Alberta Filipino Journal - November 2022 Issue

Aeron

GMA Pinoy TV bags two Silver Awards at the 2022 International Film Festival Manhattan P25

Photo source: Postmedia

CANADA TO ACCEPT 500,000 PERMANENT RESIDENTS BY 2025

FROM MIGRATION TO IMMIGRATION

Last Week, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, the Honourable Sean Fraser, tabled Canada’s 2022 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration. As per the report, the government announced that its target for 2025 was to admit 500,000 new permanent residents.

Year 2023: 465,000

Year 2024: 485,000

Year 2025: 500,000

Carmona Newman is a REGULATED CANADIAN IMMIGRATION CONSULTANT based in Edmonton, Alberta. She is currently a member of CAPIC’s Policy Committee and previously served as Prairie Chapter representative for the Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants (CAPIC) in the Governance and Nomination Committee and Education Committee. Marjorie was a recipient of CAPIC's Members Service Award for four consecutive years (2015-2019).

Based on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) statistics, last year, Canada accepted over 405,000 permanent residents—so far the highest number recorded in a single year. In the same year, IRCC approved 415,817 work permits and 445,776 study permits.

According to the report, this is the government’s response to the country’s labour market shortage which is hurting Canadian businesses. The immigration Levels plan will include :

- A long-term focus on economic growth, with just over 60% of admissions in the economic class by 2025

- Enhanced Express Entry features system to welcome newcomers with the required skills and qualifications in sectors facing acute labour shortages such as health care, manufacturing, building trades and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)

- To increase partnerships with some regions and provinces to address local labour market needs through the Provincial Nominee Program, the Atlantic Immigration Program, and the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot

- Faster family reunification

- To ensure 4.4% of newcomers outside Quebec are Francophone - Expansion of Economic Mobility pathways Pilot to support global crises by providing safe haven to those facing persecution IRCC highlighted the importance of regional economic programs like the Provincial Nominee Program to sustain growth of the country. They will continue to streamline and digitalize the immigration system to further expedite processing and give users the experience they expect and deserve.

Other Immigration news:

Starting November 15, 2022 to December 31, 2023, international students who are in Canada and who have off-campus work authorization on their study permit will not be restricted by the 20-hour-per-week rule. Foreign nationals who have already submitted a study permit application as of Oct 7, 2022, will also be able to benefit from this temporary change, provided their application is approved.

On Nov 16, 2022, IRCC will be switching to the 2021 Version of the National Occupational Classification (NOC). This means that

- The current NOC 2016 skill type and skill structure (NOC 0, A, B, C and D) will be replaced with a 6-category system representing the training, education, experience and responsibilities (TEER) needed to work in an occupation - 4 digit occupation codes will become 5-digit codes - IRCC will update the eligibility criteria for all programs that use the NOC

The following programs below will be affected with this change, as these programs will have updated eligibility requirements:

• Express Entry – Federal Skilled

Worker Program, Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Trades Program

• Atlantic Immigration Program

• Provincial Nominee Program

• Caregiver Pilot Programs

• Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot

• Agri-Food Pilot

• Out of Status Construction Workers

International Mobility Program Temporary Foreign Worker Program

If you have questions regarding the above article, you may contact Marjorie at info@mcncanadaimmigration.com

Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) A word of caution: You should not act or rely on the information provided in this column. It is not a legal advice. To ensure your interests are protected, retain, or formally seek advice from a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) in good standing of CICC. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of RCIC’s.

Marjorie

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EDITOR’S CORNER

Published by Angeles Publishing Company Inc. 246 Lindsay Crescent, Edmonton, Alberta T6R 2T2

Jose L. Angeles

Publisher / Chief Operating Officer Sales and Advertising CP: 780-916-7677, Landline: 780-988-8889 Fax: 780-988-2221

publisher@albertafilipinojournal.com

Lito Mendoza Velasco

Editor-in-Chief / Associate Publisher 780-655-5126

editor@albertafilipinojournal.com

Melanie Rose Atizado Angeles

Administrator / Office Manager Sales and Advertising, 780-993-5503 albertafilipinojournal79@gmail.com

Moses Billacura Sports Editor / Photographer / Videographer

Lianne Angeles Associate Editor

Mark Angeles, Mike Angeles Distribution Managers - Edmonton

Andy Chua Marketing Manager - Edmonton +1 (780) 965-3549, fcchua@hotmail.com

Maria Visconde

Advertising, Sales and Marketing Manager - Calgary 403-891-9328 or 403-608-8817

Stephen Burry Distribution Manager - Calgary 1 (587) 938-3100, Freedommigrate@gmail.com

Rolan Latorre Marketing Manager

Melanie C. Gomez

Website and Graphic Designer

Columnists: Marjorie Carmona-Newman, Tito S. Venida, Ida Beltran-Lucila, Kristian Cereno, Marco Luciano, Mervin Mendoza

A PERSON MATTERS MORE THAN PERSONAL MATTERS

Every person has personal matters and confidential issues to deal with. As the saying goes, “Never wash your dirty linen in public.” On another note, one has said that a superior has to always praise his subordinates in public and just blame in private. These two phrases are the sheer connotations that respecting one’s privacy must be observed at all times in order to preserve one’s dignity.

Paying too much heed to the nonessentials truly hinders the attainment of success. Those persons who are afraid of darkness are the ones living in darkness, for the reason that they have been allowing real monsters or shall we say, invented ghosts to dwell within them, which became integral parts of their whole-being.

Mens sana in corpore sano (A healthy mind in a healthy body). Similarly, an unhealthy mind in an unhealthy body. A healthy mind can see things beyond what our eyes see, while unhealthy minds cannot. As a healthy mind is trainable, an unhealthy mind is not. As powerful as a healthy

mind is, the unhealthy mind is not. As a healthy mind can see whatever it wants to see, the unhealthy mind cannot achieve what it desires. As a healthy mind can move mountains, the unhealthy mind cannot. The power of the mind, in this sense then, depends on corporeal capabilities.

There are, therefore, some objects of thoughts that do not jibe with obviously physical reality. Some are illusory or hallucinatory, simply because there are things that can be perceived or thought of but cannot be physically achieved.

Take for example what comes after enjoying our credit cards and money borrowed from relatives and friends. It is easy to think at first that we are more than capable of paying off those debts or the money we plundered, yet in reality, it is difficult due to impecuniosity— financial constraints that may lead to bankruptcy—bankruptcy that may become a form of embarrassment— this is a subtle mechanism of social control due to the loss of prestige (Ang masyadong magarbo, sa pagkalugi

HALA KA, MAY MULTO!

By Lito Mendoza Velasco

Mga tanong o katanungan tungkol sa multo at mga gawaing paranormal o parang totoo, pero hindi: 1) Multo or Ghost: Totoo ba ito? Oo naman, kase, maging ang Espiritu Santo ay Tinatawag nating HOLY GHOST.

2) Ang KALULUWA ba ay matatawag na MULTO? Lahat na hindi nakikita at nauunawaan ay itinuturing nating MULTO. At dahil nga hindi nakikita at naunawaan ng lahat ang kaluluwa, itinuring na lamang nila itong multo.

3) ANO BA ANG KALULUWA SA PANANAW NG MGA RATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST?

Sinasabi nila na ang kahulugan ng kaluluwa sa salitang Latin ay: “ANIMUS - Primus actus corpores physici organici” or “The first act of the physical organic body.” It is the vital principle or pinagmumulan ng buhay. So, lahat ng mayroong buhay ay may kaluluwa. Subalit, hindi nakikita. At kapag di nga nakikita, gumagamit ng bagay na nakikita upang makita, maramdaman o madama.

Ang tao ay may kaluluwa. At kung ang kaluluwa ay hindi nakikita, multo or ghost ang tawag natin dito. Samakatuwid, nasa sa natura ng tao ang multo. Nasa sa mismong pagkatao o kalooban natin ito. At kadalasan, takot tayo sa ating sarili dahil kahit saan tayo pumunta o dumako, kasa-kasama natin ang sarili nating multo. Hahaha.

Ano ang resulta, ipapamahagi natin ang ating kinatakutan o karanasan para hindi tayo nag-iisa. At sa ayaw natin at gusto, ipapamalita din naman ng iba

ang chismis o “marites” natin. Hahaha. 4) ANG MULTO BA AY IMPAKTO (IS A GHOST A MONSTER?)

Sa mga natakot dito, ang sagot ko ay isang malaking “OO!”

Follow up question:

Natakot ka ba dahil tumakbo ka o tumakbo ka dahil natakot ka? Di mo ba nahahalata, habang bumibilis ang iyong pagtakbo ay lalo kang natatakot…patindi ng patindi ang takot? Hanggang hindi mo na napansin na mayroong tren na paparating at ikaw ay babanggain. Sa ganyang kalagayan, hindi ka tumakbo dahil natakot ka; kundi, ang pagtakbo mo ang mas ikinatakot mo. Nasa sa isip lamang ang takot. At ang mga kadahilanan ng takot mo ay ang iyong mga kasalanan na matagal mong itinago at ikaw lamang ang nakakaalam.

5) BAKIT NGA BA SIKAT NA SIKAT ANG MULTO SA MGA PILIPINO?

Ginamit ng mga Pilipino noon at maging hanggang ngayon na panakot ang MULTO! Dahil sa pagnanais nilang umuwi ng maaga o bago sumapit ang dilim sa Pilipinas ang mga anak nila, palagian nilang sasabihin sa anak nila na: “Huwag kang magpapaabot ng dilim sa labas anak dahil may multo sa daan!” Napakarami pang samut-saring kwento ni Lola Basyang tungkol sa multo. Meron din ba kayo? Ibahagi ninyo! Or, kung meron kayong alam na lugar na may multo, isama ninyo naman ako para personal akong makakita ng hindi nakikita.

Lito Mendoza Velasco

ang takbo – Too much inclination to luxury may lead to bankruptcy). We would hate for this scenario to happen. That is why our tendency is to get mad

whoever can potentially discover our hidden agenda or situation. As you can see, this is an example of personal matters that should not matter.

Justice for the victims of ex-lawmaker Carl Benito and his son

By Marco Luciano

It has been a lengthy investigation that started in 2016 but, in the end, justice was served. Several complaints have been made on the fraudulent practices of the Benitos and many more stayed quiet despite being victimized. Carlito Benito and his son Charles Benito operated immigration consultancy businesses Triple Maple Leaf Canada, World Immigration Group, and Helping Migrants Canadian Immigration Group. On June 28, 2018, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) investigators conducted a raid at the ex-MLA Carl Benito’s southwest Edmonton home and seized more than $255,000 in cash and documents spread into 3 safes.

In a CBSA news release that year, assistant director of the Criminal Investigations Section with CBSA Andrew Klatt said “The CBSA takes this matter very seriously and works closely with our partners, including Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, to identify, investigate and prosecute those engaging in immigration fraud to profit from vulnerable individuals.”

