A monthly publication of the Filipino Association of Greater Kansas City

9810 West 79th Street Overland Park, KS 66204 www.filipino-association.org

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2013 VOLUME 45 NUMBER 5

In this issue…

The Community Responds to Haiyan!

By now, Haiyan (aka Yolanda) has disappeared from the face of the earth, leaving behind dan-

ger, damage and death. Through it all, the Filipino Association and the community of Greater

Kansas City knew that collectively, they were greater than this typhoon, category 5 it may have

been. Just like Haiyan coming from nowhere, new faces showed up at the monthly Filipino

Breakfast to show their support, bringing donations in cash and in kind. Dozens of Balikbayan

boxes filled with clothing, blankets, toiletries and non-perishable food items have been picked

up, destined for the hard-hit towns of Ormoc and Guiuan. In true Pinoy fashion, the most

meaningful undertakings are indeed shared over a meal. Thank you, Kansas City!

Kevin Bautista, Executive Chair of the

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3

4

5

6

7

9

11

12

- Community Responds to Haiyan

- Divisiveness and Betrayal - From the Editor

- Pictorial

- Seniors Corner - What’s Up

- Tourism and Travel

- Celebrants Page

- Minutes of the General Meeting

- Jobs in Canada!

- Facebook Shout-outs - Simbang Gabi

Photo credits: Mike Alvarado and Armando Balino-Costes

TAMBULI - NOVEMBER 2013

2

TAMBULI STAFF

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Guest Editorial

Divisiveness and Betrayal –

A Fatal Flaw of the Filipino Character? By Manuel P. Pardo, M.D.

On a recent visit to the Philippines, while reading some old history books, I was

struck by how far back in its history in fighting and betrayal among Filipinos has

existed.

When Ferdinand Magellan first set foot on Philippine soil in 1521, he encountered

a group of natives led by their king, Rajah Humabon, who agreed to be converted

to Christianity. However, another group led by their ruler, Lapu Lapu, refused to

embrace Christianity. Magellan refused the offer of Humabon’s help and faced

Lapu Lapu with his men in their armor. Unfortunately, Magellan got hit with a

poisoned arrow and was killed in combat.

With the Spanish conquest of the Philippines, the Filipinos rebelled against Spain.

Jose Rizal advocated for a more peaceful means of gaining independence. How-

ever, Emilio Aguinaldo and Andres Bonifacio wanted a more militant approach.

In a struggle for leadership, Aguinaldo and Bonifacio turned against each other.

During the American time, after the end of the Spanish American War, Aguinaldo

went into hiding, after rebelling against the Americans. Hot on his trail was the

American General Frederick Funston. Aguinaldo was betrayed by the Macabebe

Scouts leading to his capture.

At the time of the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines during World War II

some Filipinos collaborated with the Japanese and turned against their fellow Fil-

ipinos. Even among those who united in their effort to fight against the Japanese,

the guerilla forces sometimes fought among themselves for leadership.

After World War II, a band of disgruntled farm workers who had originally

fought against the Japanese now turned against the government. The Huk move-

ment turned Filipinos against Filipinos. President Magsaysay was credited with

winning peace by military force and social action. Despite efforts at agrarian re-

form,conflict remains among different farm groups.

Among Filipino immigrant communities who settled in the U.S., clannish groups

formed usually based on which region of the Philippines they came from. For ex-

ample, those from the Ilocos region called Ilocanos and those from the Visayan

Islands called Bisaya stuck together. The same was true for those from other re-

gions. As a result, different Filipino organizations fragmented as various leaders

formed their own association.

While these social observations may also be true in other parts of the world or

with other cultural groups, none is more conspicuous in intensity of struggle than

that seen among the Filipinos. It can go from forming smaller subgroups to suing

each other to even killing each other.

I read somewhere that when labor recruiters were seeking farm workers for Ha-

waii and California before and after World War II, they purposely mixed Chinese,

Korean and Filipino workers so they would be less likely to form labor unions and

make demands.

Is divide and conquer a natural consequence of any group dynamics?

And, therefore, just part of human nature?

Ping Bayani

Ed Tumanut

Lillian Pardo MD

Nonong Pardo MD

Cory Sorio

Alcy Malkmus

From the Editor… By Ping Bayani While it may be true that catastrophic

events bring out the best in people, the

question begs to be asked – ‘Why must it

take a negative to generate the positive?’

