YEAR 11, No.
8 FEBRUARY 2008
INSIDE
Ooops & Bloops
Bicolano
Romanticos
-6
Better lot for
caregivers - 4
Babaylan
lives in
Bago City
- 26
Dancing To Be A Star
- 33
Business
rat race - 32
Filipino workers gain from
RP-Manitoba labor pact
Jobs, status, and prime
business opportunities.
These, overseas Fili-
pino workers (OFWs), im-
migrants and Filipino busi-
nessmen are expected to
benefit from, following a
trade and economic mission
Manitoba Premier Gary
Doer led to the Philippines
from Jan. 8 to 12.
In Manila, Premier Doer
and Philippine Labor Secre-
tary Arturo Brion on Feb.
8 signed a memorandum
of understanding (MOU)
underlining cooperation on
human resource develop-
ment (HRD) and the de-
ployment of Filipino work-
Home Paper of the 1999 Canadian Ethnic Journalists’ and Writers’ Club Winner for Best Editorial
Earn more outside the big cities
BE FOREWARNED: AIR CANADA ‘BUDDY PASS’ MAY MEAN
‘CHEAP FLIGHT’
BUT ...
... there is that fat chance of one ending up
duped and crash landing after trusting a sweet-
talking Air Canada employee.
As in any other scam, the prey would be robbed
of precious time and money, eventually shrugged
off with an arrogant ‘my way or no way’ attitude
and given a silent if not protracted runaround
when asked why a duly paid service agreement
could not be met and completed.
(Story on page 5)
forded workers ample pro-
tection from unscrupulous
illegal recruiters and ex-
ploitative employers over-
seas, on top of gaining im-
migrant status in Canada.
Officials said Manitoba
needed truck drivers, weld-
ers, machinists, boilermak-
ers, sheet metalworkers,
glaziers, pipefitters, me-
chanics, plasterers, drywall
installers, carpenters, cabi-
PREMIER DOER
netmakers, bricklayers and
ers to Manitoba. stone masons.
Practically manifesting Cooperation on the re-
Manitoba’s recognition of cruitment and deployment
Filipino workers to fill the of OFWs would be in strict
Canadian province’s need compliance with labor laws
for skills, the MOU also af- (To page 7)
Toronto, Ontario
(ON PAGE 12)
NDP: Passenger Bill of Rights
imperative to protect travellers
OTTAWA – In the light of recent complaints by airline custom-
ers, the New Democratic Party (NDP) of Canada has called on the
federal government to create a Passenger Bill of Rights, ensuring
quality service and satisfaction to all air travellers.
NDP Transport Critic Brian Masse (Windsor West) said that a
passenger’s bill of rights would protect travellers over a range of
problematic issues, such as flight delays, lost or missing baggage
and discrimination.
“We understand that there are a number of factors that delay
flights, such as bad weather,” said Masse.
“But when customers complain of rude behaviour, dirty planes,
and lost bags, passengers need their rights protected,” he said.
NDP MP Peter Stoffer (Sackville-Eastern Shore) pointed out
that Air Canada had sparked anger when it cancelled a non-stop
connection from St. John’s, Newfoundland to London, England.
(To page 5)
There’s A Kind Of Hush ...
Despite alleged threats to her life (Story on page 23), President Gloria Ma-
capagal-Arroyo (left) confidently sings I Have You with Claire dela Fuente,
known as the Karen Carpenter of the Philippines, as two-time Grammy
Awards pop musician Richard Carpenter (right) accompanies them on a
baby grand piano at Malacañang’s Music Hall on Feb. 14. Arroyo presented
the Presidential Citation to Carpenter in recognition of his exemplary con-
tribution to the world’s music industry. Richard is best known as one-half of
the brother/sister duo, the Carpenters. OPS Photo/PNA
2 Manila Media Monitor FEBRUARY 2008
FEBRUARY 2008 Manila Media Monitor 3 CALENDAR
(A Manila Media Monitor and Phil-
ippine Consulate General’s Office
public service feature)

FEB. 16: Trusty Entertainment’s Valen-

tine’s Jam with South Border and Nikki
Valdez, The Music Hall, 8 p.m.
FEB. 18: ONTARIO FAMILY DAY
FEB. 22: Filipino Centre Toronto 2nd
Round of the Filipino Singing Idol com-
petitions
FEB. 22, 23 & 29 and MARCH 1: Toron-
to Catholic District School Board Staff
Arts The Pink Panther Strikes Again
presentation, Madonna Catholic Sec-
ondary School, North York, 7:30 p.m.
FEBRUARY TO MAY: Filipino Centre
Toronto Free Tagalog/Pilipino Classes,
Grades 1 to 8, 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. and
Homework Club every Saturday, except
long weekends.
MARCH 1: The Pillars Cultural Associa-
tion Seniors’ Information Fair, Room B,
Wellesley Community Centre, 1 p.m.
MARCH 8: Darius Ciria in Concert, QS-
SIS, 7:30 p.m.
MARCH 23 & 30: Filipino Centre To-
ronto Free Income Tax Preparation for
Individuals.
MARCH 26: Heart Throbs Piolo Pas-
cual, Sam Milby and John Lloyd Cruz in
TO Concert, Toronto Centre for the Arts,
7:30 p.m.
APRIL 5: Filipino Centre Toronto Presi-
dents’ Ball, Fairmont Royal York Hotel.
WHAT’S YOUR EVENT? Send to
mediamonitor@yahoo.com the
name of your group and event
details (what, where, when, what
time).
4 NEWS
Calgary police nab suspect in
Laoagan subway attack-slay
Police have arrested and
charged Christopher James
Watcheston, 21, for involve-
ment in the brutal Jan. 17
killing of Filipino worker
Arcelie Sombrito de Lao-
agan, 41, in a parking lot
near the Franklin Light Rail
Transit (LRT) station in Cal-
gary.
Calgary police arrested
Watcheston on Jan. 24, a
week after the slay.
Police inspector Guy
Slater told news reporters
“our belief remains that this
homicide was a random act
... until we can determine
otherwise.”
CBC news reports also
cited Staff Sgt. Kevin Forsen
of the homicide unit as say-
ing that Watcheston, before
his arrest, was out on bail,
under house arrest, and set
for two criminal trials, in-
cluding one for assault.
In June, Watcheston was
charged with assault caus-
ing bodily harm in Banff,
but was released on bail.
A month later, he was ar-
rested for breaking into Cal-
gary’s North Hill Mall. He
was again freed on bail but
placed under house arrest,
Petition seeks firmer gov’t action on caregiver issues
The Coalition for the
Protection of Caregivers’
Rights, in cooperation with
the Community Alliance on
Social Justice (CASJ), has
asked politicians in Ottawa
for firmer and more resolute
action that would bestow
on foreign caregivers better
social and economic protec-
tion and security while car-
rying out their noble jobs in
Canada.
In a petition addressed to
the House of Commons in
Parliament Assembled, the
coalition sought to draw the
attention of the House to the
reality that:
► Canada never had a
universal child and elderly
care program;
► The Live-in Care-
giver Program (LCP) was
the Federal government’s
response to the increasing
need for home based child-
care and care for its aging
population;
► The hiring of live-
in caregivers or domestic
workers had become an at-
tractive alternative for dual-
income families with young
children, in view of the high
cost of hiring live-out nan-
nies or of sending children
to a day care center;
► Live-in caregivers
not only provided quality
childcare at their employers’
the news reports added.
Watcheston lived in
southeast Calgary for about
a year, and his residence was
about a block away from
where Laoagan’s body was
found.
Frantic cellphone call
Investigators said they
sifted through LRT surveil-
lance video and believed
Watcheston was on the same
C-Train as Laoagan on the
night of the murder, and that
Watcheston trailed Laoagan
when she left the Franklin
station at about 10:30 p.m.
A friend also told police
Laoagan was able to make
a frantic cellphone call and
say she was being attacked.
Laoagan was headed
home from night shift work
at West Canadian Graphics,
a document-scanning com-
pany, when she was killed.
A passerby found Lao-
agan’s battered body near
the LRT station on Jan. 18.
It took sometime to iden-
tify Laoagan’s body.
The medical examiner’s
office had to confirm her
identity through fingerprint
samples, because her face
was badly mutilated.
Participants of the Jan. 20 Community Alliance on Social Justice workshop on caregivers’ issues put
up the Coalition for the Protection of Caregivers’ Rights and formulate a petition addressed to the Ca-
nadian Parliament in Ottawa. Caregivers’ issues workshop speakers include (below, from left) Hermie
Garcia, Connie Sorio, Jesusa Cabiling, Menchie Cuaresma, Pura Velasco and Sol Pajadura. All photos
courtesy of HERMIE GARCIA, PHILIPPINE REPORTER
home, but also performed
other household chores such
as cooking, housecleaning,
laundry, driving, shoveling
snow in winter and garden-
ing in summer, walking the
dogs, and others;
►Since their workplac-
es are their homes, the live-
in caregivers have become
ARCELIE LAOAGAN
“It is disturbing when
there’s a crime of this na-
ture, when it’s that violent
and when it’s random,” said
police chief Rick Hanson.
Dreams shattered?
Reports said Laoagan
worked two jobs in Calgary,
trying to make enough mon-
ey to bring her husband and
five boys to Canada from
the Philippines.
A commerce degree
holder and aspiring to work
as an accountant in Canada,
Laoagan was then waiting
for Canada’s immigration
department’s approval on a
sponsorship application for
her husband and sons.
A news report said immi-
gration officials have prom-
ised to make exceptions and
vulnerable to economic
(long and flexible hours,
non payment of overtime
hours, pay below minimum
wage) exploitation, physical
and sexual abuse, invasions
of their privacy and control
over their mobility;
► The mandatory LCP
live-in requirement (24
Manila Media Monitor FEBRUARY 2008
leave Laoagan’s application
open for her family to come
to Canada.
The news reports added
that Jane Mugford, West
Canadian Graphics vice-
president, said the company
has set up a $10,000 trust to
help Laoagan’s family, even
though Laoagan had been
with the firm for only five
weeks.
In a memorial service
on Jan. 24, Laoagan’s sis-
ter Marilyn Hori praised the
police for their “profession-
alism” and said news of the
charge gave the family some
peace.
Siblings Caroline Max-
imo and Oswald Sombrito
also spoke of their dead
sister during the memorial
service at the Calgary Full
Gospel Church where Lao-
agan sang in the choir.
Sombrito said he and
two other sisters flew in
from Toronto to arrange for
Laoagan’s body to be sent
back to the Philippines for
burial.
Police warning
As this developed, Cal-
gary police renewed warn-
ings to women to take pre-
months to be completed
within 39 months) under-
pins the view that the LCP
has always been a form of
indentured slavery; and
► Under labor law, the
is noted the lack of or non-
enforcement of minimal em-
ployment standards or occu-
pational health and safety
cautions while walking at
night.
Police told women to
stay in well-lit areas at night
and with groups of people
if they were waiting for
transit. They added women
should scream and draw at-
tention to themselves if they
felt they were in danger.
Dulnuan case
Meanwhile, the Filipino
community in Toronto has
continued to be wary of the
progress in the ongoing trial
of two suspects the Peel Re-
gional Police arrested and
charged with first degree
murder in December 2007,
in connection with the Oct.
1, 2007 killing of Filipino
maid Jocelyn Dulnuan,
27, in a Mississauga man-
sion where she worked and
lived.
Peel Police on Dec. 17,
2007 arrested Toronto resi-
dent Cristian Figueroa, 35, a
construction worker.
The next day, police col-
lared Woodbridge resident
Fabian Loayza-Penaloza,
35, a contractor.
The two suspects have
been appearing before the
Ontario Court of Justice in
laws in private homes.
In view of these condi-
tions, the petitioners called
on Parliament to:
► Conduct a hearing
on the condition of live-in
caregivers by the appropri-
ate government agency/ies
involved (CIC, HRSDC,
Federal Temporary Workers
JOCELYN DULNUAN
Brampton to answer charges
police filed against them.
Police said both were
originally from Ecuador,
were friends and had worked
together in construction
jobs.
News reports quoted
Peel Police Constable Adam
Minnion as saying that
Loayza-Penaloza did paint-
ing work in the mansion
giving him “intimate knowl-
edge of the home and the
people who lived there and
those who would come and
go to the home,” which un-
derwent extensive renova-
tion in the six months prior
to Dulnuan’s murder.
Confined, strangled
Minnion told reporters
(To page 11)
Program) in program imple-
mentation and make the
needed program changes to
improve caregivers’ work-
ing conditions.
► Immediately remove
the mandatory live-in re-
quirement allowing caregiv-
ers to choose their abode.
► Grant permanent
residence status to these
caregivers. The Canadian
immigration point system
must be revised to genu-
inely reflect Canadian labor
needs, including the need
for caregivers. Caregivers
must be granted permanent
resident status as soon as
specific training and educa-
tion criteria are met.
► Give caregivers ac-
cess to social and settlement
services including employ-
ment Insurance, subsidized
housing, healthcare, legal
aid and Child Tax Benefits
► Push Canada’s impri-
matur on the United Nations
Convention on the Protec-
tion of the Rights and Wel-
fare of Migrant Workers and
their Families.
Meanwhile, the Federa-
tion of Filipino-Canadians
of Brampton, CASJ and the
Canada Overseas Filipino
Workers Group will conduct
a Caregiver Support forum
at Shoppers World Bramp-
ton on Feb. 17.
FEBRUARY 2008 Manila Media Monitor
Be forewarned: Air Canada ‘buddy
pass’ may mean ‘cheap flight’ but ...
(From page 1)
“If Delano ‘Allan’ Arza-
ga could do this to me, then
he could do this to anyone
else,” said victim Roberto
Galicia, a practicing mem-
ber of the ethnic and com-
munity press.
“I really feel stupid after
being duped, and later com-
pletely ignored by Arzaga
who would not return calls
or reply to e-mail messag-
es,” Galicia said.
“The lesson I’ve so
sorely learned may as well
be a fair warning to those
who may later be his unsus-
pecting prey,” he added.
Air Canada big wig?
The way Arzaga
NDP: Passenger Bill of ...
(From page 1)
It resumed flights this
past summer, to compete
with Astraeus, a European
carrier, but stopped it again
in September.
“The Atlantic provinces
and rural Canada are always
getting the short end of the
stick and are not getting the
air service they require,”
said Stoffer. “A three-hour
flight from Iqaluit to Arctic
mouthed things, it would
seem to his listener that he
was a very influential Air
Canada hand at the Toronto
Pearson airport.
Arzaga bragged on how
he could easily secure any-
one a seat in any Air Cana-
da flight any time, using his
employee’s ‘buddy pass.’
He said he could accom-
pany people on a Toronto-
Hong Kong-Toronto flight,
for only $650 each.
He stressed that if he
had work during any of the
set flights, he would use
part of the fee he charged to
pay for the wages of some-
one to take his place and do
his work, while he accom-
Bay costs over $4,800. This
is an obvious issue of fair-
ness. Passengers shouldn’t
be at the mercy of airlines,
especially when travelling
to northern or rural Canada.
Its time the federal gov-
ernment work with all key
players in this industry and
review cost structures and
service implementation,”
he added. PR
panied his patron.
But Arzaga would ask
his victim to misidentify
himself as his relative, if
and when asked by any air-
port personnel.
Questions
In a letter to key Air
Canada and Ace Aviation
Holdings, Inc. officials,
Galicia, in his capacity as a
newsman, asked:
► Are Air Canada’s
‘buddy passes’ for sale?
► Is Air Canada man-
agement tolerating such
‘buddy pass’ practices Ar-
zaga executed with flair and
being done too, as he boast-
ed, by other airline officials
and employees?
► Since Air Canada is
so strict in complying with
laws on passenger and plane
safety, does the manpower
switch Arzaga bragged
about not open avenues that
may endanger lives and de-
stroy property?
Air Canada’s media re-
lations office has acknowl-
edged receipt of the letter
and promised to reply.
Confirmed booking
Despite warnings from
friends that the ‘cheap
NEWS
flight’ deal smelled of a
scam, Galicia fell for it af-
ter Arzaga showed him the
“confirmed booking” for
a Nov. 20, 2007 Toronto-
Hong Kong flight aboard
AC15 and a Jan. 22, 2008
Hong Kong-Toronto flight
aboard AC16 for the victim
and his mother, for which
Arzaga charged and got a
still unreceipted $1,300.
One-way ticket!
Arzaga made good his
commitment to fly the two
to Hong Kong. But Arzaga
would breach his part of
getting Galicia home on
the earlier booked and con-
firmed Jan. 22, 2008 flight.
Asked on arrangements
for the Jan. 22 return flight,
Arzaga said he could not
make it, insisting he had
work and negating his
much-heralded ‘warm body
switch.’ But he promised he
would make himself avail-
able on Jan. 27, 2008.
“If Arzaga could not
meet an earlier set commit-
ment, what assurances do
his victims have that Arzaga
would fulfill another prom-
ise?” asked Galicia.
“Worse, Arzaga was
practically making me his
hostage, placing my time
and resources at his mercy,
arrogantly saying that if I
really wanted to go home on
Jan. 22, then I have to fend
off for myself,” he said.
Having made appoint-
ments after Jan. 22, 2008
he could not back out from,
Galicia had to buy his own
ticket and “just had to enjoy
(See Omerta on page 10)
the psychological and eco-
nomic misery Arzaga has
inflicted on me.”
“My 75-year old mother
is still in the Philippines,
suffering from Arzaga’s
misdeeds. She said she is
due to return to Canada, but
not under Arzaga’s terms
and not aboard an air Can-
ada plane,” he added.
Oathtaking missed
Earlier on, Galicia was
scheduled to take his Cana-
dian oath of citizenship on
Dec. 21, 2007.
Banking on Arzaga’s
other promise that he would
fetch Galicia when the lat-
ter’s notice to appear before
immigration to take his oath
of citizenship came, he re-
quested to be flown back
5
to Canada from Manila on
Dec. 18, 2007 at the least.
Arzaga insisted it was
impossible, saying all
flights before Dec. 21, 2007
were unavailable.
But a quick surf of the
Air Canada website showed
a lot of empty plane seats.
“He simply did not want
to do his part of our agree-
ment. Thus, I missed the
ceremonies,” Galicia said.
Worse, he was later
told by immigration that he
might have to go through
the processes again.
Benefit abuse, misuse
In his letter to Air Cana-
da officials, Galicia sought
comment on whether or
not Arzaga’s acts could be
“construed as abuse and
misuse of company benefits
and privileges, at the ex-
pense of his victims and the
company’s good image and
integrity.”
“I know that Air Canada
has nothing to do with Ar-
zaga’s private transactions.
But this breach was made in
the name of your company.
I hope an investigation and
appropriate action are con-
ducted to clear this mess.”
6 VIEWS
Bicolano Romanticos,
higit na pinagpapala?
Watching Pinoy, Eh! on Chan-
nel A, Cable 20, one Saturday
morning last January:
Female Host: “… Hi, I’m Mary
Grace Santos (she pronounced her
last name as Sen-toes).”
Male Host: “ … and I’m An-
thony Joseph Lusaya (he pro-
nounced his last name as Loosey-
ya).”
Pinoy Eh! continues …
Mary Grace: “We have with
us today folksinger Chito Sarabia
(she pronounced his last name as
Sa-reyb-ya). Chito, please tell us
something about yourself.”
Chito: “Oh yes. I’m Chito
Sarabia (he pronounced his last
name as Sa-reyb-ya).”
After this portion, I didn’t
know what happened. I fell asleep
having had no sleep yet from the
previous evening.
***
Watching Front Page Phil-
ippines one Sunday morning,
OMNI 2, Cable 14:
Female Host: “Magandang
araw po sa inyo, mga kaibigan.
Ako po ang inyong lingkod, Gie
Alvarez (she pronounced her
last name as Eyl-vey-rez).”
After this, I didn’t know
Ace Alvarez
“Now, I’m confused on what my middle last name is: Alva-
rez, or Eyl-vey-rez?”
what happened. No … no … no.
I didn’t fall asleep. I fainted.
***
Two months ago, Philip-
pine Press Club-Ontario (PPCO)
President Tenny Soriano declared
Talakayan radio program produc-
er-host Jess Cabrias as lifetime
member of the PPCO.
Some people asked me what
Jess is getting for it. My reply:
“Oh, from that date on, and every
year thereafter, Jess has to pay his
annual membership dues.”
***
In announcing the new offi-
cers and board members of the
Asian Canadian Entrepreneurs
and Professionals on February
14, VP for Public Relations Al-
ice Cheung sent a post script:
“Oops! I omitted the position
Manila Media Monitor FEBRUARY 2008
of ‘VP, Government and Trade
Relations, Jess M. Carlos’ in the
2008 Board of Directors.
“My apology to Jess for the
omission.”
From Ace to Jess Carlos:
Ayan, Jess. Official na! You can
add it to your bio as follows:
JESS M. CARLOS, BBA: Presi-
dent & CEO - JC Link Finan-
cial Group, President - Maha-
rajah Heritage of Canada; PRO
- Association of Filipino Cana-
dian Accountants, PRO- Kalay-
aan, Director - Asian Canadian
Entrepreneur Professional, Life
Member- Million Dollar Round
Table, Member- Philippine Press
Club of Ontario, Member - Free
and Accepted Mason, Unfran-
chise Owner and Distributor of
Market America - a multibillion
dollar brokerage industry.
Teka, Jess, I noticed that you
haven’t included in the list yet
your title as television reporter.
***
On February 14, Gie Alvarez,
among other recipients, received a
Valentine greeting from newsman
Jojo Taduran.
On the same day, too, I got,
among other recipients, a Valen-
tine greeting from PCCT presi-
dent and Action Honda general
manager Rafael Nebres.
You know what’s common
between the two e-mail Valentine
greeting senders? They’re both
Bicolano Romanticos!
***
During the two snow storms
that Toronto had during the
first two weeks of February, I
noticed that on the street I live
on, the snow pile on our side of
the street is thicker compared
with those living on the north
side of the street. Exchanging
notes on our experiences on
those two snow storms, I said
to Manila Media Monitor editor
Butch Galicia that this was be-
cause, we, on the south side of
the street, are blessed more. He
commented, “Higit pala kayong
pinagpapala.”
***
On February 6, Suzy Llanera,
acting as a PR person for The Pil-
lars Cultural Association, sent
Mabuhay Magazine’s Karen Pas-
cual-Binaday a press release with
a note: “Hi Karen – can we send
this to the media for press release,”
furnishing Manila Media Monitor
with a copy of the message.
Hhhmmm … Suzy probably
did not believe that she was al-
ready sending the message to the
media.
***
Philippine daily newspaper
Manila Times news item on Jan-
uary 31: “Gov’t making ‘watch-
list’ of critics”.
O, sa banda rito … sa banda
rito … Marami dito sa Toronto!
***
The item also stated: “The list
to be generated by the national po-
lice on orders of the Palace, will
include journalists.”
Ah .. sa banda roon … sa ban-
da roon … Friendly kami sa ad-
ministration dito sa Toronto! Ka-
hit itanong pa ninyo kay ConGen
Andy Mosquera.
***
(To page 7)
FEBRUARY 2008 Manila Media Monitor
Bicolano Romanticos ...
(From page 6)
For a select few, Fri-
days are very special be-
ing recipients of folksing-
er Chito Sarabia’s TGIF
(Thank God It’s Friday),
a weekly compilation of
quotations to live by.
On Friday, February
8, among Chito’s quotes
was, “Blackbird singing
in the dead of night.”
Teka … teka! Mukhang
niloloko mo na kami niyan,
Chito, a!
Huwag mo nang uulitin
iyan, otherwise, you will
get “No Reply” if “I Saw
You Standing There”.
***
The following is a con-
versation between a man
and a woman before their
marriage to each other
(from a forwarded message
from my good friend Mal-
colm Wason):
He: Yes! At last. Wait-
ing was so hard.
She: Do you want me to
leave?
He: NO! Don’t even
think about it.
She: Do you love me?
He: Of course! Over and
over!
She: Have you ever
cheated on me?
He: NO! Why are you
even asking?
She: Will you kiss me?
He: Every chance I get!
She: Will you hit me?
He: Are you crazy! I’m
not that kind of person!
She: Can I trust you?
He: Yes.
She: Darling!
After marriage, simply
read from bottom to top.
***
From a forwarded
message from Likha pub-
lication’s Leonie Man-
zanares:
US presidential can-
didates Hillary Clinton,
Barack Obama, and John
Edwards were flying to a
convention.
Barack looked at Hill-
ary, chuckled and said,
“You know, I could throw
a $1,000 bill out of the win-
dow right now and make
somebody very happy.”
Hillary shrugged her
shoulders and replied,
“I could throw ten $100
bills out of the window
and make ten people very
happy.”
John added, “That be-
ing the case, I could throw
one hundred $10 bills out
of the window and make
a hundred people very
happy.”
Hearing these, the pilot
rolled his eyes and told his
co-pilot, “Such big-shots
back there’. I could throw
all of them out of the win-
dow and make 156 million
people very happy.”
Filipino workers gain ...
(From page 1)
in the Philippines and Man-
itoba, Brion said.
Workers’ training and
credential recognition were
highlighted in the pact.
But Brion clarified that
applicants for job vacan-
cies would still have to go
through authorized recruit-
ment agencies.
Labor officials would
regularly exchange infor-
mation on Manitoba em-
ployers and recruitment
or sending agencies in the
Philippines.
Both parties would like-
wise explore projects to
sustain and promote HRD
in the Philippines.
A working committee
would be established to
coordinate the HRD activi-
ties.
Immigrant status
Under the MOU, Fili-
pino workers might enter
Manitoba either as tempo-
rary foreign worker or per-
manent resident, excluding
those seeking to work as
live-in caregivers or those
approved as Manitoba pro-
vincial nominees.
Applicants should pass
the medical examination
required by Citizenship
and Immigration Canada,
be free from any custody
or divorce dispute, have
satisfactory English lan-
guage proficiency, not have
VIEWS
a criminal record, and have
employer-required skills.
Brion said the MOU pro-
hibited recruitment agencies
from charging placement
fees from workers, as em-
ployers would pay the cost
of hiring the OFW.
Strong Filipino commu-
nity
Manitoba Premier Doer
said “Manitoba has a strong
Filipino community, and it
makes sense for us to build
on the connections that ex-
ist between our province
and the Philippines.”
More immigrants come
to Manitoba from the Phil-
ippines than any other
country, with Filipino new-
comers accounting for more
than 25 percent of the prov-
ince’s total immigration.
Manitoba’s growing Fil-
ipino community has nearly
50,000 residents.
The mission included
Flor Marcelino, a mem-
ber of Manitoba’s Filipino
community and the legisla-
tive assistant to the minis-
ter responsible for Culture,
Heritage and Citizenship.
Investment opportunities
Besides the job pact,
Premier Doer said the mis-
sion had extensively pro-
moted the province as a
prime location for invest-
ment.
Doer and mission mem-
bers - who included busi-
ness and community lead-
ers representing a range
of companies, organiza-
tions and institutions - had
a series of meetings with
Filipino businessmen that
introduced Manitoba busi-
nesses to new opportunities
in the Philippines, expected
to increase and diversify
Manitoba’s export markets.
Manitoba’s non-United
States exports rose eight
percent in 2006 over 2005.
“Setbacks in other mar-
kets can have an impact
here at home. Therefore, it
is important that we keep di-
versifying and growing the
international markets with
which we do business. This
helps cushion us against
such setbacks and ensure
that our own economy con-
tinues to grow,” Doer said.
Two-way trade between
Manitoba and the Philip-
pines totaled $29 million in
2006.
Leading Manitoba ex-
Please see page 11 for our detailed advertisement
7
ports to the Philippines
include wheat, iron/steel
articles, repairs, pork and
processed foods.
Top imports from the
Philippines to Manitoba
include TV cameras, elec-
tronic circuits, moving/
grading/scraping or boring
machinery, furniture and
electronic parts.
Manitoba has a diverse
economy with strong sec-
tors in agriculture, grain
handling and nutraceuticals,
advanced manufacturing,
and aerospace and aviation.
“Manitoba has a lot to
offer to Filipino businesses
looking to access the North
America market,” Doer
said.
“Our province is a gate-
way to the continent, with
affordable business costs,
a strategic central location,
and strong transportation
and communication links to
other parts of Canada, the
United States and Mexico,”
he added. PNA/PR
8 VIEWS Manila Media Monitor FEBRUARY 2008
medium of instruction, textbooks
and everything were in English -
imported from Uncle Sam’s coun-
try.
Readers who likewise went to
private Catholic schools would

