Alberta Filipino Journal - April 2018 Issue

AlbertaFilipinoJournal.com $35,/ ‡ 9ROXPH 1XPEHU

Find the Freshly Young Mind to Bind!

Karilagan Dance Society Celebrates 47 Years

The pulse of the Filipino Community in Alberta, Canada P18

Meet the President of Fly and Friendly Travel and Tours Inc. P7

Sherwin Calaluan - A Serendipitous Life through the Lens P6

SSS, Consular Outreach events successful in Alberta P4

P20

2

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

BUSINESS

APRIL 2018

APRIL 2018

BUSINESS

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

3

Trusted, Comfortable Dentistry At Your Convenience Check ups & Cleanings Fillings Root Canal Therapy

TMJ Sports & Night Guards

Crowns & Bridges Dentures Wisdom Teeth Removal (Oral Surgery) Teeth Whitening & Veneers (Cosmetic)

Implants

We Accept All Major Dental Insurances Direct Billing Kameyosek Shopping Center

48 St.

Mill Woods Rd NW

34 Ave. NW

28 Ave. NW

Walk-Ins Welcome!

780-450-2331 2831 Mill Woods Rd. NW Edmonton, AB T6K 4A9

ADVERTISE WITH US 780-916-7677 SXEOLVKHU#DOEHUWDĸOLSLQRMRXUQDO FRP

4

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

EDMONTON --- Alberta Province’s Minister of Health Sarah Hoffman received a warm welcome from Medicus Family Health Clinic and Pharmacy owners and staff as well as some members from various Filipino organizations, March 23.

“What an honor to see a beautiful clinic and for the chance to see health care in a different facet, serving different populations,” said Minister Hoffman, who is also Deputy Premier of the province.

Medicus co-founder Kris Salumbides informed the minister that their facility is not limited to the Filipino population and it is open to all Albertans.

“Medicus is known in the community for its “malasakit” in serving our patients,” he said.

Co-owner Jacob Christian was also proud to inform Hoffman that they were able to hire hardworking and competent staff to serve Albertans.

He and Salumbides in the latter part of the visit provided Hoffman with a tour of the clinic.

Medicus Clinic opened in June last year and currently employs four doctors and Salumbides said two more doctors are joining them.

COMMUNITY | HEALTH | GOVERNMENT | BUSINESS

APRIL 2018

Health Minister Hoffman gets to know more about Medicus, the clinic with 'malasakit’

By Moses Billacura

Minister of Health Sarah Hoffman (12th from right) is joined by Medicus Family Health Clinic and Pharmacy co-founders Kris Salumbides (10th from right) and Jacob Christian (13th from right) with their staff and some organization leaders from the Filipino community during her visit to the facility, March 23, in Edmonton.

Photo by Moses Billacura | Alberta Filipino Journal

SSS, Consular Outreach events successful in Alberta

By Moses Billacura

EDMONTON --- Filipinos in the Edmonton and Area were served

by Social Security System(SSS) representative in Canada, Roberto V. Roldan, April 7-9, here.

The SSS outreach took place after

Duterte Volunteers Alberta Canada Chairman, Benjie Lindo, made the request to answer the queries of Filipinos in the province of Alberta.

Filipino citizens living in Canada can continue contributing to their SSS

SSS representative Roberto Roldan (extreme right) with (left-right) World FM 101.7's Rolan Latorre, Journal editor Lito Velasco and volunteer Benjie Lindo during the SSS Outreach event, April 7.

which delivers sickness, maternity, disability, retirement benefits including funds for death and funeral.

"Malaki po ang ating pasasalamat kay Mr.Roldan dahil natulungan niya ang ating mga kapwa Pilipino

dito sa Alberta," said Lindo, who has been coordinating with Philippine government service agencies like the Consulate-General's Office and SSS. Meanwhile, the Philippine Consulate-General's Office also

conducted an outreach event.

Hundreds of Filipinos came to have their passports renewed, and also availed of services on notarials and registration for overseas absentee voting.

Consul Pamela D. Baylon serves Filipino clients during Filipinos in Alberta wait for their turn to be served by SSS representative Roberto Roldan the Consular Outreach event, April 7. during an Outreach event, April 7.

Photos by Moses Billacura | Alberta Filipino Journal

GOVERNMENT | BUSINESS

APRIL 2018

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

5

Working Together for Safer Communities.

By Amarjeet Sohi, MP for Edmonton Millwoods

Edmontonians are privileged to live in a diverse, inclusive, and generally safe city. Unfortunately, like many other large cities across Canada, homicides, gun crime and gang activity have all been steadily increasing.

Last summer, Edmonton police reported that the use of firearms was up across the city, especially handguns. An increasing number of homicides involve guns, with many of these incidents tied to drug and gang-related crimes. The pattern is clear, and worrying. Illegal handguns and assault weapons are a threat to public safety and we need to get them off our streets.

Our government is committed to improving the safety and security of our communities and addressing the criminal actions that threaten them. We need to catch those committing these violent crimes, but we can’t arrest our way out of this problem. We all need to work together to tackle these challenges

and to implement solutions.

Recently, my colleague Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety,introduced Bill C-71. This legislation will strengthen Canada’s gun lawsin a common-sense, focused and effective way that prioritizes public safety while respecting lawabiding firearms owners. It will help keep communities across Canada, including Edmonton, safer from the threat of illegal handguns and assault weapons.

The bill is focused on ensuring safer transport of handguns, more rigorous background checks, and on keeping military-style assault weapons off our streets. It will make sure only people who have passed a firearms safety training and hold a valid license can legally own a gun. It will also put technical decision-making about firearms classification back in the hands of law-enforcement experts, undoing

the former government’s decision to give itself the power to overrule the RCMP. To be clear, we are not bringing back, nor will we ever bring back, the federal long-gun registry. The rules for transport of long guns – shotguns and hunting rifles – will not change.

We know that legislation alone is not enough. That’s why last month our government hosted a national Summit on Gun and Gang Violence to help inform the way forward.

Through the government’s Initiative to Take Action Against Guns and Gangs new funding will support communitylevel prevention and enforcement efforts, build and leverage expertise and resources related to the illegal trafficking of firearms, and invest in border security to stop the flow of illicit goods including guns and drugs. We will also support provinces, territories, municipalities, communities, and law enforcement in local initiatives to combat illegal gangs and gun crime.

Gun and gang violence is not a problem that those of us who are fortunate enough not to experience it in our daily lives can ignore. We must face the reality that gangs can, and do, flourish virtually anywhere people live, including right here in our community.

The steps our government is taking will build on our collective efforts to better tackle this problem and improve the safety of our communities.

There is an urgent need to act and we all have a role to play. The government will be looking for best practices and the most practical solutions. Edmonton can be a leader in this national conversation and I look forward to working with our community, especially those affected by this horrific violence, to learn from each other and find solutions together.

ADVERTISE WITH US 780-916-7677 SXEOLVKHU#DOEHUWDĸOLSLQRMRXUQDO FRP

6

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

ARTS | BUSINESS | PROMOTION | OPINION

APRIL 2018

Sherwin Calaluan - A Serendipitous Life through the Lens Artospective - an artist’s point of view IDA BELTRAN-LUCILA ida_b_lucila@yahoo.com

R

enowned photographer Annie Leibovitz once said, “I wish that all of nature’s magnificence, the emotion of the land, the living energy of place could be photographed.”

Considering Sherwin Calaluan’s start and journey in photography, this quote might just as well be his.

Sherwin Calaluan is an accidental photographer whose images have been gracing publications and winning awards and competitions. He is originally from Isla Verde, a small island located between Batangas City and Mindoro. After obtaining his degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management in 2006, he went to Canada to work as a housekeeper at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.

And when you live in Banff, how can you not be impressed by the magnificence of nature? Sherwin remarks, “When I first came to Canada way back in 2007, I fell in love with the beautiful sceneries in Banff National Park. I met fellow kababayans who convinced me to buy an entry level camera Nikon D90 with kit lens and join them in exploring the Rockies. After work, we would go out to catch the sunset or during days off, we would go for sunrise trips. From the moment I started documenting the changing, rugged landscapes in the mountains and the wildlife that they host, I was hooked. It became my testing ground and eventually opened the door for more opportunities in photography.”

Sherwin has no formal training in photography and would hone his craft by watching tutorial YouTube videos and studying the works of his favourite landscape photographers. Soon after, this accidental photographer started garnering notice and acclaim for his images. Among these are: Canadian

Wildlife Federation Landscape Category Winner 2016; Outpost Magazine 2016 Landscape Category Award; front cover of Canadian Geographic Quiz (2016-2017); front cover for the Canadian Geographic 2017 Calendar Edition; Moscow Foto Awards 2017, Silver Award in Panoramic Category; Epson International Panorama Awards 2017 Bronze Award; and for 2018, First Prize for Mountain Landscape Category at the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival, where there were more than 500 participating landscape photographers and filmmakers. He has been featured by CBC and has had two solo art exhibitions at the Banff Library and Banff Film Festival Gallery Hop. Feeling blessed to be able to experience the beauty of nature and capture its magnificence, Sherwin

strain. He may have been bestowed with accolades, but he has also been showered with challenges. Sherwin shares, “Photography is not an easy job. I would say, one of the biggest challenges is how to balance time between my full-time job, my family (I have a 4 year old daughter) and my photography. Because of the nature of my chosen field, another big challenge is the weather. Most of the time, I am alone shooting during sunrise/sunset, and the weather in the Canadian Rockies is very unpredictable. It might be calm one minute but in a blink of an eye, it can turn into a blizzard.”

Photography is a yardstick for patience. To quote art critic John Berger, “What makes photography a strange invention is that its primary raw materials are light and time.”

Although Sherwin is most known as a landscape photographer, he also shoots portraits and anything else that captures his attention, shows character and tells a story. His favourite things to capture though are sunrises, sunsets, the northern lights and winter scenes, particularly when the surroundings are blanketed in snow. He dreams of eventually having his own gallery and be a full-time landscape photographer traveler. On his bucket list is to shoot

Moraine Lake

further enjoys the opportunities to meet and interact with people equally passionate about photography. He is the first one to stress though, that his journey in photography, even if unexpected, is fraught with

Lake Minnewanka

the Patagonia in Chile, Tombstone National Park,Yukon Alberta, Mayon Volcano and Banaue Rice Terraces in the Philippines.

Sherwin found his passion in an unexpected way and discovered a new, unpredicted life. With his own journey, he hopes to inspire people in pursuing their dream and their heart’s desires. His advice to

aspiring photographers, “Go outside and experience the beauty of nature.

Keep pressing the shutter speed and follow the light while the sun reveals the colours of the clouds. Don’t be afraid to be criticized by others but instead use it as a positive way to improve yourself.

And have fun!” As French photographer Marc Riboud says, “Taking pictures is savouring life intensely, every hundredth

of a second.”

Sherwin Calaluan’s images are available for purchase. Check out his Facebook page @sksherwin and his website at sherwincalaluanphotography.ca.

To comment on this article, go to http://thelucilaproject.blogspot.ca.

The Wonders of Canada

Julia Isabel San Agustin 9 years old Avid and dedicated writer Proud parents - Dr. Joel & Mrs. San Agustin

A

h, the wonders of Canada.

Canada is a wonderful country with heavy snow.

This country’s flag is pretty much just two stripes of red on the sides and a red maple leaf in the centre.

When I first came to Canada, I was extremely surprised by the strong weather! The chilly breeze and the white snow just made me stare in awe. Of course, you can’t forget about the fascinating animals here too! There are strong caribou and busy beavers just wandering in the fresh grass, waiting to be found. At first, I thought this freezing snow was just a little joke, and because of that, I took off my helpful gloves and sank my tiny hands into it.