Why can’t people just put their best foot

forward all the time?

I’ve heard it said that if everything were

always ‘well and good’, life would be

boring.

I suppose that would be true. We won’t

have the opportunity to be angry and

then make-up. There would be no need

to forgive. Tears would stop flowing,

hugs could become extinct, frowns and

frown lines would be a thing of the past.

No more botox, no more chilled cucum-

bers under the eyes. We would never get

the satisfaction of blaming God and ask-

ing Him ‘Why?’ A whole gamut of feel-

ings and emotions would disappear.

One such feeling is that of great appreci-

ation and gratitude – a feeling that we

Filipinos are now giving to our brother earthlings for coming to our aid, albeit

some more than others.

TAMBULI –NOVEMBER 2013

3

Newsmakers…

Team ‘Tatang Agers’ wins Filipino American Basketball Association (FABA)’s Senior League! Congratulations!

Thank you to the hardworking group of volunteers who came to the Filipino Cultural Center to pack donated relief items!

Great minds

working together on final plans for

Medical Mission 2014. Philippine

Medical Society

of Greater KC and other volun-

teers will go to Angono, Rizal,

then onto Cebu to assist in the

Haiyan-damaged

areas.

TAMBULI - NOVEMBER 2013

4

A Day of Chestnut Picking! By Carmen Chico

It was a little bit chilly, but on Sunday, October 27, 2013, 24 members of the Senior Council braved the weather and went chestnut picking at the expansive property of Dr. Balty Lotuaco and Denys Collins in Weston, Missouri .

Originally billeted as a fund raising project of the SC, the ac-tivity was opened up for all volunteers and ended up, to no one’s surprise, as a potluck picnic!

Everyone had fun but complaints of ‘My hips are aching!’ ‘I cannot bend anymore!’ ‘Suko na ako!’ – were definitely au-dible, purposely meant to be heard or otherwise!

Denys was very kind to drive all of us in their trolley going to the chestnut farm. And Dr. Balty gave us a tour of their dream home where you can feel the warmth of their hospi-tality – it’s a huge house and we could have all slept there!

God was very good to us and the sun eventually made its appearance and everyone really and truly enjoyed the late morning, each one bragging about his/her harvest!

When lunch time came around, we all shared a good variety of delicious food. Kelly Tumanut and Cory Orille played some piano pieces after eating while others watched our NFL KC Chiefs record their 8th win with no losses!

All good things, however, must and do end. Sadly, parting time came all too soon and we sang our ‘Thank you’ to our hospitable couple.

We really had a grand time – good exercise, good picnic and best of all, good friendships!

SENIORS CORNER

Christmas Party

Saturday, December 7, 2013

6:00 PM - 11:00 PM Filipino Cultural Center

Join us at our annual Christ- mas Party to celebrate the holidays and to give thanks for all our blessings. Bring your friends and family - there will be a special program with lots of prizes, sing-ing, dancing and an appearance by none other than Santa Claus himself, all the way from … somewhere in Kansas City! Oh alright – the North Pole!

This is a potluck event! Please bring a dish good for 10 people and a soda/drink (see list below). Also per tradition, please bring a wrapped gift for each of your children (include names) so that no one is left out. Santa will be there to distribute your gifts.

We will also have a membership drive for 2014, so please bring your checks!

Suggested dishes:

Appetizer - egg rolls, vegetable dip, cheese dip, etc. Chicken - adobo, fried chicken, baked chicken, etc. Beef - kare-kare, pot roast, etc. Pork - dinuguan, adobo, menudo, etc. Vegetables - pinakbet, chop suey, etc. Noodles - pancit, spaghetti, etc. Dessert - leche flan, biko, ube, palitao, ginataan, fresh fruits, etc. Contact: Bing Sakach bsakach@filipino-association.org / 913-226-5161

Typhoon Haiyan Relief Benefit Concert

Sunday, December 8, 2013 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM, Rockhurst High School

A joint committee of the Filipino Association is plan-ning a benefit concert featuring performances by local artists and musicians. Please save the date and stay tuned for details!

