12

YEAR 12, No. 9 MARCH 2009 Home Paper of the 1999 Canadian Ethnic Journalists’ and Writers’ Club Winner for Best Editorial Toronto, Ontario

SAGA LIVES ON
INSIDE
Ooops & Bloops

Lovely
hubby
Nestor
-7
By BUTCH DG. GALICIA
Touring Europe - 12
They sometimes labor for long hours. They endure lonely and depressing days in icy cold environments.
They sacrifice the prime of life to fulfill a self-imposed responsibility: sending enough cash back home to the
Philippines so that their families would be decently fed, clothed and housed and their children well-schooled.
Against all odds, they hope to claim permanent resident status, that which has been rightfully and morally theirs
after complying with state-imposed terms and dues with their sweat and tears. Some pay with their life.
Finally, they anxiously look forward to the day when they reunite with their loved ones.
Many got what they wished for. But for a number, making dreams real just had to come the hardest way.
This is the saga of Filipino live-in caregivers in Canada. This is the saga of Juana Tejada and Celia Mansibang.

JUANA TEJADA CELIA MANSIBANG

At 39, she lost her bout against can-
Being fishy, crabby cer. She died on March 8.
at Kisi Kisi - 26 However, Tejada’s sad but telling
story has gained notice anew in political
debates, most recent reports said.
Galvanizing factor
Dancing Remittances
To Be A Star On March 9, Member of Parlia-
- 33 to drop - 32 ment Paul Calandra (Conservative, Oak
Ridges-Markham) told Parliament that
Tejada’s “own tragic case threw into
stark relief the need to improve the Live-
in Caregiver Program (LCP).”
Calandra said Citizenship, Immigra-
(To page 4)
At 46, she hangs on to dear life.
Terminally ill with stomach cancer,
Mansibang was earlier denied perma-
nent residency (PR) under the Live-in
Caregiver Program (LCP) because of
her illness, which medical tests showed
she could have contracted while work-
ing in Canada.
Her Ontario health insurance cover-
age was also canceled, even as she paid
taxes during and after her LCP days, that
started in 2003.
However, all is not lost yet.
TEJADA MANSIBANG Most recent reports gathered by the
Manila Media Monitor showed her case

‘DISGUSTING’ TREATMENT OF FILIPINO WORKERS

There is a big problem with
has taken the notice of immigration and
labor officials.
Todate, Mansibang is preparing to
see and have husband William and chil-
Maluto’s story dren Vincent and La Sandra by her side

Plea made to help nanny

the Live-in Caregiver Program
(LCP); and almost always, care-
givers are the ones punished with
removal, work permit refusals,
misrepresentation charges while
unscrupulous labor and immi-
gration agents go on their merry
way exploiting more unsuspect-
ing caregivers and foreign work-
ers who are desperate to enter,
work and gain permanent resi-
dency status in Canada.
This, in retrospect, was the
reaction of lawyer Maria Deanna
Santos to a Toronto Star March
14 article that detailed the sad
plight of Filipino caregiver Jo-
elina Maluto and several other
victims of foreign labor and im-
migration agency misdeeds.
The Star report said Maluto,
44 and mother of four, claimed
in court documents that she was
lured to come to Canada with a
promise of a caregiving job that
turned out to be non-existent,
that her recruiter stripped her
of her passport, that she and 16
others were detained and made
to cram and sleep in a basement,
and that she was forced to work
illegally in menial jobs.
The report said nanny re-
cruiter Rakela Spivak, who runs
the Rakela Care International
and who denied the allegations,
had since sued Maluto, claiming
the nanny owed her $3,500 in
brokerage fees.
(To page 6)
Fr. Ben Ebcas - Mission Director of the Archdiocese of To-
ronto Filipino Mission Center, Our Lady of the Assumption
Catholic Church on Bathurst - has sounded a plea to help Filipi-
no caregiver Madonna Galinato, who contracted aneurysm and
underwent and operation on March 12.
Galinato, 42, mother of four, had just arrived in Canada as a
caregiver. “Unfortunately, she does not have the Ontario Health
Insurance Program coverage yet. She needs our help,” Fr. Ben
said.
“In this holy season of Lent, we are called to pray, fast, and
perform works of mercy. No one is too rich that he can no longer
receive and no one is to poor that he can no longer give,” Fr.
Ben intoned.
Fr. Ben also bared plans to form a core group of people who
would sit down and reflect on the concerns of Filipinos who are
in crisis in Canada. He noted the need to strategize so issues
could be addressed. With JULITO TIGLEY
in the few months doctors said she could
spare.
Granted temporary stay
In a March 5 communication to
Mansibang’s lawyer Maria Deanna San-
tos, the Ottawa-based Citizenship and
Immigration Canada Case Management
(CICCM) branch said it would “issue
temporary resident permits for the fam-
ily to join Ms. Mansibang in Canada.”
Temporary resident visas are granted
to visitors to Canada.
Santos, who is helping Mansibang
pro bono, earlier appealed to the of-
fice of the CIC Minister and that of the
CICCM Director General to expedite
the processing of Mansibang’s PR ap-
plication.
In the letter to Santos, CICCM ana-
(To page 5)

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2 MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009
 news MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009 3
RP ties with Canada, 6
others reach 60th year New CIDA foreign aid focus
This year, the Philippines marks its 60th year of
healthy diplomatic relations with Canada, home to
may leave many vulnerable
more than 350,000 Filipino immigrants and host to
tens of thousands of Filipino overseas workers. The Canadian Interna-
The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto said tional Development Agency
the office and other diplomatic posts in Canada are on (CIDA) has cut to 20, from
top of activities commemorating this landmark year. 25, the number of countries
Canada, in 2007, ranked 22nd among the Philip- getting Canadian aid; and
pines’ top trading partners with trade amounting to the Philippines is notably
some US$522 million. Canada was also the Philip- absent in the priority list.
pines’ 18th largest export market, with exports reach- Lately, CIDA said it
ing US$258 million. would steer foreign aid
Last month, President Arroyo signed Proclama- toward a smaller pool of
(To page 14) countries, namely Afghani-
stan, Bangladesh, Bolivia,
the Caribbean, Colombia,
Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, Hon-
Holmes named duras, Indonesia, Mali, Mo-
zambique, Pakistan, Peru,
envoy to Asean Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania,
Ukraine, Vietnam and the
South Upi officials and residents join CIDA representatives in planting com-
memorative rubber seedlings, in a bid to popularize agro-forestry systems
Foreign Affairs Minister Law- West Bank/Gaza. among farmers. AGRITEAM CANADA
rence Cannon has announced the Internal Cooperation
appointment of John Holmes as Minister Beverly Oda said not only abandons those “This is very bad news commitments, peace efforts
Canada’s first ambassador to the CIDA’s bilateral aid prior- who need our help the most, indeed for developing coun- in the region may suffer a
Association of Southeast Asian Na- ity shift, part of the gov- but it also risks tarnishing tries,” added Member of Par- huge setback,” the official
AMB. HOLMES tions (Asean). ernment’s aid effectiveness Canada’s once proud repu- liament John Rafferty (New told Manila Media Monitor
Concurrently, Holmes is en- agenda, would push several tation as an international Democrat Party-Thunder in a phone chat.
voy to the Republic of Indonesia, with accreditation to the poorer countries to second- player,” Liberal Internation- Bay). In the Philippines, CI-
Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. tier status. al Cooperation Critic Glen Philippine reaction DA’s resources has come in
Holmes was Canada’s ambassador to Jordan until 2006. She, however, stressed Pearson said. An official of the Au- to help regions hit by natural
In 2005, he was named non-resident ambassador to Iraq. that the aid policy changes More African countries tonomous Region in Muslim tragedies; to imbibe entre-
Holmes’ Asean posting showed Canada’s commitment would not affect some ongo- have been removed, than Mindanao (ARMM) in the preneural skills, particularly
“to deepening its relationship with (Asean) in areas such as ing programs, particularly added, from CIDA’s list; and Philippines, hoped the situa- among women; to strengthen
health, security, counterterrorism, transnational crime, hu- humanitarian assistance to “it is highly questionable as tion would be reconsidered. local governance; and to en-
man rights, and trade and investment,” Cannon said. areas hit by natural calami- to how Sri Lanka and East “ARMM has received hance reforms in the judicial
He said Holmes would play a vital role in advancing ties. Congo, two of the world’s CIDA aid that has helped system.
Canada’s political, economic and security interests in the Abandonment? most urgent-need regions,” in peacebuilding measures. CIDA’s exposure to the
(To page 14) “This surprising move were omitted, Pearson said. If CIDA withdraws from its (To page 14)

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4 MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009
Juana Tejada
(From page 1)
tion and Multiculturalism
Minister Jason Kenney, be-
fore assuming his portfolio
from Diane Finley, met with
Tejada several times.
Kenney sought for rec-
ommendations on making
the LCP more responsive to
the needs of those within its
purview, he said.
Calandra said: “I know”
he has made it one of the
government’s top priority.
“Ms. Tejada’s case gal-
vanized the Filipino-Cana-
dian community and, in fact,
all Canadians,” he added.
Deliberations
Meanwhile, the federal
Standing Committee on
Citizenship and Immigration
has initiated discussions on
changes to the Temporary
Foreign Workers Program
(TFWP).
Member of Parliament
Olivia Chow (NDP, Trinity-
Spadina) called for the
changes, particularly that on
ensuring a fair immigration
process to LCP workers
seeking permanent residence
(PR) status.
A report from iWorkers,
the Independent Workers
Association-Homeworkers
Section, said the proposals
included:
► An amendment
to Section 38(2) of the
Immigration and Refugee
Protection Act (IRPA),
seeking the addition of
members of the Live-in
Caregivers Class on the
list of foreign nationals
exempted from the
“excessive demand” ground
of inadmissibility.
The amendment would
recognize that, if a caregiver
has done her work and paid
her taxes, she should be
entitled to PR status no matter
what her medical condition
would be, iWorkers said.
► Making LCP partici-
pants eligible for the Interim
Federal Health plan, to
ensure that they would get
health coverage from the
day they arrive in Canada
to work, until the day they
are granted permanent
residence, with no coverage
gaps at any time.
► Significantly reducing
the current 12- to 18-month
processing time for work
permits of new entrants to
the LCP; and, similarly,
for permanent residence to
the eligible, including their
family members who have
to wait for 15 to 22 months
to be granted visas.
► A review of reaso-
nable wages and benefits
for LCP participants. Of all
workers under the TFWP,
only the wages of live-in
caregivers are set according
to prevailing minimum
wages in each province.
JUANA TEJADA and GENE LARA
The results of the
deliberations, which went
on for two weeks and ended
March 12, have not yet been
released as of presstime.
State inaction
Beyond continuing talks
on the LCP and occasional
political promises to take up
caregiver issues, the govern-
ment has yet to show con-
crete steps to shield caregiv-
ers in Canada from abuse,
exploitation, discrimination
and violation of human
rights, a Manila Media
news
Monitor reader commented.
“Are politicians just try-
ing to attract votes from a
large and fast-growing Fili-
pino community (at least 95
percent of caregivers come
from the Philippines)?”
“For two years since me-
dia profiled the Tejada case
vis-a-vis the LCP, nothing
more than the evasive and
non-commital ‘we will look
into it’ has been officially
mouthed, the reader said.
If ever Citizenship and
Immigration Canada (CIC)
made Tejada eligible for
permanent stay in Canada,
it was on humanitarian
grounds; not because of the
LCP, the reader added.
“Is there any compelling
reason why officials could
only talk about the LCP but
could never muster the po-
litical will to make the law
more humane and more pro-
tective of caregivers?” the
reader asked.
Tejada’s tale
Tejada came to Canada
in 2003. Besides having ac-
ceptable personal, academic
and job qualifications, Te-
jada at that time passed a
comprehensive medical test
to gain entry into Canada.
She labored to complete
the two-year LCP require-
ment to be eligible for per-
manent resident (PR) status.
While in Canada, she
contracted cancer.
The illness floated when
Tejada received the results
of medical tests required
for LCP-related PR applica-
tions, and CIC officials de-
nied, on two occasions, her
status eligibility.
She was even told that
she would be an added load
to the Canadian health care
system; even as authorities
stripped her of her health in-
surance coverage.
With her remaining re-
sources and that given her
by supporters, Tejada con-
tested the CIC decisions but
appealed for eligibility un-
der humanitarian and com-
passionate grounds.
Favorable action
On July 17, then CIC
Minister Diane Finley used
her discretionary power un-
der new IRPA provisions to
countermand earlier CIC de-
cisions on Tejada’s case.
Finley said Tejada de-
served exemption from the
rules and declared her eli-
gible for PR status.
“(The) hardships she
faced were excessive” and
“were the result of circum-
stances beyond her control,”
the minister averred.
Tejada’s health insurance
coverage was also restored,
retroactive August 2007.
Community help
Tejada’s case came to
the attention of the Manila
Media Monitor in March
2007 through civic leader
Gene Lara.
Lara spearheaded calls
for assistance to get Tejada
through her personal and
immigration ordeals then.
Individuals and com-
munity groups have since
responded and helped.
Migrante Ontario, in
a statement, has commit-
ted itself “to pick up where
(Tejada) left off and (to)
continue the fight that she
started.”
Juana Tejada may have
gone but the inspiration she
left lives on, Migrante said.
With a report from FAYE
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 news MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009 5
Celia ...
(From page 1)
lyst A. Bilich wrote that
“our office does sympathize
with your client’s situation”
but Mansibang’s and her de-
pendents’ PR applications
should satisfy “statutory re-
quirements, including back-
ground and medical checks”
before a PR visa could be
issued.
However, Bilich wrote
that “under S.25 (1) of the
Immigration and Refugee
Protection Act, one can ask
to waive a requirement of
the act, based on humani-
tarian and compassionate OFFICERS OF THE CANADIAN AID AND RELIEF PROJECT
(H&C) factors. The Min-
ister’s delegate authorized
to assess the request will
render a decision based on
submissions.”
residence and await the out-
come of either application,”
Bilich advised.
The CICCM letter was
nas and The Assumption
churches; and from com-
munity groups, including
the media.
Canadian aid, relief project takes off
Bilich said CICCM, af- forwarded to the Manila Appeal for compassion “Let us, from this mo-
ter consulting the Minister’s Media Monitor by Caregiv- The petition also asked communication program political figures have come ment, tell (the poor, hungry,
office, “has decided not to er Resource Centre modera- officials to scrap the sec- on the rights and protection forward to hear Mansibang’s sick and calamity-laden in
intervene” in the processing tor Terry Olayta. ond medical test LCP par- of LCP participants during case and lend the sick care- the Philippines and else-
of Mansibang’s application. Petition ticipants have to go through their stay in Canada. giver and similarly-placed where) that they are no lon-
But it could continue to Meanwhile, Olayta said when they apply for PR. Very encouraging peers a helping hand. ger alone. Let’s tell them
be processed through nor- individuals and groups have Until then, LCP partici- Olayta said the response Among them are Mem- that together, in the spirit
mal channels, “by request- come out and supported pants diagnosed with a ma- to the petition was “very en- ber of Parliament Bob of Bayanihan (collective
ing a waiver of the medical calls to assist Mansibang. jor ailment during the sec- couraging,” particularly that Dechert (Mississauga-Er- cooperation), we join them
inadmissibility due to H&C Olayta said more than ond medical test should not initiated by Mansibang’s indale) and Labor Minister in facing life’s many chal-
factors” to the CIC office a thousand signatures have be disqualified from PR eli- fellow caregivers. Peter Fonseca. lenges ... Together we can
processing the file. been affixed on online and gibility; but should instead “This is what we had Olayta said develop- (get them through their af-
“The dependents can hard copy petitions seeking be afforded proper care and been praying for a long, ments in the caregiver pro- fliction).”
be processed concurrently a CIC grant of PR status to their PR applications hastily long time time ... a great tection movement has lately Thus stressed Dr. Fran-
on Ms. Mansibang’s Live- Mansibang and her family. processed with human con- awakening for all those who been getting due notice from cisco Portugal as he led of-
in caregiver application. If Many petition signa- sideration and compassion. came (to Canada) as domes- the New Democrat, Liberal ficials in launching the am-
the dependents choose, they tures were initially gathered The petition likewise tic workers,” she said. and Conservative politi- bitious Canadian Aid and
can also submit and H&C from parishioners of St. urged for a continuing in- Political support cal parties. With reports Relief Project (CARP) at
application for permanent Paschal, St. Thomas Aqui- formation, education and Olayta said a number of from RODEL RAMOS (To page 23)
 MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
6 MARCH 2009
Disgusting treatment of Filipino workers
(From page 1)
The report added that
federal authorities knew
about situations similar to
that of Maluto’s and a lot
more, but are turning a blind
eye to the exploitation.
Disgusting
“It is disgusting how
(Citizenship and Immigra-
tion Canada and the Canada
Border Services Agency)
are well aware of this and
still choose to turn a blind
eye against the exploiters,”
Santos said.
“Any changes to the
LCP will not be effective if
there is no real and efficient
monitoring and prosecu-
tion of (those who commit
these illegal activities),” she
added.
Santos noted: “The
time is definitely right to
aggressively push for LCP
reforms.”
“However, we should
ensure that there is also a
comprehensive review of
the systemic problems sur-
rounding this program.
“It is extremely im-
portant that the piecemeal
changes proposed never
lose sight of the broader is-
sues and problems that the
LCP perpetuates.
“Otherwise, the exploi-
tation will just continue to
rear its ugly head perhaps
in other forms, but with the
same sad outcomes.”
More reactions to the
Star story can be found at
ParentCentral.ca.
SOS from Alberta
Reports on the maltreat-
ment of Filipino workers
have come to the attention
of Manila Media Monitor
from as far as Alberta.
Alberta-based Gina Ner-
ic, a viewer of Front Page
Philippines TV, has writ-
ten to raise her “concerns
about Filipino workers on
The time is definitely right to aggressively push for reforms. Other-
wise, the exploitation will just continue to rear its ugly head perhaps
in other forms, but with the same sad outcomes.
- Maria Deanna Santos on maltreated Filipino workers
the treatment they are get-
ting from their employers in
Whitecourt, Alberta.
Whitecourt is an oil,
forestry and agricultural
town some 175 kilometers
northwest of Edmonton.
It is located on the eastern
border of the foothills of the
Rocky Mountains.
Neric, although unable
to provide details, appeared
frantic to seek official help
as she disclosed efforts to
put up an “association to as-
sist the foreign workers in
Whitecourt regarding their
concern on how their em-
ployers are treating them.”
Neric said the associa-
tion has helped some of the
workers find another job
and in the processing of
their papers.
“I can’t just stand to
watch these people being
walked all over by their em-
ployers. I am grateful that
some Caucasians are back-
ing me up on this.”
Manila Media Moni-
tor managing editor Ace
Alvarez, in a letter, referred
the workers’ case to Frank
Luna, chief of the Toronto-
based Philippine Overseas
Labor Office.
Immigration fraud
In Parliament Hill on
March 10, Citizenship, Im-
migration and Multicultur-
alism Minister Jason Ken-
ney cited the state’s vow to
protect potential immigrants
and their families “from
unscrupulous immigration
representatives who charge
exorbitant fees and either
fail to deliver promised ser-
vices or provide false infor-
mation about Canada’s im-
migration programs.”
news
“Our government takes
a zero-tolerance approach
to immigration consultant
fraud,” Kenney said, as
he launched a video that
warned against immigration
fraud and scams.
The video would be
available to media in Cana-
da for use as a public service
announcement. It would be
posted on YouTube.
Multilingual versions
would be fanned out to Ca-
nadian overseas missions
and regional offices.
Immigration anti-fraud
warnings are posted on the
Citizenship and Immigra-
tion Canada website, among
other official information.
Foreign worker abuse
Kenney said he would
soon issue new draft rules
banning employers - who
abuse and repeatedly vio-
late labor laws - from fur-
ther hiring foreign workers.
He said this would help
contain the exploitation of
foreign workers.
No more talk, just act
However, Member of
Parliament Olivia Chow
(New Democrat, Trinity-
Spadina) continued on urg-
ing government “to crack
down on unscrupulous im-
migration consultants and
corrupt agencies that take
advantage of vulnerable
people and cheat them out
of money and false prom-
ises.”
In the House of Com-
mons on March 12, Chow
bared that Parliament’s im-
migration committee spent
over a year travelling across
Canada to study the issue
of immigration consultants
and issued a comprehen-
sive report with nine rec-
ommendations. Instead of
more talk and more public
relations campaigns, the
Conservatives should act,”
Chow said.
No more fees ... when?
Since it was introduced
on Dec. 9 last year, a pro-
posed Ontario law banning
labor recruiters and tem-
porary help agencies from
charging fees from potential
workers might have gone
back to the morgue.
The labor ministry said
that once the law is passed
and changes are made on
the Employment Standards
Act (ESA), it would cover
foreign hands, including
caregivers.
Replication
The Ontario bill hoped
to replicate recently-imple-
mented pro-worker prac-
tices in Manitoba, Sas-
katchewan, Alberta and
British Columbia that re-
quired all labor recruitment
agencies to be registered
and licensed; and likewise
prohibited from collecting
placement fees from work-
ers, including those coming
from foreign lands.
Currently, the recruit-
ment of foreign workers in
Ontario is deregulated, af-
ter the Harris government
introduced amendments to
the ESA in 2001.
Laws in the four Ca-
nadian western provinces
likewise provided strict ac-
countability mechanisms
for violations.
In Manitoba, employ-
ment standards director
Dave Dyson said employ-
ers or recruiters found by
ministry inspectors to have
charged placement fees or
have reneged on agreed
wages and benefits would
have to pay back the mon-
ies to the aggrieved foreign
worker. With various PR
reports and Internet
sources