I felt fine but after a little while, my hands were numb and an interestingly light purple colour.

Trust me, whatever you do, don’t let Canada’s weather get to you!

One thing I can guarantee you though is that Canada is a great place to take pictures. You

can snap a photo of a deer treading through the snow or the warm sun rising in the distance. If you love photography, Canada is the best place for you! Maybe you can even take a little picture of you making a snow angel.

Be aware of skiing resorts! There are many here in Canada. Skiing resorts can be fun but dangerous. If you’re a starter, try the baby slopes!

I tried snowboarding but gave up.

If you want some more action in your life, go to a skiing resort, or you could just watch sports channels on your television.

Canada is a fascinating country to explore! Remember, be an explorer, try new things, and it’s ok to make mistakes because you can learn from them.

APRIL 2018

INSPIRATION | IMMIGRATION SERVICES

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

7

Filipinos Success' Stories:

Kaya Ko, Kaya Mo! If I can, You surely can!

By Marjorie Carmona Newman

Meet the President of Fly and Friendly Travel and Tours Inc. Resty Sta Maria Reyes

T

o quote Saint Francis of Assisi, " Above all the grace and the gifts that Christ gives to His beloved is that of overcoming self." This is definitely true in the case of Mr. Resty Sta Maria Reyes of Fly and Friendly Travel.

Resty was born in Dagupan City, Pangasinan, the youngest in a family of 11, whose parents were business entrepreneurs in Pangasinan. His roots can be traced back to Ilocos Norte and locos Sur. When he met his beautiful wife, Teresa Reyes, he had to choose between giving up his US immigrant status or join the love of his life in Canada with her siblings. Of course, love ruled so Resty followed his heart and joined his wife in Canada.

Resty completed a degree in Business Economics which prepared him for managing a family-owned business. Prior to coming to Canada, he worked as a part-time Insurance Agent which earned him the award for Top Agent in Region 1 from 1987-1991.

When he moved to Canada in the 80's, the country was experiencing an economic recession and he worked four casual jobs to sustain his family. It was so hard for him to work casual jobs when in the Philippines, he was his own boss. He finally found a job at Edmonton International Airport which he held for six years. He tried to move to Maryland, USA where most of his siblings reside but went back to Edmonton after a year, where he found a full-time job in Building Property Services,which he kept for seven years.

His life changed when in 2005, he under went hematoma brain surgery. He is grateful to God for giving him a second lease in life, a blessing that he cherishes each day. Because of his medical condition he was advised to move to a warmer climate,so he decided to move to Vancouver. Starting a life in a new city was tough as his medical condition prevented him from getting hired for certain occupations.

God works in mysterious ways. Fly & Friendly Travel Tours Inc. was established in 2010 and he was given a chance to become a partner along with two other individuals in Vancouver, BC. In 2014, the two shareholders sold their shares to Resty. At that time, the Company was at its lowest point with a six figure loss due to poor customer service by old staff and undedicated practices.

With perseverance, hard work, dedication, commitment and a strong faith in God, Resty decided to move Fly Friendly Travel to Edmonton in 2015. The decision was made due to loyal clients and non-stop supporters.

Resty's practice involves providing the best service at all times, to accommodate clients’ requests as best as he can while sticking to their budgets, and to help clients discuss document status before making reservations in order to avoid having to pay any additional fees. The company has a commitment to secure credit card info as per the Consumer Protection Act (this is FFT Staff’s Business Practice guarantee), keeping clients’ Personal Mileage Membership Points safe and a secure Merchant Debit Machine (with a security of $1-Million as per Bank rules as a legitimate Registered Travel Agency).

Resty's thoughts on being an Entrepreneur: "Being an entrepreneur

gives you the opportunity to take a calculated risk on a passion. The best part of being an entrepreneur is that I am constantly rediscovering myself. Every day, I rediscover my passion for what I'm pursuing, my strength in tough situations, and my resilience when there's an obstacle.” He goes on to add, “I think being an entrepreneur is great because the possibilities are endless. You can be as creative and innovative as you want to be, and the results are the most rewarding.

The best part of being an entrepreneur is contributing something larger than yourself. Entrepreneurs solve problems and bring a product or service to the world that people need. Sure, you have the opportunity to be paid well but giving a livelihood to others and crafting the world you want to see is way more fulfilling. Being an entrepreneur is great because one can respond to opportunity quickly. In my previous corporate life, decision making could take so long that the opportunity actually vanished before all the parties could get together to make a decision to proceed. At the end of the day, the best part of being an entrepreneur is that it forces me to become a better me. I am forced to learn, change, adapt, get tough, and innovate, and since no one in the world could be harder on me than me, I will continue to improve. Being an entrepreneur has allowed me to create a career that didn’t even exist before I made it up."

His advice to those who want to become business owners like him: "I think when you work really hard and you help others, God helps you get what you want.

Be humble and never give up and try to help all the way to be successful."

Canadian Citizenship Urgent Application Cases From Migration to Immigration MARJORIE CARMONA NEWMAN info@mcncanadaimmigration.com 780-758-2045

Marjorie Carmona Newman is a REGULATED CANADIAN IMMIGRATION CONSULTANT based in Edmonton, Alberta. She currently serves as Prairie Chapter representative for the Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants (CAPIC) in the Governance and Nomination Committee and Education Director for CAPIC Prairie last year. Marjorie is a three-yearrecipient of CAPIC's Service Award.

Citizenship Ceremony at the Alberta Legislature

I just had a consultation with a client asking if it is possible to request an "urgent" processing of his application for grant of citizenship.

Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will process applications for proof of citizenship, search for citizenship records for Canadian citizens, and resumptions and applications for grant of citizenship are expedited if documents support the need for urgency.

Below are some examples of situations of urgent cases. It is important to keep in mind that the applicant must provide proof or must be able to support the need for urgency in the processing of their application:

- the applicant must request urgent processing, and this must be received from the Office of the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship; - the applicant's need to travel because of a death or serious illness in the family and cannot obtain a passport in their present nationality (which includes the Canadian passport); - asper subsection 5(1) the grant applicant has 1095 or more days of physical presence in Canada and faces loss of employment or of employment opportunity because they are not a Canadian citizen; - the applicants are Canadian citizens and face loss of employment or of employment opportunity because they are not in possession of a document establishing Canadian citizenship;

- an application is delayed due to an administrative error; - an applicant for grant of citizenship has a successful appeal to the Federal Court; - the applicant is in any situation in which not expediting the citizenship application harms them (for instance, the need to renounce foreign citizenship by a certain date); or - the applicant needs citizenship to access certain benefits such as a pension, a social insurance number or health care.

As mentioned previously, if you request an urgent processing YOU MUST PROVIDE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS TO SUPPORT your urgent case request.

For example, if an applicant

is facing loss of employment or of employment opportunity, they must submit a letter from the Employer.

The letter should indicate that the applicant will lose employment or potential employment if he is not a Canadian citizen. The letter must also indicate why Canadian citizenship is a job requirement and why the employer cannot make other arrangements.

Another example is in case of death of a family member. In these instances, the applicant is required to submit a copy of Death Certificate or for serious illness, a Physician's Certificate.

BE REMINDED that even if you request an expedited processing of your application, you must still

demonstrate that you MEET all the requirements of citizenship and provide all necessary documentation as per the Checklist.

If you have questions regarding the above article you may contact Marjorie at info@mcncanadaimmigration.com Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)

RELIGION | ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL STAFF

APRIL 2018

How to Obey an Apparently Perfectly Impossible Advice Philippians 4:6 KJV

From a Vantage Point

OUR TEXT "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Philippians 4:6 It is easy for rich people, who have nothing to trouble them, to give good advice to poor people who are suffering; and these are generally as futile as they are easy. But who was he who said to the Church at Philippi, ‘Be careful for nothing?’ That person was a prisoner in a Roman prison and when Rome fixed its claws onto someone, it did not usually let go without drawing blood.

He was expecting his trial, which might, so far as he knew, very probably end in death.

Everything in the future was entirely dark and uncertain. It was this man, with all the pressure of personal sorrows weighing upon him, who, in the very crisis of his life, turned to his brethren in Philippi, who had far fewer causes for anxiety than he had, and cheerfully bade them ‘be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, make their requests known unto God.’ Had not that bird learned to sing when its cage was darkened? And do you not think that advice of that sort, coming not from someone perched up on a safe hillock apart from the strugglers in the field below, but from a man in the thick of the fight, would be like a trumpet-call to those who heard it?

Now, here are two things we need to learn from the apostle Paul. There is apparently perfectly impossible advice, and there is only

TITO S.VENIDA

Tito S. Venida is a product of the University of the Philippines. He used to be a studentleader during his college days. Became one of the founders of the Tau Gamna Phi, one of the world leading Philippine-produced Fraternities. His immensurable love to human race has brought him to the conviction of translating his mission from fraternity into Divinity--from a mere brotherhood into a sainthood. Authored a book entitled Quocunque Jeceris Stabit, which means, wherever you throw, it will stand.

one course that will make it possible.

I. Apparently Perfectly Impossible Advice: ‘Be careful for nothing.’

We do not need to be reminded--for I suppose that we all know it--that that word ‘careful,’ in a great many places in the New Testament, does not mean what it has come to mean today. But it means what it should still mean: ‘full of care,’ and ‘care’ meant, not prudent provision but forethought, and the

Published by Angeles Publishing Company Inc. 246 Lindsay Crescent, Edmonton, Alberta T6R 2T2 Jose L. Angeles 3XEOLVKHU &KLHI 2SHUDWLQJ 2IÀFHU Sales & Advertising CP: 780-916-7677 Landline: 780-988-8889 Fax: 780-988-2221 (PDLO SXEOLVKHU#DOEHUWDÀOLSLQRMRXUQDO FRP Lito Mendoza Velasco (GLWRU LQ &KLHI $VVRFLDWH 3XEOLVKHU 780-655-5126 HGLWRU#DOEHUWDÀOLSLQRMRXUQDO FRP Melanie Rose Atizado Angeles $GPLQLVWUDWRU 2IÀFH 0DQDJHU Sales & Advertising Lianne Angeles Proofreader Melanie Gomez Web + Print Designer Photographers/Videographer Noli Granado, Dario Juanillo Columnists: Marjorie Carmona-Newman, Tito S. Venida Ida Beltran-Lucila, Katrina Marielle U. Cereno Kristian Cereno, Marco Luciano, Moses Billacura Mervin Mendoza Cereno, Giselle General, Rosalyn Estoque, Perry Diaz Contributing Writers: Julia Isabel San Agustin, Elaine Tan, Januel Cedrick Ibasco Fr. Nilo Belvis Macapinlac, Riana Torrejon, Fr. Jhack Diaz, Mylene Samonte The Alberta Filipino Journal is dedicated in memory of Rosalinda Linsangan Natividad-Cantiveros of Winnipeg as she engaged her entire life servicing the Filipino Community.

We welcome submissions-news, articles, pictures and letters. Letters must include signature and phone number; names can be withheld upon request. We reserve the right to edit for length and content. All submissions, unless arrangements are made, become the property of the publisher. Reproduction of contents, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited without the expressed written permission from the Publisher/Editor. Opinions by columnist, writers, and UHDGHUV GR QRW LQ DQ\ ZD\ UHÀHFW WKRVH RI WKH 3XEOLVKHU (GLWRU

occupation of a man’s commonsense with his duty and his work and his circumstances.