Contact: Bing Sakach bsakach@filipino-association.org / 913-226-5161

what’s up…

Filipino-American Appreciation

Day Slated at Arrowhead Stadium

On December 22, our Kansas City Chiefs take on the

Indianapolis Colts. Our group tickets have all sold out

for this event and we can’t wait!

Each Filipino group in attendance will be acknowledged

and recognized on the huge video boards at halftime!

A big THANK YOU to Rizvend Pecana for arranging

this fun activity!

GO CHIEFS!

TAMBULI –NOVEMBER 2013

5

TOURISM and travel

.

(Editor’s note: So you’re in the Metro Manila area. You’ve got a day or two (or three) to while away. Somehow, watching the

antics on Showtime or following the tele-seryes does not appeal to you. And you’ve been getting your 8 hours of zzz’s, thanks to the air-conditioner, so sleeping during the day seems redundant. What do you do? Where do you go?

Well, The Poor Traveler (http://www.thepoortraveler.net/2013/03/15-great-destinations-near-manila-philippines/#) and the PDOT (Philippine Department of Tourism) have 15 suggestions.

The first five were featured in last month’s issue:

1. Trek to the Crater of Taal Volcano. 2. Beat the Heat in Tagaytay City. 3. Learn how to Dive in Anilao, Batangas.

4. Church-Hop from Lipa to Taal, Batangas. 5. Hit the Beaches of San Juan, Matabungkay (Lian), Nasugbu and Calatagan.

This second installment offers ten more worthwhile places to visit.

What to do in Manila -

When you have no particular place to go…Part 2!

Tourism After Haiyan Editors note: In the aftermath of super-typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), here are some updates on the more popular tourist

spots and hotel/resorts in the Philippines -

In Boracay, most resorts are running on power generators. There is proper water supply and communications exist, although not optimal. Clean up on the island is being done. Flights and ferries are now operating on normal schedules. The following resorts/hotels did not sustain any damage but have no internet and telephone connections: Shangrila Boracay, Discovery Shores, Estancio Uno, Fridays, Boracay Regency, Boracay Garden, Boracay Tropics, Surfside, Patio Pacific, Asya Premier and The District.

Coron Island, Palawan has some damage, especially in the town where structures have collapsed and many roads are impass-able, leaving some tourists stranded for a couple of days. Today, Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific have resumed their flights into and out of Busuanga airport. Two Seasons and Asia Grand View have reported minimal damage. Club Para-dise sustained some damages and has stopped operating to do their repair work until 30 November. Busuanga Bay Lodge, however, is fully operational with no damage at all. The northern part of the mainland of Palawan was also affected. The town of El Nido and its resort properties sustained minimal damage: El Nido, Pangulasian, Miniloc and Lagen are fully opera-tional with electricity, water supply and proper communications. ITI Flights are also running on regular schedule. Amanpulo is doing a clean-up of the island and is currently closed until 25th of November to undergo some repair work.

(Continued on page 9)

1. Be Blown Away by Mt. Pinatubo. Figuratively, of course! Take a bus to Tarlac, ride a 4×4 jeep, and trek to the crater of Mt. Pinatubo! It’s a long way but the view is definitely worth the time and effort. See the rim of the crater slope up from a lakefull of rainwater, accumulated over the years! You can even boat across the crater lake and camp overnight. On your way back, pass by Angeles City to sample Pampanga’s rich and irresistible cuisine!

2. Laze on Volcanic Ash in Anawangin and Nagsasa Cove, Zambales. One of the provinces at the base of Mt. Pinatubo, Zambales was terribly buried when the sleeping volcano awakened two decades ago. But the disaster dumped a good amount of ash onto its the rocky shores, breathing a new life to its otherwise ordinary beaches. To-day, Anawangin and Nagsasa Coves have risen as popular tourist destinations for its ash-en sand and agoho trees (resembling pine trees) that foster a unique Baguio-meets-Boracay vibe. Capones and Camara Islands are also waiting.

