YEAR 12, No. 8 FEBRUARY 2009 Home Paper of the 1999 Canadian Ethnic Journalists’ and Writers’ Club Winner for Best Editorial Toronto, Ontario

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HOPE REIGNSHOPE REIGNSFOR CANCER-ILL CAREGIVER CELIA MANSIBANGFOR CANCER-ILL CAREGIVER CELIA MANSIBANG

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When live-in caregiver Celia Vinasoy Mansibang came to work in Canada in September, 2004, she had a string of wishes: physical, moral and spiritual strength; enough earnings; permanent residency and citizenship; and a happy reunion with husband William Mallillin and children Vincent and La Sandra on Canadian soil.

Today, Celia hangs on to those wishes. Under entirely different circumstances, she hopes for:

► A Divine miracle to survive stomach cancer. Medical tests sadly said she had less than six months to live.

► Generous hands to help her pay some $17,000 in hospital bills.► A change of heart by officials who blocked her application for permanent stay

after knowing of Celia’s illness in January; though earlier, Celia was declared “Land-ed Immigrant by Principle”. Celia also lost her Ontario health insurance coverage.

► The presence of William, Vincent and La Sandra; her mother and sisters Eloisa, Chona and Michelle to have by her side and to hold and cherish for a lifetime.

Teacher turned nannyCelia, 46, is a native of Isa-

bela province in the Philippines.She used to be a teacher back

home but dire economic straits made her decide to leave her fam-ily and work in Hong Kong as a (To page 20)

domestic for 12 years.Celia helped siblings Eloisa

and Chona to get nanny jobs in Hong Kong.

Eloisa later got into Canada through the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) and helped sisters

Chona and Michelle through the LCP. They, in turn, assisted Celia to join them.

But before she got her Cana-dian working visa, Celia had to undergo nasopharyngal treatment,

By BUTCH DG. GALICIA

MISSISSAUGA - The Kalayaan Cultural Community Centre (KCCC) has received a $25,000 federal grant to fund the center’s Happy Seniors for a Happy Community project.

Consolacion “Mama Ching” Quejas, KCCC president, said she expected seniors and the youth alike “will enjoy the project.”

The grant, Quejas said, was given through the federal government’s New Horizons for Seniors Program under its new focus, Community Participation and Leadership

KCCC gets$25K grant

MAMA CHING QUEJAS

(To page 3)

OTTAWA - U.S. Presi-dent Barack Obama and Canada Prime Minister Ste-phen Harper have agreed to jointly work on efforts responsive to issues impact-ing on the mutual interests of both countries.

The agreement was made in a meeting between Obama and Harper at Par-liament Hill, during the for-mer’s whirlwind working visit to Canada, Obama’s first foreign trip since being installed to the White House on Jan. 20.

In remarks, Obama said: “I value our strategic part-

nership with Canada and look forward to working closely with the Prime Min-ister to address the global economic recession and create jobs, to protect our environment through pro-moting clean energy tech-nologies, and achieve our shared goals in responding to international security challenges.”

“The President and I agree that both our coun-tries must take immediate action to restore economic growth by lowering taxes, ensuring access to credit and unleashing spending

that stimulates economic growth. We also agreed to strengthen our cooperation in the areas of environmen-tal protection and global se-curity,” Harper said.

Economic growthBoth world leaders dis-

cussed their respective eco-nomic recovery plans and their focus on saving and creating jobs.

They also talked about common challenges they faced, including:

► The restructuring of the North American auto sector.

US President BARACK OBAMA & Canada Prime Minister STEPHEN HARPER

Obama, Harper vow to workjointly on mutual issues

(To page 4)

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3newsnewsMANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 2009

Five-year old Katarina Mangrobang, her parents and kin pose with Imelda Papa, Philippine Choral Society of Mississauga (PCSM) musical director, and PCSM members at a thanksgiving get-together for the $4,212.72 the choral group donated to help Katarina with her medical expenses. The amount was raised during PCSM’s concert Pamasko on Dec. 6, 2008. A second concert for the benefit of the Kalayaan Cultural Community Centre (KCCC) raised $6,076.46. A plaque will be installed on the KCCC Donors’ Wall in apprecia-tion of the donation. PR

PCSM donations go to sick baby, KCCC

A Filipino Canadian expert in international business will speak before members of the Canadian Ethnic Media Association (CEMA) on March 5 at 6:45 p.m., at the Majestic Boardroom, OMNI Television, 545 Lakeshore Boulevard in Toronto.

Forte Gerardo will talk about understanding traditions, core values and managing cross-cultural relations as imperative tools for

enhancing effi ciency and human productivity.

Gerardo is managing director of an Aurora, Ontario-based trading company that supplies the international market with specialty fi ne and security papers, among other innovative products.

CEMA president Ace Alvarez said Gerardo’s talk

Filipino trade expert to address CEMAbefore CEMA members is aimed at improving the skills of the diverse business communities in Canada in the conduct of their businesses across the globe through their respective community print, radio, television and the internet composing this Canadian premier ethnic media organization.

Alvarez said that to his GERARDO (To page 17)

recollection, this will be the fi rst time that a Filipino Canadian will address the group.

Gerardo, who was a UNESCO scholarship grantee in inter-cultural relations and UNCTAD trainee in trade promotion, has gained a full generation of experience in trade

Philippine Consul Gen-eral in Toronto Alejandro Mosquera has called on compatriots to register un-der the Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) law to be able to cast their ballots for the May 10, 2010 presidential elections.

Mosquera said the listup resumed at the consulate at 161 Eglinton Ave. East, Suite 800, downtown Toron-to. The registration began on Feb. 1 and would go on until Aug. 31.

OAV registrations are ongoing in Philippine diplo-matic posts across Canada.

Mos-q u e r a s a i d O A V r e g i s -t r a n t s s h o u l d be Filipi-nos and dual citi-

Overseas absentee voting listup ongoing

MOSQUERA

(To page 24)

zens, at least 18 years old on the day of the elections and not disqualified by law.

They are allowed to vote for the President, Vice-Presi-dent, 12 Senators and Party-List Representatives.

Mosquera said the vot-ing would be from April 10,

2010 until 3 p.m. (Philippine time) of May 10, 2010.

He advised registrants to bring their Philippine pass-port when registering.

Dual citizens have to present the original copy of their Oath of Allegiance and Order of Approval or Iden-tification Certificate.

SynchronizationThe Philippine Commis-

sion on Elections (Comelec) asked the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to use its data capturing machines in about 40 diplomatic posts for OAV registration. The

Funding. The seniors’ project,

which would run for a year, “will showcase their artistic and musical talents; highlight their skills, wisdom and experience; encourage values transfer through peer support, mentoring and inter-generational sharing.”

Some of the activities included:

► Organizing a multi-dimensional musical play where seniors and the youth could celebrate music and the arts while contributing to the cultural development of the community;

► Conducting dialogues, seminars and workshops that promote meaningful learning

and social experience; that increase seniors’ knowledge and awareness of critical social issues that affect them;

► Going on seniors’ weekend get-aways where

they could share and learn about each other’s day to day lives and thus learn and develop coping skills while appreciating nature and working together and mentoring each other. PR

KCCC gets $15K grant(From page 1)

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4 newsnewsMANILA MEDIA MONITOR

FEBRUARY 2009

Air traveller rights pushedOTTAWA – New Democrat MP Jim Maloway (Elm-

wood-Transcona) has sought for the compensation of in-convenienced airline passengers under a bill of rights pro-tecting travellers in Canada.

The parliamentary bill provided compensation for over-booked flights, unreasonable tarmac delays, cancelled or delayed flights, late and misplaced luggage, and all-inclu-sive pricing by airline companies in their advertising.

“The legislation is inspired by a European Union law, where over-bookings have dropped significantly,” said Maloway.

“Air Canada is already operating under the European laws for their flights in Europe. Why should an Air Canada customer receive better treatment in Europe than in Cana-da?” he asked.

The bill of rights would ensure that passengers are kept informed of flight changes, whether delays or cancella-tions.

The new rules would be posted in the airport and airlines should inform passengers of their rights and the process to file for compensation.

“The changes are not meant to punish the airlines,” said Maloway. “If the airlines follow the rules, they will not have to pay one dollar in compensation to travellers.” PR

► Developing effective global responses to the eco-nomic crisis, through the G-8 and G-20 processes.

They said the G-20 Sum-mit in April should contrib-ute to restoring confidence in the financial markets.

Both instructed senior officials to meet immedi-ately to develop strategies enhancing “our collective security” in North America, including a review of the management of the Canada-

U.S. border. Climate change, energy

Noting the long and pro-ductive history of bilateral co-operation on continental environmental protection and energy trade and tech-nology, Obama and Harper agreed that environmental protection and the develop-ment of clean energy were inextricably linked.

They announced plans to build a new energy economy as a key element of broader

economic recovery and rein-vestment efforts.

They discussed practi-cal ways the U.S. and Can-ada could encourage the development of clean en-ergy technologies to reduce greenhouse gases and com-bat climate change.

They established a se-nior-level joint Clean En-ergy Dialogue that would cooperate on several critical energy science and technol-ogy issues, including the:

► Expansion of clean energy research and devel-opment.

► Development and deployment of clean energy technology.

► Building of more ef-ficient electricity grid based on clean and renewable gen-eration.

SecurityObama and Harper

agreed on the importance of cooperating closely on a number of key international

Obama, Harper vow to ...(From page 1)

priorities, with particular fo-cus on Afghanistan.

The leaders also agreed to work together closely in the Americas, including promoting effective discus-sion and meaningful results at the Summit of the Ameri-cas in April.

U.S. and Canadian for-eign and defense ministers would shortly meet in Wash-ington to pursue dialogues on key security challenges. PM Office PR

Philippine Overseas Labor Officer Frank Luna has promised to look into rumors that caregivers re-cently admitted into Canada under the Live-In Caregiver Program (LCP) might lose their right to obtain perma-nent residency (PR) even af-ter they complete the LCP.

Luna, in a phone inter-view with the Manila Me-dia Monitor on Feb. 20, said that while he got wind of the rumors, his office has not heard of or been informed about the matter from offi-cial Philippine and Canadian foreign affairs, immigration and labor sources.

“Philippine consular officials would have been the first to know” anything

official related to Filipino workers and their status in Canada, Luna said.

A source informed the Manila Media Monitor about the rumor, said to be circulating in nanny and ac-tivist groups.

The source said pass-ports of caregivers who ar-rived only this year were stamped with “temporary worker,” leading to specula-tions that they might not be granted PR status when they graduate from the LCP.

There were also as-sumptions that the Philip-pine and Canadian govern-ments might have sealed an agreement to the effect cited above, the source added.

Luna said this assump-

tion was baseless and un-founded.

The source said no solid evidence (passports, per-sons involved, official docu-ments) was shown to sup-port the allegations.

Luna said the LCP had been there for years; and in recent time, Philippine of-ficials and their counterparts in Canadian provinces have re-inforced the recruitment and employment of caregiv-ers with a set of regulations protecting the nannies from abuse and exploitation.

Newcomer numbersEarlier in Parliament

Hill, Ottawa, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said the government is consider-ing a cut in the number of

newcomers allowed into the country, in view of rising domestic job losses.

“We don’t want people to be coming to Canada and facing unemployment,” Kenney said. “We need to be sensitive to a changing la-bour market, and if we need to make changes, we will.”

But for now, the gov-ernment strives to maintain current immigration targets of up to 265,000 new per-manent residents in 2009.

He said regulations would be introduced in the spring to protect foreign workers left in a bind after being laid off from their jobs in Canada.

Discussions only?Meanwhile, MP Jim

Karygiannis (LP, Scarbor-ough-Agincourt) promised to open avenues for further discussions on newcomer and caregiver issues when he met with community groups in Markham on Feb. 22.

Karygiannis presented CIC statistics showing fewer immigrants being accepted as permanent residents and longer waiting periods in processing immigrant appli-cations in the last few years.

“The backlog is grow-ing,” he said. The changes immigration introduced “are not for the better.”

Rumor on ‘temp hands’ is ... plain rumor, until ...

5newsnewsMANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 2009

OTTAWA - Foreign-trained workers applying for a license or to be listed to work in their profession are to be informed of a gov-ernment decision within one year of the application.

The decision would tell them if their qualifications are recognized. If not, they would be advised about oth-er requirements for recogni-tion or be directed to related occupations that could use their skills and experience.

The first surge of such decisions would come in 2010, for a limited number of high priority jobs.

Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the First Ministers’ Meeting agreed

to carry out a common framework to recognize foreign credentials by Sep-tember 2009, with an in-terim report on progress by June 2009.”

“We need to ensure newcomers can quickly in-tegrate into the Canadian labor market,” Finley said.

Studies showed that im-migration would account for most of the labor force growth in Canada within the next 10 to 15 years, and all net population growth within the next 30 years.

But qualifications of many newcomers are not recognized in Canada, hin-dering programs to attract skilled newcomers. PR

A ‘quick’ year’s wait

TORONTO - Some 129,000 Canadian jobs, mostly full-time, were lost in January.

This pushed the unem-ployment rate to 7.2 per-cent from the past month’s 6.6 percent, surpassing any monthly decline during the economic crises of the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Job losses since Octo-ber, 2008 has reached some

StatsCan: Job losses mount, psyche distress hits low-income families 213,000, a Statistics Canada (StatsCan) survey said.

Ontario: hardest hitOntario reeled from the

most job cuts, at 71,000. This drop was Ontario’s largest in over 30 years.

Large declines were seen in British Columbia, at 35,000, and Quebec, 26,000.

Other provinces had negligible employment rate

changes.Male workers hurtAt least 111,000 persons

between 25 to 54 years old got the pink slip in January, nearly two-thirds of them male workers.

The unemployment rate for core-age adults jumped to 6.2 percent, the highest since November 2004.

Employment fell by 1.2 percent in the public sector.

The private sector de-clined by 0.9 percent.

But the average hourly wages, year on year, was up 4.8 percent in January.

Manufacturing downThe manufacturing

sector took the brunt with 101,000 job cuts in January, the largest monthly industry dip on record.

Job declines were noted in several other industries.

However, gains were made in the health care and social assistance sec-tors, where hiring rose by 31,000.

Psyche distressMeanwhile, A StatsCan

study said members of low-er-income households suf-fered from high psychologi-cal distress than those with better pays.

The study, based on data

gathered from 1994 to 2007, noted the presence of stress-ors in the lives of lower-in-come individuals.

The stressors included job strain, financial prob-lems, personal stress, and problems with relationships, neighborhoods or children.

Earlier research sug-gested that the poorer men-tal health of lower-income

(To page 34)

Non-Canadian credentials

BAGUIO CITY - Some 70 poor patients underwent free surgery at the Baguio General Hospital and Medi-cal Center here, courtesy of Canadian doctors of Health for Humanity (H4H).

On their second medical mission here, members of the H4H team - to include Cordillera-born nurse Shir-ley Pinlac Maas - had an average of seven surgeries daily from a week Jan. 29.

Vancouver Hospital’s Dr. Peter Blair invited Fili-pino surgeons to train on microscopic surgery, which is among the latest technol-ogies in the medical world.

70 Filipinos benefit fromH4H mission Maytree and the To-

ronto City Summit Alli-ance said officials of over 100 private, non-profit and public groups vowed support to DiverseC-ity: The Greater Toronto Leadership project.

Maytree president Rama Omidvar said the project hoped to name and help 1,000 new diverse leaders “move into posi-tions of leadership and influence” in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in the next three years.

“Our city will benefit from the competitive ad-vantage diverse leaders bring,” Omidvar said.

DiverseCity, anti-bullying gain support At least 44 percent of

the GTA’s population is for-eign born, surpassing immi-grant proportions in Miami, Sydney, Los Angeles and New York.

Despite the GTA’s mul-ticultural strength, visible minorities are under-repre-sented in its leadership.

Anti-bullyingThe youth-initiated bul-

lyingcanada.ca website has called on Parliament to take a stand against all forms of bullying and declare Dec. 17 as national Blue Day.

The website - launched by Rob Frenette, 19, of Woodstock, New Bruns-wick and Katie Neu, 17 of

Kitchener - has been cir-culating petitions and has gathered over 5,000 sig-natures.

Frenette said bullying has been a social problem for years. The response to petitions showed Cana-dians could act together on a single subject, added Neu.

MP Mike Allen (To-bique-Mactaquac) said “while we still have schoolyard fights,” bully-ing has taken on various forms. “With the Internet and text messaging - can happen any time of the day no matter where a child is.” PR

6 newsnewsMANILA MEDIA MONITOR

FEBRUARY 2009

TORONTO - A new Ipsos-Reid poll said most Canadians relied on news-papers for trustworthy infor-mation in bad times.

Forty percent of those surveyed said they relied more on newspapers during the political crisis in Ottawa, while almost a third (30 per-cent) said they turned more often to newspapers for analysis of the economic downturn.

Only 15 percent of re-spondents said they did not read newspapers (print or online) at all.

The findings were based on over 1,000 online inter-views conducted in Decem-ber for the Canadian News-paper Association (CNA).

“Clearly, newspapers remain the trusted medium of communication during

periods of change, such as we are experiencing today,” said John Hinds, president and CEO of CNA.

The survey also asked Canadians how they re-sponded to advertising dur-ing economic crises.

Canadians turn to newspapers in times of crisis

Over a quarter of respon-dents (26 percent) said they found themselves looking at newspapers and inserts for “discounts, bargains and sales” more often during hard economic times.

Ipsos-Reid also found

that almost a third of Canadi-ans (27 percent) - including a plurality of better-educated and wealthier respondents - were more likely to read newspapers when making decisions about personal fi-nances. CNW

Members of the Candonians of Toronto enjoy reading the Manila Media Mon-itor. File Photo: JOE DAMASCO

TORONTO - The city council has approved a plan to prohibit smoking at city playgrounds and other child-centered areas, thus amend-ing provisions on parks un-der the Municipal Code.

“Banning smoking in playgrounds ensures that children have healthy en-vironments in which to play,” said Councillor Paula

Fletcher (Ward 30, Toronto-Danforth), parks and envi-ronment committee chair.

