest talent, Roxanne hails from Rosario, Cavite.She is preparing to shoot her White Castle TVC in the trademark skimpy two-piece red

bikini, white horse and the beach.

Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao, who has four movies and a string of television bits to his gold belt, fi nally knocked out plans to seek a con-gressional post in the May elections.

Instead, Pacquiao’s handlers said he would fo-cus on his fi ght against Mexican Jorge Solis at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on April 14.

Pacquiao’s poll adviser Romulo Macalintal hinted that fans would not want the boxer’s win-ning fi sts dipped into dirty politics, as gleaned from the loud booing Pacquaio and his camp re-ceived recently during the Z Gorres and Boom Boom Bautista forays at the Cebu City Sports Complex.

Macalintal said Pacquiao would like to apolo-gize to his fans for hurting them because of his political plans and that “Pacquiao treats his fans

Ring & tinseltown - YES,But Pacquiao KOs politics

MANNY PACQUIAOas very important to him and would listen to their sentiments.”

Veteran politician Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña had advised Pacquiao that he could run for an offi ce, but “not at this time.”

As an actor, Pacquiao has starred in Lisensyadong Kamao (2005), Basagan ng Mukha (2001), Mahal Kita, Kahit Sino Ka Pa (2001), and ‘Di Ko Kayang Tanggapin (2000).

Toni Gonzaga is in love. But not with Sam Milby, Luis Manzano, Zanjoe Marudo, or the politician allegedly hounding the TV host-

singer-actress lately. Toni is very much in love with her showbiz career that be-ing romantically involved with any guy at this point of her life is not in-cluded on her priority list.

Toni is still loveless. But she does not fret about it. And when

asked, from the list of her suit-ors, why no one has captured her heart yet; Toni stated matter-of-factly, “Masyadong maiksi ang lifespan ng showbiz career ng mga artista, kaya I’m just making

the most out of what I have now. Saka na siguro ‘yan. Minsan lang ang ganitong opportunity, so ‘wag na nating palampasin pa.”

Who among Sam, Luis, and Za-njoe is closest to her heart?

“Cliche nang masyado ‘to, pero close ako sa kanilang lahat. We are all good friends. Wala yung ranking kung sino ang ganito o ganyan. Pan-tay-pantay silang lahat para sa akin,” said Toni.

Aside from Pinoy Big Brother, she hosts with Mariel Rodriguez

and Bianca Gonzales, Toni’s other TV shows are ASAP ‘07 on ABS-CBN and Wazzup Wazzup on Studio 23.

She has also a fi nished a movie with Sam and Zanjoe entitled You Got Me from Star Cinema. PEP

CAREER TOPSTONI’S LOVELIFE

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to disqualify May poll ad-ministration senatorial bet and actor Cesar Montano.

That is if Montano fails to explain why his appear-ance as host and narrator of an old EDSA People Power documentary - aired over Living Asia cable tv chan-nel - does not violate the Fair Election Act.

Comelec chairman Ben-jamin Abalos Jr. said the poll agency has ordered Montano and Living Asia to explain and show cause why they should not be cit-ed for violating the election law, for which poll bets may be disqualifi ed.

But a Comelec resolu-tion also provided that can-

didates or registered politi-cal parties seeking national elective positions are given 120 minutes of air time on free TV and cable TV and 180 minutes on radio, whether by purchase or do-nation, for their broadcast

advertisements or election propaganda.

Abalos cited Section 6, paragraph 8 of the Fair Election Act that provided: No movie, cinematograph or documentary portrayed by an actor or media person-ality who is himself a candi-date shall likewise be pub-licly exhibited in a theater or any public forum during the campaign period.

However, Abalos said the April 14 fi ght of boxing champ and congressional bet Manny Pacquiao was unlike Montano’s hosting.

Abalos said Pacquiao’s fi ght, to be aired live, is considered “a current event of national interest.”

That was if Pacquiao had continued running.

Comelec chides Montano onTV documentary appearance

CESAR MONTANO

37Manila Media MonitorMARCH 2007 Entertainment

Versatile and dynamic singer/songwriter/compos-er Crystal Sahagun does an encore in a concert to benefi t the Heart and Stroke Foun-dation, St. Thomas More Church and the Blessed John XXIII Church.

Crystal will perform with Emil Zarris and the St. Thomas Youth Choir at the McVety Auditorium on May 12.

Crystal has been per-forming since she was eight years old, drawing raves CRYSTAL SAHAGUN

Sahagun does encore for charity

The Metropol Banquet Hall and Restaurant, un-der its new and dynamic management, is the place to be in any occasion and under any weather.