Community remember that even during off

classroom hours - recesses, lunch

indifference
It would be ideal if community
organizations doing fundraising
efforts on one cause, or another,
post its accounting of funds in
their websites.
This way, the public’s confi-
dence on fundraising efforts does
not wane; hence, not affecting
other organizations which may be
doing legitimate fundraising for
causes they believe in.
Because of the so many unac-
counted funds in past fundraising
initiatives by groups - both for-
mally organized under the law,
and those which were not, many
open-hearted Filipinos have start-
ed to stay away from giving gen-
erously to various causes.
Already, organizations which
are doing legitimate fundraising
projects have started to feel the
indifference of the community in
their noble aims.
For one, Levi Frias, president
of the North York Filipino Com-
munity Centre, aired his troubles
to this column, stressing his dif-
ficulties from raising his, and his
group’s project, from the drawing
board.
Mr. Frias blames other organi-
zations for the attitude the public
now has on fundraisings, affecting
the North York Filipino Commu-
nity Centre project, among other
associations.
On the other hand, Karen Cag-
uicla - chair of the “Find Christina
Calayca” project knew exactly
what she and her group are fac-
ing.
During her conversation with
this writer, Karen - an aunt of the
missing Filipino since August 6,
2007 at the Rainbow Falls Provin-
cial Park in Thunder Bay - said that
all funds raised from the initiative
will be posted in the group’s web-
site at www.findchristina.com.
The “Find Christina” group is
composed of family and friends.
In a related development, this
column congratulates the Toronto
Catholic District School Board
(TCDSB), chaired by Catherine
LeBlanc-Miller, in posting trust-
ees’ expenses on its website as a
positive step to ensure transpar-
ency and further accountability of
public money.
The TCDSB chair, in a state-
ment, said that as they review
Trustee expenses and approval
processes, they discover some
items which needed reconciling
according to the board’s policies.
Among these items were taxi
chits that were charged to her ac-
count, thus, the same amount was
immediately reimbursed to the
board.
… just wondering if non-prof-
it corporations around us have
similar policies in place; o baka
naman, pati ballroom dancing les-
sons are charged?
***
The implementation next year
by the Toronto Board of Educa-
tion of an experimental school for
black students reminds me of the
two-tier primary school system in
the Philippines during my time.
Those families who have extra
money to shell out with which to
afford extra expenses entailed in
sending their kids to private Cath-
olic schools in the Philippines
learn one thing and the poor who
have none, or those by choice,
could only send their children to
government-run schools in the
Philippines.
During those times, students
in the public elementary school
system learned “Pepe and Pilar”,
and those in the private Catholic
schools learned “Judy” and “Jack
and Jill”.
Oh, believe me, at a young age,
when I moved to a public school
system, afterwards, I lasted only
two years. I was an “immigrant”
in the sea of “natural borns” - al-
though, all of us were Filipinos.
Reason was that, in the pri-
vate Catholic school system, our
breaks, etc. - we were instructed
to speak in English, otherwise one
would be fined five centavos per
word said.
When I moved to the public
school system, I was the poorest
in the “Pilipino” subject, because
I was trained to be a little brown
American with Filipino accent,
so much so that when my teacher
assigned us a seatwork during my
first few days at school, and giv-
ing her instruction in Tagalog, I
did not understand what she was
saying, hence, I copied the work
of my seatmate - and realized af-
ter I copied letter for letter my seat
mate’s work, and reading every
syllable of the word, I realized I
copied “Joselito” - my seatmate’s
name.
While my classmates were
good to me, still I felt alienated in
the public school system, hence,
my family was forced to put
me back in the private Catholic
school I had attended and felt at
home in.
Oh, I still remember the joy
of my old classmates and friends
seeing me - and mine, too - the
first day of school that year.
In Toronto, I hope that after at-
tending the all black exclusive ex-
perimental school, graduates will
still be comfortable in the multi-
cultural reality of the city of To-
ronto - which, by then, they will
not have been used to exposure.
(To page 11)
But the proud Manilan will,
after reciting a litany of ills in self-
analysis and confession, always
asks if it is easier to borrow a cup-
ful of vinegar and a ladder from a
neighbor here or in the Americas.
Or if one knows his neighbor’s

Manila on my mind birthday, much less his name. Or

ORLANDO, Florida: I have
barely gone a fortnight, but my
mind is constantly in the grimy,
congested, chaotic city of my
childhood as though an invisible
thread inextricably connects me.
The signature Hotdog song of
the 70s wafts through the memo-
ry. Not humming it in my mind is
difficult: “Manila, Manila, hinah-
anap-hanap kita Manila ….I keep
coming back to Manila.”
Why jaded Pinoys, like this
writer, are haunted by home is in-
explicable.
It is akin to a pigeon homing at
night, a dog gone astray, but sniff-
ing its way back to the familiar
scents of a welcoming house.
Cousins and other kin have
wondered why despite the many
opportunities to leave and find
treasures elsewhere, I have opted
to stay.
Yet like millions left behind, I
find pleasure in ripping the poor
city to smithereens, finding al-
most every corner odorous, nearly
every building disheveled, almost
every government leader corrupt.
Days are spent discrediting lo-
cal society and blaming regimes
past and present, tracing the de-
crepitude all the way to Magellan,
Queen Isabella and her hypocriti-
cal friars.
There must be a charm to the
turmoil, some method to the mad-
ness. For why else would one ig-
nore the Pied Piper call for a more
comfortable life in the northern
hemisphere, far away from the
dusty streets and uncollected gar-
bage, the rusty jeeps and greedy
congressmen?
Manila is an enigma, a city
of contradictions. The city defies
thorough description even in the
pens of the revered Nick Joaquin
or Carmen Guerrero Nakpil.
Read Lonely Planet, Fodor
or Amazon’s editions on Manila
and one will half grieve and half
rejoice.
It is as though one was to visit
a corner of Baghdad, a nook of
Kolkata and a section of Prague
all in one breath.
It is not what ails the city of
16 million people, but what can be
celebrated of Manila.
In 1901, when the Thomasites
were just around the corner, there
were only 277,000 in the mostly
swampy, generally dusty city.
It is not swampy anymore, ev-
ery section having been expropri-
ated by government or snatched
by informal dwellers.
It is still dusty, despite the
kilometers of roads that lace the
entire area in gnarled ribbons of
inferior asphalt and substandard
concrete.
There seems to be more tri-
cycles than there are trees, more
funeral parlors than there are
parks, more mobile phone sub-
scribers than there are users of the
zip code.
Home could be the musty un-
derside of a bridge or a luxury
condotel, depending on how deep
one’s pocket is.
A snooty balikbayan will scoff
at how depressingly poor and
shabby things have become since
he was last home, finding devious
joy in comparing his adoptive city
to Manila.
if when one dies in the commu-
nity, the entire block comes to pay
respect.
To be sure, Manila is not what
the elected leaders have carved it
out to be.
The street lamp’s life is only
as good as a sitting mayor’s term.
Manila is not what foreign jour-
nalists paint it out to be, but what
residents want it to turn out as.
Whether in the perilous slum
jungles of North Harbor, the man-
hole peppered streets of Sampaloc,
or the bohemian alleys of Ermita,
Manila is always an experience, a
spectacle to behold.
All of it defying description.
It will be this way for perhaps an-
other generation or more.
There will be more stories to
tell about the city and its residents,
many of whom will cower at the
specter of old age in a city gone
mad and will therefore pack their
bags and abandon the nest.
But surely, there will be a
brave set of people who will see
charm and mystic under the patina
of poverty and disorder. Much like
those who define a half -empty
glass as half-filled. And they will
stay, like this writer, because there
is always a surprise awaiting.
FEBRUARY 2008 Manila Media Monitor VIEWS 9

Opinion Canada’s World

Be a President? needs your input
By JIMMY L. MONTEJO
So you want to be president of the Republic of the Philippines. Canada’s World is having a can learn more about your coun- in the book, published last year
I hate saying this, but being president is a very thankless job. You conversation about our country’s try and the world and get prepared and delivered to me recently, un-
give it your best shot and the people will still ask for more. On the role in the world. for the online dialogue, which will solicited.
other hand, your critics - there are plenty of them, I tell you - will The organizers want to get happen next spring. The authors claim their ex-
claim your efforts are not good enough, or you’re not doing any- Canadians informed and talking: You can take quizzes on in- haustive research proves that, ap-
thing at all. talking about how they want us to ternational issues, browse the proximately every 1,500 years, we
Let me cite, for instance, the peso’s dramatic gain against the act in the world, and what we have gallery and add your own photos experience a warming period such
dollar which, by the way, is already in the area of: P39 from a high to do to make that happen. to it, read guides for how to get as we’re undergoing now.
of P56 not so long ago. A strong peso is good for the economy; The project is having this involved in making change in “They piece together clues
there’s no question about that. The wage earners couldn’t be hap- conversation in person, through the international arena, and learn from ice cores, tree rings, ocean
pier because they can now buy more with their money. dialogues with randomly selected about new realities facing Canada sediments and stalagmites to re-
But then, Mr. OFW (overseas Filipino worker) out there and his participants in every region of the in the world. So – get going! construct Earth’s temperatures
family in here are less than happy. The exchange rate left them with country, and online at canadas- Don’t forget: canadasworld.ca over the eons,” says the covering
so much less in pesos. It means diminution of their earnings, and world.ca. ***** letter from Peter Holle, president
that’s no way to treat a so-called contemporary hero who kept the The outcome of this conversa- To the number of right wing of the Frontier Centre in a letter
national economy afloat with his remittances when the country is at tion will depend on what you say think tanks like the Fraser Institute accompanying the book and ad-
its lowest ebb, economically, that is. so it’s up to you to participate and and the Donner Foundation that dressed to me.
If you were the President, how would you strike a delicate bal- make your voice heard! front for laissez faire business and Now let’s look at the facts.
ance between these two opposing issues? To get you prepared to talk industry, add Frontier Centre for Three thousand years ago, there
If you’ve got no idea, fine. Just don’t be president. about your country and the world, Public Policy, a Winnipeg-based were only an estimated 50 mil-
Don’t even think about it. they’ve created the above website, organization I’d never heard of lion men, women and children on
No, am not finished yet. The peso-dollar stuff is just one of a from which you can find more in- until I received from the centre a earth and 1,500 years ago - when
thousand and one headaches you’ve got to address - if you’re the formation about Canada’s World book titled Unstoppable Global the earth’s estimated population
president. – the overview of the project, the Warming — Every 1,500 Years. was only 90 million, we were still
Okay, here’s some of the more pressing issues - let’s call them project team, information about Don’t worry about global a long way from the coming of the
social and political ills - that the country’s Chief Executive have to the other members of the site, ad- warming; it’s happened before, Industrial Revolution, the automo-
live up with. Incidentally, thanks to the Catholic Bishops Confer- visors, collaborators, and funders, every 1,500 years. bile and the importance of fossil
ence of the Philippines for helping me out on this. and ways to contact Canada’s That’s the message physicist fuels to our daily needs, plus such
In a communiqué issued at the closing of their 96th plenary World Fred Singer and science journalist other factors as the methane gas
assembly, the CBCP enumerated some of the issues which have From the rest of the site, you Dennis Avery are trying to convey (To page 11)
caused some kind of national paralysis that prevented the country
from moving forward.
According to the prelates, bureaucratic corruption is at its worst.
Then there’s the coup threats that simply refuse to go away, the
Charter change jitters, persistent mass poverty, and the national ID
system which, personally, I think, shouldn’t be an issue at all.
Curiously, the CBCP didn’t mention a thing about spiraling
prices of fuel products. Again, personally, my minimum gas buy