The proposed code changes would ban smoking and the holding of lighted tobacco in Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation (TPFR) zoos, farms and within a nine-meter radius of playground safety surfac-es or playground equipment

in city parks, including wad-ing pools and splash pads.

Second-hand smoke is a Class A carcinogen linked to cancer, increased risk of heart disease and respiratory illness.

Outdoor concentrations of second-hand smoke have been found to rival those of indoor second-hand smoke during periods of active

smoking (depending on the direction of the wind and the distance from the smoker).

“There is simply no reason to subject children, who are in our parks getting fresh air and exercise, to the harmful effects of second-hand smoke,” said Dr. Da-vid McKeown, city medical officer.

“This is also a good

time to remind the public that children are influenced by the behavior of others around them, and we should all work to be healthy role models for the next genera-tion,” McKeown said.

The bylaw is expected to

be in effect in spring, after the Province of Ontario has approved the set fines to be imposed on violators.

The TPFR would en-force the by-law, starting off with public awareness and education. PR

Council oks plan to ban smoking in city playgrounds

TORONTO - This summer, the Toronto Police Service, with the Toronto Police Services Board and the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, will again employ youths for the Youth in Policing Ini-tiative (YIPI).

Under YIPI, 100 youth between 14 and 17 years old will work with TPS elements in various edu-cational yet productuive assignments from June 29 to Aug. 21.

Applicants must be from one of the following neighborhoods: Malvern, Jane-Finch, Jamestown, Regent Park, Dorset Park, Steeles-L’Amoureaux, Weston-Mt. Dennis, Law-rence Heights, Fleming-don-Victoria Village, Crescent Town, Eglinton

TPS set to implement anewYouth In Policing Initiative

East-Kennedy Park, Scar-borough Village, Kings-ton- Galloway, South Parkdale, and Westminis-ter-Branson.

Recruitment for YIPI will end on Feb. 25. Ap-plications may be made at the TPS headquarters, its 17 stations, community and youth resource cen-ters.

YIPI is intended to:► Promote youth par-

ticipation in and exposure to the police work envi-ronment;

► Enhance the link between the police and neighborhoods;

► Provide safe and positive job opportunities for youth during the sum-mer months; and

► Promote TPS as an employer of choice. PR

ACE ALVAREZ

On the tight economy,media, atbp.

(To page 14)

7VIEWSVIEWSMANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 2009

Excerpt from a conversation between the beauteous Rowena – that pleasantly smiling front offi ce lady at Dr. Evangeline Bernabe’s dental clinic on Overlea Boulevard and Front Page Philippines’ Gie Alvarez regarding the diffi culty of individuals and organizations alike in trying to make both ends meet at this time of economic slump:

Rowena: “… kaya nga maraming pasyente dito are trying to get an early appointment, before their insurance coverage ends.”

Gie: “Dapat bunutin na la’ng lahat ang mga ngipin para wala nang problema sa future.”

(Laughter …)***

A person in charge of the Marketing Department of several funeral homes in Toronto and area phoned Manila Media Monitor regarding her company’s efforts in marketing their services.

At the time of her phone call, our conversation somehow also

touched on her advertising work background in the Philippines – and where some people whom she worked with were among my acquaintances, friends, or schoolmates.

During the same conversation … (1) it wasn’t true that I asked her if death occurs rarely during this time of economic slump, hence, they are enhancing their marketing efforts during these tight economic times; (2) it was not true either that I suggested to her to take photos of all the dead just before the public viewing, so that she may compile them altogether to include in her portfolio, just like advertising creative people do.

In the fi rst place, this is already less expense in the creation of a portfolio, considering that those fi nished photos will no longer need frames, dahil may salamin na ang kuha ng photograph.

***A story appearing on February

15, 2009 in Marketing Daily stated that private broadcasters generated $2.1 billion in total revenue last year, and that the sale of local advertising generated $387.3 million in revenue, versus national advertising, which dropped to $1.47 billion from $1.52 billion in 2007.

I’ll see you around, readers. I am retiring now.

***The president of the

Association of Filipino-Canadian Accountants (AFCA), Egay Gonzales, e-mailed me on Monday, February 9, requesting to forward a press release for his organization to all Filipino publications.

Obliging to the request, I sent out the press release with a note to my fellow publishers and/or the editors of the various Filipino print media as follows: “While I’ve vacated already my post, which I held for two consecutive terms, as Media Relations Offi cer for

the Philippine Chamber of Commerce -- Toronto (PCCT) during the organization’s last election, it might come to you as a surprise that I am sending you a press release this time from AFCA.

“Nope, I haven’t taken the position from AFCA., hence, my good friend, Jess Carlos (who is the least of my idols among community organization PROs, and which I stress without offense intended to this good friend of mine), may continue to serve as AFCA PRO (if he doesn’t occupy the same anymore).

***News item in Marketing Daily

of February 6: “Canwest Global Communications is exploring the sale of fi ve conventional television stations across Canada just days after bankers pulled back the debt-laden company’s borrowing power.”

To my good friend Deo Moreno and his growing M Studio facility in Mississauga: “Welcome to the bidding, buddy!”

***On February 4, Philippine

Press Club-Ontario member Sherwin Sunico, who is in the audio-visual recording business, sent me an e-mail notice, among other recipeints, saying:

“Check out the new 2009 Remix of Nasayang si Jenifer Camacho, remixed by Sherwin Sunico: http://www.youtube.

com/watch?v=VneqbIlKRco.Oh wait a minute, readers,

I apologize for my error in retyping the item. It actually read: “Check out the new 2009 Remix of Nasayang by Jenifer Camacho, remixed by Sherwin Sunico.”

***January 30, 2009 news item in

Marketing Daily: “Internet usage in Canada continues to rise, a trend that will soon make the web the top medium for Canadians under 55, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada’s 2008 Media Usage Trend Study.”

To our fellow print publishers: Please prepare for a shorter ad placement contract as we are left with advertisers over 55, hence, nearing their ….

***Another item in the same

issue states, “Wine drinking up, gin down.”

Calling the attention of PPCO prez Tenny Soriano.

Man, we’ve not been counted! Please make representation on this with the “International Wine and Spirit Record” that they have not included beer in the study.

***Marketing Daily item of

January 29: In response to what it calls “economic and market realities,” the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) lays off 14 people and cancelled a scheduled

Managing EditorACE ALVAREZ

EditorBUTCH GALICIA

Associate EditorGIE ALVAREZ

Contributing EditorsBen Viccari

Ricky CaluenJimmy MontejoMag Cruz HatolGrace P. FreiresManny FreiresPete LacabaMel Tobias

Editorial AssistantsLennart Leigh Alvarez-Mahoney

Dods Andrada

ContributorsEva Agpaoa

Mario DimainRobert WilsonNoel PeradaLarry Torres

Chito SarabiaEdwin AcunaBien Garcia

Jeannie Pilapil

Account ExecutiveMYRNA SORIANO

GraphicsIDTech Solutions

416-875-2541projects@idtechsolutuionsnetwork.com

Philippine Communication FacilityGRACE MEDIA SERVICES

974 Metrica Street1008 Manila, PhilippinesTel/Fax: (632) 742-1484

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Did media create thisworld economic downturn?

RoundaboutMAG CRUZ-HATOL

From TheMonitor’s Desk

ACE ALVAREZ

Life back home with TV, prof.heckler, imagined recession

(To page 24)

(To page 14)

8 VIEWSVIEWSMANILA MEDIA MONITOR

FEBRUARY 2009

12 years of dedicatedcommunity service

It is true, after all, what Pinoy TV networks insiders have been whispering to us the past few weeks.

To face the likely damage that the “imagined” recession may infl ict on the broadcasting industry, there will be some radical changes in programming.

The recession is imagined because to our mind, we have been in this sorry state since the Marcos years.

We have become inured to it that we do not give a hoot at all … not until the Americans started pumping thoughts of the Apocalypse into our minds.

We have been coasting along famously with labor strikes, mass layoffs and shortages in water, energy, even moral ascendancy that to wake up one day fi nding ourselves rich and stable is a thought found only in fables.

We are also told that it is not entirely the perceived economic crunch that has triggered this pro-active move in local broadcasting but the palpable tremors from the smaller stations that have started to eat into the local audience pie.

The broadcast fi rmament in the Philippines does not begin with ABS and end with GMA.

There are myriad other players in free TV.

Net 25’s programming is steadfastly improving with obvious support from a large and loyal Iglesia ni Kristo community.

RJTV, once only a name to reckon on radio, is using 2nd

Avenue to slowly ensnare the fi ckle AB audience; SBN is following suit and threatens to rise from the doldrums soon.

UNTV has its hands tied with a religious group but has been noisy of late with its alternative programming that has a faithful, albeit small, following.

For its part, RPN has started to climb back where it used to be after inking a strategic partnership with formidable blocktimer Solar Entertainment and rebranding itself as C/S (Crime/Suspense).

Meanwhile, despite inside stories about disenchantment and mass resignations at the Shake Mo TV channel, ABC is providing ample competition to the giants.

There must be truth that the unfair competition suit fi led against them by a giant might actually be a knee-jerk reaction to ABC’s ascent in the ratings.

ABC is now managed by a Malaysian group and people are crying foul as the move

breaks a constitutional provision disallowing foreign interests to own and control any broadcast or print medium.

Where Studio 23, NBN and IBC fi gure in all this, we wonder.

Like UNTV, IBC and NBN are shackled in their program offerings because of government whim and restrictions.

Studio 23 was for a time a deadringer in the ratings but has of late become a quiet player.

It insists it caters to the 13 to 30 age bracket, particularly the hoity-toity variety.

And then to Professor Heckler. It is the name of an anonymous blogger who literally snatches the wit off the minds of helpless Filipino citizens who can only wince in pain each time some corrupt politician appears to go scot free.

Recently, the invincible First Gentleman Mike Arroyo has allegedly been implicated in another nasty scheme, for the nth

time, this time care of a World Bank report that outlined for the world to see that a number of huge road building contracts it funded have been rigged to favor a few allies.

Could it be the fi nal straw? Many ask.

There have been dozens of massive instances of fraud and graft, dishonesty and immorality, negligence and loss of confi dence, that this current administration had faced but it has thus far managed to squirm out each time, successfully sweeping the debris under the rug and into oblivion.

In the tradition of “How DoYou Solve a Problem Like Maria?” Professor Heckler jestingly suggests that congressmen will each get fi ve percent of pork barrel for every hour that they agree to grill their compadre.

At the Upper House, Heckler maliciously suggests that heretofore inactive and uncannily quiet senators Bong Revilla and Lito Lapid handle the investigation.

And that Mike Arroyo be asked the four Rotary questions about truth and morality.

Interestingly, it is during times of distress in contemporary Philippine history when our mettle and resilience as a race are tested.

And interestingly again, it is through humor that we are able to keep our heads together.

Jokes fl y like unshackled sparks in the internet, through

A month after Barack Obama was inaugurated to offi ce, the fever continues on the assumption to offi ce of the fi rst African American president to lead the country -- reputed as the most powerful country in the world that the U.S. is, for at least the next four years.

Even at the music industry’s Grammy Awards on Sunday, February 8, a rhythm and blues group, whose members collectively acted as award presentor exalted Obama on stage.

As in all parts of the world, people look beyond with optimism on Obama’s government that in Toronto, people of various colors, creeds and cultures fi lled several buses and hit the road for the U.S. capital in time for the historic inaugural moment.

Each of us could share the hope (along with the faith and charity -- the three great virtues that the New Testament calls for in Christians), that the world banks with Obama’s leadership.

I myself shared the excitement watching the images on television during Obama’s inauguration, even empathizing with mostly the black Americans whom I saw shed a tear, or two, during the ceremonies.

On this, the tears of joy of those black Americans were understandable if one thinks of what they probably personally went through the racial prejudices in the U.S. during their lifetime.

Those images on television brought back memories in me when I fi rst landed in Canada

some 18 years ago.Coming to Toronto with a

broadcast media background, I started looking for work in this area.

During my phone conversation that time in 1990 with the station manager of one very popular news and information radio station, he told me that he was always on the look for good people (and I knew I’m good at what I offer my services in) in his team, and for me to send in my resume. I did, after which, it was the last I heard from the station manager and the station itself.

I knew it was my accent. But if this country even at that time was loudly proclaiming before the world its multiculturalism policy, why would accent be an issue?

Narrating this experience during a Q & A after Terry Scott (Broadcast News/The Canadian Press) and Renato Zane (OMNI Television), who, at that time were president and treasurer, respectively, of the Radio and Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) talked

before the members of the Canadian Ethnic Media Association in 2004, Scott and Zane said that situation was slowly changing; and it could be as we continue to see and hear on-air talents from mainstream broadcast media as apparently coming from the minority groups in Canada.

Even the Filipino Canadian community has a good share of its on-air talents in mainstream media – where the funny thing is that those networks and stations which were snobby before are now proclaiming on their station IDs their diversity and support for what Canada stands for.

My friend, Macedonian television producer Bill Yancoff, told me twice during a conversation that after he completed his college program on radio and television, and thereafter joining a popular sports radio station in Toronto as an on-air reporter, he was asked to change his Macedonian name into an English-sounding one. Such was the mind then.

I had several more experiences of what we, non-Caucasians, went

through at one time, or another, hence, the emphathy to Obama’s leadership.

But as Obama himself very well knows, he is the president for all the Americans and leader of the most powerful country in the world, and not just of the blacks.

***Like those with our local

mainstream, national and international media counterparts, community newspaper advertising revenue is on the downturn.

During the fi rst week of January, the New York Times started running advertising at the bottom of its front page because of falling ad revenue.

In December in Canada, CTV cut about 105 positions, and its rival Global Television, on the other hand, cut 210 positions in all its TV operations.

The retrenchment of personnel at the latter TV network, however, was not enough that early this month, it announced that fi ve of its TV stations were for sale, including CHCH in Hamilton.

This developed as lending institutions to Global Television cut all credit facility to the network.

Meanwhile, a news story from the 12 PM News Roundup of 1050 CHUM Radio sometime last January said some Canadian politicians are blaming the media for writing too much about the credit crunch, thus creating panic.

Back in December, Manila Media Monitor editor Butch Galicia and I were talking about

Move over, Mrs. Malaprop!

CommentaryBEN VICCARI

Our JourneyEVA AGPAOA

Of belt tightening et. al.

(To page 14)

OPINION

OFW realities

9VIEWSVIEWSMANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 2009

(To page 24)

Hindi mayaman ang overseas Filipino worker (OFW). We have this notion na ‘pag OFW o nasa abroad ay mayaman na. Hindi totoo yun.

A regular OFW might earn from P50K-P300K per month de-pende sa lokasyon. Yung mga taga-Saudi or US siguro ay mas mal-aki ang suweldo, but to say that they’re rich is a fallacy (amen!).

Malaki ang pangangailangan kaya karamihan ay nag-a-abroad. Maraming bunganga ang kailangang pakainin kaya umaalis ang

mga pipol sa Philippines. Madalas, 3/4 o kalahati ng suweldo ay napupunta sa tuition ng anak at gastusin ng pamilya.

Mahirap maging OFW. Kailangan magtipid hangga’t kaya. Oo, masarap ang pagkain sa abroad pero madalas na paksiw o

adobo at itlog lang ang tinitira para makaipon.Pagdating ng kinsenas o katapusan, ang unang tinitingnan eh

ang conversion ng peso sa dollar o riyal o euro.Mas okay na magtiis sa konti kaysa gutumin ang pamilya. Kapag umuuwi, kailangan may baon kahit konti kasi maraming

kamag-anak ang sumusundo sa airport o naghihintay sa probinsya. Alam mo naman ‘pag Pinoy, yung tsismis na OFW ka eh surely

attracts a lot of kin. Kapag hindi mo nabigyan ng pasalubong eh magtatampo na yun

at sisiraan ka na.Well, hindi naman lahat pero I’m sure sa mga OFW dito eh may

mga pangyayaring ganun.Magtatrabaho ka sa bansang iba ang tingin sa mga Pinoy. Mala-

mang marami ang naka-experience ng gulang o discrimination in their various workplaces.

Sige lang, tiis lang, iniiyak na lang kasi kawawa naman pamilya ‘pag umuwi. Besides, wala ka naman talagang maasahang trabaho sa Philippines ngayon. Mahal ang bigas, ang gatas, ang sardinas, ang upa sa apartment.

Tiis lang kahit maraming asar sa trabaho, kahit may sakit at walang nag-aalaga, kahit hindi masarap ang tsibog, kahit pangit ang working conditions, kahit delikado, kahit mahirap.

Kapag nakapadala ka na, okay na, tawag lang, “Hello! kumusta na kayo?”

Hindi bato ang OFW.-Tao rin ang OFW, hindi money o cash machine. Napapagod rin, nalulungkot (madalas), nagkakasakit, nag-iisip at nagugu tom.

Kailangan din ang suporta, kundi man physically, emotionally o spiritually man lang.

Tumatanda rin ang OFW. Sa mga nakausap at nakita ko, marami ang panot at kalbo na. Most of them have signs and symp-toms of hypertension, coronary artery disease and arthritis.

Yet, they continue to work thinking about the family they left behind. Marami ang nasa abroad, 20-30 years na, pero wala pa ring ipon. Kahit anong pakahirap, sablay pa rin.

Masakit pa kung olats rin ang sinusuportahang pamilya – ang anak adik o nabuntis; ang asawa may kabit. Naalala ko tuloy ang sikat na kanta dati, “NAPAKASAKIT KUYA EDDIE!”

Bayani ang OFW. Totoo yun! Ngayon ko lang na na-realize na bayani ang OFW sa maraming bagay.

Hindi bayani na tulad ni Nora Aunor o Flor Contemplacion. Bayani in the truest sense of the word.

Hindi katulad ni Rizal o Bonifacio. Mas higit pa dun, mas maraming giyera at gulo ang pinapasok ng OFW para lang mabu-hay.

Mas maraming pulitika ang kailangang suungin para lang tuma-gal sa trabaho lalo na’t gago ang mga kasama sa trabaho.

Mas mahaba ang pasensya kaysa sa mga ordinaryong kongresis-ta o senador sa Philippines dahil sa takot na mawalan ng sweldo.

Matindi ang OFW. Matindi ang Pinoy. Matindi pa sa daga, o cockroaches which have survived cataclysmic evolution.