This profiteering from fraudulent activities was done to allow for workers to extend their status and allow them and their spouses to stay in Canada longer. The border agency added the Benitos and their associates also allegedly provided cash loans of up to $17,000 for individuals to meet the financial requirements to apply for the student permit and charge these individuals between $200 to $500 for the loan. It’s commonly called “show money”

Carl Benito also admitted that he submitted fraudulent study permits on behalf of clients who each were

charged $3,000 for completing the false paperwork.

The Benitos faced numerous charges of fraud: Carl Benito, nine counts of unauthorized employment of foreign nationals, mischief, and misrepresentation. And Charles Benito faces similar charges of unauthorized employment of foreign nationals, misrepresentation and counselling, aiding, abetting misrepresentation relating to a study permit loan scheme.

During sentencing federal Crown prosecutor Erin Eacott told the judge "It's aggravating [they] built a business on the backs of hiring illegal foreign nationals and paid them less than the minimum wage". "[They] took advantage of people desperate to stay in Canada." Eacott added. Presiding Judge, Justice Avril Inglis found that Carl Benito bears a higher level of moral culpability than his son because he was the one who offered the illegal jobs. "Both of you abused a position of trust," Inglis said.

Carl Benito will serve two years of house arrest and pay a fine of $75,000 over the two years. In addition, he must perform 100 hours of community service. While his 28-year-old son, Charles, will serve nine months of house arrest. He’ll be allowed to continue attending classes during that time. That sentence will be followed by 18 months of probation and an order to perform 100 hours of community service.

Immigration consultancy career and business mushroomed in the last 10 years, and many other agents and consultants have been either suspended by their regulation body or under investigation. To tighten the regulations and accountability, the

former Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC) was dissolved, and a new body was created. The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants was launched in November of last year, 2021. This new self-regulatory agency is in charge of supervising and regulating all Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs). According to the office of the Minister of Immigration, the new College will have expanded powers to combat immigration consulting fraud, including the ability to require witnesses to testify before its discipline committee and seek judicial injunctions.

You can find the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta decision on the Benito fraud case here: https:// tinyurl.com/CarlBenito

SkinLueuer to back Miss Int’l Canada fundraising event on Nov. 17 at Stanhope Eatery

By Moses Billacura

SkinLueuer Laser and Aesthetics Centre is backing a fundraising event on November 17, 6 p.m., at the Stanhope Eatery and Bar where organizer Studio 13 Unlimited will present Miss International Canada 2022, Madison Kvaltin.

Kvaltin is Canada's representative to the Miss International competition on December 13 in Japan.

Her national costume and gown will be designed by Studio 13’s Francheska, an Edmonton-based fashion designer.

“Tinulungan ko siyang mag fund raise,” said Francheska who approached SkinLueur and other companies for help with the expenses to be incurred for the competition.

Francheska said that the door ticket is only $10 with one free drink and there will be auctions, door prizes and entertainment where potential backers can help with raising the needed funds for Kvaltin.

Moci.ca rules 1st G-10 Volleyball Tournament

By Moses Billacura

Moci.ca ruled the first G-10 Volleyball Tournament, November 5-6, at the Saville Sports Centre in Edmonton.

Moci.ca bested the Red Deer Warriors and KAOS placed third in the women’s competitive division while FABCA topped the intermediate level at the expense of the Lady Panthers. The Tigers landed in third.

In the men’s competitive class, Gold Squad bagged the first spot after beating the efforts of Azoboyz Vancouver. The Meme Dynasty settled at third.

Gold Squad B took the intermediate division title while the Yeg Ballers followed at second and Swoosh at third.

Consul-General Zaldy Patron and wife Sheila Castillo-Patron graced the opening day, talked to players, tournament supporters and organizers, as well as sharing information with them about the Consulate-General’s Office and its services.

This year, they have attracted 38 teams and by next year, their goal is to have 50

Blackstone Pirates beat 31 Shoe Avenue, 67-57 in LPBA opener

By Moses Billacura

LEDUC --- Blackstone Pirates beat 31 Shoe Avenue, 67-57 at the start of the 2022 Leduc Pilipino Ballers Association (LPBA) Basketball Tournament, October 30, at the West Haven Public School, here.

Ken Labrador was selected player of the game after leading the Pirates to victory.

In the other games, Beer Valley escaped with a 75-72 win over multi-titled Leduc Warriors of Alexis Dimaculangan while Massage Trace proved to be too much for JF Kitchenette, 82-47.

Nicolas Javier shared the Day 1 honors as player of the game for Beer Valley including Mhac Collado for Massage Trace.

LPBA president Sherwin Robledo, Philippine Sports Association president Gary Perpetua, S-SABC commissioner Dominic Narbonita, Flip Hoops commissioner MJ Palomares were on hand to formally open the tournament.

Robledo

Games

Ilonggo Brothers vs. Miracle Massage on Nov.19

By Moses Billacura

Ilonggo Brothers and Miracle Massage will contest the 2022 Servus-St.Albert Ballers Club (S-SABC) basketball title on November 19 at St. Albert Catholic High School.

Game time is at 12 noon.

S-SABC Family will meet Full

House for the third place game at 9:30 a.m. and the three-point shooting contest, 1 versus 1, raffles and awarding of individual awards will take place at 11 a.m. with Jekasa Sportswear International giving freebies to the winners.

S-SABC commissioner Dominic Narbonita said they are encouraging

basketball fans to bring pre-loved clothes, shoes and school bags, which they are collecting to be shipped to the Philippines through the Jekasa International Cares Program.

He added that non-perishable goods are also to be collected for the St. Albert Food Bank.

Crosstown Auto defeats MEPBA, 112-81 in Cold Lake Filipino basketball league final

By Moses Billacura

Crosstown Auto Centre shrugged off a slow start to defeat MEPBA, 112-81 in the 2022 Cold Lake Filipino Basketball league at the Energy Centre and Cold Lake High School.

Miguel Jamiel Torres led the spark for Crosstown Auto with 23 points that eventually earned him the most valuable player award in the two-day event attended by Cold Lake Mayor Craig Copeland, who had been supporting the tournament organized by Rey Nodado.

Nodado thanked the City of Cold lake, East West College, Canadian Tire, Brighter Horizon Financial, Kia Cold Lake, Renj Art Studio, Jekasa Sportswear, Crosstown Auto and Best Western for continually supporting their tournament every year.

“Without their help, we will not be successful,” said Nodado.

The scores:

Crosstown Auto Center (112) – Baniega 34, Tarieta 29, Torres 23, Vivas 11, Cortez 10, Modon 2, Nacianceno 2, Batao 1, Tapacan 0, Pomariga 0, Lacson 0, Sanghera 0, Clarence 0.

MEPBA (81) – Yola 22, Palino 11, Simeon 11, Ocampo 10, N. Elises 7, Pecson 4, Fedilo 3, Arendain 3, Pare 2, Bacarra 2, Alcantara 2, Din 0, Aniate 0, Mile 0, J. Elises 0.

Cold Lake mayor Craig Copeland awards the prizes to Miguel Torres, this year's MVP. (Photo by Rey Nodado)

Pink Venom of Vancouver headed by John Carreon (No. 00) participated in the 1st G-10 Volleyball Tournament, Nov.5-6, at the Saville Sports Centre in Edmonton. (Photo by Moses Billacura/AFJ)

Diane Mapanao of Sinigals attacks as Amanda Fejedelem of Moci.ca attempts to block it in the 1st G-10 Volleyball Tournament, Nov. 5, at the Saville Sports Centre in Edmonton. (Photo by Moses Billacura/AFJ)

Consul-General Zaldy Patron (4th from left) and wife Sheila Castillo-Patron pose for posterity with players, supporters and tournament coordinator Rodel Gravides (extreme right) during the 1st G-10 Volleyball Tournament, Nov. 5, at the Saville Centre in Edmonton. (Photo by Moses Billacura/AFJ)

Chief organizer Jun Cacayuran. (Photo by Moses Billacura/AFJ)

Odie Salvador of UMAC Express Cargo (No. 00) is closely guarded by SkinLuer's Cruz in this bit of action in the ongoing 2022 PBAC Basketball Tournament at Legacy Athletics in Edmonton. UMAC defeated SkinLueur Laser Centre-Boleros in this game, 95-93 in overtime. (Photo by Moses Billacura)

PSA president Gary Perpetua leads the ceremonial toss at the start of the 2022 Leduc Pilipino Ballers Association Tournament, October 30, in Leduc. (Photo by Moses Billacura/AFJ)

said he is grateful to the support of the teams and their managers as they continue to promote camaraderie and friendship among members of the Filipino community in Leduc.

are played every Sunday.

Atty. Joseph Angeles (2nd from right) and fellow Fil-Albertans, realtor Pia Liberty and Reymark Dizon get a chance to tour the Edmonton Stingers' home by Carlos Rebollo (3rd from right). (Contributed photo)

SkinLueur Laser Centre CEO Chum Ardaniel meets with Tim Uppal, Member of ParliamentMill Woods, at a recent gathering. (Contributed photo)

Alberta Fil-Can Community Leaders Association president Jun Cacayuran said they will organize another tournament next year and hopes that there will be more participants.

squads participating. (with reports from Rodel Gravides)

Dual-Citizenship Euphoria

Let’s have a basic understanding on Philippine Citizenship and Dual Citizenship.

1987 Philippine Constitution

ARTICLE IV Section 2. states that, “Natural-born citizens are those who are citizens of the Philippines from birth without having to perform any act to acquire or perfect their Philippine citizenship. Those who elect Philippine citizenship in accordance with paragraph (3), Section 1 hereof shall be deemed natural-born citizens.”

Act of 2003 (more popularly known as the Dual Citizenship Law)

Dual citizenship means that you have two citizenships at the same time as a result of the interaction of the laws between two countries. A person can be a dual citizen by choice or by birth. An individual can be considered a Philippine dual citizen by choice through the process of RA 9225 while a Philippine dual citizen by birth is a natural-born Filipino who does not have to perform any action to acquire citizenship.

be voted for Philippine government offices and positions.

What are the requirements needed in applying for retention or re-acquisition under RA 9225?

a) Duly completed verified petition (R.A. 9225 FormNo.1) http://www.immigration.gov.ph/ downloads/application-forms

b) Notarized oath of allegiance. However, for applications made before Philippine Embassies and Consulates, the Oath of Allegiance need not be notarized since the same is already signed by the consular officer who is authorized to administer the oaths.

the certificate of naturalization has to be translated into English and authenticated by the Ministry of Justice or Foreign Affairs of the host country)

h) Two (2) self-addressed (priority mail suggested) and stamped legal size envelopes (if the processed documents will not be picked up by the applicants in the Philippine Embassy or Consulate) Additional requirements for Bureau of Immigration registered applicants

i) Original Alien Certificate of Registration

The thought of citizenship status might cross the mind of someone residing outside of their home country.

Am I ready to renounce my citizenship? Or, is dual-citizenship beneficial to me?