(Continued on page 10)

Photo by Rolen Facundo

TAMBULI - NOVEMBER 2013

6

December Birthdays Paulo Mamuric 1

Leneo Christopher Rabang 1

Amor de los Santos 2

Tina Leonido 2

Tina Ruiz 2

Nina Van Zandweghe 2

Shaunika Leonzon 3

Linda Lisondra . 3

Erick Orille

3

Travis Roth 3

Brandi Rowlan 3

Hazel Ruyle 3

Flora Sokol 3

Nonoy Jagorin 4

Avelino Baguyos 5

Jeanette Ballares 5

Jeanette Edward 5

Remy Bump

6

Merriam Buena-Patillo 7

Cherry Russell 7

Zeny Stutzman 7

Leilani Alaniz 8

Malou Nix

8

Annabelle Hillyer 9

Fred Iloreta

9

Cynthia Medel-Labayen 9

Catherine Quiason 9

Ian Rabang 9

Debbie Zubiri 9

Ting Amilasan 10

Alma Navato-Garchitorena 10

Zoe Sabido 10

Carlo Santos

10

Meredith Deutch 11

Michelle Pacis 11

Tanch Bayani 12

Fred Covillo 12

Harrison Deutch 12

Nita Labayen 12

Michael Bahgaei 13

Lauren Chevlier 13

Johnathan Contreras 13

Cindy Crain

13

Carl Ladayan 13

Dion DePaolis 14

Victoria Morrow 14

J-E Meyer 15

Ricci Racela 15

Lucila Rider

15

John Horst 16

December Wedding

Anniversaries

Jose and Eileen Cocjin

21

Rolando Aguilera and Karen Free-Aguilera

24

Carl and Dolly Potts

24

Luis and Lydia Adrales

25

John and Perla Horst

27

Lito Nicolas and Carmen Agustin Nicolas

27

George and Riza Francia

28

Jon Andresen and Melanie Frogozo-Andresen

30

Celebrants page PLEASE ADVISE US IF ANY OF THE INFORMATION BELOW NEEDS TO BE UPDATED. THANK YOU!

Sherrylynn Manary 16

Kathy Summers 16

Sonia Tumanut

16

Lily Casillan

17

Jacob Galos 17

Toto Sulit 17

Michelle Baker 18

Richard Hipona 18

Rosenne Humphrey 18

Max Maliwat 18

Grace Patino 18

Rudy Salvatierra 18

Evelyn Velasco 18

Brenda Wyatt 18

Joe Patino 19

Fred Sachen 20

Manny Batocabe Sr.

21

Beth Cordero-Merrick 21

Melanie Frogozo-Andresen 22

Ed Herman 22

Cora Lising

22

AJ Sarol

22

Annmarie Vilkins 22

Angel Abanilla-Mascarenas 23

Sofia Horne 23

Christopher Schilling 23

Rayner Sillorequez 23

Freddie Wright

23

Greg Bittner

24

Herminio Gatapia

24

Carl Potts 24

Sammie Tan 24

Jazmine Alaniz 25

DJ Casterline 25

Iman Dimalanta 25

Arnie Sulit 25

Dave Cawley 26

Marita Domingo 26

Nicolas Navarro 26

Lito Nicolas 26

Michael Navarro 27

Marc Tumanut 27

Angie Chico-Agustin

28

Ron Bobis

29

Rhea Medel 29

Sean Calderon 30

Nieko Giesbrecht 30

Chris Javillonar 30

Christian Juan 30

Beth Mithelavage 30

Will Crain

31

Rod and Vicky Herrera

5

Taylor and Jenny Dent

6

Jamie Frates and Becca Tumanut-Frates

6

Bobby and Rio Starkey

10

Benny and Rhondara Marie Ringor

14

Harold and Rose Ballares

17

Fuji and Tess Zoleta

18

Jay and Jennifer Siron

19

TAMBULI –NOVEMBER 2013

7

Attendance:

Fely Francisco MD, Edward Tumanut, Bing Sakach, Kevin

Bautista, Carl Estep, Ric Labayen MD, Cory Sorio, Manuel

Pardo MD, Armando Costes, Neo Rabang, Letty Rabang,

Mike Dacuno, Mary Ann Deming, Cindy Kulphongpatana,

Maricar Contreras

Call for Meeting to Order by President Bing at 7:46pm

Call for Approval of the Agenda - Added to the agenda

Scholarship and a White House Visitor to new business.

Treasurer’s Report- Mary Ann Deming

All questions were answered. We were unable to approve

the Treasurer’s report due to no quorum.

Approval of the October minutes. We were unable to ap-

prove the minutes of last meeting due to no quorum.

No guests for this month’s meeting.

Birthday celebrants: Ed Tumanut and Kevin Bautista.