VIEWS
ACE ALVAREZ
“And so to your lovely
husband, Nestor”
I happened to listen to the 12 PNB Remittance Companies,
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the Philippines is not one of those loved ones through the services
countries affected in the worldwide of these companies, deserving of
economic slowdown, described by special mention here being Manila
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1) That families left behind in turn to send economic aid to
the Philippines by their loved ones Canada, the United States and the
here na sila naman ang magpadala rest of the G countries! If GMA is
ng pera dito, because of the very able to do this, maniniwala na ang
tight financial situation in Canada mga abang Filipino na totoo ang
at the moment; sinasabi ni Gloria!
2) For the reliable money ***
remittance companies (namely, The following situation
happened on February 21 as I
was paying my bill at the Rogers
Video on Ellesmere and Victoria
Park Avenue in Scarborough:
While inputting all
information on my payment,
she said, “Thank you so much
for waiting, sir. This thing is so
slow.”
I replied, “You don’t have
Rogers?”
Laughter from all store
staff.
I followed with, “Hold it
down, baby!”
***
One South Asian businessman
inquiring on advertising rates on
Front Page Philippines TV told
us that his advertising contract
with an Asian television network
in Toronto (network, and not
program), if computed on the basis
of the number of airings for his
year’s contract with the network
practically amounts to only $4.00/
30-second spot.
Hello … are we talking here
of a TV commercial spot, or a
MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009
menstrual spot?
***
During U.S. President Barack
Obama’s six-hour working visit
to Ottawa recently, one TV field
reporter commented, “Change
is here”.
Great! For a change, too,
because … nowadays, the only
“change” people are familiar
with are the “change” in their
pockets; no more $20, $50, or
$100 bills.
***
Still on “change” … the places
where “change” is very apparent
are at those OLG casinos; they
only give “change” now; jackpots
are slack.
***
Looking at photos in various
Filipino Canadian newspapers
recently, I can’t help but seeing
the same materials resulting
from the mass transmissions of
press releases to all publications;
and most of them were the same
faces from various community
organizations I’ve been seeing
during the last 12 years that
we’ve been publishing Manila
Media Monitor.
Fortunately, that was not the
“retirement” call that Philippine
Retirement Authority Chair
Eduardo Aglipay made during
his visit to Toronto recently.
***
An item in Marketing Daily
on February 24 states, “Many of
Canada’s talented and up-and-
coming young music artists are
7
now appearing at a beer or store
near you.”
To my music-loving friends at
the Philippine Press Club-Ontario,
please read this item carefully.
It refers to the volume 2 CD,
Untapped, and does not mean we
have to appear and buy cases of
beer, ha?
***
Browsing over some books at
the Carlton Cards on Cedarbrae
Mall on Lawrence Avenue
East and Markham Road in
Scarborugh recently, I chanced
upon one title which read, 50
Places To See Before You Die.
One of those listed is Niagara
Falls, Ontario.
I don’t know if you’ve been
to Niagara Falls, but in my case,
now I only have 49 left to see.
***
Also at the same store, one
knick knack read, “Love is one,
nestled in two people”.
Hhhmm … in your case,
readers, in the case of opposite
genders, I hope the other person is
your spouse.
***
In one e-mail message, media
colleague Faye Arellano capped
her e-mail with “Regards to
your lovely wife, Gie.”
I responded, “And so to your
lovely husband, Nestor.”
Manila Media Monitor
may be read online at
manilamediamonitor.com
8 MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009
Three weeks after The Rocky
Mountain News in Denver,
Colorado printed its final edition
after 150 years of newspaper
publishing history, the Seattle
Post-Intelligence - owned by
newspaper and magazine giant
Hearst Corporation, also printed
its final edition, Tuesday, March
17, 2009 - after 146 years of
chronicling news in the city of
Seattle, Washington.
These and other related news
on the established print, radio
and television media during the
first quarter of this year across
North America have sent chills to
journalism students.
Amidst all these, my
grandnephew Kirk, a journalism
student in New York, phoned me
recently seeking my thoughts on
his future in journalism considering
the present situation happening in
both print and broadcast media
across North America.
He sought my thoughts on his
future in journalism since it was I
whom he sought for advice, too,
and who gave him encouragement
to finally enroll at j-school two
years ago when everything
seemed bright and rosy for him
to pursue the career discipline
(which he probably inherited from
his granduncle in my person).
My pep talk with Kirk was in
the form of a first person story -
my own experience.
I told Kirk that the uncertainty
that he and thousands of j-students
feel about their future is not far
from what we, during our time, at
j-school experienced back in the
Philippines.
When attending symposia and
seminars such as those that were
recently staged by the new seat of
radicalism and campus activism,
the Polytechnic University of the
Philippines, we learn new things.
The audiences are goldmines
of raw data with the questions
they surface and the concerns they
raise during open fora.
Other speakers bring years
of research and scrutiny of the
business with them.
They regale both organizers and
attendees with new information or
differently processed data.
Luz Rimban, professor at
the Ateneo and speaking for and
about journalism, confirmed that
Philippine ad spend had indeed
declined for print because much
of the business had migrated to
the most popular, most prevalent
medium today, television.
That virtually three fourths of
ad spend is now directed at TV
makes it the medium of choice
these days.
Of that ad spend, Rimban
said that nearly P80 billion were
poured in by health supplements
and beauty products, soft drinks
companies and telephone
companies.
It was amusing to run through
Rimban’s data.
Per A.C. Nielsen’s report,
the country now has 24 million
internet users.
Just over eight years ago, there
were only 2,000 users!
The top websites in the country
are yahoo, friendster, youtube,
From The
Monitor’s Desk
J-students should not lose
hope in spite of bleak
state of journalism
As a sophomore then at j-
school in the Philippines, then
President Marcos proclaimed
martial law throughout the
Philippines in one single stroke
of the pen on September 21, 1972
through Proclamation 1081.
I still remember that Thursday
morning when my father put
on the radio for his everyday
morning news that he could not
tune in to his favorite DZMT news
and public affairs station (nor any
station for that matter) and listen
to his daily dose of Teodoro F.
Valencia’s (fondly “Ka Doroy”)
Over a Cup of Coffee.
He asked my brother Tony
what happened to the radio; my
brother, Tony – a techie, could not
solve the puzzle either.
Leaving the matter behind,
Tony and I proceeded to go to
work.
It was at the interior design
office on Mabini Street in Malate,
Manila that at about 8:30 in the
morning that we learned what
was happening when our boss, Ka
Roundabout
MAG CRUZ-HATOL
TV has clearly dislodged
other media in RP
google.com.ph and google.
The Pinoy is also in the top
five among users of social media,
the others being China, Korea,
Mexico and Brazil.
Strange that the Pinoy has
indeed come of age as he is now
an arduous user of podcasts,
blogs, photo sharing, video
sharing, microblogging and social
networking.
Korea is acknowledged as the
country that reads blogs a lot, the
Philippines is only second.
“We are not news readers
anymore, as seen in the decline
of newspaper circulation and
readership. We have become a
country of TV news watchers,”
claims Rimban.
There are seven dailies and
two business dailies as well as
twelve tabloids that come out of
Manila everyday.
However, there are only 1.5
million copies of broadsheets
circulated and read daily.
Add to that total only two
VIEWS
ACE ALVAREZ
Doroy, came and told us that the
country has just been placed by
President Marcos under martial
law and that the writ of habeas
corpus has been suspended.
It was at this office that Ka
Doroy dialed the phone at about
10 a.m. that September 21st,
and where we overheard him on
the phone, saying, “General, my
friends have all been arrested and
are now in prison. So, what time
are you coming for me. I’ll wait
for you here!”
Any political scientist would
tell one that the first thing that a
state leader would do when he,
or she, declares martial law is to
close down all media outlets. So,
there goes journalism to the drain,
one would say.
“But any journalist worth his
salt,” I emphasized to Kirk, “will
never run out of ideas on how to
make a living out of the many
transferable skills that one has
learned, or would learn, from j-
school.” Kirk listened on the
phone attentively.
million of tabloid readers.
With a grand total of only 3.5
million, the figure is alarming
when one factors in the national
population of 88 million.
Manila Bulletin still lords it
on weekends but settles at number
two to Philippine Daily Inquirer
during weekdays.
What we see in the data is a
hefty responsibility being heaped
on television, it being the medium
of choice by almost 85 percent of
the entire population.
With a predominantly young
population, television should
clearly be a youthful medium.
But is it?
Prix Jeunesse of Munich
commissioned us to undertake
a survey of program offerings
in the Philippines for youth and
children.
After only two weeks of study
in February and early March, we
have reached a conclusion that we
pander to the adult more than we
do to the child.
At school later in the afternoon
before classes started, my
classmates and I chanced upon one
another at the school cafeteria.
Some of us who were of the
serious type talked about our
future in journalism; the others,
of course, continued to talk about
rock music and bands; still, others,
who were active in the school
drama club, discussed their roles
in the forthcoming school staging
of Jesus Christ Superstar, among
them were Pat Dionisio (from
Taguig, Rizal, and whom I lost
contact after our audition at GMA
Channel 7’s DZBB); and, Homer
Alvarez (the last time I saw him was
when he paid Gie and I a surprise
visit at our home in Muntinlupa,
Rizal [now a city] in 1982 coming
home briefly to his native Cavite
City working with an Australian
company in Sydney, and came
with our compadre, another
Alvarez - Aquilino Alvarez, Jr.
– by then one of the godfathers of
my oldest child, Lennart Leigh,
and who was one of the secondary
sponsors on my wedding; likewise
by then the Public Information
Officer of the Bureau of Fisheries,
after nearly seven years as editor
of the Philippine Army’s official
publication Ang Tala.)
During our first class that
evening, our professor, Cesario
del Rosario, who was one of the
star reporters at Manila Times,
briefed us on the journalists whom
he heard have been arrested early
that morning and during that first
day of martial rule.
Later, our class discussion went
(To page 17)
There is an abundance of
material imported from the West
and a very scant number that have
been conceived and produced
locally.
Time was when we were
exposed to a diet of entertainment
fare chiefly form the United
States.
Our childhood was overrun
by staples like Popeye, The Road
Runner, Mighty Mouse, Rin Tin
Tin, Lassie, Donald Duck and
the like, all subtle extensions of
American imperialism.
Today, the pie once held wholly
by the US had been apportioned
among Japan, England, Korea,
Canada, Australia, even Indonesia
and Germany.
Only about ten percent is
homespun.
In effect, the Philippines is now
rearing its next generation with
the values and realities of other
countries other than its own.
The cause and effect of this sour
fact is evident in the way Filipino
kids seek fast food, mostly fried,
rather than homecooked meals.
In the way Pinoy kids look upon
barongs and the baro’t saya with
disdain and embarrassment. In the
way social status is measured by
the clothes one wears, the kind
of English he spews out and the
gadgets he is able to flaunt.
All these from television, one
may ask.
Certainly, most parents would
insist on their home-prepared
lunches and suppers.
(To page 36)
12 years of dedicated
community service
Managing Editor
ACE ALVAREZ
Editor
BUTCH GALICIA
Associate Editor
GIE ALVAREZ
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Jimmy Montejo
Mag Cruz Hatol
Grace P. Freires
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Pete Lacaba
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Dods Andrada
Contributors
Eva Agpaoa
Mario Dimain
Robert Wilson
Noel Perada
Larry Torres
Chito Sarabia
Edwin Acuna
Bien Garcia
Jeannie Pilapil
Account Executive
MYRNA SORIANO
Graphics
IDTech Solutions
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 VIEWS
Commentary
ANALYSIS
The US, Asia-Pacific Family Day 2009 a real hit
Security and Canada One of the less felicitious of
media concoctions was the apparent
sudden discovery that the recent
By AMITAV ACHARYA Ontario Family Day, February 16
was a disaster for small business.
(Amitav Acharya is Professor of International Relations in The province suffered from
the School of International Service at the American University, headline overkill.
Washington, DC, and a Senior Fellow of APF Canada.) Yet that same day and the day
after, television showed hordes
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s decision to make Asia (yes, hordes) of families visiting
her first overseas destination after taking office was not just an act the Toronto Zoo, the ROM, the
of symbolism. It also holds important policy implications for Asia Science Centre and other places of
-- and for Canada. interest. It was quite obvious that
The new US focus on Asia is not without significant challenges. Family Day was a hit.
For the US, it is the implication of the global financial crisis. For ***
Canada, it is in overcoming years of neglect if it wants to keep pace Let us not forget that Family
with the renewed US emphasis on Asia. Day was conceived out of a wish
Asia a solution to global economic crisis expressed across Canada that there
The past year has shown that while Asia is not immune to the fi- should be a statutory midwinter
nancial crisis, this is clearly not an ‘Asian crisis’ nor an ‘Asian con- holiday.
tagion.’ Asia is much more a part of the solution than the problem. The obvious date would have
Unlike the 1997 financial crisis, which started in Thailand and been February 15, the anniversary
remained largely confined to Asia, the financial meltdown in 2008 of the raising of our own flag in
began in the US and engulfed Asian nations, some more so than 1965. But according to Heritage
others. Canada, there were too many
There are indications that Asian victims of the contagion may obstacles to such a national
be doing better than the West, and better than they did during the holiday.
1997 crisis. Ironically, as some Asian commentators have pointed One can scarcely blame Dalton
out, Asia learned the lessons of the 1997 crisis while the West had McGuinty for making a midwinter
forgotten to apply them itself. holiday -- an Ontario election issue
Moreover, Asia is moving to expand its system of currency at a time when the follies of the
swaps regionwide, with a total commitment of US$120 billion. Bush administration had not been
There is some irony in this, as Washington vetoed the idea of an fully revealed and the debt crisis
Asian Monetary Fund mooted by Japan in the aftermath of the 1997 had not yet threatened the economy
Asian financial crisis, not to mention its earlier opposition to an of the whole world.
East Asian Economic Caucus mooted by former Malaysian Prime
Minister Mahathir Mohamad. It takes time to develop
North Korean nuclear disarmament something of quality.
North Korea poses a renewed challenge to the US, especially
in light of its threat to retaliate against the halt to unconditional
This is true with almost
anything worth having or doing.
aid from the South, including the threat to carry out a ‘satellite Cooking a tasty dish or raising
launch.’ a successful child (and here I
Whether it will lead to the unravelling of the nuclear agreement have to say that the definition
painstakingly worked through the multilateral six-party talks re- of success for our children is as
mains to be seen, but there is little question that dealing with North varied as there are parents – but
Korea will remain a major challenge for the Obama administration, that’s another column), these take
which will be hard pressed to preserve the one major foreign policy
triumph of its predecessor.
time, care and attention.
There are no magic shortcuts.
Despite the multilateral umbrella of the six-party talks, the Bush The things we do in our daily
administration’s direct dealings with North Korea left key allies like lives tend to be mundane and
Japan and South Korea uncomfortable, raising concerns there and difficult to measure.
elsewhere in Asia that the US might have sacrificed the objective The pace of their progress is
of North Korean disarmament in order to contain and manage the slow and incremental.
North Korean nuclear proliferation. So it’s no surprise that we are
Reversing this perception will consume some energy of the often frustrated when we take a
Obama administration. snapshot of our situation and feel
Security alliance like we are getting nowhere.
One ostensible purpose of Obama’s Asia policy is to reaffirm This is especially true in
the US alliance relationships in Asia. today’s digital world.
In the past, this would have meant its security ties with Japan, Over the past few decades
South Korea, Thailand, the Philippines and Australia. we have been conditioned by our
But the US alliance relationships in the region are in a state of environment to want quick easy
flux. Some allies are becoming more important than others and new solutions for all our problems.
strategic relationships are being forged. TV conditioned us to be
Clinton’s visit to Indonesia was largely a symbolic but fitting intolerant (and in some ways
recognition of the progress achieved by the largest Muslim nation suspicious) of any solution that
and the largest Muslim democracy in the world. took a long time.
Indonesia has defied dire predictions by Western analysts (and It shortened our attention span
some Asian neighbours like Singapore) not so long ago about an and focused us inward.
imminent collapse. Now the Internet has taken our
It has consolidated its democracy, found a peaceful settlement impatience (and self absorption)
to the Aceh separatist movement, and also managed its economy to a new level.
creditably. We expect instant customized
The Clinton visit came in the wake of a steady revival of US- responses and our ability to focus
Indonesian security relations. on a task (or a relationship) for
US-Indonesia ties any length of time is becoming
Yet, the US courting of Jakarta is likely to cause discomfort in more difficult.
(To page 14) Even our language has evolved
MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009
BEN VICCARI
We may be sure that Premier
Mc Guinty will take steps to avoid
further suffering on the part of
small business proprietors, but
it would be sheer madness to
throw the baby out with the bath
water and cancel the celebration,
so long coveted by a nation and
finally activated by a government
that believed at least, Ontarians
deserved it.
***
Since last month, when
I announced the founding of
Losode, a non-profit web site, my
colleagues and I have uncovered a
number of interesting facts about
the availability of low sodium and
no sodium foods in Canada.
If you’re interested in a
balanced diet that looks seriously
at the presence of salt in what we
eat and drink and considers the
advice of many medical experts
that an excessive intake of salt
can lead to cardiac problems,
especially strokes, please feel free
to check out our web site at http://
www.losode.com/
***
When I’m in between books
scheduled to be read for their
serious content or as mere time-
wasters, I frequently turn to two
tattered paperback anthologies of
Our Journey
Kissing frogs and success
to reflect our impatience: LOL,
HRU, OIC, IMHO, BRB.
Just have a look at your child’s
IM conversation and it’s like
reading a foreign language.
Robert was on his way to
building a successful cleaning
business.
One client at a time. But it was
taking time.
He started the business in
January 2008 with a couple of
clients and made barely enough to
cover his family’s needs.
He, like all of us, had big
dreams and ambitions.
He saw a real need in Toronto
and an even bigger need out west
where things are booming. And he
is right.
But Robert made some
mistakes.
His first (and I think his most
serious) was impatience.
My advice to him at the time
was build your business slowly
one small client at a time.
Knock on doors (literally) and
ask for their business. This takes
time.
9
writings by Alexander Woollcott,
chronicler of his times - the 30s
and early 40s – and also raconteur
of times and crimes of an earlier
past.
The books are While Rome
Burns, published in 1933, and
Long, Long Ago, published
posthumously in 1943.
This last reading, Woollcott
turned me on to two great movies
which fortunately I possess on
DVD: Noel Coward’s World War
II sea epic and Hitchcock’s The
Lady Vanishes.
The first piece was a paean
of praise for In Which We Serve,
which was the story of a destroyer
and its dedicated captain, written
and played by Coward.
The astonishing Coward and
co-director David Lean brought
me back to those wartime days
and the combination of comedy
and tragedy experienced by those
at home and those in the fighting
forces and made us all part of
the same effort to survive and
conquer.
The second was that time
honored legend of a young
woman’s mother disappearing
without a trace during the World
Exposition in Paris.
We jump several decades to
Ethel Lina White’s novel The
Wheel Spins, which, as a film,
became one of Hitchcock’s finest
comedy dramas with an elderly
woman disappearing on board a
train in Europe and the efforts of a
young Englishwoman to prove her
existence. It’s entirely possible that
Ms. White had read Woollcott’s
story.
(To page 14)
EVA AGPAOA
A friend of mine has a saying:
You have to kiss a lot of frogs
before you find your prince.
When things didn’t pick up
immediately, Robert began to get
frustrated.
Rather than double his effort
(and kiss more frogs), his tactics
became focused on finding the
“big” deal.
This, in his opinion, would
resolve everything.
So he turned his attention to
landing big accounts and ignored
the smaller easier deals.
One of the challenges of
landing a large deal is that the
big players typically want to
do business with established
companies.
One of the reasons is references.
If you approach a small business
owner, she is more likely to take a
chance on an unknown.
If you approach IBM, their
appetite for risk is much lower.
Their wrong decisions have
much larger consequences than a
small business owner.
(To page 16)
10 MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009
Metallic thuds. Blinding
flashes. Piercing blasts. A
moment’s panic. Subdued
pleas. Death.
On Feb. 25, 1980 in
Cotabato City - at the edge
of a sunset when the night
sky started to dim and stars
peeked and teased for a fer-
vent wish, three grenade
blasts broke the promise
of a peaceful dusk and in-
stantly claimed two lives,
ripped the bodies of two
young girls beyond help
and scarred, if not maimed,
70 others.
Separately but almost
simultaneously, three men
each lobbed a fragmentation
grenade in three sections of
the city where many people
milled and stayed for cooler
air after a day’s survival.
One of the grenades ex-
ploded at the half-packed
orchestra section of the
Yusingco Theater near the
city’s waterfront; another
in front of Sanitary Barber
Shop at the southeast corner
of the city plaza; and the
last, at the jeepney waiting
area along the city’s main
thoroughfare Sinsuat Ave.
fronting city hall.
*****
Panting heavily, Jimmy
Deboma rushed into the
glass doors of Radio Sta-
tion DXMS and broke out
The 3rd Eye
Art of contentment
Less or
more?
These
are the two
opposing
words that
often cloud
our thoughts
when caught
between
greed and
need.
More is
the side of
the scale that
can outweigh
logic, when our selfish
motives fail to recognize the
thin line that divides excess
from enough.
How much is more?
How little is less?
We all know the
answers but we allow our
wisdom to be absorbed by
consumerism and other
self-serving reasons.
We are trapped by the
lure of pointless acquisition
and its promise of false
happiness.
And in the process, we
get disconnected from other
more important issues in
the ugly piece of news to
me and Roy Sinfuego, a
defense reporter of Manila
Bulletin visiting the city.
“Tatlong granada ... sa
plaza ... Yusingco ... may
patay ... maraming sugatan
(three grenades ... at the pla-
za and Yusingco ... someone
killed ... scores wounded),”
Jimmy stuttered.
(Jimmy was my teletype
operator at the Philippines
News Agency Cotabato,
opened by PNA senior re-
porter Lito Catapusan some
seven weeks past. I was its
bureau chief until 1990.)
“Pare, pang-headline
ito. Trabaho tayo (Buddy,
this is headline material.
Let’s go to work),” Roy
told me, stopping any con-
tinuation of the small talk
we were having at DXMS
where PNA’s small office
was located under an ex-
change deal.
As we geared up for
the job ahead, we agreed to
work as a team and share
every piece of information
we could dig our pens into.
It was mid 6 and 7 p.m.
We had to work fast to get
an accurate account of the
story across to Manila Bul-
letin and PNA newswire
clients.
We knew we only had
until 9 p.m. to do that, be-
MARIO DIMAIN
our lives.
Interestingly, a classic
example is our feet.
We are born with a pair.
One is left and the other is
right.
How many shoes can
they wear, each time they
take us out for a walk?
Common sense tells us
that two is the norm.
But there is a woman in
Asia whose outlandish taste
for luxury re-defined the
word “excess” with a super
extravagant twist.
She shocked the whole
world with her nearly three
Omerta
BUTCH GALICIA
Helpless bystander
fore editors put their news-
paper editions to bed.
*****
Late that aft, Jennifer
Rodriguez, 11, went with
her cousin, Virginia Dimaa-
no, 15, to the city plaza.
They had to. Vending
balut (steamed duck eggs)
had been their family’s
source of living as far back
as they knew.
They took their posts
near the queue of jeepneys
waiting to be filled by peak-
hour commuters, about 15
feet from the corner of Sin-
suat Ave. and Almonte St.
Jennifer and Virginia
hoped to raise enough mon-
ey to buy part of the regular
meager provisions of their
joint households.
Before dusk, Maguid
Alilaya, 28, went to a com-
ics stand near the Sanitary
Barber Shop to read and re-
thousand pairs of shoes
that can confuse even the
longest centipede.
Have we forgotten to be
satisfied?
We need to be reminded
every now and then, that it
is still humanly possible to
stay with the basics and be
content with what have.
We need to learn the art
of contentment.
The art of contentment?
Is there
such an art?
Y e s ,
surprisingly,
there is.
A family
of robins
that were
nested on a
plum tree in
my backyard
last summer
gave me a
crash course
on the sub-
ject.
It was a case of Mother
Nature presenting an
amazing show-and-tell.
The robins’ interesting
behavior had me riveted
for hours, prompting me to
take notes in the three days
that I observed their daily
routine.
The strings of move-
ments were well timed and
swift.
Every morning, the
parent robins would take
turns flying out of the nest
to gather worms and insects
for their young while the
(To page 15)
VIEWS
lax away his time.
He was on his way to
finishing his third comic
book when ...
About 300 meters away
inside the Yusingco The-
ater, a Notre Dame Univer-
sity student was enjoying a
movie with his girlfriend.
They had classes that
night, but thought of skip-
ping these for a date. It was
in the middle of the movie
when ...
*****
Roy and Jimmy hit the
phones to get some fast
answers from the police,
hospitals and clinics. At the
same time, they picked facts
from DXMS live feeds from
its staffers.
Meanwhile, I sat before
our antiquated M15 tele-
type machine and rattled off
my news bulletin to PNA
Manila in similar lines as
The latest fad in
motivation is the Law of
Attraction or more popularly
The Secret after the motion
picture and book by Rhonda
Byrne. The idea being that
if you use the power of
The Secret you will attract
health, wealth and friends
to you in abundance.
The Secret takes an old
idea and repackages it for
our today’s society.
The core idea is that
your thoughts control the
world around you.
If you have positive
thoughts, good things come
your way.
If you have negative
thoughts then bad things
come your way.
In other words, if you
wish hard enough for the
things you want -- you will
get them.
Simple. Or is it?
If it were simple, then
countless people throughout
history would have figured
it out over and over, and
it would not be much of a
secret.
Perhaps it takes a little
more effort than suggested
– or perhaps it is just a pipe
dream.
We, as modern educated
people, need more proof.
In order to make it
palatable to the skeptic
in us, The Secret adds an
element of science.
We are told that quantum
physics has identified that
all things at the sub-atomic
level exist as both particles
an excited Jimmy intoned:
COTABATO CITY, Feb.
25 (PNA) -- Three grenade
explosions rocked different
parts of the city at dusk to-
day, killing at least two and
wounding scores, two of
them seriously.
Police believed the
bombings at the plaza and
inside a theater were the
work of terrorists. (PNA)
PNA Manila desk edi-
tors burned my reply-back
telex machine with requests
for periodic follow-up re-
ports, fodder for national
radio and television.
*****
One of the grenades ex-
ploded inches away from
Jennifer and Virginia. The
impact of the blast could
have killed them instantly.
But despite mangled
and bloodied bodies that
caught deadly shrapnel,
both hanged on to dear life.
Jennifer was brought
to the City General Hospi-
tal about 120 meters away;
Virginia, to the Cotabato
Regional Hospital about a
kilometer away.
The other grenade blast
happened quite far from
Maguid, but grenade frag-
ments reached and hit one
of his legs.
Maguid felt lucky to be
seated with crossed legs, or
The
Un-Comfort
Zone
with ROBERT WILSON
The Secret for
people who don’t
believe in voodoo
and as waves – constantly
shifting between being
solid matter and being pure
energy.
It is then proposed
that our thoughts create
brain waves which in
turn influence the sub-
atomic waves of the entire
universe.
The Secret claims that
the more intent you are in
your wish the faster the
universe will act upon it.
Is it real, or is it VooDoo.
science? If real, it sounds
wonderful!
Now, if I understand
correctly, if I wish real hard
I can become a concert
pianist and play to a sold out
audience in Carnegie Hall?
I only see one hitch: I’ve
never had a piano lesson in
my life.
The Secret also presents
the Law of Attraction as if it
had been intentionally kept
hidden for centuries.That it
was suppressed and held by
both his legs would have
been wounded. He was able
to hop to the nearby City
General Hospital.
The third grenade went
off very far from the stu-
dents, who were shielded
by the row of movie seats
from shrapnel.
Like the rest, they scam-
pered out of the theater,
nursing the trauma of near
injury or death. They both
went to school and attended
classes, with a terrifying
tale to tell their mates.
*****
Shortly before 9 p.m.,
I, Roy and Jimmy got our
facts together and wrote our
reports on the bombings.
After transmitting our
stories, we decided to go
out for follow-ups.
Roy went to interview
Constabulary commander
Major Brassim Mamalinta,
while I went to the City
General Hospital to get the
tales of the wounded.
Jimmy had to stay to re-
ceive any possible field re-
port from me and to attend
to any official eventuality.
*****
At the hospital about
three hours after the blasts,
Jennifer was unconscious
but continued to breath.
I watched while an op-
(To page 30)
a few conspirators so that
they could control all the
wealth of the world.
Unfortunately, that
notion is nothing other than
a marketing ploy to generate
interest in the book.
It also contradicts
the concept of Law of
Attraction.
The idea that a select
group of people have kept
it away from the masses
intentionally preys on the
destructively negative
emotion of envy.
To the contrary, people
who have understood the
Law of Attraction have
made numerous attempts at
sharing it with the world at
large.
The best example is
Andrew Carnegie, who was
one of the most successful
so-called “Robber Barons”
of the Industrial Age.
Carnegie hired
Napoleon Hill to research
(To page 15)