Care also meant the thing which, above all others, unfits a man most for such prudent provision, and that is, the nervous irritation of a gnawing anxiety which, as the word in the original means, tears the heart apart and makes a man quite incapable of doing the wise thing, or seeing the wise thing to do, in the circumstances. We all know that,so we do not need to dwell upon it.

"Careful here means neither more nor less than "Anxious."

But we need to remember how harm has been done, and how good has been lost and missed, by people applying the modern meaning to the word. It is the same word which the Lord Jesus Christ employed in the exhortation ‘Take no thought for the morrow." It is a great pity that Christian people sometimes get it into their heads that the Lord Jesus Christ prohibited what commonsense demands, and what everybody practices.

‘Taking thought for the morrow’ is not only our duty, but it is one of the distinctions which make us ‘much better than’ the fowls of the air, that have no barns in which to store against a day of need. But when our Lord said, ‘Take no thought for the morrow,’ He did not mean ‘Do not lay yourselves out to provide for common necessities and duties,’ but ‘Do not fling yourselves into a fever of anxiety, nor be too anxious to anticipate the "fashion of uncertain evils."

But even with that explanation, is it not an unreachable ideal that the apostle Paul puts forward here? ‘Be anxious about nothing’--how can a man who has to face the possibilities that we all have to face, and who knows himself to be too weak to deal with them as we all are, avoid anxiety?

There is no more complete waste of breath than the sage and reverend advice which people give us, not to do the things, nor to feel emotions, which our position makes absolutely inevitable and almost involuntary.

Here, for instance, is a man surrounded by all manner of calamity and misfortune; and some well-meaning but foolish friend comes to him, and, without giving him a single reason for the advice, says, ‘Cheer up! my friend.’ Why should he cheer up? What is there in his circumstances to induce him to fall into any other mood? Or perhaps some unquestionable peril is staring him full in the face, drawing nearer and nearer to him, and another well-meaning, loose-tongued friend, says to him, ‘Do not be afraid!’--but he ought to be afraid.

That is about all that worldly wisdom and morality have to say to us, when we are in trouble and anxious. ‘Shut your eyes very hard, and make believe very much, and you will not fear.’ An impossible exhortation!

You might as well bid a ship in the Bay of Biscay not to rise and fall upon the wave, but to keep an even keel. You mayas well tell the willows by the riverbed that they are not to bend when the wind blows, rather than come to me, and say to me, ‘Be careful about nothing.’

Unless you have a great deal more than that to say, I must be, and I ought to be anxious, about a great many things. Instead of anxiety being folly, it will be wisdom; and the folly consists of not only opening our eyes to facts, and in not feeling emotions that are appropriate to the facts which force themselves against our eyeballs.

Threadbare maxims, stale, musty old commonplaces of unavailing consolation

and impotent encouragement say to us, ‘Do not be anxious.’ We try to stiffen our nerves and muscles in order to bear the blow; or some of us, more basely still, get into a habit of feather-headed levity, making no forecasts, nor seeing even what is plainest before our eyes.

However,all that is of no use when the hot pincers of real trouble, impending or arrived, lay hold of our hearts. Then of all idle expenditures of breath in the world there is none to the wrung heart more idle nor more painful than the one that says, Be anxious about nothing.

II. The Only Course That Makes The Apparent Impossibility Possible.

The apostle Paul goes on directly to the mode of feeling and action which will give exemption from the inevitable gnawing of anxious forethought. He introduces his positive counsel with an eloquent ‘But,’ which implies that what follows is the sure advice against the temper which he deprecates: "But in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God." There are, then, these alternatives.

If you do not like to take one, you are sure to have to take the other. There is only one way out of the woods, and it is this which the apostle expands in these last words of our text. If a man does not pray about everything, he will be worried about most things. If he does pray about everything, he will not be troubled beyond what is good for him, about anything.

So, there are these alternatives; and we have to make up our minds which of the two we are going to take. The heart is never empty. If not full of God, it will be full of the world, and of worldly care. Martin Luther says somewhere that a man’s heart is like a couple of millstones; if you don’t put something between them to grind, they will grind each other.

It is because God is not in our hearts that the two stones rub the surface off one another. So, the victorious antagonist of anxiety is trust, and the only way to turn gnawing care out of my heart and life is to usher God into it, and to keep Him resolutely in it.

‘In Everything.’

If a thing is great enough to threaten to make me anxious, it is great enough for me to talk to God about. If He and I are on friendly footing, the instinct of friendship will make me speak. If so, how irrelevant and superficial are discussions of whether we ought to pray about worldly things or confine our prayers entirely to spiritual and religious matters. Why? If God and I are on terms of friendship and intimacy of communication, there will be no question as to what I am to talk about to Him. I shall not be able to keep silent on anything that interests me. And we are not right with God unless we have come to the point that entire openness of speech marks our communications with Him, and that, as naturally as when we come home from work to our loved ones, like to tell them about what has happened to us since leaving for work in the morning, so naturally we would wish to confide in our Friend about everything that concerns us. 'In everything let your requests be made known unto God.’ That is the wise course, because a multitude of little pimples may be quite as painful and dangerous as a large ulcer.

A cloud of gnats may put as much poison into a man with their many stings as will a snake with its one bite. And if we are not to get help from God by telling Him about little things, there will be very little of our lives that we shall tell Him about at all, for life is a mountain made up of minute flakes.

The years of our lives are only a collection of moments. Every man’s life is an aggregate of trifles. ‘In everything make your requests known.’

‘By Prayer’ For a great many of us, the only notion that we have of prayer is asking God to give us something that we want. But there is a far higher region of communion than that, in which the soul seeks and finds peace.

Where there is no spoken petition for anything affecting outward life, there may be the prayer of contemplation. The prayer of silent submission, in which the will bows itself before God; the prayer of quiet trust, in

which we do not so much seek as cleave; the prayer of still fruition--these, in the apostle Paul’s conception of the true order, precede ‘supplication.’

And if we have such union with God, by realizing His presence, by aspiration after Himself, by trusting Him and submission to Him, then we have the victorious antagonist of all our anxieties, and the ‘cares that infest the day shall fold their tents’ and ‘silently steal away.’

For if a man has that union with God which is affected by such prayer as I have been speaking about, it gives him a fixed point on which to rest amidst all perturbations. It is like bringing a light into a chamber when thunder is growling outside, which prevents the flashing of the lightning from being seen.

Brethren! prayer in the highest sense, by which I mean the exercise of aspiration, trust, submission--prayer will fight against and overcome all anxieties.

‘By Prayer and Supplication.’

Actual petition for the supply of present wants is meant by ‘supplication.’ To ask for that supply will very often be to get it. To tell God what I think I need goes a long way to bringing me the gift that I do need. If I have an anxiety which I am ashamed to speak of to Him, that silence is a sign that I ought not to have it; and if I have a desire that I do not feel I can put into a prayer, that feeling is a warning to me not to cherish such a desire.

There are many vague and oppressive anxieties that come and cast a shadow over our hearts. If we could define these and put them in plain words, we should find that we vaguely fancied them a great deal larger than they were, and that the shadow they flung was immensely longer than the thing that flung it.

Put your anxieties into definite speech.

It will reduce their proportions to your own apprehension very often. Speaking them, even to a man who may be able to do little to help, eases them wonderfully. Put them into definite speech to God; and there are very few of them that will survive.

‘By Prayer And Supplication withThanksgiving.’

Thanksgiving should always be in place. If one only considers what he has from God and realizes that whatever he has he has received from the hands of Divine Love, thanksgiving is appropriate in any circumstances. Do you remember when the apostle Paul was in jail at the very city to which this letter went, with his back bloody with the rod, and his feet fast in the stocks, how then he and Silas ‘prayed and sang praises to God.’ Therefore, the obedient earthquake came and set them loose. Perhaps it was some reminiscence of that night which moved him to say to the Church that knew the story--of which perhaps the jailer was still a member.

'By prayer and supplication with thanksgiving make your requests known unto God.' One aching nerve can monopolize our attention and make us unconscious of the health of all the rest of the body. So, a single sorrow or loss obscures many mercies. We are like men who live in a narrow alley in some city, with great buildings on either side, towering high above their heads, and only a strip of sky visible. If we see up in that strip a cloud, we complain and behave as if the whole heavens, right away round the three hundred and sixty degrees of the horizon, were black with tempest.

But we see only a little strip, and there is a great deal of blue in the sky; however, there may be a cloud in the patch that we see above our heads, from the alley where we live. Everything, rightly understood, that God sends to men is a cause of thanksgiving; therefore, 'in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.' 'Casting all your anxieties upon Him,' says the apostle Peter, 'for He'--is not anxious; that dark cloud does not rise much above the earth--but, 'He careth for you.'

And that loving guardianship and tender care is the one shield, armed with which we can smile at the poisoned darts of anxiety which would else fester in our hearts and, perhaps, kill. 'Be careful for nothing'--an impossibility unless 'in everything' we make 'our requests known unto God.' Amen.

APRIL 2018

COMMUNITY | IMMIGRATION SERVICES

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

9

The Continuing Evolution of the Caregiver Program Migrants' Voices MARCO LUCIANO mluciano2@gmail.com

Marco Luciano is the Global Council Representative of Philippine based Migrante International.

He is also the current Secretary General of its chapter Migrante Canada.

I

n my article last February entitled Who Cares for the Caregivers, I wrote about the upcoming review of the Caregiver Program by Ministry of Immigration. I also wrote about how this is creating panic among the caregivers and their concerns of not being able to apply for permanent residency.

As the issue continues to trend and became a hot and sticky topic, I’m compelled to write about it once more with a little more history, analysis and what the Canadian community is doing about it.

For more than a century, Canada has depended on women from the global south to provide essential care for Canadian families. In the early 20th century, British and Western European women were employed to provide care. These women arrived with permanent status, settled permanently in Canada and became “mothers of the nation.” Since World War II however, migrant caregivers that have been recruited overwhelmingly from third world countries arrived with only temporary migrant status. In 1955, when permanent immigration was closed for most racialized peoples, caregivers came in with temporary status under the Caribbean Domestic Scheme. Another program from the beginning of 1973 called the NonImmigrant Employment Authorization Schemes only granted temporary status to caregivers allowed into the country. They had no access to permanent residency and could only remain in Canada as long as they worked as caregivers.

Since the 1960s, the various incarnations of the federal Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) have allowed Canadian families to hire foreign nationals to work as full-time caregivers in private households. For decades, the LCP has been a vehicle for affordable care for families with children, or persons with medical needs, including people with disabilities and the elderly. The demand for affordable caregiving services

is expected to increase substantially in the coming years as Canada’s population ages.

Since 1981, an objective of the former Foreign Domestic Movement Program and subsequent LCP introduced in 1992 was to facilitate permanent residence for caregivers.

The LCP recognized the value in ensuring a pathway to permanent residence for caregivers, who perform critical work essential to the Canadian economy. It also recognized that many caregivers, once landed, go on to work in the health care field in Canada in occupations such as Home Care Aides and Licensed Practical Nurses. In addition, over the past four decades, caregivers of the program have suffered from the “two-step” immigration system that requires them to finish their employment contracts before being allowed to apply for permanent residency. This has led to profoundly damaging and lasting impacts on the physical and mental health of caregivers and their families. Years of family separation can cause intergenerational conflicts between caregivers and their children as well as family breakdown.