President’s Report - Bing Sakach.

I have one more month left on my presidency.

October wasn’t a busy month. A couple of events were

cancelled: the 5K Run and the Halloween Party.

We had a successful Shrimp Dinner sponsored by Filipino

Cultural Foundation. Thank you to Armando for the pictures

and decorations. Thank you to Neo Rabang for being the

chef and to Tita Adela and her brother, Jun, also for cook-

ing.

Volunteer Appreciation Party - November 23, 2013. All

Volunteers will be receiving an email. It is restricted to the

volunteers only and not their family member unless they

volunteered.

Christmas Party – Dec. 7, 2013. The date is wrong on the

Association website. (Editor’s note: This has been correct-

ed.)

December 14, 2013 is the Philippine Nurses Party.

New Year’s Eve Party – the Senior Council is planning the

party.

We all need to help and volunteer. We welcome sugges-

tions and ideas. We need to support the incoming president

as well as the Association.

All my best for 2013 and the coming 2014!

FILIPINO ASSOCIATION OF GREATER KANSAS CITY Minutes for General Meeting of November 1, 2013

Filipino Cultural Center, 9810 W 79th St, Overland Park, KS 66204

Board of Director Chairman’s Report - Bong Tumanut

Chairman Bong was absent but Edward reported for him.

The main topic is cleanliness of the Cultural Center. A

group met and decided to have to annual cleaning, strip-

ping and redoing the floor and monthly buffing of the

floors and then cleaning after usage. Also discussed was

cleaning of the entire Cultural Center i.e. cleaning the

bathrooms, restocking paper supplies, cleaning the kitchen

after each usage of the Cultural Center.

Bids are currently being solicited. If you know of any

cleaning company who would like to bid on the contract,

contact the Association Leadership, Bong, Bing and Jun.

Tambuli Editor in Chief - October is a big issue. Check

your mailbox, email or the website!

Filipino Cultural Center Director - No report.

It was mentioned that there was water leaking in the old

house. Bing will notify Jun. It was suggested to turn off

the water.

Membership - 130 paid members. It was suggested to

have a membership table at the Volunteers party and at the

Christmas party.

Discussion on the floor – What are the benefits of being a

member of the Association? Some suggestions were: (1)

if you pay through Pay Pal, have the site take out the an-

nual dues every year so you don’t have to remember if you

have paid your membership; (2) Discounts to Association

events, possibly; (3) Also suggested was to have a life

time membership option. Ed will look into it.

Hospitality- Member David Merrick was diagnosed with

pancreatic cancer. He wants to see friends and family on

November 9, 2013 for a celebration of his life. This is a

private event.

Bing’s uncle, Bong Chico, is ill and at North Kansas City

Hospital.

Abby Cabamungan is at University of Kansas Hospital.

She is the sister of Alice for whom we did a fundraiser and

passed away in June. Please continue with prayers.

Hospitality- Member David Merick was diagnosed with

pancreatic cancer. He wants to see friends and family on

November 9, 2013 for a celebration of his life. This is a

private event.

(Continued on page 8)

TAMBULI - NOVEMBER 2013

8

(Minutes of General Meeting…continued from page 7)

Bing’s uncle, Bong Chico, is ill and at North Kansas City Hos-

pital.

Abby Cabamungan is at University of Kansas Hospital. She is

the sister of Alice for whom we did a fundraiser and passed

away in June. Please continue with prayers.

Christmas Party - Maricar Contreras.

The party is Saturday, December 7, 2013 at the Cultural Cen-

ter. Volunteers are needed. The Sampaguita Choir director

asked if they will be needed to sing at the event.

Ways and Means

Pinoy Breakfast – is tentatively scheduled on November 16,

2013.

Scholarship - Cory Sorio.

No applicants. Deadline is November 15. It will be posted on

the Website and on Facebook.

Community Outreach –

Bohol Relief: If you would like to donate, write and send your

check to Dr. Olivia Iway and she will send the monies to Bohol

Relief. If you are not comfortable with this, write a check to

the association and put ‘Bohol Relief’ in the memo

area. The World Outreach Foundation is also collecting mon-

ey. They are a 501 C3 organization.

Nomination Committee –

Lisa Hopkins unable to attend. Bing reported on her behalf.