Where many school
children will forget the date
when Ferdinand Magellan
“discovered” the Philippines
from text books, thanks to
Yoyoy Villame, students
of the Martial Law era will
remember it to be March
16, 1521.
The late King of Novelty
Music, in characteristic
broken English, comically
described how Magellan
and crew were “sailing day
and night, across the big
ocean, until they saw small
Limasawa Island…”
It was actually the
outline of Samar Island that
the crew first saw on that
day, the ennui and fatigue
of trans-ocean travel erased
from their faces when the
watch of the day shouted
“tierra”, “tierra”, “tierra”.
Not that Samar was
the first landfall Magellan
made since the Armada de
Molucca left the shores of
San Lucar de Barrameda
in Spain on September 20,
1519 to head out to the
Atlantic Ocean.
Magellan had delivered
his crew from hostile
South American natives
and the treacherous waters
of Patagonia and what is
now known as the Strait
of Magellan out into what
eventually came to be known
as the Pacific Ocean.
VIEWS
Combining myth,
science, and personal grit,
Magellan had maintained a
water passageway existed
at the end of the American
landmass, the westerly
route to the coveted Spice
Islands.
Magellan had to take
this route not only to prove
his theory that the earth
was round (arrive in the
east by travelling west) but
also because of the terms
of the Treaty of Tordesillas
that divided the world into
Portuguese and Spanish
spheres.
The treaty provided that
all lands that lay east of the
Atlantic Ocean (Cape Verde)
belonged to Portugal, and
west of it to Spain.
Technically, both the
Philippines and Moluccas,
the Spice Islands, fell within
Portuguese territory.
Guam was the armada’s
first major landfall, a very
significant one considering
that it had been more than
three months since it left
the strait with no land in
sight for them to obtain
provisions.
Their numbers had been
greatly decimated by then,
thanks to scurvy, mutinies
(one ship returned to Spain),
and hunger.
It was in the Philippines
where Antonio Pigafetta,
Perspective
RICARDO J.S. CALUEN
March - A month of
discovery
the Venetian chronicler and
diplomat, noted the greatest
hospitality that the crew
experienced from since
leaving Spain.
It was also in this
country where Magellan
lost his life in the famous
Battle of Mactan, depriving
himself of the glory and
honors that were heaped
upon Sebastian El Cano,
the Basque mariner who
presented himself to King
Charles as the first man to
circumnavigate the world
by bringing back Victoria
and its cargo of cloves the
18 survivors.
These are but a few
details from the book Over
the Edge of the World written
by Laurence Bergreen.
Published in 2002,
it is the latest in the
historiography of Magellan
and the Age of Discovery.
This is a must-read
for the serious student of
History or the casual reader
interested in a thoroughly
absorbing read.
What I like about
Bergreen is his evenhanded
approach in writing about
the era known as the Age of
Discovery.
He makes very special
mention of the fact that the
Europeans did not really
discover the Philippines, or
Asia for that matter.
Ample pages are
devoted to the degree of
civilization Philippine
natives had achieved at the
point of contact with the
Europeans.
I used to tell my
students in History class
that Magellan did not
discover the Philippines,
that discovery is a western
notion.
Let me digress a little.
Early this month, a group of
MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009
Filipino-Canadian students
organized a forum of sorts
billed as The State of the
Filipino Union (SOFU).
It was held at the
University of Toronto and
attended by an impressive
number of students and
community members who
filled the auditorium.
Based on the title of the
activity, I had expected the
tired subject of “Filipino
disunity” (regionalism, or
what-not) to be the issue of
the day.
With one of the prime
organizers harping on
the need for the Filipino
community to forge what
he called a “functional
solidarity”, I thought the
forum was well on its way
to addressing the issue of
factionalism within Filipino
associations, the social
divide between FOBS and
bacons, or the gap between
the first generation (with
their heavy Pinoy accents
and all that is embarrassing
about Filipino parents) and
the second generation (and
their confused sense of
identity).
I really wanted to know
what parameters define
“functional solidarity”.
Instead, much of the
evening was spent listening
to oldtimers recall their
early years in Canada
11
and their experiences
of discrimination, etc.,
something that is staple
in newcomer orientation
sessions and in daily
conversations.
It was quite impressive
for the organizers to bring
together a number of
community leaders to share
their thoughts.
Well, with around a
dozen speakers allowed to
speak for only two minutes
each, there’s hardly enough
thought to go around and
comment about.
Maybe it was the format.
Or the sheer number of
speakers (there was another
dozen youths in another
panel).
But, for all these
observations, student leader
Mithi Esguerra rightfully
pointed out in her closing
remarks that this was only
the beginning.
It is nothing short of
remarkable for these young
Filipino-Canadians to
embark on their own voyage
of discovery by organizing
such gatherings, providing
the venue to discuss their
origins and sense of Filipino
identity.
My generation was
taught that Philippine
society is paternalistic.
We look up to our
(To page 30)
12 MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009 Feature
Traveling Europe on a bus and on
budget … it’s harder than you think
By ABIGAIL SANTOS, Hamilton, Ontario
One girl, 11 European Europe with a backpack for Liechtenstein?
countries, 22 days … sounds months on end (something There are some things
like a dream. Now, add one I’m sure I’ll do in the fu- I’d like to tell you that the
friend, one boyfriend, 47 ture), I chose to sign up for tour book didn’t mention.
other twenty-somethings in a Contiki Tour, a safe bet (Now, this isn’t an ad-
one sardine can of a bus = a and great way to “taste-test” vertisement for Contiki, and
Euro Trip to remember! Western Europe and what it it definitely isn’t a nega-
Last summer I was able has to offer. tive article against the tour
to experience a trip of a life- I, along with a girlfriend company. It is however,
time. A trip I’ve wanted to and my boyfriend, picked my hope that this will al-
do for over 8 years. A trip the European Experience low you to get a sense of
to Europe. Tour - 22 days exploring 11 what to expect on a trip like
Just like many young countries: England, France, this. I mean, if you are tak- THE UNITED KINGDOM’S STONEHENGE
twenty somethings who Monaco, Italy, Vatican City, ing that much time off work
have just finished school Germany, Austria, Liech- and spending so much mon- many, a campsite in Paris, some meals you have to pay Europe.
and are ready to explore the tenstein, Switzerland, The ey on it, you might as well and a hotel in Amsterdam), for; most lunches and a few I don’t need to say this
world, I knew what cities I Netherlands and Belgium. know all about it, right?) a chartered bus (a.k.a. your dinners here and there. but water and food are nec-
wanted to visit but had no Although there were What it included real home away from home. But instead of starving essary expenses, and you
idea where to begin when plenty of wonderful aspects In the brochure it was You spend more than 1/3 of and waiting for the next can spend over €100 easily
planning for a trip like this. to this trip; how many peo- classified as a budget tour, your time on the bus than on provided meal, there are on the three week tour.
So instead of trekking ple can say they lunched in but by the end of the three actual European soil), a tour plenty of cheap and deli- I should also make men-
weeks, budget was no lon- manager, a bus driver, and cious options around that tion that on a bus full of
ger the term to classify the the ability to SEE famous are big enough for you to young adults, there were
trip. Here’s why … landmarks. share with someone else. many a night where the
The European Experi- I say SEE because the And for those less ad- Contiki campgrounds bar
ence tour cost us $2,535 tour doesn’t include the en- venturous there are also was frequented, so if you
each (not including the trance fees to the attractions plenty of McDonald’s and drink, allot the money for
flight). It had 19 breakfasts, and historical landmarks. BK’s if you don’t want to it, because one can easily
1 lunch (since you’re explor- In other words, you can get veer away from Western spend their food money on
ing the city for the day you dropped off at the Eiffel cuisine. this nighttime activity.
might as well eat with and Tower but you can’t go to Also, be willing to spend Speaking of meals,
like the locals), 13 dinners, the top of it. a huge amount of money on when we first landed in
all accommodations (rang- What it didn’t include water … apparently tap wa- London, we decided to visit
IN MONACO ing from a hostel in Ger- As mentioned, there are ter doesn’t exist in Western (To page 13)

GENERAL DENTISTRY
Dr. Gilbert Chan
Dr. Daphne Chien
Dr. Janet Ho
Dr. Janet Wong
Dr. Michael Chin
 Feature MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009 13
Traveling Europe ...
(From page 12)

AMIT BHATIA
Credit Counsellor

IF
- All your income is going to pay bills.

- Everyday there is fight & argument at home.

- You can not pick your own phone out of fear.

- Creditors and collection agencies are calling you and they are
threatening to take legal action.
- Your salary is being garnished.

ONE SMALL MONTHLY PAYMENT FOR ALL YOUR DEBTS

THEN, WE CAN
- reduce your debts to less than half,

- stop the interest right away,

- save you from threatening phone calls,
PISA’S LEANING TOWER - bring back your stress free family life,