Maraming sakripisyo pero walang makitang tangible solutions or consequences.

Malas ng OFW, swerte ng pulitiko. Hindi umuupo ang OFW para magbigay ng autograph o interbyuhin ng media (unless nakid-nap!). Madalas nasa sidelines lang ang OFW.

Kapag umaalis, malungkot and on the verge of tears. Kapag du-madating, swerte ‘pag may sundo (madalas meron). Kapag naubos na ang ipon, wala ng kamag-anak.

Sana sikat ang OFW para may boses sa Kamara.Ang swerte ng mga politiko nakaupo sila at ginagastusan ng

pera ng Filipino. Hindi nga sila naiinitan o napapaso ng langis, o napagagalitan ng amo, o kumakain ng paksiw para makatipid, o nakatira sa compound with conditions less than favorable, o nakiki-sama sa ibang lahi para mabuhay. Ang swerte, sobrang swerte nila.

It seems everywhere you turn today the economy is in the news.

We are constantly hearing about the economic downturn as well as near record numbers of job losses.

The January job loss report an-nounced a staggering 70,000 plus jobs lost in Ontario alone.

It leaves you breathless and it certainly focuses your attention on your own job and financial se-curity.

It’s tough and the experts are predicting it’s going to get even tougher before we see some re-lief.

So what can you do to strength-en your position? What are the steps you can take?

The main objective is to free up some cash flow that can either be invested wisely or used to pay off some debt.

The very first thing is to have a close look at your expenses and start to ease off on those things which are not essential.

I’m not suggesting that you cut them out altogether because that tough to do.

If it is difficult most of us will not stay with a plan that brings on more hardship. So be realistic.

Keep track of the money you save when cutting back.

It’s important to see a tangible benefit (such as growing your sav-ings account) when you have de-prived yourself or your family of something they are used to.

If you have large debts (other than a mortgage), try to refinance

high interest rate debts into lower interest rate loans.

For example use your line of credit to pay off your credit card debt.

If you have the extra cash, try to pay down some debt.

Stop using your credit card. Credit cards have the worst inter-est rates imaginable.

Anyway in tough times like now, it’s never a good idea to buy something you can’t afford.

If you must use your card, pay off the entire amount at the end of the month.

These are simple common sense steps we should all be tak-ing.

Financial security is one of the most important things you will want to achieve.

Ok, now you’ve tightened your belt, paid down some (or all of your debt), and you still have some free cash in bank at the end of each month.

Consider yourself lucky.But is the bank really the best

place to leave the cash?

Financial security is not just about having cash in the bank, it’s also about wisely investing that money so that it can grow and protect you.

There are so many different ways to invest today.

Some investment vehicles are safe but don’t yield a large return, while others are considered risky but could return a large gain.

Still others provide services as well as protecting your money.

For example, life insurance gives you the best of both worlds.

It provides valuable benefit for you and your love ones.

Which protection and invest-ment you choose will depend on many factors that include your age and your appetite for risk among others.

But it’s also important to have a balanced plan.

In that plan some essentials are: Insurance (term and life); Mutual Funds; Property (but re-member: location, location, loca-tion); Revenue generating invest-

(To page 34)

Acting on his promises, President Barack Obama fi lled his fi rst full day of offi ce with implementing some of them.

His contacts with Middle Eastern leaders and an undertaking to close down Guantanamo had implicatons for the world scene while at home curbing lobbyists.

Strengthening ethics in government and salary freezes for senior White House offi cials were all positive moves that will resonate as the Democratic government’s future unfolds.

Of course, the economical

future of the U.S remains to be tackled if a major depression is to be halted, and the going will not be smooth.

But at least Obama’s translating of rhetoric into action has had an auspicious beginning.

***Sheridan’s 18th century

comedy The Rivals introduced Mrs. Malaprop, a woman given to blunders in the use of the English language.

Here are just a couple: “He is the very pineapple (pinnacle) of success” and “I have since

laid Sir Anthony’s preposition (proposition) before her.”

However, the rights to recognition as the crowned head of the malapropism must now surely pass to the former president of the United States.

It’s a matter of record that in his speeches, he used such words as “anecdotes” when he should have said “antidotes” and “perpetuators” instead of “perpetrators.”

The Toronto Star recently listed 40 such glaring examples which suggest that the former president is a master at spooking the English language.

***LOSODE - a Canadian

website created out of needIn setting down my reasons

for creating this web site (http://losode.com), I lay claim to no pomposities such as a “mission statement.”

Simply, in my own personal quest for more information on the availability of low sodium products in Canada, I may be able to help others as they can help me.

The present food supply chain, from manufacturer/processor to wholesaler to retailer to the public has many shortcomings.

First and foremost, Canadians need a reference guide to the existence and availability of low sodium food products, enabling them to observe a balanced and healthy diet according to standards published by Health Canada.

We shudder at transfats, struggle to keep cholesterol levels

The ending

The 3rd EyeMARIO DIMAIN

The

Un-ComfortZone

with ROBERT WILSON

Bleed it out

(To page 24)

(To page 24)

10 VIEWSVIEWSMANILA MEDIA MONITOR

FEBRUARY 2009

Aside from an appeal-ing introduction, an alluring plot and a thrilling climax, a well-written story is not complete without an end-ing.

When translated into film, the ending is the part when the last scene fades to black.

On stage, it is the part when the star performer seals his brilliant perfor-mance with a gracious bow to the applauding audience as the curtain gently rolls down.

The world we live in is like a big stage. It presents a drama. And every one of us has a role to play.

Our scripts begin on the day we are born.

As we grow older, we unknowingly write pages of events that form the book of our lives.

Then, when the final chapter is fully revealed, the book closes its covers.

There was a remarkable old man whose wizard-like eloquence in telling stories made me feel like a child

listening to a fairytale.It was a delight to watch

his expressive face as his baritone voice narrated his riveting life story.

The anecdote of his ad-venture in the deep forest of the Philippines when he was hunting for wildlife was very fascinating.

The suspenseful account of his experiences with the invading Japanese soldiers is one of my favourites and certainly put me on the edge of my seat when I heard it.

Every conversation we had was always wrapped up

with a promise of another episode.

And in his own words, he would say with his in-fectious smile, “Sa susunod uli,” which means “to be continued.”

Sadly, the next session did not materialize.

My dear old friend, whom I got accustomed to calling Tatay, became grave-ly ill and passed away.

On January 12, 2009, at the age of 82, he faced the final curtain of his life and breathed his last.

My stubborn admira-tion for the man refused to accept that his story had ended just like that.

No. Not that way.He was a wonderful

man and deserved a better ending.

So I took upon myself to produce a short video trib-ute which was centred upon his deep love for his family.

Every passing image

Half a century ago marketing consultant, James Vicary, pulled a hoax on the American people as a way to promote his advertising agency.

He reported that he fl ashed the words “Drink Coca-Cola” and “Eat popcorn” on the screen for a millisecond during a movie in a theater, and caused large numbers of people to visit the concession stand.

He called the effect Subliminal Advertising.

Subliminal means that the effect functions below the threshold of consciousness.

Years later, when others failed to duplicate his results, he admitted that he made the whole thing up. Never-the-less, the myth continues.

So, is there any advertising that does work below the threshold of consciousness?

Yes. Much of advertising is clearly designed to speak to you on a subconscious level.

Ads are created to get you to relate to the setting; the background music; the age, race and gender of the actors; their clothing; and the activities in which they are involved.

The idea is that you will recognize yourself in these people and, in turn, make the connection, “Ah, this is my kind of product.”

You don’t think it ... you

feel it. And, feelings move us to act.

A few years ago I was involved in non-profi t fund-raising for a Christian Mission in Africa.

In order to learn what type of appeal would bring in the most money, we conducted a series of focus groups.

We asked, “Which would you be more likely to do: A. Give money to feed starving babies; or B. Give money to teach people how to grow drought resistant crops that would end starvation in their community.”

The answer they gave was almost universally: B.

The comments we heard frequently included the proverb: “Give a man a fi sh and you feed him for a day; Teach a man to fi sh and you feed him for life.”

We then tested both appeals. Oops, the focus groups were wrong.

The appeal for feeding starving babies won by a landslide.

The lesson we learned

was that the emotional appeal to save the life of a child is much more powerful than a logical appeal for teaching a village survival skills that would eliminate starvation.

From that point forward, the heart-tugging stories of babies dying headlined every ad we ran.

Emotion trumps logic every time.

Take for example, Nick Ut’s 1972 photograph of a 9-year-old Vietnamese girl who was naked, shrieking and running away from her village that had just been bombed with napalm.

Fear, despair and suffering were written all over her face. More than anything it was her complete vulnerability that captured our attention.

One snapshot revealed the gut-wrenching horror of war, and millions of people, whose hearts were touched, turned their attention toward ending the Vietnam War.

Perhaps you recall

That dash is a full circle

OmertaBUTCH GALICIA

Part of Lola-Lola-Lola’s flock in Canada during the family Christmas celebration in Brampton in 2005 (More photos on page 22)

Angelita Mina GaliciaOCTOBER 1, 1913 - FEBRUARY 12, 2009

A TOAST TO LIFE

THE MATRIARCHOF FOUR GENERATIONSShe was the mother of 12. Of the dozen, Juanito, Elenita, Florinda, Zenaida, Angelita, Florencia and Manolito are carrying on her legacy. When she breathed her last, she reunited with husband Antonio and children Felicisimo, Maximino, Antonio Jr., Gloria and Renato in the Creator’s Home. She was the grandmother of 19, two of them - Pinky and June Marie - welcoming her in Heaven. She was great grandmother to 26; and great great grandmother to seven. Down the line, she loved and respected at least 20 sons, daughters, grandchildren and great grandchildren in-law.

It was a celebration of life; just as it was an end-less commemoration of the memory of a maternal figure who, in her lifetime, unconditionally loved and steered her large flock to-wards the right track.

ANGELITA MINA GALICIA, 95 - in her eter-nal slumber - was at the center of arrangements her ever increasing brood and those who took her as their own were doing to make her meeting with God and kin who preceded her a reunion of joyful souls in heaven.

I am pretty sure that from a distance above, she observed in her usual ca-sual silence, smiling each time each one fondly bade her adieu - during the view-ing at the Highland Funeral Home and Cremation Cen-tre from Valentine’s Day to Family Day and during the funeral Mass at the St. Dunstan Catholic Church and her interment at the Highland Memory Gardens Cemetery on Feb. 17.

As family members in Toronto, Brampton and Scarborough in Ontario and Winnipeg, Manitoba came to pay their last respects, those in the Philippines, in Angola, and in Edmonton, Canada kept up with the

Catholic rites of final pas-sage dutifully given the ma-triarch.

*****Long-time friend and

confessor Fr. Carl Mat-thews, in remarks during the funeral Mass, summed up Angelita’s earthly stay as the epitome of Christian life centered on love and family.

Fr. Carl noted how An-gelita’s great grandchildren led the Rosary during fu-neral prayers.

Angelita, he said, suc-cessfully passed on the faith, that belief in and fear of God her family would love to pass on to and share with generations to come. (Another great great grand-child is expected in April, and will surely be baptized a Catholic.)

Fr. Carl also cited An-

gelita’s children who at-tended to her care and com-fort at their homes from the time she came to Canada in 1976, during her most senior years, and up to the time of her demise.

This familial love and sense of togetherness void-ed any stray thought of An-gelita entering the doors of a seniors’ home, he said.

*****Angelita was Mama to

children Juanito, Elenita, Florinda, Zenaida, Angelita, Florencia and Manolito who are carrying on her legacy on earth; and to husband Antonio and children Feli-cisimo, Maximino, Antonio Jr., Gloria and Renato who she would be reunited with in the Creator’s Home.

She was Lola (grand-mother) to 19, two of them

(To page 11)

Who orderedNinoy’s death?

PerspectiveRICARDO J.S. CALUEN

(To page 17)(To page 16)

11VIEWSVIEWSMANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 2009

Juan Ponce Enrile is making headlines again these days. Not only be-cause of his recent election as president of the Philip-pine Senate ... but for ad-vocating for presidential clemency in order to release from their incarceration the few remaining soldiers who are serving reclusion per-petua for their participation in the assassination of Be-nigno Aquino, Jr.

His reason: they were foot soldiers blindly obey-ing orders from a chain of command.

The Senate president suggests instead for the Aquino family to prosecute the search for the identity/ties of the murderous mas-termind/s to its natural con-clusion.

The Cagayanon senator went so far as to practically berating former president Corazon Aquino for not pursuing the identification of her late husband’s ulti-mate murderer a priority of her presidency.

August 21, 1983 was a balmy Sunday afternoon in Iligan City where I was enjoying beer and pulutan with my new compadres, having earlier participated in a christening.

Our revelry was cut short as news of Ninoy’s

assassination crackled over the radio ... prompting us to turn on the TV to see the image of a fallen Ninoy that was beamed around the world.

Everyone in the room sat practically speechless for a moment or two as we pro-cessed the newsbreaker in our liquor-infused brains.

All we could hear from the womenfolk was a suc-cession of “Oh, my God! Oh, my God!” with hands on cheeks.

To this day, no one seems to know with cer-tainty the identity of the mastermind/s of the Aquino assassination.

Marcos was quick to de-clare - just hours after the assassination and without even having announced the creation of a fact-find body - that the Communists did it.

This is not to say the

grapevine was quiet. The country was rife with con-jectures and rumors.

There was talk of an irate President Marcos throwing an ashtray at the First Lady for hatching a poorly-ex-ecuted scheme (would the dictator have done a better job if he masterminded it?).

Marcos loyalists main-tained the late president couldn’t have planned any-thing whose authorship could be traced all the way back to Malacanang or so sloppy.

Everyone had a field day repeating the line: Pa-tay na si Galman, buhay pa ang gunman.

A few months earlier, I had attended a refresher course in Political Science at the University of the Philip-pines where we had brave-ly discussed post-Marcos

- Pinky and June Marie - welcoming her in Heaven. She was Lola Lola (great grandmother) to 26; and Lola Lola Lola (great great grandmother) to seven.

She respected and loved some 20 sons, daughters, grandchildren and great grandchildren in-law.

*****So large is the family

that in offbeat talks, some-one suggested that Lola and her tribe should have been etched in the pages of a records book for, perhaps, being a family in Toronto, if not in Canada, with the most living members span-ning five generations.

My uncles even joked that when Lola lived, I and my younger brother Gie held the distinction of being - at the same quite extraor-dinary instance - a grandson (to Lola) and a grandfather (to our grandchildren).

Witty that she was es-pecially when the family’s lineage was conversation topic, Lola was undoubted-ly chuckling in delight and exclaiming “Awesome!”

That was Lola - a re-silient physical, moral and spiritual root to a sturdy family tree that had grown and branched out in many

dimensions through all 95 years of her lifetime.

*****I know she left a will; a

testament found only in the recesses of her kind heart and could only be manifest-ed to us if we appreciate the good memories she left us.

If I will dare peek into this will, I know that she gave us her most valued treasures:

► Our dreams: Lola dreamt and dared with us. With only words of encour-agement and confidence, Lola always egged me to dream, fulfill that dream, be the best of what I wanted to be, no matter the odds. I know she did similarly with everyone she kept dear un-der her wings.

► Our talents: Lola always lent an attentive ear to our versions of how we played our best in the game of life.

When Tita Ester and cousins Regan, Patricia and Kevin had to miss her buri-al to fly back to Winnipeg to be in time for Patricia’s musical concert, I am pretty sure Lola soared with them to watch her granddaugh-ter’s sterling performance.

She was proud of our laurels, no matter its size.

That dash is a full circle(From page 10)

But she was even prouder when we apply the right values she taught us to ably rise and shine after every temporary fall.

► Our life: Lola kept the bloodline flowing in our veins. She was a major influence in our lives. Her strength of character was ours. So were her soothing touch and graciousness of speech. In times of want, she was hope personified; during plenty, charity - val-ues she knew should be ours too. Orderliness and organi-zation were her great marks. We would have never been us without her stewardship.

***** October 1, 1913 -- Feb-

ruary 12, 2009. Letters and numbers may suggest a thing or two. But more significant is the dash between Lola’s birth and death dates.

That dash is the full circle of life Lola strove to be, had become, and had shared with us to appreciate and enjoy.

It’s just too sad that we could no longer hold her hand, give her a big hug, or kiss her forehead. But she left us a great DASH I know would serve us well as we straighten out our own. butchgalicia@yahoo.com

12 MANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 2009 CommunityCommunity

GENERAL DENTISTRYDr. Gilbert ChanDr. Daphne ChienDr. Janet HoDr. Janet WongDr. Michael Chin

GENERAL DENTISTRYDr. Gilbert ChanDr. Daphne ChienDr. Janet HoDr. Janet WongDr. Michael Chin

Preparations for this year’s edition of the Phil-ippine Independence Day Council’s (PIDC) Mabuhay Festival are in high gear.

Organizers said the day-long festival would be con-ducted on July 18 at Hall D of the Metro Toronto Con-vention Centre in down-town Toronto, right in the hub of the city’s business, shopping, tourism, cultural and fashion districts.

Among the regular fea-tures of the 2009 Mabuhay Festival are cultural and contemporary entertainment with local artists; the Santa Cruzan; and a showcase of Philippine cuisine, kakanin and other desserts.

A PIDC Cafe or tam-bayan ng bayan where one could connect with compa-triots just like back home would be put up.

Organizers said they would later announce fea-tured artists from the Phil-ippines. Last year’s crowd drawer was Filipino come-dianne Ai Ai delas Alas.

Festival boothsThe PIDC is inviting in-

terested businesses to maxi-mize exposure and expand market opportunities to be a festival exhibitor.

“Show your product to

a captive audience. Take the opportunity to know and en-gage potential clients. The festival is the perfect place and time,” PIDC said.

Exhibitor booths are available on a first pay first assigned basis.

PIDC gears up for Mabuhay Festival

Each booth is a 10x10 ft. frame with eight-foot back and three-foot side drapes, with one eight-foot table, two chairs and four exhibitor badges. Limited additional tables and chairs may be negotiated.