The LCP was eliminated by the Harper Government in November 2014 and replaced with a new branch of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). The rationale for the changes to the LCP on the part of the government was to “protect caregivers from abuse and reduce family separation.” However, the changes were ushered in following closed-door consultations that excluded caregivers and their advocates. The new program in effect increases worker insecurity and vulnerability to labour exploitation. Under the new scheme, the ability of caregivers to apply for permanent residence has been severely restricted while “tied” work permits have remained intact.

The two new pathways for permanent residency for caregivers, which are the caring for children class and the caring for people with high medical needs class, are each capped at a maximum of 2,750 applications that will be processed every

year. New eligibility requirements relating to language and education for permanent residence were also introduced with the result that some caregivers who are qualified to work in Canada as caregivers are not eligible to apply for permanent residence.

Under the current Caregiver Program (CP), the mandatory live-in requirement has been eliminated and two new caregiver streams to apply for permanent residency were created -– the High Medical Needs Stream and the Childcare Stream. While we strongly support the removal of the mandatory live-in requirement, the change from the LCP to the CP has impeded migrant caregivers’ ability to apply for permanent residency while increasing worker precariousness.

First, because the CP was created under Ministerial Instructions, there is the mandatory cap of caregivers, I mentioned earlier who can apply for permanent residency each year under either the High Medical Needs Stream or the Childcare Stream. Second, new language requirements were imposed. Third, the CP requires that caregivers complete the equivalent of one year of Canadian post-secondary education. When caregivers’ credentials acquired outside Canada are not recognized, caregivers are required to enroll in postsecondary education in Canada.

The Coalition for Migrant Workers’ Rights, a national coalition for and by migrants said, “Caregiving work is without a doubt a core and growing part of Canada’s labour market and social Infrastructure”. “Without care work, the economy doesn’t work” they added.

Instead of creating another pilot project that treats the need for care work as a private individual need, it is time to create a national care strategy that addresses the broad, public and enduring need for quality care for children, the elderly and people with disabilities. Many advocates believe that decent work and permanent status for the workers providing care giving labour must be the foundation for that care strategy. Migrant caregivers need a secure, permanent immigration

Caregivers attending the event

status to be able to properly do their work of caring for children, the elderly and for people with disabilities with dignity and rights like any Canadian worker.

The Federal government called for submissions from Canadians as part of the process to review the Caregiver Program.

Its deadline was on the 6th of this month.

A joint submission initiated by an alliance of migrants based in Toronto was drafted and sent to the Ministry. It includes three main calls: 1. A comprehensive and transparent consultation process to reform the Caregiver Program; 2. anew Federal Workers Program Caregiver Stream that provides caregivers with permanent status on entry and family unity; and 3. reforms to protect caregivers who are already in Canada and in the backlog to ensure that no one is left behind.

Fora were held in different parts of Canada to raise awareness of the issues affecting the caregivers. A forum was held in Edmonton on April 7th that featured caregivers and speakers from other provinces.

Repeated verbatim, Cynthia Palmaria of Migrante said that “It’s important to hold

gatherings like this because not only it raises awareness but develop a call to action among our kababayans”. “We need to address the issues facing the people that are caring for our future generation. We need to start caring for the caregivers,” she added.

Emma Jackson, University of Alberta MA Candidate talks about her research on Caregivers

After event photo op with Migrante members and supporters

10

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

PARA-LEGAL SERVICES | THE PUBLISHER'S PAGE

APRIL 2018

Surprise 70th birthday for Journal publisher, Kuya Jun

By Moses Billacura

T

hree months prior, Hermie Angeles and children Melanie, Mike, and Mark had been working silently for the surprise 70th birthday celebration of Alberta Filipino Journal publisher, Jose Angeles Jr. The publisher thought he would be attending someone else's party and lo and behold, the gathering on March 16th at Four Points turned out to be for him!

Close to 300 guests attended and were able to yell out “Surprise!” when he entered the hall. He was indeed surprised!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH EVERYONE! Hermie's 71st Birthday

Hermie, Jun’s one-and-only, also enjoyed the company of her family and closest friends during her 71st natal day last April 13, 2018 at Palabok House Restaurant.

ADVERTISE WITH US 780-916-7677 SXEOLVKHU#DOEHUWDĸOLSLQRMRXUQDO FRP

APRIL 2018

POINTS OF VIEW | EDITORIAL | OBITUARY | BUSINESS

Through a Teenager’s Eyes KRISTIAN CERENO Kristian Cereno is a Grade 9 Student of St. Mark’s Catholic School in Edmonton. His hobbies include writing poem, composing songs, playing volleyball and in the long run, hoping to learn hockey the Canadian way….

t a e v o L t h g i S First

W

hen I first saw you, I thought that there would be no chance of me getting to know you more. Sometimes thoughts crossed my mind, making me doubt if I really deserve you.

Do I deserve to know you? Do I deserve to love you? Sometimes I feel like you are too good for me.

Your name always runs through my mind and I do not hear the cry of the world because my heart chose you. My heart seems to be alive again. The heart that I once closed opened when I saw you. I did not care about the risks of getting hurt again. My heart and mind seem to say that, “She’s the one”. You’re the one for me. I unlocked my heart again. Did I meet you by accident,or did fate pull us together?

You are my world and my heart’s home. When I first saw you, my heart started to beat louder and louder, until I could not hear anything else around me. Your smile and your eyes are the things that I always look to. Every time I see your smile, my heart falls in love again. Every time I look at your eyes, the stars in the sky tell me that, “Unexpected things happen at unexpected times.” I really did not expect your coming into my life, which was once full of darkness and sorrow. “Love at first sight” became real for me the moment I met you. I knew it was you. I knew you were the one. I knew that my heart chose you. I love you.

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

EDITOR’S CORNER

Find the Freshly Young Mind to Bind Proudly Filipino-Canadian, the Alberta Filipino Journal is committed to promoting young minds to think like mature individuals, so they can set good examples for the next generations. We want to nurture individuals who can speak and write logically and construct words to reconstruct the world.

“We did not inherit this nature from our ancestors; we just borrowed it from our children.” This line has been reiterated on this paper to frequently remind oblivious minds.

Disrespecting the environment is neglecting the next generations.

There was a newly ordained pastor who loved to deliver his homily by just quoting one verse from the Bible: “Unless you acquired the heart of a child, you cannot enter into the Kingdom of God (Matthew 18:2).” After several months of referencing that verse, one of his parishioners approached him and said, “Pastor, I just noticed that you have been repeating that verse since you became our parish priest. Is that the only verse you’ve learned from the seminary?” The pastor calmly replied, “Sir, I’ve intentionally been repeating that Bible verse as it is the most difficult to apply. Our parishioners are becoming childish rather than child-like as they grow

11

Lito Mendoza Velasco

old. They’ve even forgotten the child’s attributes and characteristics that a human being must acquire in order to be called a person or humane. And sir, unless you acquire the heart of a child, you will keep hearing me quoting and saying that same Words from the Scripture.”

Witnessing, setting a good example, and mentoring are vital factors in order to become catalysts of change. Children’s minds are open receptacles to gather all the new information. They are mimics and can easily apply what they’ve actually seen and experienced. They learn the dance steps; the act of praising, loving, giving, forgiving and forgetting, organizing and leading from our teachings and examples. oooOooo It only takes ONE bad idea to ruin EVERYTHING It is clear that ideas are the source of all that exists. We know this from considering the opposite case. It only takes one bad idea to

destroy everything. Consider the development of the atom bomb in the 1940's. It started as a wild scientific idea! Split the atom and make a huge destructive force. As the idea came closer to reality, many of the world's greatest idea makers tried to get the masters of the REAL WORLD not to go too far. They saw that the crazy idea of some brilliant computer and political scientists would now threaten all that exists.

Contrary to this idea of destruction is creative, generative love. Is there any hope that humans will be able to recognize which ideas should be realized and which rejected? This is a personal matter of course.

Individuals will need to accept the challenge of good idea cultivation. So, as philosophers, which ideas should we promote, and which should we put aside? What must the basis be or best foundation of our choice?

What are the things or criteria to be taken into consideration?

Watch out for dangerous ideas!

Greater disasters may be caused not by atomic bombs but, by the sparks of our minds.

12

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

MINI TOUR GUIDE | HEALTH | BUSINESS

Do you SNORE?

Spring is on the Horizon JAN THE MAN’S NOTE JANUEL CEDRICK IBASCO Januel Cedrick Ibasco is a proud Filipino-Canadian. A current student at the University of Alberta studying a Bachelor of Arts in Recreation, Sport, and Tourism in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation. Sportsmanship is the big slice of his cake. Highly-spirited when playing golf, volleyball, and basketball. He loves reading, writing, volunteering at church.

Looking forward to take up law after his undergraduate degree.

S

pring is finally here, everyone!

It is time you put your thick winter jackets, boots, and toques away and get your shorts, windbreakers, and hats ready to put you in the mood for the season of spring! Below are the top five places I suggest that all of you check out this spring. I know there are many other fascinating activities to do in Edmonton, so know these are just suggestions!

1. Golf/Driving RangePlaying a round of golf or hitting a bucket of balls is one of my favorite things to do and is something I suggest you all partake in this spring season. Golf is a game for all, and even if you do not know how to play the sport, give it a chance as it may just be the sport for you! A good beginners’ golf course I suggest would be Rundle Park as it is a par 3 course, but other than that I suggest you all check out the Millwoods, and Victoria golf course as they have great driving ranges and practice greens!

2. Edmonton River Valley- For those of you looking to enjoy a good old walk around the city and embrace the beauty Edmonton has to offer, I recommend all of you to take a stroll in Edmonton’s River Valley as there are up to 14 off-leash areas where you can bring your pets to play! And for all you bike riders, there are many paths/trails with beautiful sights to see. With many

APRIL 2018

other things to do in the River Valley, one my favourites is spending some quality time with the family at William Hawrelak Park. This is a great place for a picnic with friends and family and playing sports in all the grass areas.

3. Whyte Avenue- For those of you who enjoy the nightlife, Whyte Avenue is just for you!

There are many unique bars, restaurants, cafés, book stores, and antique shops. What I like about this area is that it is a great place for interaction and is tailored for all you food lovers out there! My personal favorite restaurant on Whyte Ave would be Julios Barrio as they have amazing fish tacos!

4. Muttart Conservatory- This place is for those who are interested in seeing flowers and plants in four separate pavilions in different climate zones.

Also, there is a coffee shop which is a great place for intimacy as they serve light meals and sweets to lighten up the mood and bring a smile to one’s face.

5. West Edmonton Mall- I made sure to add this tomy top 5 as I know there are a few of you who do not like being outside all the time during this fine spring season! WEM is a great place to shop for the things you need and a wonderful place to hangout. It includes one of the world’s most prestigious waterparks, and even has a movie theatre! What more can you ask for?

ѧ 'SFRVFOU TMFFQ BSPVTBM ѧ )JHI CMPPE QSFTTVSF ѧ )FBSU FOMBSHFNFOU ѧ )FBSU BUUBDL BOE PS TUSPLF during sleep ѧ )JHI SJTL UP DBS BDDJEFOUT EVF to poor night sleep ѧ .BSJUBM EJTQVUF EVF UP TOPSJOH

By Mylene Samonte

Health Practitioner Quality Care Group of Companies Quality Sleep Care

A

lot of people may think that snoring is normal. It is most often observed when tired or drunk; however, that assumption is wrong.