the local pub and as I saw the prices on the menu - stop the garnishment.
I thought they were similar to back home.
- And you will not lose your house and car.
Then I was quickly reminded that I needed
to convert the currencies and the 7 GBP for fish
and chips was in fact close to $14 Canadian.
After a few seconds of wondering why the HERE IS WHAT SOME SATISFIED CLIENTS HAVE TO SAY ..........
British pay so much to eat a tiny piece of fish en- “I had six credit cards and was ing with Mr. Amit Bhatia, I felt very in huge debt. Credit Manage-
grossed in two inches of butter, I had to stop and paying $550 per month. Bank relaxed and he reduced my $34,000 ment Services reduced my debts
say, “You’re in London, in an authentic English did not give me consolidation debts to just half. Amazing .......... which I am paying in interest-free
loan because I had bad credit. I can pick up my own phone now.” monthly installments now and I
pub having a traditional meal, when will you Then I met Mr. Amit Bhatia and M.M. can keep my car.” E.J.
have this experience again?” he reduced my loans and made
That’s when I told myself to stop converting one payment of just $200. I’ll be “After making us debt free, now Amit “My husband was so stressed
and just think of everything as being in Cana- debt free in 36 months. Credit Bhatia helped us getting the mort- with these credit card bills that
dian dollars. If you do this early, it will make Management Services is the best gage. We are happy to move to our once he forgot to stop at a red
things a lot easier. place to contact when you have a new house.” S.S. traffic signal. Fortunately no ac-
The tour also didn’t include the excursions money problem.” J.G. cident happened but I called
“I went back home to get married, Credit Management Services
Contiki offered. Tandem paragliding in Austria, “I was afraid to pick my own then I had to go again because my right away. Two weeks later my
a gondola ride in Venice, going to the Top of Eu- phone. I was so confused and mother got sick. Because of that I husband was back to stressfree
rope on the oldest cog railway in the world in stressed all the time that I didn’t had to borrow money from my credit life.” M.A.
Switzerland, along with many other excursions know what to do, but after meet- cards and also, I lost my job. I was
are at the expense of the participant.
It’s not like you have to participate in any of
these activities but again, you should ask your-
self, when will you ever get the chance to do
them in Europe again? CREDIT MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Tip: if you have to do something, go on the Call for a free and confidential consultation
first group dinner in Paris. It’s a great way to
meet the tourmates you’ll be spending 24/7 with
for the next three weeks.
Similarly, throughout your trip you will find
416-780-1020; 416-791-9292
the tour manager and bus driver trying to “sell” Head Office : 970 Lawrence Ave. West # 105 (Lawrence & Dufferin)
you everything Contiki. This can range from go- Toronto ON M6A3B6 (Located on the main floor in back of the building)
ing to a beer hall in Germany or a bar in Austria
that is only for Contiki tours.
Web : www.cmsgroup.ca
That means the people you meet are other 3 convenient locations - Toronto, Mississauga and Scarborough
tourists, not the locals you really want and
should be meeting. It was an accident, but a good accident for us. In addition, expect to work on the tour as a cookie or
Another tip: when in Munich, don’t pay for the extra One of my favorite moments during the tour was in dishie. While you arrive to your new accommodations in
excursion to the beer hall, it is overpriced and again only Paris. We had the choice of going back to the campsite each city you visit, your tour manager will let you know if
Contiki groups attend. Go to Hofbrauhaus for the real ex- with the bus at 8:00 p.m., but that was way too early to say you’re either going to prepare and serve the meals you have
perience. I’ve been to its Oktoberfest counterpart in Water- goodnight to the city of love, the city of lights. that night, or if you are going to clean up after everyone is
loo, but that definitely doesn’t compare to the real beer hall So my boyfriend and I decided that we would take a cab done eating.
that made Munich famous. back to camp after exploring Paris. You’ll be doing it with a few of your tourmates as well
Something important to know is that all the places you We roamed the streets taking in the most amazing sights. as some permanent Contiki staff that work at each site.
stay at are outside of the city you are visiting. We sat along the Seine River watching the lights reflect on Although this might sound funny to some, work while
For me this was the biggest disappointment of the tour the water, looking at the Eiffel Tower in all its glory, hear- on vacation, this undeniably offsets the cost of your tour. If
since it meant that the time we spent in the actual city was ing Parisians speak their romantic language while watching no one prepares the meal or cleans up after it, then Contiki
limited because the bus driver had to drive us back to our teenagers on a bridge having a midnight party. would need to hire more employees at each campsite and
hotel/hostel/campsite (which was almost always close to We probably could have stayed there forever, but left thus the cost of the tour would increase.
an hour away). only after the lights on the bridge beside us turned off. So being a cookie or dishie is a small, yet fun, price to
Now, as I look back on the trip, there was only one point Paying that €30 or more for the cab ride back to the pay. Don’t worry, you only have to do it once on the trip,
where our hotel was right smack dab in the middle of the campsite was nothing compared to what we saw, smelled, and some people might be lucky enough not to do it at all.
city we were visiting. experienced. Something else to expect is what we lovingly referred
This was in Lyon, France, a lovely little town just out- Therefore, if you really want to discover and know the to as the “Contiki cough”. Everyone, and I mean everyone,
side of Paris. But the only reason we were centrally located city you are in, you have to bring it upon yourself to do will catch a cold or get sick while on their vacation.
was because the chateau we were supposed to stay in was so, and if that means taking a taxi and paying that extra Long days of touring, early mornings and late nights
over booked by another tour. expense, then so be it. (To page 14)
14 MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009
Traveling Europe on a bus and on ...
(From page 13)
make it easy to get sick.
Bring Tylenol, cold and
sinus medication and loz-
enges.
Although Europe has
fine and abundant phar-
macies, you don’t want to
spend precious time looking
for them and you definitely
don’t want to spend your
money paying for meds.
So just bring some to
be safe, and when you’re
coughing up a lung, you’ll
thank me for having them.
Other important things
to expect on the tour that
are at no cost are: experi-
encing Europe and all it has
to offer, gaining memories
to last forever, meeting new
friends and maybe a special
someone.
Also, most importantly,
definitely do expect a trip
of a lifetime! The European
Experience was an amazing
trip, and it was more than I
could have ever hoped for.
Although there were
things here and there that
bothered me, but what va-
cation doesn’t?
Holmes ...
(From page 3)
region - composed of mem-
ber-nations Brunei Darus-
salam, Burma, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
the Philippines, Singapore,
Thailand and Vietnam.
Canada has been a dia-
logue partner of Asean for
more than 30 years.
Trade between Canada
and Asean members ex-
ceeded $13 billion in 2007.
In the same year, Ca-
nadian direct investment to
the region was nearly $7.7
billion. PR
New CIDA ...
(From page 3
Philippines in 2006 and
2007 totaled some $24.5
million.
Canada’s assistance to
the Philippines began after
the February 1986 People
Power Revolution, which
ousted the 20-year regime
of strongman President Fer-
dinand Marcos.
It took off as aid to re-
store democracy in the
country.
It has then evolved into
programs supporting peace
efforts, responsible gover-
nance and private sector de-
velopment. With PRs
TV ads reach far.
ADVERTISE with
Call 416-285-8583
EIFFEL TOWER
It was a great way to see
Europe for the first time.
So for those of you who
are considering taking a trip
like this, I hope that this ar-
Family Day 2009 a real hit
(From page 9)
Woollcott, in his time,
was a college graduate,
World War I soldier, colum-
nist, critic, broadcaster and
even an actor. He was a
member of the notorious
“Algonquin Round Table”
that gave the “Smart Set”
a literate and sophisticated
gloss.
He was far from shy
about mentioning his
presence at great events
and meeting famous and
infamous people but his
abounding curiosity and
sense of what made a good
story led him to profiling
some lesser known and even
obscure people.
There’s his account of
lunching with an aspiring
young unknown whose name
was Orson Welles soon to
electrify the airwaves with
a radio generated Martian
invasion.
And a long essay reveals
the essential goodness of
Jack Humphrey, cowboy,
roughneck, animal lover and
founder of the Seeing Eye
dog program for the blind.
The George Kaufman-
RP ties ...
(From page 3)
tion 1724 declaring the last
week of June of each year
as International Friendship
Week. The yearly celebra-
tion “shall ensure that all
countries enjoying diplo-
matic relations with the
Philippines are given a fair
and equal treatment in cel-
ebrating their respective
milestone years,” the proc-
lamation said.
This 2009, the Philip-
pines also recognizes its
60-year old ties with the
Republic of Korea, India,
Pakistan, Indonesia, Thai-
land and Turkey. PR
ticle gives you more insight
on Contiki, Europe and this
specific tour itself.
Bottomline
You have to expect to
spend, spend, spend!
The European Experi-
ence tour was supposed to
be a budget tour, and I sup-
pose it can be one if you
don’t visit any attractions,
if you don’t do any of the
extra excursions or buy sou-
venirs (but risk the wrath
of your family and friends
upon your return), or if you
don’t drink water or eat for
that matter, but what kind of
vacation would that be?
If you want to enjoy
your holiday, don’t worry
about every euro you spend
and be willing to let go on
the purse strings a little.
You’re in Europe, for
heaven’s sake! You made
it that far, and you know
what they say, “When in
Rome…”
Moss Hart comedy, The
Man Who Came to Dinner,
satirized a real character
while he was still alive with
Bearded Monty Wooley,
academic turned actor as
Sheridan Whiteside.
It was a hit on Broadway
and later became a top movie
with Wooley.
Although the part of
Sheridan Whiteside was
immortalized by Wooley,
Woollcott himself, far from
being offended by the satire
written by two Round Table
friends, basked in its glory by
actually playing Whiteside
in a road show tour.
These are what normally
would be “dipping into
volumes, but when I find
myself going after a certain
piece, I find myself reading
on and on.
Who can deny the
wayward genius of a man
who coined such phrases
as “His huff arrived and he
departed in it”; “There is no
such thing in anyone’s life
as an unimportant day.”;
“Germany was the cause of
Hitler as Much as Chicago is
responsible for The Chicago
Tribune.”
Thanks be for the
irreverent and stylish
Alexander Woollcott, who
died all too young at 56.
(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)
The U.S., Asia-Pacific Security, Canada
(From page 9)
its traditional treaty allies,
the Philippines and Thai-
land, both of which earned
‘Major Non-NATO Partner’
status for backing the Bush
administration’s war against
Iraq.
The concerns of these
two allies will be further
aggravated if Indonesia, the
largest regional power in
Southeast Asia, pursues --
as suggested by Indonesian
analyst Jusuf Wanandi -- a
leadership role in a ‘remod-
elling’ of the regional archi-
tecture of the Asia Pacific
region that bypasses Asean.
Clinton’s decision to
visit Indonesia was seen by
some in the Philippines as
a snub to Manila generally,
and President Arroyo per-
sonally.
But the US military is
deeply engaged in coun-
ter-terrorism training in the
Philippines, which it can-
not afford to abandon or
neglect.
The chances are that
left-wing politicians and
the Philippine Congress
will demand a scaling back
of security ties with the US
if Washington does not re-
ward Manila with summit-
level exchanges.
In so far as Thailand is
concerned, Clinton is likely
to visit the country in July
to attend the annual meet-
ings of Asean and the Asean
Regional Forum, although
this will be in a multilateral
context.
The US and Japan
The Obama administra-
tion has reaffirmed its secu-
rity ties with Japan.
Not only was Japan the
first stop on Clinton’s trip,
but Japanese Prime Minis-
ter Taro Aso, despite a pop-
ularity rating below 10 per-
cent and facing the distinct
prospect of leading the LDP
to electoral defeat for only
the second time in history,
also secured the distinction
of being the first foreign
leader to meet Obama in the
White House.
The US and China
Yet, the Obama admin-
istration has also reaffirmed
the importance of US-China
ties, dubbing it as the most
important bilateral relation-
ship in the world.
To be sure, the Obama
administration inherited a
healthy relationship with
China from its predecessor,
but from preliminary indi-
cations, it seems to be intent
on placing its relationship
with China on a new foot-
ing without appearing to
neglect Japan.
This requires an ex-
tremely delicate balancing
act, given emerging suspi-
cions in Tokyo about a clos-
er Sino-US relationship.
The US and India
India enjoys increasing-
ly close strategic ties with
the US, although New Del-
hi has disavowed any kind
of formal alliance directed
against China.
President Bush was im-
mensely popular in India,
an anomaly in a period of
growing anti-Americanism
in the world, because of his
support for the US-India
nuclear deal.
Although Clinton gave
India a miss, there is every
likelihood that President
Obama himself would visit
the country.
There is some fear in
New Delhi that a Democrat-
ic administration will take a
stricter approach to the US-
India nuclear deal (in terms
of monitoring), just as in
India (as well as through-
out Asia) there is concern
about renewed protectionist
sentiments traditionally as-
sociated with a Democratic
administration.
Moreover, New Delhi
firmly rejects any attempt to
make India part of the new
‘Afpak’ policy, which seeks
to deal with the problem of
terrorism and extremism in
Afghanistan and Pakistan
through a single frame-
work.
This was reflected in
New Delhi’s successful ef-
fort in lobbying against
including India in the man-
date of special envoy Rich-
ard Holbrooke.
Two other directions in
the Obama administration’s
Asia policy stand out.
The US and Asean
The first is that there is
likely to be a great com-
mitment to multilateralism.
Clinton is unlikely to miss
the annual gathering of
ASEAN foreign ministers
and its dialogue partners as
did her predecessor, Condo-
leezza Rice.
Already, Washington
has indicated its intention
to accede to Asean’s Treaty
of Amity and Cooperation,
following in the wake of all
other major powers, includ-
ing China, India, Russia,
France and Australia.
And Clinton’s visit to
the Asean Secretariat in
Jakarta was a powerful en-
dorsement of the new ad-
ministration’s recognition
of Asean and Asean-centred
East Asian and Asia Pacific
regionalism.
It now becomes more
plausible that the US will
seek membership in the
East Asian Summit, which
the Bush administration had
looked on with secret disfa-
vor while publicly feigning
disinterest.
And there are indica-
tions that the US will devote
greater attention and re-
sources to ARF particularly
with respect to transnational
security challenges.
The main challenge for
the US will be to deal with
renewed East Asian finan-
cial cooperation, which
threatens to diminish the
clout of US-controlled fi-
nancial mechanisms such as
the IMF.
Anti-Americanism
A second direction is a
conscious attempt to reverse
the tide of anti-American-
ism stirred up by the Bush
administration’s war on ter-
ror and its unilateralist ap-
proach to world affairs, par-
ticularly during its first term
in office.
Indonesia will provide a
key test of this approach.
If the reception of Mrs
Clinton is any indication,
there has been a good start
to restoring US standing in
this nation.
On the downside, how-
ever, is the likelihood that
the Clinton visit might have
ended the prospect of Indo-
nesia being the destination
of a presidential visit any-
time soon.
Whether and how soon
Obama reverses Asian
anti-Americanism will, of
course, depend on actions it
takes at the global level, in-
cluding its approach to the
war on terror, torture and
multilateralism.
Despite the declared
intention to close Guanta-
namo Bay, the US approach
to the war on terror may be
difficult to change.
Much will depend on
progress on the Palestinian
conflict, where a good start-
ing point must be the recog-
nition that lack of progress
on this issue is a worldwide
stimulus to terrorism and
extremism.
Canadian implication
It is clearly too early
to pass judgement on the
Obama administration’s ap-
proach to Asia, despite hav-
ing made a promising start
in dealing with the region.
But for Canada, one
clear implication stands
out: if the US is appearing
to take Asia more seriously,
can Canada afford to be left
behind?
Despite persisting
doubts about the viability of
an East Asian Community,
a recent survey of Asian
elite opinion by the Centre
for Strategic and Interna-
tional Studies in Washing-
ton found growing support
within Asia for the idea of a
regional community.
The new American sup-
port for Asian regional in-
stitutions such as Asean is
also a reminder of the need
for Canada to reverse its di-
minishing standing and role
in these institutions, a direct
result of years of neglect
of these institutions after
playing a major role in the
creation of Asia-Pacific Re-
gional Forum.
It is time for the Cana-
dian policy community to
debate the country’s role in
Asian regional institutions,
including seeking mem-
bership in the East Asian
Summit, especially if this
summit replaces APEC an-
nual summit as the region’s
highest level forum for dip-
lomatic interactions.
 COMMUNITY
Art of ...
(From page 10)
other stayed on guard to
protect the babies.
Food would arrive one
beak-full at time, no more
and no less than what was
needed for consumption.
The opened little beaks
of the baby robins receiving
the ration, guaranteed that
nothing went to waste.
Their easy way of life
was just as simple as the
nest, which was made
of grass and twigs that
perfectly conformed to
the specifications of the
architect Mother Nature.
The design was simple
but it clearly met the needs
of the birds.
And that easily
explained why there were
no visible attempts from the
robins to modify it.
Unlike most humans
who are hardly satisfied,
birds have no use for huge
and fancy homes.
They just wanted a
simple and happy life.
Their mastery of being
content is highly admirable
and a good lesson to all of
us.
The photo of the mother
robin feeding her babies
is one of the shots I took
during the watch-and-learn
session with the masters of
the art.
It also echoes a verse
from the gospel of Matthew
which reads: “Look at the
MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009 15 FMWF set on Aug. 14-16
Peers welcome Marshall McLuhan awardee Glenda Gloria The Filipinos Making A big part of the FMWF
Waves Festival (FMWF) will be a stunning showcase
promises to make a bigger of Philippine culture.
splash when it highlights An assortment of world-
anew Philippine arts, cul- class dance troupes, march-
ture, music, cuisine, crafts ing bands and live bands
and many more at the and an impressive array of
Yonge-Dundas Square from entertainment artists and ce-
Aug. 14 to 16. lebrities grace the event.
Hosted by Focus Philip- Singer search on
pines and Friends Cultural FMWF organizers have
Arts & Music, the festival is also launched Sing Galing,
open to the public for free. a Canadawide singing tal-
Organizers say the 3rd ent quest for individual and
FMWF focuses on trade, group performers of Filipi-
tourism and talent. no ancestry or affinity.
Major Philippine ex- Sing Galing categories
porters have joined in to include kids (7-12 years),
give Canadians an experi- teens (13-17 years) and
ence of Filipino products. adults (18-40 years).
Food booths will serve Winners will perform at
authentic Filipino cuisine. the festival.
FMWF will also feature Search coordinator Zena
cultural shows and concerts Zagala invites those inter-
Glenda Gloria, winner of the Canadian Embassy’s Annual Marshall McLu- from an array of talents and ested to visit www.filipin-
han Award for 2008 in the Philippines, was tendered a welcome dinner at visual art exhibits. osmakingwaves.com. PR
the Aristokrat Restaurant by the Philippine Press
Club-Ontario when she came to Toronto recently.
Glenda is the chief operating officer of the ABS-
CBN News Channel and managing editor of News-
INFINITY TRAVEL AND TOURS
break magazine. She is shown standing at center,
back row. Kneeling (from left) are Edwin Mercurio,
Dindo Orbeso, Ruben Cusipag, and Nestor Arella- -*/&0-2&1011 -*/&0-2&1+))
no. Standing (from left) are Tony Sicat, Ricky Cal-
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If we can only emulate and live a happier life.

FCMA, KCCC medical fair in the offing MENDOZA’S DEBT /

The Filipino Cana-
dian Medical Association
(FCMA) and the Kalayaan
Cultural Community Cen-
tre (KCCC) will conduct a
medical fair at the KCCC in
Mississauga on Sept. 13.
The fair, from 9 a.m. to
5 p.m., is geared on educat-
ing the public on health and
medicine.
Lecture topics include
The Secret for people who don’t ...
(From page 10)
the most successful people
in the world, how they got
that way, and then record
his findings in a book.
The book is Think
and Grow Rich and was
published in 1937.
The best thing about
Think and Grow Rich is that
it takes the mysticism out of
the Law of Attraction.
So, for those of you
who find wishing on a star
a bit difficult to swallow
as a method for acquiring
wealth, here is the real
secret:
Identify your goal. Make
addressing common medi-
cal conditions: detection,
prevention, treatment, and
health promotion.
Lectures will be in two
sessions: 10 a.m. to 12 noon
and 2 to 4 p.m.
Medical exhibits will
also be on display.
Para-medical associa-
tions of nurses, dentists,
pharmacists, and physio-
fruition. Draw it, illustrate
it, photograph it, then keep
it in front of you.
Revise your plan as your
knowledge grows.
Be open-minded to
opportunities that arise that
may deviate from your plan,
but still move you toward
your goal.
The world’s most
successful people were
extremely focused on
achieving one goal.
They focused to the
exclusion of everything
else including family,
friends, lovers, recreation,
therapists will join in to
give the event a lift.
Attendees are urged to
FINANCIAL CONSULTANT
bring medicines from home,
under advice of a qualified
pharmacist, for sorting in a
“brown bag” program. FINANCIAL PROBLEMS?
A fee of $10 will be
asked from each attendee
to cover medical fair costs,
CONSOLIDATE YOUR DEBTS
including light lunch and a
lecture kit. PR
WITHOUT INTEREST INTO ONE LOW
MONTHLY PAYMENT
(100% GUARANTEED)
positive minded people
attract more opportunities
to themselves because they
NO MATTER IF YOU ARE:
are so pleasant to deal with. UNEMPLOYED
The formula is simple, PENSIONER
but most of us compromise DIVORCED
our goals because we want
to enjoy a full balanced life.
STUDENT
A life filled with friends, DENIED BY THE BANK
family and good times. WORKING VISA
We focus on our goals OWN A BUSINESS/BUSINESS FAILURE
when time allows, and in OR ANY OTHER NUMBER OF REASONS
turn, our goals take much
longer to achieve.
The true secret is staying REBUILD YOUR CREDIT
focused on your goal.
Robert Evans Wilson, FOR FREE CONSULTATION
Jr. is a motivational DON’T HESITATE TO CALL AT:

Tel. (416) 742-8677

a written plan to acquire entertainment, vacations speaker and humorist.
that goal. and hobbies. He works with companies

(416) 457-4145
Work your plan Next, tell everyone you that want to be more
persistently. Give it your know about your goal. competitive and with
time, attention and energy. Spread the word, so people who want to think
The more time and that people who can assist like innovators. For more Evening and Weekend Appts. Available
effort you give, the quicker you are aware of your information on Robert’s
you will achieve it. intentions. programs please visit www.
Visualize it coming to I truly believe that jumpstartyourmeeting.com
Putting you into a better life!
16 MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009
Word Int’l
presents
cantata
Word International
Ministries, Ontario will
present its Easter cantata
Redemption: The Power of
the Cross, at Unit 18, 951
Wilson Ave. on April 12.
Admission is free.
Redemption is a praise
and worship celebration of
the power of Jesus Christ as
demonstrated in His resur-
rection.
It is a testimony of how
Jesus’s sacrifice more than
2,000 ago can still change
lives and destiny today.
It is also a timely re-
minder that even though life
is difficult and full of chal-
lenges, God is there to con-
tinuously love His flock and
is willing to help His people
though their trials. PR
TV ads reach far.
ADVERTISE with
Call 416-285-8583
COMMUNITY
UPAA sets council polls Kissing frogs and success
The University of the
Philippines Alumni As-
sociation (UPAA) has set
the election of its council
members during its General
Meeting at the YMCA, 20
Grosvenor St. on March 20
from 6 to 11 p.m.
UPAA president Noel
Cruz said the group’s mem-
bership and financial status
and future plans and activi-
ties would be announced
during the meeting.
As for UPAA’s ac-
complishments, Cruz said
members have been seeing
each other regularly during
the monthly Kapihan, and
fundraising activities.
He said UPAA is also
involved in a mentoring
program that has assisted
newcomer alumni in job
searches and networking.
Last year, UPAA tied
up with the Philippine Art-
ists Group and conducted a
www. FinancialProblem.ca
with credit cards and bank loans
Too many loans & credit cards?
Paying too much interest?
Afraid to pick up your own phone?
Looking for consolidation?
Please see page 13 for our detailed advertisement
CREDIT MANAGEMENT SERVICES
416-780-1020
Sketching of Life session.
The sketches were sold to
raise funds.
UPAA Toronto was rep-
resented by Mississauga
artist Romi MananQuil at
a solo art exhibit at the UP
College of Fine Arts, Dili-
man, Quezon City to mark
UP’s centennial.
Cruz led a UPAA del-
egation to the centennial
celebration, during which
UPAA presented a cheque
for the UP Professorial
Chair to UP president Emer-
linda Roman.
On its own, some 300
UPAA attended the UP Cen-
tennial Ball at the Marriott
Hotel with former president
Fidel Ramos as guest.
Cruz called on UPAA
members to show up, re-
join, exchange pleasantries
with fellow alumnus and
vote during the election.
ROSE TIJAM/PR
(From page 9)
Robert had no references
to show prospects. Though
if he’d invested his time and
accumulated a list of smaller
clients then he would have
had everything he needed to
go after the big deals.
Robert spent nearly
all his time chasing large
clients. Hopping from one
opportunity to the next.
The net result is that he
failed to get a single large
client. And he failed to
build a sustainable business
with the smaller clients.
True, individually, each
small client was not worth a
great deal.
But taken together, they
would have made Roberts
business successful.
I’ve lost touch with
Police host int’l
day to ‘end racism’
The Toronto Police
Service (TPS) Community
Mobilization Unit will host
the commemoration of the
8th Annual International
Day for the Elimination of
Racial Discrimination at
the main lobby of the TPS
headquarters on March 25
at 11 a.m.
A media invite said the
event would focus on the
youth and their perspec-
tive of what the day meant,
working towards a common
Robert over this past year.
But I understand that
he has all but given up his
dream of creating a cleaning
business and is chasing the
next big thing.
The point is that
anything worth having take
time and effort and there are
no shortcuts.
Talk to a successful
entrepreneur. She makes it
look easy.
But what she might not
tell you is that there were
many many years spent
with little or nothing as she
worked to build her business
one client at a time.
We only see the end
result. Also ask her how
many frogs she had to kiss.
info@thenannyexpert.com
goal.
End Racism, Embrace
Human Rights is the 2009
theme.
Dignitaries and com-
munity members will join
TPS Board Chair Alok
Mukherjee, police chief
William Blair and Canada’s
Olympic bronze medalist
and 100m hurdler Priscilla
Lopes-Schliep in celebrat-
ing the day.
The event will also fea-
ture cultural entertainment.
PCUAA suits
up for 8th
Summerfest
The Philippine Colleges
and Universities Alumni
Associations (PCUAA) is
gearing up for its 8th Sum-
merfest at the Mississauga
Valley Community Centre
Park on July 12 from 9 a.m.
to 9 p.m.
As in the past, hundreds
of graduates of at least 16
academic institutions in the
Philippines will wear their
school colors as they gather
to renew ties, share food,
and get involved in other
activities.
They are also expected
to compete in team sports
and fun games to bring
home the honor of bagging
the revolving trophy.
The University of the
Philippines Alumni Asso-
ciation won the over-all tro-
phy last year.
Event organizers said
the PCUAA had a success-
ful Awards Ceremony and
Dinner Dance on Jan. 31,
and raised funds to cover
picnic ground fees and oth-
er Summerfest costs.
They decided to waive
shared expenses.
They also called on of-
ficers of PCUAA member
school groups to help final-
ize the summerfest by at-
tending meetings at the Ka-
layaan Cultural Community
Centre on April 19, May 24
and June 21 from 2 to 4 p.m.
ROSE TIJAM/PR

Pillars to Obit: Consul Eloy Luis Bello

conduct free
info fair
The Pillars Cultural As-
sociation (PCA) will con-
duct its 2nd Annual Infor-
mation Fair at the Wellesley
Community Centre on
March 28, from 1 to 4 p.m.
The fair is open for all
and free of charge.
The PCA said govern-
ment and community-based
agency representatives
would provide information
on pension and benefits, el-
derly abuse, crime preven-
tion, safe medication, fall
prevention, and others.
Participating are the
Parkinson’s, Alzheimer,
Osteoporosis and Cancer
societies, Canadian Diabe-
tes Association, Sheena’s
Place Nutrition, Heart and
Stroke Foundation of Can-
ada, Spectrum Health Care,
Service Canada, Ontario
Seniors Secretariat, Parale-
gal Services, Toronto Police
Crime Prevention and many
more. PR
OTTAWA - The
Philippine Embassy
here has announced
the untimely demise
of 2nd Secretary and
Consul Eloy Luis B.
Bello, who succumbed
to subarachoid hemor-
rhage on Feb. 21.
Eloy Luis was born
on March 4, 1971 in
Quezon City.
A graduate of
Fordham University,
BELLO New York (B.S. Admi-
nistration), Eloy Luis
started his career with the Department of Foreign
Affairs in 1999 as Principal Assistant of the Office of
the Legal Assistant for Migrant Workers’ Affairs.
He held officer positions with the Office of American
Affairs and the Office of Personnel and Administrative
Services and became a fellow of the Japan Foundation
Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai, Tajiri-cho,
Sennan-gun, Osaka, before being assigned as an Officer
of the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to Vienna,
Austria.
He arrived in Ottawa on 2006 and assumed as 3rd
Secretary and Vice Consul. He was promoted to 2nd
Secretary on the same year.
Eloy Luis is survived by his father, Ambassador
Eloy Bello III and his mother, Maria Consuelo.