The exquisitely-de-signed banquet hall pro-vides the ambience and the space suitable for cel-ebrations of life -- birth-days, weddings, debuts, -- or those corporate par-

The evening of April 27 is going to be a a big blast for Elvis Presley fans.

At the Metropol Con-vention Centre and Banquet Hall, four equally-talented ‘The King’ tribute artists are set to bring the house down with a repertoire of Elvis tunes in a two-hour concert put up by JNS Pro-ductions Inc.

Showcasing their own brand of rock and roll made famous by Elvis in the 60s are Will Ganzon, Ely Tor-renueva, George Elvis and Lady Elvis Zena Zagala.

Maharlika music award-ee Candace Santos (see re-lated story on page 38) and Rey Tugbang will also pro-vide performances.

The production is direct-ed by Edgar De Guzman.

Public dancing is set af-ter the concert.

JNS Productions is han-dled by businessmen June Soriano, Noel Tumblod and Steve Nembhard. Sales, marketing and administra-tion head is Claudia Santos.

Will GanzonOf Filipino roots but

deeply entrenched in On-tario, Will Ganzon strove to be an accomplished replica of his idol, Elvis.

He has studied the King for years, imbibing Elvis’ voice and movements that his audience often feels that ‘Elvis is in the house.’

For his hard and dedi-cated work, Will has been named Refl ections of the

from audiences in Toronto, Los Angeles in California, Las Vegas, Ottawa, Hamil-ton, and the Philippines.

Only 13, she sang at the Raptors NBA opening game at the Skydome, an instant hit on national television.

Crystal’s passion for singing has benefi ted the Ju-venile Diabetes Foundation, Princess Margaret Hospital, Lord of Ascension Church in the Philippines, Blessed John XXIII Church, Ancop, and many others.

She believed in sharing her God-given talent with others.

She is the daughter of Thea and Deacon Cesar Sahagun, whose liturgical ministry covered St. Thom-as More Church.

Crystal studied Jazz Per-formance at Humber Col-lege, Culinary Management at George Brown College, Medical Laboratory Assis-tant at CDI College, and is taking a photography course at George Brown. PR

MEMORIES OF ELVISMetropol Convention Centre & Banquet Hall, April 27

ZENA ZAGALA

King champion in Blasdell, New York in 2006; 2nd placer in the Collingwood Elvis Festival in Collin-gwood, Ont. in the same year; and Ladyluckmusic Peoples Choice champion in Mississauga in 2005.

Either accompanied by a band or professionally-recreated tracks, Will belts out Elvis’ enduring music made popular during The King’s prime, the rock and roll era an, his movies and into the 70s.

George ElvisAnother accomplished

Elvis tribute artist, George has echoed The King’s tunes in the international entertainment circuit.

George has graced the celebration of the Chinese New Year where he gave the same brand of perfor-mance he rendered at the Collingwood Elvis Concert and his numerous stage and television outings.

He has done shows at Boracay and in Philippine hotels, in Los Angeles, and other places in the Far East and North America.

Zena ZagalaKnown as the only fe-

male Elvis tribute artist in North America, Zena has undoubtedly carved a name for herself in Toronto.

Another Maharlika mu-sic awardee, Zena has dis-tinguished herself in perfor-mances before huge crowds during community gather-ings and benefi t concerts.

She had performed in Canada’s Wonderland, the Cabbagetown Festival, Ka-mayan 06, WOW Mabuhay 2005, Collingwood Music Festival and many others.

Her fi rst concert, Sum-mertime Festival on July 8, 2006, was a smash hit.

The granddaughter of 50s Philippine movie icon Carmen Rosales, Zena served as the PRO of Filipi-no pop singer Rico J. Puno - factors that have given her the genes and the training to perform, as good as Elvis.

Ely TorrenuevaDynamic and versa-

tile, Ely’s soulful voice has thrilled North American au-diences.

Also a Maharlika music awardee, Ely started sing-ing at an early age with a church choir and joined Hi-mig Pilipino in 1983.

Seven years later, he won the Star Search put up by Sing-A-Long Company.

From then on, Ely has found himself entertaining community audiences and, later, the patrons of Board-walk and Monte Carlo in Las Vegas.

Ely has performed with Manilyn Reynes, Martin Nievera, Pops Fernandez, and Vilma Santos.

His fi rst album Bakit Pa was released under BMG Records in the Philippines.