Snoring occurs when the flow of air through the mouth and nose is physically obstructed. Air flow is obstructed by a combination of factors including: ѧ 0CTUSVDUFE BJSXBZT EVF UP EFWJBUFE septum or nasal polyp; ѧ QPPS NVTDMF UPOF JO UIF UISPBU and tongue resulting from a deep sleep, alcohol consumption, intake of sleeping pills, or the normal ageing process; ѧ CVMLZ UISPBU UJTTVF PGUFO TFFO JO overweight patients(this also affects children with large tonsils and/or adenoids); and ѧ OBSSPXFE BJSXBZT XIJDI BGGFDUT 80 % of Asians

What is Sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which breathing is interrupted during sleep.

This interruption is caused by short (10-20 second) blocking of the upper airway. It may contribute to other health problems including hypertension, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, heart attack, and stroke.

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea: ѧ .PSOJOH IFBEBDIF ѧ %BZUJNF TMFFQJOFTT ѧ 5JSJOH FBTJMZ ѧ *SSJUBCJMJUZ ѧ 1BMQJUBUJPOT ѧ 1PPS RVBMJUZ PG TMFFQ ѧ "CSVQU BXBLFOJOH ѧ (BTQJOH BOE PS DIPLJOH EVSJOH sleep ѧ (FUUJOH VQ UP QFF BU OJHIU ѧ 5FFUI HSJOEJOH ѧ *NQPUFODF GPS NFO

Many people have sleep apnea without knowing it. Sleep apnea can develop slowly, overtime. Many people don’t recognize the signs and symptoms.

If you think you have these signs and symptoms, see your family doctor to discuss them. Your doctor can send you in for a sleep study test. It is Health and social risks associated FREE – grab it now before it’s too late. with Snoring: Remember, HEALTH is WEALTH! Call ѧ $FTTBUJPO PG CSFBUIJOH XIJDI Quality Sleep Care at 780-757-1490 will last for few seconds to minutes for details! during sleep

RELIGION | MEDIA PARTNERS | BUSINESS

APRIL 2018

Words of Eternal Life FR. NILO BELVIS MACAPINLAC nilmac2003@yahoo.com

My dear friends in the Christian world; Prayerful Easter greetings!

Let us join the entire Christian world to celebrate with joy our new day, the day of Christ's victory, the Easter Resurrection. Easter is the highest feast of the Church. St. Paul to the Gentiles reminds us that if Christ is not resurrected from the dead, then our preaching and proclamation of the Gospel is futile and in vain.

Christ is indeed truly resurrected from the dead, victorious and ever glorious, alive forever more!

Death had been swallowed up to victory. The great apostle Paul reminded his faith community as he exclaimed with joyful proclamation: "O death where is your victory, O death where is your sting, now that Jesus has been resurrected from the dead?!" The victory of Christ is victory for all believers. This is the fruit of the magnitude of God's love for us who never spared to sacrifice His Only Begotten Son, Jesus that whoever believes in Him may not perish but have an everlasting life. (cf. John 3:16). The LOVE crucified will never die! Love indeed is eternal.

Christ, the Lamb of God, once slain but dies no more! Let us walk the talk and apply the fruits of His redeeming love to our lives and share it to others especially those who are in dire need of His love, compassion and mercy. Christ is our Divine Mercy to whom I commend those who are dying and those who died unprepared and without any spiritual preparation.

Life is too short, eternity is without end. Regret comes last and so let us live the Christian life worthy of our calling for the day is coming like the thief and we don't know when it comes. Let us allow ourselves to be enveloped by God's love and be anointed by His Divine Mercy.

Next Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday, and I invite you to pray the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy and meditate upon the very source of mercy: God, who is rich in mercy.

Let us put into action the mercy of the Lord. We have compassion for Him as it should be reflected in living the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. I encourage you all to practice our faith that produces God's mercy.

St. Augustine reminds us that Mercy is the greatest of all attributes

87

of the Lord for without it we would not be brought to salvation through His Cross. Let us strengthen our confidence and trust in Him as the secretary apostle of Divine Mercy, St. Faustina Kowaslka attests: "JESU UFAM TOBIE" which means JESUS I TRUST IN YOU. Total trust even exposes all secrets to the beloved and so at the tribunal of justice and mercy, Christ awaits all of us.

The Sacrament of Confession is the pre-requisite to celebrate this Divine Mercy Sunday. We already have the avenues: Day of Confession, Penitential Service with Individual Penance and Confessions before Mass.

Jesus revealed a deep secret, that we may become anew like an infant newly baptized before our loving Creator. Please don't waste this God-given privilege and providence. Apply now the merits of His merciful passion and His passion for mercy for your soul.

May the Resurrected Christ smile upon you on this Octave of Easter and lift you up in all your struggles and difficulties in life.

Believe Him, Trust in Him, Love Him. For truly He will enrich you with heavenly blessings! Have a Blessed Easter! In the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus wounded out of love for us, let us place our confidence in Him. Amen

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

13

RADYO SA DYARYO:

Magkatulong sa Pamamahayag at Pag-aliw sa Lipunang Pilipino

A

ng Pagtatagni-tagni ng mga balitang pang-masa sa saliw ng mga awiting Pinoy sa pamamagitan ng Tahanan ng OPM-Himig Pinoy-101.7 World FM. Kakambal nito ang isa sa pangunahing dyaryo sa Albertaang Pulso ng Lipunang Filipino sa Alberta-Alberta Filipino Journal!

From Left: DJ Rolan Latorre, AFJ Columnist and Founder of the Philippine Arts Council Ida Lucila, DJ Jo-ann Aguilar

Yours sincerely in the Divine Mercy, Fr. NiloMacapinlac, Pastor

From Left: Kate Lucon of Solutions Massage Therapy, DJ Jo-ann Aguilar and DJ Rolan Latorre of Himig Pinoy 101.7 World FM, Solly McCarey of Tranont

decisions to make when a death occurs

How many do you know?

Decision #48: What crucial details must be addressed before creating a ceremony?

Answer: Type of service (religious, military or fraternal).

Take the first step and order your FREE Estate Planner today: 780-489-1602

Westlawn Funeral Home & Cemetery

by Arbor Memorial

10132 163rd Street, Edmonton, AB • www.westlawnmemorial.com Arbor Memorial Inc.

14

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

NATIONALISM | VOLUNTEERISM | BUSINESS

Filipinavigation RIANA TORREJON torrejonriana@gmail.com Riana Torrejon is a twelfth-grade student who is a passionate advocate for human rights. In her spare time, she loves to write and sing. She also runs her school’s Student Council, chairs for ECSD’s Student Senate, and is an actress for Emma the Musical. Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of her greatest inspirations.

To Be Seen Close, open, close, open.

After birth, most infants open their eyes within the first few minutes and start to look around them. I don’t remember anything from the day of my birth, but I remember a lot of what I’ve seen since then.

Whenever I saw something scary, I’d instinctually run into my family’s arms to seek safety. With them, I felt instant relief. In their faces, I saw myself and I saw love.

When we moved to Canada and I entered the airport, my eyes immediately travelled left and right as I had never seen so many different skin tones from ebony to ivory, and I almost felt lost swimming in what appeared to be an unfamiliar sea of people. However, moments passed, and it then became apparent to me that the variations between the shades of our skin did not erase the universal qualities that humans share such as the need to eat, sleep, and—most prominently—to be with our loved ones. Many sprinted towards one another as they were reunited, while others sobbed as they said goodbye, often clinging to each other for one more second of the other’s embrace.

Eventually, I watched as everyone in the airport blurred in my sight, blending their colours into one beating heart.

As time passed, I began to feel the effects of being an immigrant.

Until then, I had only grown up in the Philippines, so I was always surrounded by others that resembled me, and this applied to the celebrities on-screen as well. I had never been seen as a Filipino first or asked about my ethnicity so often before. I was simply another fellow human in the Philippines. It was a strange new reality.

My parents worked long hours to provide for us in Canada, so I spent much of my time watching television. It made my heart sink to see the dearth of Filipinos on the screen in the Western world. It made me wonder why this was the case as I met numerous Filipinos in Edmonton alone. In fact, many of the Filipino kids I met along with their families had been born in Canada which ultimately left me questioning—why did I not see them on-screen?

Furthermore, it wasn’t that I never saw any Asians on-screen, but when I did, it felt off. Asians in many American shows were hardly the

leading characters, and were almost always portrayed as gawky, nerdy, submissive, and/or a caricature to be snickered at. Having grown up in Asia, I knew that this was not always the case, and that the diversity of an entire race was not being done justice to.

However, as the years pass, I have witnessed television shows become more multicultural. Shows like “Fresh Off the Boat” and “Master of None” have been a breath of fresh air as I could finally recognize Asians similar to those I grew up with. These Asians on-screen had been given more depth as they demonstrated their strength, humour, athleticism, passion, worries, desires. Most importantly, they were more than a one-dimensional stereotype.

The industry is starting to see that audiences now seek more diverse casts and diversity in roles that people of colour play, but we need to continue to exhibit this demand by supporting work with diverse casts. Personally, I recommend “Everything Before Us” and “Youth and Consequences” which have recently featured Filipinos and Filipinas in their main cast. We need to stand together as a community of Filipino consumers to communicate to the Western world that we seek visibility on-screen.

There are about a thousand known hate groups in America, and Canada is not immune to this, having more than a hundred white nationalist groups. I believe that one root of hate is fear, and the space we currently have is unequally shared in important platforms like television. We need to be visible to one another and recognize the beating hearts within each other. Visibility on-screen means to be recognized and portrayed as three-dimensional humans who are contributing members to society as well, equal to others, regardless of skin.

I dream for the future of television and film to reflect this.

If you’re an actor of colour—and able to—please pursue roles that offer visibility through characters of depth which defy negative racial stereotypes instead of reinforcing them. Let’s continue to make space for ourselves.

The ability to pick and choose one’s roles as an actor is a privilege that not many have. However, if you have

APRIL 2018 this privilege, then I encourage you to only take the roles which offer the visibility that people of colour deserve as this gives hope to others in the community and continues to pave our path forward. I urge all involved in the industry, from the screenwriters to the casting agents, to help move our world forward by evolving what is seen on the screen to become more inclusive.

Tolentino is new PhilSA president

By Moses Billacura

1HZO\ HOHFWHG SUHVLGHQW 5DSKDHO 7ROHQWLQR FHQWHU ZLWK IHOORZ RIÀFHUV OHIW ULJKW $OEHUW Rosana, Christina Cruz, Bea Rubio, Charline Vivas, Jana Bermas and Abbie Carlos. (contributed photo)

Raphael Tolentino was elected the new president of the University of Alberta Philippine Students' Association (PhilSA), March 22.

Also elected to various executive posts were Beatriz Rubio, VicePresident; Abbie Carlos, Internal Director; Albert Remus Rosana, External Director; Christina Cruz, Director of Finance; Jana Louise Bermas, Director of Communications; Charline Vivas, Director of Events.

After recently organizing the successful "Paint Night for a Cause", Tolentino said that they willl have a break and in June, the members will be serving in the Filipino Fiesta event.

"Some of our members are not from Edmonton and will be going back to their respective homes and in June, we will volunteer at the Filipino Fiesta," he said.

APRIL 2018

POINTS OF VIEW | CLASSIFIED ADS | BUSINESS

Real Life is Not Like School

S

omething that I am working on unlearning is treating dayto-day life like school.

In short, I need to stop thinking in subtle or huge ways that if I don’t “Get an A� in this task, I am not good enough.

When I was very young, I did well in school and my siblings and I were well supported by our parents.

Positive memories all around. After the accident that killed my parents and sister when I was eight years old, there was one major thing that stayed the same – and that was school. After the hospital recovery, many things changed for me, such as who I lived with, the fact that my brother was not living with me, and many other things. But when I came back to class, things were the same. My seat, my classmates and my ranking in the classroom stayed the same.