Booth prices are: prime corner booth, $350; regular booth, non-prime, $300; two or more connected booths, non-prime, $275 each. A ten percent discount is given for booths paid on

PIDC Little Miss Philippines will be crowned on May 2 at the Korean Cultural Centre. The candidates are Abby Kowalczyk, Rina Rafael, Louise Chanco, Melissa Manaig, Thayra Sugunalan, Olga Martinez, Jamie Ariaga and Annabelle Da Silva. Photo: RUDY CASTRO/PR

PIDC will choose anew the community’s Ambassadress of Goodwill, to represent the Philippines in multicultural events in Toronto. One will be chosen as the Reyna Elena in the Grand Santa Cruzan on July 18 at the Mabuhay Festival. PIDC Miss Philippines candidates Mandy Law, Trisha Ruiz, Natalie Rafael, Lysa Tagalog, Jemi Echevarria, Kat Romero, Gielyn Edjan. Photo: RUDY CASTRO/PR

(To page 18)

Setback thermostats can save energy and money. Just as you shut off lights and appliances when you’re not using them, you can save energy by turning down the furnace and air conditioner when you leave the house or go to sleep. This practice can result in energy savings of five to 15 percent, according to a Canadian Centre for Housing Technology study.

Setting the air conditioner thermostat a couple of degrees higher in the summer when the house is empty also brings significant energy savings and helps control indoor humidity.

If your schedule is predictable, then a setback ther-mostat that automatically bumps the temperature up or down when you want it to may be right for you.

Is a setback thermostat right for you?Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporations ad-

vises you to consider the following:► Personal schedule: A setback thermostat is ideal

for people with predictable work and sleep patterns. If your schedule changes often, you probably won’t

find a setback thermostat as convenient.► Comfort: It can take up to an hour for the home’s

temperature to change.You may need to experiment with your setback

thermostat to ensure that your home is at your ideal temperature by the time you wake up and by the time you return home.

► Moisture and ventilation problems: A setback of four to six degrees can increase the possibility of high humidity, which can lead to condensation on windows and walls.

Also, a setback thermostat causes a sustained lack of air circulation for forced air systems as the house cools down.

For houses where bedroom doors are kept closed, this could lead to stuffiness in those rooms and a lack of fresh air. If your house is in good condition, if you do not have excessive moisture problems and if you keep a fairly regular schedule, then a setback thermostat can offer convenience, comfort and may help reduce energy costs. PR

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13CommunityCommunityMANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 2009

Gathering@ Ballada

Community mediamen and local entertain-ment greats pose for a souvenir photo during a recent gathering at the Ballada Restaurant. Among those in the photo are Philippine Press Club-Ontario’s Tenny Soriano and wife Myrna, Ace and Gie Al-varez and Joe Damas-co; concert artists Jen Camacho and Candace Santos; and community leader Chito Collantes. Photo: TONY ANG

BRAMPTON, ON. – The Federation of Fil-ipino Canadians of Brampton (FFCB) is looking for its first Youth Ambassador, who will travel on an all-expenses paid trip to the Philippines to promote friendship and goodwill between Can-ada and the Philippines, specifically between Brampton and its sister city, Marikina.

The winner will see, live and experience Filipino culture first-hand, as he/she visits some of the schools adopted by the Federation in the Philippines, and get a close-up look at the similarities and differences between the schools there and in Canada.

Competition information will be released at a Youth Ambassador Dance at the Rose Theatre in Brampton on Feb. 28.

FFCB is a registered, non-profit organization of Filipino individuals and associations which main objective is the preservation and promo-tion of Filipino culture, traditions, and heritage. PR

FFCB looks for 1styouth ambassador

The PNB Remittance Co. (Canada) Inc. has announced the winners of its Pasko Na, Bayan Ko Christmas Promo ’08.

Grand prize - winner for an LG 42” HDTV is Randy Asuncion of Toronto.

Two second prize winners for an ASUS 10” Laptop are Airene Cunanan of Mississauga and Susana Sanico of Surrey, BC.

The third prize for a digital video cam-era each are Grace Sayson of Mississauga and Nestor Diamzon of Vancouver.

In the east coast, consolation prizes of 12 free remittances each go to Evelyn Hufana, Belma Descargar and Irene Pangilinan, all of Eglinton;

Miriam Pascua, Carlos Rivero, Cely Oso-rio, Marjorie Gabay and Yolando Hurtedo all of Mississauga; Mark Daclag of Toronto; and Vir-ginia Almodal of Scarborough.

Consolation prize winners in the west coast are Nestor Tolentino and Merycris Seaman, both of Vancouver; Alfonso Gumban, Amarelli On-gyiu, Sheila Ann Laanan, Marietta Veloo, Ralph de Asis, and Andylyn Sambile, all of Surrey; Neil Duholke of Calgary; and Francisco Robles of Winnipeg.

The draws were conducted at the company’s Scarborough Branch on Jan. 30.

Walk-in clients drew the winners, as wit-nessed by three representatives from Filipino newspapers in Toronto. PR

PNB Remit namesYule draw winners

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14 MANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 2009CommunityCommunity

THEY ARE ON RADIO, BECAUSE SOME PICTURES NEED A THOUSAND WORDS, as one saying goes. This one time though, radio announcers of Manila’s Radyo ng Bayan (formerly Voice of the Philippines) and DZSR/Sports Radio gathered together to share with former fellow announcers, now based in Toronto - Front Page Philippines TV host Gie Alvarez and Philippine Courier Publisher Mon

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Datol. Among those in photo are Radyo ng Bayan announcer Norma Marco and DZSR/Sports radio announcers Judith Caringal, Ria Arevalo, Cecil Quimlat, Aida Gatdula and Rick Yap Santos. We could not identify the others in the photo, because, as the saying goes, “some pictures simply need a thou-sand words,” and this is one of those. Photo: DZSR-SPORTS RADIO / Cap-tion: ACE ALVAREZ

convention.Great and reasonable

move by the CAB! No ... no … the

example doesn’t apply to organizations with scheduled “Spring Dance” events, induction of offi cers.

The example only applies to a convention, kaya … tuloy ang ligaya!

***U.K.’s most famous

businessman, Sir Richard Branson, addressed a packed house of media owners, marketers and Toronto Mayor David Miller on Wednesday, January 28, during an hour-long interview with Toronto Star media and culture critic Geoff Pevere at Toronto Filmport movie studio, saying bad businesses should “make way for new trees.”

To my fellow publishers in the Filipino Canadian community in Toronto, please pay attention to Branson. I think he’s addressing you, too.

***

A news item in one Manila daily newspaper on January 26: “Even the Dead Held to Environmental Standards As New Regulations Target Funeral Services”.

To Philippine funeral services company owners in the Philippines: Now … now ! Your prayers of “Give us this day our daily dead …” is no longer enough as the Philippine government set its eyes on you, guys.

***According to a study

done by Ipsos Reid, many Canadians consume many media.

You guys, at Ipsos Reid, why do you pick on us publishers in the Filipino Canadian community in Toronto?

Why, afterall there are only 14 or 15 publications in the Toronto area?

***One news item on

January 22: “Astral Media Inc. has reorganized some of its English-language radio operations across Canada and shed 23 employees”.

No … no … What I said was “Astral Media”; not Joel Recla’s Perlas ng Silanganan radio. Besides, the news item said English language radio program; Tagalog radio program naman ang Perlas ng Silanganan radio, e.

Perlas ng Silanganan airs every Saturday, 6:30 to 7 p.m. over CHIN Radio International, 1540 AM, simulcast 100.7 FM.

***News item of January

22: Microsoft to slash 5,000 jobs.

Iyan naman ang puri ko for Danny Samson’s ID Tech Solutions, on the one hand, and Omie and Lorna De Vera’s LDV Computers, on the other hand. Regardless of the downturn in the economy, they are not laying off people.

(Libre na naman ang “honorable mention” here, dahil love sila ng writer dito. Ako la’ng ang mahina sa mga ito, e. To Danny, Omie and Lorna, please read the message

between the lines here)***

PCCT board chair and president, Rafael Nebres, sent an e-mail on January 21, to his board members requesting for RSVP for their scheduled meeting for Thursday, February 5.

PCCT Director Agnes Loshusan of Mary Kay Cosmetics replied as follows: “See you there Kuya Paeng and honourary Board Members!”

Agnes, your fellow board members were elected, hence, not “honourary”.

(Of course, Agnes’ reply was a slip of the fi nger.)

***FINALLY, the last three

items from Marketing Daily of January 21:

Item # 1: “Global consulting fi rm Deloitte included the following item in its 2009 Canadian media predictions: ‘For sale: 1 major city nwspapr—$20 obo’.” The mock ad underscores the magnitude of the problems facing the newspaper.”

To the PCCT president,

Action Honda general manager, Rafael Nebres: Sir Paeng, take note. All papers might just close shop.

Item # 2: “Toyota supplants GM as world No. 1”

Again, Sir Paeng, your attention, please. Action Honda, more than ever, needs advertising and promotion this time.

Item # 3: BBM Nielsen lists “Top Ten Television Programs for the week of January 5 to 11”.

Sir Paeng, on a related matter! Front Page Philippines is listed again by BBM Nielsen. Let me show you the list.

It’s listed as number …. Let me re-check it … it’s listed as number … hhmmm … just be patient with me … I can’t seem to fi nd it now … hhhmmm … ah ...

Sir Paeng, let me just get back to you on this in the next issue. I can’t seem to fi nd the indication on this.

Thank you, sir.

On the tight economy, media, atbp.(From page 7)

Broadcasters’ gathering

the tough economic times ahead of us – which a month later openly manifested itself across the globe. At that time, both of us could only express our optimism.

Concerned, involved and having interest on the business operation side of Manila Media Monitor, Butch said before we parted, “Don’t worry. The situation is just media hype so that the North American car industry could get money from the government.

We both laughed, understanding each other without further explanation because of our close familiarity to the journalism profession (and some of you readers will understand, too, what we meant here, absent a detailed explanation).

While blame on the media as the cause of this fi nancial crash remains debatable, this column holds

true what one executive producer with the BBC said that “the media has helped spread confusion – at least in the early stages of the credit crunch.”

The BBC producer, Dominic Crossley-Holland, said in an article published in The Independent in Britain opined that there is no doubt that the crash has exposed some lack of understanding by the media on how the fi nancial world has evolved.

As to the question if media made things worse, Holland wrote, “It depends which media,” citing BBC Newsnight’s economic editor Paul Mason, who in turn, said, “I would be critical of the broadcast fi nancial channels, not for the quality of their reporting but for creating an almost incoherent babble about something that hardly matters in modern fi nance: the stock market.”

As you know, the stock market crash is traditionally used by economists and historians alike as the fi rst indicator of a recession.

Now, while the debate goes on whether media is to blame on the present world economic state (described as the worst since the Great Depression), this corner say that we in the media industry are now suffering the most, too, from the effects of our industry’s own doing as business reduced drastically, if not totally held back on their advertising and promotions budgets – which we hope will only last at least for the fi rst quarter of this year.

Did media create this ...(From page 8)

down - why not look at excessive sodium in the same way?

To achieve this, we must ask ourselves, and above all those responsible for supplying the food chain, things like why in the United States is there a no-sodium tomato ketchup and, so far as we know, none here.

And a no-sodium chicken broth while we

must content ourselves with “reduced sodium” broths?

In my experience, consultant dietitians recom-mending low-sodium in-take have varied from as high as 3,600 millligrams of sodium daily down to 1,500 milligrams.

In my own case, my cardiologist prefers that I hew as closely as possible to 1,500 milligrams daily.

What I’m trying to do with Losode is to inform you from my own fi ndings and to pass on to others information I may glean from you.

We need ammunition with which to tell the food chain that we’re just not satisfi ed with the present attitude toward low sodium diets.

We shall ferret out the addresses of responsible politicians and food chain

executives you can write or e-mail expressing your own dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs.

Because this site is primarily for North American readers, we shall publish information supported by the Canadian and U.S. medical professions.

We will fi lter out dubious nostrums, looking for workable recipes with available ingredient lists

that give sodium amounts correctly in milligrams.

Deepest Thanks: for the design of the site and as always, his mentoring, Bill Andersen; for an insight into the world of dietetics, Donna Andersen and for information on shopping in the U.S.A., Windsor resident Cheryl Oliver.

We’re out to create an exchange of information and ideas.

We hope that the Losode site can stimulate a greater acceptance of the importance of healthy attitudes on the part of us all

toward maintaining balance in our diets.

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

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Isabela organization officers take oath

Fernando Cumigad, mayor of the Philippine town of Gamu in Isabela province, has lauded the Isabela Cultural Organization of Canada (ICOC) for its civic and philanthropic work for the Filipino community in Toronto and for compatriots in the Philippines.

Cumigad urged the community to help promote Philippine products in the Canadian market.

Likewise, he said skilled and professional Filipino manpower could be tapped to help steer economic productivity in Canada.

The mayor made the call

during the Feb. 7 induction of ICOC 2009 offi cers and in a meeting with members of the community media on Feb. 12.

With him were Marlo Padaca and Romy Lanuza, executive assistants of Isabela governor Grace

ABOVE: Gamu, Isabela Mayor Fernando Cumigad inducts the 2009 offi cers of the Isabela Cultural Organization of Canada (ICOC). Sworn in were Ariel Villamil, president; Teotimo Dugenia, 1st vice president; Butch Gumaru, 2nd vice president; Alicia Guillermo, secretary; Maria Elena Gervacio, assistant secretary; Perlita Visaya, treasurer; Malou Mendez, assistant treasurer; Elmira Villamil, auditor; Celia Caramat, assistant auditor; Don McCormick, PRO; Eva Agpaoa, assistant PRO; Gerard de Guzman, business manager; Ernesto Agsalda, assistant business manager. Inducted as directors were Jingle de Guzman, chair; Teresita Visaya, Elsa Galanza, Juliet dela Cruz, Alfred Mendez, Beth Asiddao, Luz Agsalda, Melody Marcelo, Grace Suguitan and Jovita Lim. Also taking their oaths were advisors Eduardo Calucag, Julita Calucag, Bayani Aban, Fili Visaya, Ric Dumlao and Catalina Gumaru. LEFT PHOTOS: Mayor Cumigad and Philippine Consul General in Toronto Alejandro Mosquera join ICOC offi cers and members. EVA AGPAOA

Cumigad lauds ICOC forwork in Toronto, RP

(To page 27)

16 MANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 2009

Press and captioned photo releases published in the Manila Media Monitor are for PUB-LIC SERVICE and FREE OF CHARGE. Press releases must be in word document format. Photos, must be in JPEG, TIFF or PDF formats. All contributions are subject to strict editorial appreciation. Send them to mediamonitor@rogers.com on or before the 8th of each month. SUBMISSIONS IN FLYER, POSTER OR OTHER BOXED FORMATS SHALL BE TREATED AS ADVERTISEMENTS AND SHALL BE BILLED ACCORDINGLY.

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Miss Teen GTA ‘09 Rachelle Perez vies for the crown of Miss Teen Canada Globe in August. Her family and friends thank all those who are sup-porting Perez in her bid.

scenarios. (I say “bravely” because while “the effects of Martial Law” had been lifted, martial rule was still very much the name of the game.)

The major dramatis personae included Imelda Marcos, Juan Ponce Enrile, General Fabian Ver, Ninoy Aquino, and a few other op-position leaders (the Mar-cos children did not even figure).

Ninoy Aquino assassi-nated? Wow, this was one hell of a simulation game gone berserk.

Ninoy’s death gripped the nation’s attention all the way up to the snap elections of 1986.

I joined JAJA or the “Justice for Ninoy, Justice for All” Movement - like many others who were oth-erwise without any specific ideological leanings and just tired of martial rule.

Ninoy’s funeral galva-nized two million mourn-ers.

Surely Marcos would have seen the writing on the wall and should just have “cut and cut cleanly”, without prodding from US Senator Lugar.

But then it would have deprived the Filipino nation of the legend of EDSA.

In the days following

the Aquino assassination, President Marcos sent a fact-finding commission headed by Supreme Court Chief Justice Enrique Fer-nando to investigate the Aquino murder (pretty much taking cue from Pres-ident Johnson constituting the Warren Commission in the aftermath of the Ken-nedy assassination).

This was a short-lived commission as the four other members - retired Su-preme Court Justices - re-signed after its composition was challenged in court.

Later, Marcos created another fact-finding com-mittee known as the Agrava Fact-Finding Board, headed by former Court of Appeals Justice Corazon Agrava.

The Agrava Board re-leased the reports conclud-ing that military officers, in-cluding then Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Fabian Ver, conspired to kill Ninoy Aquino and the Supreme Court assigned the case to the Sandiganbayan.

On December 2, 1985, the Sandiganbayan acquit-ted all the accused.

Following the EDSA Revolution, the reorganized Supreme Court ordered a retrial of the accused.

Warrants of arrests were subsequently issued by the Sandiganbayan for 25 mili-tary men, led by General Ver, and one civilian.

On September 28, 1990, the Sandiganbayan convict-ed 16 of the suspects and sentenced them to reclusion perpetua or life sentence.

Those convicted were

the Avsecom chief, Brig. Gen. Luther Custodio, Capt. Romeo Bautista, 2nd Lt. Je-sus Castro, and Sergeants Claro Lat, Arnulfo de Mesa, Filomeno Miranda, Ro-lando de Guzman, Ernesto Mateo, Rodolfo Desolong, Ruben Aquino and Arnulfo Artates, gunman Constable Rogelio Moreno, M/Sgt. Pablo Martinez, C1C Ma-rio Lazaga, A1C Cordova Estelo and A1C Felizardo Taran.

No mastermind was named.

The Supreme Court af-firmed the conviction on July 23, 1991.

On November 21, 1998, General Ver died of a lung ailment while in exile in Bangkok (perhaps carrying with him to the grave what-ever secret there was about the Aquino assassination.)

On the 24th anniversary of Ninoy’s murder (August 21, 2007), Chief Justice An-dres Narvasa appealed for the closure of the case while Juan Ponce Enrile asked for the review for clemency in favor of the 14 convicts.

Palawan Bishop Pedro Arigo, chairman of the CB-CP’s Episcopal Commis-sion on Prison Pastoral Care (ECPPC), asked pardon for the convicts.