Self-destruction
used to be P300. Now, it’s P500, otherwise, the gasoline boy would
(To page 36)

Accountability & Truth

Makati Business Club (E-Newsletter, Feb. 12, 2008) Self-destruction is the Dark, and it gentles you with reminders ers. Then you lie to yourself. And
hovering just at the edge of Light. of the pain. Reminders of your you convince yourself that you’re
We salute Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada Jr. for overcoming his person-
Always. Always with us. Always hunger for revenge and justice. still in control.
al fear of the consequences of revealing what he knows about the
ready to seize us upon the slight- Like a lioness gentling the wilde- The Dark has mastered you.
scandal-ridden National Broadband Network (NBN) project. He
est flicker. beest, its jaws tight around a quiv- Your humiliation is complete.
claims that his life was threatened, that he was enticed with assur-
It’s a drug so addictive. So se- ering throat. But the hunger never stops. And
ances of his personal safety and promises of other considerations,
ductive. When the pain is greatest You sink a little deeper. And drives you to seek others so that
and that he was abducted by persons belonging to the (Philippine)
it comes quietly, offering solace you humiliate your soul with in- they may have their own hunger.
state security apparatus. Mr. Lozada chose to walk away from the
and promises; promises more al- creasing violence. And each time, And you make new friends
“dark side” and the lies and cover-up regarding the NBN project
luring than any lover can give; you lose a small part of yourself. who reinforce your world. Like
being peddled by persons connected to (President Gloria Macapa-
promises to ease the pain; a refuge You look in the mirror and addicts at a crack house, you sit,
gal-Arroyo’s) Administration.
and a friend in a seemingly dark nod and say, that’s ok, it’s worth silently offering comfort and en-
If he had been a lesser person, he could have continued to ac-
sea. A gentle caress that succors a the price. I will get my justice and couragement to each other. And
quiesce and cower in the dark. But having come into the light, he
burning need to ease the pain. then I will be done. these friends feed your hunger.
has become a credible witness to the truth. Now that he is being
And in place of that pain, an of- And you look for new humili- You step out of your world,
unjustly maligned by government officials and by senators identi-
fer made, a bargain reached. And ations. For new ways to destroy leaving behind those who care
fied with the Administration in their continuing effort to suppress
then it’s too late. The Light which and abuse yourself. about you, and step into a new
the truth, we express our support for Mr. Lozada and let him know,
flickered for just an instance, is So dark has your way become, harsh reality.
“Hindi ka nag-iisa!”
shoved back inch by inch, until it you can’t see the destruction for It’s done without notice or an-
We call on DENR Secretary Joselito Atienza and CHED Chair-
is no more than a distant memory, what it is. Only the fleeting high nouncement. One small step at a
man Romulo Neri to save themselves from further shame by resign-
a rumor, of how you once were. each hit gives you. But it never time. And with every step, you
ing from their positions in government for their respective roles in
Then the pain is no longer im- lasts long. And like all drugs, you look back and make promises
the attempt to prevent Mr. Lozada from testifying on the ZTE deal
portant. You’re hooked and the slowly build resistance so that which you’ll never keep. Prom-
at the Senate.
seduction is complete. more and more is needed. And ises to yourself, promises to those
Their protection at any cost of the interests of those in power
Self-destruction has you in an you convince yourself that you’re you leave behind. But an insatia-
render them unworthy of the people’s trust.
iron grip; helping you plan your still in control. ble hunger drives you and so you
We support the Senate’s continued pursuit of the truth behind
every humiliation, helping you Those around you begin to take another step.
the NBN project. We must see to it that those who are revealed to
destroy your soul, with an insa- hurt. Each of your humiliations Self-destruction is the Dark,
have broken the law, no matter how high up, must be made to ac-
tiable hunger that’s as old as time visits your family, your friends, hovering just at the edge of Light.
count for their transgressions. The long-term political stability and
itself. your name. It blinds and maims and is raven-
economic prosperity of our country will only be possible if we have
In those brief moments when They have no place to hide. No ous with its hunger for your pain.
leaders with integrity, and institutions that protect and uphold the
you regain a little of what you way to recover. And when they try Like a fire storm, it sweeps
public trust.
once were, when the fog threat- to reach out to you, to shine their across the open plains of your be-
As business people, we cannot console ourselves in the strength
ens to lift and reveal all, the Dark Light so that you might see better, ing, scorching and destroying ev-
of the peso and the mirage of inequitable growth. These are ephem-
dims the Light just a little more, you shun them. Angered. erything in its path. info@thenan-
(To page 36) so your reach can’t quite make it, You begin to lie. First to oth- nyexpert.com
10
Of miracles and being
in two places at one time
... If a man could be two plac-
es at one time, I’d be with you;
tomorrow and today, beside you
all the way ... If, David Gates
Oh, no; not anymore! The su-
personic jet age has arrived. And
it has rendered passe the jurassic
belief that no one could ever be in
two places at any one time.
Skylane travellers might not
have known it, but many of them
have defied time, motion and
space, as if it were just one of those
common everyday occurences.
Imagine the excitement I had
nurturing the above notion when I
left in a cab for the Ninoy Aquino
International Airport shortly after
midnight of Jan. 21. I reckoned
I’d get some sleep at the airport
lounge, as I wait to fly to Hong
Kong via Cebu Pacific Air at 8
a.m.. on Jan. 22.
I arrived Hong Kong two
hours later, went airport sight-see-
ing and met Wilson and Mary, two
Filipinos manning Morninghaz at
Terminal II, who prepared for me
a great sandwich lunch, courtesy
of a Hong Kong International Air-
port HK$30 cash voucher promo.
OMG! I never thought there
could be swarms of Filipino com-
GENERAL DENTISTRY
Dr. Gilbert Chan
Dr. Daphne Chien
Dr. Janet Ho
Dr. Janet Wong
Dr. Michael Chin
VIEWS
patriots flying in to and out of
Hong Kong. How many of them
would soon be working for em-
ployers in Canada?
Uh, oh! My apologies to Ma-
nila Media Monitor publisher Ace
Alvarez for being unable to get in
touch with and interview Hong
Kong-based Godeliva Dulnuan,
mother of slain Filipino worker
Jocelyn Dulnuan (related item on
page 4). So little time left, Sir Ace,
to do the journalistic errand, after
attending to travelling must dos.
Anyways, I boarded Air Can-
ada flight AC008 bound for Van-
couver at 1:10 p.m. of Jan. 22 and
had to enjoy being in the air for 20
hours and 12 minutes.
We landed in Vancouver a bit
earlier than the Jan. 22 estimated
time arrival of 9:55 a.m.
After a few smoke sticks un-
der Vancouver’s rather mild win-
try weather and some small talk
with Filipinos at the airport dur-
ing a four-hour wait, I boarded Air
Canada flight AC192 bound for
Toronto at 1:25 p.m. of Jan. 22.
We were at the Pearson airport
at 9:30 p.m. of Jan. 22. After get-
ting my bags, I went out, board-
ed the TTC Rocket to Kipling,
hopped into the subway train to
Warden, got into a Blue Knight
and was home on Danforth Road
before the clock struck midnight.
Come to think of it. Can I right-
fully claim to have been in Hong
Kong and Vancouver or hovering
above some country and in Manila
or Toronto at the same time?
Looks like a time warp or a
case of teleportation? Nope! Sim-
ply credit it to the man-made In-
ternational Date Line.
*****
My, my! Going back in time,
wasn’t it in February two years
ago that a mudslide buried a
whole village in Guinsaugon,
St. Bernard, Southern Leyte for
which the Leyteño Association of
Ontario (LAO) -- led by president
Jose Saavedra, Jr. -- raised a lot of
cash and cheque donations for the
benefit of mudslide survivors.
If my memory serves me well,
Saavedra vowed to come up with
a public report of the donations,
based on a report he would have
submitted to Internal Revenue
Canada in June last year. Sorry,
folks! What is essential is invis-
ible to the eye.
Some more vocal donors have
Manila Media Monitor FEBRUARY 2008
haunted the Manila Media Moni-
tor with queries as to the “kinahi-
natnan ng aming mga donasyon ...
na napunta kaya sa dapat puntah-
an?” Our standard reply: Please,
you’ll know when we know. And
my guarantee, as editor of this pa-
per, of free space for the revenue
report still sits in the stands.
But don’t fret. Perhaps, the
light at the end of the cloudy tun-
nel may be there, after all. A quick
surf at Ricky Cuenca’s Ancop
Canada-Gawad Kalinga (GK)
website may have the answer.
The website features a short
blip.tv capture entitled Canada
goes the distance with Gawad Ka-
linga starring Cuenca as he visits
GK sites in Southern Leyte, East-
ern Samar and Surigao City.
There’s a part there that shows
Cuenca with GK beneficiaries of
ten LAO-funded houses built in
Barangay Tangkaan, Padre Bur-
gos, Southern Leyte.
Meron naman pala, eh. Before
anyone even notices it, may I ad-
vise Ancop Canada’s webmaster
to make mention of the ten-house
LAO GK Village in the website.
Wait a minute, kapeng mainit!
Can anyone, Cuenca maybe,
please explain why Saavedra’s
proclamations that the LAO Vil-
lage would be sited in Macrohon
were completely negated?
But who cares? Padre Burgos
and Macrohon are neighbors, al-
though far, far and very far away
from mudslide-hit St. Bernard.
Ancop Canada-GK can surely
work miracles?
*****
Seldom do I use ink power
against those who do me wrong.
And I readily forgive those who
do not know what they are doing.
As elders say: Be kind to animals.
But when an act is done with
calculated impunity so as to de-
stroy my self-respect and my
Seiko wallet, without saying that
the anomaly affects those near and
dear to me, I enjoy clawing back
and using the options my pen of-
fers to warn others not to fall into
the trap of believing members of
the infamous Swindlers’ List.
A scam is scum, in any lan-
guage. Its place is in hell.
*****
Oh, the page 1 banner story! I
was wrong to think I was a lonely
victim of a cheap flight scam.
Until I lately heard some un-
ending tales of woe, I never knew
that scores have faced far more
horrendous experiences, an un-
welcome discourtesy perpetrated
by the dirty hands and evil minds
of the unscrupulous in the guise of
airline employees, travel agents,
and their related like.
Sabi nga nila: Walang man-
loloko kung walang magpapalo-
ko. I fully agree. Pero hindi ko
aaminin na ako’y nagpaloko. Ang
masakit lang, wala pang itinatay-
ong ospital para sa mga tanga!
NOSEBLEED talaga!
*****
Beware not to do me in some
kind of monkey business. It plea-
sures me to get the business and
drive away the monkey. Matalino
man din daw ang matsing, ung-
goy pa rin! ULOL (Uncontrolla-
bly Laughing Out Loud)! butch-
galicia@yahoo.com
Velasco, Sorio in FEBRUARY 2008 Manila Media Monitor 11
PPC-O forum
Community civic leaders Pura Velasco and
Connie Sorio, advocates for the protection of
Filipino caregivers and workers in Canada,
will lead guest speakers in the Philippine Press
Club-Ontario (PPC-O) Kapihan breakfast fo-
rum at Casa Manila on Feb. 23.
PPC-O director and Kapihan chairman Tony
Sicat said the forum, a regular PPC-O monthly
activity, will begin at 10 a.m.
Two caregivers have been invited to share
their experiences before the PPC-O, Sicat said.
PPC-O director and auditor Hermie Garcia
said the community would be able to put into
context recent developments concerning care-
givers’ and workers’ protection (See page 4),
after hearing from Velasco, Sorio and other
speakers.
Garcia sent information that described:
► Velasco as leader of the Coalition for
the Protection of Caregivers’ Rights, the group
spearheading the campaign for fundamen-
tal changes in the Live-In Caregiver Program
(LCP). Velasco, a former domestic worker in
Europe and Canada, was past president of Inter-
cede that led the campaign to change the For-
eign Domestic Movement program.
► Sorio as Kairos program coordinator for
global partnerships in the Asia-Pacific: Cana-
dian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives. She was
involved in vital advocacy and lobbying cam-
paigns in Parliament Hill.
Both are active members of the Community
Alliance for Social Justice.

Community ...
(From page 8)
The experimental school is aimed at provid-
ing answers why 40 percent of black teens drop
out of school.
In my case, because of the sheltered life I
had through high school, it was not until I was
in university that I was exposed to people of all
kinds and ages.
By this time, I had to unlearn and relearn.
What a waste of time?

Calgary police nab ...