To me, it was a source of validation and control. While my home life was unpredictable and uncertain, I knew one formula that worked every time – you learn and study hard, you get good grades, you get admiration for your achievements, and you get reassurance that you are good at something.

The high numbers on my report card, the colourful ribbons that say, “with honors� and the shiny medals were tangible items that I aimed for. My achievements were a key defining factor of my personality, and for the longest time, formed my basis for how I saw my value as an individual.

For an adult, however, this is a destructive way of thinking and this became more evident to me during my university years and the early stages of dating.

I used to be a horrible, sore loser when playing board games. In the past, I also felt a strong – sometimes excessive – sense of responsibility to fulfill a set of ‘requirements’ to make my boyfriend happy. When I forget a little chore such as washing dishes, I get mad. I get a sense of defeat with every increase in my clothing size over the years. I feel that I failed whenever I seethe happy Facebook posts of my childhood friends and cousins. I can go on and on.

I realized that it is a subconscious survival skill of mine, thinking that if I do all these things perfectly and successfully, I won’t be left behind painfully and unexpectedly again.

My spouse is the biggest challenger of this unhealthy behaviour and a supporter of positive improvement.

As a kid, he was not an A-student.

That helped me see things from a new perspective – and helped me to recognize that those little things are not a big deal.

I intend to keep the positive behaviour that came from this, like having a strong work ethic, willingness to try new things, and believing that a person’s potential is boundless. But, it’s also okay to remove behaviour that causes damage and misery to one’s psyche.

Real life never works like school.

There is no specific curriculum, teachers and teaching moments come in a variety of instances and forms, and self-driven learning is a

GENERAL POINT OF VIEW GISELLE GENERAL gqgeneral@gmail.com

Giselle General came from the cold, mountainous region on the Benguet province, and immigrated to Canada as a teenager in 2007. After completing her Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta, she now dedicates KHU EXVLQHVV WUDLQLQJ WR WKH QRQSURĂ€W VHFWRU ERWK LQ HPSOR\HG DQG YROXQWHHU capacities. She works at the Edmonton Community Legal Centre, which provides free legal help to low-income Edmontonians. She channels her creativity by writing in her personal blog, General Point of View, and has recently published a book of her poems and artwork titled The Humanity of Me.

very powerful thing. Perfection and ‘levels of achievement’ are arbitrary as these vary for every person and every context. There is enjoyment to be had from letting the journey unfold and experiencing things for the sake of it. I learned how to say “oops� and “I did that poorly and that was hilarious�. I’m learning to silence

the fear that I’ll get penalised for not doing things ‘right’. The main thing I must ‘compete’ against, is myself and only for the things that matter.

Each mistake will not produce an F in my “Life Report Card� but will provide tools and lessons that will help in the future.

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

15

16

SPORTS | GREETINGS

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

APRIL 2018

Prayers for Humboldt, 2nd Corpus Christi Parish golf set, Wetaskiwin Ballerz’s ďŹ rst title and Alvin Tam's rescheduled ďŹ ght

I

t was actually my wife Marj, a hockey fanatic, who broke the news to me at around 5 that Saturday morning about the Humboldt accident and later on, I realized how tragic the incident was.

It’s just so hard to believe what happened to the Humboldt Broncos.

I could not even bear the thought that 10 young hockey players, whose dreams of one day playing in the National Hockey League, lost their lives that fateful Friday night. Also dead are five other individuals, among them coach Darcy Haugan, who left behind a wife and two young boys.

Heartbreaking. Just unbelievable.

As of this writing, Canadians from coast to coast, and other citizens have shown their love and support for the Humboldt community with prayers and donations that to date, have reached $6 million.

As I watched the news on TV in the last four days, I was so touched by how fellow Canadians expressed their support for members of that small community. What a show of love. Our continued prayers to the parents, families, friends and those deeply affected by this tragedy. Stay strong, Humboldt! *** The 2nd edition of the Corpus Christi Parish Golf Tournament is scheduled for June 23 at the Leduc Golf and Country Club.

Tournament committee chair Joseph Duenas is again calling all golfers to join them to raise money for the “Church Building Fund�.

The registration fee is $200 but you’ll actually get a $100 tax receipt,

SPORTS JOURNAL MOSES BILLACURA mo.sports@gmail.com

Moses Billacura was a sports correspondent for national newspapers in the Philippines since 1992 and served as sports editor and columnist for a community paper before moving to Canada in 2010. He loves photography, manages pinoyedmontonnews.com and cheers for the Edmonton Oilers.

7HDP FDSWDLQ &KULV 0LVVLRQ QG IURP ULJKW ÀUVW URZ DQG WKH :HWDVNLZLQ %DOOHU] ÀQDOO\ won a title by ruling the Camrose Filipino Basketball League with a clean 13-0 win-loss record.(Contributed photo)

so it is not that expensive at all.

Organizers are hoping that more players will join this year and that more sponsors will also chip in before the deadline on June 9.

Crosstown Auto Centre, led

by Joe Medina and Ches Tiongson, won the inaugural tournament last year at the Mill Woods Golf and Country Club and we heard other teams are getting ready to grab the title from them.

Grace Point Church of God Basketball League opened with six teams in Edmonton. Games are played every Monday night.

Photos by Paul Briones

If you would like to play or become a sponsor, please contact Kuya Joseph and other committee members of the Corpus Christi Parish such as Deacon Gem Mella or Kuya Manny Ibasco. Salamat po. *** Congratulations to the Wetaskiwin Ballerz led by team captain Chris Mission for winning the Camrose Filipino Basketball League title against Lakay Leduc, whose players are a combination of the Warriors and Hoopers.

Mission, who formed the team in 2013, and his squad fought toe-totoe with their rivals in the first two quarters then employed a tight full defense, shifting from 1-2-2 defense to man-to-man that spelled victory.

He has high praises for teammates Kenji Espelita, the tournament’s most valuable player, Joseph Orian, Mark Guiller Bucu, Pierre Munoz, MJ Orlina, John Andrei Magtortol, Alec Tolosa, John Oliveros and Renz Quisao for delivering the goods in the final half.

And Mission would like to thank Clear Vista School's officials Principal Trevor Van Someren and Vice Principal Mike Daly, for allowing

them to use their basketball court for their practices every Friday and the Filipino community in Wetaskiwin for helping them with the expenses while competing in Camrose.

Congratulations Ballerz for winning your first basketball crown and Camrose organizers led by Jeff Micabalo for a successful tournament.

Mabuhay kayong lahat! *** Pinoy boxer Alvin Tam was supposed to fight last April 7th but the organizing Montilla Promotions faced some problems so Dekada Fight Night was moved to May 26 at the Grey Eagle Event Centre.

Now the local fighter has to re-adjust his preparations and we hope that by next month, he is in tip top shape.

Good luck, Alvin. *** My wife is not happy with the Edmonton Oilers for failing to advance to the playoffs.

I believe all Edmontonians are disappointed, especially the season ticket holders.

We just hope they will perform better next season.

Go Oilers pa rin!

Congratulations Marilou on your recent birthday celebration attended by your close friends at Palabok House restaurant.

APRIL 2018

RELIGION | BUSINESS While in Warsaw, Faustina approached many different convents, but was turned away every time. She was judged by her appearance and was sometimes rejected for her poverty.

Finally, the mother superior of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy decided to take in Faustina on the condition that she would pay for her own religious habit. Working as a housekeeper, Faustina began to save her money and make deposits to the convent.

On April 30, 1926, at 20-years-old, she finally received her habit and took the religious name of Sister Maria Faustina of the Blessed Sacrament.

In 1928, she took her first religious vows as a nun.

Over the next year, Faustina traveled to different convents, working as a cook. In May 1930 she arrived in Plock, Poland. Soon after, she began to show the first signs of her illness and was sent away to rest. Several months later, Faustina returned to the convent.

Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament was born as Helena Kowalska, in Glogowiec, Leczyca County, north-west of Lรณdz in Poland on August 25, 1905. She was the third of ten children in a poor religious family.

Faustina first felt a calling to the religious life when she was just seven years old and attended the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. After finishing her schooling, Faustina wanted to immediately join a convent but her parents refused to let her.

Instead, at 16, Faustina became a housekeeper to help her parents and support herself.

In 1924, Faustina experienced her first vision of Jesus.

While at a dance with her sister, Natalia, Faustina saw a suffering Jesus and after the event, she went to a cathedral.

According to Faustina, Jesus instructed her to leave for Warsaw immediately and join a convent.

Faustina packed her bags at once and departed the following morning. When she arrived in Warsaw, she entered Saint James Church in Warsaw, the first church she came across, and attended Mass.

In her diary, Faustina writes: "In the evening, when I was in my cell, I became aware of the Lord Jesus clothed in a white garment. One hand was raised in blessing, the other was touching the garment at the breast. From the opening of the garment at the breast there came forth two large rays, one red and the other pale. In silence I gazed intently at the Lord; my soul was overwhelmed with fear, but also with great joy. After a while Jesus said to me, 'paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the inscription: Jesus, I trust in You.'" Faustina also describes how while delivering that same message, Jesus explained he wanted the Divine Mercy image to be "solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter; that Sunday is to be the Feast of Mercy."

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

17

Faith Shared Is Fate Paired Katrina Cereno is a senior high student at St. Francis Xavier who looks forward to becoming an engineer in the future.

She enjoys writing and is interested in arts, photography and music. She lives in Edmonton, Alberta with her family.

Sopocko encouraged her to start keeping a diary and to record all of her conversations with Jesus.

Faustina told Sopocko about the Divine Mercy image and it was Sopocko who introduced her to Kazimierowski, the artist of the first Divine Mercy painting.

According to Faustina's diary, on Good Friday, April 19, 1935, Jesus told her he wanted the Divine Mercy image publicly honored. On April 26, 1935, Father Sopocko delivered the very first sermon on the Divine Mercy.

In September 1935, Faustina wrote about her vision of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, which could be used to obtain mercy. It also encourages us to trust in Christ's mercy and to show mercy to others.

During the following year, Faustina attempted to set up a new congregation for Divine Mercy, but was reminded that she was perpetually vowed to her current order. She was then sent back to Warsaw. She reported that Jesus said to her, "My Daughter, do whatever is within your power to spread devotion to My Divine Mercy, I will make up for what you lack."

In 1936, Faustina fell ill again. She moved to a sanatorium in Pradnik, Krakow and continued to spend most of her time in prayer.

Faustina, not knowing how to paint, asked around her Plock convent for help but was denied. It wasn't until three years later, in 1934, that the first painting of the image was created by Eugene Kazimierowski.

In 1932, Faustina returned to Warsaw. On May 1, 1933 she took her final vows in Lagiewniki and became a perpetual sister of Our Lady of Mercy.

After taking her vows, Faustina was transferred to Vilnius, where she met Father Michael Sopocko, the appointed confessor to the nuns. During her first confession with Sopocko, Faustina told him about her conversations with Jesus and his plan for her. Father Sopocko insisted she be evaluated by a psychiatrist. Faustina passed all the required tests and was determined sane, leading Sopocko to support her religious efforts. https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=510

18

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

ANNOUNCEMENT

APRIL 2018

APRIL 2018

GOVERNMENT UPDATE

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

19

A Recovery Built to Last

T

he new Alberta budget will help our economy grow and create jobs in new industries like technology.

After the worst recession in decades, Alberta’s economy is recovering. Last year, 90,000 people found a new, full-time job. And unlike previous recessions, the Alberta government protected health care and education from budget reductions while also investing in infrastructure like new roads and better public transit.