Nominees: For Treasurer: Mary Ann Deming

For Secretary: Kevin Bautista

We need a President-Elect.

We are accepting nominations till November 12. 2013. Con-

tact Lisa Hopkins with your nomination.

Senior Council – Ric Labayen.

The Senior Council Calendars are ready and for sale at $10 per

calendar.

Fely Francisco reported that the Seniors went chestnut picking

October 27, 2013 in Weston, MO. They started at 10 a.m. with

50 people attending. A picnic was held afterwards at Dr. Balty

Lotuaco’s home.

September Affair - Kevin Bautista.

We are still awaiting collection of account receivables.

Mary Ann is working on tax receipt letters. Thank

you cards will be sent to the donors. Souvenir pro-

grams have been mailed to the advertisers.

Building and Maintenance - Neo Rabang.

Neo cleaned the fencing. There is poison ivy. The

lawn mower is no longer working and he is unable to

be repair it.

David Merick has a riding lawn mower and would like

to donate it. The Iways also have a riding lawn mower

that they are selling. Neo asked Bing to talk with the

Iways about donating the lawn mower. We will need a

trailer and a shed to house the lawn mowers.

The dead tree needs to come down. We need a chain

saw in order to cut it down.

Old Business: None

New Business:

Adela Tan - Hong Kong Market sent a bill to her. We

have an outstanding bill from the Ethnic Festival.

They delivered the goods but the bill was given to

someone at the Ethnic Festival and the bill was never

given to Mary Ann or Bing.

A White House representative will be coming on No-

vember 7, 2013 to the Cultural Center. She is the Sen-

ior Policy Advisor for the White House Initiative for

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. It is suggested

that the Association host this event from 6:30-8:30pm.

This private event is about Asian American Advocacy.

They are looking for an Asian Representative in Kan-

sas City. 15-20 people expected. It is a round robin

discussion about Asian American topics. Michael

Mesina is heading this event.

Neo motioned to adjourn the meeting. Cory seconded

the motion.

Meeting adjourned at 9:05pm

Submitted respectfully,

Cindy Kulphongpatana , 2013 FAGKC Secretary

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Treasurer’s Reports for September and October have not yet been approved due to a lack of quorum at the General Meetings. These will be published at a future issue of the Tambuli after they have been duly approved at one of the General Meetings.

Not a member of the Filipino Association yet? Here’s the link to the Membership Page on our website:

http://www.filipino-association.org/membership/

TAMBULI –NOVEMBER 2013

9

Tourism After Haiyan…

(continued from page 5)

Some parts of Cebu, the northern part especially, and particularly Bantayan Island and Malapascua, were not spared from the damage. There is no communica-tion on the island, and hence, we have no report of the actual situation there.

Malapascua Island Resort sustained minimal damage but many residents, sadly, have lost their homes. Alegre Beach Resort, also situated on the northern part, has temporarily closed to do repair work on their cabanas.

The following properties in Cebu had no damage and continue with normal operations: Marco Polo Cebu, Cebu City Marriott, Waterfront Cebu City, Cebu Parklane, Moevenpick, Maribago Bluewater, Planta-tion Bay, Crimson, Alegre, Costabella Beach Resort, Cebu White Sands. Shangrila Mactan suffered some damage but is now back to normal after repairs. Radisson Blu - Hotel was closed after the earthquake but just opened last week with limited rooms only.

Bohol was relatively spared, allowing the island to continue to recover from its recent earthquake. Regu-lar tourism activities are taking place on this island destination. Bluewater Panglao, Panglao Island Na-ture Resort & Spa and Bellevue had no damage and continue with normal operations. Amorita is opera-tional but experiences power interruptions.

Luzon island, where Manila, Banaue, Tagaytay, etc. are situated, is practically unscathed.

The Bicol region, Donsol and Ticao Island sustained minimal damage as they were all well-prepared for the typhoon.

(SOURCE: Philippine Department of Tourism –

Central Visayas Region 7 as of November 22, 2013)

14,000 Job Openings in Canada! Summarized from an article by Joyce Sazon,

Posted on Oct 17, 2013 - Philippine News, World News

MANILA, Philippines – Great news for those seeking employ-

ment in Canada! The Canadian government formally opened the

door to approximately 14,000 job openings for Filipinos and oth-

er Asians.