The following are considered naturalborn Filipinos under the law: a. A person who, at the time of his/ her birth, has at least one Filipino parent, b. A person born to a Filipino mother before 17 January 1973 who elected Philippine citizenship upon reaching the age of majority (21 years old) and c. Those who were born under the 1935 and 1973 Philippine Constitutions. Henceforth, the law that allows FIlipino to have Dual Citizenship is stipulated under Republic Act 9225 Republic Act 9225 (RA 9225) or the Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition

Dual citizenship only refers to those who have two citizenships at the same time. Those who possess more than two citizenships are considered to have multiple citizenships.The Oath of Allegiance is the final act that confers Philippine citizenship on an individual (PRIMER on Dual Citizenship Act).

Advantages of Dual Citizenship:

● Travel with a Philippine passport.

● Own real property in the Philippines.

● Engage and conduct business and commerce as a Filipino citizen.

● Practice one's profession.

● Exercise your right to vote and

c) Two (2) recent 2x2 coloured photographs of applicant

d) Application fee

e) An original and photocopy of at least one of the following:

i. Philippine birth certificate (PSA)

ii. Old Philippine passport iii. Voter’s affidavit or voter’s identification card iiii. Marriage contract (if married)

f) Photocopy of foreign passport

g) Photocopy of certificate of naturalization or an original affidavit stating how foreign citizenship was acquired (In some jurisdictions where the official language is not English,

j) Original Immigrant Certificate of residence or certificate of residence for temporary visitors.

Note: Applicants are encouraged to visit the official website of their respective Philippine Embassy or Consulate to ensure they comply with the requirements. (PRIMER on Dual Citizenship Act)

It is hard to stand strong to the principle of Patriotism if the Government gives less to the needs of its people. I would like to leave you with a poem written byAndres Bonifacio: “Aling pag-ibig pa ang hihigit kaya Sa pagkadalisay at pagkadakila Gaya ng pag-ibig sa Tinubuang lupa? Aling pag-ibig pa? Wala na nga, wala.”

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Practice of Engineering in Canada from Internationally Educated Engineers (Part I)

ENGINEER IN ACTION

specific queries on the APEGA and ASET application process here in Alberta. Half of those who are trying to connect with me through email are of other nationalities, and are also immigrants to Alberta who are pursuing their licensure process. For most Filipinos, their common questions are with regard to their Education Credential Evaluation results that hinder them from further continuing their Professional recognition application.

Below are some of their queries and my answers to their emails.

Mervin Cereno, P. Eng. mmcereno@gmail.com

Mervin Cereno is a Filipino immigrant in Canada. He is a Filipino-Canadian Engineer licensed to practice Engineering in Alberta and British Columbia. Based in Edmonton, he is employed by one of most sought-after Construction and Engineering Consulting firms as a Senior Structural Engineer. He is a Volunteer and Advocates to help Filipino-Canadian Engineers to pursue their Professional Engineering License in Canada.

For advice on a specific case in pursuing your application, whether in ASET or APEGA, please email me at mmcereno@gmail.com.

Since the Alberta Filipino Journal became available online several years ago, I received several inquiries and questions from Internationally Educated Engineers who are planning to migrate to Canada. These people are not only Filipino Engineers but Engineers from different parts of the world, who are interested in the process of upgrading their credentials to Canadian Professional Regulations.

I receive an average of three emails per week and I reply to their

1. Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) does not recognize WES education credential assessment. They do their academic qualification assessment instead. As such, I assume that I may be of higher risk of needing to take technical or confirmatory exams based on what I have read so far. (Answer) That is correct. In my experience with PEO - I do not encounter problems with my Academic credential evaluation.

I am a graduate of the Mapua Institute of Technology of my Bachelor's and Master's degree. I undergo a panel interview with regard to my experience with them. With APEGA - it is all pure paper applications. Technical or confirmatory exams were given only for those applicants that lacked sciences in their curriculum from their Bachelor's degree. This is for all licensing provinces of Canada. For APEGA all Internationally Educated Engineers must take Fundamentals of Engineering Exams through NCEES (NCEES.org). For PEO, they are not requiring a FE Exam but they might require the confirmatory exams (minimum of 5 exams to a maximum of 15 subjects)—about $275 per exam

2. I have also read a couple of negative reviews from them regarding the academic qualifications of internationallyeducated engineering graduates.

Here are my questions, Mr. Cereno. a) Is it possible to apply for EIT membership or Provisional License

to any licensing bodies (PEO, APEGA, etc.) while still in the Philippines? If yes, do you recommend me directly applying for a Provisional License, or should I apply for EIT membership first given that I have 5-year work experience in the Philippines and have no work experience outside the country including Canada? (Answer) Apply for Professional Membership. Provisional licensee is not a membership category, this is only an interim membership for you to complete the required Canadian experience. If you are confident that your experience in the Philippines as Engineer will merit a Professional Membership, no need to apply for EIT (Member in Training - PEO). This will save you money also. If you apply for either APEGA or PEO and your academic and experience requirements meet their evaluation, they will give you a Provisional Licensee (which means you just lack the experience requirement). They will ask you also to either enroll in their EIT program but will need you to pay for the annual dues.

b) To get around Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO), is it possible to apply for EIT membership or Provisional License from a licensing body in another province if I am planning to stay and work in Toronto, Ontario? I plan to apply to APEGA. If yes, can you recommend me doing this? (Answer) Same answer as above. Applying for licensing to another Province of Canada is easy (up to a one-month process) if you are already licensed in another province. It is just a matter of paying membership dues.

c) After upgrading my "WES ECA for IRCC" to "WES ICAP course-bycourse Evaluation", and if the "WES ICAP course-by-course Evaluation" result will be similar to my "WES ECA for IRCC" result mentioned below, will APEGA still require me to take technical/confirmatory exams? How about the FE exam, do you think they will still ask me to take it? (Answer) WES ICAP results will determine

your Academic requirement for APEGA.

There are some cases that the ECA report says "4-year bachelor’sdegree" but eventually in the WES ICAP report becomesa "2-year diploma" equivalent.

If that happens, you can appeal to WES.

For you to have a favorable bachelor’s degree Equivalency from WES, you must submit ALL documents related to your degree. This should be mailed by you with a sealed envelope and signed in the flap by your registrar. These documents are the following:

i. Transcript of Record ii. Certified diploma copy.

iii. Course description of all the subjects/ courses you took from your bachelor and post-graduate degrees.

iv. Syllabus of all subjects/courses you took from your bachelor and postgraduate degrees.

This is the usual mistake of many: that they just submit 4 to 5 pages of TOR. Evaluation from WES will not see all the contents of the subjects you took. They will just rely on the name of the subject. If the subject "name" is different from the Canadian subject, they will not credit the subject.

As I mentioned, the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam is mandatory for all applicants who are Internationally Educated Engineers.

by profession and Apprentice at Atty. Romeo Sese Law office.

Continuation on December 2022 issue of Alberta Filipino Journal

The Mounting Problems of the Trudeau Government

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continues to elude tough questions that need hard answers. Canadians across the Country are feeling the

JUST LISTEN

pinch due to high inflation because the Government continues to spend money it does not have. This has brought the cost of mortgage, food, gas, and electricity up.

Fears of a recession continue to rise and Canadians fear that one day they will not be able to afford their mortgage or be able to put food on the table. Do you think Prime Minister Trudeau is worried about us? I really do hope so.

Unfortunately, his actions speak otherwise. Trudeau recently went to attend the Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, and his delegation spent close to $400,000 on hotel expenses alone. One hotel room cost $6,000 a night as per a document released to the Toronto Sun through the Access to information System.

tech companies tried to recreate the app and it did not even take exceptionally long to recreate. Finally, there was a motion passed to investigate this App spending.

From a standpoint of someone who knows Apps, the experts say it is not something extraordinary, so why the $54 Million dollar price tag at the expense of Canadians? High inflation has put a heavy stress on families who are trying to make both ends meet. Ordinary Canadians could not believe how reckless it is to spend so much on an App.

rely on welfare cheques. Do not get me wrong. While I support social programs and measures to help people in need, we must be mindful that it must not be abused and that if we are not careful, our government coffers will run out. We must look at viable and cost-effective solutions. Throwing money to a problem is just a band aid solution and will not help solve the problem.

Filipino Candidates, they are rare. Supporting a community should not be half-baked. If you want a candidate to win, you support them from Nomination to getting elected to office. With a huge population, it is high-time that political parties take the Filipino Communities seriously because we can be a crucial factor at the polls.

***

Nicky Gocuan has been a Columnist/ Photojournalist for over 15 years. He finished his Degree in Communication Arts at De La Salle University in 1990. After obtaining his University degree, Gocuan joined the Print Media and has contributed for The Philippine Star, Pilipino Star and later moved to Bagong Pinoy, where he wrote a regular opinion column. He also went on to write a showbiz column for The Tribune and Remate.

Gocuan has experience in covering the Police beat, Political beat, and Entertainment beat before landing in the Sports beat. He later wrote a regular sports column for Remate Tonight. During this time, he was elected President of the Philippine Basketball Association Press Photographers Club (PBAPPC) for Two Terms and helped uplift the status of the group to become a part of the 5 Man Mythical Committee in the PBA. He is currently the President of The Philippine Media Association of Alberta (PMAA) and Host of a weekly radio program ‘The Fourth Estate” on Tala Luvz Radio in Calgary.

So how much does an ordinary Canadian spend on a hotel room? I would say it would be between $300 to $500 dollars a night. So, for a Five Star Hotel, I would say it would cost around $1,500 a room (Presidential Room). With the amounts I presented, these are reasonable. And since he has VIPs as guests and he is the Prime Minister, he deserves a good room for $1,500 a night. If that was the case, I do not think Canadian Taxpayers would say anything. But spending $6,000 a room per night of Canadian Taxpayers‘ money is too much. What the Prime Minister should have done is spend $1,500 of Taxpayers’ money and shoulder the $4,500 out of his own pocket. Don’t you think that is fair? This is just one of the many problems he is facing.

Another is the $54 Million-dollar Arrive Can App. Yes, you heard it right $54,000,000. There is a lot of explaining to do on why this App cost so much money for Canadians. Did it help save lives? Yes, it did. But even a $500,000 App could save lives. Other

While we understand the importance of having the App during the pandemic, let us put it on record as well that they were slow to react to what was happening globally. Canada was slow to close its borders in comparison to Countries like Taiwan, who at the end of 2019 already closed its borders to protect its people and you can see how successful they were in preventing the disease from spreading, and with very few deaths. Not only that, but Canada was also late to lift restrictions at the Airport.

A lot of Canadians feel the Trudeau Administration is so detached from the people. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland recently told Canadian Parents to cut Disney+ so they can save money due to the rising costs of inflation. A lot of Canadians were disappointed by her remarks. As the Finance Minister, Freeland says they are rolling out a program to help low-income families fight such inflation. In short, she wants to give out more money they do not have, which is one of the reasons why we are in this problem. Now the question is, why only provide support to low-income families? Does this mean that medium income families are not affected by inflation? Middle-income families deserve to be supported as well. We are talking about Canadians who contribute a lot to the Canadian Tax System.

They are Canadians who do not

Nakikinig sa mga

Albertan: Badyet 2023

Gustong makarinig ng pamahalaan ng Alberta mula sa mga Albertan habang inihahanda ang Badyet 2023.