A remake of the song Bakit Pa was done by Jessa Zaragosa who hit the charts. PR

ties, reunions and dances.The equally-spacious

restaurant caters to the dis-criminating tastes of The Metropol’s guests, offering a wide array of culinary expertise, served in the el-egance of fi ne dining.

European, Canadian, Asian, Carribean -- the cui-sine is something to taste, savor and return to.

Very soon, the banquet

hall’s balcony will see its transformation into a bigger dinner and enter-tainment theatre, where guests could comfortably sit and dine while watch-ing a show.

‘The Theatre’, repli-cating the likes of a Las Vegas stage, recently showcased the Cavalcade of Singers and Tribute to Elvis shows. PR

WILL GANZON

The METROPOL

Manila Media MonitorMARCH 2007 38

Only the best feet will shuffl e, hips sway, arms fl ail and bodies whirl to the sound of ball-room music when the fi nals of the Philippine Independence Day Council’s (PIDC) Dancing With The Stars takes centerstage at the Metro Convention Centre on Aug. 18.

PIDC President Jun Enverga and activity lead persons Pete Mauricio and Imie Belanger have tapped seasoned dancer-choreographer Leonie Manzanares to chair Dancing...

Manzanares is the Society Buzz columnist of Likha Newsmagazine and president of the Club Manila Performers.

Manzanares said “this is a great challenge and marvelous experience. I’m pleading for good dancers to come out of the limelight as this is really a great chance for you to socialize and show off your acquired skills and grace on the dance fl oor and be compensated.”

Patterned after the highly successful televi-sion show Dance With The Stars, the PIDC con-test will partner community amateur terpsicho-res with international pro dancers.

Applicant dancers must be able to execute latin and standard modern dances like waltz, tango, fox trot, quick steps etc.

The Philippine National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) has started accepting nomina-tions for the 2008 Filipino Artists Awards.

A Malacañang Selection Committee will choose the awardees on the basis of:

► Their impact on na-tional development through the arts and in the promotion of cultural diplomacy with-in the community abroad;

► Their contribution to the enhancement of the standing of the Filipino community abroad; and

► International recog-nition.

Interested parties may submit directly to NCCA at 633 General Luna St., Intra-muros 1002 Manila; through the Internet at [email protected]/website: www.ncca.gov.ph the following:

► Nominee’s bio-data► Samples of works► Letters/articles of af-

fi rmations and attestations► News clippings. PR

Search forNCCA 2008Filipino ArtistsAwards on

SHOWBIZ TALK. Enter-tainment executive Te-resa Mendoza Torralba (left) seeks the help of Progressive Conserva-tive Party leader MPP John Tory on matters affecting the ethnic en-tertainment arena. MD

LEONIE MANZANARES shows form and grace as she dances with husband Joe. File Photo

At least ten couples will be chosen to compete until fi nals day.Winners will receive trophies, cash and other prizes.Enverga, meanwhile, said the fi nalists would be asked to give a big Filipino audience a

sneak preview of the competition when they perform during PIDC’s June 16 picnic at the Earl Bales Park ampitheater. PR

PIDC taps Manzanares forDancing With The Stars tilt

Rising child singing star Candace Santos is set to launch her solo debut in The Phenomenal Candace Live in Concert at the Metropol Banquet Hall and Theatre on March 31.

Backing her up are equally talented community performers Arabel Castillo, Jing Carlos, Yvette Casta-ñeda, Roy Tugbang, Jas-

mine Ragual, Grace Rodri-guez, Michael Magali, Jun Soliven, Michelle Bataclan, Adam Villasanta, Cindy Villasanta, Ely Torrenueva, and Zena Zagala.

At 13, Santos has gone far and has made a name in the local entertainment circuit in the last three

years,serenading and wow-ing crowds of all ages with her angelic, crystal-clear voice and fi ne-tuned pitch.

At her young age, she has proven her talent and ability as a singer.

Santos has won the Fili-pino Singing Idol competi-tion of the Filipino Centre Toronto and Rising Star competition of Culture Phil-ippines Ontario.

Last year, she received two special awards, one from Binibining Pilipinas Beauty Pageant as one of 2006 Most Outstanding Young Filipino, and another from Maharlika Awards, both recognizing her as a talented artist.

Santos is one of the main artists of JNS Produc-tions, which produces the concefrt.

JNS will also pres-ent Tribute to Elvis Live in Concert at the Metropol on April 27. The show features Will Ganzon, Ely Torrenue-va, George Elvis, and Zena Zagala. PR

Candace Santos in concert

SANTOS. File Photo

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39MARCH 2007 Manila Media Monitor

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