President Aquino and Benigno Aquino III granted forgiveness to the 14 sol-diers but opposed their ap-peals for clemency or pa-role.

Since then, one by one the prisoners have started dying (some say on highly-suspicious causes) or had

been granted executive clemency for humanitarian reasons.

Recently, two others were ordered released for health reasons, which leaves the number of remaining convicts at the National Penitentiary at 10.

Could the Aquino fam-ily have known all the while who ordered Ninoy killed?

And wouldn’t Senator Enrile himself, given his high position in the Cabinet and the time and his access to military or police intelli-gence, have known too?

The Warren Commis-sion concluded that the as-sassination of President Kennedy was not the prod-uct of a conspiracy.

Yet, there are those who maintain that there was a conspiracy whose plotters belonged at the time at the highest echelons of govern-ment.

But to pursue this angle would have far-reaching ef-fects that would traumatize the national psyche and undermine the American people’s faith in their own democratic institutions.

Why is Senator Enrile so fired up about obtaining executive clemency for the Aquino murderers and for ferreting out the truth as to the masterminds of their crime?

I am interested to know. As I am interested to know who the conspirators are behind the Aquino assassi-nation.

Fiat justitia, ruat coe-lum. Let justice be done, though the heavens fall.

Who ordered Ninoy’s death?(From page 11)

COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY

17COMMUNITYCOMMUNITYMANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 2009

The Association of Filipino Canadian Accountants (AFCA) has set the induction of its new board officers and members and its spring dance at the Sts. Peter & Paul Ban-quet Hall on March 14.

An event highlight is the AFCA Board’s presentation of updates on a strategic plan based on four cross-cutting themes: professional development, well-being of members, community participation and organizational effectiveness.

To be an AFCA member, one should be of Filipino de-scent, a designated accountant or a holder of university/col-lege accounting degree, or enrolled in an accounting des-ignation program, or employed and engaged in accounting -related field.

In 1978, a group of six accountants and auditors, mostly from Revenue Canada, conceived the idea of forming an organization of Filipino accountants in Toronto. Today, after 30 years, AFCA has become a 550-member strong group of Filipino accountants. PR

PPCO WITH MAMA CHING AT CASA MANILA: Consolacion “Mama Ching” Quejas (seated, 4th from left), president of Kalayaan Cultural Community Centre (KCCC), spoke on the challenges facing the KCCC during this economically challenging times. Mama Ching was guest speaker at the Almusalan forum of the Philippine Press Club-Ontario (PPC-O) at Casa Manila on Jan. 31. With her are PPC-O members and guests. Photo: PHILIPPINE COURIER

KCCC’s Mama Ching Quejas graces PPC-O forum

AFCA induction, dinner-dance set

The issues of remittanc-es and exchange rates vis-a-vis the prevailing economic crisis and other related sub-jects will be the focus of the Philippine Press Club-On-tario’s (PPC-O) Almusalan at Casa Manila at 11 a.m. on Feb. 28.

Feliciano Miranda III of PNB Remit is the guest speaker, according to Al-musalan committee chair Tony Sicat.

Remittances,economiccrisis up inPPC-O forum

commissioning and international business through his past service in various capacities for the Philippine government.

He was the fi rst Philippine Trade Promotion Representative in Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

Likewise, he was the fi rst Trade Commissioner and Manager of the Philippine House in Toronto.

Gerardo is a member of the Advisory Board of the International Import &

Export Institute (www.iiei.edu), based in Phoenix, Arizona U.S.A.

Recently, Gerardo launched a book, entitled Ka-intindi’han (Mutual Understanding).

The book fi lls in the need for the diverse cultural mosaic of Canada to fully understand the Filipinos’ work ethics, values and potential worth, since they comprise the fourth largest ethnic group in Canada.

Several of Gerardo’s peers in international

relations, among others Philippine Ambassador to Canada Jose Brillantes and Ambassador and Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs in the Philippines Edsel Custodio described the book as very timely.

The reviews said the Filipino population in Canada is signifi cantly impacting the country’s population infrastructure.

For more information on Gerardo’s talk and CEMA, visit www.canadianethnicmedia.com CEMA

Filipino trade expert to address CEMA(From page 3)

18 MANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 2009

MANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 2009CALENDAR

► FEB. 27: Filipino Centre Toronto 2009 Filipino Singing Idol Competitions, Second Round, FCT Rizal Hall.► MARCH 7: Philippine Chamber of Commerce Toronto Induction Gala Night, Crowne Plaza.► MARCH 14: Association of Filipino Canadian Accountants Induction of New Members and Spring Dance, Sts. Peter & Paul Banquet Hall, 6 p.m.► MARCH 15 & 22; APRIL 5, 19 & 26: Filipino Centre Toronto Free Income Tax Preparation.► MARCH 26: Philippine Chamber of Commerce Toronto Taxation Seminar for Small Business.► APRIL 11: Extreme Heartthrobs Ca-nadian Tour, Massey Hall. ► APRIL 26: Kalayaan Cultural Com-munity Centre Children’s Fashion Show. ► MAY 9 & 23: Segga Productions Inc. Juan dela Cruz Band Canadian Re-union Tour, Toronto International Cel-ebration Church. ► MAY 16 & 17: Filipino Centre Toronto Victoria Invitational Basketball Tourna-ment, Hoopdome.► MAY 21: Philippine Chamber of Commerce Toronto Seminar on Busi-ness Planning and Marketing.► MAY 30 (tentative): Kalayaan Cultur-al Community Centre Cultural Show.► JUNE 6 & 7: Kalayaan Cultural Community Centre Independence Gala Night and Summer Festival Picnic, re-spectively.► JUNE 7: Sharon Cuneta & KC Con-cepcion Live in Toronto, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 6 p.m.

A public service feature of the Ma-nila Media Monitor and the Philip-pine Consul General Offi ce. Also visit pakulo.com.

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven.”

MATTHEW 6:16

PHOTOGRAPHERS FOR CHRISTPick up your camera and follow us.

www.the-3rd-eye.com

To all gifted photographers out there who have the third eyein capturing photos that reflect a Christian message, there is a Christian Fellowship of talented photographers that awaits you.They are Photographers For Christ who use the art of photographyin spreading the word of God.

Listen to your hearts, the Holy Spirit is calling you.

photographersforchrist@gmail.com

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The economy is in crisis - but not business people. And while governments are diligently looking for ways to mitigate the recession, the Toronto Christian Worship Centre International Ministries (TCWCIM) is likewise boosting businessmen’s spirits.

Entrepreneurs from the insurance, health and wellness, networking, food and realty industries operating in the Greater Toronto Area and Montreal attended the business breakfast fellowship organized by Monit Copreros.

In his sermon, TCWCIM pastor Rev. Ogie Fernandez challenged the audience to survive the economic slump by trusting in the Lord, and listening to and obeying His instructions.

Fernandez exhorted on the book of Luke, Chapter 5, where Jesus asked tested fi shermen to ‘put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’ They complained that they have been toiling all

night but caught nothing. Nevertheless, they obeyed. And the result: a net-breaking and a boat-sinking catch.

During the fellowship, Joy Copreros, seasoned accountant-turned budding networking specialist, said her business has been successful because she made God her business partner, knowing God’s Word on fi nances and applying them to her daily life. Her principle: ‘Put God fi rst and He will put everything in place and, success and victory is assured.’

Egay Gonzales encouraged listeners in building the house of God, but with new attitude; and Bonna Rabang shared her testimony of how God has been faithful throughout her life.

Among those who also attended was Freddie Magno, Liland’s 2008 Rookie of the Year awardee and the youngest member of the prestigious University of the Philippines Alumni Association Toronto. PR

TCWCIM fellowship inspires businessmen

or before April 30.Parking pass at $11 and Festival tickets

at $15 (limited to four) are available if or-dered with application only.

Exhibitor packages and floor plans were sent out to everyone in the PIDC’s list since Feb. 2. PR

The Mrs. Philippines pageant will be conducted at the Rembrandt Banquet Hall on April 24. The candidates Marilou Tamboong, Apple Aldea, Rose Bongolan and Lena Magdalena. Photo: RUDY CASTRO/PR

PIDC gears up ...

(From page 12)

MANILA MEDIA MONITORMANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 2009FEBRUARY 200920 MANILA MEDIA MONITOR

FEBRUARY 2009

AA

DD

SSENHANCE THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE AND

WELL-BEING! BE INSPIRED BY YOUR PERSONAL TRAINOR ON YOUR HEALTH AND FITNESS GOALS!

CALL CHRISTIAN (416) 886-9462Can-Fit-Pro Certified Personal TrainerSpecialist (PTS), Can-Fit-Pro CertifiedNutrition & Wellness Specialist (NWS)

Hope reigns for cancer-ill caregiver ...(From page 1)to fully cure an abnormal growth behind her ear.

The disease is beyond her now, but those times strained her and sisters’ fi-nances. She had to get treat-ment in the Philippines.

Back in Canada, Celia worked and completed her LCP contract.

Medical testsIn March 2008, she ap-

plied for permanent residen-cy with the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). She included her sponsor-ship for her husband and two children.

In Sept. 2008, CIC in-formed her she was eligible for status, but the final de-cision would be made af-ter she completed require-ments, including a medical test she took in Oct. 2008.

Sad newsOn Jan. 20, 2009, Celia

was admitted to the North York General Hospital for low hemoglobin.

This time, the CIC ad-vised Celia to take another check up to assure the non-recurrence of nasopharyn-gal cancer she was cleared of four years ago.

It was on Feb. 3 when Celia learned she had stage IV stomach cancer and that treatment would be futile.

Her attending surgeon said the cancer cells have spread to her bones.

But the doctor stressed the stomach cancer, diag-nosed on Jan. 23, had no connection with Celia’s na-sopharyngal case.

Celia was also told she had less than six months to spend time with love ones.

Celia left the hospital with $17,000 in bills, with no OHIP to back her up.

She was with her sisters and two others - including caregiver advocate Terry Olayta of the Caregiver Re-source Centre (CRC), when the sad news was delivered.

Call for help Olayta, in a phone talk

on Feb. 19 with the Manila Media Monitor, has called on the community to help Celia get over these hard times in her life.

Olayta said that initially, several persons have stood up to address Celia’s plea.

She said Dr. Rolando Gallardo has been assisting Celia, medically.

She also thanked lawyer Deanna Santos for the free legal services given Celia in her immigration case.

Others, particularly fel-low caregivers, and groups have rallied behind Celia’s plight and cause, she said.

Signature driveOlayta said CRC

launched a signature cam-paign to speedily get Celia’s case to the attention of im-migration officials.

As of Feb. 22, at least 300 concerned persons have signed up in a letter of appeal addressed to the CIC Case Processing Centre in Vegreville, AB.

The appeal asked the CIC to “grant Celia her landing immigrant status in Canada and be reunited with her family in her last few days.”

The appeal is posted over the CRC website (caregiverresourcecentre_canada@yahoogroups.com) and being circulated by CRC members and sup-port groups.

Study soughtRelatedly, Olayta aired

observations of an increas-ing number of nannies found with clinical illness upon completing the LCP.

“One can reasonably suspect that the long hours of work, uncertainty in their status, separation from fam-ily and all the stress that go with these greatly contrib-ute to the deterioration of their health condition,” she noted.

LCP participants are required to go through a medical exam before being

issued the LCP work visa.Then they would have

to take another medical test when applying for perma-nent residency (PR), after working as full time live-in caregiver (LIC) for two of three years of arrival.

Olayta suggested the conduct of a government-funded study to properly validate and record obser-vations.

A campaign to do away with the PR-related medical test is in the works.

Caregiver concernsOther caregiver issues

included poor and unfair labor conditions like long hours with no overtime pay, lack of vacation and sick leave benefits, vulner-ability to physical and sex-ual abuse, and exploitation from employers and recruit-ers, etc.

Olayta said the govern-ment could ease the situa-tion by:

► Conducting an in-tensive information drive on the employment rights of LICs, particularly ad-dressed to employers.

► Monitoring LIC em-ployers to ensure they com-plied with labor laws.

In British Columbia, for instance, there is a registry of employers. One cannot hire a caregiver if unregis-tered. This has also allowed known abusive employers to be blacklisted and close-ly monitored by concerned state agencies (e.g. labor, police, and immigration).

► Efficiently investi-gating violations of LIC rights and effectively en-forcing LIC-related laws.

► Extending financial and legal aid for caregiver-victims of employer abuse and recruitment scams.

► Overhauling the LCP e.g. removing the manda-tory live-in requirement and providing less stringent requirements for obtaining PR status.

FCT Paraluman ‘09 candidates

Candidates for the Filipino Centre Toronto’s Search for Paraluman 2009 are (from left) Hilda Arcega, Annabelle Chipongian, Maria Dolores Shinn, Isabel Aberocho, Susan Lee and Felisa Pulumbarit. They were presented at the contest launching on Feb. 14. AIDA D’ORAZIO

CommunityCommunity

MANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 200922

Members of the family express their profound gratitude to all who joined in prayers,offered flowers and condolences, went to the viewing at the Highland Funeral Home and

Cremation Centre, heard the funeral Mass at the St. Dunstan Catholic Church,attended the interment services at the Highland Memory Gardens Cemetery

and celebrated Angelita’s memory with them during their hour of bereavement.

ANGELITA MINA GALICIA(October 1, 1913 - February 12, 2009)

(PHOTOS: MATTHEW ORTUOSTE, MARIB GALICIA, BUTCH GALICIA)

23CommunityCommunityMANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 2009

Members of the University of San Agustin Alumni Association plan an up-coming reunion. From left (back row) are Edwin Alderete, Agustin Te, Joel Pineda. Edward De la Rama, Roland Ortega, (front row) Amethyst Bautista, Leah Legaspi-De la Rama, Isabel Tan-Militar, Mae Javelosa-Te, Arlene Ge-olingo-Celajes, Fr. Jose Rene Delariarte and Mary Grace Guillen-Pineda. PR

USAAA members plan reunion

Arianna Turla (center and inset) at right) celebrates her first birthday with a clown-show and fun-games party given by parents Pocholo and Anna; grandparents Romy and Patri Turla, and Tito and Linda del Carmen. PR

Arianna Turla’s 1st birthday party

24 MANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 2009

the mobile phone circuit, in bars and across fences.

Back home, television and the rumor mill are still inextricably conjoined.

A happy partner in the arrangement is wry wit and charming humor.

If we can only export them all, the Philippines will have such a surplus of income that the word recession will cease to be in our mouths.

Life back ...(From page 8)

Matatag ang OFW. Matatag ang OFW, mas matatag pa sa sundalo o kung ano pang grupo na alam nyo.

Magaling sa reverse psychology, negotiations at counter-attacks.

Tatagal ba ang OFW? Tatagal pa kasi hindi pa na-tin alam kung kailan mag-babago ang Philippines.

Kailan nga kaya, o may tsansa pa ba?

May pangarap rin ang OFW. Masarap isipin na kasama mo ang pamilya mo araw-araw.

Nakikita mo mga anak mong lumalaki at naaal-agaan nang maayos.

Masarap kumain ng si-taw, ng bagoong, lechon, inihaw na isda, taba ng ta-langka.

Masarap manood ng

pelikulang Pinoy, luma man o bago.

Iba pa rin ang pakiram-dam kung kilala mo ang kapitbahay mo.

Iba pa rin sa Philip-pines, iba pa rin kapag Pi-noy ang kasama mo (except ‘pag utak-talangka), iba pa rin ‘pag nagkukwento ka at naiintindihan ng iba ang si-nasabi mo.

Iba pa rin ang tunog ng “mahal kita!”, “day, gina-higugma tika.” “Mingaw na ko nimo ba, kalagot!”, “ Inday, diin ka na subong haw? ganahan guid ko simo ba”.

Iba pa rin talaga -- “aprusam man ti likod ko baket.”

Sige lang, tiis lang, saan ba’t darating din ang pag-asa. SOURCE: ANONY-MOUS

OFW realities(From page 9)

was a reminder of how he lived a contented life.

And just before the last frame faded to black, a smiling photo I took of him on the first day we met ap-peared on the screen, then, gradually drifted away into the colourful sunset back-drop, to join up with his loving parents who prede-ceased him.

This is what I believe he would have told his ultimate journey.

His book is now closed and the curtain is down.

My friend, Celestino G. Yokingco left our world with a heart-warming mem-ory that I will always cher-ish.

And to all of us, who are still here, let us enjoy the most of what life has to offer. We too will reach our end.

The ending(From page 10)

hearing these potent words in a speech by Jesse Jackson back in 1984: “These hands ... these black hands ... these hands that once picked cotton will now pick

presidents.”Thrilling words. Exci-

ting words. I remember them well. And, even though I wasn’t his target audience, they created a powerful image in my mind, and when he fi nished, all I could say was, “Wow!”

Meanwhile, for millions of African Americans, it was the motivation needed

to put apathy aside and go to the ballot box.

We are charged and moved by many emotions.

Here are just a few: acceptance, amusement, anger, angst, annoyance, anticipation, arrogance, awe, anxiety, bitterness, calmness, caution, confi dence, cou-rage, determination, dis-appointment, discontent, disgust, desire, delight, elation, embarrassment, envy, excitement, fear, friendship, frustration, gra-titude, grief, guilt, hate, happiness, impatience, inadequacy, irritability, inspiration, joy, jealousy, kindness, loneliness, love, lust, modesty, negativity, nostalgia, paranoia, pa-tience, pity, pride, regret, resentment, sadness, self-pity, serenity, shame, surprise, timidity, torment, worry, yearning, and zeal.

Which ones move you? (Robert Evans Wilson, Jr. is a motivational speaker and humorist.

He works with companies that want to be more competitive and with people who want to think like innovators.

For more information on Robert’s programs please visit www.jumpstartyourmeeting.com.)

Bleed it out(From page 10)

DFA is using the machines to capture the biometrics data of Filipinos applying for passports.

Poll commissioner Ni-codemo Ferrer said Com-elec and DFA machines could be synchronized.

Ferrer said the poll body hoped to register one mil-lion voters worldwide. In 2007, over 500,000 enlist-ed as absentee voters.

But about 3,000 voters would be deleted from the voter’s list if they failed to participate in two consecu-tive polls.