Ang Alberta ay patuloy na namumuno sa bansa sa paglago ng ekonomiya at ang Badyet 2023 ay patuloy na ipoposisyon ang lalawigan para sa pag-akit ng pamumuhunan, pag-iiba-iba ng ekonomiya at paglikha ng trabaho. Ang Badyet 2023 ay magpapatuloy sa aming pangako na gawing mas abotkaya ang pamumuhay, pabutihin ang ating sistema ng pangangalagang pangkalusugan, lumikha ng mga trabaho at manindigan para sa mga Albertan.

“Ang Alberta ang pinakamagandang lugar para manirahan, magtrabaho at magpalaki ng ating mga pamilya. Uunahin ng Badyet 2023 ang mga Albertan sa pamamagitan ng pagsuporta sa ating mga komunidad, mga negosyo at mga pamilya na may mga estratehikong pamumuhunan upang iposisyon tayo para sa isang maunlad na kinabukasan. Inaasahan kong marinig ang iyong mga priyoridad at mga pananaw para sa Badyet 2023. Mangyaring maglaan ng oras upang kumpletuhin ang pagsisiyasat o lumahok sa paano mang paraan na magagawa mo."

Travis Toews, Presidente ng Lupon ng Tesorerya at Ministro ng Pananalapi

Ang pakikinig sa mga Albertan sa pamamagitan ng mga pampublikong konsultasyon ay isang mahalagang bahagi ng proseso upang bumuo ng badyet ng Alberta. Bilang karagdagan, ang pamahalaan ay tatanggap din ng impormasyon mula sa mga grupo kabilang ang mga pinuno ng komunidad at negosyo.

Maaaring ibahagi ng mga Albertan ang kanilang mga pananaw at mga ideya para sa susunod na badyet sa pamamagitan ng pagsagot sa isang online na pagsisiyasat at pagsali sa mga bulwagan ng bayan sa telepono kasama ang Ministro ng Pananalapi na si Travis Toews. Ang mga negosyo, mga munisipalidad, mga asosasyon sa industriya, mga organisasyong pangkomunidad at iba pang mga grupo ay maaaring magpadala ng mga pagsusumite ng badyet sa pamamagitan ng aming online na portal sa ngalan ng iyong mga organisasyon.

Ang portal ng pagsisiyasat at pagsusumite sa online ay bukas na ngayon. Para sa higit pang impormasyon sa mga ito at sa iba pang paraan ng pakikipag-ugnayan, pakibisita kami sa alberta.ca/BudgetConsultation.

Mabilis na mga Katotohanan

• Simula sa 2022-23 na unang quarter na pagbabago sa piskalya noong Agosto 31:

o Ang pagtataya ng kita para sa 2022-23 ay $75.9 bilyon habang ang pagtataya ng gastos ay $62.7 bilyon.

o Nag-iiwan ito ng labis na pagtataya ng $13.2 bilyon para sa 2022-23, sa malaking bahagi dahil sa pinakamahusay na rekord na hindi nababagong mapagkukunan na pinagmumulan ng kita at mas mataas kaysa sa inaasahang buwis sa kita ng korporasyon.

o Kasunod ng pagbabayad ng utang na $13.4 bilyon, ang utang na sinusuportahan ng nagbabayad ng buwis ay tinatayang nasa $79.8 bilyon sa Marso 31, 2023.

o Ang netong ratio ng utang-sa-GDP ay tinatantya sa 10.3 porsyento sa pagtatapos ng taon ng pananalapi, na naaayon sa layunin ng lalawigan na panatilihin itong mas mababa sa 30 porsyento, na tinitiyak na ang Alberta ay nasa isang malakas na posisyon upang bayaran ang utang nito.

o Ang ekonomiya ng Alberta (tulad ng sinusukat ng totoong kabuuan ng pansariling-bansang produkto [gross domestic product] o GDP) ay inaasahang lalago ng 4.9 porsyento sa taong ito.

So as elected officials, they are answerable to the Canadian taxpayers. Someone told me that is not the case. What are your thoughts? Are elected officials answerable to the Canadian Taxpayers?

Do you think it is fair that our Politicians elude questions with another question instead of answering them directly so that the people may know? Or do you think this is just a way to escape from the facts?

A simple question requires a direct answer. If our elected officials are not hiding anything, then they should be able to answer questions without reservations easily.

From the problems surrounding SNC-Lavalin to the Arrive Can App, Canadians have asked, when will the troubles end?

***

A lot of political parties have reached out to the Filipino Community in Canada to get their vote and they always make promises to help them, but do you think they are seriously helping the Filipino Community? If these Political Parties are serious about diversity and inclusion, then they should field in more Filipino Candidates in their slate so that this community can be represented. To be fair, the Liberals have always fielded Filipino Candidates, and this is the reason we have a new Filipino MP in Rechie Valdez from Mississauga Streetsville. While the NDP and Conservatives have fielded some

I was surprised to hear that the impression that people have of the Alberta Filipino Journal as a Newspaper is that we are Pro-Liberal/NDP. The reason they say that is they see stories of the Liberals and the NDP. While it is true that you do see stories of the Liberals and NDP in our paper, it is because they have an effective communication team that reaches out to us and gives us information or invites us to round table discussions and interviews. While saying that, I have also reached out to the Conservative Party to send us Press releases and invite us to Media Round Tables. This way, we can also share their stories.

About a month ago when I met with Alberta Finance Minister Travis Toews, I told him about what people think about the Alberta Conservative Party. The impression has always been that they draw a line from the media. It throws the impression that they are afraid to answer tough questions. But to be fair, Mr. Toews was different, he invited the ethnic media to talk to him about his plans for balancing the budget and this happened during the initial stages of the Jason Kenney Administration. I just hope other Alberta Conservative Ministers learn from Mr. Toews.

So, if you want your stories to appear here at the Alberta Filipino Journal, please feel free to email us. You can reach me at nicky@albertafilipinojournal.com.

AFJ and Angeles Families at Sarap-Sarap:

L-R: Sports Editor Mo Billacura, Sarap-Sarap owner Rod Cruz Magnaye, AFJ Publisher Jose “Jun” Angeles

L-R: EIC Lito Mendoza Velasco, Sports Editor Mo Billacura, Atty. Joseph Angeles, SarapSarap owners Rod and Michelle Magnaye, Atty. Katrina Angeles and daughter, AFJ publisher Jose “Jun” Angeles. Photo by Rumer Garces

AFJ Publisher Jose “Jun” Angeles, Sarap-Sarap owners Rod and Michelle Magnaye, AFJ

Columnist Marjorie Newman. Photo by Rumer Garces

L-R: Tj, Mayen, Sister Rose, Slammer, Rod and Michelle, Pocholeit, Connie, Eric

Photo by Rumer Garces

SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESS. Atty. Joseph Angeles (3rd from left) and wife Atty. Katrina Angeles (back) share some light moments with AFJ publisher Jun Angeles and editor Lito Velasco at Sarap Sarap Catering and Restaurant, November 10, where they came to support the newly-opened restaurant in downtown Edmonton. (Photo by Moses Billacura/AFJ)

Photo by Rumer Garces

PH Consulate General Spearheads First Filipino Language and Culture Conference in Calgary

The Philippine Consulate General (PCG) in Calgary spearheaded a two-day conference on teaching Filipino as a heritage language on 15-16 October 2022. The conference brought together 30 Filipino Language & Culture teachers and educators in the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.

The conference aims to equip the Filipino Language & Culture teachers in Alberta and Saskatchewan with new knowledge and skills that would help them teach their students more effectively.

“We are pleased that we were able to finally organize this 1st Filipino Language & Culture Conference that we initially planned to do in 2020, but got stalled by the COVID-19 pandemic. This project is part of the Philippine Consulate General’s cultural diplomacy program to promote Filipino language, culture, and heritage,” said Consul General Zaldy Patron.

UP Department of Filipino Associate Professor and Sentro

ng Wikang Filipino-UP Diliman Philippine Literature and Direktor Dr. Jayson Petras taught the participants the issues in teaching the Filipino language outside the Philippines; the approaches and strategies in teaching the Filipino language; and the roles of the family and the community overseas in learning the Filipino language.

The PCG partnered with the Philippine National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Calgarybased Philippine Cultural Centre Foundation (PCCF), and the Edmontonbased Filipino Canadian Saranay Association of Alberta (Saranay) to organize the conference.

In Alberta, High School students are allowed to take Filipino 15, Filipino 25, and Filipino 35, with five credits each, as elective subjects. Currently, there are five Alberta schools offering these Filipino Language & Culture classes such as Fr. Lacombe High School in Calgary and Edmonton’s Sister Anata Brockman Elementary and Junior High School, Archbishop Oscar Romero Senior High School,

Meanwhile, PCCF, Saranay, and the Saskatchewan’s Filipino Heritage School also teach Filipino

Language and Culture in their respective non-formal schools.

The participants of the conference also decided to form a Filipino teachers association that will be formalized later on.

Alberta is home to an estimated 175,000 Filipino Canadians while Saskatchewan hosts another 34,000.

For more information, visit https:// www.calgarypcg.dfa.gov.ph or https:// www.facebook.com/PHinCalgary/.

Congratulations to the newly formed executives to organize Filipino Educators non-profit organizations:

Clockwise from top left: Consul General Zaldy Patron gives welcome remarks at the conference; Dr. Jayson Petras delivers one of his lectures; Consul General Zaldy Patron (center) with (from left to right) Mr. Clem Tigley (President, PCCF), Mrs. Aurora Dacanay (Principal, PCCF Filipino Language & Culture School), Mrs. Josephine Pallard (Principal, Saranay Filipino Language & Culture School), and Mr. Fred Molina (1st Vice President, PCCF); Fiipino Language and Culture teachers and educators in Calgary as participants in the 1st Filipino Language & Culture Conference. (Photos from Calgary PCG)

Grace Alarcon-Isla - Saranay - Filipino Language and Culture School of Edmonton

Maria Chelo Galay – Philippine Cultural Center Foundation of Calgary Felicitas (Fay) Santos Vargas - Filipino Heritage School of Saskatoon Edwin Aguanta - The Filipino Canadian Association of Cochrane Daryll Villanueva – Philippine Cultural Center Foundation of Calgary Marie Katrina Creencia - Filipino Heritage Association Dr. Jimmy Buena - Edmonton Catholic Schools of Edmonton Lito Mendoza Velasco - Saranay - Filipino Language and Culture School of Edmonton

Philippine Consulate General, Calgary www.philcongencalgary.org

St. Theresa Senior High School, and St. Clement Elementary and Junior High School.

L-R: Felicitas (Fay) Santos Vargas, Dr. Jimmy Buena, Edwin Aguanta, Grace Alarcon-Isla, Consul General Zaldy Patron, Marie Katrina Creencia, Maria Chelo Galay, Daryll Villanueva, Lito Mendoza Velasco

Filipino-Canadian Artists Display their Talent at Rachel Notley’s Art From the Unknown Gallery Exhibit

By Lianne Angeles

Iwas very fortunate to be one of the artists featured in Rachel Notley’s Art From the Unknown exhibit, which ran from Nov. 4 to 6 at the Old Strathcona Performing Arts Centre in Edmonton, Alberta. Through this event, I was able to meet with other artists and speak to them about their art and their experiences. I was truly excited to learn that there were two other Filipino-Canadian artists featured in the gallery, Audere Santos and Thea Galang.