Canadian official Brad Wall disclosed that some employers

from Saskatchewan, which is one of the economic powerhouses

in Canada, are currently in the Philippines to hire workers for an

initial 150 job vacancies, and that they expect to hire more work-

ers in the coming months. He added that many Canadian em-

ployers prefer Filipinos because of their fluency in the English

language and commendable work ethics.

Says Wall, “If you go to a website called Saskjobs.Ca today,

there are usually around 10,000 unfilled jobs. So in order to keep

our economy growing, we need to focus on the labor shortage

and a part of that is international recruitment... Our employers

value the strong work ethic and high literacy skills of Filipino

workers, and we will need them to meet the ambitious targets we

have outlined in our Growth Plan.”

Philippine Labor Undersecretary Danilo Cruz adds, “Over the

last four years, the Philippines has become the largest source

country for both immigrants and temporary workers for Canada,

overtaking China and India as the traditional sources.”

Among the most in-demand job openings are in the fields of

business, education, healthcare, natural and applied sciences, so-

cial science, government service, trade, transportation, oil and

gas processing and manufacturing. Applicants can go

to >> saskjobs.ca << to view the entire list of occupations open

for hiring

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) continues to

warn applicants not to fall prey to illegal recruiters. Interested

parties can go directly to POEA (Philippine Overseas Employ-

ment Administration); with telephone numbers 722-1144 and

722-1155. The DOLE further disclosed that accredited agencies

will be tasked to screen applicants for the jobs.

SOME OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS (OFW) TRIVIA – - Overseas Filipino Workers or OFWs are Filipinos working

abroad who are expected to return permanently either upon the

expiration of a work contract or upon retirement

- According to the Central Bank of the Philippines, OFW remit-

tances back to the Philippines exceeded US$20.1 billion in 2012

- The Philippines is the 4th largest recipient of official remittanc-

es after China, India and Mexico.

- Nearly 20% of the population of the Philippines is working

abroad

TAMBULI - NOVEMBER 2013

10

What to do in Manila – (continued from page 5)

3. Camp Overnight in Borawan and Dampalitan Islands, Quezon. They say that Borawan is a portmanteau, Boracay and Palawan. The more believable origin of the name however is bulawan, which means gold. But screw etymology, just get yourself to this paradise on your next holiday break! The towering karst cliffs hug the white shores of Borawan, reminiscent of many islands in El Nido and Coron. Except, Borawan is only four to five hours away. It is one of the many is-lands off the coast of Padre Burgos, Quezon that nestle gorgeous white sand beaches! Other places to visit: Dampalitan Island and Puting Buhangin. There are no resorts here so camping is the way to go! Want your own Borawan getaway?

4. Join a vibrant festival in Quezon, Batangas, Rizal, or Pampanga. Mark your calendars! Here are some of the most energetic and most interesting festivals near Manila:

Pahiyas Festival – May 15 in Lucban, Quezon Parada ng Lechon – June 24 in Balayan, Batangas Higantes Festival – November 23 in Angono, Rizal Giant Lantern Festival – Saturday before Christmas, San Fernando, Pampanga Hot Air Balloon Fiesta – 3rd Week of February, Clark, Pampanga

Pahiyas Festival is a celebration of the good harvest, in honor of San Isidro de Labrador. A parade roams around town passing by houses that are creatively decorated with vegetables and kiping, a colorful ornament made from rice (and yes, they’re edible)! If you get hungry, there’s always longganisang Lucban and pansit habhab! Traffic can be as dense as your former boss so you might also consider staying overnight in Lucban or neighboring town.

5. Appreciate Art and Get Cultured in Angono, Rizal and Paete, Laguna. Known as the art capital of the Philippines, Angono is as interesting as it is accessible. See the Angono-Binangonan petroglyphs, a prehistoric artwork that is considered the oldest in the country. Pay a visit to the house of Carlos “Botong” Francisco and get to know the na-tional artist better. For the adventurous eater, try Soup No. 5 and fried itik in some of the more famous restaurants in the area! One of the most underrated destinations in the country, Laguna holds a number of surpris-es for those who will take a step into its overlooked territory. Learn the art of sculpture and witness how this craft has become the center of the lives of the people of Paete! Go on a bakya shopping spree in Liliw! Overcome your fears and descend into the Underground Cemetery in Nagcarlan. The province is also dotted with several historic churches, ancestral houses, and unique restaurants!