(From page 4)
that Dulnuan died of “ligature strangulation.”
Peel police said Dulnuan was forcibly con-
fined during a robbery at the mansion.
Cash and jewellery were taken, but some of
the stolen goods have been recovered, police
said.
Police said they believed Dulnuan, a li-
censed criminologists in the Philippines, was
killed because she accidentally stumbled on the
robbery in progress and tried to prevent it.
“(Loayza-Penaloza) would have known that
Jocelyn (Dulnuan) lived within the home,” said
Peel Police Constable Wayne Patterson, adding
that “we do not expect any further arrests.”
Police spent at least 11 weeks looking into
the case. They interviewed over 100 people,
news reports said.
Dulnuan moved to Canada from Hong Kong
in November 2006 on a work permit. Wire re-
ports
This book reminds me of a sick old caust, the Massacre of Armenians in 1915 follow a genocidal leader?
Canada’s world ... joke about the mayor of a city about to and the Rwandan Massacres. We need to start with the belief that
(From page 9) be invaded telling a woman fearing of I declined to endorse the line of study, genocide, for whatever reason, ethnic, re-
from animal waste needed to feed the now six rape to “relax and enjoy it.” because it chose but three subjects. ligious or political, is a crime against hu-
billion and growing inhabitants of this planet. I’m almost tempted to think that this What about the deliberate famine cre- manity.
Added to these are the endless eruption of book labelled “New York Times Best- ated by Stalin in Ukraine in the 20s? Yet men persist in justifying these
armed conflict and an unbridled entrepreneurial seller” may have been an April Fool’s And Pol Pot’s killing fields in Cambo- crimes and genocide often has relatively
system that gets a tacit nod from conservative Day joke that arrived two months ear- dia.? small beginnings: a little touch of intoler-
governments in Canada and the United States. ly. And back into history, countless geno- ance , a little bit of blame, a little bit of ridi-
The unprecedented population explosion ***** cides like the Saint Bartholomew’s Day cule.
threatens to rise even higher, exacerbating the Genocide seems to be the hot button massacre of Protestant Huguenots in France (Used with permission. Ben Viccari
problem and bringing down to ridicule the Av- word of the moment. Most of us agree and the Romans’ sacking of Carthage. is the President of the Canadian Ethnic
ery-Singer pipe dream that says after the present it refers to an unspeakable, organized Surely, I thought there must be some Media Association [CEMA] and makes
warming period, mankind will still be around! crime against humanity. common denominator behind all these hor- frequent appearances on OMNI TV Com-
Recently, I was asked to provide rific acts. Why pick on just three, when mentary. Some of his commentaries are
EFFECTIVE input into the proposed Toronto School
Board course for grade ll students
genocide is as old as history?
Is humankind cursed with an inherent
republished in this publication and slightly
expanded in some cases from their 70-sec-
ADVERTISING “Genocide: Historical and Contempo- trend toward evildoing? Are there some ond broadcast originals. For more of his
rary Implications.” I was told that there among us “born to carry this curse? What work, please visit Ben’s website at http://
Call 416-285-8583 were three main subjects; The Holo- is the mental state that prompts masses to canscene. ripple.ca)
12
Immigrants earn more outside big cities
Moving into and living
in the big cities of Toronto,
Montreal or Vancouver may
be trendy.
But if an immigrant to
Canada wants to earn more
to quickly secure his foot-
ing in an adoptive land, the
practical choice is a home in
less urbanized areas.
These, research econo-
mist Andre Bernard surmis-
es in his study Immigrants in
the Hinterlands.
Bernard, a resident of
Ottawa who is with the La-
bor and Household Surveys
Analysis Division of Statis-
tics Canada, has a bachelor
and a master degree in eco-
nomics from the University
of Sherbrooke in Quebec.
Big cities attract
Thoughts of 24/7 hustle
bustle that characterizes city
life, however, impress on
immigrants the wild idea
of more financial gains and
better social well-being;
thus, making them less apt
to settle in small urban cen-
ters.
Bernard’s study points
out that while only about
34 percent of adult Canadi-
ans live in either Toronto,
Montréal and Vancouver, as
much as 75 percent of immi-
grants make the cities their
homes.
Conversely, while about
one in five Canadians live
in a small town or rural area
with a population under
FEATURE
BERNARD
15,000, the corresponding
proportion of immigrants is
less than one in 40.
Strikingly, immigrants
in large urban areas come
mostly from Asia while im-
migrants in small areas come
mostly from Europe and the
United States.
Small areas pay
Bernard’s study con-
firms earlier findings that
immigrants generally earn
less, compared with their
Canada-born counterparts.
But the study is quick to
note that the gap is smaller
in less urbanized areas
Generally, Canadians
view living in a metropolis
to mean a higher income.
Median incomes of Ca-
nadians in very large and
large urban areas are $28,100
and $30,500, respectively.
Comparatively, the me-
dian income is $22,500 in
small towns and rural areas.
For immigrants, the pat-
tern is reversed, Bernard’s
study notes.
Incomes of immigrants
are lowest in very large ur-
ban areas (median $16,800)
and highest in small urban
areas (median $19,500), or a
difference of 16 percent.
Further, incomes of im-
migrants in small towns and
rural areas (median $18,800)
are also significantly greater
by 12 percent than those of
immigrants in very large ur-
ban areas.
In very large urban ar-
eas, the median income gap
is very large, at 67 percent.
In small urban areas, the gap
falls to 32 percent, while in
small towns and rural areas
the gap is only 20 percent.
Economic integration
Due to lesser gaps, im-
migrants in small, less ur-
banized areas enjoy more
rapid economic integration.
In very large urban ar-
eas, the initial income gap is
37 percent. It decreases, but
slowly. After four years, the
gap is still 22 percent, fall-
ing below the 10-percent
threshold in the 12th year.
In contrast, in small ur-
ban areas, the initial gap is
only 14 percent.
And in the fourth year,
immigrants earn two percent
more than Canadians.
The relative advantage
of immigrants continues to
increase over time, reaching
a peak of 18 percent follow-
ing the eleventh year.
Manila Media Monitor FEBRUARY 2008
In small towns and ru-
ral areas, the advantage of
immigrants is more pro-
nounced.
In the first year of per-
manent residence, their av-
erage income is four percent
higher than that of Cana-
dians. In the 13th year, the
relative income advantage
of immigrants rises to 19
percent.
Hypotheses
Bernard’s study stresses
the difficulty to clearly iden-
tify the factors accounting
for immigrants’ better eco-
nomic integration in smaller
urban areas, but it offers
some hypotheses that merit
consideration.
► First, immigrants liv-
ing in the smaller areas are
better able to translate edu-
cation acquired abroad into
income and/or because a
smaller proportion of people
with university degrees live
in these areas.
Immigrants with uni-
versity degrees are particu-
larly well represented in the
small areas, and having pur-
sued postsecondary studies
abroad greatly improves the
advantage of immigrants in
the smaller areas.
But even less well-edu-
cated immigrants post better
results in terms of economic
integration in smaller urban
areas and the smaller cities
and rural areas.
► Second, the need for
information about labor mar-
ket requirements and job op-
portunities suggests that the
creation of a network - for-
mal or informal - with non-
immigrants would likely be
inevitable in smaller areas,
because of the smaller pro-
portion of immigrants there.
While the fact remains
that immigrants living in
smaller regions will face the
same difficulties inherent to
the local labor market as any
of their neighbors, they will
be less likely to be at a dis-
advantage than immigrants
in the major urban centers
merely because they are im-
migrants.
► Third, the lack of abil-
ity in an official language is
not as great a handicap out-
side the major centers.
In the largest urban cen-
tres, none of the groups of
immigrants without ability
in an official language man-
aged to achieve income par-
ity after 13 years.
In smaller cities and
Please see page 11 for our detailed advertisement
rural areas, several groups
managed to achieve it.
It may be inferred that
immigrants are more likely
to learn one of the official
languages quickly if they
live in an area with a high
proportion of French- or
English-speakers.
Several factors may be
brought in that can affect
immigrants’ ability to inte-
grate.
These include their for-
mal or informal reception by
government and community,
any discrimination they may
face, and their motivation to
integrate into the labor mar-
ket.
Social integration
The most vulnerable im-
migrant groups do also inte-
grate rapidly in small areas,
Bernard’s study says.
Immigrants in the small-
est areas, while they have
diverse characteristics, are
more likely to have prior of-
ficial-language ability and
(To page 13)
FEBRUARY 2008
Roses for
you on St.
Valentine’s
Day; and
may you
and your
family spend a fun-
filled and gracious
day as you celebrate
the first Ontario Fam-
ily Day. - From Manila
Media Monitor and
Front Page Philip-
pines.
Immigrants
earn more ...
(From page 12)
are less likely to have at
most a high school educa-
tion or to be refugees.
These works well to
their advantage.
Immigrants with no
more than a high school
education earn incomes 46
percent lower in very large
urban areas, compared with
23 percent lower in small
towns and rural areas.
The gap closes very
slowly in large cities - after
13 years, the gap is still 20
percent. But in small towns
and rural areas, the gap
closes quite quickly, so that
as of the fifth year the gap
in most years is significant-
ly less than 10 percent.
The pattern is similar
for immigrants without pri-
or ability in one of Canada’s
two official languages.
The initial gap is small-
er in small towns and rural
areas (31 percent) than in
other areas, especially very
large urban areas (50 per-
cent).
Conclusion
In concluding, Bernard’s
study notes that the econom-
ic well-being of immigrants
is critical for a country like
Canada, which relies heav-
ily on immigration for de-
mographic growth.
The immigrant popula-
tion has changed greatly
over the last few decades,
one of the most dramatic
changes being the immi-
grants’ country of origin.
Immigrants are increas-
ingly coming more from
Asia (China, India and the
Philippines, in particular)
than from European coun-
tries such as the United
Kingdom and Italy or from
the United States.
Where immigrants
choose to settle will always
appear to affect their social
and economic integration,
whether slowly or rapidly
or quite beyond parity.
Will the preference to
stay in the big cities contin-
ue to rule over the pragmatic
option of staying in smaller
provinces and towns?
Manila Media Monitor
How ethnic newspapers may be treated fairly
Recommended Revisions to the Consultation Draft Amendments
Below, we set out our recommended changes and a brief explanation of why these
changes would be appropriate.
Characteristics of
newspapers
Printed in broadsheet, tabloid, or
outsized format and larger than
8.5 inches by 11 inches.
Unbound.
Recommended : 1 pers to be stapled. Stapling reduc-
Published at least once a week.
Current: Published at least once a
month.
Recommended: If published less
than once a week, published at
least six times a year.
Current: Printed on newsprint of
any quality.
Recommended: Printed on news- Recommended: 2 is printed on newsprint. Accord-
print of any quality, with the ex-
ception of the cover which may be
printed on either newsprint of
any quality or on glossy paper.
Identified as a newspaper in the
publication.
Front page is divided into col-
umns or boxes and may contain
narrative text, photographs and
advertisements
Recommended: Identified as a
magazine, newsletter, directory,
bulletin, price list, time table, rate
book, catalogue, fashion book,
fashion album, or book in the pub-
lication.
An Open Letter
Number of Commentary
points
2 No change recommended.
Current : 2 In recent years it has become in-
creasingly common for newspa-
es litter and is environmentally
friendly. In addition, whether or
not a publication is stapled does
not alter its inherent nature as ei-
ther a newspaper or another form
of publication.
2 No change recommended.
1 First, the addition of “If published
less than once a week” would en-
sure that no publication can claim
3 points by being published both
“at least once a week” and “at
least once a month.” Second, we
recommend that the frequency
of publication be changed to “at
least six times a year”. This will
ensure that the definition does
not exclude newspapers - such as
university or college papers - that
only publish six to eight times a
year. It will also ensure that the
definition does not exclude new,
start-up newspapers that may
service small communities (e.g.,
small minority or ethnic groups)
that cannot afford to publish more
than a half dozen times a year.
One of the key features that dis-
Current: 1
tinguishes a newspaper from any
other publication is the fact that it
ingly, we recommend that the
points allocated to this criterion
be increased from 1 to 2. That be-
ing said, some newspapers do
print their covers on higher grade
newsprint or on glossy paper.
The fact that the covers may be
printed on glossy paper should
not result in a newspaper being
penalized. The key requirement is
that the content pages are printed
on newsprint.
1 No change recommended.
1 No change recommended.
Recommended: To ensure that publications that
-1 are not newspapers do not qualify
as a newspaper under the points
definition (particularly those
types of publications for which
rules already exist in the Retail
Sales Tax Act), we recommend
that a point be subtracted if the
publication identifies itself within
the publication as being a publica-
tion that is other than a newspaper
(and a type for which the Retail
Sales Tax Act and its regulations
already contain provisions).
13
January 25, 2008
Mr. CLARENCE TONG
Financial and Administrative Officer
Corporate and Commodity Taxation Branch
Ministry of Finance
2nd Floor, Frost Building North
95 Grosvenor Street, Toronto, ON M7A 1Z1
Dear Mr. TONG:
More than 300 community and ethnic newspapers
are the lifeblood of information and identity for many
citizens in rural and ethnic communities across the
province.
SAVE OUR VOICE! is a coalition of concerned
Ontarians committed to protecting and promoting the
health and vitality of these newspapers. Members of the
Coalition include many ethnic and community newspa-
pers across the province, key newspapers associations,
publishers and other supporters.
SAVE OUR VOICE! was launched in December
2007 to make the Ontario public, and by extension the
Ontario government, aware that, because of how they
are published, community and ethnic newspapers are
unfairly taxed compared to other mainstream, English-
language, big city newspapers.
Our approach from the beginning has consistently
been to work constructively and respectfully with the
Ontario government to ensure that all newspapers are
treated fairly.
In this regard, SAVE OUR VOICE! members are
extremely pleased by and impressed at the speed with
which the Ontario government acted to recognize the
unfairness in the tax regulation of the province’s news-
papers, and to correct the unfairness by amending the
tax regulations.
This submission responds to the Ministry’s request
for comment on its consultation draft of proposed
amendments to Regulation 1013 under the Retail Sales
Tax Act, amending the definition of newspaper for retail
sales tax purposes.
(Please see recommendations on the table, right of
this letter.)
While SAVE OUR VOICE! feels that the draft
amendment is an excellent beginning, several of our
members feel that the proposed definition of “newspa-
per” could be improved, slightly, to achieve better fair-
ness for all newspapers in Ontario, without so broaden-
ing the definition as to diminish its meaning.
Finally, we note that the government’s intention is
to make the amendment retroactive to January 1, 2000.
SAVE OUR VOICE! strongly commends the govern-
ment for retroactivity, which is important to ensure fair
and equal tax treatment within the newspaper industry.
SAVE OUR VOICE! appreciates the opportunity
to comment on the consultation draft amendments to
Regulation 1013 under the Retail Sales Tax Act.
We would be pleased to provide any other assistance
to the government generally, or to the Ministries of Fi-
nance or Revenue specifically, to ensure that a revised
definition of “newspaper” clearly reflects the desired
intention of the government while at that same time en-
sures that all newspapers across the province are treated
fairly and equally.
The coalition looks forward to reviewing the ver-
sion of Regulation 1013 being recommended for final
approval as quickly and expeditiously as possible.
SAVE OUR VOICE! will continue to work with the
government as an important stakeholder to make cer-
tain that existing and future government policy treats all
newspapers equally and fairly.
We will also continue to raise public awareness
about the vital role played by ethnic and community
newspapers and to promote the best interest and wel-
fare of these very important resources in Ontario’s eth-
nic and rural communities.
Sincerely,
DAT NGUYEN, Thoi Bao
LES WELLER, Weller Publishing
SIMA SAHAR ZEREHI, Shahrvand
Publications
14
Beep, beep, honey! Make way for the e-jeepney
MANILA - Diesel fuel
and gasoline - perhaps, even
petroleum gas - would soon
be a thing of the past with
the new breed of jeepneys
and utility vehicles that
would soon grace Philippine
transport show windows.
The Motor Vehicle Parts
Manufacturers Associa-
tion of the Philippines, Inc.
(MVPMAP) would embark
on the big scale design, de-
velopment and manufacture
of the country’s transporta-
tion icon - the jeepney.
Local auto parts makers
have earlier announced the
distribution of 44 prototype
units of the electric jeepney
by the end of February.
The e-jeepneys were set
for pilot testing in Bacolod
and Marawi cities, as iden-
tified by the Green Renew-
able Independent Power
Producer, Inc. (GRIPP).
MVPMAP Filipino en-
gineers said the electric
jeepney would be produced
under the group’s Philip-
pine Utility Vehicle (PhUV)
Program.
It was included in the
2007 Investments Priority
Program (IPP) of the Board
of Investments, qualify-
ing the program to income
tax holidays, duty free im-
portations of raw materials
FEATURE Manila Media Monitor FEBRUARY 2008
By BERNIE A. CAHILES ly Cities Program, hom-
eowners’ associations of
exclusive villages, resorts,
schools, industrial zones,
theme parks, golf courses,
malls and even federations
of jeepney operators and
drivers.
Officials said inmter-
est grew on the e-jeepneys
because of its relatively low
operating cost, compared
to a conventional diesel or
gasoline powered jeepney.
The e-jeepney could be
charged overnight for eight
to ten hours at about P200
using a wall outlet.
It could then run for 100
kilometers thereafter, thus
costing only about P2 per
kilometer to operate, about
half the operating cost of a
diesel- or gasoline-powered
jeepney.
GRIPP program
An electric jeepney, the first public transport of its kind in Southeast Asia, Under GRIPP’s Climate
coasts along Ayala Ave. in the Philippines’ financial capital of Makati City. Friendly Cities Program,
The jeepneys - an electric-powered version of the Philippine icon which trac- the e-jeepney would be one
es its roots to the US Willy’s jeep - were launched by Green Renewable Inde- of three major components.;
pendent Power Producer, Greenpeace, and the Makati City Government. in fact, only a beneficiary of
and capital equipment and icon that Filipinos have Besides the initial 44 the product of the two other
other government financial been familiar with. units the GRIPP ordered, major components.
perks. E-jeepney, anyone? MVPMAP has targeted The two other compo-
Unlike the China ver- MVPMAP expects to sales of the e-jeepney to nents included the instal-
sion which looked just like present the prototype to entities which have shown lation of a small power
a bigger and modified ver- GRIPP by the end of Feb- early interest in the vehicle. plant which would serve
sions of a golf cart, the e- ruary, and mass production Among these were local as a biodigester using bio-
jeepney would be a replica would begin after the proto- government units not part logical wastes from nearby
of a real PUJ, as the Pinoy type is tested and approved. of GRIPP’s Climate Friend- households and commercial
establishments, and a depot
to serve as the charging sta-
tion and terminal for the e-
jeepneys.
To supply fuel to the
biodigester, it would be
imperative for local gov-
ernment units to conduct
a Waste Segregation Pro-
gram so that biodegradable
wastes could be converted
into electric power at the e-
jeepney depot.
Only non-biodegradable
wastes would be sent to the
dumpsite.
The program would
complement the govern-
ment’s Waste Segregation
Program, convert biode-
gradable household wastes
into electric power, then
use this electric power to
charge and operate smoke-
free electric jeepneys to
provide transport in an en-
vironment-friendly public
transport system and, last
but not least, help save the
environment.
GRIPP is a partnership
spearheaded by Greenpeace
International.
It includes MVPMAP
and is funded by a Dutch
NGO DOEN Foundation,
which will fund 50 units of
the emission-free electric
jeepneys for the program.
PNA
FEBRUARY 2008 Manila Media Monitor
Composer taps
local artists for
album dedicated
to missing girl
Toronto-based compos-
er Jun Dadivas has started
the search for talented Fili-
pino-Canadian singers to
record songs he composed,
as a tribute to Christina Ca-
layca.
Calayca, 20, was re-
ported missing since Aug.
6 during a camp-hike at the
Rainbow Falls Provincial
Park in Schreiber, Ontario.
Ontario provincial po-
lice efforts to find her un-
til the onset of winter have
proven futile.
Dadivas, guest panelist
during the Jan. 19 Kapi-
han of the Philippine Press
Club at Casa Manila, is the
younger brother of Filipino
balladeer Pabs Dadivas.
He said the 16-track
PEOPLE & EVENTS 15
Press and captioned photo releases published
Dadivas, Ruthledge in PPCO Kapihan in the Manila Media Monitor are for public ser-
vice and free of charge. All contributions shall
be subjected to strict editorial appreciation.
Send them to mediamonitor@rogers.com on
or before the 8th of each month. ANY SUBMIS-
SION SENT IN FLYER, POSTER OR ANY OTHER
BOXED FORMAT SHALL BE BILLED ACCORD-
INGLY AS AN ADVERTISEMENT.
PCCT sponsors free Proper
Business Planning workshop
The Philippine Cham-
ber of Commerce-Toronto
(PCCT) is sponsoring a free
workshop on Proper Busi-
ness Planning for members
on Feb. 25, from 7 to 9 p.m.
Composer Jun Dadivas (left) and Elizabeth Rutledge (2nd from left), mother at the Golden Valley Ban-
of Christina Calayca who was reported missing since Aug. 6, talk of press- quet Hall, #2 Principal Road
ing concerns before members of the Philippine Press Club-Ontario (PPCO) in Scarborough, Ontario.
during the club’s Kapihan at Casa Manila on Jan. 19. (From right) PPCO PCCT president Rafael
president Tenny Soriano, director and Philippine Courier publisher Mon Da- Nebres said the workshop
tol and Kapihan chairman and director Tony Sicat lead panel discussions. “is the first of a two-part
Photo: MANILA MEDIA MONITOR seminar to be conducted by
the Centennial College Cen-
CEMA welcomes Balita columnist Tenny Soriano tre for Entrepreneurship.”
Workshop topics includ-
NEBRES

ed the essentials of financial projection: sales forecasting,

first volume of a series of
albums would be recorded
in the next few months.
The album, dubbed A
Day Goes By, would be a
blend of ballad and jazz
songs with a gospel touch.
Dadivas said proceeds
of the recording would be
donated to the trust fund set
up to find Calayca. JOJO
TADURAN
The Canadian Ethnic
Media Association (CEMA)
has welcomed into its folds
seven journalists involved
in multi-cultural print and
broadcast media.
CEMA corporate secre-
tary Ace Alvarez said vet-
eran Filipino journalist and
Balita columnist Antero So-
riano has entered the rolls of
the ethnic media group.
Soriano is also presi-
dent of the Philippine Press
Club-Ontario.
The other new CEMA
members: Chris Proios,
marketing associate of the
Ethnic Channels Group;
Corinne Cecilia, edi-
tor (French) of Education
Canada; Csilla Reszegi, a
broadcaster and writer for
the Hungarian community;
Maria Vorobieva, director
of business development
with the Ethnic Channels
Group; Sonam Wangchuk,
producer and host of Radio
Tibet; and Ugyen Norbua,
host of Radio Tibet.
CEMA has also con-
gratulated member An-
dargachew Tamer Beyene
on the first anniversary of
Medalya Radio on Feb. 1.
income statement and cash flow.
Nebres said the workshop would be highly interactive,
utilizing the best principles in adult education.
Non-PCCT members who might want to participate
could inquire at torontopcct@yahoo.com, or by phone at
(416) 850-4966.
The Centennial College Centre for Entrepreneurship is
a PCCT partner for members’ education and training re-
quirements under a Memorandum of Agreement between
the two parties.
For more information on this and future PCCT events,
visit www.torontopcct.com. PCCT Media Relations
16 PEOPLE & EVENTS Manila Media Monitor FEBRUARY 2008

EPRS program guarantees post training jobs

Toronto-based Skills for Change is offering a 16-week Employment Preparation for the
Retail Services (EPRS) program designed to improve communication skills for the retail
sector and provide job search training and conflict resolution skills.
The program, to begin on March 17, includes six weeks of guaranteed work experience
placement in banner stores of Hbc, one of the program’s major sponsors.
EPRS will and run from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. A non-refundable $40
facility fee will be asked from trainees.
The program is expected to provide participants Canadian work experience, improved
retail skills and access to internal job postings in Hbc shops. Job placement is also guaran-
teed for those who complete 10 weeks of classroom training.
The retail training is also seen to develop the participants’ English communication
skills for retail and acquire retail and corporate terminology, make them understand the
Canadian retail workplace and learn retail skills, learn business writing using MS Word
and how to use the Internet and e-mail.
The EPRS is open to an immigrant or refugee who speaks English as a second language
at a high intermediate level, eligible to work in Canada, interested in a career in the retail
sector, has knowledge of mathematics, and has keyboarding skills at a minimum of 25
words per minute. NORMA BERNAL/PR

PIDC-GK village groundbreaking

(Above) Philippine Independence Day Council (PIDC) president Jun Enverga

(2nd from right) and liaison officer Rosemer Enverga (4th from left) lead
groundbreaking ceremonies with officials and residents of Jose Ma. E. Pan-
ganiban, a typhoon-hit erstwhile mining town in the Bicol region, the Phil-
ippines, where the PIDC Toronto-Gawad Kalinga 30-house village will rise.
PIDC officials take time out to be with identified beneficiaries of the village
that would be built out of part of the proceeds of the recent Mabuhay! Phil-
ippines summer festival. Also with the group are ANCOP Canada president
Ricky Cuenca, PIDC leaders’ councilmembers Sena Flores, Victor Dy and
Gerald Huerto of the Toronto-based Lucena City Association. PR