Audere Santos is an artist from Calgary, Alberta, who works primarily with pen and ink using the stippling/pointillist technique. Most of her pieces are in black and white.

She shares that she likes working with big pieces because she is then able to capture as many details as she can of her subject. For Audere, seemingly ordinary objects inspire her because there is so much beauty in them if you really pay attention to their details. She is also inspired by light and shadow and loves capturing these on paper. She loves the way light changes an object's details, creating stark contrast with their shadow or a subtle change in shading.

Audere’s works are already impressive when viewed from afar, but upon closer inspection, you gain a greater appreciation when you see the amount of precision and detail that goes into them.

From Audere’s stunning works in black and white, we turn to the eye-catching colours of Thea Galang’s art.

Thea was one of the youngest artists to be featured at the event. Born in Roxas City, Capiz, Philippines, she now lives in Calgary, Alberta. Despite being seventeen and only creating art for five years, Thea has honed her skills as a self-taught artist through different

art mediums. Examples include acrylic and oil painting, charcoal and graphite drawing, and sculpting using recyclable materials. Her pieces often lead back to connecting her Filipino heritage by showcasing aspects of her hometown, her favourite home-cooked meals, and her family, especially highlighting her parents.

When asked about how her culture influences her process, she said that growing up in the Philippines has shaped her

art in more ways than one. When working in colour, Thea emphasizes the red, yellow and blue hues in her pieces, representing the original colours of the Philippine flag.

Pictures alone do not do any justice to the amazing works of these talented FilipinoCanadian artists. I do hope that there are more of these events where they will be able to once again display and share their creative talent with others. Special thanks to Rachel Notley (MLA for Edmonton-Strathcona, and leader of the Alberta NDP) for hosting this event and giving artists the opportunity to expose their works to a wider audience, as well as to Audere and Thea for taking the time to discuss their art with me and for sending me details to add to this article. To view more of their art, please visit their Instagram pages, @auderesantos (Audere’s) and @tacoturmoil (Thea’s).

April

Jose “Jun” Angeles and

Editor-in-Chief Lito Velasco (Photo Credit: Paolo Villadarez)

Audere Santos and her works.

(Photo Credit: Instagram @auderesantos)

Detailed closeup of Audere’s stippling/ pointillist technique.

(Photo Credit: Instagram @auderesantos) Thea Galang with her colourful works of art. (Photo Credit: Lianne Angeles)

Audere and Thea by more of Thea’s Philippinesinspired works. (Photo Credit: Lianne Angeles)

Resources for Grant Funding

Giselle General gqgeneral@gmail.com

This month’s resource article is about money! Not just any kind of money though, it’s about funding that you can apply for if you are someone who has an idea, be it a social service, community event, or public art and just need a few thousand or a few hundred dollars to start. Here are some resources that can help with getting funding for your idea to make a positive change in the community.

City of Edmonton and Municipal Sources of Funding

1. City of Edmonton Page: Our municipal government has smallscale grants for small-scale local projects and gatherings to improve the community. Let’s say you want to host a winter festival to connect everyone with a special activity for those experiencing winter for the first time, or you want to host a block party where everyone will bring a dish for a street-wide potluck, but you would like the cost of the heating trays and disposable dishes to be covered. This page on the city

government website can give you grants for a few hundred to a few thousand dollars: https://www. edmonton.ca/programs_services/ funding_grants/neighbourhoodfunding

2. Collaboration with your Community League: Your local neighbourhood community league is a legally recognized nonprofit organization whose objective is to improve our neighbourhoods and connect residents together. If you have an idea that requires permits, funding and coordination, let’s say for example, wanting to have fruitbearing trees along a public sidewalk, a mural on a large public fence with calligraphy in multiple languages, or a community garage sale and BBQ by the neighbourhood park with fire pits, they can help you with making this a reality. If you are not sure about the name of your community league, you can go to efcl.org/ and search for it based on your address.

Provincial and Federal Funding

1. Government of Alberta Funding:

The provincial government has several funding opportunities for those who want to help others, such as the Community Initiative Program which can help fund things such as major cultural and sports events, a specific project, or the day-to-day operations of an organization if you want to start one. https://www. alberta.ca/community-initiativesprogram.aspx/aspx/

2. Government of Canada Funding: The Government of Canada website has an extensive list of different types of funding you or your group can apply for depending on the goals and complexity of your idea, ranging from arts, anti-racism, athletics, and many more. https://www.canada. ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/ funding.html

Corporations and Foundations

1. Foundations: There are multiple nonprofit organizations that exist solely to provide funding for ideas or organizations that align with their mission. These include but are not limited to the Edmonton Arts Council

(funding for arts-related programs and activities), Oilers Foundation (funding for sports-related activities, specifically hockey), Edmonton Community Foundation (for events, projects or initiatives that benefit Edmontonians), Edmonton Heritage Council (focusing on historical and heritage related work), and many more.

2. Banks and Other Large Companies: While I personally don’t have a database I can share, doing an online search using keywords related to your idea (ex. multiculturalism, athletics, seniors, gardening) can help you find companies that are providing free grants and sponsorship to make it

happen. Some examples are the law firm Field Law with their community grant for social causes, Canadian Tire or Tim Hortons for athletic activities for youth, as well as banks and other financial institutions.

This is not an exhaustive list, but I hope that this is a useful starting point. Applying for grants can boost your budget for your social initiative so that the final cost for participants can be much lower or made even free to access. The most important thing to remember is to follow all the instructions as far as data requested, numbers and details, document formats and the deadlines.

Cebu Sinulog Cultural Group

Nathan Ip with AFJ at Palabok

Alberta Filipino Journal publisher Jun Angeles (extreme right) hosts a dinner to chat with Nathan Ip (center), an Edmonton Public School Board (EPSB) vice-chair and an NDP candidate for MLA in Southwest Edmonton, at Palabok House Restaurant. With the publisher is editor Lito Velasco. (Photo by Moses Billacura/AFJ)

The Cebu Sinulog Cultural Group members are honing their dancing skills, November 12, in preparation for the Sinulog Festival in January next year.(Photo by Moses Billacura/AFJ)

Pinay-run Educademy opens in Mill Woods

Carla's friends came to support her Educademy opening, November 12, in Mill Woods. (Photo by Moses Billacura/AFJ)

Carla and friends at the Educademy opening, November 12, in Mill Woods. (Photo by Moses Billacura/AFJ)

The Educademy Early Learning and Child Care had its grand opening on Nov. 12, in Mill Woods. The early learning and child care facility is under the care of director Ma. Carla Evalaroza. (Photo by Moses Billacura/AFJ)

Deacon Gem Mella officiates the blessing of newly-opened Educademy Early Learning and Child Care in Mill Woods.(Photo by Moses Billacura/AFJ)

Educademy director Ma. Carla Evalaroza, husband Sebastien and daughter Savannah lead in the ceremonial ribbon cutting of the Educademy Early Learning and Child Care, Nov. 12, in Mill Woods. (Photo by Moses Billacura/AFJ)

PUNAN ANG SUMUSUNOD NA CHECKLIST PARA MAKATULONG NA MAIWASAN ANG CO SA INYONG BAHAY

Mga appliance na nagsusunog ng fuel (pugon, pampainit ng tubig, fireplace, kalan na gumagamit ng natural na gas, atbp.) na regular na pinatitingngan sa kuwalipikadong technician ayon sa mga ispesipikasyon ng tagagawa.

Huling inspeksiyon (petsa): __________________________________

Buwanang pinatitingnan ang filter ng pugon at napapalitan (kung kailangan).

Petsa ng huling pagpalit: ____________________________________

Ang panloob at panlabas na singawan ay nililinisan ng dumi, snow at yelo (kung kailangan).

Ang lugar sa paligid ng mga appliance na nagsusunog ng fuel ay walang kalat.

Ang apoy ng lahat ng mga appliance na gumagamit ng natural na gas ay regular na pinatitingnan (asul dapat ito).

May sapat na mapagkukunan ng hangin (malapit sa bukas na bintana) kapag gumagamit ng fireplace na nagsusunog ng kahoy.

Hindi kailanman ia-idle ang mga sasakyan sa garahe, kahit na nakabukas ang overhead na pintuan.

Ang mga tamang nakakabit at minimintinang alarma ng CO ay makakatulong na matukoy ang CO

PUNAN ANG SUMUSUNOD NA CHECKLIST PARA MAKATULONG NA MATUKOY ANG CO SA INYONG BAHAY

Ang (mga) alarma ng CO ay kinabit at minimintina ayon sa mga tagubilin ng tagagawa.

Ang petsa ng pagkapaso ay nakasulat sa (mga) alarma ng CO gamit ang marker.

Petsa ng pagkapaso: ____________________________________

Taunang papalitan ang baterya ng (mga) alarma ng CO, kung naaangkop.

Buwanang iva-vacuum ang (mga) alarma ng CO.

Matuto kung paano ninyo mapoprotektahan ang inyong bahay sa ATCO.com/CO

TAMARAW SENIORS CLUB IN CALGARY

- After the first of the two-day First Filipino Teachers’ Conference at the Philippine Cultural Center in Calgary, The Tamaraw Seniors Club‘s organizers, through Consul General Zaldy Patron invited the Filipino teachers to also attend the 16th Annual Thanksgiving Gala Night, also known as the Fiesta Sa Nayon (Barrio Fiesta) last October

Calgary

Consul General Zaldy Patron went around to shake hands and greet the Gala attendees.

AFJ editor Lito Velasco posed with this lovely couple, Nonong and Edith Granado.

Philippine Consul General of Alberta and Saskatchewan Zaldy Patron and his wife Sheila with the Filipino teachers who attended the Gala Night or Fiesta sa Nayon.

15, 2022 at the Polish Hall in Calgary. Complimentary tickets were distributed to each teacher-attendee.

The last push to regularize

Approximately 90 undocumented migrants are travelling to Ottawa on Monday, November 14. They are set to meet with politicians in an

MIGRANTS' VOICES

attempt to push the regularization program for undocumented migrants.

These migrants came from Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Edmonton.

The Liberal government is targeting to create a program that will provide a path to permanent residency for over 500,000 undocumented migrants.

Late last year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave a mandate letter to Immigration Minister Sean Fraser to "further explore ways of regularizing status for undocumented workers who are contributing to Canadian communities."

Regularization is the process of giving status to “irregular” migrants or migrants that do not have a regular status in Canada.

was the “Adjustment of Status Program” which exposed the systemic flaws in the immigration laws. It granted status to about 39,000 people from over 150 countries

to regularize the status of immigrant groups before, none have been projected to include so many people.