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J-students should not lose hope ...
(From page 8)
to our future in journalism.
I should mention that in
this class belonged Honey
Estaris (now Mrs. Johnny
Gahol – a former Philippine
military officer and a former
councillor in his native town
in Batangas), who lives in
Toronto with her family and
connected with Pidoy Pacis’
AC Tristar company.
I should also mention
that Honey, after graduation
from j-school, became the
executive assistant of Tony
Barreiro at the Kapisanan
ng mga Brodkasters sa
Pilipinas (The National
Association of Broadcasters
in the Philippines) – an
association which was
created to regulate the radio
and television media and
their personnel and a by-
product of martial law.
Professor del Rosario
gave us some ideas on how
to earn a living armed with
our baccalaureate degrees
in journalism, stressing that,
“Journalists are supposed
“Journalists are supposed to be universally-minded people. Don’t
be scared, basta huwag la’ng kayo tula ng tula, I assure you that
you’ll earn a living somehow. Reinvent yourselves!”
COMMUNITY
to be universally-minded
people,” and capping it up
with, “Don’t be scared, basta
huwag la’ng kayo tula ng
tula, I assure you that you’ll
earn a living somehow.
Reinvent yourselves!”
The second class that
evening was under Bert
Corvera – at that time, an
editorial consultant for the
Philippines News Agency
(PNA), and who later
became Manila Media
Monitor editor Butch
Galicia’s boss after the latter
joined the state-owned news
agency.
Bert counselled us: “If
you can’t find jobs within the
country, go find connections
and move elsewhere.”
Bert, then, came home to
the Philippines after a short
stint as editorial consultant
to a large Asia-circulated
weekly news magazine with
offices in Hongkong.
Bert also had previous
stints before this for two
or three years in editorial
- CESARIO DEL ROSARIO
executive positions based in
other major Asian cities.
Raising my hand, I
asked Bert: “How do you
easily find these jobs?”
He said through
connections, adding that,
“Connections are not bad
for as long as after you have
been placed there, you can
prove that you can tackle
the job.”
Two and half years later,
we graduated from j-school
– a time when the country
continued to be under
martial law and remained
so for another five years, for
a total of nine years.
Regardless of, most
of us got into journalism,
others in related fields,
such as public relations and
advertising.
A couple of us even
happened to be in the same
news organization: Jimmy
Montejo - who later became
an editor at Philippine Star
and also worked with editor
Butch at the PNA; Ador
MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009
“If you can’t find jobs within the country, go find
connections and move elsewhere. Connections are
not bad for as long as after you have been placed
there, you can prove that you can tackle the job.”
- BERT CORVERA
Dava (I don’t know where decided to come to Canada,
he is now); Linda Lacorte regardless of good careers
(now Mrs. Bong Lintag) and economic blessings
who later joined the PR we have been showered
Department of the Philippine by the good Lord in the
National Red Cross and Philippines, for the sake of
now based in BC with her our children’s future.
family and connected with When we came,
the Canadian Red Cross, recession has started to
and I got employment at cloud this country.
the News and Public Affairs Jobs became so scarce
Department of DWXB-FM two weeks after we landed,
Business News Radio. and when the Toronto Star’s
Others got hired in other headline on July 19 read,
industries but later given a “Govt admits Canada in
break in the advertising and recession”.
PR departments of the same It was seven months
companies which gave them later after landing in T.O.
their first job experiences. that I found my first job,
Starting Over connecting with Renato
In 1990, considering all ‘Bong’ Gratela – a product
the right reasons for having marketing manager in one of
done so, my wife, Gie, and I the leading pharmaceutical
companies in the Philippines
with whom I had occasion
working with for several
years, and who, in Toronto,
was instrumental to refer
me to his boss at the
city directory publishing
company – the jolly good
real estate agent Joe Nolasco
of Homelife Cimerman.
17
“So, you see, Kirk, as
Bert Corvera counselled
us, ‘Connections are not
bad for as long as you can
prove that you can tackle
the job’.”
While underpaid, Joe
appointed me a supervisor
of a section under his
department, and for which,
I deeply appreciated, saving
me from doing those odd
jobs that I was never used
to doing.
While I was at this, I
exerted all efforts to go back
to journalism and offered my
knowledge and experience
to the mainstream print and
broadcast media outlets in
the city – only to receive
as frequent as I sent my
covering letters and my
resume, rejection letters
stating that they were not
hiring and that they would
keep me in mind when an
opportunity arises.
From time to time,
Joe would bring me issues
of Filipino newspapers
whenever he, and his wife,
(To page 18)
18 COMMUNITY MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009 CALENDAR
► MARCH 20: Philippine Press Club-
Filipino book author Omidvar dwells on DiverseCity Ontario Celebrity Night, Casa Manila, 7
p.m.
cites harmonious in CEMA Speaker Series ► MARCH 20: University of the Philip-
pines Alumni Association General Meet-
growth of Ratna Omidvar, president of Maytree three years. ing, YMCA, 20 Grosvenor St., 6 p.m.
Foundation and the Greater Toronto Lead- Research shows that while the Greater ► MARCH 21, 22 and 29: Kababayan
RP-Canada ties ership Project of the Toronto City Summit Toronto Area is the most diverse region in Community Centre (KCC) Tax Informa-
Alliance, will introduce DiverseCity dur- Canada, its leadership is not reflective of tion Session and Clinic, Praise Chris-
By BEN VICCARI ing the Canadian Ethnic Media Association this reality. tian Family Church and KCC, 1 p.m.
A Filipino book author gave the story (CEMA) Speaker Series at the Majestic The Greater Toronto Leadership Project ► MARCH 22; APRIL 5, 19 & 26: Fili-
of the harmonious growth of relationships Board Room of OMNI TV on April 2. is working actively to address this through pino Centre Toronto Free Income Tax
between Canadians and newcomers from Omidvar will expound on how efforts distinct initiatives that will strengthen in- Preparation.
the Philippines – now Canada’s fourth are being made to transform Toronto’s lead- stitutions, expand networks and advance ► MARCH 26: Philippine Chamber of
largest immigrant group, when he spoke ership landscape by enabling a new group knowledge on the role of diversity in lead- Commerce Toronto Taxation Seminar
before members of the Canadian Ethnic of diverse leaders to emerge in the next ership. for Small Business.
Media Association (CEMA) – the premier ► MARCH 28: Kababayan Community
organization of print, radio, television J-students should not lose hope ... Centre Spring Dance, 20 West Lodge
and news media people from various (From page 17) Ave., Toronto, 6 p.m.
ethnocultural communities reflecting Ate Linda, would have a Area, in fact, ethnocultural the leadership then of its ► APRIL 4: Pangasinan Association of
Canada’s diversity on March 5, 2009. chance to shop at Filipino media appears to be president Ben Viccari Canada Spring Dance, Dufferin Clark
Forte Gerardo, stores in the city. thriving, according to a – whom Ontario Premier Community Centre.
author of Ka- When my pail of CBC Television news report Dalton Mc Guinty attributed ► APRIL 9 and 10: The Pillars Cultural
intindi’han (Mutual disappointments finally on March 6, 2009. to as the Dean of Ethnic Association Traditional Pabasa.
Understanding), was filled to the hilt, I said The story quoted a source Journalism. ► APRIL 11: Launch of Mikey Bustos’
used a number to myself: “Fine, these from the Canadian Ethnic “So, Kirk, I impart to CD in Sabado de Glorya Night, Rex
of compelling established media would Media Association (CEMA) you the same wisdom cited Saigon Buffet & Resto-Sheppard.
historical facts not give me a chance, so, I saying that “unlike TorStar, by one of my j-professors, ► APRIL 11: Extreme Heartthrobs Ca-
on how, since will create my own media.” CanWest and the CBC, the Cesario del Rosario: nadian Tour, Massey Hall.
the 1950s, sound Thus, was born Manila ethnocultural publications reinvent yourself if there ► APRIL 12: Word International Minis-
relationships have Media Monitor (for the are not struggling to find is need after you complete tries Ontario Easter Cantata Redemp-
developed between complete story on this advertising revenue. j-school. tion: The Power of the Cross, Unit 18,
Canadians and both transplanted Filipinos publication, visit www. The CEMA spokes- “Also, while it may 951 Wilson Ave., 10:30 a.m. and 3
and those who reside in that island nation. manilamediamonitor.com). person told CBC that the seem to you, Kirk, and all p.m.
Gerardo believed that these defined When we, academically ethnic media survives j-students that the present ► APRIL 18: Filipino Canadian Associ-
a role model for relationships between trained and experienced because outlets keep state of journalism is ation of Vaughan Spring Dinner-Dance,
diverse communities. people in the ethnocultural minimum staff, who regard bleak, an annual study of Garnet Williams Community Centre,
He said the mainstays of this relationship community media, were their work as a “labor of the industry, published on Vaughan City, 7 p.m.
have been a mutual understanding of each in the mainstream back in love”. March 15, 2009 by the ► APRIL 18: Ilocos Sur National High
other’s core values and economic success. our respective countries of When, during the 90s, ‘Project for Excellence School Alumni Canada-Ontario Spring
Gerardo cited that in 1996 there were origin, absent a chance to be ethnic media outlets were in Journalism’ in its sixth Dance, Our Lady of the Assumption
157,872 working Canadians of Filipino likewise in the established ignored, the situation has annual State of the News
origin and ten years later, 300,000 of the media here, we reinvented changed a lot by the onset Media survey suggests that A public service feature of the
estimated 400,000 in Canada now reside in ourselves. of Y2K; thanks to the all hope should not be lost.” Manila Media Monitor. Also visit
In the Greater Toronto work of CEMA through ace.alvarez@rogers.com pakulo.com.
(To page 30)

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
Western Union (2) Sabado de Glorya Night (22)
Dr. Evangeline M. Bernabe UMAC Toronto (23)
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Dr. Arla Rondilla Professional Neil Padilla Insurance Agency
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Dr. Albine A. Miciano Cosme- Lovely Travel and Tours (26) “Let your light shine before men in such a way
tic & General Dentistry (6) Dr. Bernarda Rosales that they may see your good works and glorify
Russell International (7) Verzonilla Family & your father who is in heaven.”
Kaakbay Financial Services Cosmetic Dentistry (27) MATTHEW 6:16
(11) LDV Computers (28)
Ellesmere-Kennedy Dental Liland Insurance Inc. (29)
Centre (12) Superb Travel Services (30)
Amit Bhatia Credit Manage- House For Rent (30)
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Timeless Images (16) Group (34)
in spreading the word of God.
Forex (17) Innovation Video/Photo (34)
Photographers for Christ (18) Wanted: Nanny (34)
Henderson Weekes (19) Fiesta Filipino (35) Listen to your hearts, the Holy Spirit is calling you.
Dr. Roslyn Sabilano Dentistry T.H.D. Consultants (35)
Professional Corp. (19) Seoul Driving School (35)
Clem Cabillan (20) Roadsport Honda (36)
areyouindebt.ca (20) Front Page Philippines (37)
Pilot Courier Canada (21) Perlas ng Silanganan (38) Pick up your camera and follow us.
Laguna Jewellers (21) Sega Productions, Inc. (39)
Kantor (22) Dr. Santiago & Associates
JC Eye Care (22) (40) PHOTOGRAPHERS FOR CHRIST
New Conservatory of Music Fairview Dental Centre (40)
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MARCH 2009 MANILA MEDIA MONITOR 19
20 MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009

12 YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE COMMUNITY

Your gateway to news and ads that matter

Home Paper of the 1999 Canadian Ethnic Journalists’ and Writers’ Club Winner for Best Editorial

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EAST YORK and SCARBOROUGH
Forex Parcel Delivery Inc.
UMAC Cargo
Home Karaoke
Liland Insurance
Laguna Jewellers
Dr. Arla A. Rondilla, DDS
Dr. Cheryle Dumasal
Dr. Evangeline M. Bernabe
Dr. Miriam B. Bernacer
Ellesmere Kennedy Dental
Centre
New Conservatory of Music
Superb Travel
New Look Beauty & Hair
Lounge
Tonnie Furto
Angel & Kiss Restaurant
Golden Valley’s Food Outlet
The Tropical Deli
Formula Honda
Action Honda
Roadsport Honda
DTD Door-to-Door
Gemini Exchange Int’l.
Barrio Fiesta
Casa Manila
Fiesta Filipino
Rico Restaurant
Esperanza Pancitan
Remely’s Restaurant
Baker Best
FV Foods
Kamalig Dine In/Take Out
Oriental Food Mart
Asian Market Place
Tindahan Pilipino
Incredible Discount
Charry’s Fine Food
Atin Ito Variety Store
Kenway Dental Care
Dr. Medina
Enriquez-Lazaro Dental
Clinic
121 Opticians
Pharmacita
Mekeni Restaurant
Mendoza Bakery
Gotohan-Coffee Inn
Jesse Jr. Take Out
Sally’s Philippine Cuisine
Visual Image
JDR-JACE Video Store
Bamboo Travel & Tour
Canadian Pure Water
Townshend College
Circuit Computer
Manila Cargo Express
Philippine Centre Ontario
Dr. Fel C. Nolasco
Dr. Antonio Bunzon

NORTH YORK and DOWNTOWN TORONTO

Philippine Consulate Filipino N Toronto Time Zone
LDV Computers Philippine Variety Yungib
Filipino Centre Toronto Manila Bay Mart Dr. Nestor Bobila
Delamarc Travel JLB Grocery Dr. Jorge M. Jose
Kaakbay Financial Services Pinoy Mart Dr. Salvador
Fairview Dental Centre PNB Remittance Co. Dr. Fernandez
Dr. Evangeline Bernabe iRemit Dr. Francisco Portugal
Dr. Albine Miciano Mabini Express Toronto Health School
Dr. Roslyn Sim-Sabilano Gemini Express Platinum Care
Dr. Victoria Santiago & Metro Remittance Osilla Institute
Associates Jolly Top Valerio Salon
Dr. Bernarda Rosales- Eat Bulaga Belle Optical
Verzonilla Cozy Corner i2i Optical
Cusina Restaurant Coco Banana Ortholine Salon
Atin Ito Variety Aristokrat Resto Kababayan
Asean Mart Angel Kiss Restaurant Trusty Travel
H&H Grocery Sampaguita Restaurant Reliable Cargo
Bernard Store Family Bakery Wilson Trading
Nepa SS Mart Pampagueña Manila Cinema
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Bulakeña Grocery Best Bakery SunBreeze Travel
DGA Filipino Store Daily Bread Philippine Tropical
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Dr. Victoria Santiago & Kalayaan Cultural CRD Institute
Associates Community Centre Gateway Centre
Aristokrat Karaoke Yuan Ming Dr. Christina Gamo
Restaurant Turo-Turo Dr. Solon Guzman
Ellen’s Place Sunmart Dr. Mabutol
Asian Flavours FV Sweets Dr. Gorospe
Feliciniana Restaurant Manila Bakery Dr. Annette Simbulan
Tres Marias Restaurant Something Sweet Orcel Store
Rendevouz Resto Oriental (China Town) Triple AAA
Sizzling Plate Restaurant Hing Grocery Dr. Coronel
Happy B-Day Cake HotStyle New Asia
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MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009 21
22 MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009

Mikey Bustos et. al. in Sabado de Glorya Night

(Story on page 35)

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 Community
MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009 23

Community media representatives join Dr. Francisco Portugal (4th from left,
standing) and other officers of the Canada Aid and Relief Project during the
project launch on March 14. Photo: ARIEL RAMOS