PNB Remittance releases promo winners’ list

PNB Remittance Company Canada, a remittance subsidiary of the Philippine National
Bank, has announced the winners of and their corresponding prizes of its Member Get
Member (MGM) Promo that started on Oct. 1 and ended on Dec. 31, 2007. The raffle draw
was conducted on Jan. 18 at its Scarborough branch.
The winners: Shailine Soriano (Mississauga Branch), round trip ticket to the Philip-
pines or vice versa or cash value of, not exceeding, $1,200; Maylene M. Vergara (Win-
nipeg Branch), round trip ticket for two to Los Angeles, California or cash value of, not ex-
ceeding, $1,000; Eric Jagoring (Mississauga Branch), round trip ticket for two to Orlando
or cash value of, not exceeding, $1,000; Domingo Chiu (Vancouver Branch), Caribbean
cruise for two or cash value of, not exceeding, $1,000.
Consolacion prizes of 12 free remittance fees valid from Jan. 18, 2008 to Jan. 18,
2009 went to Delio & Sheila Loterte, Eduardo Q. Qua, Ma. Carolina, Anna B. Pedreno,
Josephine G. Egonia, and Michael Romero, all from the Mississauga Branch; Clarinda
Marasigan-Inejoja from the Toronto Branch,
COMPLETE PACKAGE Elmer Y. Ramirez and Edelwards B. Comia from the Winnipeg Branch; Domingo Chiu
AVAILABLE WITH from the Vancouver Branch; Mercedita Suribas, Maria Geronima T. Rigor and Liwliwa
Ventura, all from the Eglinton Branch; Christine Joy Valencia, Celestina Valdez, John Paul
DJ & CHOREOGRAPHER Fernando and Violeta Lim, all from the Scarborough Branch. PR

Pillars to conduct info fair for seniors

The “Original” Pillars, in cooperation
with government and community-based
agencies, would conduct an information
fair for seniors at the Wellesley Community
Centre on March 1, from 1 to 4 p.m.
Pillars president Gerry Elises said the
event is aimed to inform seniors on pen-
sion and benefits, elderly abuse, crime pre-
vention, safe medication, fall prevention,
elderly fraud, diseases such a Alzheimer,
osteoporosis, cancer, diabetes, and others.
Elises said attendees would get a free
copy of the 259-page Guide To Programs
and Services For Seniors In Ontario, on top
of other handouts.
Interactive booths would be manned by
representatives who could address various
seniors’ concerns.
Elises said the “Original” Pillars, as one
of the oldest organizations in the Greater
Toronto Area, would continue to be in
partnership with the government to tackle
a number of timely challenges facing the
senior community from different cultural
backgrounds.
It would remain as a dynamic, metropol-
itan and multicultural group with a strong
commitment to provide information, re-
sources, programs and activities that would
integrate senior citizens to the community,
and ensure that seniors receive the support,
respect and love they deserve. RE/PR
FEBRUARY 2008 Manila Media Monitor PEOPLE & EVENTS 17
Nominations on for Stupid Cupid, stop picking on me
Presidential Awards
“I don’t understand why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine’s Day.
When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a short, chubby tod-
dler coming at me with a weapon.”
The Philippine Consulate General in
Toronto has announced the acceptance “Valentine’s Day is when a lot of married men are reminded what a poor shot
of nominations for the 2008 Presidential Cupid really is.”
Awards for Filipino Individuals and Orga-
nization Overseas.
The nominations may be submitted to
the Consulate General or directly to the
Commission of Filipinos Overseas (CFO)
not later than April 1.
Awardees include exemplars of Filipino
excellence and individuals who have dedi-
cated their work in the service of the Fili-
pino people, leaders of community initia-
tives that promote the common good, and
advocates for the promotion and protection
of the rights of others.
Overseas-based civic society groups
whose programs have helped improve the
lives of others, particularly in the marginal-
ized sectors, may also be nominated.
The honors President Gloria Macapa-
gal-Arroyo will confer on outstanding Fili-
pinos and groups abroad are the Lingkod sa
Kapwa Pilipino Award, Kaanib ng Bayan
Award, Banaag Award and Pamana ng Pil-
ipino Award.
The conferment will be done in Manila
in December, during a ceremony observing
the Month of Overseas Filipinos.
The awards have been conferred on 283
Filipinos and private organizations over-
seas, since 1991.
Nomination forms are available at the
Philippine Consulate General in Toronto, or
may be mailed upon request (Attn: Evange-
line L. Cayongcat, Tel. No. 416,922-7181
ext. 232). PR

RP consular
forms are free
All Philippine consular forms - for
visa and passport applications or for re-
ports of birth or marriage etc. - could be
easily electronically downloaded at the
official website www.philcongen-toronto.
com or obtained at the Philippine Con-
sulate General in Toronto consular of-
fice, FREE OF CHARGE.
This, the consulate reiterated as it in-
formed the community to be wary of an-
other website www.application-download.
com, said to be peddling a Philippine pass-
port application kit for $18.75 each, pay-
able by credit card.
The consulate said www.application-
download.com is not an official Philippine
government facility and not connected with
the consulate. Any payment made to www.
application-download.com would not con-
stitute payment for any official service pro-
vided by the Consulate General.
Further, the Consulate General would
not be answerable nor responsible for any
disputes, questions or matters arising out of
transaction(s) made on the website. PR

Simply
da Best
(Left) Ladies of
Simply da Best
and (right) their
basketball team
with president
Eddie, manager
Mario and coach
Chris pose for
posterity. Simply
da Best had its
Christmas party
at the St. Fidelis
Church on Dec.
8. PR
FEBRUARY 2008 Manila Media Monitor 19
20 Manila Media Monitor FEBRUARY 2008
FEBRUARY 2008 Manila Media Monitor 21

Celebrating our 30th Anniversary

Executive Officers
and
Board of Directors:
Chair
MADELINE ZINIAK
VP for Television
OMNI Television (Multilingual)

President
BEN VICCARI
Publisher, Canscene (Multicultural)

1st Vice President and

Corporate Secretary
ACE ALVAREZ
Publisher, Manila Media Monitor
Producer, Front Page Philippines TV
(Filipino)

2nd Vice President

JULES ELDER
Headline Writer, OMNI News
(Multilingual)
Works for the promotion and preservation of the value to Canada of the ethnic
Treasurer media in creating an understanding of Canada and Canadian citizenship, and
IRENE CHU the retention of cultural links with countries of origin.

ACTIVITIES
Adviser, Toronto Chinese Writers
Association (Chinese)

Events Chair
BILL YANCOFF
Producer, Macedonian Heritage
Hour TV (Macedonian)
Webmaster & Editor
ZUHAIR KASHMERI
Freelance Broadcaster & Editor
(Multicultural)
HYO KIM, Board Member
Publisher, Korean Central Daily
(Korean)
DAVE NGUYEN, Board Member
Publisher, Thoi Bao (Vietnamese)
HASANAT AHMAD SAYED,
Board Member
Editor-in-Chief, New Canada (Urdu)
KATI REKAI, Board Member
Award Winning Book Author AND
Broadcaster
ELENA ZOLOTKO, Board Member
Columnist, Russian Weekly
(Russian)
KIUMARS REZVANIFAR,
Board Member
Producer, Pasargad Today TV
(Iranian)
ANIL SHRINGI, Board Member
Producer, Music India Radio
(South Asian)
Guest in the CEMA Speakers’ Series:
Ontario Fairness Commissioner JEAN AUGUSTINE, to speak
on ensuring foreign credentials and degrees are accepted with some
modicum of fairness.
6:45 PM, Thursday, March 6, 2008
545 Lakeshore Boulevard
Toronto, Ontario M1M 3T2
Watch for the ...
2008 AWARDS GALA and RECEPTION
Velma Rogers Theatre
Friday, June 27, 2008
NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN ON:
Print:
Category 1A: For Best News Story, or Feature
Category 2A: For Best Column, Opinion, or Editorial
Radio:
Category 1B: For Best Story or Feature
Category 2B: For Best Opinion, or Editorial
Television:
Category 1C: For Best Story or Feature
Category 2C: For Best Opinion, or Editorial
Internet:
Category 1D: For Best Story or Feature
Category 2D: For Best Opinion, or Editorial
PLEASE VISIT www.canadianethnicmedia.com
for details on nominations, membership or events.
22 Manila Media Monitor FEBRUARY 2008

Russell Mahoney
celebrates 9th and
birth anniversary greet advertisers,
Russell makes a wish on his supporters and friends a
9th birth anniversary as sis-
ter Abbey, 3, gram’ma Gie, li’l Lovely Valentine’s Day,
Delilah Len and dad Matthew Relevant Canada Flag Day,
Mahoney cheer for him. Photo:
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Dr. Evangeline M. Bernabe & Kaakbay Financial Services the edge group (24) Society of Seven with
Associates (3) (15) UMAC Toronto (25) Lani misalucha (34)
Goldentuller & Associates (3) New Conservatory of Music Lovely Travel & Tours Saratoga Electronic
Rolly’s Garage (3) (16) Int’l, Inc. (26) Solutions (35)
Dr. Arla Rondilla Dentistry Home Karaoke (16) Dr. Bernarda Rosales Seoul Driving School (35)
Professional Corp. (5) Timeless Images (16) Verzonilla Family & musicpad.com (36)
Dr. Albine A. Miciano Forex (17) Cosmetic Dentistry (27) Superb Travel (38)
Cosmetic & General The House of Seafoods (18) Mary’s Esthetics (27) CHIN Radio (38)
Dentistry (6) Osilla Institute (19) Innovation (27) T.H.D. Consultants (38)
Action Honda (7) Hogan Chevy.com (19) Casa Manila (28) Dr. Roslyn Sim-Sabilano
Ellesmere-Kennedy Dental Ma. Louisa Diaz (20) Clemente Cabillan (28) Dentistry Prof. Corp. (39)
Centre (10) Canadian Ethnic Media Liland Insurance Inc. (29) Russell International (39)
Amit Bhatia Credit Association (21) Roadsport Honda (30) Dr. Santiago & Associates (40)
Management Services (11) The Tropical Deli (22) OCDC Parcel Services (31) Fairview Dental Centre (40)
Front Page Philippines (12) Gonzales Dentistry LDV Computers (32)
FEBRUARY 2008 Manila Media Monitor
What? Someone’s out to kill GMA? Nosebleed!!!
Is the alleged plot to as-
sassinate President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo a Valen-
tine’s Day military tactical
spin to keep the socially, ec-
onomically and politically
oppressed Filipino masses
away from widespread Feb.
15 protests to demand the
resignation of Arroyo and
some of her officials over
corruption charges?
Reports from Manila
quoted Armed Forces Chief
of Staff Gen. Hermogenes
Esperon Esperon as denying
this, saying “we are simply
acting as security forces and
... deemed it necessary that
we come out in the open
about our assessment of the
situation.”
But Renato Reyes, sec-
retary general of left-wing
Bayan, dismissed the mil-
itary’s plot claim as a state
scare ploy, saying this was
obviously “a very desper-
ate tactic to create an atmo-
sphere of terror and scare
people” so they would not
join protest actions.
A Manila-based politi-
cal analyst said an assassi-
nation plot on a President
was “old hat, a lie made
every time Malacañang’s
political and military cabal
felt their top-paying jobs
Lakas may expel De
Venecia as partyman
DE VENECIA (4th from left, seated) joins Filipino community print and broad-
cast practitioners during his Toronto visit last year. Photo: LARRY TORRES
MANILA - Former
House Speaker Jose de
Venecia Jr.’s days with
Lakas-Christian Muslim
Democrats (CMD) party
are numbered.
“It’s just a matter of
time ... as the administra-
tion-backed Lakas is sure to
expel de Venecia, its current
president, for committing
acts considered inimical to
the party, including claims
that Palace officials were
involved in widespread
corruption President Glo-
ria Macapagal-Arroyo has
and money-making activi-
ties were at risk.”
“For now, their concern
is how to put out the fire
engulfing the controversial
national broadband network
(NBN) bribery fiasco with
China’s ZTE Corp.,” he
pointed out.
End political wranglings
“The scare tactic might
have worked,” the analyst
said, as Press Secretary Ig-
nacio Bunye downplayed
the effects of the Feb. 15
Makati rally.
Bunye said “the people
are tired of destabilization”
and would rather focus their
attention to more productive
activities. The numbers of
those who join rallies have
waned, Bunye said.
In her morning speech
at the Philippine Economic
Forum at the Shangri-La
Hotel a few blocks from
where protesters were to
soon converge, President
Arroyo said “We take the
ZTE issue very seriously.
I moved quickly to can-
cel the project as soon as I
could, after proper consul-
tation with the government
of China, which is after all,
our largest export market.”
Arroyo called on po-
litical leaders to “put aside
tolerated,” Rep. Luis Vil-
lafuerte (2nd District, Ca-
marines Sur) told a media
forum on Feb. 9.
De Venecia’s fate within
the Lakas hiearchy would
be discussed during the
party’s National Directorate
meeting on Feb. 21.
Villafuerte, president of
Arroyo’s political party Ka-
balikat ng Malayang Pili-
pino, added that de Venecia
would not be an asset to the
opposition, even if the em-
battled Pangasinan solon
decided to join the bloc.
The PHILIPPINES
partisan wrangling as can-
didates jockey for the presi-
dency (in the 2010 national
elections).”
ZTE denies anomaly
Howard Xue, spokes-
man of ZTE Corp. - a lead-
ing Chinese telecommu-
nications firm - denied his
firm’s involvement in the
NBN issue involving Phil-
ippine officials said to have
been promised huge com-
missions to clear the NBN
contract with ZTE.
Xue said ZTE “cannot
allow itself to be dragged
into any political circus”
and ruled out an appearance
in ongoing Senate hearings.
“ZTE has neither done
anything wrong, nor has it
bribed anyone to get this
project,” he stressed.
Temporarily stunned
“Or the military’s claim
of the assassination plot
might have temporarily
broken the people’s will to
voice out their brewing sen-
timents coming after a big
show of unnecessary force
during the November 2007
Trillanes-Manila Peninsula
episode; but had embold-
ened anti-administration
camps to seek for that rip-
pling effect the protest may
make,” the analyst said.
De Venecia, former
president Joseph Estrada
and opposition leaders have
rercently met over dinner,
which Arroyo’s lapdogs
construed as a forum to plan
public probes of Palace ir-
regularities.
New House Speaker
Rep. Prospero Nograles
(1st District, Davao City)
on Jan. 5 was voted new
Speaker of the Philippine
House of Representatives,
replacing his nominator and
precursor Jose de Venecia.
(To page 36)
He noted how a handful
started the February 1986
People’s Revolt that ousted
strongman President Ferdi-
nand Marcos, and how the
multitudes came in response
to incessant calls from Mar-
cos’ enemies.
Involved Arroyos
During the Feb. 15
peaceful Makati assem-
bly - dubbed as March for
Truth - said to have been
attended by some 12,000
people, businessman Jose
de Venecia III claimed that
P10 billion of the P16-bil-
lion loan to bankroll the
NBN project was supposed
to go to “the pockets of First
Gentleman (Jose Miguel)
Arroyo, President Gloria
Arroyo, (resigned Commis-
sion on Elections chairman
Benjamin) Abalos (Sr.) and
their cabal in Malacañang,”
leaving only P6 billion for
a project De Venecia said
“we do not need and can be
undertaken by the (local)
private sector.”
De Venecia urged Com-
mission on Higher Edu-
cation Secretary Romulo
Neri to go to the Senate
and speak of the truth. Neri
used to head the National
Economic Development
Authority that approved the
NBN project.
In a Mass preceding the
protest-rally, Plunder Watch
spokesman and Mass cel-
ebrant Fr. Jose Dizon said
President Arroyo should
leave Malacañang for the
greater good of the country
and the Filipino people.
He also urged Rodolfo
Lozada Jr., the Senate’s key
witness in its investigation
into the NBN scandal, to
continue his quest for truth.
“You are not alone. We are
with you,” Dizon said.
Lozada, a former state
consultant with Neri, linked
Jose Miguel Arroyo and
Abalos to an overpriced
$330-million NBN deal.
“Sobra na, tama na,
kumilos na (It’s too much,
enough is enough, let’s act
now)!” cried the rallyists
from various militant, civil
society and Church groups,
as they demanded the Presi-
dent’s resignation.
Assassination plot
A day before, extended
Armed Forces chief Esper-
on and Presidential Security
Group chief Brig. Gen. Ro-
meo Prestoza both declared
the police had uncovered a
week before a plot hatched
by the Al Qaida-linked Je-
maah Islamiyah to kill Pres-
23
ident Arroyo with a sniper’s
bullet and bomb foreign
embassies.
Both officials left out
the how, where and when
of the plot, but said it had
affected the President’s of-
ficial appointments and
gave the military the reason
to place security forces on
high alert.
Intelligence dud
Last December 2007,
the police also came out
with announcements of an
Abu Sayyaf plot to bomb
“unspecified targets” in Ba-
guio City, prompting Presi-
dent Arroyo to cancel her
and her family’s annual re-
treat in the cool resort city.
The police, however,
said investigators failed
to find other evidence that
would back up the Abu
Sayyaf plot. Police said no
bomb attack occurred in
Baguio in December.
“Anonymous characters,
a highly profiled blamable
terrorist group, very cloudy
details - these all make fine
ingredients for a timely tall
tale like an assassination
plot against the President.
A million to one, the yarn
will soon die down. Has it
served its purpose?,” the
analyst asked. With wires
24 Manila Media Monitor FEBRUARY 2008
FEBRUARY 2008 Manila Media Monitor
IAEA team to
check on BNPP
Mother Ignacia nears sainthood
MANILA - Mother Ig-
nacia del Espiritu Santo,
viability, options founder of the Religious
of the Virgin Mary (RVM)
Sisters in the Philippines, is
MANILA - A team of experts from the International two steps away from saint-
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would be assessing the sta- hood, after Pope Benedict
tus of the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) XVI in July 2007 issued a
in Morong, Bataan. decree citing her “heroic
Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes said the eight-man virtues.”
IAEA team would conduct a study on the viability of the On Feb. 1, Manila Arch-
BNPP and recommend to the Philippine government the bishop Gaudencio Cardinal
best options to take on the nuclear plant. Rosales - with other bish-
Reyes earlier said the state has not closing its doors to ops and priests co-celebrat-
the possible use of nuclear power and the reopening of the ing the Mass - officiated the
BNPP, provided it would not be costly to government and promulgation of Mother Ig-
not disadvantageous to the public. nacia as “Venerable” at the
Korea Electric Power (Kepco) revealed last year that it Shrine of San Lorenzo Ruiz
sent formal letters to the Department of Energy expressing in Binondo, Manila.
interest to operate the BNPP and offer nuclear power to the The title “Venerable,”
country. recognizes a person’s hero-
Built in 1976, the BNPP was seen by then President ic virtue and sanctity and is
Ferdinand Marcos as a feasible solution to the energy crisis the first step to sainthood.
that gripped the country in the 1970s. The plant was then Being called “Blessed”
valued at P21.2 billion. is the next step, bestowed
Thirty two years after construction, the Philippines had
paid all its foreign debts for the BNPP. PNA Duque warns of possible cholera outbreak
MANILA- Health Sec-
retary Francisco Duque III
has warned of a possible
cholera outbreak in the
coming summer season, at-
tributing it to the onset of
global warming in tropical
Asian countries.
Please see page 11 for our detailed advertisement Duque said the unusual
warm weather would affect
the presence and behavior
of the vibrio cholerae bac-
The PHILIPPINES
MOTHER IGNACIA
on a Venerable after a mira-
cle attributable to his or her
intercession occurs. Saint-
hood follows after a similar
second miracle happens.
In 1986, then Manila
Archbishop Jaime Cardinal
Sin initiated the canonical
process for the beatification
teria.
“The warmer the tem-
perature the more the chol-
era bacteria become active
and multiply,” he said.
Cholera is transmitted
to a person who eats food or
drinks water contaminated
with human waste.
Cholera symptoms in-
clude frequent and painless-
watery stools, vomiting,
of Mother Ignacia.
Pope Benedict XVI ac-
cepted the recommendations
of the Sacred Congregation,
and signed the decree rec-
ognizing Mother Ignacia’s
practice of Christian virtues
to a heroic degree.
A miracle - brought be-
fore the Sacred Congrega-
tion for the Causes of Saints
at the Vatican - was the cure
of Victoria Peña Utanes, a
diabetic suffering an infec-
tion on her left foot.
Desperate, Utanes went
to one of the congregation’s
sister-healers who prayed
over her, invoking the inter-
cession of Mother Ignacia.
In an act of faith, Utanes
placed the picture of Mother
Ignacia on the infected area
and wrapped a bandage over
it. When she reached home
sunken eyeballs, wrinkled
and dry skin.
Duque said cholera pa-
tients should be brouight
immediately to the nearest
hospital and be rehydrated
to replace lost body fluids.
He urged the public to
cleanliness and sanitation,
specially in food and wa-
ter preparation and storage.
PNA
25
and took off the bandage,
the sore was cured.
Her doctors verified that
the cure was instantaneous
and could not be explained
by medical science.
Born in Binondo of a
Chinese father and a Fili-
pino mother in 1663, Moth-
er Ignacia chose a life of
prayer, ascetical practices
and apostolic service in-
stead of marrying.
She voluntarily chose a
life of poverty, to “live by
the sweat of her brow” al-
though she still had parents
who were materially well-
off.
Her life thus attracted
other native women to a life
of prayer.
In 1684, silently and
courageously, Mother Igna-
cia and two others formed
the pillars of what is now
known as the RVM sisters,
whose convent was the first
institution for religious life
among Filipino women.
In those times, women
of non-Spanish descent
were denied entry to formal
religious convents.
The first Filipino saint
is San Lorenzo Ruiz, also
from Binondo.
He was canonized on
canonized on Oct. 28,1987.
PNA
26 TRAVEL & TOURISM Manila Media Monitor FEBRUARY 2008