Marco Luciano mluciano2@gmail.com

Since October, Ministry officers had consultations with several advocacy groups about the program. There have been many regularization programs in the past. The first regularization program in Canada was the “Chinese Adjustment Statement Program”, which took place in 1960 to 1972. In 1973

Another adjustment of status initiative took place from 1983 to 1985 by the Minister's Review Committee, called “Illegal Migrants in Canada”. In May 1986, the government introduced another regularization program which was known as a "partial amnesty" for refugee claimants. “The Deferred Removal Orders Class (DROC)”, was implemented from 1994 to 1998. The program provided status to about 3,000 mostly Chinese people, although some were from Iran. There were two regularization programs in 2002 for the Haitians and Algerians. The H&C or the “Humanitarian and Compassionate Application” consideration is the only permanent regularization mechanism which allows anyone living without legal status in Canada to apply.

While there were these programs

Danilo De Leon, an undocumented migrant from Edmonton, will be in Ottawa to be part of the final push. “I wanted to be there to give my part. Many undocumented migrants sacrificed to be there, and I will be with them,” said De Leon. Three migrants will be coming from Alberta, Danilo, as well as two others from Calgary. The town hall will start with the meeting with Immigration Minister’s office. It will be followed by a media event and a meeting with the NDP caucus in the afternoon.

Aside from Regularization for all without exceptions, there are other demands that these migrants were asking for. Some of these demands include: No delay. Delay is unjust and keeps the status of undocumented migrants precarious; No language, educational, family requirements. These requirements are discriminatory; Removal of any

caps. Every undocumented migrant must be included, and no one should be left behind; An Open Work Permit should be issued to the migrants while waiting for their permanent residency to be processed; Lastly, to end the deportation. “We, migrants, and undocumented people should have a voice in policy creations. We must be part of the decision making,” says Danilo De Leon.

KUSINA DIARIES

Why I Love Zucchini

Idon’t remember having or seeing zucchini in the Philippines when I was younger, but my preference for unripe squash that we normally use for bulanglang made it easy for me to warm up to it easily. It is one of the most common veggies—I mean fruit, that you can find in my fridge. And yes, zucchini is a fruit.

Should you eat it? I would say yes because zucchini is reach in vitamins, minerals and other plant compounds that are beneficial to your health. It is rich in vitamin A to support your vision and immune system. Its skin has a high level of antioxidants that can help protect your body from damage caused by free radicals.Those antioxidants can also help reduce blood sugar levels.

It is rich in water and fiber which can help soften stools thereby reducing your risk of constipation. It promotes healthy digestion. According to Healthline publication, the fiber, potassium, and carotenoids in zucchini may lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and other risk factors for heart disease. Zucchini may also benefit bone, thyroid, and prostate health. It may also have anticancer properties.

Marco Luciano is the Global Council Representative of Philippine based Migrante International. He is also the current Secretary General of its chapter Migrante Canada.

Leonila learned to take life in stride after realizing that life truly is what we make it. She believes that life, in every moment, brings opportunities for us to be better or do better. She is grateful. Finds joy in everything she does. She loves her life.

Leonila Samarita samleonila@gmail.com

PHOTO: EVGENY IVANOV / EYEEM / GETTY IMAGES

ChowKeni Opens its Business in Edmonton West

from page 18

Why I Love Zucchini

What is the best way to prepare it? Zucchini is a versatile fruit and can be eaten raw or cooked in salads, snacks, soups, stews, baked goods and more.

During the summer when there is an abundant supply of it in the market, I will carefully select the young, freshly picked ones. Those are the best if you want to eat it raw. Just wash, slice them the way you want, and they are ready as a snack or to add to a salad.

Here are some ways to incorporate it in your diet:

• Add raw to salads

• Cut in half, smother with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper then grill it

• Cut in half, stuff with meat or other veggies or cheese then bake it

• Boil until soft then blend into soups

• Slice and sauté with garlic, onions, and olive oil and serve as a side dish

• Slice, deep in beaten egg and then breadcrumbs and fry

• Spiralize into spaghetti or linguinelike noodles

• Slice thinly to use as lasagna sheets

• Add into breads, muffins, or cakes

• Cut into thin circles, season as you like and bake until crispy as zucchini chips

• Cut as you please and eat raw as snacks

• Cut into cubes, add into soups

• Stir fry with other vegies… and the possibilities are endless

If you haven’t yet, add this healthy neutral tasting fruit to your diet today and enjoy it!

Attorney Joseph Angeles, AFJ publisher Jose “Jun” Angeles

L-R: Carmelita Baluyot, Berna Young, Edmonton Zumba instructor Manny Arban, Jun Angeles, Maria Martinez, Teresita Billedo, Atty. Joseph Angeles, owner of ChowKeni Rhogie Reyes

Kelly McCauley (center), Member of Parliament-Edmonton West, formally welcomes the owners of Chowkeni Restaurant, Rhogie and Sheila Reyes (left) to the Westside of Edmonton during the restaurant's opening at 16806 118 Avenue NW, November 8. Chowkeni first started by launching a food truck in Edmonton, then opened food services on Main Street in Spruce Grove.(Photo by Moses Billacura/AFJ)

Aeron J - Edmonton Emerging and Serendipitous Artist

In the performing arts industry, apart from talent, skills and hard work, luck may play a big part in one’s career - of being at the right time at the right place, and/or knowing the right people. One artist with such luck is Edmonton-based singer and songwriter, Aeron J.

ARTOSPECTIVE - an artist’s point of view

You may see Aeron J as one of the front act performers in local shows in Edmonton featuring Philippinebased bands and performers. I did see him at the December Avenue concert and the Kultura Filipino Festival. He is also in the line up in upcoming concerts.

Aeron J is Aeron Joshua Basila, born and raised in Bulacan, who arrived in Edmonton in 2014. He is the oldest of three siblings (the others are twin sisters), whose parents worked in the entertainment industry - at GMA and ABS-CBN.

As a young boy, Aeron J was fond of basketball, and dreamed of becoming an engineer as he was fond of numbers and problem solving.

Ida Beltran-Lucila ida_b_lucila@yahoo.com

But the pandemic, as with some people, altered the direction of his life. Bored out of his wits, he started writing songs, singing and recording his own music. His early songs, “Through Odds” and “Heartbreak” (released in January 2021) were inspired by his relationship with girlfriend Faith, who is his muse, primary and most important critic

and supporter, and serves as his current manager. With no music training and technical background, Aeron J would find a beat or vibe then write out lyrics based on his current thoughts and emotions. A guarded person, he found he is able to express himself more through his songwriting.

It was while looking for assistance with a mix that Aeron J reached out

to a member of HOOD 047, an Olongapo City-based rap group. This led to an invitation to collaborate with the group in the music video “Wasted”. The video went viral, trending #1 in the Philippines with 18

in the Wish Bus, performed in concerts and worked on a second collaboration with HOOD 047, On Time which was released in May 2022.

Aeron J has currently five songs mostly in Filipino, released in his different channels, i.e. YouTube, Spotify, and iTunes. He is one of a handful of artists fortunate to have opportunities like these in less than two years of embarking on a musical career path. He is thrilled with the fact that he is now experiencing what he and his friends used to just dream about, and his journey is serving as an inspiration to his friends. It is after going through all these exhilarating engagements that he realised that music is something he can and should be serious at pursuing. He is currently studying music mixing, social media and digital marketing and plans to take vocal training.

With most of his success anchored in the Philippines, he seeks to establish himself in Canada, headline his own concert, and be at par with artists he idolizes like Ex B, December Avenue and Ben&Ben. Grateful for the opportunity provided to him by HOOD 047, he pays this forward by connecting local Edmonton artists to those he has worked with in the Philippines, and having collaborations with other young artists in his upcoming music videos and EPs.

One can say that luck was working in Aeron J’s favour for the start of his musical career. And from the looks of it, it was a really great start. It is now up to him, as a true artist, to sustain this momentum and potential with hard work, perseverance and passion. And so, if you are a believer of serendipity and destiny, watch out for Aeron J and witness the trajectory his talent and music career would take. We wish Aeron J all the best!

To comment on this article, go to https://www. philippineartscouncil.com/blog.

million views on YouTube. It also featured Guthrie Nikolao, along with HOOD 047’s J emm Dahon, Kushin and KL. Aeron J’s contribution to Wasted was about missing his friends due to the pandemic. This successful collaboration led to tv guestings in the Philippines for Aeron J in ASAP, Tv5 and GMA. He was flown back to perform

Supporting children after separation

When a married couple or a couple that has been living together as husband and wife without the benefit of marriage, otherwise known as an Adult Interdependent Relationship (AIP) in Alberta or common-law relationship in other provinces in Canada, decide to call it quits and terminate their marriage or relationship, there are several things that need to be dealt with such as division of any assets and liabilities, parenting arrangement for the children, decision-making responsibilities, and support for the children or the other spouse/ partner, if any.

Given the complexity of the topics that I have mentioned above, I would limit my article to child support and other matters will be parked and discussed in a different article.

Most of the time, one of the contentions that spouses or AIP partners have to deal with is child support. After separation, parents need to consider where the children will stay. How much time will the children spend with the mom and with the dad. Regardless as to who gets the children, either or both parents are required to pay child support. Child support is required when there is a child of the marriage or relationship who is either a minor (below 18 years of age) or who is dependent on the parent’s care by reason of illness, disability, or other reason like postsecondary education.

Child support is basically divided into expenses (Section 3 expenses) that are necessary for the children such as food, shelter, and clothing, and expenses (Section 7 expenses) that are extraordinary such as among others child care, medical or dental insurance and expenses, extracurricular activities, and post-secondary education.

In terms of Section 3 expenses, the amount to be paid depends on few factors such as to which parent the children will spend the most time with and, ultimately, the income of the parents. If one parent has primary and day-to-day care over the children, the other parent is considered as the payor and he or she is liable to pay the amount based on the Federal Child Support Guidelines found in the Divorce Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. 3 (2nd Supp.)).

In terms of Section 7 expenses, the amount to be paid depends on the proportionate share of the parent from the total income amount earned by both parents. For example, if the father earns an annual income of $40,000 and the mother earns $60,000, the annual income combined is $100,000. The father’s share would be 40% ($40,000 / $100,000) and the mother’s share would be 60% ($60,000 / $100,000). If the child incurs $1,000 for dental expenses then the father is responsible for paying $400 (40%) and the mother is responsible for paying $600 (60%).

At the end of the day, legislation

A Lawyer practising Family Law, Immigration Law, Contract Law, Corporate Law, Real Estate Law, Wills & Estates, and Criminal Law and can be found at 20430 128A Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T5S 0N4.

Back then:

2016 General Legal Counsel (JCI Philippines)

2016 Director for National Relations (JCI Manila)

2015 Area General Legal Counsel (Metro Area, JCI Philippines)

is geared towards the well-being of the children because they are the most vulnerable as they do not have the power to provide for themselves. This is where the parents step in to support them. Parents cannot get away from this responsibility.

If you have any legal questions, feel free to email me at irvin.bautista@ gmail.com. Any response to questions made on the next article shall not be considered legal advice.