Canada aid, relief project takes off

(From page 5)
the Sheraton Parkway Hotel
on March 14.
In his speech, Portugal
talked about the social and
economic blessings Filipino
Canadians have, compared
to many families in the Phil-
ippines and other develop-
ing countries in the world.
“We who are here in
a very affluent nation like
Canada are very fortunate to
enjoy health care and social
safety nets that many con-
sider a birth right ... From
cradle to grave the govern-
ment will care for us.”
He added that many
who came to Canada seek-
ing better opportunities,
have become successful.
He lauded the “many
who have heeded the cry of
the poor” through donations
to World Vision or Doctors
Without Borders and those
who spearheaded medical
missions.
Helping ease poverty in
the Philippines by deliver-
ing health care services to
its needy but impoverished
communities is CARP’s
major goal, Portugal said.
CARP evolved from
medical and dental mis-
sions Portugal led in Purok
Maligaya, Antipolo City
and in Milaor, Camarines
Sur - the latter battered by a
strong typhoon - in the last
two years.
The missions led to the
establishment of the An-
tipolo City-based KMED
Klinik - under the auspices
of Kup Kop Kita Kabayan
(I’ll Take Care Of You,
Countryman) Foundation -
that offered primary health
care and lying in facilities
for normal pregnancies and
medical emergencies.
The KMED clinic oper-
ates 24/7 and is staffed by
qualified doctors, midwives
and nurses.
Portugal said the CARP
is funded by donations and
kept afloat by volunteers
from Canada and the U.S.
who look forward to reach-
ing out to other depressed
areas in the Philippines.
During the CARP
launching, Portugal led of-
ficials in presenting at least
$100,000 worth of dona-
tions in the form of cheques
and medical equipment.
“The soldiers who are
needed to fight this war on
poverty are never enough;
but together, we can do it,”
Portugal said. BG
24 MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009
TORONTO POLICE SERVICE
Spring Safety Tips
Spring-like weather is
near and it is a very good
time to remind family
members, especially young
people, of the importance of
personal safety during this
part of the year.
It is a time where
more people are outdoors
enjoying the sunshine and
more children can be seen
playing at local basketball
courts, playgrounds and
parks.
From Traffic Services
“There will be many
children enjoying the milder
temperatures, which means
more potential hazards on
and near our roads,” said
Traffic Services Sergeant
Tim Burrows.
“Everyone needs to
be prepared from a traffic
perspective,” Burrows said.
The easiest way to
prevent collisions and
reduce injuries is simple,
slow down.
According to Safe Kids
Canada, a child struck by
a car travelling at 50 km/h
has an 80 percent chance
of being killed, while that
same car travelling at 30
km/h results in a 95 percent
chance of survival.
Slowing down will
increase the ability to
perceive, identify and,
more importantly, react to
potential hazards.
“A child’s actions are
often not predictable and,
after a winter of being
slowed down by snow
and bulky clothing, the
newfound freedom of nice
weather could cause basic
safety strategies to have
become easily forgotten,”
Burrows said.
Motorists should
exercise extra caution and
always be alert at areas such
as school zones, parks, TTC
stops, tourist attractions,
libraries and community
centers.
During March Break,
Burrows said “all road
users should do their part to
ensure that everyone who
uses Toronto’s streets and
roadways has a safe and
pleasant week.”
“Drive, ride and walk
as if every child you see is
your own,” Burrows said.
From Marine Unit
The Marine Unit is
cautioning kids to stay clear
of lakes, rivers and streams,
as the rise in temperatures
means a rise in water
levels.
“Don’t go near water
unless you have to and
there is an adult around. It
can be very dangerous,”
said Marine Unit Constable
Gary Gibson.
Gibson said it is
especially important to
teach children about water
safety because they are
unaware of the risks and
dangers that could follow.
With 14 years experience
at the Marine Unit, he has
seen his fair share of water-
related tragedies, many of
which were preventable.
“There was one incident
where two young fellows
were playing on ice. One
fell through and the other
felt obligated to help. They
both died,” Gibson said.
“Those were two very
preventable deaths.” said
Gibson.
Gibson’s advice for
parents is to always be
within arm’s reach of their
children when playing in
the water.
The safety of all family
members during this time
GET FAST RESULTS
ADVERTISE
Call 416-285-8583
manilamediamonitor.com
3 in community among bets in
Top 25 Canadian Immigrants of 2009
Three members of the
Filipino community have
been selected among the
75 shortlisted finalists
in the Top 25 Canadian
Immigrants of 2009 Awards
program.
The three are:
► Ching Quejas,
who has received several
awards including the Queen
Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee
Gold Medal, Province
of Ontario Senior of the
Year, Walter P. Kohlmeier
Award and Senior Citizen
Outstanding Service Award
from the Peel Multicultural
Council.
She has also been
inducted into the Order of
Ontario.
► Rolando Cabrera,
who is the publisher
and editor of a biweekly
community newspaper,
which goal is to provide the
community with a means to
read about their loved ones,
their birth country and to
feel “at home” while away
from home.
► Elna von Dach,
of year is paramount to the
Toronto Police Service.
“Lets all do our part in
keeping our families safe
and away from harm,” urged
Toronto Police Service
community liaison officer
Constable Philip Mendoza.
For any questions, get
in touch with Mendoza
at 416-808-7071 or email
him at Philip.mendoza@
torontopolice.on.ca. PR
Community
VON DACH
who has volunteered at the
Multicultural Society of
Kelowna for many years.
She’s the founding
member of the Immigrant
Women’s International
Network of Kelowna, which
has expanded and is now
called the Inter-Cultural
Women’s Educational
Network (WEN).
WEN promotes the
advancement of female
education of children, young
adults and women who live
in poverty primarily outside
Canada.
Gerardo heads business council
International business
expert Forte Gerardo has
been elected president of
the Canada Philippines
Business Council (CPBC).
Elected with him are
Bill Pomfret, vice presi-
dent; Yuri Canete, secretary;
Camilo Tabalba, treasurer;
and directors-at-large Rey
Pagtakhan and Otch von
Finckenstein.
Ex-officio officers are
past president Alicia Nativi-
dad and special adviser El-
liott Tepper.
CPBC Board of Advis-
ers include ambassadors
Robert Desjardins and Jose
Brillantes, former ambassa-
dors John Treleaven, Peter
Sutherland and Robert Sim-
mons.
Gerardo said CPBC’s
first 2009-2010 Update and
QUEJAS
Presented by Canadian
Immigrant magazine in
association with RBC, the
national people’s choice
award seeks to uncover
and celebrate the untold
stories and remarkable
achievements of outstanding
Canadian immigrants.
Until March 31,
Canadians can go online at
www.canadianimmigrant.
ca/top25 to cast their vote
for their favorites.
All voters are
automatically entered to
win a $500 Visa gift card
Networking for Member-
ship and Trading would be
conducted at the Kalayaan
Cultural Community Cen-
tre on March 20, 12 noon to
3 p.m.
At the event, members
and guests would be up-
dated on the state and out-
look of Canada-Philippines
trade, on prospects for new
suppliers and agents in
the Greater Toronto Area
(GTA) and York Region
(YR), and on the promotion
of products, expertise and
skills.
The event also includes
a display of advertorial
materials on free table top
spaces as available; a forum
on the smarts of marketing
to Filipinos in Canada; and
the exchange of ideas on bi-
lateral trading.
CABRERA
issued by RBC.
The Top 25 winners
will be announced in May.
Winners will be recognized
in Canadian Immigrant
Magazine, as well as receive
a commemorative plaque
and a $250 donation toward
an authorized Canadian
charity of their choice.
The awards program
kicked off in November
2008 with a successful
call-for-nominations phase,
garnering hundreds of
submissions over a two-
month period. PR
Gerardo said the CPBC,
for the first time, is based in
the GTA and YR.
Most Canadian compa-
nies involved in trading and
investment in the Philip-
pines, as well as of business
units owned by Filipinos of
Canadian origin, are located
in Ontario, and largely in
the GTA and YR.
“CPBC is a nationwide
inclusive organization open
to and cooperative with cor-
porations, entrepreneurs,
professional practitioners,
skilled trade persons, asso-
ciations and other entities
interested to interact pro-
ductively in the economic
and cultural arena to expand
and to enhance the relations
between Canadians and the
Filipinos in the private sec-
tor area,” he added. PR
 the PHILIPPINES
Leaders: Close growth gaps, build Asean community
HUA HIN, Thailand
- Heads of state of member-
countries of the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations
(Asean) have vowed to push
mutual efforts to acceler-
ate the establishment of the
Asean Community in seven
years, by signing the Cha-
am Hua Hin Declaration on
the Roadmap for an Asean
Community (2009-2015).
The signing came at
the close of the 14th Asean
Summit of the Southeast
Like a good neighbour,
MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009 25
Heads of state of member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) form a markets, have adversely im-
chain during the opening ceremony of the 14th ASEAN Summit at the Dusit Thani Cha-am Hua Hin Ho- pacted trade and investment
tel in Phetchaburi, Thailand. Fourth from left is Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. (MAR- in the region.
CELINO PASCUA/OPS/NIB Photo) These developments
posed significant downside
Asian Nations (ASEAN) important task to ensure the operation, food and petro- the leaders noted that while risks to regional economic
here on March 1. benefits of Asean integra- leum security. Asean’s economic funda- growth, they said.
The declaration was pil- tion are fully realized.” Global crisis mentals remained sound as The Asean leaders:
lared on Asean’s political The leaders also signed The leaders agreed to a result of significant struc- ► Concurred on the
and security, economic and and adopted 24 Asean-relat- jointly deal with the world tural reforms made since need of proactive and de-
socio-cultural communities. ed documents since the start economic crisis, as the the 1997-98 Asian finan- cisive policy actions to re-
In the declaration, the of the summit on Feb. 26. global financial meltdown cial crisis, the deepening store market confidence and
Asean leaders said that The documents dwelt had increased impact on global economic downturn, ensure continued financial
“narrowing the develop- on trade and investment, Asean member-countries. coupled with heightened stability to push sustainable
ment gap shall remain an sub-regional economic co- In a press statement, risk aversion in financial (To page 30)
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26 TRAVEL & TOURISM MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009

March in Negros Occidental Pagcor erects

Bagong Nayon
Kisi-Kisi Festival: When leisure city

being fishy, crabby is nice

It is a pity that the ig-
norant and the uneducated
give the fish and the crab a
bad reputation, as when they
speak of “something fishy”
and “crab mentality”.
But in progressive Ilog
town in Negros Occidental,
being fishy and crabby in the
third week of March is part
of a celebration to honor the
town’s patron Señor Santo
Niño and to thank God for
a bountiful seafood harvest
reaped from Ilog River.
This is the time when
residents of Ilog (a vernacu-
lar that means river) go out
for a widely-participated
street dancing gig, as they
lay out seafood delicacies
for all to see and taste.
It is the time for the Kisi
Kisi Dance Festival.
The Kisi Kisi dance imi-
tates the flip-flopping and
twitching movements of
fish caught by a fisherman.
Performers don color-
ful costumes and headgears
resembling fish and other
aquatic creatures that have
abundantly filled many a
table in Ilog homes through
centuries past.
And every Kisi Kisi
dance is incomplete without
fishing props and adorn-
ments.
Ilog’s history
Beyond being religious
and cultural, the Kisi Kisi
Festival is an acclamation
of the town’s rich history.
Augustinian priests
Geronimo Marin and Fran-
cisco Bustos founded the
town on May 16, 1584. It
was the biggest settlement,
a commercial and political
center, in Negros Island dur-
ing the Spanish conquest.
The name Ilog was of-
fered by a Tagalog guide of
the Spaniards, as the place
was surrounded by the lon-
gest river in Negros – the
Ilog River.
In 1628, Ilog became
a garrison town for Ne-
gros. From 1632 to 1795, it
served as the capital of Ne-
gros Island and Siquijor.
Besides sourcing food
from Ilog River, residents
and settlers pursued diversi-
fied agricultural interests.
They grew rice, cacao,
tobacco and coconut. Fr.
Juan Avila set up a cacao
industry that could match
demand in the Philippines.
Trading went as far as
Spain and Mexico.
In 1727, Ilog was at-
tacked and conquered by
marauding Moros. The na-
tives regrouped, fought back
and regained the town.
Twice between 1751 and
1756, the Moros raided Ilog
anew; but in both attacks,
they were repelled by Ilo-
gnons led by parish priest,
Fr. Matias Guerrero.
In 1860 until 1889, Ilog
was at the height of its gran-
deur and glory.
During the Philippine
Revolution in 1826, the
Ilognons showed their defi-
ance to Spanish rule.
Ilog’s landmarks
Ilog is known for its
Dancalan cave system: the
Cueva Kabog, Cueva Tu-
big, and Cueva Intsik.
In the town is nestled
Mt. Kanlaoron, a cone-
shaped mountain with a
large cross at the peak.
Birdwatching and swim-
ming are enjoyable activi-
ties at the Andulauan Bird
Watching Sanctuary, the
home of migratory birds.
The Philippine Amuse-
ment and Gaming Corp.
(Pagcor) has started the con-
struction of the P25-billion
Las Vegas-styled Bagong
Nayon Entertainment City
in a 150-hectare lot along
Roxas Blvd. and Coastal
Road in Parañaque City.
Dodie King, Pagcor
vice president for corpo-
rate communications, said
Bagong Nayon is expected
to be a hub of entertainment
and tourism in Asia when it
starts operations in 2012.
King said the entertain-
ment city would deviate
from the notion that Pagcor
focused on casino gaming.
“The goal is to shift into
entertainment, because tour-
ism is now our approach,”
he said.
Pagcor has been devel-
oping entertainment Broad-
The annual Kisi Kisi Festival in Ilog, Negros Occidental is highlighted with a way-type musicals.
street dance parade wherein participating dance groups wear colorful cos- The magical show Wan-
tumes and headdresses (above are dancing crabs and below are gyrating ders will be Bagong Nay-
shrimps). The dancers also use fishing nets, poles and baskets for props. on’s initial offering, King
Kisi kisi refers to the way the fishes flip-flop and twitch as they are hauled said following the gala pre-
up a boat during a bountiful harvest. Before the dance parade, performers mier of Pagcor’s latest mu-
re-enact the legend of how town patron Señor Santo Niño twice delivered sical play Flow at the Pag-
Ilog villagers from plundering Moro raiders between 1751 and 1756. Photos cor theater.
of CHARLIE SINDIONG, www.pbase.com/wishland, used with permission. Flow involves cultural
performances from a cast
of 150 that included danc-
ers from Cuba and Chinese
acrobats.
Pagcor chairman Efraim
Genuino said three more
shows were in the pipeline.
Jobs, income
King said the entertain-
ment city is expected to
create over 250,000 jobs
during construction and op-
erations.
Bagong Nayon would
have hotels, convention
centers, theaters, sports are-
nas, restaurants, shopping
centers, cultural complexes,
museums and amusement
parks.
Pagcor expects to double
its income to about US$1.3
billion when Bagong Nayon
operates. PR
 The PHILIPPINES
Filipino Games medalists to
earn more than US athletes
CHICAGO - Filipino
athletes stand to earn more
cash incentives if they har-
vest medals in the 2012
London Olympics com-
pared to what members of
the United States track and
field team will get for the
same feat.
While the Philippine
government, with the help
of a giant telecommunica-
tion company, has pledged
to award cash prizes worth
P12 million (US$232,800),
P3 million (US$58,200)
and P1 million (US$19,400)
for gold, silver and bronze
medal winners, respec-
tively, the United States
Olympic Committee will
give only $25,000 (P1.175
million) for gold medalist,
$15,000 (P705,000) for sil-
ver medalist, and $10,000
(P470,000) for bronze med-
By ALEX P. VIDAL
alist in track and field.
However, USA Track
and Field chief executive
officer Doug Logan recom-
mended paying additional
$15,000 to those who will
achieve personal bests at
the Games and $5,000 to
those who will hit their high
mark of the season.
Logan wanted the US
track and field team to im-
prove from the 23 medals
it won in Beijing in Au-
gust 2008 to 30 at the 2012
Games in London.
The Associated Press
quoted Logan: “We have
to do more to support and
cultivate our talent, but it is
undoubtedly there.”
Logan also recommend-
ed shortening the trials for
the Games as ways of im-
proving the team’s results
after a disappointing effort
MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009 27
in the 2008 Beijing Olym-
pics.
This was his response
to an unflattering 69-degree
report issued last February
by a panel that examined
the federation’s problems
after the US won only seven
golds in Beijing.
He said the failures in
Beijing were not merely
aberrations but were proof
that validates “the unease
felt by many” in American
track and field.
Meanwhile, more wind-
falls await victorious Fili-
pino athletes - most particu-
larly amateur boxers - in
international competitions
aside from the World Sum-
mer Olympic Games.
These are: P2 million,
P1 million and P500,000
for gold, silver and bronze
(To page 30)

NEWS ROUNDUP
Albay: Suman, latik makers get P200K grant
STO. DOMINGO, Albay - Suman at latik makers in Barangay Fidel Surtida at the south-
ern tip of this town received a P200,000 government grant to boost much-needed capital
and spur production of their famous snack/dessert. Bicol labor and employment regional

Kalayaan Group holds more oil than Kuwait

director Ernesto Bihis said the grant was given to the Fidel Surtida Women Association
under the state agency’s Workers Income Augmentation Program that aimed to assist small
and medium enterprises in rural areas. PNA

Balanga City: Dogs have their day By ALEX VILLANUEVA JR.
BALANGA City, Bataan - Pet dogs, of pure breed and locals popularly called asong
PUERTO PRINCESA
kalye or askals, had their special day here on March 13, when they competed against each
CITY - The Kalayaan Is-
other for the title of being either the fattest, biggest, smallest, hairiest, most active or fastest
land Group (KIG) in Sprat-
eater in the Search for Asong Pinaka, an event to mark Rabies Awareness Month. The dogs
lys off the South China Sea
wore costumes and paraded before a panel of veterinarian-judges. Winners were crowned
is believed to be sitting on
and seated on thrones to watch a program prepared by their best friends, the humans. Two
top of what could be the
guest poodles did tricks and danced the waltz, cha-cha and tinikling in an entertainment
largest oil and natural gas
fare that awed the crowd that filled the city plaza fronting St. Joseph Cathedral. During the
deposits in the world, hold-
day, officials also led in the vaccination of dogs against rabies. PNA
ing large quantities of hy-
Basilan: US, RP troops in medical mission drocarbon concentrations.
It could ably generate
ZAMBOANGA CITY - At least 1,500 residents of eight far-flung villages in Sumisip and 17.1 billion barrels of oil,
Ungkaya Pukan towns in Basilan received basic medical services in a three-day mission more than Kuwait’s 13 bil-
conducted by the U.S. Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines and the Philippine lion barrels, China’s Minis-
Marine Battalion Landing Team-10. A total of 1,849 bottles of infant medicines, 296 boxes try of Geology and Mineral
of multi-vitamins for adults, and 888 boxes of basic adult medicines were provided to Resources reported.
beneficiaries in barangays Central Sumisip, Giyong, Manaul, Bacung, Sapah Bulak, and This was revealed by
Upper Cabengbeng, all in Sumisip; and barangays Amaloy and Balon in Unkaya Pukan. Jose Antonio Socrates, a
Officials said this is the first of a series of medical missions the joint US and Philippine known geologist here who
military teams will be conducting. PNA is consultant of Palawan on
maritime affairs.
Bulacan: Townfolk run vs. crimes Socrates, also a doctor
of orthopedics, is monitor-
GUIGUINTO, Bulacan - Mayor Isagani Pascual and town officials led hundreds of resi-
ing KIG and the Malam-
dents here in the weekly two-kilometer run against crime and drug abuse, the fifth leg of a
paya oil project in northern
provincewide campaign initiated by Bulacan police director Senior Superintendent Allen
Palawan.
Bantolo. Pascual said the run “is a convergence of efforts in crime prevention, particularly
The KIG is the subject
that which pertains to drugs.” Takbo Laban sa Krimen has earlier swept through the towns
of territorial claims by six
of Hagonoy, Paombong, Calumpit, the provincial capitol compound and Malolos City
Asian countries - the Philip-
since it began in January. Police Superintendent Manuel Lukban Jr. of the 305th Provin-
pines, Brunei, China, Ma-
cial Mobile Group said the response from the people of Bulacan to the program was very
laysia, Taiwan and Vietnam
encouraging. PNA
- in part or as a whole.
With the signing of
Davao Oriental: OPD for poor opens in Mati Presidential Decree 1596 in
MATI CITY, Davao Oriental - Governor Corazon Malanyaon led officials in opening 1978 by then President Fer-
the new P6.5 million fully-equipped outpatient department (OPD) complex of the Davao dinand Marcos, the territory
Oriental Provincial Hospital, built to serve constituents who could not afford private hos- was incorporated within
pital services. Malanyaon said the complex’s presence would stop the costly and time-con- the jurisdiction of Palawan
suming erstwhile exodus of indigent patients from Davao Oriental to Davao City where province to strengthen the
modern and bigger government and private hospitals are located. PNA Philippines’ claim over the
area.
All claimant countries
believe there are some 200
billion barrels of oil, natural
gas, minerals and polymet-
als — such as gold, silver,
iron and nickel — under the
sea surrounding the KIG.
One of the oil prospects
in the KIG is the Marantao
Petroleum Fields, located in
the South Palawan Shelf-
Reed Sedimentary Basin.
The Marantao prospect
is a carbonate build-up
(reef) interpreted to be at
least five times larger than
the Malampaya gas project.
The potential oil reserve
in Marantao - under Service
Contract 55 - is estimated at
one billion barrels.
Malampaya only has
about 2.5 million cubic feet
of natural gas reserves, and
85 million barrels of con-
densate that could provide
2,700 megawatts of electric-
ity to Luzon for 20 years.
Socrates said that aside
from Marantao, KIG could
be hosting other prospects
like Sirinao, Bajallanura,
and a string of other struc-
tures collectively known as
the Rizal Leads.
These structures, or ar-
eas where possible oil and
gas deposits can be located,
lie along the giant petroleum
fields offshore Borneo up to
Mindoro in the continental
shelf of the eastern coast of
the South China Sea.
Socrates reported that
that continental shelf of the
South China Sea has geo-
logical structures that can
trap oil in large quantities.
Meanwhile, Malampaya
is just one of many petro-
leum deposits of one vast
reservoir rock formation
offshore both east side and
west side of the province.
There are 15 service
contracts within Palawan
covering an area measuring
about 11.85 million hect-
ares.
Some of the service
contracts (SC) in Palawan
are: SC 50, which covers
128,000 hectares in North-
western Palawan; SC 55
covering 900,000 hectares
in West Palawan; SC 61
covering 1.3 million hect-
ares in northeastern Pala-
wan; SC 62 covering 1.3
million hectares in south-
eastern Palawan; SC 67 cov-
ering 648 million hectares
in eastern Palawan, SC 68
covering 983,000 hectares
in eastern Palawan; SC 59,
which covers 1.47 million
hectares in West Balabac in
southwestern Palawan; and
SC 63 covering one million
hectares in southwestern
Palawan. PNA
28 MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009
SC junks Manila law on
motel ‘short time’ rates
MANILA - The Su-
preme Court (SC) declared
as “unconstitutional” a Ma-
nila ordinance banning mo-
tel “short time” rates.
The SC said the local
law was similar to an earlier
one barring motel opera-
tions in the Ermita-Malate
area, which the SC junked.
City Ordinance 7774,
approved on Dec. 3, 1992,
prohibited all motels, ho-
tels, inns, lodging houses,
pension houses and other
similar establishments from
offering “short time” and
“wash up” rates to clients.
DFA sets Foreign Service Officer examinations
The Philippine Consul-
ate General in Toronto has
announced the schedule of
recruitment tests leading to
the position of foreign ser-
vice officer (FSO).
The qualifying test
would be on May 10. Ap-
plicants from North Amer-
ica could take this test at
the Philippine Embassy in
Washington D.C.
The preliminary inter-
view is on July 18 and 19,
the written test on July 22
to 24. However, these are
all tentative dates.
The interview and writ-
That time, Manila May-
or Alfredo Lim signed the
law to protect the people’s
interest and morality, espe-
cially that of the youth.
But Victoria Court and
Anito motel owners ques-
tioned the legality of the or-
dinance before the Court.
The SC said that while
the ordinance might have
aimed to stop the use of
“short time” rates for il-
legal sexual activities, the
ordinance also affected the
rights of legitimate spouses
and those of motel owners.
PNA
ten test would be given at
the Philippine Department
of Foreign Affairs (DFA)
main office in Pasay City.
Depending on qualify-
ing test results, the Board of
Foreign Service Examina-
tions (BFSE) shall decide on
whether interviews would
be conducted in testing cen-
ters in Cebu, Davao, Iloilo
and Zamboanga cities.
The oral test is on Nov.
11 to 13, and the psycholog-
ical test on Nov. 23 to 27.
These again are tenta-
tive dates, but definitely
taking place in Manila.
the PHILIPPINES
CHR: Solve vigilante slays
By CATHERINE J. TEVES
MANILA - The Com- flict,” CHR Chairperson
mission on Human Rights Leila de Lima said.
(CHR) has decried the re- De Lima cited the dis-
surgence of vigilante kill- covery of an alleged hold-
ings in Metro Manila, and up man inside a wooden
called on the Philippine Na- crate in Quiapo, Manila, as
tional Police, Department well as of two hogtied and
of Justice and local govern- tortured male corpses along
ments to take steps to stop Mindanao Ave. in Quezon
such crimes. City as among the latest
“We maintain there can cases of vigilante killings in
be no validation of the tak- Metro Manila.
ing of life except where the She warned: “Authori-
law provides justification ties must stop vigilante kill-
such as in circumstances of ings the soonest and bring
self-defense or armed con- the perpetrators to justice
North American appli- Applicants shall be less
cations (forms at www.dfa. than 36 years old on May
gov.ph) should have been 10; must have completed
received and processed by a four-year course or its
the Philippine Embassy in equivalent; and must be a
Washington D.C. not later Filipino citizen.
than March 20. If married to a foreigner,
Applicants must be the applicant must obtain
knowledgeable on Philip- prior authorization from the
pine economic, political and Secretary of Foreign Af-
social conditions; and must fairs, through the BFSE, to
possess facility in oral com- take the qualifying tests.
munication and personality The exams are given
traits essential to the perfor- pursuant to provisions of
mance of FSO duties. the Foreign Service Act of
They must also be will- 1991 and the Revised Ad-
ing and able to accept as- ministrative Code of 1987.
signments to any post. PR
since such atrocities jeop-
ardize the people’s right to
life and due process.”
“The right to life and due
process are firmly enshrined
in law that applies to every-
one ... Without our clamor
against vigilante killings
and street justice, we bring
society down through a spi-
ral of injustices,” she said.
De Lima feared the
country’s human rights
situation would worsen if
such crimes continued, at
a time when vigilante kill-
ings outside Metro Manila
have been reported as on
the rise.
“The esoteric Davao
Death Squad remains be-
yond the ambit of local law
enforcement,” she said.
De Lima noted that sus-
pected criminals like drug
pushers, thieves and rob-
bers have been targets of
vigilante slays.
The CHR also urged ju-
dicial and police authorities
to resolve pending viguilan-
te-related cases.
“Let us preserve the rule
of law and the protection
that every person derives
from the law,” De Lima
said. PNA
Strict watch
on motorbike
riders urged
PA R A Ñ A Q U E
CITY - Mayor Floren-
cio Bernabe has ordered
city police and traffic
enforcers to be strict
with motorcycle riders,
who recently have been
regarded as major vio-
lators of traffic and road
safety rules.
Bernabe cited re-
ports saying motorcycle
riders frequently dis-
regard traffic rules and
light signals; are known
for speeding, reckless
driving and doing coun-
ter flows; and drive
without safety helmets.
These acts have
caused serious, if not
fatal, accidents.
Worse, the incidence
of motorcycle thefts,
hold-ups, hijacking and
other crimes staged by
motorcycle-riding gun-
men have soared,” Ber-
nabe said. PNA
ONLINE m
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MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009 29