NAIA listup site Transient overseas Fili-

pino workers (OFWs) could enlist for the OAV at a reg-istration center installed at the Ninoy Aquino Interna-tional Airport (NAIA).

NAIA is one of at least four sites set up to maxi-mize OAV registration.

Poll automationMeanwhile, Senator

Richard Gordon called on Comelec to ensure that the security and safety features of the machines to be used in automating the May 2010 presidential elections would ably do away with any forms of electoral cheating.

The Comelec has asked Congress for a supplemen-tal budget of P11.3 billion for poll automation. PNA

Overseas ...(From page 3)

25the PHILIPPINESthe PHILIPPINESMANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 2009

MANILA - A senior official of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has admitted that Church evan-gelization efforts to mold moral minds among the faithful were not enough.

Caloocan Bishop De-ogracias Iñiguez, CBCP’s public affairs commission chair, said evangelization of the faithful seemed “not that deep enough especially in terms of their role to the country and the society.”

“As members of the re-ligious sector, it is our re-sponsibility and privilege to mold the minds of the peo-

Bishop: Molding faithful on morality needs extra effort

ple to do the right thing,” Bishop Iñiguez said.

“We should spearhead the moral transformation for the country and for the common good,” he added.

But CBCP president and Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said “we’re al-ready there.”

Lagdameo asserted that the CBCP had been very zealous in its duties and re-sponsibilities to society.

This could be seen in the big number of pastoral letters and statements the Church had issued on social and spiritual issues haunt-ing the Philippines. PNA

MANILA - Set to start on Feb. 23, the Philippine-US Balikatan joint military exercises this year would focus on community and humanitarian projects in far-flung areas.

Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres, AFP public affairs chief, said Balikatan ‘09 would be the 25th in a series the Phil-ippine and US militaries are conducting yearly.

“The joint military train-ing exercises aim to formu-late and assess defense plan

concepts and its transition to post-conflict response,” said Torres.

He said elements of the Philippine Armed Forces’ unilateral and bilateral de-fense capabilities would be put to an acid test during exercises from Feb. 23 to March 2 and April 16 to 28, respectively.

Exercises with Ameri-can troopers would com-mence for members of the Philippine National Ma-neuver Force, the Navy’s

Ready Force and the Air Force’s Rapid Deployment Force on April 1.

The exercises would be conducted simultaneously in different venues, includ-ing Fort Magsaysay in Nue-va Ecija; Clark Air Base in Pampanga; Ternate and Sangley Point in Cavite and Crow Valley in Pampanga.

But more than assess-ing military capabilities, the joint Philippine-US mili-tary exercises would focus on the conduct of disaster

rehabilitation and rural de-velopment projects.

These would material-ize through engineering and medical civic action pro-grams in the Bicol region.

Torres said Filipino-American military person-nel have volunteered to lend a hand to their needy compatriots during the hu-manitarian mission.

Civil-military relations activities would also be conducted in Metro Manila and Central Luzon. PNA

Humanitarian, community projects top RP-US Balikatan ‘09 agenda

Filipino and American soldiers train

MANILA - Nearly 5,000 Filipinos earlier de-ported by Malaysian au-thorities from Sabah have returned to the Philippines.

But immigration of-ficials said there were still about 3,000 more detained in Sandakan, Malaysia for lack of travel documents.

Most of them reportedly worked either as domestic helpers, factory workers or market vendors without proper documents.

Immigration commis-sioner Marcelino Libanan said the deportation was a result of Malaysia’s crack-down against illegal foreign

5,000 deported from Sabah - BIworkers.

Libanan said the deport-ees were processed by Task Force Sabah formed last

year. Earlier, processing was

done in Zamboanga City, until Mayor Claro Lobregat

sought help in addressing the influx of deportees to the southern port.

Carandang said the task force has since processed deportees in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi.

Task Force Sabah head Jose Carandang said the re-patriation of deportees be-gan on July 24, 2008.

He said two vessels, the M/V Danica Joy and M/V Weezam plied to Sabah twice a week to pick up and bring the deportees to Min-danao. First stop was Bon-gao, after which they were brought to Sulu and Zambo-anga. PNAFilipino deportees from Sabah, Malaysia

26 MANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 2009TRAVEL & TOURISMTRAVEL & TOURISM

KABAYAN, Ben-guet - The people of this small but scenic town are gearing up for anoth-er edition of a yearly late February eco-tourism climb of the Philippines’ fifth tallest mountain and visit to four unique mountain lakes.

Mayor Faustino Aquisan said the moun-tain trek, supported by the Department of Tour-ism, started in 2004 with the visits to the centu-ries-old mummy caves.”

Aquisan said the trek has instilled in the minds of residents and visitors a commitment to protect the environ-ment and preserve the mountain lakes Ambu-lalacao, Incolos, Tabeyo and Letepngepos.

“For mountain climbers, the exciting challenge is to reach the apex of Mount Tabayok (9,322 feet above sea level),” he added. PNA

MANILA - The advent of warm weather and the promise of a good tropical tan have spurred tourism officials to urge domestic and foreign tourists to plan their holiday vacations way ahead for real enjoyment.

“We urge our country-men, particularly those from abroad, to explore the Phil-ippine archipelago’s 7,107 islands,” Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said.

“We have the beaches, mountains, countryside, heritage sites, caves, riv-ers, food trips, urban verve. The Philippines has almost everything a traveler would want to experience. We urge people to book ahead to get the best tour packages and

promotional fares.” Durano admitted that

the global economic crisis is foreseen to temper tour-ism receipts.

Domestic tourism, how-ever, is expected to cushion the slowdown in foreign ar-rivals, he said.

“Why not? We can all enjoy our holiday while helping out our economy,” Durano added.

Tourism would mean more jobs and increased spending would help local businesses, he said.

He said he had urged “partners - hotels, resorts, spas, tour operators, and transportation stakeholders - to come out with more op-tions and flexible packages.

“Group tours will be big. Filipinos simply love to travel with family and friends,” he added.

Tourism Planning and Promotions Undersecretary Eduardo Jarque Jr. said pre-ferred tourism sites would be Boracay in Aklan, Pala-wan, Davao, Cebu, Bohol, Vigan, Baguio and Manila.

But the tourism agency is advocating the discovery of still unexplored sites.

Jarque said Siquijor, Camiguin, Quezon, Zam-boanga, Camarines Sur, Batangas, Mindoro, Duma-guete, Leyte and Negros have pristine beaches that could rival Boracay.

Old heritage sites are not exclusive to Vigan, as

MANILA - Orchid en-thusiasts across the globe are raving for the exotic beauty of Sadokum, a new specie of one of the world’s biggest orchids found in the Philippines.

Filipino horticulturist and orchid specialist Dani-lo Tiu and Jim Cootes, his Australian co-researcher, have discovered Sadokum, the new genus of Gramma-tophyllum.

Sadokum ((from sadok, a Leyte-Samar vernacu-lar for cap or hood) got its name from the prominent hood-like dorsal sepal of the flower that seemed to protect the column of the bloom.

Tiu said the specie orig-inated from the province of Surigao.

Tiu is a member of the experts pool of the Philip-pine Council for Agricul-ture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development while Cootes is a research associate for the Centre for Plant Biodi-versity Research in Canber-ra. Cootes had been study-ing Philippine orchids for more than 30 years.

Sadokum’s features were enough to categorize it as a new Gramma genus, characterized by its brittle and shiny leaves; short, glossy, and more rounded pseudobulb (solid bulbous enlargement of the stem in orchids).

The name Sadokum has given the plant an Austro-Malayan sound, since the Philippine language and its dialects are part of the greater Austro-Malayan family of languages.

Sadokum can be found in the Philippines, Malay-sia, Sumatra, Java, Sulawe-si, and New Guinea.

The genus has a specie, S. stapeliiflorum D. Tiu & Cootes. PNA

Climb amountain,discoverits lakes

Iloilo, Bacolod, and Laguna have their own century-old architectural marvels.

Trekkers might like to consider the mountains of Sagada, Cavite, Bataan, Bu-lacan, Mountain Province, Romblon, Batanes, and Marinduque, among others, Jarque added.

The agency has also started to promote bird-watching.

“In other parts of the world, birdwatching is an expensive leisure pursuit, taken up mostly by famous personalities. Here we have over 200 endemic species of birds within our view, we should be the first to dis-cover our own national trea-sures,” Jarque said. PNA

DOT - Plan holiday vacations early

RP is home toworld’s largestorchid specie

February in Zamboanga Sibugay

Oysters abound in Sibug-Sibug FestivalThe biggest and juiciest oyster meat in the Philip-

pines and perhaps elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region is off for the showing and the tasting on Feb. 26, when residents of one of the country’s youngest provinces - Zamboanga Sibugay - stage their Sibug-Sibug Festival.

While endorsing the province’s prime product - the oyster (talaba in Ta-galog), the Sibug-Sibug Festival depicts the dancing rituals of a people hoping to have a bountiful harvest, a beautiful wife, healthy chil-dren, and the healing of the sick.

The two-week festival reaches its peak on Zambo-anga Sibugay’s foundation

day, Feb. 26. The area was formerly a part of Zambo-anga del Sur. The new prov-ince was created by Repub-lic Act No. 8973.

Longest talaba grillIn the capital town of

Ipil, the festival’s highlight is the talaba grill showcase, when at least 15,000 pieces of oysters from five to 11 inches long are cooked on a 1.2-kilometer grill.

The meat of grilled oys-ters would later be the ob-ject of expectant taste buds.

The feat had earlier earned for Zamboanga Sibugay the title of World’s Longest Oyster Grill.

The province has been known as the Talaba Capi-tal of the Philippines.

Oyster galoreZamboanga Sibugay’s

famed oysters are found only on the coast of Ka-basalan town fed by the

winding Sibuguey River.Fisherfolk claimed that

their talaba could grow as long as 12 inches in length.

In contrast to the way other communities in the country farm oysters, the Kabasalan oysters are not grown on sticks but are in-stead buried in mud and left there to grow to maturity.

There are four kinds of talaba, but it is the kukong

(To page 28)

NEWS ROUNDUPNEWS ROUNDUPVIGAN CITY - Homemaker Jean Alones, 39, drinks basi, a native wine; and she gulps it down fast. During the 2nd Kannawidan Ylocos Festival here on Jan. 28, Alones bested male counterparts in the basi drinking contest; taking in a liter of the wine in 30 seconds without showing signs of being under the influence. Ilocos Sur Governor Deogracias Vic-tor Savellano cited Alones’s feat as a record, which “serves as a very significant reference in the succeeding competitions that seeks to promote our own basi.” The Kannawidan (an Iluko term meaning feast of all heritages, practices and products) Ylocos Festival com-memorated the creation of Ilocos Sur into a province on Feb. 2, 1818. PNA

Vigan City: Basi lady

27PHILIPPINE RegionsPHILIPPINE RegionsMANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 2009

For advertising and inquiries, call 416-285-8583

ARITAO, Nueva Vizcaya - The twinning agreement between Nueva Vizcaya in the Phil-ippines and Basque in Spain is starting to reap benefits, particularly for the former’s indig-enous communities. The establishment of a P17-million hospital here, a student exchange program, and the establishment of a cultural center that would serve as a repository edifice for cultural practices and traditional arts of the 15 tribes in Nueva Vizcaya were the sub-jects of recent negotiations between Governor Luisa Cuaresma and Bishop Ramon Villena and officials of Basque in Spain. PNA

Nueva Vizcaya: Twinning with Basque

PILI, Camarines Sur - A new P7-million class “AA” slaughterhouse would soon rise in Barangay San Isidro here. Mayor Alex San Luis said the local government and the Na-tional Meat Inspection Service would fund the construction of the abattoir. San Luis said that with a double-A status, the town’s slaughterhouse could accept more animals from neighboring towns for slaughtering and could sell meat products within the Philippines, meaning more income for municipal coffers. There are only three double-A certified abat-toirs in the Bicol region - in Gubat, Sorsogon; Masbate City, and Naga City. PNA

Camarines Sur: Pili class AA abattoir

BUTUAN CITY - At least 5,104 landless farmers in the provinces of Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur in Northeastern Mindanao (Cara-ga Region) have received land titles under the Handog Titulo ni Pangulong GMA program. The titles covered an area of 5,188 hectares. Each beneficiary got an average of one hect-are of agricultural land. Nationwide, the DENR is expecting to distribute 187,389 patents covering 159,503 hectares this year. PNA

NE Mindanao: Land titles for farmers

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY - Mt. Mantalingahan, habitat to threatened and endemic flora and fauna and site of watersheds, is on its way to being a protected area, after state environment officials declared a moratorium on the processing of new mining applica-tions in southern Palawan. The 120,000-hectare Mt. Mantalingahan straddles the towns of Quezon, Brooke’s Point, Sofronio Española, Rizal and Bataraza, populated mostly by na-tive Tagbanuas. The moratorium put on hold 65 large mining rights applications covering 116,999 hectares, or 97 percent of the total area of Mt. Mantalingahan. PNA

Palawan: Mt. Mantalingahan preservation

CEBU CITY - Cebu Energy Development Corp. (CEDC), a consortium of Global For-mosa Holdings Inc. of Taiwan, Global Business Power Corp. and Abovant Holdings Inc. of the Cebu-based Aboitiz Group, is pushing through its US$500-million power plant in Toledo City despite the global economic meltdown. The coal-fired power plant, with a combined capacity of 246 megawatts, broke ground on Jan. 26, 2008 and is expected to be completed by early 2010. PNA

Cebu: US$500-M power plant

ILOILO CITY - Mayor Jerry Treñas is set to push the construction of a flyover at the junction of El 98 and the diversion road in Mandurriao district under the Presidential Bridge Program. Treñas said the proposed site is regularly bothered by traffic congestion. A flyover in the area would also smooth out traffic to and from the new airport in the Sta Barbara-Cabatuan boundary. In late 2007, the city saw its first flyover project completed at the junction of Infante and Gen. Luna streets. PNA

Iloilo City: Another flyover

SANTIAGO CITY, Isabela - Almost 25,000 children enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools and colleges here have completed their studies in 2008, courtesy of the city’s scholarship program. Mayor Amelita Navarro said the city has provided these gradu-ates with school supplies, books, uniforms and financial aid. She said the city also put up 10 classrooms and a daycare center and repaired 16 classrooms in the year. “We have invested a whooping P58 million to education,” Navarro said. PNA

Santiago City: Scholarships

KIAMBA, Sarangani – Natural resources and local officials here released 116 hatchlings of sea marine turtles in the coastal village of Suli, site of the proposed Pawikan Conserva-tion and Protection Center in Central Mindanao. Suli is a known nesting site of marine turtles, locally known as pawikan. In November last year, village volunteers found 120 sea turtle eggs and took care of these until 116 of the eggs hatched on Dec. 28, 2008. The 24-day-old marine turtles were of the Olive Ridley species (Lepidochelys olivacea), protected under international treaties and agreements. Lately, the population has dwindled due to the long-term collection of eggs and indiscriminate catching and butchering of adult ones. PNA

Sarangani: Sea marine turtles

Padaca.Cumigad, one of

Isabela’s offi cials who have visited Canadian cities in the recent past, also went to Winnipeg to push for Isabela’s agricultural workers and products.

He said they have been trying to attend international trade fairs and exhibits to tap market possibilities.

Visible, active ICOCHe said Isabelans all

over the globe have been very kind to extend their helping hand to help build lives and communities back home.

He cited the ICOC for being visible and active in Filipino-Canadian multi-cultural events such as

celebrations of Philippine historical events i.e. Independence Day and the Mabuhay Philippines Toronto Summer Festival;

He thanked the ICOC for remembering Isabela and providing assistance to its people in the form of goods and services.

Some of the ICOC’s help included:

►Scholarship programs for poor but deserving Isabela students;

► Financial assistance, sent through the Isabela Red Cross, to help needy families in times of crisis such as the typhoon and fl ood calamities;

► Financial aid sent to families in their time of

bereavement;► Help for over 200 less

fortunate families, through a door-to-door drive for goods, medicines, books, clothing and food.

► Computers sent to elementary schools; and

► Aid provided for the Lingap Orphanage center.

RP situationMeanwhile, Cumigad

said the situation in the Philippines “is not as bad as it is being portrayed.”

But he admitted the need for leaders who could devote their time on improving the lives of Filipinos and in reviving the country’s socio-economic and political greatness. EVA AGPAOA

Cumigad lauds ICOC for work ...

(From page 15)

Gamu, Isabela Mayor Fernando Cumigad (4th from left, seated) has ex-plained to community pressmen Tenny Soriano, Ramon Datol, Eva Agpaoa and Butch Galicia the advantages of investing in Philippine enterprises, par-ticularly in quality products in Isabela, and of helping skilled and profes-sional Filipinos get work in Canada. Joining in are Consul General Alejandro Mosquera, Teresa Mosquera and officers of the Isabela Cultural Organiza-tion of Canada.

28 MANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 2009

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LIGAO CITY - Farm-ers of Albay have turned to applying various methods to get rid of pesky field rats that have been invading farms across the province.

Local officials are mull-ing over bankrolling the purchase of rodenticides to wipe out the rat race that has grown by pandemic proportions in the rice gra-nary towns of Polangui, Oas, Libon and Malinao.

But farmers are luke-warm to the idea of scatter-ing poison in the field, as it poses risks to humans and domestic animals.

Roger Moradillo of this city has something better to offer - the use of cement-laced palay as a safe yet ef-fective way of controlling farm pests, not just rats.

“Once ingested, the ce-ment creates heat inside the rat’s digestive tract due to chemical reactions, eventu-ally turning their stomachs concrete,” Moradillo said.

He said the method is being used by farmers in Masbate and Sorsogon.

Local governments have also resorted to the old-time strategy of luring farmhands to catch and kill field rats, by buying rat tails at P2 apiece.

Albay Governor Joey Sarte Salceda approves of the rat tail buy-out over ro-denticides.

Farmers partly blamed rat infestation to the decline in yield last year. PNA

kabayo (horse’s toenail) or oblong shaped (saccosrea malabonensis) oyster that grows best in Kabasalan.

Zamboanga Sibugay is a major oyster supplier to neighboring Asia-Pacific countries. Its three major talaba farms are in Kabasa-lan, Siay and Alicia towns.