Tips for traveling in winter

It is only November, but you will be forgiven for thinking it is already winter. Temperatures have plummeted, the first snowfall dumped 35 centimeters on Edmonton and surrounding areas, and misery, not good cheer, was spread around. But then this is Alberta, and one has to get used to the weather in much the same way you try to get used to road constructions all over the city. Headaches for sure, but something you just accept and move on.

cancellations and delays. If you do have connecting flights, remember to bring your coats, you might have to change planes outdoors. Leave early for the airport, and always stay updated online.

Confession attracts salvation

Luke 19:1-10

Zaccheus is a little man with big problems. He was short and hated by his fellows. He was hated because he was exacting too much taxes from his fellow Jews. He used his profession to gain unjust wealth. He was a notorious and dishonest tax collector. He was rich, but unhappy. Perhaps some of us are like Zacchaeus. We have much in life but are left feeling empty. Today’s gospel give us this great lesson in life. Desire to see Jesus more than anything. Folks, money can be a universal provider of everything except happiness. Money may be used as a universal passport everywhere except in heaven. Pope Francis once said, “When one lives attached to money and power, it is impossible to be happy.”

Bear this in mind my dear friends: Money can buy happiness, but not joy; Money can buy food, but not an appetite;

Money can buy a house, but not a home; Money can buy medicine, but not health;

Money can buy pleasure, but not joy; Money can buy style, but not beauty; Money can buy books, but not wisdom; Money can buy contracts, but not trustworthiness;

Money can buy weapons, but not peace; Money can buy a beautiful grave, but not eternal life.

Finally, Zacchaeus was regarded as a “beast in human form” but this does not stop him from seeing who Jesus is. Folks, never let your sins stop your desire to meet Jesus. Do not ever allow your wickedness to hinder yourself from encountering the Lord. Conquer those who conquer you. Like Zacchaeus, let us change our life from being greedy to being generous. "Look, half of my possessions, Lord,

I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much." My dear friends, let us not be ashamed to admit our sins and make efforts not to sin again. If we do this, salvation is possible. “Today, salvation has come to this house.”

Conclusion: Three points to encourage us. First, God loves short people. Second, the most important things in life are not things. Finally, salvation is possible if we have the habit of admitting our atrocity. We commit sins but if we are sincerely sorry for it, salvation is assured by God. Folks, confession attracts salvation.

Blessings, Fr. Jhack

THE PROTECTIVE POWER OF WISDOM

thy soul; 11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee.”

Bing J. Jaleco

bingjaleco@yahoo.com

Raleigh “Bing” Jaleco was a veteran journalist and public relations consultant in the Philippines. He started out as a correspondent for Ang Pahayagang Malaya and then moved on to be a reporter, and then an editor, of The Manila Chronicle. He also served as news editor of The Manila Standard, business editor of The Manila Times, and sub-editor at the Manila Bulletin. He landed as a permanent resident in Canada in 2016.

BY tradition, winter officially starts on December 21, the winter solstice, or that day in the year when we have the shortest day and the longest night. The Farmers’ Almanac says it is celebrated in many cultures since ancient times, and some of the Christmas rituals and practices we have today are rooted in these ancient festivities.

Then again, this weather is certainly nothing to laugh at nor ignore. Which is why one of the most annoying things I experience in this city are drivers who drive on snow and ice like it was summer, and give brilliant excuses like “it’s not yet winter anyway.”

So, we all have to be mindful not just of the winter deniers but of the existing weather conditions, especially when traveling. At the Edmonton International Airport where I work, airlines have shifted to their respective winter schedules, and there are now more flights south.

I picked out some really useful tips from a host of travel blogs and sites on the internet. So for those planning to travel, here are some tips to help make it less stressful.

From quattrossm.com: Take nonstop flights is possible. They may cost a little more but it’s a hedge against

From travelalberta.com: When traveling across Alberta, the weather can change quickly. So, dress for the occasion. “It’s best to dress in layers Warm jackets, boots, scarves, mittens and hats are a must in our winter months. Bring a hat and sunglasses to provide protection from strong sunlight.”

From the Alberta Motor Association (ama.ab.ca): If you have plans of going on a road trip, make sure your vehicle is prepped for the cold drive. Switch to synthetic oil (helps your car start in sub-zero temps. Check fluids, belts and hoses for bulges and leaks. Check the battery (because it’s really cold out there), and use winter tires (make sure you use a set of four identical tires). And do get winter wiper blades because they do help when driving in ice, sleet, or snow.

And above all, always put safety ahead of everything else. Some precautions may cost you a little more, but there’s never a good substitute for your safety and those of your loved ones.

When wisdom enters your heart: Solomon mentioned the idea of protection relevant to wisdom (Proverbs 2:7-8). Now he explains that something happens when we gain wisdom. When we value God’s Word.

And knowledge is pleasant to your soul. Proverbs 2:10-11 asserts that Wisdom gives both pleasure and surefootedness in life. The more wisdom one learns, the more one desires and enjoys it.

The protection wisdom gives, moreover, is that it keeps its follower from making decisions that will later bring only regret.

Spiritual joy mortifies sin. His mouth hankers not after homely provision that hath lately tasted of delicate sustenance.

Pleasure there must be in the ways of God, because therein men let out their souls into God that is the fountain of all good. Hence they so infinitely distaste sin’s tasteless fooleries.

Discretion shall preserve you: We need God’s protection to gain wisdom (Proverbs 2:7-8), but wisdom also protects us.

Understanding shall keep you: From many foolish choices and harmful consequences in life.

IRVIN BAUTISTA

Fr. Jhack Diaz

of translating his mission from fraternity into Divinity--from a mere brotherhood into sainthood. Tito authored a book entitled Quocunque Jeceris Stabit, which means, wherever you throw, it will stand.

take dedication and hard work on your part. Unfortunately, with Mars traveling in reverse through your sign, finding the motivation and momentum to modify your ways might feel like an uphill battle.

You’ll be filled with artistic inspiration and creative ideas this month, dear Cancer, as the sun, Mercury and Venus glide through Scorpio and the sector of your chart that governs self-expression. Use this energy as an excuse to let your imagination run wild, as long as doing so feels good and is providing you with reasons to be optimistic. Unfortunately, the vibe could turn at a moment’s notice as Mars moves retrograde through the sector of your chart that governs the subconscious.

The Universe is asking you to process a lot right now, sweet Leo, as the sun, Mercury and Venus all travel through Scorpio and your solar fourth house. This celestial dance encourages you to nurture your heart and mind while taking an honest look at your identity and what’s important to you. Scorpio season dares you to be vulnerable, so you might feel less career-focused and more concerned with family matters or intimate connections. However, there could also be particularly intense moments, because the stars align to reveal where there might be abuse or toxicity in your dynamics.

Your wit will be quick and your instincts strong this month, dear Virgo, as the sun, Mercury and Venus all travel through Scorpio and the sector of your chart that governs communication and thought processes. A hunger for new information and truth drives you right now, though these vibes can border on the obsessive, so you’ll need to keep tabs on the amount of detail you ingest in one sitting. The psychic nature of this cosmic climate allows you to read others more easily, though setting boundaries will be important when it comes to protecting your own energy.

Financial growth and future security will take up the bulk of your focus this month, dear Libra, as the sun, Mercury and Venus travel through Scorpio. This cosmic climate can trigger your need for stability, inspiring you to build something that can stand the test of time. Luckily, you’ll also have an edge when it comes to business negotiations, so don’t be afraid to ask for what you’re worth. If you’re in a serious relationship, discussions around operating as a fiscal team might manifest around November 6, helping you and your partner get on the same page monetarily.

The cosmic climate this month is a bittersweet one for you, dear Scorpio, because the stars align to bring you both blessings and challenges. On the one hand, you’ll be feeling clearheaded and motivated to wholeheartedly work toward your goals as the sun, Mercury and Venus all travel through your sign. Unfortunately, Mars, your planetary ruler, is in the midst of its retrograde journey through Gemini, which could cause you to second-guess your abilities.

There will be a wellspring of activity happening below the surface for you this month, dear Sagittarius, as the sun, Venus and Mercury make their way through the sector of your chart that governs the subconscious. The transformative nature of the Scorpion’s energy can push you to evolve past old beliefs or behaviors that no longer align with who you are, as your impending solar return asks you to examine how you can grow throughout the next year. Unfortunately, thanks to the retrograde journey of Mars through Gemini, change won’t come as simply as you might hope.

work and play might be a tall order this month, dear Aquarius, as the sun, Mercury and Venus travel through the sector of your chart that governs career ambitions. This celestial dance will open major doors for you professionally, though these opportunities won’t come without their hang-ups, especially when Venus opposes Uranus on November 5.

Though Scorpio season tends to be one of the more intense and rocky times of the year, you’ll benefit from some additional support from beyond the veil as a series of celestial bodies travel through your solar ninth house. That’s right, dear Pisces: While other members of the zodiac are struggling with personal upheaval, you’ll be flying high on a cloud of optimism and faith in the bigger picture.

October 2022 Crossword's Solution October 2022 Issue Sudoku's

November 2022 Interview with Mayor Amarjeet Sohi

GENERAL POINT OF VIEW

He is also will looking into discussing the City Charter with the new premier. He believes that municipalities, especially Edmonton and Calgary, need more authority and more financial capacity as well as more permanent sustainable, long-term funding.

Regarding transit, he says that LRT system has improved, and ridership is almost at pre-pandemic levels, faster than other cities in Canada. Numerous safety and security measures are being implemented, including the Community Outreach Transit Team (COTT).

good infrastructure to enable other transportation modes. One goal is to have more youth internships with the city and to also set up a Living Wage Policy with the city.

Addressing homelessness is a great priority with advocating for better housing and health care funding from the provincial government and to invest more in Edmonton. The advocacy is paying off and there is a recent announcement of 350 more shelter spaces in the near future.

Giselle General came from the cold, mountainous region of the Benguet province, and immigrated to Canada as a teenager in 2007. She completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta, and has a career in the nonprofit sector. 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, FilipinaYEG, and self-published a book called The Humanity of Me, and is active in numerous volunteerbased initiatives.

Last October 13, 2022, the Office of the Mayor organized a media roundtable for ethnic media outlets to ask questions directly to Major Amarjeet Sohi regarding his first year in office. The most recent election took place last October 18, 2021 resulting in the mayor’s first term in office as well as the election of eight new councillors, forming the new City Council. This is a summary of the key points asked by the media outlets that attended.

He summarized the first year as a time with a lot of learning and relationship-building, with great focus on business organizations and advancing COVID recovery. Downtown’s economic recovery is crucial for his first year in office. Industrial growth is ongoing, increasing tax base to improve city services.

He addressed the city’s antiracism strategy and said there is grant funding for organizations related to Reconciliation and the Truth and Reconciliation’s Calls to Action. There is also an Anti-Black Racism Strategy under development. He is working on a strong equity lens in work for the past year and work for the remaining years in the term.

When asked about changes to help individuals from ethnocultural communities find employment with the city, he says the city is committed to having a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community. The mayor wants to have further change in staffing in the next years, especially in areas of transit, community services and fire rescue. One thing to note is that since employment with the city is a stable job, open opportunities are subject to staff turnover which may be slow. The city wants to create space and connection for multicultural and racialized entrepreneurs to contact the city for information. The city is also working on change to procurement process to support small businesses. $1.2 Million is allocated to support festivals and provide artist recovery from COVID, a portion dedicated for multicultural groups.