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30 MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
Leaders: Close growth ...
(From page 25)
regional economic growth.
They welcomed expan-
sionary macro-economic
policies - including fiscal
stimulus, monetary easing,
access to credit including
trade financing, and mea-
sures to support private
sector, particularly small
and medium enterprises -
undertaken by each Asean
member-state to stimulate
domestic demand.
They called for coordi-
nating policies and taking
joint actions that would be
mutually reinforcing at the
regional level.
► Reaffirmed their de-
termination to ensure the
free flow of goods, services
and investment, and facili-
tate movement of business
persons, professionals, tal-
ents and labor, and freer
flow of capital.
They agreed to stand
firm against protection-
ism and to refrain from in-
troducing and raising new
barriers; while intensifying
efforts to ensure a strong
Doha Development Agenda
outcome.
► Acknowledged that
regional cooperation should
be expanded to mobilize
savings for investments in
productive areas, particu-
larly infrastructure devel-
opment, to spur regional
Reg. # 4533253
MARCH 2009
growth; and welcomed dis-
cussions to promote region-
al infrastructure financing.
► Recognized efforts to
promote financial sector co-
operation in various Asean-
led fora and consultations,
which would be essential to
safeguard the region from
future economic and finan-
cial crises.
► Urged that more co-
ordinated action by both
developed and developing
countries be taken to restore
financial stability and en-
sure the continued function-
ing of financial markets to
provide support to growth.
► Called for a bold and
urgent reform of the inter-
national financial system to
achieve a more comprehen-
sive, equitable and inclusive
system that would consider
the interests and voices of
emerging and developing
economies.
► Looked forward to
working with other partners
to convey their views at the
G20 London Summit in
April.
Asean was established
on Aug. 8, 1967. Its mem-
ber-states are Brunei, Cam-
bodia, Indonesia, Laos,
Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore,
Thailand and Vietnam.
PNA/Xinhua
The PHILIPPINES
Helpless bystander
(From page 10)
erating team led by director
Dr. Eduardo dela Fuente
frantically worked on her
wounds.
Then I heard Dr. dela
Fuente asking for blood to
be transfused on Jennifer.
I have never seen in Doc
that surge of adrenaline and
sense of urgency, but when
he looked in my direction, it
was a sad pleading glance.
“Sir, I am a universal
donor and have been giving
blood before. Perhaps a few
drops for the girl would not
matter right now,” I said.
“Have you had a good
sleep last night? Have you
had a drop of alcohol in
your veins? Are you not
tired?” he asked.
“I had a few hours of
sleep. I had a few rounds
of beer with a peer from
Manila. Of course, the mad
rush for news made me
tired,” I honestly replied.
“Then I won’t let you
give blood,” he insisted.
“But ...” was all I could
say, sad to have been shut
off from Jennifer’s time.
I waited and watched.
Nearing 11 p.m., Dr. dela
Fuente came to me and
whispered: “We’ve done
everything possible. Even
if she survived, she would
lose her legs. It’s just a mat-
ter of time.”
Shortly before mid-
night, Dr. dela Fuente told
me that “Jennifer had gone
to heaven.”
So did Virginia, who ex-
pired a few hours later.
*****
Indeed, the news story
hogged the headlines in
most Manila-based national
dailies on Feb. 26, 1980.
Roy’s byline was tops in
the Manila Bulletin; mine in
the Times Journal and the
front pages of other news-
papers, including those
published in Mindanao.
It was my first national
daily headline story.
However, it was no lon-
ger a question of an ego-
inflating headline or grim
proof that I did my job
well.
Sleep was wanting for
me that night. I dared not
close my eyes, fearing a
nightmare.
I could vividly imagine
the ghosts of Jennifer and
Virginia hovering above.
They would not be
Filipino book author ...
(From page 18)
the Greater Toronto Area.
In 1970, imports to
Canada from the Philippines
amounted to $4 million.
But in 1996, with a
population growing from
300,000 to 400,000, these
imports amounted to $990
million.
A corresponding rise
pleading for justice, but
rather for mercy on those
who did the dastardly deed;
perhaps praying for hope
for those they left behind.
I could not believe that I
was unable to extend an arm
to save two fine girls from
being wasted by beasts.
I could not believe that
all I could do at the moment
was count the number and
jot the names of victims,
oblivious to the fact that
these men, women and chil-
dren suffered from the in-
dignities of a cowardly act
of terrorism.
I came to realize that if I
ever wanted to talk to them,
it was not out of sympathy
but to merely use their sto-
ries to strengthen mine.
I could not believe that
I nearly stood aback and
maintained the callousness
- overly mistaken for objec-
tivity - some peers said was
a mark of a good coverage.
Recalling this episode
of my life as a news re-
porter, I felt like a hapless
in Canadian exports to the
Philippines to nearly $590
million has also resulted.
Gerardo is also the
president of the Canada
Philippines Business
Council and member of
the advisory board of The
International Import &
Export Institute.
March ...
(From page 11)
leaders for guidance and
emulation.
In its worst form, we
leave it up to those of
positions of authority or
social standing to do things
for us.
But I know today’s
Filipino-Canadian doesn’t
wait for things to happen.
He makes things happen.
Where the youth fails to find
community leaders worthy
of emulation, they poise
themselves in positions of
leadership.
Now, that’s a reversal of
roles.
And it seems to me that
the youth have gained the
upperhand. Might as well.
bystander just looking on
as more helpless bystand-
ers get caught in the web
of a vicious and seemingly
hopeless cycle of violence
and death that have gripped
the world.
God! I hate that feeling.
Would you, too? butchgali-
cia@yahoo.com
Filipino ...
(From page 27)
medal winners in the
Asian Games; P1 million,
P500,000 and P250,000
in World Championships;
P300,000, P200,000 and
P100,000 in the Southeast
Asian Games and P30,000,
P20,000 and P10,000 in
minor international tourna-
ments.

The Philippines, how-

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MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009 MONEY 31
PNB Remit’s Jun Miranda at PPC-O forum As others cut back on services

PAL MLA-YVR flights go daily

At least two Asian air-
lines have trimmed or cut
flights to Canada, thanks to
the prevailing global eco-
nomic crisis.
But in a twist, flag carri-
er Philippine Airlines (PAL)
said it would upgrade its
five-days-a-week service to
a daily frequency starting
March 23.
In a press release, PAL
Philippine National Bank (PNB) Remit Canada official Feliciano Miranda III officials said the airline,
explains the impact of the global recession on the money remittance and Asia’s first, would have di-
foreign exchange industries, as people cling on to their cash for liquidity.
Miranda was guest of the Philippine Press Club-Ontario (PPC-O) during the
rect Manila-Vancouver-Ma-
nila flights on Mondays and
club’s breakfast forum at Casa Manila on Feb. 28. With him are PPC-O presi-
dent Tenny Soriano and forum chair Tony Sicat. Photo: JOJO TADURAN
Wednesdays, two days of
the week when the service
did not previously operate.
Officials said the airline
British Columbia and to
other western Canadian
provinces via Vancouver.
“That community has
increased over the years and
right now, the Philippines is
the second-largest source of
foreign workers in Canada,”
after the U.S., he added.
PAL’s move came at at
time when when Singapore
Airlines and Cathay Pacific
have been forced to sus-
RP eyes P50B more in
domestic borrowings
MANILA - The Philip-
pine government is plan-
pend, if not limit, its estab-
lished routes to Canada.
Singapore Airlines said
that it would, after 20 years,
completely drop its service
to Vancouver.
Cathay Pacific has cut
one flight per day. Cathay
reported a record $1.4-
billion net loss for 2008,
compared to a net profit of
$1.1 billion in 2007, its first
shortfall in a decade.
the external programmed
borrowing amounting to

GUARD AGAINST FRAUD would maintain its Tuesday,

Statistics compiled a list of online resources that
by PhoneBusters showed could be used to identify
that in 2008, at least threats and protect against
17,000 people fell victims fraudulent scams.
to scams in Canada. Lost The list:
to fraud was a staggering ► PhoneBusters is an
$36 million. anti-fraud call center man-
The numbers, howev- aged by the Ontario Pro-
er, were based solely on vincial Police, the Royal
reported cases. Potential- Canadian Mounted Police
ly, countless more have (RCMP) and the Competi-
gone unreported. tion Bureau Canada (CBB).
Thus, the Toronto Po- PhoneBusters’ website,
lice Service has compiled www.phonebusters.com,
Thursday, Friday, Saturday
and Sunday Manila-Van-
provides a list of fraudu- couver-Las Vegas-Vancou-
lent scams to watch out ver-Manila route.
for, channels for report- Allan Coo, PAL country
ing suspected fraud cas- manager based in Vancou-
es, and links to Canadian ver, said the two new flights
fraud prevention groups. were meant to meet the
► The RCMP web- needs of a growing Philip-
site, www.rcmp-grc. pine community in Canada.
gc.ca/scams-fraudes/in- “Our passengers are
dex-eng.htm, gives prac- mainly ethnic Filipinos that
tical information to help go between the Philippines
Canadians protect their and Canada,” Coo said.
personal information and He acknowledged the
(To page 34) “wave of temporary foreign
workers that have come to
ning to raise domestic bor-
rowing by P50 billion this
year, after an upward revi-
sion of the budget deficit on
account of the global eco-
nomic turmoil.
“That is the residual
domestic borrowing,” Na-
tional Treasurer Roberto
Tan said.
Domestic borrowing in
2009 was earlier pegged at
P386.5 billion, or 76 percent
of total borrowing mix.
With the planned in-
crease, the figure rose to
P436.5 billion.
The other 24 percent is
US$123.4 billion.
The government has
changed the borrowing mix
for 2009 to 75-25, still in fa-
vor of domestic sources.
This, after the deficit
target was raised to P177.2
billion or about 2.2 percent
of the gross domestic prod-
uct (GDP) from P102 bil-
lion (1.1 percent of GDP).
In 2008, the government
targeted a budget deficit of
P75 billion.
The 2008 deficit reached
only P68.1 billion, which
officials attributed to en-
hanced tax collection. PNA
32 MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009 MONEY
GOT A FOREX DEAL?
Check out if you got your peso’s worth for the
RP inflation rate rises to 7.3%
MANILA - The Phil-
dollars you have had exchanged since Feb. 16. ippines’ inflation rate in-
US$ Cdn$ creased slightly to 7.3
March 13 48.42292 38.00693 percent in February, from
March 12 48.39015 37.50985 January’s 7.1 percent, due
mainly to higher prices of
March 11 48.22207 37.67170 some food items and fuel
March 10 48.27524 37.74266 costs.
March 09 38.51022 37.31309 The February figure
March 06 48.37852 37.61756 brought the average infla-
March 05 48.50332 37.68472 tion rate for the first two
March 04 48.61298 38.09577 months of 2009 7.1 percent,
March 03 48.73293 37.68766 well within the govern-
ment’s original target for
March 02 48.90116 38.20242
the year at 6 to 8 percent.
Feb. 27 48.74403 38.37883 Bureau of Agricultural
Feb. 26 48.24489 38.74889 Statistics data showed that
Feb. 25 47.99912 38.24381 the average price of regular
Feb. 24 48.09397 38.56548 milled rice rose by 6.5 per-
Feb. 23 48.10734 38.45305 cent (from P28.94 per kilo
Feb. 20 48.18212 38.42023 in January to P30.83/kilo in
Feb. 19 47.85553 38.00824 February) while white corn
grain went up by 2.2 percent The rise in the price of rice, which along with that of other cereals and of
Feb. 18 47.21325 37.49890 fuel, pushed the Philippine inflation rate to 7.3 percent in February.
(from P22.00 to P22.47).
Feb. 17 47.82403 37.95368 Fuel prices also rose

Remittances likely to drop 33%

Feb. 16 47.47134 38.18848 by 6.5 percent from the
previous month due to

Canada loses 295,000

higher gasoline cost (P1.50
to P2.00 per liter), diesel
(P0.25/liter), and liquefied MANILA - Money sent to an eight-year low. jobs, remittances would

jobs since October ‘08

The construction sec- tario has lost 160,000 jobs,
tor shed off at least 43,200 most in manufacturing,
jobs, over half of the 82,600 business and construction.
jobs lost in February. The February employ-
The February job cut ment losses were all in full-
pushed Canada’s unem- time work, with 110,900
ployment rate up from 7.2 jobs disappearing, while
percent in January to 7.7 part-time employment
percent last month.
The jobless rate has not
edged up slightly.
Job losses were also
been this high since August reported in professional,
2003. scientific and technical ser-
Statistics Canada said the vices, with 31,100 jobs cut.
February figures brought to The trade sector lost
295,000 the number of jobs 17,700 jobs, while employ-
lost since October, when the ment in educational services
economy began to feel ef- fell by 14,700.
fects of a global recession. The manufacturing sec-
Of the total, 129,000 jobs tor added 24,700 jobs in
were lost in January. February, but employment
Ontario leads in the sector was down by
The largest February job over 104,000 from Febru-
loss was in Ontario, where ary 2008.
35,300 jobs were shed off, Agriculture was the only
followed by Alberta, 23,700; other sector to add jobs last
and Quebec, 18,400. month, as employment rose
In four months past, On- by 16,700.
petroleum gasoline (P6.00
per kilogram).
However, light and wa-
ter costs decreased. And so
did that of transport and
communication.
In Manila, light and
power consumers had a
five-centavo per kilowatt-
hour relief (kwh) as gen-
eration charges dropped to
P4.45/kwh in February.
Transportation costs
also dipped with the 50-
centavo jeepney fare reduc-
tion in mid-February.
Economic planners are
counting on easing inflation
to boost private consump-
tion, to ease the impact of
the global financial crisis
on the local economy.
Private consumption ac-
counts for 70 percent of the
gross domestic product.
The government is pre-
dicting a 3.9-percent aver-
age inflation rate for the
Philippines this year and
4.7 percent in 2010. PNA
home by overseas Filipino
workers (OFWs) may drop
by as much as a third this
year, cutting consumption
demand and compromising
the country’s growth goals.
Remittances may de-
cline to $11.4 billion for
2009, Citibank said in its
Asia-Pacific market analy-
sis. The figure is about 30
percent lower than 2008’s
$16.4 billion.
Lower remittances may
compromise the country’s
economic growth targets
since funds from OFWs
boost demand for products
ranging from cellphones to
condominiums.
The “global supply” of
OFWs may diminish, Citi
analyst Jun Trinidad said.
New hires and rehires
were seen to decline by
anywhere from 37 to 51
percent as the crisis cuts
demand for labor in foreign
shores, he said, adding that
OFW deployment may fall
In 2001, only 800,000
secured jobs abroad.
Todate, 8.7 million Fili-
pinos work abroad. They
make up ten percent of the
Philippines’ population and
24.2 percent of the country’s
labor force, as of 2007.
If OFW earnings are cut
by 15 percent to preserve
Statscan: 538,200 go on EI
At least 538,200 Cana-
dians received regular Em-
ployment Insurance (EI)
benefits in December 2008,
up 25,000 or 4.9 percent
from November.
Statistics Canada said
the number of those receiv-
ing regular EI benefits rose
by 79,100 between Decem-
ber 2007 and December
2008, a 16.6 percent rise.
The number of men on
benefits went up 21.7 per-
cent; while for women, 8.6
percent higher month-on-
month.
plunge to as low as $11.4
billion in 2009.
The lack of OFW dol-
lar inflows may increase
the budget deficit to three
percent of the country’s
gross domestic product, an
amount equal to anywhere
from P229 billion to P238
billion, Trinidad said.
The number of EI bene-
ficiaries rose in all provinces
and territories year-on-year,
with the largest increases in
British Columbia, 33.2 per-
cent); Alberta, 30.3 percent
and Ontario, 29.6 percent.
Most census metropoli-
tan areas experienced an
increase in the number of
regular beneficiaries.
The largest year-over-
year changes occurred in
London, +75.5 percent;
Windsor, +61.3 percent;
Kitchener, +50.9 percent
and Victoria, +49.1 percent.