Besides oysters, Zam-boanga Sibugay’s economy also thrives on rubber. The province has the oldest rub-ber plantation in the country.

Aboriginal ritualsAmong the many activi-

ties of the two-week-long festival is a street danc-ing competition, a West-

ern Subanen cultural show (where natives present vari-ous rituals showcasing their preparation for war, a wed-ding and many others.

The Subanen are aborig-ines of Zamboanga, inhabit-ing the province even before the arrival of the Spaniards in the 16th century.

Also featured in the fes-tival are the aesthetic per-formances of native rituals from members of the in-digenous Kalibugan, Yakan and Samal people.

At least 14 of Zamboan-ga Sibugay’s 16 towns are densely inhabited by ethno-linguistic groups.

Oysters abound in ...(From page 26)

Carmen and Talibon are two remote towns tucked deep in the interiors of Bo-hol in central Philippines.

Like any other town in the archipelago, Carmen and Talibon are blessed with natural resources, sublime nature-carved terrains and gentle hospitable people.

Yet, health care in Bo-hol comes in trickles, bor-dering to almost none at the expense of its over a million population.

Notwithstanding the challenges, Carmen and Talibon have successfully won the battle on maternal deaths, with sterling records of zero mortality among conceiving mothers - a re-cord even highly modern-ized cities in Metro Manila have not achieved in years.

This is according to the

latest United Nations (UN) populations report.

Maternal deathsEvery year, about

500,000 lives are lost around the world due to maternity-related causes, 99 percent of these deaths occur in devel-oping countries and almost all of them are preventable, the UN said.

More than 10 Filipino mothers die everyday leav-ing more than 30 children motherless.

The deaths are attrib-uted to hemorrhage, hyper-tensive disorders of preg-nancy, unsafe abortion, and obstructed labor.

The UN’s target is to reduce maternity-related deaths by 75 percent be-

tween 1990 and 2015.The world body also

seeks for universal access to reproductive health services for all regardless of gender and age.

The Philippine govern-ment has adopted Women’s Health and Safe Mother-hood as a flagship program of the health department.

It involves a three-pronged strategy, namely: skilled attendants at birth; emergency obstetric care, referral system, and repro-ductive health and family planning services.

Wise move on RHOne would say that Bo-

hol is an easy target for ma-ternal mortality as it is one of the poorest in the Philip-

pines, ranked 16th in 2007. It is the 10th largest is-

land in the country and re-lies on agriculture as main source of livelihood, with ecotourism as secondary industry.

Yet, despite the poverty and geographical inacces-sibility, Bohol triumphed with well-thought steps that ensures all mothers will live after giving birth.

First, Boholanos modi-fied the culture of how re-productive health (RH) is typically viewed.

After years of cam-paign, RH is now as indis-pensable as any other health concern.

Teen interest“Carmen and Talibon

posted 22 and 49 percent increase, respectively, of people, particularly teens, seeking RH information and services,” the UN re-port said.

These steps eliminate a huge portion of promiscuity or reckless behavior among the youth.

A jump of 10,000 people are seeking RH informa-tion and services in Talibon from 22,111 to 32,989 from 2000 to 2007, respectively,

the biggest figure recorded in the province.

Provincewide initativeBohol tapped the ser-

vices of competent doctors, local government units and even young adults or teens in waging the war against RH-related concerns.

Councils in three towns are ready to approve RH or-dinances.

Moreover, 27 birth-ing centers were put up, complementing commu-nity-managed newborn care facilities.

Thus, more women are paying visits to health care workers, averaging four prenatal check-ups.

Carmen recorded the biggest growth of pregnant women turning to legiti-mate health facilities upon delivery with 49.12 percent in 2007, from a mere 19.58 percent in 2000.

Ubay town, north of the province, and Talibon serve as national models in expanded RH integration program in coastal resource management.

Advocacy through in-formation dissemination, community involvement, male participation, and em-powerment of women play a major role in wiping out Bohol’s maternal deaths.

UN: Zero maternal death in 2 Bohol townsBy MEDIATRIX P. CRISTOBAL, PNA Features

RICEFIELD RAT

Albay farmerswage war vsricefield rats

29MANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 2009

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NEW DELHI - There are very good prospects of India doing business with the Philippines even in ar-eas where they compete, including the healthcare and information technology (IT) industries.

K. K. Modi, president of Modi Enterprises, said “In-dia has a very large popula-tion and this requires a lot of help in terms of medical treatment and healthcare, which are very good espe-cially in the Philippines.”

World development in-dicators in 2005 estimated India’s population at 1.055 billion. The Philippine med-ical services are deemed one of the best in the world.

Modi said “IT is becom-ing more and more expen-sive in India and there is a need for diversification.”

Many Indian companies are trying to enter viable sites like the Philippines as markets in the West, partic-

BANGKOK - Thailand-based PTT Public Co. Ltd. (PTT) will pour in some P3 billion to expand its oil and fuel operations in the Phil-ippines in the next decade.

Artasith Pothiapinyan-visuth, PTT executive vice president for commercial and international marketing for oil, said they are looking at establishing 200 stations in Luzon and the Visayas, where growing demand is projected.

A station costs some P20 million.

PTT has 34 retail sta-tions. The local subsidiary is expected to put up at least 16 stations this year.

LUBAO, Pampanga - The opening of the Bata-an Nuclear Power plant (BNPP) is a viable option for the Philippines to meet its electricity requirements.

Zenaida Ducut, Energy Regulatory Commission head, said the operation of the plant is up for consid-eration, as nuclear power is still the most practical and efficient option to prevent

MANILA - Prevailing weak world oil prices and strong domestic demand would shield the Philippines from an economic recession this year.

Stock market and finan-cial analyst Astro del Castil-lo said lower oil prices have translated to lower prices of goods, fares, power and other oil-based variables that weighed in on deci-sions of consumers.

Subsequently, lower prices have spurred private consumption and public spending, creating domestic demand that would take up the slack and support eco-nomic growth this year.

Del Castillo said a strong domestic demand would counter the combined im-pact of rising risk-aversion and easing want for Philip-pine products.

Experiences from pre-vious crises showed that a healthy domestic demand was the key to ensuring sus-tainable real growth.

The economic plunge in the United States, Europe and other developed coun-tries would mean fewer jobs abroad and fewer export products bought by foreign consumers, adversely af-fecting the Philippine export and manufacturing sectors.

But del Castillo said the continued robust growth of the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector would offset the impact.

The BPO sector has been contributing more than two percent to the country’s gross domestic product. The sector is expecting a 35-per-cent growth for 2009.

There would be fewer foreign tourists who would most likely not spend as

much as they had in better times.

Dollar remittances are expected to decline since a big number of overseas Fil-ipino workers are in North America.

“This year’s growth will definitely slow down and people should brace them-selves for harder times, but we will not slip into reces-sion,” del Castillo said. PNA

RP to sail past recession woes

The resilient Philippine village sari-sari (retail or convenience) store will once more stand up to its billing as an effective way to beat cash flow woes. It is, perhaps, the only consumer spending venue where credit is based on trust, not cards; and where goods are bought cheaply in the exact quantity one wants it, not in big bulky packages passed off by grocers as bargains.

MANILA - The Philip-pine Stock Exchange (PSE) has laid out an ambitious plan to have capital market subjects integrated into the curriculum of high schools.

PSE president Francis E. Lim said it was high time to educate the youth on the role the capital market plays for national development.

Lim said the implemen-tation of the PSE-Bureau of Secondary Education Mod-ule Development Project would teach students the value of saving and invest-ing, instill in them an alter-native and viable personal fiscal management strategy, and encourage them to be-come future investors.

The PSE would fund curriculum integration pro-cesses and the production of a teacher’s guide. PNA

PSE pushescapital marketsubjects in HS

Indian firm eyes IT, healthcareularly the US, are sinking, he said.

“Regional focus is pos-sible and outsourcing can be diversified. There are a number of Indian IT com-panies in the Philippines,” he added.

Modi urged the Philip-pines to ship more products to India, particularly em-broidered textile.

“But I don’t think there has been very large export-import program between India and the Philippines,” he noted.

India’s imports from the Philippines included semiconductors, inorganic chemicals, auto parts, news-print, minerals, garments and miscellaneous indus-trial products.

Indian investments in the Philippines are mainly in textiles, IT and steel and oleo-chemicals.

N. Ravi, Ministry of

By LESLIE D. VENZON

(To page 34)

energy shortages.Energy officials said

the Philippines, by 2010, is expected to experience power shortage due to ris-ing demand and lack of new power plants.

Activists have been opposing the operational-ization of the mothballed BNPP, built at a cost of US2.3 billion but never generated power. PNA

BNPP is option vs power lack

Pothiapinyanvisuth said they have no plans yet to expand in Mindanao.

The state-owned PTT runs some 1,200 stations in Thailand and five of six re-

fineries in Bangkok. While admitting a slow-

down in PTT operations, he said they remained con-fident with the Philippine economy. PNA

PTT to put in P3B in 200 Luzon, Visayas gas stops

31MANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 2009 MONEYMONEY

TORONTO - Author and tax expert Evelyn Jacks has provided nine tips that could help Cana-dians relieve their stress and save them money as they prepare their tax re-turns.

The tips, according to Jacks, founder and presi-dent of The Knowledge Bureau, a leading Cana-dian financial services institute:

► Take control. Real wealth management is the accumulation, growth, preservation and transi-tion of personal net worth - after tax, costs and infla-tion.Mastering your taxes will help you get richer. Decide now that you’re going to get a handle on your taxes.

► Shift your focus. If taxes are mystical to you, learn enough to ask deep, probing questions about your after-tax results. Shift your focus from an-nual tax preparation to a strategic plan for tax effi-ciency - all year long.

► Stop the madness. The average tax refund in Canada has climbed to more than $1,400. That’s an interest free loan to the government. Change the game - pay only the

right amount of tax, but on time, not in advance. Mini-mize the taxes withheld at source. Ask your employer for a copy of Form TD1 Tax Credit Return and its sister, Form T1213 Request for Re-duction of Taxes at Source.

► Consider variety. A variety of income sources may bring better after-tax results. It’s important to keep on top of marginal tax rates - by income source - to average down the taxes you pay. Find out how much you’ll pay on the next dollar of income you’ll earn, by source. Interest income, for example, will be taxed at a top marginal rate (around 45 percent for upper earn-ers) while income resulting from capital gains attracts half that amount.

► Take the team ap-proach. Refuse to deal with professional advisors who work in silos - a team ap-proach is best. Make sure your financial and tax advi-sors are working together to create and preserve your wealth.

► Make it a family af-fair. Through income-split-ting, families can pay the least amount of taxes pos-sible and build significantly more wealth than single people. The family can be

a powerful economic unit.► Consider self-em-

ployment. If you don’t own a business, consider starting one, even a part-time operation. There are decided tax advantages to self-employment, because your business will likely pay much lower taxes than you do personally.

► Focus on the out-come. What counts is what’s left. What can you still do to reduce the taxes you’ll pay? Are you claim-ing all the deductions and credits you’re entitled to? Don’t be reluctant to ask questions - of your advisor, of your tax preparer, of the Canada Revenue Agency - to fully maximize your after-tax income.

► Never miss filing a tax return. A tax re-turn is required to build contribution room for the Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA) and Registered Retirement Savings Ac-count (RRSP), so it’s folly to miss filing a return, or to file late. Don’t cut into your tax exempt and tax deferred wealth accumu-lation potential by being tardy. Increase your tax refund with an RRSP, and use the savings to fund the TFSA. CNW

9 tax tips for ‘09 - and beyond

OTTAWA – The gov-ernment has not done enough to protect Canadian consumers from the preda-tory practices of credit card companies, said NDP Critic for Consumer Protection Glenn Thibeault.

Even as the Bank of Canada has reduced its trend-setting rate, credit card providers and other fi-nancial institutions contin-ue to increase their interest rates and add on superflu-ous fees. VISA alone saw a 35-percent rise in profits last year, an NDP press re-lease said.

“Why is it that credit card companies continue to raise interest rates, when the bank of Canada’s rate con-tinues to decrease?” asked Thibeault during Question Period on Feb. 5.

“It’s because they know no one is going to stop them and its hard-hit Canadian families who are paying the price,” he said.

“Does this Conserva-tive government seriously think a consumer awareness program will help solve the skyrocketing family debt that Canadian families are

facing?” asked Thibeault.“The Conservative gov-

ernment’s plan won’t do anything more than inform Canadian consumers just how much they are being ripped off,” he added.

Since 2004, the personal debt load of Canadian fami-lies has risen by 40 percent

Gov’t lame in shielding peopleagainst credit card gouging?

reaching their highest levels ever.

By increasing rates, credit card companies are simply profiting off families struggling to ends meet.

“Canadian families shouldn’t bear the brunt of these tough economic times,” said Thibeault. PR

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is warning tax-payers to be aware of a letter fraudulently identified as coming from the CRA and asking for personal informa-tion.

The letter claims that there is “insufficient infor-mation” for the individual’s tax return and in order to receive any “claims,” they will have to update their re-cords. The letter attaches a form specifically requesting the individual’s personal information in writing, via fax or email, including information on bank accounts and passports.

This letter is not from the CRA and Canadians should not provide their personal information to the sender. All taxpayers should be vigilant when divulging any confidential information to third parties.

The CRA has well established practices to protect the confidentiality of taxpayers’ information.

The CRA has notified the proper law enforcement authorities of this scam.

For information about this and other similar scams, or to report deceptive telemarketing activity, visit www.phonebusters.com, send an email to info@phonebusters.com, or call 1-888-495-8501. PR

CRA: Be wary of mail scam

32 MONEYMONEYMANILA MEDIA MONITOR

FEBRUARY 2009

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MANILA - The strong demand for skilled Filipino hands is seen to ease any potential effect of the global economic slowdown on the deployment of overseas Fil-ipino workers (OFW).

Labor Secretary Mari-anito Roque said host coun-tries like Canada, Bulgaria, Australia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have continued to hire Filipino workers adept in the English language and whose work values are highly rated.

Roque based his assess-ment from reports from Philippine Overseas Labor

LENDING A HELP-ING HAND. Is this you? You’re in your 40s or 50s, physically and financially healthy.

You’ve reached that stage in life when your focus is shifting inward toward an examination of what’s important to you for personal satisfaction and fulfillment.

And that leads you to consider your fellow citizens, your commu-nity, and the causes you believe in - and how you can help.

GIVING OF YOUR-SELF AS A VOLUN-TEER. More and more active and engaged ‘Baby Boomers’ are acting on their strong desire to give back to causes they are passionate about by shar-ing their time - and some-times their wealth - with the charitable and non-profit organizations that provide so many essential services in every Cana-dian community.

Whether they are on the front lines directly help-ing others, on fundraising committees or on boards of directors for non-profit or-ganizations, volunteers play a critical role in our society.

As a volunteer, you have an enormous range of areas to choose from: health, social services, edu-cation, sports, recreation, arts, culture, environmen-tal concerns, food banks, emergency shelters, crisis hotlines - and much more.

And besides, volunteer-ing is good for you.

A study by Volunteer Canada found direct links between volunteering and better health and happiness, generally in the later years.

If you’re thinking about becoming a volunteer, here are some tips for getting the most out of your volunteer-ing experience:

► Volunteer for an organization or cause that complements your lifestyle, suits your personality and is of personal interest to you.

► Before you get in-volved, ask yourself these questions:

-- What do I hope to achieve from the experi-ence?

-- What causes or is-sues matter most to me?

-- What skills, experi-ence or talents do I want to share?

-- Are there areas in which I want to stretch myself?

-- How much time do I have to give?

► When you’ve an-swered those questions, get your volunteering life started with a call to your local volunteer centre or Volunteer Canada at 1-800-670-0401 (www.vol-unteer.ca).

GIVING OF YOUR WEALTH - PHILAN-TROPHY. You may de-cide to support the causes you care about with chari-table gifts.

You may want to help your favorite charity con-tinue its important work.

Giving(An item from the Investors Group Financial Services)

Strong global labor demand keeps OFW deployment rate highOffices (POLO) in over 30 strategic host destinations worldwide.

The POLOs have been conducting marketing mis-sions and employment fa-cilitation programs to widen opportunities for OFWs.

Deployment surgePhilippine Overseas

Employment Administra-tion (POEA) reports showed that a total of 1,376,823 OFWs were deployed to some 190 host destinations in 2008 alone.

Roque said this rep-resented growth of 27.8 percent, compared to the

1,077,623 OFWs deployed in 2007.

He said an average of 3,770 OFWs flew out for work abroad in 2008.

RemittancesThe labor chief added

that global OFW remittanc-es reached US$15 billion in the first 11 months (January to November) of 2008.

Citing the latest Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) update, Roque said the re-mittance was 15.1 percent higher than that recorded in the same period in 2007.

The BSP said the con-tinued demand for profes-

sional and skilled OFWs in overseas economies substantially contributed to sustained dollar remittances to the country in 2008.

Bahrain’s needMeanwhile, Bahrain

Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa Salman Al Khalifa invited Filipino profession-als to consider his country as a preferred place to work and stay in.

“We have no problem with Filipinos. We should have more of them,” Khalifa told NBN Channel 4, while waiting for the arrival of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at the tarmac of the Bahrain Inter-national Airport on Feb. 4.

“We really want more Filipinos because they are

hard working,” he added.In a speech before the

Filipino community at the convention center of Gulf International Hotel, Presi-dent Arroyo said the Prime Minister intimated that Bah-rain needed more salesla-dies for shopping malls.

Wanted: ButchersIn another development,

the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) bared the big demand for butchers in meat processing plants in Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

Davao TESDA regional director Elmer Talavera said some 10,000 butchers are sought to turn cattle and sheep into fresh and frozen meat cuts for domestic and

export markets.Talavera said most

workers in Australia, New Zealand and Canada were not so keen in working as butchers or meat cutters as job standards in the industry were just too low for them.

“Feelers to fill up job openings for butchers have been sent to us,” he said.

Training programs for butchering and meat cutting operations are in TESDA’s list of skills development programs.

HK: No mass layoffsRelatedly, Senator Aq-

uilino Pimentel said while households in Hong Kong “are scrimping on househ-elps,” the possibility of a mass layoff for more than 150,000 OFWs, mostly do-mestic helpers, there is nil.

Pimentel got the infor-mation during a brief stop-over in Hong Kong.

He also allayed fears of OFW job losses in the Swiss Confederation, after getting a positive briefing from Ambassadors Erlinda Basilio and Maria Theresa Lazaro on the OFW situa-tion in Geneva, Lausanne and the rest of Switzerland.

“The work of our com-patriots in Germany also appear stable from infor-mation passed on to me by Consul General Manalo,” he added.

In Taiwan, more than 2,000 OFWs were displaced due to the global financial crisis. With PNA

Call 416-285-8583

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MANILA - The Philip-pines has remained a pre-ferred voice outsourcing site, as industry players have continued embarking on ways to improve com-petitiveness.

Oscar Sañez, chief ex-ecutive officer of the Busi-ness Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP), said the country had been favored over India in voice outsourcing because of the Filipinos’ proficiency in the English language and the presence of a customer ser-vice-centered work culture.

Sañez said the Philip-pines has better prospects in voice outsourcing than emerging markets like Ma-laysia, South Africa, China and East Europe countries.

Voice outsourcing firms in the Philippines have been conducting recruitment and training programs to further improve service quality.

Industry stakehold-ers have tied up with top notch universities to carry out industry-standard Eng-lish language improvement and post-graduate degree programs to earn credits to-wards an MBA specific to the outsourcing industry.

Partnerships with the Technical Education and Skills Development Au-thority are made on train-ing programs for call center agents, transcription agents, java software, and anima-tion and film. PNA

MANILA - Sun Life Fi-nancial Plans Inc., the pre-need firm of Sun Life Fi-nancial Philippines (SLFP), has announced that it had sufficient funds to meet all obligations for its plan-holders.

“We are a prudent com-

The Hackett Group, Inc., a global strategic advi-sory firm, has announced its recognition of the Ontario Power Generation (OPG) as a world-class performer in finance operations.

The award cited OPG as an organization that has demonstrated top efficiency and effectiveness in finance operations, based on metrics captured during a finance functional benchmark.

The company’s results were compared with results from more than 200 recent Hackett benchmarks per-formed with Global 1000 companies, state and federal government organizations, and academic institutions.

“We congratulate OPG on this exceptional accom-plishment,” said Hackett President Wayne Mincey.

“OPG has reason to be proud, because it’s no easy feat to achieve world-class performance. In today’s increasingly competitive global marketplace, world-class performance in finance and other areas has become even more valuable. Clearly this is something that OPG has internalized,” he said.

According to The Hack-ett Group’s Book of Num-bers research, world-class finance organizations spend approximately 50 percent of what typical companies do on operations, and operate with 60 percent fewer staff.

Keys to success in-

cluded: a focus on process simplification and stan-dardization; utilization of shared services; improved technology leverage; bet-ter data centralization and information access; and business partnering, includ-ing investments in planning and analysis processes and overall improvement in the skill set of finance staff.

Only about 10 percent of all finance organizations benchmarked by Hackett achieved world-class per-formance.

“OPG joins an elite group, like Dow and Al-coa, that have been able to drive meaningful change in a balanced way,” com-mented Bryan Hall, Hackett Finance Practice Leader.

OPG’s Chief Financial Officer Donn Hanbidge said, “It’s an honour to re-ceive this prestigious award and to join the other distin-guished organizations who have received it in the past. This award reflects the dedication of finance em-ployees who are committed to continuously improving OPG’s financial systems and processes. Their efforts to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the fi-nance function have deliv-ered significant value to the entire company. I am very proud of their perseverance, professionalism and dedica-tion. This award is a testi-mony to their success.” PR

Hackett Group cites OPG as world-class performer

pany by nature and we have always brought this pru-dence to our pre-need com-pany,” said SLFP president and chief executive officer Henry Herrera.

“Rumors relating to the state of the industry are not reflective of Sun Life’s

pre-need business which continues to be strong and well-capitalized,” he said.

Herrera added that SLFP’s capitalization is one of the highest in the indus-try and it has a conservative investment portfolio, hav-ing invested in government

Sun Life affirms strong financial positionbonds locked-in at interest rates sufficient to cover its obligations.

“At Sun Life, our mes-sage to plan holders is crys-tal clear - we can and will continue to fulfill our obli-gations to our planholders,” he said.

“After 114 years of ex-perience in the Philippines, we have always met our obligations no matter what the crisis and we will con-tinue to do so. Of this, we are very proud,” Herrera further stated.

The Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) has recently renewed SLFP’s license to sell pre-need plans.

The license was signed by SEC Director Jose P. Aquino on Dec. 10, 2008, taking effect from January to December 2009.

SLFP’s pre-need firm was established in 2001 and since then has posted steady growth.

The company has evolved to become a fully diversified financial servic-

es institution offering life insurance, mutual funds, and pre-need.

It started operations in the Philippines in 1895 when its mother company Sun Life of Canada decided to expand its operations in Southeast Asia.

It is one of the largest and most trusted insurers in the country with almost a half a million policies in force and is boosted by the strength and stability of SLFP shares in the Philip-pine Stock Exchange. PNA

RP stillpreferred foroutsourcing

Filipino call center agents attend to US clients at the new branch of Advance Contact Solutions Inc., a call center facility that opened 1,600 jobs for pro-fessionals in 2007. (See related story below, right)

34 MANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 2009

Promoting Isabela’s potentials

External Affairs Secretary-East, said India and the Phil-ippines are also engaged in cooperation in the energy and education areas.

“We have a program on jatropha plantations in which we give seeds to the Philip-pines to grow. The other co-operation is in the field of student exchange and train-ing so that the young people come to know more about our countries,” he said.

Ravi said India is also pursuing agricultural coop-eration with the Philippines. PNA

Indian ...(From page 30)

individuals might be related to the higher prevalence of stressors to which they were exposed, and their lack of coping support.

New findingsBut new findings showed

that stressors played a vi-tal role in the relationship between household income and psychological distress.

Considering stressors, the direct association be-tween income and the sub-sequent risk of experiencing an episode of distress was reduced, since lower income is associated with more stressors.

This direct association remained significant for lower-income men, but not for lower-income women.

For both sexes, the

stressors tied with having an episode of psychological distress were job strain, cash woes, personal stress and re-lationship problems.

For men, neighborhood problems were a factor.

For women, problems with children and recent negative life events, such as someone in the family being demoted at work or failing an education program, were important.

Low-household income is a marker for difficult ma-terial and psychosocial life situations.

Distress is a psycho-logical state characterized by anxiety or a depressed mood, and may indicate more serious disorders such as clinical depression. PR

Statscan: Job losses ...(From page 5)

ments such as income trusts and others.

Don’t forget, you can place most of these invest-ments into your RRSP ac-count or even the new Tax Free Savings Account.

Talk to an investment counselor you trust as well as to your insurance broker.

Both have a wealth of information and can help guide you in the right direc-tion.

But remember, financial security has many sides to it: Better management of your cash flow and debt; better smarter investments; and the willingness on your part to plan into the future and see that plan all the way through. (info@thenanny-expert.com)

Of belt ...(From page 9)

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce Toronto (PCCT), the community’s premier business group, has re-elected RAFAEL NEBRES (General Manag-er, Action Honda), as President.

Elected with Nebres are ACE ALVAREZ (Man-aging Editor, Manila Media Monitor), 1st Vice Pres-ident- Government Relations; OSWALD TUGADI (President, Albee Enterprises), 2nd Vice President-Membership; CORI NARON (Estate Administrator, David Sklar and Associates), 3rd Vice President-Public Relations; EDGARDO GONZALES (Presi-dent, Association of Fil-Canadian Accountants), Treasurer; ARLENE MARTIREZ (Immigration Ser-vices Manager) Secretary, ELIZABETH LEGGETT (Certified General Accountant), Auditor.

The Board Directors are ED JOAQUIN (Presi-dent, Asian Global Media Inc.), Asst. to the 1st VP; CHERRIE LIU (President, A2Z Solutions), Asst. to the 2nd VP; AGNES LOSHUSAN (Director, Mary Kay Cosmetics), ROGER YU (Director, Red Sea Enterprises), FLOR VENDIOLA (Vice President, FV Foods Inc.), and STEVE PAGAO (President, Door to Door Services Inc.), all for Special Projects; HENRY SIA (President, Golden Valley’s Food Out-let Inc.) and TED DAYNO (President, Forex Cargo, Toronto), both for Bilateral Relations, Canada-Philippines. PR

Nebres re-elected

PCCTpresident

MONEYMONEY

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Gamu, Isabela Mayor Fernando Cumigad (right) visited Ontario and Manitoba to promote Isabela’s labor potentials and products in the Canadian market. With him in photo are (from left) Teresa and Alejandro Mosquera, Philippine Consul General in Toronto, and Eva Agpaoa. (Related story on page 17)

35MANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 2009

36 MANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 2009

3 P.M.

ENTERTAINMENTENTERTAINMENT

SEOUL DRIVING SCHOOLYELLOWBIRD

6013 Yonge Street, Toronto, OntarioABS-CBN’s winning

streak continues with a tri-umphant campaign in the prestigious 2009 New York Festivals, taking home four medals, the most by a single TV station in the country this year.

Leading the winners are Bantay Bata 163’s 10th An-niversary Special, which won the Gold World Medal for Best Variety Special, and Korina Sanchez’s in-vestigative report on sub-

standard glutathione food supplements, which took a Silver World Medal.

Bantay Bata 163’s 10th Anniversary Special was produced by the ABS-CBN Special Projects Group (SPG), headed by event-maven Chit Guerrero.

The SPG is behind the company’s grandest and biggest special events like “Miss Earth” and “Dolphy at 80.”

Bantay Bata Special bagsgold medal in NY Festivals

KORINA SANCHEZ(To page 37)

... And the 81st Academy Awards winners are ...Here is the complete

list of winners at the 81st annual Academy Awards presented on Feb. 23 at the Kodak Theatre in Los An-geles:

• Motion Picture: Slum-dog Millionaire.

• Actor: Sean Penn, Milk.

• Actress: Kate Wins-let, The Reader.

• Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight.

• Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

• Director: Danny

Boyle, Slumdog Million-aire.

• Foreign Film: Depar-tures, Japan.

• Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire.

• Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black, Milk.

• Animated Feature Film: WALL-E.

• Art Direction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

• Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire.

• Sound Mixing: Slum-dog Millionaire.

• Sound Editing: The Dark Knight.

• Original Score: Slum-dog Millionaire, A.R. Rahman.

• Original Song: Jai Ho from Slumdog Million-aire, A.R. Rahman and Gulzar.

• Costume: The Duch-ess.

• Documentary Feature: Man on Wire.

• Documentary (short subject): Smile Pinki.

• Film Editing: Slum-dog Millionaire.

• Makeup: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

• Animated Short Film: La Maison en Petits Cubes.

• Live Action Short Film: Spielzeugland (Toy-land).

• Visual Effects: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Academy Award win-ners previously announced this season are:

► Jean Hersholt Hu-manitarian Award (Oscar statuette): Jerry Lewis.

► Gordon E. Sawyer Award (Oscar statuette): Pixar Animation co-found-er Ed Catmull.WINSLET, PENN and CRUZ

37ENTERTAINMENTENTERTAINMENTMANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 2009

Another inspiring ABS-CBN high-quality series premiered on Feb. 2 in the network’s Primetime Bida. May Bukas Pa features one of the cutest kids in the entertainment industry, Zaijian Jaranilla. Under the direction of Jerome Pobocan and Jojo Saguin, May Bukas Pa characters are played by Philippine movie and television greats Dina Bonnevie, Albert Martinez, Jaime Fabregas, Tony Mabesa, Precious Lara Quigaman, Lito Pimentel, Dominic Ochoa, Victor Basa, David Chua, Ruben Gonzaga, Desiree del Valle, Arlene Muhlach, Rayver Cruz, Maja Salvador and Tonton Gutierrez. PR

Top caliber artists fused in ‘May Bukas Pa’Top caliber artists fused in ‘May Bukas Pa’

Bantay Bata Special ...(From page 36)

BOY ABUNDA AND KRIS AQUINO

The Bantay Bata Special, which also won in the 17th Golden Dove Awards, is just one of the group’s many world-class productions.

Meanwhile, also making an impression among the judges at the New York Festivals are Silver World Medalists “Boy & Kris” for the Talk/Inter-view category and “Lastikman” for the Action/Adventure category.

Kapamilya programs “Kung Fu Kids,” “Wowowee,” and “Rated K,” meanwhile, were awarded with finalist certificates for Children’s Program, Family Program, and Magazine Format, respectively.

Korina, ABS-CBN’s chief correspondent and “Bandila” news anchor, also received a finalist certificate in the Best News Reporter category at the New York Festivals.

The New York Festivals International Televi-sion Programming and Promotion Awards is on its 49th year of recognizing “The World’s Best Work” in news, documentary, information, enter-

LASTIKMAN

tainment program-ming, music vid-eos, infomercials, promotion spots, opening, and IDs.

Judging is done by several hundred US producers, di-rectors, writers, and other media professionals.

With this vic-tory, the network is even more upbeat to outperform itself in next year’s com-petition to bring more glory to the country, while in the service of Fili-pino worldwide. PR

38 LIFE & LEISURELIFE & LEISUREMANILA MEDIA MONITOR

FEBRUARY 2009

BATID WIKAPAHALANG 1. Hithit 5. Umpisa13. Katay14. Bayan sa Laguna15. Halamang-damo17. Palayaw ng lalaki18. Bawas gatong19. Hagupit 20. Ilagan23. ‘Di katulad24. Libot25. Uri ng gulay30. Dag-is31. Libro32. Bahagyang pilay33. Dalaga35. Alo36. Tinapay37. Taliwas39. Tagilid42. Talo43. Sambit44. Ayon sa batas48. Iba-iba50. Karaka51. Minanduhan52. Gusto

PABABA 1. Kabyaw 2. Kaibigan 3. Darak 4. Sagana 5. Anak ng kapatid 6. Lasa ng asin 7. Tawag sa banal 8. Titulo sa ahedres

9. Isang beses10. Paghuhugas ng bigas11. Kambas12. Asim16. Saksak19. Tambang20. Salok21. Parang22. Tanong sa mamimili23. Huwag sabay- sabayin26. K___, pugon, Ingles27. Sigaw28. Marka ng mali29. Bigo

31. Konsorte34. Ihalili35. Awayan38. Agrabyado40. Tanong ng naghahanap41. Utos sa drayber42. Digma44. ___ Piñas45. Tuyo46. Higit47. Tula49. Ika-16 letra

(Sagot sa PAHINA 30)

1 2 3 4 5

13

10

14

15

9876

16

18 19

20 21 22 23

24 26

30 31 32

33 34

3736

35

25

39 4240 41

11 12

17

27 28 29

38

43 44 474645

5251

504948

Joel ReclaProducer/Host

PISCES (February 19 – March 20): As you celebrate your birthday and welcome the new journey that you are about to enter with open arms, it may be in your nature to wallow in self-pity, but you will overcome your obstacles by trying to strike balance with your personal, romantic and professional life and accept the reality that life is not a stage play and happy endings are indeed within your control by taking matters into your own hands. Lucky Number 8

ARIES (March 21 –April 19): Take advantage of your great leadership skills by initi-ating change for the better in the workplace. Do not stop halfway through before finishing-up your project and being overly concerned with your social status by feeling the need to be the life of the party. Show them what you’re really made of by being assertive! Lucky Number 10

TAURUS (April 20 – May 20): As awful as you may feel when you are a little under the weather, usually because of your own doing, like overindulging after work and on the weekends, you try your best to get by to fit in even though there may be something that is seriously bothering you. Just remember, that it is okay to take a personal day for recovery. Better now than too late. Lucky Number 6

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21): Continue to use your charismatic personality and your ability to sell yourself to get ahead in life. Though it is often difficult for you to be alone, this might be a good time to take some time off and reflect on your future and what really makes you happy. Lucky Number 1

CANCER (June 22 – July 23): Don’t worry too much about other people’s criticism, for you know deep down what your strengths really are. Instead, focus on finding the solution to problems more than wasting your time worrying about issues that will not mat-ter even months from now. You’ll be surprised with your productivity as a result. Lucky Number 15

LEO (July 23 – Aug 23): People often trust you to give sufficient control over busi-ness ventures. Be careful with making too many promises, although you usually win trust quite easily; you don’t want to seem insincere with future commitments to be made.

VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept. 23): Your adamant persistence will lead to your personal suc-cess. People admire your sense of loyalty and humility. You are very guarded and do not trust very easily. Those who are fortunate enough to obtain being your friend must know that being treated with proper respect is very important to you, as you find it difficult to forgive and forget. Lucky Number 7

LIBRA (Sept 24 – Aug 23): You’re happiest when your devotion and hard work is recognized and appreciated. You can easily adapt to change, which is strength in itself. Your balanced nature provides others with happiness and satisfaction in any relationship that they may have with you. Be careful when making a constructive criticism towards your significant other, as they may feel as if they are to blame rather than wanting to work out a solution to a problem with you. Lucky Number 69

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22): You’re a go-getter and everybody knows it. It is your way or the highway! Though you have many achievements to be proud of, try and place yourself in the other person’s shoes as it will lead to greater understanding. Try and be more sensitive towards the other person’s needs as you would with yourself. Know when to stop or back down as this will bring you inner harmony. Lucky Number 11

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 – Dec. 21): Finances are booming for you right now with money coming-in left right and centre. Take advantage of this high and move on to the next step. Lucky Number 25

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19): You have finally reached your boiling point and you can either move on for the better or continue judging and pointing out other people’s shortcomings. The choice is yours to either be the sore loser or to be the better person. Lucky Number 26

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18): Too busy drowning in your sorrows to appreciate everything else that you may have achieved? Take a moment and realize that there is no need to dislike others because it seems like they have had nothing but good luck. For you too can achieve success by realizing that it starts with your positive attitude first! Lucky Number 10

AstrologyBy Fox Karma

MARCH HOROSCOPE

39MANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 2009

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40 MANILA MEDIA MONITORFEBRUARY 2009