Regarding supporting the youth of the city, the mayor appreciated the dynamic involvement of youth with getting involved with the city and getting their voice heard. They primarily do this through the Edmonton Youth Council, giving input on ensuring that city amenities are accessible to youth such as libraries and transit. Youth are keen on having

The mayor also discussed the upcoming budget. He says there are inflationary pressures, and coupled with reality, this means that the city has not fully recovered economically. This is a serious consideration when discussing raising taxes. The city is reviewing budget items line by line while striving to give basic core services. Many believe Edmonton City Council has direct control of the police, which is not true.

Edmonton Police is accountable to

the commission which has two city councillors in it. This lack of clarity is causing confusion. The only thing that the City Council as a whole can do is to make changes in the budget total amount. There’s no ability to dictate specific police budget items while many city departments and

expenses still remain underfunded. Edmonton is the first city to do Carbon Budgeting and have to work on how to measure and account in a way that balances the financial commitment.

Thank you to the mayor’s office for arranging this interview opportunity.

CELEBRATIONS OF LIFE: Moving Forward

Birthdays are everyone’s most cherished moment as this is when we celebrate the covenant between life and its Giver. Nobody is born alone. There are two causes of life that we have to acknowledge, appreciate, and recognize. The first is the Ultimate Cause or Giver, our God and the second are the proximate causes, our parents. Now, He who doesn’t acknowledge, appreciate, and recognize his or her life is also rejecting its Causes. Lucky are these individuals who truly celebrate life with significant people around them. May you all continue to share the gift of life with others. Active co-existence follows essence.

KASSANDRA REYES TURNS 18: Good-

Congratulations to Elmina (Erling) Magnaye Arcilla, recipient of the Emy Angeles Memorial Award 2022 for Exemplary Service and Dedication to Filipino Retirees Association of Alberta. Awarded in Edmonton, Alberta at FRAA’s 39th Anniversary Celebration. A cheque of $300.00 and a revolving trophy was presented by Pol Angeles on behalf of Jose Angeles, donor of the cheque and trophy.

Beth Aperocho (in orange) was joined by her friends at the Palabok House as she celebrated her 76th birthday last November 13, 2022.

A birthday dance with her husband, Jimmy

The celebrant poses with the owner of Palabok House, Lydia Jimenez

Cynthia Palmaria enjoying a simple birthday celebration last October 29, 2022. Happy birthday, Cynthia!

Engaged couple - George Jocson Jr (well known Basketball Player in majority of the leagues in Edmonton & Area) with fiancée Chandra Mendis (RCIC with Canadian Immigration Group) are also November celebrants (Nov 2 & Nov 11). Photo by Abigail Orena of Abotz Photography.

Ninia Dizon with her 24th birthday cake last November 7th 2022

Ninia Dizon was visibly overwhelmed by this group of well-wishers during the celebration of her 24th birthday last November 7, 2022.

The debutant, Albert Dizon, Allan San Pedro, Levy Reyes (Kassandra’s dad), Nilo Aboy, and Lito Velasco

L-R: Levy Reyes (Dad), Karen Reyes (Mom), Elizabeth (Grandma), Krizia (younger sister); Front: Kassandra, the debutant

Noel Angeles’ family and friends

Noel Angeles (November 15)

L-R Berna Angeles, President of FRAA Othella Koehler, Recipient Erling Magnaye Arcilla and Pol Angeles.

GMA Pinoy TV bags two Silver Awards at the 2022 International Film Festival Manhattan

GMA’s flagship international channel GMA Pinoy TV adds another feather to its cap as it bagged two Silver Awards at the 2022 International Film Festival Manhattan (IFFM) for its original programs "Global Pinoy Unlimited" and "EntrePinoy Abroad."

Winning Silver under IFFM’s News Category, “Global Pinoy Unlimited” is a short-form content that features what’s new in the global Pinoy community –highlighting community news, Pinoy headliners and their significant contributions to the community, as well as special kababayan and Kapuso happenings across the globe.

The award-winning episode, which aired on GMA Pinoy TV, was about the Historic Filipinotown Gateway in Los Angeles, California USA. The massive arch was the largest Filipino landmark in Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown and is officially called “Talang Gabay (Our Guiding Star).” The 30-foot-tall and 82-foot-wide steel

arch gives tribute to all Filipino immigrants, as well as the outstanding contributions of the Filipinos in the community.

“We, at GMA Pinoy TV, are one with Global Pinoys who continue to dream and work for representation,” said GMA International Senior Vice President for Programming Cheri C. Domingo in her acceptance speech. “And this recognition of our content efforts aligned with that aspiration is very much inspiring and motivational for us. Thank you, International Film Festival Manhattan, for the Silver Awards for GMA Pinoy TV’s Global Pinoy Unlimited. I share this award with GMA International and GMA Program Support Teams who are behind this proudly Filipino content.

On the other hand, “EntrePinoy Abroad” – a digital series by GMA Pinoy TV, highlights the stories of Filipinos abroad who, despite the challenges of putting up their own business in a foreign land, continue to persevere and promote Filipino products to the world.

Earning a Silver under the Episodic Category was the feature on Filipina architect Evangeline Macasa Monjardin, a managing partner in an interior design and contracting company in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. In the said episode, she shared her inspiring journey on how she transitioned from being an employee to putting up her own business. It was initially published on GMA Pinoy TV’s Facebook and YouTube pages and was aired on GMA Pinoy TV.

“Thank you, IFFM for the Silver Award given to GMA Pinoy TV’s EntrePinoy. The program highlights Pinoys as they take on the bold challenge of making their business dreams into a reality, in the hopes of inspiring other aspiring entrepreneurs. Muli po from the entire GMA International and GMA International Marketing team, maraming salamat po for remaining stronger together with GMA Pinoy TV,” Marketing Director Beth De Guzman expressed.

“On behalf of GMA Pinoy TV, congratulations to our hard-working team behind Global Pinoy Unlimited and EntrePinoy Abroad as well as to our kababayans who trusted us in sharing their stories to inspire their fellow Kapuso

abroad. This recognition from the IFFM is yet another testament that we truly are #StrongerTogether in creating an impact across the globe. We share this honor with all Global Pinoys!” GMA International First Vice President and Head Joseph T. Francia concluded.

The International Film Festival Manhattan is an independent film festival that showcases a selection of world-class short films that are screened at several theater venues in Manhattan, New York City, USA. Now, in its 13th year, the award-giving body focuses on social relevance as part of its programming and goals as it creates an opportunity for filmmakers and artists to showcase their works in the Big Apple. This year’s IFFM awarding ceremony was held last November 12 and hosted by Luis Pedron.

For more updates on GMA Pinoy TV, visit www.gmapinoytv.com.

THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE

Words of encouragement and inspiration

from Myrell Niño Panulde-Mendoza

I want to take a great look at this earth before it's too late. The world is indeed a beautiful place to discover my potential as I strive for excellence.

I am grateful not only as a student but also as a member of Tau Gamma Phi Fraternity for the full support of TAO Canada and for being given this opportunity and I want to encourage all other aspirants that you should not be discouraged and to continue to carry on with whatever you go through in life. Have a goal, strategize, focus and put work into it.

“Excel in your chosen field of interest and endeavour.” TGP’s Code of Conduct

office in

2021 federal election.

Valdez is the first Filipina-Canadian and second Filipino-Canadian to be elected to the House of Commons. M.P. Valdez

serves on the Standing Committee for Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs and is a Vice Chair for the Canada-Philippines Interparliamentary Group.

Minister Randy Boissonnault

M.P George Chahal

Usapang Pederal

Message of the Month: Putting more money in the pockets of Canadians

Hello everyone, I am excited to join my colleagues Minister Randy Boissonnault and M.P. George Chahal in our monthly column!

Every month, we will be discussing the important legislation we have introduced to support Canadians in our post-pandemic recovery.

Whether it’s putting gas in the car or buying groceries, the rising cost of living has made it difficult for many Canadian families to keep up. That’s why one of the first things we did when the House resumed was introducing legislation to double the GST tax credit for the next 6 months, putting more money back in the pocket of Canadians.

In addition, we are:

• Providing up to $1,300 over two years through a Canada Dental Benefit to children under 12, starting this year

• Issuing a second installment of the Climate Action Incentive rebate

• Delivering $500 to nearly 2 million low-income renters who are struggling with the cost of housing

• Enhancing the Canada Workers Benefit to put up to $2,400 more into the pockets of low-income families this year;

• Cutting childcare fees by an average of 50% by the end of this year; and,

• Tying benefits to inflation so they increase with the cost of living, including the Canada Child Benefit, the GST Credit, the Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security, and the Guaranteed Income Supplement

Our government is working hard to help support communities across Alberta and Canada. Through these various supports, your federal government is creating mechanisms to ensure you are able to save more of your money and put money back into your pockets.

Sulong Alberta

Minister Randy Boissonnault

October 2022 marks one year since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked me to serve as Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance in Cabinet. Since then, MP George Chahal and I have rolled up our sleeves and delivered results for Edmontonians, Albertans and Canadians in our tourism industry and on affordability. From vital support for businesses and workers through the pandemic to innovative solutions to the evolution of energy to having Alberta named one of the top 25 destinations to visit in the world for authentic Indigenous tourism by National Geographic, Albertans have a strong voice in Cabinet and in Caucus, and we have your back!

M.P George Chahal

It has been an honour to serve the people of Calgary Skyview as their Member of Parliament. The communities in Calgary are vibrant and diverse, home to new Canadians from around the world. Our government understands that all Canadians must have an equal opportunity to succeed. In fact, on behalf of Minister Dan Vandal, I have recently announced PrairiesCan investments of over $6.6 million that will enhance public spaces across the city, while creating more than 100 jobs. Because our government's goal is to bring forward measures to make life more affordable, create new well-paying jobs, fight inflation, and grow the economy.

Minister Boissonnault and I – “Team Alberta” – will always fight for your families as your voice in Ottawa.

The Honourable Randy Boissonnault was first elected to the House of Commons in 2015 and was re elected in 2021, representing Edmonton Centre. He is also the federal minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance. A passionate advocate for Edmonton Centre, he worked to address the needs and priorities of his community, including strengthening transit infrastructure, supporting businesses, and creating jobs.

A community leader and long-time advocate, George Chahal is committed to creating new jobs, growing our middle class, supporting the most vulnerable, and helping make Calgary Skyview more inclusive and representative of all its citizens. George’s former role as a City Councillor led to the approval of major recreation projects across Calgary.

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Gumagalang, Randy at George

L-R: Teddy Apolonio, Dexter Godenez, Reynaldo “Boy” Valiao, Myrell Mendoza, Eloiza “Chuchay” De Guzman

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Myrell Mendoza and Dean Sean Kennedy

M.P. Rechie Valdez Rechie Valdez is the Member of Parliament for Mississauga—Streetsville. She was elected to

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