SAGOT(MULA
SASABATID
PAHINA 38)
WIKA
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
A M A K A T I A K I T
12 13 14
M A N A L A H L U G I
15 16 17
A N G S I G A I N I S
18 19 20 21
G I I K B A R A N G K A
22 23
I L I P A T
24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
A K U S A A N B I D A
32 33 34
S A L I G A N G B A T A S
35 36 37
A P O G N G A N I M O
38 39
I G A P O S
40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47
B I N A L A S A A H I T
48 49 50 51
U N O S L I P I I W A
52 53 54
L A T A A W A T B A G
55 56 57
O T A P N A G A I N O
MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009 33
34 MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009
NANNY REQUIRED
FOR FULL TIME LIVE-IN POSITION
Eglinton West/Oakwood Area
To take care of a 10-year old boy
Duties include mainly to take care of the
children and light housekeeping
Should have background in children, likes
children and has First Aid/CPR Training
Salary $9.25 per hour
Please Contact: Evelyn at (416) 845-5612
MONEY
Why pay tax on money you never see?
By the Investors Group Financial Services Inc.
Based on their in-depth
knowledge of the investing
habits of Canadians, invest-
ment professionals estimate
that half to two-thirds of all
investable wealth in Canada
is held outside registered
savings plans (RSPs).
That’s understandable
because most conservative
investors take a practical
approach to investing that
seeks to reduce risk and
volatility while delivering
a desired level of returns
over the long term - in
other words, creating and
maintaining a properly di-
versified portfolio with the
best prospects for long term
growth.
Often, those investors
seek the safety of ‘guar-
anteed’ or ‘fixed-income’
investments such as bonds,
mortgages, Guaranteed
Investment Certificates
(GICs), and other interest-
generating securities, which
generally provide a stream
of income while preserv-
ing capital. (Fixed-income
investments are one of the
three basic types of invest-
ments; the other two are
cash and equity).
The problem is that in-
terest income is the least
tax-efficient income type.
AFCA launches free tax clinics
A tax seminar joined in
by 80 members of the As-
sociation of Filipino Cana-
dian Accountants (AFCA)
launched this year’s AFCA
Tax Clinic Community Ser-
vice.
Resource speakers in-
cluded Winston Lim, AFCA
founding president; Ted
Dayno, past president; and
Jun Perez, public relations
officer.
Members who signed up
as volunteers went through
Guard against fraud
(From page 31)
ensure their identity and fi-
nances are uncompromised.
► The CBB chairs the
Fraud Prevention Forum,
a group of private firms,
consumer and volunteer
groups, government and
law enforcement agencies
fighting fraud aimed at con-
sumers and businesses.
The CBB and the Forum
work to educate Canadians
on recognizing, reporting
www. FinancialProblem.ca
with credit cards and bank loans
Too many loans & credit cards?
Paying too much interest?
Afraid to pick up your own phone?
Looking for consolidation?
Please see page 13 for our detailed advertisement
CREDIT MANAGEMENT SERVICES
416-780-1020
Every $1 of interest in-
come is fully taxable, just
the same as your employ-
ment income.
So, if you are heavily in-
vested in interest-generating
investments, you are likely
to incur a stiff tax liability
each year -- even though
you may not currently need
that income.
And, your tax liability
becomes even more prob-
lematic if your investments
produce taxable income
each year but this income
is automatically reinvested
(or compounded), creating
a tax bill with no corre-
sponding cash flow to pay
the tax.
After-tax return
Even though your inter-
est income investments may
be delivering a significant
return, that return may also
be significantly reduced by
the high rate of taxes you
must pay.
One option is to move a
portion of your non-regis-
tered investments into ‘eq-
uities’ that provide income
from dividends and capital
gains, which are taxed at a
much more favorable rate
than interest income.
For example, any real-
ized capital gains you re-
hands-on workshops on
personal income tax prepa-
rations for the tax clinics.
The tax clinics started
on Feb. 28. Remaining clin-
ics are scheduled on:
► March 21 at the
Tri-Care Academy and
Kababayan Community
Centre;
► March 22 at Tri-Care
Academy;
► March 28 at the
Kababayan
Centre;
Community
and stopping fraud. Its web-
site is www.competition-
bureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-
bc.nsf/eng/h_00122.html.
► The Privacy Commis-
sioner of Canada, through
h t t p : / / w w w. p r i v c o m .
gc.ca/ind/index_e.asp, of-
fers information on privacy
rights and protecting private
information.
► Debit and credit card
providers. Some criminals
ceive from an equity invest-
ment are taxed at just 50
percent -- in other words,
only 50 cents of every dol-
lar of the capital gain is sub-
ject to tax. Dividend income
also benefits from federal
and provincial tax credits
that provide a fair degree of
tax relief.
Tax relief,
investment security
If you’re a conserva-
tive, tax-sensitive inves-
tor yet feel uncomfortable
about increasing your level
of risk by expanding your
portfolio of equities (typi-
cally more volatile invest-
ments) there is a ‘conser-
vative’ solution available
to you: corporate struc-
tured mutual funds can
often be as ‘safe’ as fixed-
income investments yet
can also provide same tax
deferral benefits similar to
equities (or equity mutual
funds), as along with the
advantage of having your
returns realized as capital
gains.
A professional advisor
can help ensure your portfo-
lio is both tax-efficient and
capable of delivering the
levels of return you want in
order to help realize your fi-
nancial goals.
► March 29 at the Ka-
layaan Cultural Community
Centre; and
► April 4 at The Gate-
way Centre for New Cana-
dians.
The free tax clinics are
open only to tax filers with
an annual 2008 gross in-
come of $25,000 and be-
low.
However, generous con-
tributions are appreciated,
to go to sponsoring commu-
nity centers. PR
have turned to debit and
credit card fraud for gain.
Banks work with credit card
firms and the Interac Asso-
ciation to prevent card fraud
and protect customers.
Fraud prevention web
pages for card holders and
merchants are:
-- Visa card holders:
www.visa.ca/en/personal/
securewithvisa/fraud-
prevention/; merchants:
www.visa.ca/en/merchant
/fraudprevention/.
-- MasterCard card hold-
ers: www.mastercard.com/
ca/personal/en/master-
cardsecurity/; merchants:
www.mastercard.com/ca/
merchant/en/security/.
-- Interac card holders:
www.interac.ca/consum-
ers/security.php; mer-
chants: www.interac.ca/
merchants/security.php.
 Arts & Entertainment
Canlapan, Malabanan
topbill PPC-O Celeb Night
Rising singing sensa-
tions Cassandra Malabanan
and Inah Canlapan are set
to topbill the Philippine
Press Club-Ontario’s (PPC-
O) Celebrity Night at Casa
Manila on March 20.
Malabanan and Canla-
pan have shown their vocal
prowess as guests during
the PPC-O’s installation of
officers in July last year.
PPC-O Celebrity Night
co-chairmen Ramon Datol
and Ace Alvarez said talents
from Studio Six Produc-
tions would also be featured
in the club’s monthly event.
Invited celebrity guests
include officers and mem-
bers of the Philippine In-
dependence Day Council
led by Jun and Rosemer
MIKEY BUSTOS and DARIUS CIRIA
DE LEON
Search for Young Pinoy Singing champ on
The search for the 2nd
Young Pinoy Canada sing-
ing champion is on, as
hopefuls gear up for judg-
ment day at the Kalayaan
Cultural Community Centre
in Mississauga on April 11.
This year’s winner will
succeed 2008 champion
Candace Santos, who later
won the Young Asian Cana-
dian singing contest.
The hopefuls are be-
tween 14 to 25 years old on
February 11, 2009; have full
or part Filipino ancestry;
have legal status in Canada;
not under contract for any
entertainment-related inter-
est; and have not joined last
year’s contest.
The deadline for regis-
tration is on March 31.
Detailed information
may be secured at www.
cmcasians.com or through
Jose Saavedra.
Prizes, spots
The Young Pinoy Cana-
da winner gets an automatic
CANLAPAN
Enverga, of PNB Remit led
by Jun Miranda, and of the
Mississauga-based Gateway
Centre for New Canadians.
Master DJ and PPC-O
member Larry Torres will
provide the night’s music.
PPC-O prersident Tenny
Soriano said Celebrity Night
BELLO
CANDACE SANTOS and JOSE SAAVEDRA
spot in the Young Asian Ca-
nadian singing contest pre-
finals on May 29.
The 2nd placer is eligi-
ble to compete in the open
competition on May 24
against 2nd place winners
from participating commu-
nities and ten contestants
from the open audition.
The competition finals
is on June 14.
The top placer of the
Young Asian Canadian sing-
MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009 35
SEOUL DRIVING SCHOOL
YELLOWBIRD
6013 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario
MALABANAN
“is one occasion for com-
munity mediamen to un-
wind and share thoughts.”
It also provides the re-
laxed forum by which PPC- T.H.D. CONSULTANTS
O members could interact
and network with commu- 4800 Sheppard Ave., East Unit 123, Scarborough, Ont., M1S 4N5
nity leaders invited as ce- Tel. Nos. (416) 335-8555; (416) 609-8912
lebrity guests, Soriano said.
ACCOUNTING/BOOKKEEPING SERVICES
Mikey Bustos to Computerized Accounting
Financial Statement
launch CD in INCOME TAX SERVICES
Individual & Corporate Tax Returns
TPC’s Sabado ... Small to Medium Size Companies
COMPUTER SYSTEMS
AMADO D. GAMBOA Installing, Training & Support of
ACCPAC Simply Accounting Package
Livewire performer
Mikey Bustos will again
For free consultations please call ................... Ted H. Dayno, BBA
showcase his musical wiz-
Registered Professional Accountant
ardry on April 11 when he
heads a star-studded cast of To book your appointment please call ........... Anna Eusebio @ (416) 609-8912
Filipino singers in a fund-
raising show titled Sabado
de Gloria Night at the Rex
Saigon Thai Viet Restaurant
in Scarborough.
Sabado ... is presented
by The Philippine Courier
in cooperation with PNB
Remittance Co. Canada and
Nyren Salon.
Bustos, the most suc-
cessful Filipino-Canadian
(To page 38)
ing tilt will receive $1,000
plus a trip to Asia; the 2nd
placer, $500 and a trip to
London, England; and the
3rd placer, $250 and a trip
to Orlando, Florida.
The open, pre-final and
final competitions will be
conducted at the Chinese
Cultural Centre of Greater
Toronto.
The search is in conjunc-
tion with the celebration of
Asian Heritage Month. PR
36 Arts & Entertainment MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009

Sharon bags another award

ABS-CBN’s Sunday
night show Sharon continues
to touch lives and bring joy
to Filipino families around
the globe.
And once more, Sharon
brought the Best Celebrity
Talk Show plum from the
prestigious Gawad Tanglaw
(Gawad Tagapuring mga
You Changed My Life co-star John Lloyd Cruz visits Akademisyan ng Aninong
the ABS-CBN International Office in Redwood City TV has ... Gumagalaw), which has
and poses with (from left) community relations (From page 8) given honors to exceptional
manager Mitos Santisteban, managing director Most parents would think achievements in the field of
Chinky De Jesus and Kerwin Du of Starry Starry twice before pampering their entertainment arts, broadcast
Store and Theatricals. PR/Photo: NIÑO NUCUM children with expensive and print media since 2003.
gadgets that would only lure Sharon, hosted by
awards in the past, including
the 2007 Best Entertainment
Program by the Catholic
Mass Media Awards. It has
also been highly commended
in the Asian TV Awards.
It airs every Sunday after
Rated K! on ABS-CBN. PR
Western Union promo
Western Union has
launched a promo that gives
away two VIP tickets each
for five winners for the Sha-
ron Cuneta Live! concert at
the Metro Toronto Conven-
tion Centre on June 7.
Western Union will also
during concert night. Win-
ners from outside Ontario
will get round-trip airline
passage for two. Winners
will be drawn on May 19.
To join, send three quali-
fying transactions to the
Philippines from participat-
ing Western Union agents
between March 1 to April
30.
Fill the entry form and
send - together with three
original “To Send Money
Form Receipts” to the ad-
dress on the entry form.
This should be received on

You Changed My Life hits criminals.

Hence, it is not the home
Megastar Sharon Cuneta,
has received numerous
book free one-night hotel
accommodation for winners
or before May 15. (See ad,
page 2)

Scarborough, Mississauga but television in particular,

media in general, that may
be culpable. First Get Lit! competition reels off
As part of the 15th anniversary celebration of TFC, ABS- The rest of the fault lie
CBN International’s Starry Starry Store and Star Cinema with the social and family To mark the 35th anniversary of the To- Toronto Arts Council Foundation (TACF)
are taking the film You Changed My Life to Toronto and environment. ronto Arts Council (1974-2009), the City of on or before May 4.
Mississauga, after sold-out premieres in the U.S. At the just concluded Toronto invites residents of all ages to get A special jury will review all submis-
Starring John Lloyd Cruz and Sarah Geronimo, the film awarding of the most creative and submit their Toronto-inspired sions and consider how the works make
will be shown at the Coliseum, Scarborough Town Centre child-friendly cities works to the first-ever Get Lit! competi- people think about Toronto in new, inter-
from March 20 to 26 and at Empire Studio 10, Square One, and municipalities, we tion. esting, and inspiring ways. The first prize
Mississauga from March 27 to April 2. challenged the winning Creative work includes poetry, short fic- winner will get $700; the second, $200; and
Cruz and Geronimo were named SM Cinema Box mayors. tion, painting, collage, sculpture, poster art, third, $100.
Office King and Queen in 2008, after their first starrer A Being child-friendly banner design, or even photography, a short Get Lit! submissions will be featured at
Very Special Love grossed P180 million and topped all does not stop with putting video and a sound recording. a special exhibition at the TACF on May 23
other movies in the Philippines during the year. up playgrounds or day-care Get Lit! submissions must include a lit- and 24.
Directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina, You Changed My centers. erary element – either printed text or spoken Winners will also be featured on the
Life also stars Rayver Cruz, Dante Rivero, Rowell Santiago, There is a more sinister, word incorporated into or accompanying TACF website and in Open Book Toronto.
Matet De Leon, Bernard Palanca, Joross Gamboa, Johnny more pervasive influence the work. Get Lit! is produced by the TACF, in as-
Revilla, Bing Pimentel, Al Tantay, among others. that they should mind. There is no minimum word count re- sociation with Lit City, where Toronto sto-
You Changed My Life is on a 12-city theatrical run in It is the medium that has quired. ries meet Toronto settings taking place from
the U.S. and Canada. PR all but replaced reading. Applications must be submitted to the March to May 2009. PR
 Arts & Entertainment MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009 37
Maghanoy presents new play
Ragual eyes anew USA Worldshowcase Talent title Filipino Canadian
playwright Jason Magha-
noy has been included
Maghanoy is one of
two playwrights commis-
sioned by the Playwrights
Brampton songstress This year, Jasmine Raines. of Bramption City. anew in the Buzz, which Theatre Centre (PTC),
Jasmine Elaine Ragual has has eyed the title, as she On March 20, she will She is active with the recognizes new plays and The News Program!
been invited anew in the conveyed her thanks to those again be a featured soloist Fiesta Filipina Dance theater artists in Toronto. He will be in Vancou-
USA Worldshowcase Talent who have been supporting at the BSO’s world concert Troupe of Canada that will Maghanoy, who has ver from June 8 to 12 for
Competition in Las Vegas. her to reach for her goal. tour to South Beach in touring Poland in Aug. been receiving excellent the presentation of his
Jasmine was the Most To vote, log into www. Miami, Florida. In Oct., Jasmine will reviews for his works, newest play, tentatively
Potential awardee in the usaworldshowcase.com, Jasmine was 2008 play Annie in the Taste of showcased his play Throat titled Tear, as part of
solo child female category, and click ‘vote’. Results are junior champion of the CNE Broadway charity concert at the Theatre Passe Mu- PTC’s New Play Festival.
earning her a spot in the posted weekly, until the Top Rising Star Search and of the Markham Federation raille on March 12. PR
internet voting process that 10 are left for the final poll. 2008 Arts Acclaim Awardee of Filipino Canadians. PR
began on March 11. Jasmine, 12, has guested
In August last year, she
came in third place over-all
after the final cyberspace
and has sung solo with
the Brampton Symphony
Orchestra (BSO) under the
Big Penoy is coming!
voting. baton of Maestro Robert By SAMANTHA ASENCE
Jarrel Montes is an brought the house down!
aspiring stand-up comedian. Everything else was
Born in Cagayan de Oro, history.
this young fellow has been Some of his past
bringing joy and laughter to performances included
the people around him. front acting for a comedy
At a very young age, his night at M Studio where
talent for making people Rex Navarete was in the
laugh has become apparent. audience.
At nine years old, he He even hosted and front
would make family and acted for another comedy
friends cry their eyes out show – Comedy Week
laughing with his jokes and – which featured a group
funny antics. of Filipino comedians from
He was so entertaining Laffline and Punchline.
that his short skits became It’s now his turn to have
a crowd favorite during his own show. On May 9,
gatherings. MONTES Jarrel will perform at M
He even won the Best Studio with guests Darius
Actor award in one of his from sharing his passion He first showcased his CirIa and Ruth Morales.
Jasmine (center) poses with artist-real estate school plays when he was with others. talent during one of the When asked what the
developer John Cutruzzola (left) and Brampton in Grade 5. He joined the group group’s activities. audience could expect from
Mayor Susan Fennell after the Art for the Arts His family migrated to Youth for Christ (YFC) He played the character him, he summed it up in
dinner gala and concert at the Rose Theatre on Canada when he was 13. shortly after they came to of a potato during one three words – Fun, Fun,
Feb. 15. But that didn’t stop Jarrel Toronto. of their plays and his act Fun!

3 P.M.
38 MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009 Life & Leisure
TO diva Josie de Leon to have TV show Joel Recla
Producer/Host

Toronto-based songstress Josie de Leon (center, seated) is all excited as

she talks about her upcoming television show with members of the com-
munity media, during the launching of the Canadian Aid and Relief Project.
Expected to air near the end of March, De Leon’s TV appearance is produced
by Studio Six. Photo: JOJO TADURAN
TV ads reach far.
Mikey Bustos to launch 2nd CD ... ADVERTISE with
www. FinancialProblem.ca
with credit cards and bank loans
(From page 35)
Too many loans & credit cards?
entertainer this part of er popular singers lending event sought to raise funds Paying too much interest?
North America, blossomed hands in Courier’s fund- to pay for the cost of door- Afraid to pick up your own phone?
into a very fine performer raising show include To- to-door delivery of used Looking for consolidation?
after capturing 8th spot in ronto diva Josie de Leon, wheelchairs and walkers to
the inaugural Canadian Idol high-energy performer three provincial hospitals in Please see page 13 for our detailed advertisement
Reality TV show in 2001 . Darius Ciria, Zena ‘Lady the Philippines. CREDIT MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Since then, he was em- Elvis’ Zagala, new sing- The healthcare equip-
braced by the Filipino com- ing sensation Jiva Andola, ment were donated to TPC Call 416-285-8583 416-780-1020
munity in Canada as its singing princess Inah Can- by Filipino nurses and care-
‘iconic’ entertainer the way lapan, Hamilton’s Prince of givers working in several
boxing hero Manny Pac- Song Emman Alavata and Homes for the Seniors in
quiao is acknowledged as
the living hero in the Philip-
young artist Nicole Datol
Bello.
North York.
“We have been doing
APRIL ASTROLOGY
pines. Dinner will start at 7 this in the last three years By FOX KARMA
Mikey will sign au- p.m. and the show at 8 p.m. and we will continue to do
tographs on his new CD, Dancing starts at 10 p.m. this as long as we receive Aries (March 21 –April 19): A new age, a new start, you are admired by your
his second, which he will The Philippine Courier used wheelchairs and walk- subordinates in the workplace for your objective and strong nature. However, with your
launch after the show. (TPC) publisher/editor-in- ers from these kind-hearted strengths come your weakness, and that’s what you need to work on. Know what it is your
Aside from Bustos, oth- chief Ramon Datol said the donors,” Datol said. fighting for, what are your goals? Where are you really headed? Lucky Number 12
Taurus (April 20 – May 20): Life is full of celebrations and you think that you

BATID WIKA
deserve a gold star, and that’s okay. Just remember that other people have feelings too, and
that there is a time and place for everything. Some things in life require competition, and
others don’t. Deep down, you know who your real friends are? You don’t want to burn any
bridges. Watch what you say, and know the fine line! Lucky Number 25
Gemini (May 21 – June 21): You are attractive both in and out, people are drawn
PAHALANG 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 to you and you use this to your advantage to manipulate others to get what you want. Your
1. Tatay childlike nature is fascinating, but not in the workplace. Do remember, that there is a time
4. Pagbaba ng tubig 12 13 14 and place for everything. Lucky Number 2
8. Bighani 15 16 17 Cancer (June 22 – July 23): People see you as insensitive and tenacious. Deep
12. Rin down, your sensitive nature means well, if only to prevent yourself from getting hurt. Your
13. Diyos ng Muslim 18 19 20 21 tenacious nature is amusing to others. Lucky Number 29
14. Bangkarote Leo (July 23 – Aug 23): Your commitment to your cause is admired by others.
22 23
15. Pantukoy Though things may not necessarily go your way, know when to stop and admit when
16. Maton 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 you are wrong. Your pride is important to you, but sometimes you must let go, and allow
17. Asar yourself to learn from other people. Lucky Number 9
32 33 34
18. Paglulugas sa uhay Virgo (Aug 24 – Sept. 23): You should consider using your sweet accommodating
20. Bangin 35 36 37 nature as one that may lead to your career path. People come open their hearts to you
22. Isalin because they feel that you can understand them most. Consider going into the medical
38 39
24. Bintang field. Lucky Number 2
27. Hulapi 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 Libra (Sept 24 – Aug 23): You have done well with all the things being thrown at
28. Pangunahing tauhan you left, right and centre. Your balanced nature, and positive attitude has gone a long way.
32. Konstitusyon 48 49 50 51 Your influence is appreciated by others. Your loved ones will need you most this month for
35. Sangkap sa hitso support. Continue to strive to be the best that you can be. Lucky Number 14
52 53 54
36. Pang-angkop Scorpio (Oct 24 – Nov 22): Your hardwork, drive and persistence will reward you
37. Wari 55 56 57 in plenty. Though people may covet what you have. Know that you have earned it! Use
38. Itali your goodwill to inspire others to achieve their dream. Lucky Number 8
40. Binago ang pamu- Sagittarius (Nov. 23 – Dec. 21): You’ve got the right stuff and you’re on the
nuan 4. Hawak na pera 30. Tinggalan ng tubig right track, baby! Lucky Number 88
44. Pag-aalis ng balbas 5. Dahilan 31. Bantay ng bahay Capricorn (Dec 22 – Jan 19): Sometimes, the world may seem cruel because
48. Bagyo 6. Katiwala 33. Reklamuhan everyone seems to be giving you unwanted advice. You don’t wish to hear it, because
49. Angkan 7. Ihambalang 34. Balat ng niyog it’s not true, right? Perhaps you should consider being more open minded – you will be
51. Saksak 8. Tanong sa mamimili 38. Estado ng Amerika surprised how much you can learn about yourself, and what you can change to make things
52. Panghihina 9. Pasubali 39. Higaang kawayan better for you. Lucky Number 12
53. Bawas gatong 10. Gukgok ng baboy 40. Bisiro Aquarius (Jan 20 – Feb 18): Feeling sorry for yourself will not help you win in
54. Gamit sa biyahe 11. Yeso 41. Gawi pagkagising the end. Wallow for awhile if you must, but don’t drag it on and on. No matter where you
55. Biskwit ng Cebu 19. Gara 42. Maiksing sulat are in life, you should count your blessings. Be thankful, and continue to smile, and good
56. Siyudad sa Bikol 21. Pangatnig 43. Asong nakakahilam things will happen to you! Lucky Number 23
57. Pansin 23. Bagsak, pag inulit 45. Pinatuyong hipon Pisces (Feb 19 – March 20): Taking some time off to reflect is the first step towards
24. Asam 46. Huwag isama your next journey. Try to remember a really trying time in your life, one that you didn’t
PABABA 25. Puno ng barangay 47. Kubli think you could ever get over, and compare that to a time when something really amazing
1. Tagulamin 26. Parte ng katawan 50. Negrito happened to you. What was the difference with your emotional state? Pretty obvious…
2. Kutkutin 28. Inang-bayan your positive attitude will go a long way! So what are you waiting for? Go out there and
3. Amoy ng sunog 29. Disinteriya (Sagot sa PAHINA 32) celebrate, you’re already halfway there. Lucky Number 30
MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009 39
40 MANILA MEDIA MONITOR
MARCH 2009

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COMPLETE DENTAL CARE

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Dr. Victoria Santiago Dr. Joy Y. Ho
Dr. Amy Fan Dr. Belinda Sunga-Castillo
MISSISSAUGA OFFICE Dr. Anthony John Eng Dr. Dat Phung TORONTO OFFICE
Dr. Randolph J. Krumme Rosedale Medical Clinic
Mississauga Corporate Centre
3660 Hurontario St., 2nd Floor 600 Sherbourne St., Suite 307
SPECIALTY DENTISTRY Toronto, Ontario M4X 1W4
Mississauga, Ontario L5B 3C4
(Behind Novotel Hotel) Dr. Ali Adibfar & Dr. Robert Eng - Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (Across Sherbourne Subway)
Dr. Mark Mojgani - Periodontist dr.vsliu@bellnet.ca
Nickee Dela Cruz & Catherine Ibeas - Registered Dental Hygienists
905-272-3455 416-967-9272

PICTURE PERFECT SMILES

The team of professionals who make up the Fairview Dental Centre
are completely dedicated to the needs of their patients.

5 Fairview M
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Dr. Anthony John Eng

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Dr. Joy Y. Ho

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Dr. Benilda Sunga-Castillo

Dr. Victoria R. Santiago