BABAYLAN FESTIVAL in Bago City

MacArthur cap
seeks spot in
Guinness world
records book
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY
- When completed in March, the
Gen. Douglas MacArthur Marker
at the old Macabalan Wharf here
is seen to be the world’s biggest
cap, worthy of a spot in the Guin-
ness Book of World Records.
Elpie Paras, chairman of the
MacArthur Marker Committee
(MMC), said the replica of Gen.
MacArthur’s cap would span eight
meters in diameter, five meters in
height, and would be made of fi-
ber glass and steel.
The cap would nestle atop
five stars, to serve as the marker’s
foundation and to represent Gen.
MacArthur’s rank as a five-star
general.
Each of the five stars would
be etched with the history of Gen.
MacArthur’s 7 a.m. landing at the
Macabalan Wharf on March 13,
1942, and the names of donors
who helped build the marker.
The cap replica would bear the
emblem of the US Armed Forces
and an eagle, with laurels on its The Babaylan Festival of Bago City in Negros Occidental is the keeper of rituals and spirit agents in the normal world.
visor and sides. is unique, one of a kind. He inspires awe and fear.
Paras said the perimeters of Every year, on Feb. 19, people from the city, neighboring Thus, every festival onlooker is bestowed with a quick
the MacArthur Marker would be towns and from other places in the Philippines and from all but vivid glimpse of how the babaylan stands tall in the com-
adorned with a replica of a Patrol over the world converge in Bago City, about 20 kilometers munity.
Torpedo (PT) Boat, a gift shop south of the province’s capital, Bacolod City. The festival - participated in by seasoned performers clad
and a park. Named after the shamans of old, the Babaylan festival in costumes of yore - offers the public a rare view into the
Mayor Constantino Jaraula led adds a magical, mystical flavor to Bago City’s foundation simulated rituals of mystics, ancient healers and priests in
city officials in the capsule-laying day celebration. various ceremonies such as marriage, healing and harvest.
and groundbreaking of the Ma- The festival tells of a distinct story that pre-dated the But more than just explore the babaylan folktale, the fes-
cArthur Marker on Feb. 1. Spanish colonial period. The story is about the babaylan, the tival also provides everyone with a gateway to rediscover
On March 17, 1942, General village doctor, herbalist, artist, medium, adviser, agricultur- music, dances, and other artistic endeavors endemic to the
Douglas MacArthur and his fam- ist and more, all rolled in one very interesting character. He early tribesmen, the Bagonhons.
ily arrived at Macabalan wharf in
Cagayan de Misamis from Cor-
regidor to escape the advancing
Sunset at Manila Bay Sunrise at Borongan
Japanese forces. BORONGAN CITY - If Manila has its ‘Sunset by the Bay,’ Bo-
MacArthur stayed in Del rongan would soon be famous for its ‘Sunrise by the Bay,’ said mayor
Monte for four days from where fidel Anacta, Jr. “We will just have to add fixtures and build facilities to
American planes fetched and flew make the place more enticing for local and foreign tourists.”
him to Australia, where upon ar- Sitting by the bay on a clear summer morning, one could take a full
rival he uttered his now-famous “I view of the radiant sun gently inching itself to the skies from the end of
Shall Return” promise. the ocean, its rays slowly enveloping this side of the earth.
A few days later, on March 26, Borongan boulevard has been a favorite spot for family reunions,
1942, then Philippine President San Isidro receptions, sports and romantic interludes. “It is fitting that
Manuel Quezon and Vice Presi- we beautify the place, perchance then, we can invite more local or for-
dent Sergio Osmeña arrived in eign tourists,” Anacta said.
Cagayan to take the same escape Councilor Jessie Solidon said at least P2 million have been secured
route. for the project from Philippine Tourism Authority deputy general man-
Quezon spent his last breath ager Edgar Bocar, a native Boronganon.
on Philippine soil in Northern Solidon said contributions for the completion of Borongan boule-
Mindanao, for he died on Aug. 1, vard’s tourism facelift were also expected from civic minded Boronga-
1944 in New York. PNA nons in Manila. PIA
FEBRUARY 2008 Manila Media Monitor The PHILIPPINES 27
NEWS ROUNDUP
Ilocos Sur residents get free overseas calls
VIGAN CITY - Residents of Ilocos Sur who have relatives abroad would soon avail
themselves of free three–minute direct-dial overseas calls, according to governor Deogra-
cias Savellano. The call program, dubbed as Direct Voice Broadband Service, would be
open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday. Savellano enjoined provincemates to freely
use the program. PNA

No fun to sell ice cream in MILF lair

COTABATO CITY - Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels released on Jan. 27
Nestle Philippines ice cream vendors Christopher Lamigo, Jeffrey Becera and Mark Ba-
dia, all residents of this city, in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, three days after they were
‘invited for questioning’ by the rebels on suspicion that they were military spies. MILF
spokesperson Eid Kabalu said the trio were not harmed and no ransom was paid for their
release. The ice cream men were released to members of the Malaysian-led International
Monitoring Team. PNA

TF formed for GenSan land disputes

GENERAL SANTOS CITY - Mayor Pedro Acharon Jr. has formed a special body tasked
to check on disputed lands here, to avert further bloodshed following the killing of a Na-
tional Commission for the Indigenous People (NCIP) official said to be handling an an-
cestral land claim. The task force included the police and state agencies involved in land
concerns. The city has laid claim over tracts of land which lease agreements have lapsed.
But some tribal families have disputed the claims, tagging the lands as ancestral property.
The claims are in Barangays Fatima, Bawing, Apopong, Sinawal, Conel, Tambler and
other areas in the city. PNA

Modern Bayawan bus terminal set to open

BAYAWAN CITY - The P102-million city-funded Bayawan Integrated Bus Terminal lo-
cated in Barangay Villareal here is set to open first week of March. Bayawan city mayor
German Sarana said the terminal, the first of its kind southern Negros Oriental, was a
two-story building with two conference rooms and a hotel on the second floor while the
ground floor consisted of a food court, passenger waiting area and the bus terminal space.
Sarana said the terminal would become the center of transportation business in the city, the
province and Negros Occidental. PNA

Davao City ok’s seats for mall salesladies

DAVAO CITY - The city council on Jan. 29 has passed a landmark ordinance requiring
employers, specially mall owners, to provide seats for their female employees and work-
ers. Ordinance author Councilor Edgar Ibuyan, committee chairman on labor and employ-
ment opportunities, said the local law aimed to preserve the health of female employees,
specially mall sales ladies. An employer violating the law would be penalized by a fine of
not less than P1,000 nor more than P5,000, or by imprisonment of not less than one month
nor more than six months, Ibuyan said. The Integrated Gender and Development Office
under the City Mayor’s Office would implement the law. PNA

Rumor-mongers banned in Isabela village

SAN MATEO, Isabela - Anyone caught spreading malicious rumors could be fined P100
or more, warned officials of Barangay San Roque here as they passed a village ordinance
to that effect on Jan. 30. Village chairman Mario Yaje said the ordinance would lessen
similar cases lodged before the barangay’s Lupong Tagapamayapa and his office. Yaje
said any person living or staying at the village confirmed conveying false information or
fabricating stories against people, places and events demeaning to the people being gos-
siped about would be fined P100 for the first offense, and a bigger fine or imprisonment
for the second offense at the court’s discretion. PNA

Bulacan single parents’ kids get schooling

MALOLOS CITY - Children of single parents in Bulacan would soon be availing them-
selves of scholarships for college courses. Governor Joselito Mendoza said the province
has set aside 300 college scholarship slots for children of solo parents in the coming school
year. The program was based on the Solo Parent Welfare Act that provided benefits and
privileges to single parents. Mendoza said the budget for the scholarships was doubled af-
ter successes were seen in the program’s implementation in 2007, in which there were 132
beneficieries. He said qualified applicants would receive P2,500 per semester. Bulacan has
about 34,978 solo parents. PNA

Student nurses outnumber medcen patients

DAVAO CITY - Student nurses outnumber patients on any given day at the government-
run Davao Medical Center (DMC) here, DMC officer-in-charge Joselito Sembrano said.
Nearly 1,000 practicing nurses, from the medical center’s 26 nursing school affiliates,
are doing exposure work with the DMC daily, Sembrano said. Thus, there would be three
student nurses for every two patients, as opposed to the ideal one student nurse for every
three patients recommended by the Commission on Higher Education. PNA

Iloilo soon to be smoke-free

ILOILO CITY - This city would be a “no smoking zone” when Regulation Ordinance
2006-150 or the The Comprehensive Anti-Smoking Ordinance of Iloilo City is fully im-
plemented, perhaps, by the end of February. The absolute smoking ban would apply to all
persons and in schools, public buildings, public transports, government-owned vehicles,
and within hospitals, medical, dental and optical clinics. But there would be designated
smoking areas. Penalties for violation included a fine of P500 on first offense, P1,000 on
second office and P5,000 on third and subsequent offenses. Erring business establishments
could also lose their permits and licenses. PNA

And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one
can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye. Antoine de Saint-Exupery
28
Congress cuts debt interest payment allocation,
increases budget for public services, infra
MANILA – Congress
has ratified the proposed
P1.227 trillion national
budget for 2008 on Jan.
28, increasing allocations
for social services and in-
frastructure development
expected to address the
country’s commitment to
the President Gloria Maca-
pagal-Arroyo’s Millennium
Development Goals.
Rep. Edcel Lagman,
The PHILIPPINES
P1.227-T ’08 national budget ratified
chairman of the House com-
mittee on appropriations,
said the Senate and the
House of Representatives,
in the reconciled appropria-
tions bill, “gave more flesh
to the President’s budget
message of sustaining the
momentum of growth by
increasing the government’s
budget for basic services
and infrastructure develop-
ment to heed the demands
By ZORAYDA S. TECSON
of both the masses and the
investors.”
Loan payment cuts
After almost a decade,
Congress cut the foreign
debt service allocation for
interest payments, totalling
P25.9 billion.
The slashes included:
► P15.9 billion cor-
Manila Media Monitor FEBRUARY 2008
responding to savings as a
result of the appreciation of
the peso with the exchange
rate recomputed at P41 to a
dollar from a high assump-
tion of 48:1 in the NEP or a
P7.00 differential. (Savings
of P2.272 billion is gener-
ated for every peso appre-
ciation);
► P5 billion in suspen-
sion of interest payments for
loans challenged as fraudu-
lent, tainted and/or useless
pending the Executive’s
renegotiation of the loans or
their eventual condonation;
► P5 billion in prema-
ture allocations for interest
payments for program loans
and bond issuances still in
the pipeline.
In addition, proposed al-
locations for slow-moving
projects, excess allocations
and other miscellaneous al-
lotments totaling P12.638
DOJ, NPC sign pact vs extrajudicial slays
Department of Justice
(DOJ) Undersecretary
Richard Blancaflor
(seated, left) and Na-
tional Press Club (NPC)
president Roy Mabasa
(seated, right) on Feb.
4 sign a memorandum
of agreement intensi-
fying state efforts in
prosecuting cases on
extra-judicial killings.
The DOJ also agrees to
monitor developments
on cases involving the slay of newsmen. Looking on are NPC-Chicago, Il-
linois director Marlon Pecson (left) and NPC director Sammy Julian. PNA
photo: BEN BRIONES
Tubbataha Reef ranks 34th in
‘New 7 Wonders of Nature’ vote
PUERTO PRINCESA
CITY - A vote for Tubba-
taha Reef is a vote for rec-
ognition of the Philippines’
importance in the global en-
vironment arena.
Filipinos around the
world are being asked to
vote for the 96,000-hectare
reef, one of Asia’s best ma-
rine park, which was nomi-
nated as one of the 200 new
wonders of nature submitted
by some 500,000 people.
The Tubbataha Reef
National Marine Park, in
the middle of the Sulu Sea,
ranks 34th in an ongoing
ballot for the ‘New 7 Won-
ders of Nature.’
The voting campaign
runs until Dec. 31, after
which a panel will select
the 21 finalists, from which
list will be elected the New
7 Wonders of Nature.
billion were also slashed.
The increases would
address government com-
mitments to eradicate ex-
treme hunger and poverty,
achieve universal primary
education, promote gen-
der equality, reduce infant
mortality, improve maternal
health, combat HIV-AIDS
and tuberculosis, and en-
sure environmental sustain-
ability, Lagman said.
More money
The total cuts of P38.5
billion were realigned to the
budgets of:
► Basic and higher edu-
cation, increased by P4.829
billion to total P158.6 bil-
lion;
► Health, upped by
P5.79 billion to total P25.8
billion;
► Agriculture, raised
by P1.872 billion to total
P29.161 billion;
► Infrastructure, in-
creased by P12.982 billion
to total P94.729 billion ;
Todate, Cox’s Bazar
Beach in Bangladesh is first
among the top 10 nominees
to include Sundarbans For-
est, also in Bangladesh;
Cocos Island, Costa Rica;
Ganges River, Bangladesh;
Mount Everest, Nepal; Am-
azon River, South America;
Lake Atitlan and Pacaya
Volcano, both in Guatema-
la; Ha Long Bay and Phong
Nha-Ke Bang National
Park, both in Vietnam.
Tubbataha Reef was
declared as World Heritage
Site by the UNESCO in
1993.
It is a reef composed of
a single small islet that pro-
trudes from the water.
The atolls are separated
by a deep channel eight ki-
lometers wide.
Over 1,000 species, in-
cluding endangered ones, in
► Justice and the judi-
ciary, increased by P1.236
billion to total P16.570 bil-
lion;
► Social welfare and
development, raised by
P0.165 billion to total
P4.848 billion;
► Local governance
and development, upped by
P3.5 billion to total P16.253
billion;
► Public safety and se-
curity, increased by P0.859
billion to total P53.242 bil-
lion;
► Labor and employ-
ment, increased by P0.236
billion to total P6.272 bil-
lion;
► Energization, raised
by P0.6 billion to total
P0.922 billion;
► Environmental pro-
tection, increased by P0.184
billion to total P8.118 bil-
lion; and
► Sports development,
upped by P0.059 billion to
total P0.360 billion. PNA
the park include manta rays,
lionfish, tortoises, clown-
fish and sharks.
New 7 Wonders of Na-
ture founder and president
Bernard Weber said “So
many breathtaking beauti-
ful, natural places are still
quite unknown to many.
From waterfalls to fjords,
rainforests to mountain
peaks, freshwater lakes to
salt flats, we are discover-
ing together the incredible
beauty and variety of our
planet.”
The New 7 Wonders of
the World - announced in
Lisbon, Portugal on July 7,
2007 - include the Chichen
Itza in Mexico; Statue of
Christ Redeemer in Brazil;
Colosseum in Italy; Taj Ma-
hal in India; the Great Wall
in China; Petra, Jordan and
Machu Picchue, Peru. PNA
FEBRUARY 2008 Manila Media Monitor 29

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30 CANADIAN HISTORY
Flag Day in Canada is
celebrated annually on Feb-
ruary 15, in remembrance
of the inauguration of the
national flag of Canada by
Governor General Georges
Vanier on that date in 1965.
The day is marked by
flying the flag, public cer-
emonies, and educational
programs in schools.
History
In 1925, a Privy Council
committee began research
on designs for a national
flag of Canada. But the
committee’s work was not
completed.
In 1946, a parliamen-
tary committee sought for
submissions and got more
than 2,600 designs. Still,
the Parliament of Canada
was never called upon to
vote on a design.
Early in 1964, Prime
Minister Lester Pearson
called for the formation
of a Senate and House of
Commons Committee to
look into the adoption of a
distinctive national flag, a
move said to be in anticipa-
tion of the upcoming 1967
centennial celebration of
the Confederation.
In October 1964, the
committee was left with
three designs - a Red En-
sign with the Union Jack
and the Canadian Shield,
another that incorporated
three red maple leaves, and
a red flag with a single,
stylized red maple leaf on
a white square between two
red bars designed by Dr.
George Stanley.
Then Dean of Arts at the
Royal Military College in
Kingston, Ontario, Stanley
told the committee of the
visual of the Commandant’s
flag at the College - a red
and white combination that
bore a strong sense of Cana-
dian history.
In 1921, King George V
proclaimed the Royal Arms
of Canada, and named the
official colors of Canada
as red, from Saint George’s
Cross, and white, from the
French royal emblem since
King Charles VII.
The committee eventu-
ally recommended the pas-
sage of Stanley’s single-leaf
design as the new national
flag of Canada. The banner
replaced the Canadian Red
Ensign, which had been in
use, if not officially, in one
form or another since 1868.
Member of Parliament
John Matheson was named
Prime Minister Pearson’s
“flag lieutenant” and played
a critical role in ensuring
parliamentary approval of
the new Canadian flag.
The House of Commons
Manila Media Monitor FEBRUARY 2008
approved the design on Dec.
15, 1964, followed by the
Senate on Dec. 17, 1964.
Queen of Canada Eliza-
beth II proclaimed the new
flag on Jan. 28, 1965, and
the national flag first flew
on Parliament Hill on Feb.
15 of the same year.
Flag Day was instituted
in 1996 by an Order-in-
Council from Governor
General Roméo LeBlanc,
on the advice of his Prime
Minister, Jean Chrétien,
and has since then been of-
ficially called National Flag
of Canada Day.
Flag facts
► Joan O’Malley sew
the first Maple Leaf flag
in November 1964, based
on prototypes submitted
by graphic artists and silk
screeners Jean Desrosiers
and John Williams.
In a ceremony celebrat-
ing the 30th anniversary of
the flag, O’Malley recount-
ed her experience: “I really
didn’t realize what I was
getting into when I got that
phone call from my father
in 1964. I was just doing On Feb. 15, 1965, the Canadian Red Ensign (inset), bearing the Union Jack
my father (Ken Donovan, and the shield of the royal arms of Canada, was lowered at the stroke of
then an assistant purchasing noon and the red-and-white, maple leaf flag was raised for the first time on
director with the Canadian Parliament Hill. The crowd sang O Canada followed by the royal anthem God
Government Exhibition Save the Queen. Maurice Bourget, Speaker of the Senate, said “the flag is
Commission) a favor; not the symbol of the nation’s unity, for it, beyond any doubt, represents all the
participating in history. Let citizens of Canada without distinction of race, language, belief or opinion.
(To page 36) (Photo Source: The Gazette, Montreal/Library and Archives Canada).
FEBRUARY 2008 Manila Media Monitor
The Philippines: Still an appropriate name?
History books of yore have for
so long maintained the greatness
of Spanish influence in the Far
East, particularly in an archipela-
go known as the Philippines.
The books have noted how Eu-
ropean monarchs noticed the eco-
nomic and political prospects of a
group of islands, after Ferdinand
Magellan, a Portuguese explorer
leading a Spanish expedition, cir-
cumnavigated the world in 1521.
Magellan landed on Cebu is-
land, claimed the lands for Spain
and named them Islas de San Laz-
aro (Islands of St. Lazarus). He
made friends with the local chief-
tains and converted some of them
to Roman Catholicism. But Ma-
gellan was killed in a battle with
chieftain Lapu-Lapu’s indigenous
tribal group in Mactan Island.
For the next two decades, oth-
er Spanish expeditions were sent
to the islands, but most failed.
This, however, did not weaken
the resolve of then Spanish king
Charles I (then well known in the
16th century as the Holy Roman
Emperor Charles V), who had set-
tled the claims of the Moluccas by
the Treaty of Zaragoza.
Charles I ordered Mexico’s
viceroy Antonio de Mendoza to
launch an armada for the East and
colonize the Islas del Poniente
(Isles of the West).
The expedition’s commander
was Ruy Lopez de Villalobos who
left Mexico on Nov. 1, 1542 and
arrived at Baganga Bay in Davao
Oriental on Feb. 2, 1543.
Villalobos named the area Las
Islas Filipinas (the Philippines),
in honor of Philip, the Prince of
Asturias, son and successor of
Charles V to the throne of Spain.
The name was soon extended
to the whole archipelago to re-
place Magellan’s Archipelago of
Saint Lazarus.
The Philippines has continued
to be known as the only Christian-
dominated nation in Asia.
Maharlika
However, a group of national-
ists are calling for an intelligent
study to establish the appropriate-
ness of the name, the Philippines,
which has entrenched itself in the
annals of the community of na-
tions and world history.
Filipino historian Ed Aurelio
Reyes, in his essay What’s in an
infamous name?, called for sup-
port to a renewed campaign “to
change the name of our country to
Maharlika.”
Reyes has been executive di-
rector of the Kampanya para sa
Kamalayan sa Kasaysayan or Ka-
malaysayan, a non-governmental
group advocating for the re-ex-
amination of Philippine history
and campaigns for Filipinos to be-
come more aware of their past.
“We do share the view that
there are defects in the present
national name ... the defects are
embedded in the very histories
PHILIPPINE HISTORY
of these most important national
symbols,” Reyes wrote.
Proponents of Maharlika as
the country’s new name have
pointed out that “we have contin-
ued to be named after a Spanish
monarch” when many countries
have reverted to their precolonial
names e.g. Myanmar, Zimbabwe,
Sri Lanka, etc., he said.
Disturbing background
Reyes wrote of some disturb-
ing background about a Spanish
king “whose name we have al-
ways been quite familiar with.”
His essay spoke of the dark
age of the pre-Vatican II Catho-
lic Church, during the infamous
Inquisition when the king spear-
headed “a campaign that practi-
cally painted out the words intoler-
ance, self-righteousness, bigotry,
brutality, barbarity, and all its syn-
onyms on the walls of the great
churches. using as paint the blood
of its victims whose only sin and
crime was being suspected of not
sharing the faith of the criminals
in holy vestments.”
The essay continued: The
Spanish monarch had figured
prominently in the brutality. His
first act on the throne was to order
an auto-da-fe, which victims were
tens of thousands of Moriscos or
Moors, Arab-speaking Muslims
living in Andalucia. They were all
burned at the stake.
The same king also caused the
beheading of thousands of Prot-
estants in the Netherlands and
in parts of Europe controlled by
what he called heretics and agents
of the devil.
Add to these horrifying facts
the following items: he and his fa-
ther, his predecessor at the throne,
had both looted Rome and were
eventually excommunicated by
the Catholic Church under Pope
Paul IV in 1552; he died of a dis-
ease then euphemistically called a
social disease but known today as
venereal disease, due to his “way
with women.” He was known to
have had several wives and mis-
tresses on record.
Reyes wrote: “Can you guess
who this despicable creature was
who ruled as King of Spain?
His name: King Philip II. Guess
which nation, that can be proud of
its very own heroic heritage and
glorious precolonial history was
named after him!”
Bong Barrameda, in his Pinoy
Trivia, wrote that Philip II was re-
puted to be an extreme introvert,
austere, humorless, and unpopular.
He was elegant, slender and good-
looking. But his reign marked the
decline of Spanish power.
No wonder Bonifacio and his
men in the Katipunan refused to
perpetuate the name when they
were birthing the nation at the out-
break of the 1896 Revolution, and
chose instead Tagalog, to reflect
the tropical archipelagic nature of
the country. Internet sources
31
PHILIP II
Philip II was born on May
21, 1527 under the Royal
House of Habsburg, son of the
Holy Roman Emperor Charles
V and Isabella of Portugal.
He died on Sept. 13, 1598,
after having ruled as King of
Spain from 1556 to 1598, King
of Naples from 1554 to 1598,
king consort of England (as
husband of Mary I) from 1554
to 1558, Lord of the Seventeen
Provinces (holding various
titles for individual territories,
such as Duke or Count) from
1556 to 1581.
He was also King of Portu-
gal and the Algarves (as Philip
I) from 1580 to 1598 and King
of Chile from 1554 to 1556.
The Philippines, (Spanish
name: Las Islas Filipinas) a
former Spanish colony for 333
years, was named after King
Philip II of Spain when he was
still a prince. Wikipedia
32 MONEY Manila Media Monitor FEBRUARY 2008

Reported US recession Year of the Rat: Money matters

has least effect on OFWs
MANILA - Filipinos
working in the health and
construction sectors would
be least affected in the
event of a recession in the
United States of America.
But workers in call cen-
ters might feel the crunch,
albeit minimally.
News reports have al-
ready said that US employ-
ers have cut as many as
17,000 jobs in January.
International Labor Or-
ganization (ILO) sub-re-
gional director Linda Wirth
said that while jitters over
reports of an impending US
recession are being floated,
Imax, SM close deal on
Filipinos in the health care
profession - from nurses
to caregivers - needed not
worry as they were hired for
their skills.
Wirth said Filipinos took
jobs usually being shunned
by Americans; thus, US na-
tionals should not be taken
as job competitors.
She noted the trend in
inter-Asian hiring, mean-
ing Filipinos tended to look
for jobs in places nearer to
home like Singapore, Japan,
Hong Kong and China.
But Wirth said the
strengthening of the peso
against the US dollar would
surely affect overseas Fili-
pino workers, particularly
with lesser pesos against
the greenback sent to loved
ones back home.
Wirth expected minimal
effects on the call center
industry, since the cost of
labor in the Philippines was
relatively cheaper than in
the United States.
Bong Borja, president
of People’s Support, agreed
with Wirth, saying he saw
no problems if the US suf-
fered a recession.
“Any effect would be
relatively small,” he said.
Philippine Overseas
Employment Administra-
tor Rosalinda Baldoz said
there continued to be a high
The United Nations has declared
2008, incidentally a leap year, as Inter-
national Sanitation Year. The global body
also declared 2008 as the International
Year of the Potato, making people aware
of the link between malnutrition and food
security and of moves to erase global pov-
erty.
Incidentally, the year
2008 also marks the Year
of the Earth Rat in the
Chinese calendar, starting
from Feb. 7, 2008 to Jan.
25, 2009.
So what seems to be
the big deal between sani-
tation, potatoes and rats?
Nothing much to fret and
worry about.
On the sanitation side,
the Western rat is reviled
as little more than a bot-
tom-dwelling disease car-
rier. The Eastern rat, however, is revered
for its quick wits and ability to accrue and
practicality. The Year of the Rat will be a
grand year for opportunity if you keep er-
rands in place and possible opportunities
will probably come about as conservative
investments. Keep hold of your budget
because you could still be in clash with a
few household obstacles especially if you
are doing business in the
Philippines.
Born in the Pig Year
(1923, 1935, 1947, 1959,
1971, 1983)
Money problems will
come about if you can
be persuaded by a clever,
sly type salesperson that
provides unassailable pro-
posals. Adhering to your
budget should be carefully
observed and take caution
with every expenses that
will occur. Make it a point
to think twice. The second
part of 2008 will gain you more revenue
than that of the first half.

digital theater systems

Toronto-based digital entertainment and technology
company Imax Corp. and SM Prime Holdings, a mall op-
erator in the Philippines, announced an agreement to install
two Imax digital projection systems at shopping malls in
the cities of Manila and Cebu.
Under the terms of the agreement, the two Imax digital
theater systems are expected to be installed during the third
and fourth quarters of 2009.
SM’s new locations will utilize the new digital projec-
tion system being developed by Imax.
The theatres will be capable of playing Hollywood
movies that have been digitally re-mastered into the image
and sound quality of the Imax experience, as well as origi-
nal Imax productions in 2D and Imax 3D. PR
demand for Filipino work-
ers, and employers seemed
unaffected by the reported
global economic slump.’
Earlier pronouncements
of an International Mon-
etary Fund official noted
that Southeast Asia would
face stiffer export competi-
tion from China and would
likely bear the brunt of any
impact from a major US
economic slowdown.
Economists have also
anticipated a US recession
due to a housing slump and
credit crunch. PNA
hold on to items of value and are consid-
ered a symbol of good luck and wealth in
China and Japan.
On the UN’s noble goals to promote
the potato, perhaps the Filipino cliche
‘mas mahirap pa sa daga’ lays rest to fur-
ther discussions.
Whatever, here is a list of non-expert
disclaimed predictions pinoybusiness.
com compiled for the reading pleasure of
Filipino entrepreneurs and businessmen.
Born in the Rat Year (1912, 1924,
1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984)
Long term investments could show
favorable returns since the Earth com-
ponent of 2008 prefers conservatism and
Born in the Ox Year (1913, 1925,
1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985)
There are great chances that your debt
will be diminished on the Year of the Rat.
Revenues will have greater chances of
growth. Finances will be stable and prom-
ising. Don’t forget to keep track of your
health. You may also come across with
money coming from a good fortune. Last-
ly, don’t forget to stick to a tight budget.
Born in the Tiger Year (1914, 1926,
1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986)
Your assets could experience too
much risk. However; there will be a sig-
nificant rejuvenation of your health. Keep
(To page 36)
FEBRUARY 2008 Manila Media Monitor MONEY 33 GOT A FOREX DEAL?
Check out if you got your peso’s worth for the

Globe Telecom, Western Union to

dollars you have had exchanged since January
16, courtesy of Manila Media (Money) Monitor.
US$ Cdn$

offer joint remittance service

Feb. 15 40.68407 40.64071
Feb. 14 40.93043 41.05091
Feb. 13 40.89871 40.91716
Feb. 12 40.68341 40.83208
MANILA - Ayala- Globe’s cross-border mo- Feb. 11 40.81252 40.76922
owned Globe Telecom and bile commerce hub allow-
Feb. 08 40.58165 40.61979
subsidiary G-Xchange, Inc. ing multi-currency money
Feb. 07 40.49389 40.05077
will join forces with West- transfers to mobile opera-
Feb. 06 40.65796 40.57421
ern Union to introduce a tors worldwide, linking its
cross-border mobile money G-Cash service to Western Feb. 05 40.48098 40.31709
transfer service (MMTS) Union’s global network of Feb. 04 40.32242 40.60017
supporting low-principal, send and receive locations. Feb. 01 40.32231 40.55073
high-frequency remittance. The World Bank cited Jan. 31 40.39179 40.30940
Ferdinand dela Cruz, the Philippines as the fourth Jan. 30 40.32206 40.60426
Globe’s Consumer Wireless largest remittance receiver Union Mobile general man- Union agent locations for Jan. 29 40.44369 40.53502
Business Group chief, said in the world, totaling some ager, said Globe’s G-Cash cash-to-mobile and mobile- Jan. 28 40.84696 40.68228
the “relationship with West- US$17 billion in 2007. service “is one of the mo- to-cash transactions. Jan. 25 40.74202 40.57756
ern Union will increase the Western Union has the bile industry’s most appeal- Mobile networks covers Jan. 24 41.02809 40.74014
accessibility and lower the industry’s largest global ing offerings for banked and 80 percent of the world’s Jan. 23 41.02244 39.90327
cost of micro-remittances” money transfer agent net- unbanked consumers.” population, and three bil- Jan. 22 41.09672 40.09162
to the benefit of overseas work with over 320,000 “In combining Globe’s lion people carry mobile Jan. 21 41.01168 39.73834
Filipino workers and their sites in over 200 countries strengths with Western phones, a venue to extend Jan. 18 40.71044 39.56100
families in the Philippines. and territories. Globe has Union’s global reach and the benefits of financial ser- Jan. 17 40.75003 39.59966
Dela Cruz said the 19 million subscribers. compliance capabilities, we vices to many of the world’s Jan. 16 40.72268 39.80509
agreement would expand Matt Dill, Western can introduce financial ser- families. PNA
vices to a new segment of
BC, RP sign worker pact consumers,” Dill said. $1B set for vulnerable communities
British Columbia (B.C.) and Philippine officials have The MMTS would link OTTAWA - Parliament ing global economic land- ties for workers, community
entered into a two-year memorandum of understanding that operators to the firm’s glob- on Feb. 5 unanimously ad- scape.” transition plans that foster
would help strengthen links and relations between B.C. al money transfer system. opted Bill C-41 that would Prime Minister Stephen economic development and
employers and Philippine recruiters, providing B.C. more Once connected, opera- set $1 billion in federal Harper last month said the create new jobs, and infra-
effective access to foreign workers. tors could use the “mobile funding for struggling com- targeted support was for structure development that
Economic Development Minister Colin Hansen said wallet” software to enable munities, through the Com- single-industry towns suf- stimulates economic diver-
B.C.’s economy “is growing at a rate faster than the over- person-to-person mobile munity Development Trust. fering from major down- sification.
all Canadian economy and definitely faster than the overall money transfers over West- Finance Minister Jim turns, as well as commu- The funds are to be pro-
American economy. To maintain this momentum, we need ern Union’s cross-border Flaherty said the $1-billion nities facing chronic high vided from the 2007–08
to attract 30,000 workers per year with specific skills from remittance network. funding, upon receiving unemployment or layoffs budgetary surplus. Prov-
outside B.C.” The MMTS would en- Royal Assent, would “make across a range of sectors. inces and territories will be
The agreement would target sectors most in need of able consumers to transfer a real and lasting difference Among other things, able to draw their share of
skilled workers in tourism and hospitality, retail and con- money to or from mobile in addressing economic funding could support job the funds over a three-year
struction. PR wallets and open Western hardship caused by a shift- training to create opportuni- period. PR
34 Manila Media Monitor FEBRUARY 2008
 SPORTS 35
GAME TIME Peñalosa’s title defense in peril
FEBRUARY 2008 Manila Media Monitor

Bacolod park spikefest

feat fit for Guinness?
BACOLOD CITY - A record 132 teams played at 6 judokas to MANILA - The title
defense of World Boxing
Organization (WBO) ban-
Boxing Council super feath-
erweight champion Juan
Manuel Marquez in Las Ve-
feated him two years ago.
But Gallo-ani said the
Peñalosa-Vorapin bout was
the Feb. 2 1st Negros Occidental Volleybal Association
(NOVA) Inter-College Physical Education championships
for men and women, and the sheer number could be one
train for Beijing tamweight Filipino cham-
pion Gerry Penalosa against
gas on March 15.
ABS-CBN vice presi-
not totally cancelled, despite
reports that WBO super ban-
for the Guinness Book of World Records. NOVA president
Roger Banzuela said the tournament, played at the Univer-
Games qualifier Thai challenger Ratanachai
Sor Vorapin might not push
dent for sports Peter Musngi
said advertisers have fo-
tam champ Daniel Ponce de
Leon had agreed to face Pe-
sity of St. La Salle football field here, was a grand record set MANILA - Six judokas through as set on March 2 at cused their money on the ñalosa in a rematch.
by 64 men and 68 women teams. Banzuela said he would led by eight-time Southeast the Araneta Coliseum. Pacquiao-Marquez title re- Peñalosa nearly de-
submit the record to the International Volleyball Federation. Asian Games gold medalist Reports said title fight match. throned Ponce de Leon in
This might get the nod of those compiling unusual achieve- John Baylon will train in Ja- organizers plan to move the A philboxing.com report their first meeting in Cebu
ments for Guinness. PNA pan to prepare for the Asian slugfest to April, being so quoted promoter Sammy city in March 2007.
Olympic qualifying tourna- near the highly-anticipated Gello-ani as saying that Peñalosa won his belt via
Cebu City to host ment in Jaju, South Korea, rematch between Filipino Vorapin was not an attrac- a seventh round stoppage of
int’l bodybuilding tilt April 23 to 28.
Philippine Amateur Judo
ring sensation Manny Pac-
quiao and Mexican World
tive opponent for Peñalosa,
since the Filipino boxer de-
Mexican Johnny Gonzales
in August last year. PNA
CEBU CITY - Modern ‘Tarzans’ from at least 17 Association president David
countries are expected to display their awesome physique Carter said the training was
when they compete in the 2008 Asia Pacific International
Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships here on April 25.
crucial in the country’s bid
to earn a Olympic slot in the
SEOUL DRIVING SCHOOL
Former Mr. Philippines and bodybuilder Dennis Delgado
said fitness buffs from France, Morocco, Singapore, New
August Beijing Games.
To go on training are
YELLOWBIRD
Zealand, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates have con- Baylon, Gilbert Ramirez, 4862 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario
firmed participation in the event. Cebu City won the bid for Tomuchico Hoshina, Nancy
the event against Manila, Iloilo and Baguio. PNA Quillotes and two other fe-
males. Baylon, 44, competed
P1-M QC 9-Ball Open set in the 1988 Seoul Games.
MANILA - Local and foreign pool stars are ready for Filipino Beijing Games
the big ‘Sargo!’ when they mix it up with the upstarts in the qualifiers include swimmers
1st Quezon City Open 9-ball tournament from March 12 to Miguel Molina, JB Walsh,
16 here. Cue artists from Puyat Sports, Bugsy Promotions Daniel Coakley and Ryan
and the Negros Billiards Stable are expected to compete for Arabejo; taekwondo jins
the top prize of US$12,000. Among them are former world Tshomlee Go and Mary An-
champions Efren “Bata” Reyes, Alex Pagulayan and Ron- toinette Rivero, boxer Harry
nie Alcano, former world no.1 Francisco “Django” Busta- Tanamor, archer Mark Javier
mante, 2007 World Pool Championship runner-up Roberto and shooter Eric Ang.
Gomez and reigning national titlist Lee Van Corteza. The The Philippines seeks its
tournament is supported by the Billiards Managers and first gold medal since join-
Players Association of the Philippines. PNA ing the Olympics in 1924.
36
Year of the Rat: Money matters ...
(From page 32)
track of your spending since
overexhaustion of your
revenues each month may
result to distressing under-
performance. A careful look
at your long-term financial
plan will do the trick and
if you don’t have one yet,
make sure to have one this
year.
Born in the Rabbit
Year (1915, 1927, 1939,
National Flag of Canada Day ...
(From page 30)
me tell you, I don’t think of
myself as the Betsy Ross
type. And sewing the flag
was not easy. I was no pro-
fessional - I had just sewed
some of my clothes before
this. My sewing machine
wasn’t made for such heavy
material. But eventually, the
flag came together.”
► The final design of
the stylized maple leaf was
established by Jacques St-
Cyr, the precise dimensions
of red and white were sug-
gested by Mr. George Best,
and the technical descrip-
tion of precise shade of
red defined by Dr. Gunter
Wyszchi.
► The Canadian flag is
twice as long as it is wide.
The white square and its
maple leaf make up half the
surface of the flag - equal to
the two red bars combined.
► The maple leaf was
first proposed as an em-
blem of Canada in 1834 by
Ludger Duvernay when the
Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste
was founded on June 24 of
that year.
► When flying along
the Canadian flag, the flags
of the ten provinces and
three territories follow in
the order they entered Con-
federation: Ontario (1867),
Quebec (1867), Nova Sco-
tia (1867), New Bruns-
wick (1867), Manitoba
(1870), British Columbia
1951, 1963, 1975, 1987)
Be on your guard this
2008, as a Filipino entre-
preneur, either in the Phil-
ippines or overseas. Your
business may have a murky
outlook. It is best to stay
close to people who you
had a good relationship
with in the past when on
the lookout for financial
advice. Your positive stand-
(1871), Prince Edward Is-
land (1873), Saskatchewan
(1905), Alberta (1905),
Newfoundland and Labra-
dor (1949), Northwest Terri-
tories (1870), Yukon (1898)
and Nunavut (1999).
►Vexillologists, or
those engaged in the study
of flags, often cite the Na-
tional Flag of Canada as one
of the world’s most beauti-
ful based on its simple de-
sign and limited number of
colors.
ing in 2008 is on long-term
investments, if examined
thoroughly.
Born in the Dragon
Year (1916, 1928, 1940,
1952, 1964, 1976, 1988)
Because the Earth ele-
ment of 2008 has preference
to conservative actions of
risky investors, your financ-
es will be at uniform level
with that of last year’s. Your
► In 1982, Laurie Skre-
slet, a skier from Calgary,
took the Canadian flag to the
highest point in the world,
Mount Everest. Along with
the flag, the expedition was
outfitted with another 27
tonnes of equipment.
► In 1984, the Canadi-
an flag reached new heights
when it blasted into space
on the flight mission uni-
form of Marc Garneau, the
first Canadian astronaut in
space. Internet sources
Manila Media Monitor FEBRUARY 2008
health will be in very good
condition, but be cautious
with your savings. 2008 is
also the right time to con-
sider a major purchase for
your home.
Born in the Snake Year
(1917, 1929, 1941, 1953,
1965, 1977, 1989)
You are on your way
to a long-awaited financial
comeback, if you suffered
a slow down in the past.
Avoid making expensive
purchases on impulse, to
avoid suffering from buy-
er’s remorse. Profits will
be evident in conservative
investments under 2008’s
Earth element.
Born in the Horse Year
(1918, 1930, 1942, 1954,
1966, 1978, 1990)
Consider what a risk is
and what is risky because
the year of the rat is not a
good year for risk-taking
Horses. Be wary of all your
expenditures and be vigilant
of people asking you for a
loan, since there might be a
possibility that you cannot
be re-paid.
Lakas may expel De Venecia ... Accountability ...
(From page 23)
Nograles became the
first House Speaker from
Mindanao.
Head of the House Con-
tingent to the Commission
on Appointments, Nograles
was former House Majority
Floor Leader and chairman
of the Committee on Rules
during the 13th Congress.
Nograles said he would
continue reforms to improve
the image of the House, as
he urged fellow lawmakers
to get over with whatever
row that took place on De
Venecia’s sudden ouster.
De Venecia later told
Nograles: ”Mahirap ang
trabaho ng pagiging speak-
er. You should have good
health, wisdom and must be
a diplomat.”
He told reporters he
Born in the Year of ate future substantial assets.
the Ram, Sheep or Goat Born in the Rooster
(1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, Year (1921, 1933, 1945,
1967, 1979, 1991) 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993)
There can be great im- Prepare for some star-
provement of your revenues tling heavy expenses as
this 2008. You may be as- it may immerse into your
tounded by an unforeseen hard-earned savings Make
downfall. Ensure that you sure that you have made a
have set aside sufficient thorough list of what you
funds to cover for unantici- have to spend all-year-
pated misfortune and also round. Avoid buying on im-
for financial maintenance. pulse and avoid overspend-
The Earth element of 2008 ing as the temptation for
favors your conservatism. something new could come
Born in the Monkey back and hit you at the end
Year (1920, 1932, 1944, of the day.
1956, 1968, 1980, 1992) Born in the Dog Year
Expect to see better (1922, 1934, 1946, 1958,
changes since your finan- 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006)
cial trends are generally set There is good likeli-
to be pleasant in the Year hood that the Year of the
of the Rat, which is favor- Rat favors dogs, and it will
able to Monkeys in terms of be apparent that an upturn
money and finances. Bear in with your financial affairs
mind that 2008 is not a year may occur. However, trust-
for perilous investments. ing people around you too
Keep on using your intrin- much may get you in trou-
sic capabilities on spotting ble. Getting a second opin-
what is best. 2008 is one of ion from someone you trust
the years that prefigures ac- when considering a finan-
ceptably for your stash and cial decision is always the
those savings could gener- wise thing to do.
(From page 9)
eral gains that have not
translated into a better life
for most Filipinos.
What is being compro-
mised is the moral fabric of
our society. It is not a ques-
tion of legal guilt; instead,
it is a matter of good old-
fashioned delicadeza and
personal morality.
We call on all Filipinos
to proclaim, “Tama na ang
kasinungalingan! Sobra
na ang kasakiman! Manin-
NOGRALES digan na, Bayan!”
was still Lakas president,
but could “join forces with royo’s administration.
the opposition on exposing De Venecia said: “I al-
bribery and corruption.” ways stood by (Arroyo) in
He could have referred various challenges to ensure
to the suspended national that she continues to stay
broadband network multi- in power and to preserve
million peso bribery issue the stability of the nation.”
that shook President Ar- With Wire Reports
Be a president?
(From page 9)
throw me a sarcastic look that says “cheapskate.”
The bishops also want a closure to the “Hel-
lo, Garci” scandal. I like that too. But they want
newly appointed Comelec chair Jose A. R. Melo
to do it. I say that’s quite unlikely, although Melo
has just said he is thinking about restoring the poll
body’s credibility that was blown to smithereens
under the leadership of his predecessor, Benjamin
Abalos. What Melo meant by that, he is keeping
close to his chest.
If Melo would spend his time unraveling the
Hello, Garci mystery, he wouldn’t accomplish
what he must really do - bring Comelec’s Jurassic
operations to the here and now.
Computerize it, man. We’re sick and tired of
interminable post-election tabulations and can-
vassing that only open the door so wide for cheat-
ing and manipulation of the poll results.
Other countries elsewhere in the world are de-
mographically much larger than the Philippines,
but in a day or two, they already know who wins or
loses in the elections. Sadly, the Filipino electorate
can only dream of that best case scenario.
So you still dream of becoming president,
aren’t you?
Okay, dream away. Dreams are free, until you
wake up to the harsh reality that what you’re hav-
ing is your worst nightmare.
FEBRUARY 2008 Manila Media Monitor ENTERTAINMENT 37
I’d love to sing for Filipinos - Connie Francis
Said to own one
of the most distinct
voices in the history
of pop music, 60’s
icon Connie Fran-
cis raised the roof
of The Big Dome

GMA’s Pinoy Idol premiers

a.k.a. Araneta Coli-
seum as she sang
familiar tunes that
warmed the hearts Philippine giant broadcast net-
and blew the minds work GMA is set to premier Pinoy
of her multitude Idol, an interactive reality singing
of Filipino fans on competition spawned by the UK-
Valentine’s Day. based Idol series, on April 12.
Francis said she Popular television matinee host
was excited to per- Raymond Gutierrez will host the
form in Manila. series, while judging will be done
“I’ve been to Ja- American pop icon CONNIE FRANCIS autographs her by singer, songwriter and comedian
pan, Malaysia, Hong spot in the Star Walk at the Araneta Coliseum in Que- Ogie Alcasid; singer and actress Jo-
Kong but never in zon City where she sang to the delight of Filipino fans on lina Magdangal; and talent man-
the Philippines. And Valentine’s Day. ager and Artiststation, Inc. owner
I just love Filipinos. GUTIERREZ
Wyngard Tracy.
I meet a lot of Filipinos Philippines,” she said. cepted and autographed her The show is created by Simon
working in hotels and hos- Francis ranked as the star at the Star Walk at the Fuller and will be directed by Louie
pitals and they’re the nicest top female vocalist on Bill- Dome’s Green Gate lobby. Ignacio.
people in the world, so I’d board’s Adult Contempo- She joined music greats Auditions continue until March
love to sing for Filipinos.” rary chart in the 60’s. Neil Sedaka, Paul Anka, MAGDANGAL
13 in Davao City, Pasay City, Da-
“I remember getting During her Philippine Michael Buble and Cliff gupan City, Clark, Angeles City, and Naga City. Earlier auditions
so much fan mail from the sortie, Francis gamely ac- Richard at the Star Walk. were conducted in Cagayan de Oro City, Batangas City, Iloilo
City, and Cebu City.
Malubay loves
Lani, Regine Iza Calzado Before GMA, the first franchise of the Idol series in the Philip-
pines was aired over Associated Broadcasting Company Channel
5 under the name Philippine Idol. GMA promoted Pinoy Idol as
ALCASID
“the first Idol competition in the Philippines,” and hinted that it
Besides Aretha Franklin, the
would not recognize Philippine Idol and its winner Mau Marcelo,
Jackson 5 and Mariah Carey, Ameri-
a budding singer from Lucena City.
can Idol semi-finalist Mariele Mac-
Pinoy Idol became the third reality show franchise GMA had
rohon Malubay owes her musical
negotiated with FremantleMedia, the first two being Celebrity Du-
influences to Filipino singers Lani
ets and Kakasa Ka Ba Sa Grade 5?
Misalucha and Regine Velasquez.
With its GMA version, the Philippines has joined other coun-
Malubay, 20, started singing
tries with spin-offs of the United Kingdom-based Idol franchise.
when she was 12, the darling of the
The Philippines is the 35th in the world and the sixth in Asia to
crowd who crooned before family
air a national Idol franchise.
and friends during gatherings.
The Idol franchise is the third most popular international fran-
A resi-
chise, behind only the The Weakest Link and Who Wants to Be
dent of Mira-
a Millionaire? franchises, both of which also originated in the
mar, Florida,
United Kingdom. MARCELO
Malubay said
she she also
“took piano
(lessons) for
Golden Divas in 2-day show
five years Manila’s music revival enthusi-
but I can’t asts are set for an exceedingly ex-
read all the hilirating treat when they come face
MALUBAY hard notes to face with the Philippines’ Golden
anymore. Divas at the Music Museum on
But I learned the guitar. My sister is March 7 and 8.
teaching me. I’m not too good at that The eternal Asia’s Queen of
but, you know, I can. I’m into hula Songs, Pilita Corrales, partners with
dancing, Polynesian dancing since I sultry crooner Carmen Soriano and
was in first grade.” comic Carmen Pateña, regarded in
She expressed pride over the sup- circles as the Shirley Bassey of the
port she had been getting from her Philippines, in a two-hour show that
family. will surely capture the hearts and
Whether in the role of a warrior queen,
The seventh Filipino-American souls of those who enjoy good, old
a heartbroken lass or a lost princess,
who made it to the Top 24 of Ameri- mellow tunes mixed with meaning-
Iza’s ethereal beauty shines through.
can Idol said: “It’s not like I wanna ful lyrics.
Not only does this accomplished ac-
be famous, but I wanna represent for Philippine Star entertainment
tress possess classic beauty, she also
Asian people and I wanna just live writer Ricky Lo describes Corrales,
has a generous and giving spirit. Born
my dream. Singing in the showers is Soriano, and Pateña as “the so-called
on Aug. 12, 1982 in Quezon City, Iza has
a lot more different than singing on GOLDEN DIVAS (from left) PILITA COR- torch singers who lit up the soda
been in Philippine show business since
stage in front of all these people.” RALES, CARMEN PATEÑA and CARMEN fountains and the classy nightclubs
May 2002. Her latest film Batanes drew
Past Idol winners were Kelly SORIANO (Bayside, among them) in the late
raves and launched her into full star-
Clarkson, Reuben Studdard, Fantasia ‘50s, the TV screen in the ‘60s, Plat-
dom. Also a model, Iaa loves dancing
Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor tersville in the ‘70s, and so on and so forth. They are the true and the real and the authentic
and swimming. GMA 7
Hicks, and Jordin Sparks. divas, tested by time and trends.”

The Carlos Bulosan
Theatre (CBT), in partner-
ship with the Kapisanan
Philippine Centre for Arts
and Culture, will conduct
the Flipside Festival, a
showcase of Filipino tra-
ditions in various indig-
enous art forms, at the
Kensington Market on
March 7 and 8.
Named after the tongue-
in-cheek reference to Fili-
pinos as ‘Flips’, Flipside
began as a showcase of new
works and staged readings
by emerging and estab-
lished Filipino-Canadian
playwrights.
The festival opens 8
Tales features works by 11 a.m.; traditional Fili-
Flipside fest shows Filipino Reese Baguio, Aura Car-
cueva, Vince Galvez, Dar-
pino percussion and beat-
boxing, 1 p.m.; filmmak-
art forms at its best rel Gamotin and Christine
Mangosing and is directed
by Marie Beath Badian.
ing and oral story telling,
3 p.m.; and traditional
Filipino poetry and spo-
p.m. on March 7 with Tales wrights and performers On March 8, free work- ken word, 4:30 p.m.
From The Flipside 2008: with scenes from new plays shops will be conducted The festival closes
Claim Your Baggage, that developed in CBT’s Play on traditional Filipino folk with another Tales From
will showcase the play- Creation Unit. dances and breakdancing, The Flipside show. PR
38 LAUGHS & LEISURE Manila Media Monitor FEBRUARY 2008

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12
13 14 15
16 17

BATID 18 19
23 24
20
25 26
21
27
22
28

WIKA 34
29
35
30
36
31 32
37
33

38 39 40 41
42 43 44
45 46

PAHALANG 5. Pagbabalatkayo 26. Tunog ng sampal

1. Haligi ng tahanan 6. Kumpiska 28. Iniba
4. Tanggapan 7. Hiling sa pari 30. Pasubali
10. Punongkahoy 8. Wala, sa Ingles 32. Kabaliktaran ng
12. Beso 9. Usok na bigat
13. Inis nakakasilam 34. Subi
14. Sikat 11. ____a, kuweba 36. Pang-angkop
16. Paputok 15. Dating Senador 37. Manipis na metal
18. Pamantasan sa Diliman 17. Peluka, sa Ingles 39. Barkilyos
20. ___ for tat 19. Kaibigan 41. Namayapang
21. Tawag sa amo 22. Higit Kardinal
23. Pan de ___ 24. Bakbak 44. Pangatnig
25. ___i, talo S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
27. Silid-siyensiya A A M A O P I S I N A
29. Yugto ng karera G 10 11 12
31. Unlaping pang-aksiyon B A N G K A L K I S
O 13 14 15
33. Pantukoy T A S A R K I L A L A
35. Tamad 16 17
38. Luto sa tubig sa K K U W I T I S P
40. Naniniwala sa pangako 18 19 20 21
M A M
22
U P T I T
42. Magalang na tugon B 23 24 25 26 27 28
43. Napukaw ang damdamin A S A L G A P L A B
45. Naimik T 29 30 31 32 33
46. Isang pananong L A P N A G S I
I 34 35 36 37
PABABA D I P A N G K A L N
1. Pangkuwenta ng 38 39 40 41
Intsik P A N G A T A A S A
W 42 43 44
2. Higit I O P O N A A N T I G
3. Supling K 45 46
4. Areglado A
N A S A G O T A N O
Reg. # 4533253

919 Ellesmere Road

Suite 107, Scarborough
Ontario M1P 2W7
NAGBIBIRO LANG PO!
Matalino man din daw ang
matsing, unggoy pa rin
Ina: Anak, tawagan mo nga tatay mo sa cellphone. Pauwiin mo dito.
Anak: Inay, babae po ang sumagot.
Ina: Sinasabi ko na nga ba! May tinatago yang tatay mo, eh! Ano ang sabi?
Anak: ‘You only have zero pesos in your account...’ Hindi ko na tinapos, Inay. Mukhang
matapobre.
******
Anak: Inay, ano po ba yung Ten Commandments?
Nanay: ‘Yun ang sampung utos ng Diyos.
Anak: Mas makapangyarihan pa po pala kayo sa Diyos. Kasi, ang dami niyong utos,
MANILA - TORONTO - USA - EUROPE eh!
OR ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD ******
Nilapitan ni Juan ang nag-iisa at humihikbing si Pedro, sa may dalampasigan.
Juan: Kung mahal mo siya, ipadama mo.
Pedro: Ano’ng mahal mahal? Naiwan ako sa outing!
******
Kung tutuo ang Darwin’s theory of evolution na ang tao ay nagmula sa unggoy, may
malalim na dahilan kung bakit nasa mundo ka.
******
Waiter sa pizza resto: Sir, do you want me to cut your pizza into 4 slices or 8 slices?
Bopol: Into four na lang. Masyadong marami yung eight. Hindi ko mauubos.
******
“Super baba What is worse than finding a worm in the apple you are eating? Kapag nakita mong
and halaga ... kalahati na lang ang worm.
******
Super below Si congressman, nakabasag ng vase sa museum.
fare talaga.” Attendant: Naku, sir. More than 500 years old na po yang vase.
Congressman: Hay, salamat. Akala ko bago.
“Handang Maglingkod Sa Ating Kababayan” ******
Teacher: Class, our lesson for today is science. Pedro, what is science?
Tel (416) 751-9588 Fax (416) 751-9133 Pedro: Science is our lesson for today.
******
FEBRUARY 2008 Manila Media Monitor 39

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