Now it’s time to make the recovery last, and help more people find jobs and training in new sectors the economy.

One of those areas is technology. We know we need more people trained in high tech to meet a growing demand for jobs. So the budget will create 3,000 university and college spaces to make sure our young people are trained in the skills we will need in the future. It also has scholarships to make sure spaces are for everyone, not only the rich.

The budget funds ways to help our oil and gas sector produce more kinds of products. Instead of shipping raw energy out of the province, Alberta can process more of it here into new products. There is up to $2 billion in the budget to support this, which will help protect our economy from big changes in the price of oil. It will also help create thousands of new jobs.

And the budget continues to support health and education. Ordinary families deserve to know their

children will have quality education, and loved ones who are sick will receive the care they need.

The budget did not raise taxes and Alberta still has the lowest taxes of any province in Canada. The deficit (the difference between what the government spends and receives in revenue) is also getting smaller as well as the economy improves and spending is controlled.

In other times when the economy was in recession, Alberta often made deep cuts to health and education.

Teachers and nurses were fired. This meant when workers needed help the most, help was not there.

This government made different choices and protected important services like health and education.

As the economy recovers, this government is determined to make the recovery last and to help new industries expand in Alberta. Creating more jobs outside the oil industry is good for our economy.

It means that if oil prices fall, Alberta will not be as affected. This is good for working people.

The government knows some people are still looking for work and that not everybody is feeling the economy improve. Alberta’s economy may be growing the fastest in Canada but there is more work to do. The 2018 budget hopes to do that work so the recovery can be felt by more people, and last for longer.

Minister of Finance, Joe Ceci

20

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

ARTS AND CULTURE | IMMIGRATION SERVICES | GREETINGS

APRIL 2018

Karilagan Dance Society Celebrates

47 Years

By Ida Beltran-Lucila

T

he Karilagan Dance Society celebrated its 47th anniversary last April 7, 2018 at the Radisson Hotel & Convention Centre. Highlights of the evening were the dance showcase “Mga Sayaw Pinoy” by its young members and the presentation of the Hiyas (Gem) Awards.

On hand to deliver personal greetings were: Hon. AmarjeetSohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and MP for EdmontonMillwoods; Jun Angeles, President of Congress of the Philippines Association in Alberta; and Consul Pamela Durian-Bailon, for the Philippine Consulate General, Calgary.

The Karilagan Dance Society, currently under the leadership of Elmina “Memen” Cochingco as President, Artistic Director and Choreographer, was founded by Dr. Remedios Borromeo in 1971.

Through the years, it has had numerous performances for Heritage Days, Canada Days, Klondike Days, on top of other community events. It has served as a cultural ambassador, performing across Canada, the United States, the Philippines, and in Spain. Although its name indicates the group as a dance society, it has expanded its scope to the promotion of cultural traditions, information dissemination and recognition

programs. Past and current projects for these include: recognition of Philippine pioneers in Alberta; the community newspaper “Philippine Hiyas”; lessons on Filipino martial arts and rondalla; the holy week tradition Pabasa; cultural exchanges; a choral group; and the Hiyas (Gem) Awards.

The Hiyas (Gem) Awards was launched in 1996, during Karilagan’s 25th anniversary, to “recognize the achievements of Filipino-Canadians in the field of academics, education, science, arts, business, sports and community service”. To date, the award has 166 recipients. This year’s awardees, presented by award Chair Lulu Bernal, were: Franklin Gonzales Jr. for Academic High School;

Jeannine Naboye for Academic University; Mila Bongco-Philipzig for Communication Arts; Bethany Briones for Education; Armand Bernabe for Community Service Adult; and Maria Theresa Juanillo for Fine Arts.

Congratulations to the awardees and to the Karilagan Dance Society for its continued purpose of sharing and celebrating Philippine cultural traditions through the performing arts, and all the best to the group on their upcoming performance in Orlando, Florida this summer!

Photos by Dario Juanillo

L-R Lito Velasco, Editor AFJ, Grace Malbog-Tan,KDS, Jun Angeles, Publisher AFJ and President COPA, MLA Amarjit Sohi and wife,Lulu Bernal, Chairman Hiyas (GEM) Awards, Consul Pamela, Paul Briones, VP COPA.

It’s a Boy Mr. and Mrs. Felix Panganiban organized and hosted a surprised baby shower for Jay and Madie Panganiban last March 24, 2018 at the former’s residence in Mac Ewan subdivision, Edmonton. Relatives and few close friends were present during the party.

Congratulations, Jay and Madie on the upcoming addition to your family!

APRIL 2018

LEGAL ASSISTANCE | COMMUNITY

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

21

Community Resource Article: Resources on Family Violence

By Giselle General

Family violence is defined as the abuse of power within relationships of family, trust or dependency that endangers the survival, security or well-being of another person. It takes many forms including intimate partner abuse, sexual assault, child abuse and neglect, child sexual abuse, parent abuse, elder abuse and neglect, and witnessing the abuse of others in the family. Family violence may include some or all of the following behaviours: physical abuse; psychological abuse; criminal harassment/stalking; verbal and emotional abuse; sexual violence and abuse; financial abuse; and spiritual abuse.

The definition above is taken from the report called Family Violence Hurts Everyone, a Framework to End Family Violence in Alberta.

The following is a range of resources that can serve as a starting point when faced with family violence: 1. Online Resources to Educate: Sometimes, it can be confusing to understand what is happening or

how to describe it. These are online resources to browse and learn more about the situation that you may be facing before taking steps. a. The Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta has a series of videos, infographics and brochures that cover things such as the role of the police, protection orders, financial support, leaving an abusive relationship if you are not a Canadian Citizen, and more: https://www.cplea.ca/ publications/abuse-and-familyviolence/#domesticviolenceseries Domestic Violence Shelters: These can be a starting point in searching for a shelter to go to. Different shelters have different levels of service. While some cater exclusively to women, some can help men or cater to specific demographics. a. The Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters has an interactive map that lists all shelters in Alberta at https://acws.ca/shelters. You can call at 1-866-331-3933

b. Sage Seniors Association is an organization in Edmonton that helps men and women aged 60 and older. You can contact them at 780-702-1520 or at www.mysage.ca Financial Abuse/ Dealing with Financial Aftermath of Fleeing from Family Violence: Leaving an abusive relationship can mean your source of money for daily living will no longer be available.

Some programs and resources to help with the financial hardship after fleeing abuse are: a. Alberta Works: Supports for Albertans Fleeing Abuse is a program that can provide a wide variety of supports such as funds to relocate, basic needs, and more.

Call 1-866-644-9992 on weekdays, 1-866-644-5135 on weekends or get information online at www.albertasupports.ca b. You can also apply for Child Support and Spousal Support through the courts. Contact the Government of Alberta’s Resolution and Court Administration Services at 1-855-738-4747 or visit

www.rcas.alberta.ca for help, especially if you cannot afford a lawyer.

Therapy/ Counseling for Healing Psychologically: Healing from the pain of family violence can be difficult and can take a while.

These are some resources, available in person and over the phone. a. Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton is an organization that helps people who have experienced sexual abuse and sexual assault, which is a typical component of family violence. They serve children and adults. The services are free, and they can be contacted at https://www.sace.ab.ca/ or at 780-423-4102. b. The Canadian Mental Health Association also has a list of resources for counselling, therapy and support groups. The main website is https://alberta.cmha.ca/ where you can find the webpage for your city or town. You can also access their service by dialing 311 or the Mental Health Help Line at 1-877-303-2642.

Child-Specific: There are specialized

Photo potpourri by the Journal

programs and services to help children as well. This can be valuable since children can process trauma differently, given that they are still growing. a. Zebra Child Protection Centre https://www.zebracentre.ca/ b. Kids Help Phone Line is an available resource for kids and teens to speak to a counsellor. An online chat option is available at https://kidshelpphone.ca/, through the phone by calling 1-800-6686868, or by downloading their app called ‘Always There’, available for Apple and Android phones.

While this list is specific to Edmonton or Alberta, an online search that includes your location – if it is a more remote one – can help identify what is available nearby.

More often than not, when getting in touch with social agencies for any purpose, if you mention what else you need help with, they can direct you to other resources as well.

Websites of specific municipalities may also have a directory of where to get help. Alberta.ca is also a good resource.

Photos by Moses Billacura

Kris Salumbides, co-founder of Quality Sleep Care, Alberta Medical Supplies and Medicus Family Health Clinic and Pharmacy, waves to acknowledge Duterte Volunteers Alberta Canada organizers' announcement in thanking him for supporting the 73rd birthday celebration of President Rodrigo Duterte, March 24, in Edmonton.

Duterte volunteers renew their support for President Rodrigo Duterte during the 73rd birthday celebration of the Philippine leader, March 24, in Edmonton. This group is led by Duterte Volunteers Alberta Canada Chairman Benjie Lindo (extreme right) and supporters Atty. Joseph Angeles (extreme left) and Rommel Duco.

Paul Roque leads the oath of sportsmanship on the opening night of the 2018 Gracepoint Church Basketball League, March 19, in Edmonton. A total of six teams are entered in the event played every Monday night.

World FM 101.7 Himig Pinoy hosts JoAnne Aguilar (extreme left) and Rolan Latorre (extreme right) with guests (left-right) Mia Mulingtapang, Elaine Tan and Kris Salumbides of Quality Sleep Care and Alberta Medical Supplies after the "Kaalaman" Program, March 26.

Dabawenyo Society president Robert Torrejon (2nd from right) with fellow Duterte volunteers during the 73rd birthday celebration of the Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, March 24, in Edmonton.

Dodo de Guzman performs at the ShowOff4, March 23, at the Palabok House organized Quality Sleep Care co-founder Jesse Tallon (extreme left) presents the new CPAP

by Tony Surtida of Le Tigre Entertainment. machine, April 5, which is now available at the QSC Branch in Edmonton with Benjie Surtida is looking for a new singing star in Lindo, who has been on CPAP therapy for the last four years, and the QSC staff.

Alberta.

22

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

BUSINESS | PROMOTIONS

APRIL 2018

A4 Oriental Store opens in Mill Woods

By Moses Billacura

Vilma Agasino leads the ceremonial ribbon-cutting in the opening of the A4 Oriental Store, April 8, with co-owners Julie Ann Bautista (left) and Jester Talusig.

Filipinos in the Southside of Edmonton have another Filipino store to go to when the A4 Oriental Store opened, April 8.

Co-owner Vilma Agasino said that aside from the grocery products that Pinoys look for, they will also

open a bakery shop soon.

Agasino's business partners are Jester Talusig and Julie Ann Bautista who thanked their Kababayans for gracing the opening.

"Maraming salamat po sa ating mga Kababayan. We will make this

store a one-stop shop for them," said Agasino whose store has also cargo forwarding and remittance services.

The store, located at 6019 Millwoods Road South NW, opens Mondays to Fridays, 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and on weekends, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Atty.Joseph Angeles (left) attends the opening of A4 Oriental Store, April 8. Joining him are A4 co-owners Jester Talusig (center) and Vilma Agasino.

Photos by Moses Billacura | Alberta Filipino Journal

APRIL 2018

VORACIOUS AFJ READERS | BUSINESS

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

23

CAUGHT IN THE ACT: Reading the Alberta Filipino Journal

If reading the Alberta Filipino Journal becomes a habit, so many people you will surely meet. You can also soon travel to many places without any cent to miss.

Read... Read... Read, and Read!!!

A Soft Opening that seemed like a Grand Opening!