6. Chase Waterfalls in Pagsanjan and Pangil, Laguna. Pagsanjan Falls may be just another waterfall to many but it is the getting there that makes a visit an unforgettable experience. Board a small boat and be amazed with how the boat-men masterfully conquer the rapids and the rocky stream on the way to the waterfall! Buntot Palos Falls is another best-kept secret of Laguna that may be attractive to the thrill-seeking adventurer! Tired of chasing waterfalls? Choose one of the 7 lakes of San Pablo!

7. Make a Splash in Puerto Galera. A bus and a ferry ride away, Puerto Galera has been the go-to summer destination among city-dwellers for beach activities such as swimming and beach bumming. (Ha, I know what you’re thinking!) But there’s more to this Mindoro paradise than what’s above the surface! Puerto Galera is a great diving destination. Declared a Man and Biosphere Reserve of UNESCO in 1973, it is one of the destinations with the richest marine biodiversity in the world.

(Editor’s note: We will feature the final installment of this series next month.)

Photo by Robx Bautista of

www.thetravellingdork.com

TAMBULI –NOVEMBER 2013

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To KU Medical Center

who collected items for care packs and raised $500

for Heart to Heart International typhoon relief projects.

OUR FACEBOOK Shout-outs

Maligayang Pasko

To Anderson Engineering Company

who came to the Filipino Cultural Center to help sort and pack items for typhoon relief.

To the FlipSide band for their benefit concert/ To Gigi Mateo for collecting blankets and towels/ To all the churches that took second collections at all their masses/ To the planners and performers for the FAGKC benefit concert at

Rockhurst/ To all who participated in ANY relief efforts/ To all of you – MARAMING MARAMING SALAMAT PO!

To Beth Rosas and Jun Puno

who spearheaded the collection, sorting and packing of all the donated items at the Filipino Cultural Center

these last couple of weeks. Our first shipment left for Ormoc and Guiuian.

TAMBULI - NOVEMBER 2013

12

Filipino Association of Greater Kansas City

9810 West 79th Street

Overland Park, KS 66204

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

(Please let us know if you’d rather receive an electronic copy of this newsletter. Thank you!)

Mission Statement:

The Filipino Association of Greater Kansas City

is a not-for-profit, non-political and non-sectarian

organization established to preserve, promote and

enhance Filipino culture through education and

cultural arts and to provide service to the community

at-large through its projects and programs.

SHRIMP DINNER! Plates filled with seafood, air full of music; hearts filled with laughter, room full of friends... Ahhh! Life is good… except for the shrimp, even if he tries to mimic Gemma’s pose! Or is it the other way around?

Dear friends, Mary's Children, a lay group of the Society of Our Lady of the Trinity (SOLT), invites you to the Simbang Gabi novena to be held December 15 to December 23 at the Filipino Cultural Center. The Simbang Gabi is a Filipino Catholic tradition rich in meaning and history. It is a devotional 9-day series of masses held daily from Dec. 16 to Dec. 24, in anticipation of Christmas. The various terms used for this novena provide some insight into its meaning. The Spanish term “Misa de Gallo”, (Rooster's Mass) point to its origins during the Spanish regime when the mass is done before the roosters crow in early dawn, in consideration for farmers who start their day before sunrise. The corollary term in Tagalog, “Simbang Gabi” (Night Mass) is descriptive of the time when mass is held very early in the morning, even as early as 3:00 or 4:00 o'clock when it is still dark. Most meaningful of all is the term “Misa de Aguinaldo”, literally translated as “Mass of the Gift”. It brings to the forefront the true signif-icance of Advent and Christmas, a mutual gifting between the faithful who offer prayers and sacrifices to prepare themselves to receive the great “Aguinaldo” of God, Jesus, Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary. Join us in the Simbang Gabi novena. In faith and ritual, we will welcome Jesus into our midst, in an encounter with God that can be life-altering. Expect things mysterious and profound, inspiring and enriching, hopeful and joyous this Christmas season. Schedule of Masses: Dec. 15 (Sunday) 6:00 PM Dec. 16 – 21 (Monday thru Saturday) 7:00 PM Dec. 22 (Sunday) 6:00 PM Dec. 23 (Monday) 7:00 PM