April 8, 2008 - A soft opening seemed like a Grand Opening when QUICKLY BUBBLE TEA HOUSE’s owners Chester and May Tiongson started to welcome the first flow of customers at 6719-177 Street, Callingwood Community, West of Edmonton.

The successful opening was witnessed by the Alberta Filipino Journal Team, Wefix Autogladd, Philippine Business

Association of Alberta President Celso Andrade and wife, Philippine Basketball Association along with the crowd of customers who came.

Hours of Operation: Monday - Thursday, 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM Friday and Saturday, 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM Possible changes of operations in summertime.

24

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

RELIGION | EDUCATION | COMMUNITY | BUSINESS

APRIL 2018

Bicolano raised fund for the victims of Mayon Volcano

T

he United Bicolanos of Alberta had taken its benevolent initiative to raise fund for the victims of the recent Mayon Volcano eruption in Albay, Legaspi, Philippines. This event was supported by different individuals and organizations from Edmonton and Areas. Well-known comedians Crazy Sexy Cool had aggravated everyone’s enthusiasm during the Party.

FROM DREAM INTO BEAM

Making Gospel Reading Trending

MERVIN MENDOZA CERENO

FR. JHACK DIAZ

mmcereno@gmail.com

5HY )U 5DOG\ MKDFN 'LD] LV WKH ÀUVW )LOLSLQR SULHVW RUGDLQHG LQ WKH 'LRFHVH RI 6W 3DXO $OEHUWD &XUUHQWO\ WKH 3DVWRU of St. Jean de Brebeuf Parish, Mallaig, Alberta.

Easter Reections Gospel: Matthew 28:8-15 Money talks. This is the name of the game in today’s gospel. “The chief priests assembled together with the elders and took counsel; then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him while we were asleep.â€?

This is otherwise known as under-the-tabletransaction. My dear friends, I don’t know if you noticed this too but when money talks the truth is silent. When money talks nobody notices what grammar it uses. Hey, if money talks, that talk is very cheap. Money can jeopardize the truth but it can’t hide it. Money can proclaim losers as winners but still the truth prevails. Truth is like the sun, you can shut it out for a time but it ain’t going away. Never exchange your dignity, integrity and morals with money. If you have much money don’t use it to spread fake news.

Use whatever you have to circulate the truth.

You know what, I love listening to lies when I know the truth.

Friends, keep watching because there are so many “users� around us with this kind of

behaviour: ‘keep talking and I’ll keep counting.’ Today, we are challenged by the Gospel not to give money the chance and power to hide the truth. Never allow money to push you to have an under-the-table and nocturnal transactions.

Rather than money, give me the truth. Nothing but the truth. The truth may hurt a little while but a lie hurts forever. When you tell the truth, you will never be left out. Truth will always be the truth, even if nobody believes it.

Finally, the truth will lead us to the place where Jesus wants to meet us. “Do not be afraid!

Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.� Brethren, where is your Galilee? What is your Galilee? Find it because the instruction of Jesus to meet His disciples in Galilee is an assurance of finding the truth. What kind of truth? The truth that He is risen and alive. The only medium that will transport us in "Galilee" is riding and following the route of truth.

Blessings Fr. Jhack

PSYCHIC & SPIRITUAL HEALER PANDIT KASHINATH

039#()# 2%!$).' s 0!,- 2%!$).' (/2/3#/0% s .!-% $!4% /& ")24( 2%!$).' (!.$ 2%!$).' s &!#% 2%!$).'

TO GET PERMANENT SOLUTIONS TO ALL YOUR PROBLEMS SUCH AS: á 2%,!4)/.3()0 02/",%á $%02%33)/. 342%33 á '%4 9/52 ,/6% "!#+ á -)3 5.$%234!.$).' á 7/22)%$ !"/54 ,/6% á ,//+).' &/2 */" á 5.(!009 ). ,/6% á -/.%9 02/",%-

á &!-),9 !2'5-%.43 á #(),$,%33 #/50,%3 á ,/44/ .5-"%23 á 2%5.)4).' 425% ,/6% á -!22)!'% #/-0!4)"),)49 á !##52!4% (!.$ 2%!$).' á 2%-/6% .%'!4)6% %.%2'9

IF YOU HAVE BEEN DISAPPOINTED FROM OTHER ASTROLOGERS MEET KASHINATH TO GET RESULTS AND SOLUTIONS

100% GUARANTEED SUCCESSFUL RESULTS

IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, HE HAS THE BEST SOLUTION

INDIAN VEDIC ASTROLOGY 18AVE 61ST, MILLWOODS NW

780-905-7574

Mervin Cereno is a Filipino Engineer, Academician and Entrepreneur who choose to migrate in Canada. He got his Provisional License* as Professional Engineer from the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientist of Alberta (APEGA) only after 8 months from the time he landed to Canada in March 2016. Presently, he is pursuing Master’s Degree at the University of Alberta. For pieces of advice and queries on licensing procedure in Alberta you can contact him through email at cereno@ualberta.ca. *Provisional License are granted after satisfying all the requirements of the APEGA Board of Directors except the One Year &DQDGLDQ ([SHULHQFH LQ WKH ÀHOG RI HQJLQHHULQJ

How the Practice of Engineering in Canada Differs from Practicing in the Philippines

T

he practice of Engineering in Canada is regulated the same way it is in the Philippines. A graduate of Engineering in the Philippines can practice his profession and sign and seal plans after passing the national Licensure Exams offered by the Professional Regulation Commission. However, while an Engineering Stamp can be bought and engraved with your name and profession at any store in Recto, in Canada, Engineering Stamps are issued by the Professional Licensing Body of the Province and cannot be reproduced in any way. An electronic stamp is also issued by the Regulating Body. Stamping plans in Canada signifies your full responsibility for your design in the design plans and governs your due diligence that the plans are accurate and correct.

If a practicing engineer in the Philippines commits a mistake in a design which results in the loss of property or human lives, they are liable under Philippine Law as it could constitute a civil and criminal act and that engineer’s license can be revoked. In Canada, it works almost the same, except that there is also Professional Liability Insurance in place to compensate the affected party monetarily.

The malpractice of engineering in both Canada and the Philippines can result in a tort during the performance of duty. A tort is a wrongful act which causes injury or loss to another party. The party that caused such injury or loss can be held legally responsible.

A tort can be unintentional or intentional. An unintentional tort is a result of the negligence of the professional or the absence of a duty of care. Intentional torts include fraud and defamation of the professional. However, the Philippines’ professional practice under its governing laws in present time may still be far behind those in Canada, in terms of enforcement and defending the interests of the public.

The Philippines has Engineering Codes and Standards that are followed in the creation of the engineer’s designs. There are published building codes mostly patterned after American codes and provisions. In the Philippines, these codes and standards are usually developed by non-government professional organizations through its membership. In Canada, Engineering Codes and Standards are developed by both government and non-government professional organization in different provincial jurisdictions.

The Philippines follows the Metric System of Units. Canada predominantly utilizes the Metric System but there are times that the English System of Units is used.

Filipino engineers have great advantages when practicing in Canada. First, Philippine universities use mostly American books where the codes and provisions are akin to those in Canada. Second, the system of measurements is the same in Canada and in the Philippines.

Third, the language of instructions used in all universities in the Philippines is English.

One challenge for Filipino engineers is taking into consideration the natural climatic condition of Canada compared to the Philippines.

Since the Philippines is a tropical country, it is the opposite of Canada in terms of building and structure design considerations. An example of challenges that Filipino engineers face in the performance of their duties as Fil-Canadian engineers are the differences in foundations.

Foundations of buildings in the Philippines settle (move downward) because of the application of loads and need to be designed to prevent this settlement. The foundation design of buildings in Canada inhibit frost heaving (moving upward) caused when soil under the structure freezes during winter and melts during spring leaving a void in the melted part of the soil.

APRIL 2018

PHILOSOPHY | BUSINESS

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

The Ten Commandments of Philosophy PHILOSOPHER’S CORNER Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS[61] (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970) was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, writer, social critic, political activist and Nobel laureate. At various points in his life, Russell FRQVLGHUHG KLPVHOI D OLEHUDO D VRFLDOLVW DQG D SDFLÀVW but he also admitted that he had "never been any of these things, in any profound sense" Russell was born in Monmouthshire into one of the most prominent aristocratic families in the United Kingdom.

1: Do not feel absolutely certain of anything.

2: Do not think it worthwhile to produce belief by concealing evidence, for the evidence is sure to come to light.

3: Never try to discourage thinking, for you are sure to succeed.

4: When you meet with opposition, even if it should be from your husband or your children, endeavor to overcome it by argument and

not by authority, for a victory dependent upon authority is unreal and illusory.

5: Have no respect for the authority of others, for there are always contrary authorities to be found.

6: Do not use power to suppress opinions you think pernicious, for if you do the opinions will suppress you.

7: Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now

25

accepted was once eccentric.

8: Find more pleasure in intelligent dissent than in passive agreement, for, if you value intelligence as you should, the former implies a deeper agreement than the latter.

9: Be scrupulously truthful, even when truth is inconvenient, for it is more inconvenient when you try to conceal it.

10. Do not feel envious of the happiness of those who live in a fool’s paradise, for only a fool will think that it is happiness.

ADVERTISE WITH US 780-916-7677 DOEHUWDĸOLSLQRMRXUQDO #JPDLO FRP

26

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

HEALTH | BUSINESS

APRIL 2018

APRIL 2018

HEALTH | BUSINESS

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

27

28

GROCERIES | BUSINESS

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

everyone is welcome to shop at

co-op POLLY MANGO DRINK 2L

SALE 99

1

EACH

CO-OP LUCKY DRAGON RICE 18.1KG

SALE

24 9 9 EACH

Limit of 6

L i mi t o f 6

UFC SPAGHETTI SAUCE SWEET FILIPINO STYLE

BOY BAWANG

Co-op @ Millwoods Town Centre

2331 66th Street | Open 7 Days A Week, 7AM - 11PM

NorthCentralCoop.ca | #CoopFood

ATTA CHAKKI FLOUR 10KG

SUPER Q GOLDEN BIHON CORNSTARCH STICKS

SALE 00

9

EACH

Lim it o f 6

SALE 59

1

EAC H

L im it of 2

NI MANG JUAN

1KG

LIGO SARDINES IN TOMATO SAUCE 155G

SALE 99

2

APRIL 2018

SALE ¢

79

EACH

EACH

SALE 19

1

SALE 19

1

EACH

EAC H

Limit of 6

L i mi t o f 6

Lim it o f 2

L im it of 6

FILIPINO STYLE MEATY JUICY HOTDOG

PATU PUTI SOY SAUCE

UFC SPICED VINEGAR

UFC BANANA SAUCE

SALE 99

SALE 69

925G

750mL

550G

1L

SALE

15 99 EACH

Limit of 6

SALE 79

2

EACH

Li mi t o f 6

EACH

Lim it o f 6

LITTLE TUNA INDIAN MACKEREL

2

680G

5

EACH

EAC H

L im it of 6

SCAD

GOLD THAI FROZEN SHRIMP

450G

450G

600G

SALE 99

1

SALE 99

6

EACH

Li mi t o f 6

SALE 99

4

EACH

Lim it o f 6

SALE 99

9

EAC H

L im it of 6

Limit of 6

Did you know...

North Central Co-op locations are in Edmonton, Fort Saskatchewan, Legal, Sherwood Park, Spruce Grove & Stony Plain.

FOOD | HOME | FUEL | PHARMACY | LUBRICANTS | PROPANE | FEED

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU 01 23 24 25 26 27 28 FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU 15 09 10 11 12 13 14 FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU