Alberta Filipino Journal - September 2018 Issue

No Tragedy Has No Boundary

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Hannah Adamson:

Kevin Mejia: Where my Expertise turns into Business Ambassador P25

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SEPTEMBER 2018 • Volume 11, Number 9

The One, and the Star

AlbertaFilipinoJournal.com

Premier Notley Praises Filipinos in Alberta

TWO SIDES OF THE COIN:

Premier Rachel Notley delivering issues related to the oil & gas pipelines and the economy forecast for Alberta

Both vying for the truth!

P6,7,23

P3,17

COPAA Annual Picnic

Members of COPAA

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Trillanes: Prosecuted or persecuted?

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BUSINESS

SEPTEMBER 2018

THE PULSE OF THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY IN THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA, CANADA

SEPTEMBER 2018

BUSINESS | COMMUNITY

Premier Rachel Notley Praises Filipinos at Fiesta Filipino 2018 in Calgary

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L-R Letty Tria, Jimmy Fontanilla, Minister Amarjeet Sohi, Beth Aperocho-Fontanilla, Hermie Angeles and Alberta Filipino Journal Publisher, Jun Angeles.

iesta Filipino 2018 in Calgary attracted over 40,000 spectators in a three day event from August 31 to September 2, 2018. The third annual fiesta celebration is considered one of the largest congregation of Filipinos and Filipino-Canadians in Alberta in the historic Olympic Plaza in Calgary. The three day event showcased traditional and modern Filipino dances and songs involving various community organizations in Alberta. One of the attractions of the fiesta were the various booths serving authentic Filipino food and drinks participated by different restaurants in Calgary. The participation of starstudded cast consisted of famous actresses and actor from Philippines, Bella Padilla, Yassi Pressman and Xiam Lim courtesy of ABS-CBN of the Philippines one of the reasons why Filipinos travelled to see this event.

The Fiesta also attracted the the main players in the political Alberta arena, the NDP party, the UCP Party, the Liberal Party and the Alberta continued on page 17 ►

Party leader of Stephen Mandel at the Fiesta Parade

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WHAT's Inside: A reader's guide COPAA Annual Picnic 4 EDITOR’S CORNER 5 Migrants’ Voices 6 Triple Maple Leaf 7 From a Vantage Point 8 Alberta Filipino Journal Team 8 Perezcope 9 Julia Isabel San Agustin 10 Through a Teenager’s Eyes 10 Faith Shared Is Fate Paired 11 Photo Potpourri 12 Resources on Getting Your Voice Heard 13 Convenience: The Dictate of Our Conscience 14 Hong Kong Airlines 15 RADYO SA DYARYO: 18 2018 ANCOP WALK in EDMONTON 19 JAN THE MAN’S NOTE 20 GENERAL POINT OF VIEW 21 SPORTS JOURNAL 22 FROM DREAM INTO BEAM 23 Filipinavigation 23 Publisher's Note 24 Just Listen 24 Making Gospel Reading Trending 25 Kaya Ko, Kaya Mo! 25 From Migration to Immigration 26 Artospective 27

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Deputy Premier Sarah Hoffman graced the Fiesta with the Declaration of June as Philippine Heritage Month in Alberta

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Hon. Jason Kenney, Leader of United Conservative Party participating at the Fiesta Parade

Some of the 40,000 spectators that attended the 3 day fiesta event

Various Cultural Groups participating at the main stage of Olympic Plaza stage All photos and articles available online. Follow us

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ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

COMMUNITY | BUSINESS

COPAA Annual Picnic

COPAA President Jose Angeles

With Jojie Newman UPC Candiadate for MLA Glenora Area.

Congress of the Philippine Associations of Alberta's first annual picnic was held at Coronation Park last August 18, 2018. Officers, members and guests enjoyed each other's company. Thank you Kuya Allan, for the lechon donation and Beng Agasino of A4 Oriental store for your Filipino hot dogs. The pot luck food was enjoyed by everyone.

Waiting to sample lechon donated by Kuya Alan's Lechon.

Alex Cruz Lechon delicacy butcher.

www.AlbertaFilipinoJournal.com

SEPTEMBER 2018

Joe Macilor of Palawenos Association.

THE PULSE OF THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY IN THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA, CANADA

EDITORIAL | BUSINESS

SEPTEMBER 2018

EDITOR’S CORNER Lito Mendoza Velasco

• Hindi naman talaga obligasyon ang magpakatotoo; ngunit kailangan—ito ang wasto.

• Kung nais mong maging mataas; hindi mo kailangang mantapak.

• Balikan ang bagay kung saan mo naiwanan.

THE PROBLEM OF TRUTH In the realm of Philosophy, it says that a specific thing cannot be and not be at the same time and at the same respect.

For instance, a window cannot be a window and not a window at the same time.

Moreover, the truth cannot be true and untrue at the same time and at the same respect.

Two sides of the coin: Objective and Subjective Truth If one is true; the other might be false and vice versa. What kind of truth can be found behind falsity?

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Of course, the reality that, it is false or baseless. Does it truly require a presentation of evidence in order to be called truth?

The credibility of truth lies on the object itself. It must be existent by itself. Its veracity does not rely upon the knower as it exists independently of the mind.

No proof and determining factors shall be needed.

In the realm of Theology, the Truth is always prevailing. Man’s conscience would be dictating in order to draw out the truth. Lying is not permanent. As the saying goes: “You can fool people so many times; but not at all times.”

However, there are instances too that the pre-conceived notions about or towards another person become other thinkers’ paradigm. You can be wronged by the scrupulous minds.

Who can be the credible judge then?

Let the kinds of their own lives be their judge. Anyways, he cannot run away from his own self.

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ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

BUSINESS | COMMENTARY | COMMUNITY

A client's account of how the process and cost were explained

SEPTEMBER 2018

SEPTEMBER 2018

COMMENTARY | CONSULAR SERVICES

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

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TRIPLE MAPLE LEAF CANADA – THE REAL STORY: “Helping the Hopeless, the Desperate and the Vulnerable”

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t is very sad that aspersionhas been unfortunately cast against Carl Benito and his immigration practice. This is a classic example of “Sensationalized Journalism”. If you read the full article, you will note it just contained pure allegations not proven in Court. In fact, the reporteradmitted it and made that disclaimerhimself. Unfortunately, he tucked it at the very end of the article. Most people nowadays just read headlines and don't bother to read the full story. Since 2014, when Triple Maple Canada was established, we hadseveral clients who are our DIRECT WITNESSES on HOW TripleMaple Leaf Canada and Carl Benito conduct his Consulting Services with UTMOST TRANSPARENCY and WITHIN LEGAL BOUNDS and following the guidelines as set

by Immigration Canada.

First of all, please note that, the CBSA did conduct the search warrant on June 28th but, up to now, no formal charge/s havebeen laid onanyone. Our lawyers and Canada Border Services are still talking to one another on what the IRPA/Immigration Regulation violation is.

June 28thwas almost three months ago. In the meantime, since nothing has been proven in court, we have requested our clients to continue to call us directly and talk to anyof our staff or visit us and get first-hand information from us. Our office is open from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Tuesday to Saturday.

Come and see us in Edmonton at the Ramada Hotel South 5359 Calgary Trail. Kuya CARL BENITO is also available via phone every Sunday morning starting, at 6:00 AM to talk to our clients regardingany question, inquiries or clarification they need. We have NOTHING TO HIDE. We are happy to announce that all immigration applications and submissions from our office are thoroughly reviewed for accuracy and legitimacy of information. Therefore, all our application approvals are legitimate and legally approved by Immigration Canada.

To all those who were processed through our officeand received CIC approvals, we are truly grateful for your trust and continued support.

Congratulations! You all should be happy to move forward and live peaceful and prosperous lives.

“THE FACTS -JUST THE FACTS PLEASE! Without data, you are just another person with an opinion!” (by Edwards Deming) The CBC article contained pure allegations and was not supported by factual data. The article entitled “Preying on the Hopeless and the Vulnerable” contained nothing new.

It was merely a repetition of the CBC article. Instead of providing facts and data to support their allegations, the writer just reacted to ARGUMENTUM AD PASSIONES (Appeal to Emotion). Argumentum Ad Passiones is a logical fallacy characterized by the manipulation of the reader’s emotions in order

Number of Clients Served, Assisted & Received Approval: (2014 – Present) (Partial tally / compilation result) Permanent Residency Through Humanitarian and Compassionate Reason 115 Spousal Sponsorship 21 Study Visa (outside / inside Canada) 227 Work Permit (outside / inside Canada) 243 LICP 9 Express Entry 12 Visitor Visa 188 AINP 6 TOTAL APPROVALS AS OF SEPT 2018 to win an argument,especially in the absence of factual evidence.

Without data, the writer Mr. Marco Luciano was just another person with an opinion.

To date on the other hand, Triple Maple Leaf Canada has helped a lot of clients whom you have described as the desperate, hopeless and the vulnerable, achieve their dream of working and living prosperous lives in Canada. With our assistance, they received approvals from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). Most of these clients are out of status and have families back home in the Philippines who are totally dependent on them financially and for almost everything they need to survive.

1. You should not be afraid to fully identify yourself; don’tbe a misguided coward.

2. Do you have something to hide and what is your hidden agenda, if any?

3. To all FB bashers and bullies, can you please spend at least some time and effort to check your information for legitimacy and validity before you act and react? A lot of people say that the best response is no response. ICE is a good response too, it is about freezing a bully with ICE – Ignore, Communicate, Exit.

God bless you.

4. Is it wrong to aspire and help our OFWs in making their lives and working conditions better?

We have done our part in helping the hopeless, the vulnerable and the desperate in our community.

We have client testimonials to back this up. What about you? What have you done so far outside of your bullying misinformation and invective rhetorical tirade?

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to guide them and assist them every step of the way to legitimize their stay in Canada.

Social media is a great place to share GIFs and your pressing thoughts on any mundane topic under the sun. But when it comes to hearing and reading unwanted news about oneself, most people tend to react right away which is a sure way to make potential enemies of people who really want nothing to do with you but bring you misery and inflict pain. However, keeping our feelings toourselves is the complete opposite ofhowwe think we should do and react. We have decided to avoid venting to the entire internet or any social media platform. We are blessed enough to have a lot of

people in our lives who have truly invested in our success and wellbeing. We turn to these people and let them know how we are feeling.

Not only will they be good sounding boards, but they also for sure have some solid advice that could help us find amazing inner peace, clear mind and conscience. We just hope that you too have such kind of people and support in your lives.

Life is short, so please do not spend it senselessly by wasting your time venting on social media platforms.

One would have wished that Mr. Marco Luciano had taken the time to properly acquaint himself with the true facts about the false news he restated in his article of September 2018. For instance, Mr. Luciano repeated the CBC lies about a frivolous case started by a former client of Carl Benito when he was a real estate agent. What the CBC and Mr. Luciano failed to tell their audience is the fact that the plaintiffs in that matter abandoned their claims. Canada is a country of laws and our office and Mr. Benito would always respect the laws of this great country we are privileged to call home. We will continue to do what we know how to do best - helping the hopeless, the vulnerable and the desperate in our community.

Many great things were not mentioned in Mr. Marco Luciano’s article of September 2018. The fact that Carl Benito donated a substantial donation for youth programs was downplayed or discounted – over $72,000.00 is very helpful where the programmanaged by the Edmonton Community Foundation gives scholarships to Edmonton students.

Mr. Luciano also stated that “the former Conservative MLA will not be able to return the broken lives and dignity of victims..” – this statement is an unproven and baseless allegation, a sensational statement and it flies in the face of so many people and clients we have helped who were without hope and were able to move forward with open work permits and permanent residency cards – that is the real story. Inflammatory statements like that, which are not backed up by facts, attract consequences.

If there is a way to make this reactive response sting a little less, we promise to do it for all you bashers and haters.

But as tough as being told you are preying on the desperation of your fellow human beings will always be, we just take a deep breath and take a break and truly think of an appropriate way to respond. We could lash out and start screaming continued on page 23 ►

Triple Maple Leaf Canada and Carl Benito are working within the guidelines and requirements as set by the Government of Canada to get more applications processed and approved by CIC in a timely, legal and legitimate manner. Our office WILL CONTINUE to work hard in providing appropriate and legal responses to all the immigration needs of our clients and for the approval of applications for our OFWs in Canada,especially those in need, the helpless and the desperate who have gone elsewhere but did not get help and the assistance they need. WE ARE HERE FOR THEM,

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ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

RELIGION | AFJ TEAM

SEPTEMBER 2018

The Confession And Conversion Of A Roman Centurion MARK 15:37-39

From a Vantage Point

OUR TEXT MARK 15:37-39 37 And Jesus cried with a loud voice and gave up the ghost.

38 And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.

39 And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.” INTRODUCTION In the Bible we are given a glimpse of a man who was present during Jesus’ crucifixion. This man was a Roman Centurion, the commander of over 100 soldiers in the Roman army. We know little about the man except that he was probably a hardened soldier and a veteran of so many wars and conflicts during that time. He had, in all likelihood,

meaning of the confession is to be found elsewhere.

But the fact is that the Roman Centurion saw God working where God was most active. The sad irony is that nobody saw it. We read Mark and we get it, why didn’t everyone else standing around the cross see it? Indeed:

TITO S.VENIDA

Tito S. Venida is a product of the University of the Philippines. He used to be a studentleader during his college days and became one of the founders of the Tau Gamna Phi, one of the world leading Philippine-produced fraternities. His immensurable love for the human race has brought him to the conviction 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.

presided over the crucifixion of hundreds or even thousands of men and must have become insensitive to the agony these men endured.

It is most likely that this man

Published by Angeles Publishing Company Inc. 246 Lindsay Crescent, Edmonton, Alberta T6R 2T2 Jose L. Angeles Publisher / Chief Operating Officer Sales & 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 & Advertising 780-993-5503 mangeles@albertafilipinojournal.com Mark Destacamento Promotions, Sales & Advertising Lianne Angeles Proofreader l Contributing Writer Melanie C. Gomez Website / Graphic Designer Photographers/Videographer: Moses Billacura, Noli Granado, Dario Juanillo Columnists: Marjorie Carmona-Newman, Tito S. Venida Ida Beltran-Lucila, Katrina Marielle U. Cereno Kristian Cereno, Marco Luciano, Moses Billacura Mervin Mendoza Cereno, Nicky Gocuan Giselle General, Rosalyn Estoque, Perry Diaz Contributing Writers: Januel Cedrick Ibasco, Fr. Nilo Belvis Macapinlac, Riana Torrejon, Fr. Jhack Diaz, Julia Isabel San Agustin The Alberta Filipino Journal is dedicated in memory of Rosalinda Linsangan Natividad-Cantiveros of Winnipeg as she engaged her entire life in service to the Filipino Community.

We welcome submissions-news, articles, pictures and letters. Letters must include signature and phone number; names can be withheld upon request. We reserve the right to edit for length and content. All submissions, unless arrangements are made, become the property of the publisher. Reproduction of contents, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited without the expressed written permission from the Publisher/Editor. Opinions by columnist, writers, and readers do not in any way reflect those of the Publisher/Editor.

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was present from the time Jesus was brought to Pilate right until the Lord’s body was lowered from the cross and given to Joseph of Arimathea. He may even have been present with the detachment of soldiers that aided in Jesus’ arrest the night of His betrayal.

This man would have accompanied Jesus from the time the Jewish leaders brought Him to the Praetorium.

He would have ordered his men to beat Jesus, caring little for who He was, knowing Him only to be just another in a long line of people he was commanded to execute. He would have been nearby when his men dressed Jesus in a robe, pressed a crown of thorns onto His head and walked Him to Golgotha. He would have given the order to proceed with the crucifixion.

This Roman Centurion is mentioned in three of the four Gospel accounts. He is mentioned, not for his cruelty, ruthlessness or ability as a soldier, but for something— for a marvelous transformation that occurred immediately after the death of one of his prisoners.

Having seen so many crucifixions, the Roman Centurion knew what to expect from his prisoners.

Most of them who were sentenced to be crucified were criminals, brigands, thieves, and murderers.

He had heard countless men scream in agony while being whipped and plead for their lives before Pilate.

From their crosses he had heard them shout curses to men below and blasphemies to God above. The behavior of the thieves on either side of Jesus was all too familiar, as they mocked and ridiculed Jesus as He hung between them.

THE PARADIGM FOR SEEING If God can tear the veil in the Temple, He can rend a Roman soldier’s understanding of a dying Christ. That is, if God can split open Jewish sacred space, then a Roman Centurion’s heart and mind can be opened to see God’s world.

Mark tells us that a lone Roman Centurion watched closely the workings of God. Far from blinding him, the Cross became the paradigm for seeing. And that is one of the ironies of the whole event. It is a dumbfounding twist, and partly causes us to cringe, “No, it can’t be true that the Roman Centurion knew or meant what he said…” The

WHERE GOD WAS MOST REVEALED HE WAS MOST CONCEALED For the ones who were supposed to see Him (the Jewish people) there was blindness. When we get to Mark chapter 15, the story turns, and unexpectedly it is the bit-player who sees, even while the privileged characters miss the whole point.

Mark’s Gospel is all about seeing.

God tears the veil and access is opened up to a new chapter in the life of God among humanity, and the first to take a step towards this is a Roman Centurion who sees God working. This makes sense of the narrative, not because it is Mark’s narrative, but because it is the Word of God. That is, God works where people don’t expect to find Him working, and that’s why the Cross is blinding and why God is most concealed where He is most revealed. God showed up but His people could not see Him. “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not” ( John 1:10-11). This is really strange.

Perhaps this really strange thing is still true today. Perhaps the text does not fit our ideas of what is appropriate to the plan of God, and when that happens we find that we don’t have a category for all of this stuff actually being true and really happening (or at least that, “the Roman Centurion didn’t really get it”).

The danger here is that we won’t find God doing what He wants to do, and we will protect him from him with a safe retreat to the form of the story, the idea of the plot, the turn of narrative, the devices of the author, and all the rest.

We will find in Mark’s Gospel a narrative theory that has left us saying that the Roman Centurion didn’t mean what he said, but that he spoke with irony (or something else of that sort). In reality, we just saw God tear the fabric of what a Roman Centurion knew best.

JESUS IS THE REVELATION OF GOD BEING GOD The Roman Centurion knows Caesar to be the Son of God. So God obliterates that idea. And it all happens at the Cross, the place where Rome’s ability to banish life is most visible. Caesar, the world’s version of the Son of God, had the cross as his emblem even as it was the implement of his power. So God picks that spot to reveal Himself to a Roman.

At the Cross, the power to kill gets turned into the great display of who God is.

Jesus is the revelation of God

being God; and He picked the place where the greatest human, Caesar, was most feared. God chose man’s ability to kill as the place to undo the corrupt way of being a great and feared human.

THE SHOCKING REVELATION AT THE CROSS I would suggest that the shock value goes up if we understand that this Roman Centurion really did get it.

That is, there is a divine beam of light that got through the darkness. This Roman Centurion was not blinded by the Cross, but saw through to what was going on—that is the shocking revelation at the Cross when so much disbelief surrounds it. It is so shocking because the Cross would be the last place to discover that Caesar was actually losing his power—after all, the Cross was the convincing assertion of his authority. Yet, in that exact unlikely place, another power was being made known.

Jesus could not be the Son of God according to the calculus of Rome.

So God was showing that the fallen way of reckoning was all wrong. And God used the wrong person to point it out. He used a Roman Centurion.

God’s wisdom is foolishness to those who are perishing, and He uses every opportunity to communicate His upside-down reckoning.

Demons in the Gospel of Mark know who Jesus is. And a Roman Centurion who was keenly watching Him die knows who He is. This is not the place one expects to find insight in the working of God. All the ones who should have been in the know turned out to be in the dark, and the ones who were definitely not supposed to get it (they are not even supposed to be a focal point in a story about God), got it.

Of course, for the demons it was ruinous for Jesus to come, but they did understand that warfare was afoot. For the demons, it was not a happy revelation, but for the roman Centurion, it was glorious.

None of this is expressly to be attributed to irony in the Gospel of Mark per se, but it is the irony of God being God. For where God is most revealed He is most concealed.

That is His calling card. Where He is most on display (at the Cross), He is most hidden. And it turns out that the one who is not a part of the people of God (a non-Jew), eyes God and identifies the King of the Jews.

That the Roman Centurion actually gets it (and means what he says about Jesus being the Son of God) is not the real problem. It is in how God works. But some commentators are baffled by it and suppose that Mark is using the episode as a literary device. I suggest we should be very careful here, for in so doing, we may rob the story of one of its climactic elements. The story works just fine with God working where we don’t expect Him. First, on a rugged Cross, where the Savior of the world died, and second in a Roman Centurion, who saw His great Light. It’s all backwards, and we know it, and we run away from it. We are like the characters in continued on page 10 ►

THE PULSE OF THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY IN THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA, CANADA

SEPTEMBER 2018

COMMENTARY | BUSINESS

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

Trillanes: Prosecuted or persecuted?

With an impressive –if not controversial – résumé, Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV has ridden a high-speed “roller coaster” all his adult life. Several times he reached rock bottom and several times he reached the high point of his life: from a naval lieutenant to a mutineer and rebel to a prisoner and to a senator (elected while in jail).

He was granted amnesty, two civil cases against him were dismissed, a court martial was dismissed, he was re-elected as senator, and he also ran for vice-president. And now, he’s faced with the most challenging threat that could end in a life in prison.

At the core of Trillanes’ recent problem is President Rodrigo Duterte's Presidential Proclamation 572 – or PP 572 -- on August 31, 2018 that voided his amnesty because he allegedly, “failed to apply and refused to admit guilt” for the amnesty.

PP 572 stated that the amnesty granted to Trillanes was "void ab initio" or “invalid from the beginning” as Trillanes supposedly failed to comply with two requirements for amnesty: (1) application for amnesty and (2) admission of guilt. It directed the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the court martial to pursue criminal and administrative charges, and both the army and the police to "apprehend" him and bring him to jail.

But Trillanes, in a press briefing, debunked the validity of Duterte’s PP 572. He produced signed documents showing that he had filed an application for amnesty and that he had admitted guilt. But that didn’t deter the government.

On September 4, 2018, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra announced that the DOJ would seek an arrest warrant from civilian courts. The first is the Makati

that Calida remained the majority shareholder and president of VISA after Duterte appointed him Solicitor General in 2016. However, Calida stated that he resigned as president of VISA and as such was no longer required to divest his shares in the company. But shouldn’t he have established a "blind trust" in which he would have transferred control of his stocks to a trustee, which begs the question: Could it be Trillanes’ delving into Calida’s business the reason why Calida investigated Trillanes’ amnesty? Or could there be a higher authority that ordered Calida to look into the matter?

Perezcope PERRY DIAZ PerryDiaz@gmail.com

Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 148, which handled the coup d'état charges against Trillanes in relation to the Oakwood Mutiny in 2003.

But the Trillanes camp published a copy of the decision they obtained from Branch 148, which indicated that the charges were not “merely suspended,” as the DOJ had claimed, but were dismissed on September 21, 2011.

Then, on September 7, 2018, the DOJ filed a motion for an arrest warrant at the Makati RTC Branch 150, which handled the rebellion charges against Trillanes in relation to the Manila Peninsula Hotel incident in 2007. But again, the Trillanes camp produced a copy of a decision, which showed that Branch 150 dismissed the charges on September 7, 2011.

With Trillanes’ revelation of the dismissal of the two cases before the civilian courts in 2011, the DOJ changed its strategy. DOJ insisted that despite the dismissal of the charges, the case against Trillanes before a court martial could be reopened.

In response to the DOJ’s pleadings for an arrest warrant, the RTC Branch 150 ordered the DOJ to submit within five days, a reply to Trillanes’ opposition to their pleading. The court also ordered Trillanes to file within five days a rejoinder to DOJ’s reply. The RTC

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Branch 148 also ordered Trillanes to file within ten days his rejoinder to DOJ’s pleading. It is expected that the two cases before the civilian courts, whichever way they go, would eventually reach the SC. Moro-moro It’s interesting to note that the AFP had recognized Trillanes’ “ipso facto resignation” in May 2007, four years before he was granted amnesty.

If the amnesty is valid, how could the government reopen the court martial? Isn’t it that once amnesty is granted, it cannot be rescinded?

Trillanes laughed off the “absurdity” of bringing him before a court martial. He was jailed for seven and a half years until he was granted amnesty in 2011. He claimed that the military could no longer regain jurisdiction over him since he had gained amnesty, which he claimed isn’t revocable. Besides, PP 572 also violates his protection against double jeopardy.

But the Department of Defense (DOD) insisted that the court martial has jurisdiction over Trillanes because he is reverted back to military service due to the voiding of his amnesty; thus, Trillanes can be arrested without a warrant. But how can they revert him back to military service when the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) had honorably discharged him with

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full benefits? Besides, isn’t there a 15-day window for contesting the amnesty, which had long since lapsed?

Okay, so the amnesty case is being revived, huh? Now, it’s beginning to look like a moro-moro, which is more entertaining than anything else. Indeed, a Manila columnist dismissed PP 572 as a “bad joke.” But to Trillanes, it’s not a joke; he’s fighting for his life.

How it all started It was revealed that Solicitor General Calida was the one who looked into Trillanes’ amnesty records at the prodding of Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo. Trillanes knew it. He tagged Calida as the “mastermind” behind PP 572, which raises the question: Why did Calida do it? Many believed that it could be because Trillanes questioned Calida’s “conflict of interest” in government contracts.

On September 4, 2018, the same day that DOJ announced that it was seeking an arrest warrant from civilian courts, Trillanes, who is the chairman of the Senate Civil Service and Government Reorganization committee, held a hearing on the contracts between government agencies and Vigilant Investigative and Security Agency (VISA) Inc., which is owned by Calida’s family. Trillanes showed

Legality of PP 572 But it is not over yet. On September 10, 2018, Trillanes filed a petition before the Supreme Court (SC) for a Writ of Preliminary Injunction (WPI) and Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), and also challenged the constitutionality of PP 572. The following day, the Supreme Court en banc denied Trillanes’ petition. However, the en banc gave the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) ten days to prove the constitutionality of PP 572.

The SC’s denial of Trillanes’ petition for WPI and TRO was primarily based on Duterte’s acknowledgment that Trillanes "will not be apprehended, detained or taken into custody" without the warrants from the Makati RTC’s.

While this seems like a victory for Trillanes, it’s just a battle won but the war still goes on.

With the SC’s denial, the ball now goes back to the two RTCs to hear the DOJ’s pleadings for a warrant of arrest against Trillanes. This would give Trillanes the opportunity to present evidence of the dismissal of the original charges before the two RTC’s in 2011.

While that might allay the public’s concerns – and fears -that Trillanes is being persecuted, there is a glimmer of hope that the RTCs would reject the government’s position that the amnesty is null continued on page 10 ►

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ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

POINTS OF VIEW

SEPTEMBER 2018

A New School Year in 2018 When I was the new kid, this question did not pop up somewhere in my flimsy brain. But, for others, sometimes that normally is the case!

What you should do, is be yourself. It does not matter if you act weirdly or differently from the rest, or you have a problem with your body. Instead, this makes you special.

Few students might think that this school year is boring and useless, just like the previous school year.

Lectures and classes will become scheduled nap times. I enjoy school, Julia Isabel San Agustin but some don’t, maybe because 9 years old Avid and dedicated writer it’s too stressful, or they don’t like Proud parents - Dr. Joel & Mrs. San Agustin learning. For that reason, some students don’t have fun learning and he new school year can seem it is nearly impossible for teachers pretty tough, and most of to lecture them. You can’t teach a the time, it is! Especially for person that isn’t willing to learn! If those shy, unfamiliar students that you are someone who does not like trod into your school. What some school, try joining clubs and finding of those new kids think about is, hobbies that relate to school. If it should I just be myself? Or, should doesn’t work, give another school I act nicer than I usually am? Don’t a chance. Remember, school is get me wrong here, just because important for your future, and you you’re not the nicest doesn’t mean must give it more than one chance. that you’re nice enough.

I am the typical student that

worries about school all the time.

What if the new school year brings too much homework? What if the subjects are too hard?

Wait, you better slow down.

Your teachers grade you for a reason. They grade you to see how well you’re doing, and to see if you are ready for the next school year! They wouldn’t be sending you to a more advanced school year if you weren't ready for it. If you weren’t ready, you might have been terrified of not continuing.

I do not have a problem with being held back a grade.

Every person has their own speed of learning! If it takes a little bit more time for you, then there is nothing wrong with improving your knowledge by staying in the same grade. It just means that you need to learn as much as you can!

New school years can be pretty tough, but it introduces you to new subjects and new friends. If you do your best, then there’s nothing to worry about.

tête, where Panelo asked Duterte questions given by the press. They discussed many topics including Trillanes’ amnesty. “If the Supreme Court would say that my proclamation is null and void, then let it fall. If affirmed or sustained, it's the military now,” Duterte noted, acknowledging the jurisdiction of the military over Trillanes if the Supreme Court rules in favor of the government, which

makes one wonder: Would Duterte accept a Supreme Court ruling that PP 572 is unconstitutional?

If not, what would be his game plan? Would he just let Trillanes walk away? Or, could it be that this will be the start of Trillanes’ real problems?

At the end of the day, people wouldn't fail to ask: Is Trillanes being prosecuted or persecuted?

Jesus pray for him, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

(Luke 23: 34) He saw the darkness fall over the face of the earth. He saw the earthquake. He “feared greatly” (Matthew 27:54). And now he saw Jesus die as he had never seen any other crucified man die! All the others became so weak they couldn’t breathe—and died in silence. But Jesus “cried with a loud voice!” Where did He get the strength to do so?

This Roman Centurion had presided over many crucifixions.

But no other man had died with “a shout of victory.” The Roman Centurion was convinced. Christ’s enemies had been wrong! He himself had been wrong! Looking up at the dead body of Jesus on the Cross, he confessed, “Truly this man was the Son of God.”

The Roman Centurion surely had as much faith as Peter! If Peter’s testimony of Jesus as “the Son of the living God” came from the Father’s illumination, the Roman Centurion’s testimony must have come from the same source!

And the Roman Centurion made a better confession of his faith in Jesus than Peter did! Peter forsook Jesus and fled. The Roman Centurion stood in full view of Christ’s enemies—and fearlessly testified: “Truly this man was the Son of God.” But the Roman Centurion said something else of equal importance.

Luke tells us that he also said, “Certainly this was a righteous man.” (Luke 23:47) This may not sound as important, but it is. This Roman Centurion said both: “This man was the Son of God; this man was righteous.” It is the same thing the dying thief had said when he was converted on the cross next to Jesus, “This man hath done nothing amiss.” (Luke 23:41) The Roman Centurion heard the converted thief say that. He had not believed it before. He had mocked Jesus earlier just as the repentant thief had! (Luke 23:36; Matthew 27:44). But now, in their conversions, the repentant thief and the Roman Centurion agree, “This man hath done nothing amiss.”

T

from page 9

Trillanes: Prosecuted...

and void. But, would that be the end of the controversy surrounding Trillanes’ amnesty? Or would it be the beginning of a process leading to the Supreme Court who would be the final arbiter on the constitutionality of PP 572?

Last September 11, Duterte and Panelo held a televised tête-àfrom page 8

The Confession... the story that were standing around the Cross. It is right in front of us, and the obvious revelation of God is too blinding for our eyes, so we miss the point.

THE CONFESSION OF THE ROMAN CENTURION There was something else about the way Jesus died that convinced the Roman Centurion that His enemies were wrong—and that He truly was “the Son of God.” Listen very attentively to Mark 15:37 and 39.

37 “And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.”

39 “And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.” Jesus “cried with a loud voice” right before He died. “And when the centurion…saw that He so cried out [with a loud voice] he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God.” Why would Jesus’ “loud voice” cause the centurion to say, “Truly this man was the Son of God?” The loud cry of Jesus is very unusual because men who were crucified usually have no strength left, especially when near death. But Jesus’ death was no ordinary one, nor was His shout the last gasp of a dying man. It was a shout of victory!

The centurion had seen it all.

At the beginning of the crucifixion he was an unbeliever. But he heard

THE CONVERSION OF THE ROMAN CENTURION Was the Roman Centurion converted?

I firmly believe so, and here is why— he was an unbeliever—but now he says, “Truly this man was the Son of God. This is surely as good as Peter’s confession! Jesus asked Peter “Whom say ye that I am?” (Matthew 16:15).

Peter answered, “The Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus said, “Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.”

(Matthew 16:17)

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

T

The First Three Chapters

hey say that love is like a bird that flies high in the sky above. Others say that love is like having coffee in the morning, because it brightens your day. Others say that love is like a game, a game that you really want to win because you want to get the prize, badly, and that is your loved one’s heart. Love is like a book…

Chapter One: A Capturer’s Heart When you introduced yourself, you told me your name, but what I heard was, “you will be the one who will capture my heart”, and that I will be the one who will let you have it. Every time words come out from your mouth, I feel like I am under your spell – a spell that makes me fall in love with you. With every look you give me, my world starts to light up even though I never thought it would shine bright again.

Chapter Two: No Title As the days pass by, my love for you becomes deeper and stronger “Certainly this was a righteous man.”

By divine revelation, both the repentant thief and the Roman Centurion saw that Jesus was not guilty. More than that—they saw His blessed righteousness! Did they know more? Scripture is silent. But they knew enough to say that Jesus was sinless, guiltless of the so-called “crimes” for which His enemies crucified Him. The repentant thief knew enough to call Jesus “Lord.”

The Roman Centurion knew enough to say, “Truly this man was the Son of God.” Do you believe that the repentant thief was converted? Do you also believe that the Roman Centurion was converted?

LESSON TO BE LEARNED Now, what do we learn from all this? I believe the Scriptures make the lesson plain—two men, the repentant thief and the confessing centurion, began by mocking Christ on the Cross, as did the rest of the crowd. But, after watching Jesus die, these two men, the repentant thief and the confessing centurion, believed in Jesus. But two other men, the High Priest and the railing thief, saw the same events and remained non-believers.

That, I believe, is the lesson God wants us to learn from the Scriptures.

The two thieves could see the same thing—one was converted and the other was not. Two men of power could see the same thing; the High

and it seems like I am really attached to you. My feelings for you are becoming sweeter and it seems like not even the sweetest sugar can compare. With every smile that comes from your lips, every look that comes from your astonishing eyes, and every word that comes from your mouth, my day gets better.

Chapter Three: Day after Day Damn, I’ve already fallen for you… I mean, my heart already fell for you. I do not even know if I can still fix this. I do not even know how I can stop this feeling. Should I even try to stop it? Maybe I shouldn’t…

They say, that we should not try to stop our feelings because if we try to, we will never get the chance to do what we desire with that “loved one”. For now, I still do not want to confess my feelings for you and that is why I would just write how I feel for you. Maybe the day will come when I have enough courage to tell you, but for now, I just want to write what my heart is saying.

Priest remained unconverted while the Roman Centurion was converted.

Two people can hear the same Gospel—and one can be converted while the other remains in disbelief.

How many times have you read about this in the Gospels? How many times have you heard the Gospel preached? Others have come to Jesus and have been saved! How is it that you remain lost? How can it be that you will not come to Jesus and be saved? How much longer will you wait? Jesus says to you, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

(Matthew 11:28) Jesus died in your place, to pay the debt you cannot pay. He rose from the dead to give you life. Why wouldn’t you come to Jesus? Why do you keep on waiting? Why not come to the Son of God? Jesus loved the repentant thief enough to save him at the very door of death. Jesus loved the Roman Centurion enough to give him faith, even though this man supervised and executed His crucifixion, and ordered His hands and feet to be nailed to the accursed cross! And, my dear friends, Jesus loves you enough to forgive and save your soul tonight—whatever sins you have committed—however long you have kept away from Him. Come! Come to Jesus who loves you, and He will wash your sins away in His precious Blood!

Come! Amen.

THE PULSE OF THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY IN THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA, CANADA

SEPTEMBER 2018

RELIGION | PARA-LEGAL SERVICES | BUSINESS

Faith Shared Is Fate Paired Katrina Cereno is a senior high student at St. Francis Xavier. She spent her efforts in writing and interested to arts, photography and music. She’s looking forward to be a future engineer. She lives in Edmonton, Alberta with her family.

St. Patrick of Ireland is one of the world's most popular saints. He was born in Roman, Britain and when he was fourteen or so, he was captured by Irish pirates during a raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave to herd and tend sheep. At the time, Ireland was a land of druids and pagans but Patrick turned to God and wrote his memoir, The Confession. In The Confession, he wrote:

"The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was rosed, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the same. I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn.

I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain."

Patrick's captivity lasted until he was twenty, when he escaped after having a dream from God in which he was told to leave Ireland by going to the coast. There, he found some sailors who took him back to Britain where he was reunited with his family.

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11

A few years after returning home, Patrick saw a vision which he described in his memoir: "I saw a man coming, as it were from Ireland. His name was Victoricus, and he carried many letters, and he gave me one of them. I read the heading: 'The Voice of the Irish.' As I began the letter, I imagined in that moment that I heard the voice of those very people who were near the wood of Foclut, which is beside the western sea-and they cried out, as with one voice: 'We appeal to you, holy servant boy, to come and walk among us.'"

The vision prompted his studies for the priesthood. He was ordained by St. Germanus, the Bishop of Auxerre, whom he had studied under for years, and was later ordained a bishop and sent to take the Gospel to Ireland.

Patrick arrived in Slane, Ireland on March 25, 433. There are several legends about what happened next, with the most prominent claiming he met the chieftan of one of the druid tribes, who tried to kill him. After an intervention from God, Patrick was able to convert the chieftain and preach the Gospel throughout Ireland. There, he converted many people -eventually thousands - and he began building churches across the country.

He often used shamrocks to explain the Holy Trinity and entire kingdoms were eventually converted to Christianity after hearing Patrick's message.

Patrick preached and converted all of Ireland for 40 years.

He worked many miracles and wrote of his love for God in Confessions. After years of living in poverty, traveling and enduring much suffering, he died on March 17, 461.

In His Footsteps: Patrick was a humble, pious, gentle man, whose love and total devotion to and trust in God should be a shining example to each of us. So complete was his trust in God, and of the importance of his mission, that he feared nothing - not even death.

"The Breastplate," Patrick's poem of faith and trust in God: "Christ be within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ inquired, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger." reference https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=89

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ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

GREETINGS | COMMUNITY | PHOTO POTPOURRI

SEPTEMBER 2018

Music icon Heber Bartolome (left) chats with Edmonton-based lawyer Joseph Angeles at the Panciteria de Manila, September 9. Heber, famous for his song "Tayo'y Mga Pinoy", performed later on for the Pinoy music fans.

Lorena and Bayani Alcantara, their children and guests formally open the new Panciteria de Manila location, September 8, on 137 Avenue NW of Edmonton.

Dexter Jumantoc, the Pinoy Kenny G in Edmonton, performs at the grand opening of the Panciteria de Manila, September 8.

Photo potpourri

by the Journal Photos by

MOSES BILLACURA

UCP nomination candidate Payman Parseyan, carrying the baby of his friend, poses for posterity with his supporters during his "Meet and Greet", September 10.

Want to be part of a paid research study?

Ready to share your ideas about this newspaper – Alberta Filipino Journal?

We are seeking readers of Alberta Filipino Journal (Calgary) to participate in a focus group discussion for a research study analyzing reporting patterns of this newspaper conducted by a team of researchers of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT). Focus group discussions will be 1.5 to 2 hours long and will take place at a central location in your city (Calgary) in 2018. Your name or any other identifier will not appear anywhere in the research project/study. Your participation in this research project will be voluntary, and you would be able to withdraw at any point without penalty or consequences. Your contribution in the research will help understand the ethnic media’s role, contribution and challenges.

We will pay you a small remuneration of $20 at the time of participation in the focus group discussion.

UCP candidate Marjorie Newman (extreme right) with fellow UCP members who joined the 2018 Ancop Walk, August 25, at the Mill Woods Park.

Regine Tolentino thanks participants of the Zumbathon in Edmonton, August 25, that raised funds for the Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation.

Contact us if:

a) You are a regular reader of Alberta Filipino Journal and are willing to share your opinion about crime related content in the newspaper. b) You are 19 years or older and have been living in Canada for at least two years. c) You can read English fluently.

For more information please email us at etmedia.uoit@gmail.com OR call this toll free number between 9 am and 2 pm daily: 1 877 242 3666

This study has been approved by the UOIT Research Ethics Board REB #14508 on September 29, 2017.

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Realtor Dorothy Cornel celebrates her 101st deal this year with Mortgage associate Ryan Paluca with new homeowner Janna new homeowner Rey Valdez and his friends, Sept.10. celebrates his 100th deal for this year, August 31.

THE PULSE OF THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY IN THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA, CANADA

SEPTEMBER 2018

COMMUNITY | BUSINESS | GOVERNMENT SERVICES

Goodbye Childhood; Hello Ladyhood!

Alyana San Pedro turns 18 last September 14, 2018. Her 18 candles would surely light even the darkest night. Her 18 roses signify her readiness or preparation in the area of love and romance. While his Dad Allan San Pedro hits the Gold. Happy birthday to both of you!

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13

Resources on Getting Your Voice Heard

By Giselle General

O

ne thing I appreciate about living in Canada and in Edmonton is that making an impact in policies and laws seems to be more accessible to the average person. Different individuals, at various points in their lives, care about different policies, bylaws or procedures on how a government program works. These topics can range from healthcare, education, immigration, or even something as seemingly mundane such as potholes, street lights, or vandalism on a building. Perhaps the application process for a government program is not effective, or that a bill, if turned into law, can harm someone you care about. It’s important to share your concerns about the matter. There are many ways to share feedback in a more immediate manner even if it is not election time.

Here are some suggestions on how to do this.

1. Edmonton Insight Community: According to the website, the Edmonton Insight Community is an inclusive and accessible online citizen panel made up of diverse Edmontonians who provide feedback on City policies, initiatives and issues.

Essentially, you sign up and you receive an online survey every

month that focuses on various issues that the municipal government deliberates over. There is also an opportunity to complete surveys on specific topics like bike lanes, LRT construction, the redevelopment of natural areas in the river valley, and more. The cool part is that those who participate in this program can provide input that gets provided to continued on page 26 â–ş

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ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

BUSINESS

SEPTEMBER 2018

CONVENIENCE: The Dictate of Our Conscience Fly Friendly Travel and Tours is what it is Its founders themselves are homoviators or travellers in life. Ten years ago, they used to book flights with numerous Travel and Tours Agencies.

Despite being friendly, they had encountered travel agents, whose services did not meet their expectations. By there and then, they’d decided to solve the problem. They came up with the decision of putting up their own Travel and Tours’ Agency in order to offer a friendly, just, and fair services that the travellers deserve to receive and enjoy. Thereby, the Fly Friendly Travel and Tours came into being.

responsible business treats everyone with respect and empathy. Attending to as well as satisfying the needs of clients is the nucleus of Fly Friendly Travel and Tour’s mission;while translating the needs into luxury is its bonus to the customers who patronize Fly Friendly regularly. A friendly character can always win a friend.

values that this company is advocating. No problem is left unsolved through the help of its highly-professionallyoriented and most of all, friendly staff. More often than not, its president and CEO always ensure to keep abreast in solving their client’s problems. Regardless of the gravity and the locations where the problems occur.

Fly Friendly Travel and Tours Solves Other’s Problems Fly Safely and Happily With Fly Friendly!

Putting once feet in other’s shoes is one of the core

Fly Friendly Travel and Tours does what it does For almost ten years, Fly Friendly has been flying passengers with ease and precision to and from Philippines—Canada and other parts of the Globe. Fly Friendly maintains its friendship and good connections to the owners, general managers, and staff of almost all the prestigious airlines that are flying from Canada to the Philippines and other countries of your destinations. It makes sure that every penny being spent by the passengers is compensated; because they firmly believe that money is not growing on trees.

Fly Friendly is a Friend of Nobody but of Everybody There are no strangers; only friends we haven’t met yet. A socially

Making Friends is Fly Friendly’s Trend

Jerry Wang and Kevin Yu, Account Managers of China Southern Airlines paid Fly Friendly Travel and Tours’ Office a visit last September 14, 2018

Happy Birthday Gucci!

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THE PULSE OF THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY IN THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA, CANADA

BUSINESS | COMMUNITY

SEPTEMBER 2018

Hong Kong Airlines debuts new Business Class product on Airbus A350

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

15

TFC at Roper Visited by a Rapper

Customer experience to be elevated with latest IFE system [Hong Kong ▪ 4 September 2018] Hong Kong Airlines is proud to announce the next evolution of its premium experience, with the unveiling of a newly upgraded Business Class seat on its latest Airbus A350 aircraft. In addition to a refreshing new look, the new Business Class seat is also equipped with one of the most advanced IFE systems from Thales Group, providing passengers with an immersive entertainment during their travels.

Modern, stylish and personal are the three words that perfectly epitomise the new seat, which was designed in-house using Rockwell Collins’ “Super Diamond” product.

Voted by travellers as one of the top Business Class seats in the world, it promises to provide unparalleled comfort and privacy on even the longest flights. It also maximises space and delivers all the entertainment, dining and relaxation options that travellers expect from an excellent Business Class experience.

Each seat also comes with a set of specially designed smooth and soft bedding while the modern and neutral tones in the refreshed cabin offers a comfortable environment for travellers to work and relax in.

All of Hong Kong Airlines’ 33 new Business Class seats on the A350 are ideally arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, which guarantee passengers direct access to the aisles and maximum privacy to work, rest and unwind. With a simple touch of the seat control panel, the seat can be easily reclined into different positions or converted into a comfortable 78-inch full-flat bed, ensuring travellers get ultimate rest during the flight.

For passengers who like a little entertainment on board, Hong Kong Airlines has partnered with Thales Group to install a brand-new IFE system into the A350 aircraft. With a 17-inch widescreen monitor as well as a touch-enabled integrated handset, the new AVANT system promises passengers an enhanced entertainment experience inflight.

Speaking at a special product showcase event today, Mr. Wang Liya, Hong Kong Airlines Vice Chairman and President said: “Our latest Business Class offering and state-of-the-art inflight entertainment system is the result of an ambitious effort to revamp our premium services for our customers.

These are significant investments for the Company, and will help lead Hong Kong Airlines into a new decade of success.”

Since taking delivery of its first Airbus A350 aircraft and the opening of Club Autus, Hong Kong Airlines has continued to push for service enhancements for its Business Class offerings. Initiatives include the launch of new tableware featuring dimsum-shaped salt and

Rapper Andrew E entertains the TFC - The Filipino Center and Restaurant’s customers at Ropper Road during his visit to Edmonton. The Alberta Filipino Journal, 101.7 World FM - Tahanan ng OPM, Pinoy Edmonton News, and other groups had the chance shaking hands with him.

Alberta Filipino Journal and 101.7 World FM - HIMIG PINOY paid a visit to FOOD TO GO.

All Work Guaranteed... ...We Sell Peace of Mind

ROOFING • SIDING • DOORS & WINDOWS pepper shakers, as well as “Truly Hong Kong” designs for its amenity kits. The airline has also worked with great chefs including Hong Kong’s own Gabriel Choy and San Francisco’s Chris Cosentino to put great food in the skies.

Hong Kong Airlines’ new Business Class product on its latest A350 will be deployed on the Bangkok route for crew familiarisation during its first month of operation.

Following that, the aircraft will serve Los Angeles regularly.

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ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

COMMUNITY | BUSINESS

SEPTEMBER 2018

Panciteria De Manila’s New Location Is Now Open And Ready To Serve Us! Its Soft as well as the Grand Opening was graced by the prominent guests from different sectors. Government Officials, Different Fil-Canadian Organizations, Artists and Entertainers, Businessmen, Media Personalities.

CONGRATULATIONS MR. AND MRS. BAYANI AND LORENA ALCANTARA!

www.panciteriademanila.com

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THE PULSE OF THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY IN THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA, CANADA

SEPTEMBER 2018

COMMUNITY | BUSINESS

Bella Padilla in Calgary Fiesta Filipino with Publisher Jun Angeles, Hermie Angeles and Puring Carlos

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

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Group Members

Xiam Lim with Hermie Angeles & Puring Carlos

Yassi Pressman with Hermie & Jun Angeles from page 3

Premier Rachel Notley...

Party. NDP Premier of Alberta , Rachel Notley delivered a powerful speech praising Filipinos, "the spirit of coming out and celebrating and how strong we are as a community".

"Today Alberta is home to the second largest Filipino population in Canada and I just want to say thank you for choosing Alberta. Thank you for making Alberta your home and thank you for making Alberta so much better as a result." She then mentioned about the pipeline, " we are going to continue to fight for the jobs that the pipeline is going to create and we are going to make sure that the pipeline gets built because that is what the people of this province deserve."

Notley continued , " today we are here to celebrate , your culture and your history." The government of Alberta declared the month of June as the Philippine Heritage month. "it is about time because the first immigration of Philippine to Alberta was recorded in 1931, that's 87 year of Filipinos contributing to this beautiful province and making it their own and making it better in the way you do each and every year."

She repeatedly thanked Filipinos, "I just want to say thank you, thank you for making Alberta your home and thank you for making Alberta so much better as a result."

"This is what makes Alberta great, coming together, sharing our customs, sharing our culture, sharing our music and our art and what makes us who we are. It is our diversity that makes us strong , that gives us the result that we all show each and everyday." the Premier of Alberta continued to give accolades to the Filipinos and thank them of their great contributions Alberta.

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ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

GREETINGS | MEDIA PARTNERSHIP | LEADERSHIP

SEPTEMBER 2018

RADYO SA DYARYO: The Glittering Year Magkatulong Sa Pamamahayag

At Pag-Aliw Sa Lipunang Pilipino

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

Surrounded by his loving nuclear and extended family members, Jon Pagtakhan (in blue shirt with white stripes) celebrates his 50th Birthday at L2 Lounge Fantasyland Hotel. Obviously, a crowded and jam packed occasion is a testimonial proof that he gains incontestable compassion. Happy birthday brother Jon!

Best wishes!

Marriage is an institution. Whoever gets into it would be forming the basic unit of the society. August 18, 2018, Daniel Wadge and Vanessa Pagtakhan tied the knot to pro-create and form a new institution—the family!

Dandan, Petite, Andrew E, Dj Mia, Dj Rolan & Mylene (Andrew E’s wife)

DJ Rolan; AFJ Editor Lito Velasco; Lito Reyes - K of C Nazareno Chairman of the Fundraising for the Natural Calamity 2018 in Kirela, India; Rev. Fr. George Paramadathil, Congregation of the Sons of the Immaculate Conception (CFIC), Pastor, Santa Maria Goretti (Italian); and DJ Mia

DJ Mia, Chandra Mendis of ALMA ARMADA & COMPANY LTD., DJ Rolan, and Mo Billacura— Alberta Filipino Journal’s Sports Columnist.

DJ Rolan, DJ Mia, Chris Cates, Jea Cawagas-Cates and DJ Jo-Ann.

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THE PULSE OF THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY IN THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA, CANADA

COMMUNITY | BUSINESS

SEPTEMBER 2018

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

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2018 ANCOP WALK in EDMONTON

I

t was the perfect setting for the 15th annual ANCOP Walk in Edmonton: a slightly chilly morning breeze, green grass, a row of tents, a sea of green T-shirts, a

Tim Horton breakfast buffet and a roaring band. Yes, the highly anticipated walk on Aug 25, 2018 at Millwoods Park in Edmonton was another huge success with almost

400 registrants raising initial funds of more than $25K. Deacon Tony Obleada and the newly ordained Deacon Monching Morales from Couples for Christ

(CFC) led the morning prayers followed by the apostolic blessings.

The participants were greeted with a warm welcome from the CFC Area Director Henry Gutierrez together with his wife, Millete followed by greetings from the ANCOP regional sponsor since 2014, Dolce Vita Homes, represented by Sales Manager, Jennifer Dechaine. This year, the Philippine Business Society of Alberta (PBSA) led the crop of new sponsors to the event. It was represented by the PBSA president, Celso Andrade of Sunfreight Cargo, who himself is a 2nd year ANCOP sponsor. Other sponsors were: continued on page 26 â–ş

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20

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

POINTS OF VIEW | COMMUNITY | BUSINESS

SEPTEMBER 2018

JAN THE MAN’S NOTE JANUEL CEDRICK IBASCO Januel Cedrick Ibasco is a proud Filipino-Canadian and is currently a student at the University of Alberta studying for a Bachelor of Arts in Recreation, Sport, and Tourism in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation. Sportsmanship is a big slice of his cake. He is highly-spirited when playing golf, volleyball, and basketball and loves reading, writing and volunteering at church. Jan looks forward to taking up law after his undergraduate degree.

Back to School

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he month of September is now here and that can only mean one thing, the start of the school year. With the start of the new school year well underway it is important to reflect on the past summer. Ask yourself, did I see new places? Did I explore the land around

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me? Did I enjoy the beautiful summer weather? Most importantly, did I spend time with family and friends?

In all honesty, my guess is that you did at least one of these things during the summer break and I am sure it will be difficult to say goodbye to the continued on page 26 ►

THE PULSE OF THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY IN THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA, CANADA

POINTS OF VIEW | BUSINESS

SEPTEMBER 2018

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

Vacation Planning and Not Being Paralyzed with Dread

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his September is a big deal and I am feeling excited and concerned in equal parts.

Plans for the Christmas Holiday vacation to the Philippines need to be confirmed around this time, if I want to escape the agony of horrendous ticket prices.

Since January of this year, my mind has gone through phases of overthinking or actively avoiding it.

If I would sum up what I am most worried about, it would fall under a few categories.

One is being stuck in the past, even if it is unintentional. The combination of nostalgia, the imperfect way we recall our experiences, and even the snapshots of those ‘Facebook Memories’ plague me these days.

Misleading perspectives make it seem like the past is much better

GENERAL POINT OF VIEW

21

Quality Care Group directors praise Filipino Fiesta organizers

By Moses Billacura

GISELLE GENERAL

gqgeneral@gmail.com

Giselle General came from the cold, mountainous region on the Benguet province, and immigrated to Canada as a teenager in 2007. After completing her Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta, she now dedicates her business training to the nonprofit sector, both in employed and volunteer capacities. She works at the Edmonton Community Legal Centre, which provides free legal help to low-income Edmontonians. She channels her creativity by writing in her personal blog, General Point of View, and has recently published a book of her poems and artwork titled The Humanity of Me.

or much worse than it really was.

I wonder about how I will be confronted by some of the hurtful

or stupid things that I have done as a teenager prior to immigrating, now that I am working on being kind and compassionate in comparison to my younger self who, in the past, sometimes acted the way she did because of pain.

The other one is FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). One time this summer, I was chatting with my TappCar driver, a Filipino gentleman who was telling me about his vacation plans. He said that while his job as a TappCar and Uber driver is flexible, his wife’s office job makes it very difficult to leave for more than three weeks. He said that they will continued on page 24 ►

87

Minister Amarjeet Sohi (2nd from left) with QSC directors Jacob Christian, Kris Salumbides and Benjie Lindo Live Updates host Benjie Lindo during the Filipino Fiesta, September 1, in Calgary. (Photo by Wendel Recemilla)

Directors of the Quality Care Group of Companies lauded the organizers of the recent Filipino Fiesta in Calgary for another huge success of the event that has drawn thousands of Filipinos, Albertans including politicians from various parties.

Kris Salumbides, Jacob Christian and Jesse Tallon jointly announced that they were so impressed as to how organizers run the event that featured famous young actors from the Philippines like Bela Padilla, Yassi Pressman

and Xian Lim, various bands and cultural groups that performed to an estimated 40,000 spectators that came to the Olympic Plaza from August 31 to September 2.

“We are so honored to be part of this huge event,” said the directors.

Quality Care Group of Companies, which runs Quality Sleep Care, Alberta Medical Supplies and the first Filipino co-owned Medicus Family Health Clinic and Pharmacy, was just one of the many sponsors.

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22

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

SPORTS JOURNAL MOSES BILLACURA mo.sports@gmail.com

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

Let us work together for the Kids of Marawi

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reparations are in high gear for the Philippine Media Association of Alberta’s partnership with the H.O.P.E. Through Sports in Marawi City.

In initial talks between the PMAA and H.O.P.E, the media association based in Edmonton will start rallying the community to donate their old (or even new) sports equipment like basketball, volleyball or soccer balls, tennis balls or rackets, softball gloves and balls, spike shoes for running or soccer shoes.

Professor Henry Daut and his team of volunteers from the Mindanao State University (MSU) said that they have been serving underprivileged kids in Mindanao, specially those who were recently affected by the war between government troops and the Maute Group but they would need some help.

This is very sad, ladies and gentlemen, because the war has affected the innocent kids in Marawi.

If you can recall, the five-month war in May 2017 has displaced one million civilians, many of which are children. That is why Prof.Daut

and his team have been conducting sports clinics for free as part of the children’s healing process.

PMAA president Nicky Go has started to identify areas where to place Balikbayan boxes where donors can leave their sports equipment donation. Philippine Business Society of Alberta (PBSA) president Celso Andrade, as owner of Sunfreight Cargo Forwarders, has committed already to support this project.

This brings me to Mr.Lising of UMAC or Mrs.Chua of Assured Cargo International, hoping that they will be able to read this “panawagan” and be able to help in this campaign for the kids in the Philippines.

Silently working is Ka Marco who has been doing the layout for the posters that will serve as information materials to all sportsloving Albertans.

Fellow Albertans, this is a noble project for the underprivileged kids in the Philippines and we call upon you to join us. Please give us a call at 780.807.4743 or email mocolumnist@ albertafilipinojournal.com.

Southwoods out to regain PAL Ladies Interclub title Manila Southwoods, denied a seventh straight title last year in Cebu City, has assembled a youth-laden squad to challenge defending champion Pradera Verde in the 13th Philippine Airlines Ladies Interclub golf team championships on Sept. 18-22 at Rancho Palos Verdes in Davao City.

The Carmona-based squad decided not to send a second team to defend its Founders crown and focus its energy toward reclaiming the overall title, according to Southwoods captain Claire Ong. “We really want to try and win it again, that’s why we tapped some players from our second team to reinforce the squad,” said Ong. Seventeen-year-old Sofia Chabon and Sunshine Baraquiel, 25, will spearhead Southwoods’ campaign and will get support from three members of the Founders champion team, namely: Mafy Singson, 15; Annika Guangko, 20 and Laurea Duque, 14.

Kristine Torralba, 18, who played for Pradera last year, Samantha Dizon, 14, and Mariel Tee, 17, round out the team.

Last year, Pradera made a smashing

debut, posting a runaway 43-point victory over Southwoods.

Asian Games champion Yuka Saso returns to spearhead Pradera’s title defense along with holdovers Annika Cayabyab and Nicole Abelar.

A trio of 16-year-old Malaysians in Zulaikah Nusiana Nasser, Charlayne Chong and Vinisha Gunaseelan have been tapped to reinforce the defending champions.

Completing the lineup are Rhianne Malixi and Luna Shin.

Major sponsors for the 13th PAL Ladies Interclub include Airbus, Bombardier, People Asia, UM Broadcasting Network and Primax Broadcasting Network.

Other sponsors are TFC, Mastercard, SEDA Hotel, SM Supermalls and Banco de Oro. Donors are Asia Brewery and Philippine National Bank.

The four-day team event assembles the country’s top lady golfers who will compete in four divisions: Championship, Founders, Sportswriters and Friendship.

Each team is allowed to field four players with the top three scores to be counted. (pr)

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SPORTS

SEPTEMBER 2018

PSC eyes Children's Games in R11 parishes Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William "Butch" Ramirez is upbeat about the collaboration of the Diocese of Mati and other parishes in the Davao region for the holding of the Children's Games.

The Unesco-cited program for children eight to twelve years old will be brought to Davao Oriental towns including Lupon and Cateel in October.

Ramirez, in a meeting with Diocese of Mati Bishop held at a downtown Davao City restaurant over the weekend, said, "We will have Children's Games in dioceses of Mati, Tagum, Davao del Sur and Samal. Let's start it here first before we think of replicating it in Luzon and the Visayas."

However, PSC consultant Dr. Serge Opeña clarified that the Children's Games in these areas will still be open to nonCatholic children as the program welcomes Lumads, Christians and Muslims alike.

A Children's Games of this kind was launched in Davao City last year wherein 500 children gathered to play and foster friendship despite their different religions, culture and social status.

"Kini nga programa, ang gobyerno makig-uban sa parish priests and catechists para sa

PSC Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez, shown from left, leads a meeting on Children’s Games, with St. Francis of Assisi Parish Priest Fr. Pete Lamata of Davao City, Diocese of Mati Bishop Abel Apigo and St. Michael College of Padada director Sister Cherrie Carote at a downtown restaurant in Davao City recently. PSC-PSI

kabataan (The government and the parish priests and catechists will work together for the benefit of the children)," Opeña said, adding that the PSC will shoulder expenses for food, shirts and equipment needed for the non-competitive Games while partner dioceses and parishes shall provide the venue and manpower.

He also said that prior to the Games, a training for Ate and Kuya volunteers, who will be leading the children during the event, will also be held.

Bishop Apigo, for his part, thanked the PSC for its initiative

FBAE hopes to attract more teams in October Filipino Basketball Association of Edmonton (FBAE) commissioner Ernie Buton said they hope to grow this year and attract more teams to join their tournament.

They started with just two squads in 2015 when founder Ruel Linoy decided that they start organizing a league to make their basketball games more exciting.

to reach out to their Diocese and the people of their province.

Also present during the meeting were Fr. Pete Lamata of St.Francis Assisi Parish, St. Michael's College of Padada director Sister Cherrie Carote, Fr. Alfe Alimbon of the Diocese of Mati, Cherry Sarona of St. Michael College of Padada, PSC consultant Ed Fernandez, Philippine Sports Institute Mindanao coordinator Pochollo Elegino and Ateneo de Davao University director for Community Engagement and Advocacy Council Mark Paul Samante.(PSC-PSI)

Six teams took part in the summer league, namely, Palabok House, Loida Lumanlan/Remax, Clearcut, Honda, Park Mazda and 3J Variety.

Buton said they have been planning to have another league in October at the Saville Center.

(Moses Billacura)

FBAE Summer League mythical five members (left-right) Jessie Aguilon, Jeffrey Pagay, Mike Cara, Gary Galvez and John Palacpac.

(Photo courtesy of FBAE)

HAPPY GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY!

October 4, 1968 - October 4, 2018

THE PULSE OF THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY IN THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA, CANADA

SEPTEMBER 2018

EDUCATION | POINTS OF VIEW

Why do I need to upgrade my Education here in Canada?

M

any Filipino professional always ask the question “Why do I need to upgrade my education being gained in the Philippines so I can practice my profession in Canada?” Isthe education in the Philippines far beyond that of Canada? The answer is NO. The Canadian educational system is somewhat similar to that of the Philippines in content and itis up to the individual to prove that this education is equivalent to its Canadian counterpart through an in-place process through proper “evaluation” and “recognition”.

Most immigrants who landed in Canada that gain their engineeringeducation in their home country misconstrue the basic difference between “Evaluation” and “Recognition”.

In a nutshell, the latter is a more complex process and unfortunately, one of the main ingredients for your Engineering Professional License.

As a skilled immigrant, education is one of the requirements for you to gain points in the new Express Entry program of the Canadian government. For those who landed in Canada using the old Federal Skilled Worker Program, education was also one of the requirements.

The process for you to prove your education is through academic credential evaluation. Hence, Academic

FROM DREAM INTO BEAM MERVIN MENDOZA CERENO mmcereno@gmail.com

Mervin Cereno is a Filipino Engineer, Academician and Entrepreneur who chose to migrate to Canada. He got his Provisional License* as Professional Engineer from the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) after only 8 months from the time he landed in Canada in March 2016. Presently, he is pursuing a Master’s Degree at the University of Alberta. For pieces of advice and queries on licensing procedures in Alberta, you can contact him through email at cereno@ualberta.ca. *Provisional Licenses are granted after satisfying all the requirements of the APEGA Board of Directors except One Year Canadian Experience in the field of engineering.

Credential Evaluation summarizes its definition and purpose as follows: 1. To prove that you have that education, and that education wasgained by you.

2. To prove that the total time you spent in school is equivalent to that of the Canadian education system.

3. To prove that the English, Math and Science courses you took from your home country has equivalent content and number of credit hours in Canada.

4. To prove that the educational institution you attended exists and recognized by the governing body of your home country.

Credential evaluation lies on the objective of establishing that the

individual really hasgained the basic education necessary to compete in Canadian society for eventually to contribute to Canadian workforce.

On the other hand, Academic Credential Recognition are governed by the different Provincial Regulatory body which are somewhat similar in different provinces but have their own and specific requirements. In Alberta, Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) are the governing body for the assessment, accreditation, regulation and enforcement for all Engineering and Geoscience Professionals. The Association is responsible for the self-regulation of these professional in the Province of Alberta.

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

These Regulatory Associations recognize the credentials submitted by professional on the following conditions: 1. That the professional degree obtained by a professional is equivalent to that of a degree obtained from Canadian Institutions.

2. If the International Degree is not equivalent or lacking in Canadian Academic Equivalency, the professional is required to take Technical Exams.

3. Requiring the professional to document professional experience gained outside Canada.

4. Requiring the professional to undergo at least one year of Canadian Experience in his/her field under the supervision of a Professional Engineer recognizedby the Accrediting body.

5. An interview maybe conducted to establish that the professional experience is on the level of an engineer.

6. Provide professional references which are familiar from your work and past employments.

7. Require the professional to undergo further studies in Canada in technical courses.

8. Require the professional to take and pass the Professional Practice and Ethics Exams.

In summary, credential recognition to work as an engineerin Canada is a complex process and requiresa lot of patience and perseverance.

For Filipino Engineers, it is never too late to acquire recognition as an engineer in Canada.After all, working hard is our daily grind.

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

Crazy Big Win

T

his yea r, on-screen representation is increasing for Asians and it is an exciting thing to witness in 2018.

“Crazy Rich Asians,” is the first major studio film with a contemporary setting to have an all-Asian cast in 25 years. It even featured a fellow Filipina and actual crazy rich Asian, Kris Aquino!

Seeing familiarity and identifying with those on-screen in the movie theatre sent waves of exhilarating joy over me. Their faces, hair, complexion, and even their lactose intolerance— which 70% of Asians suffer from—we share! Overall, I am happy to see this tremendous international win for Asians in the arts community.

The movie is a rom-com about a New Yorker named Rachel Chu, who agrees to spend a summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young in order to attend

his best friend’s wedding and to meet his family for the first time.

Unbeknownst to Rachel, Nicholas Young and his family are Crazy.

Rich.Asians. The whole movie is an entertaining ride that will make tears of laughter roll down your cheeks but will also tug at your heart with its sweet, romantic scenes and then make your jaw drop because of everyone’s sophisticated—and clearly expensive—clothing paired with their luxurious houses.

This movie is evidence of the leaps and bounds of progress we are making as Asians in the Western world. I hope that this allows us more access to careers in places like Hollywood and that this encourages more Asians who have a talent in the acting industry to pursue it.

Sure, many may argue that the movie does not represent a lot of Asians as a whole, with the cast

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made up of mostly light-skinned Asians while the story centers more on Asians with ridiculous wealth thus limiting the exposure to about 1% of the Asian population. However, with that in mind, these are still Asians that were portrayed as complex, three-dimensional human beings rather than the same, repeated stereotypes that we typically see from Hollywood productions. Let’s not criticize or boycott this for we must

take the door that has been opened to us now and work harder to open it wider so that Asians have access to more opportunities in the acting industry. We cannot ask one 2-hour long movie to represent all Asians, but we should be happy to see that Asians are not being painted with a monochromatic brush.

It is so refreshing to see Asian men portrayed as the attractive, sought-after bachelors. It was also

23

from page 7

TRIPLE MAPLE LEAF CANADA.. at people, but we know better and we are smarter than that – and we know WE’LL FIND A WAY TO BOUNCE BACK IN A HEALTHIER AND MORE PRODUCTIVE WAY! Helping the needy, the desperate and the most vulnerable is our passion – andwe will continue doing so with or without your unsolicited opinion!

Given the foregoing considerations, facts and data, we can proudly say we were able to help and given hope to the many, countless hopeless, desperate and the vulnerable kababayans and clients who came to us voluntarily and were assisted by our Office. And to our critics we say, please look in the mirror and ask yourselves, “What have I done to help our kababayans in Canada?”

We leave you with these thoughts for you to think about: “Everyone is innocent until proven guilty.”

And “The truth will set us free.”

God bless you all and your families.

Sincerely, FROM THE PROUD, DEDICATED STAFF Triple Maple Leaf Canada www.helpingmigrants.net so touching to watch the lead, Rachel Chu, as she struggled to identify with some of her Asian culture, having grown up in America. These complex characters were far from the usual subservient roles I had watched many Asians play in American television shows and movies. The problem with stereotypes is that it becomes the set expectation others have of you and places you in a box which can be difficult to climb out of,especially for young Asians seeking to form their own identity in the Western world. Pop culture can help demonstrate to Asians and their non-Asian counterparts that Asians are allowed to step outside the confines of the few boxes labelled “nerdy”, “submissive”, and “martial arts master” if they wish to do so.

According to USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, about 5% of the characters in 2017’s 100 top-grossing films were Asians, and only four of those characters were leads.

Let’s view this movie as a key to unlocking the gate that has been closed off to Asians.

Money speaks, and we play a key role as consumers by buying tickets to watch this movie and show our support. By doing so, we communicate to other major studios that an all-Asian cast does deliver a large audience and that investing in Asians actors and actresses is worthwhile. If you are pondering which movie to see next in theatres, I highly recommend that you choose “Crazy Rich Asians.” It is a must-see movie that you can feel good about supporting.

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24

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

PUBLISHER’S NOTE | POINTS OF VIEW from page 21

From the desk of the Publisher JOSE L. ANGELES albertafilipinojournal2016@gmail.com

Alberta Filipino Journal is inviting everyone from all walks of life to advertise any informations which are vital to the community.

Whether social, political, business, educational, religious, recreational, and other forms of endeavour.

Vacation Planning... make the most of the three weeks that they have planned. As people with office jobs, this is something my significant other and I have to deal with. Christmas season is a huge deal, with a wedding right after New Year’s Day, so a majority of our time will be spent with family – as it should.

But there are so many incredible places to visit and explore, and the constraints of time and money need to be considered. During my last visit, I laid eyes on Cebu, Bohol, Palawan, Ilocos Norte and Sur for the first time. I am really hoping to add more to the list.

And finally, the last worry is

the jarring experience of culture shock and reverse culture shock for everyone involved. Living in a country like Canada has challenged some of the values that I learned growing up, realizing that there are oppressive or problematic aspects to some of them. My daily routines have changed also. I wonder how the conversations with my cousins and friends will be – now that many of them have their own kids. Concepts that I’m still trying to comprehend like feminism, conservatism, capitalism, environmentalism, liberalism, ableism, poverty and violence can result in clashing opinions. Feeling unnerved and uncomfortable in those situations can cause tempers to flare.

SEPTEMBER 2018 Since this was my second visit after immigrating, my partner and I have learned a few handy tricks from the last visit. Many of them are easier said that done. Seemingly simple tips such as ‘take everything in stride’ or ‘just roll with the punches’ can be daunting, when you are in a place that is both familiar and foreign. We had challenges and we made it through, with our relationship coming out stronger afterwards. This time around, my brother will be joining us, someone whom I haven’t travelled with for a very long time. In any event, it will be an adventure and a learning experience for everyone.

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Vancouver Consular Office has budget to Travel?

Just Listen

NICKY GOCUAN ngocuan@yahoo.com

As a journalist with over 14 years of experience, I have covered different events from rallies on the street, entertainment and international sports events like the Asian Games. My favorite pastime is singing. I have always believed that life would be boring without music.

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he growing number of Filipinos in Alberta is the main reason why a new consular office was needed in the province to better serve Filipinos living and working in Alberta. Since its inception, the Consular office in Calgary has helped a lot of Filipinos with their passport renewals and documents requirements.

It has also saved the people time and money because previously, everyone in western Canada had to travel to the Philippine Consulate in Vancouver to get their passports renewed and

documentations completed. By land, for example if you are coming from the capital city, the distance from Edmonton to Vancouver is about 2,338 kilometers and it will take approximately 24 hours to drive back and forth. That is a long and expensive trip just to get a passport done. You do not only have to book the time off from work, you also have to budget for gas and food along the way and while you are in Vancouver.

Last September 7, there was a Consular Outreach held in Edmonton.

What surprised me was that it was conducted by the Philippine Consulate of Vancouver. So why is Vancouver doing Consular Outreaches in Edmonton? There is a Consular Office in Calgary which is just a 3 hour drive to Edmonton. It would save the Philippine government a lot of money if they use their people in Calgary rather than bring people in from Vancouver. How much did Vancouver spend to come and administer the outreach in Edmonton?

Did they fly or did they drive? Either way, it must cost more than bringing in people from Calgary.

We did try to check why Calgary was not doing it and we learned from reliable sources that they did not have the budget. So Calgary has no budget but Vancouver has it? Why didn’t Vancouver just cover the costs for Calgary? I smell something fishy.

The Philippine Government has very limited resources but they are being wasted. This needs to be brought to the attention of Malacañang Palace and a special mention should be made toDepartment of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano. There needs to be an investigation as to why their staff in the Vancouver office

had to travel. This is an unnecessary expense for the taxpayers.

Another big problem that the Department of Foreign Affairs should look into is the online appointment system. People who have been trying to book online could not understand why they cannot get through. It is either the site is down or it will say that it is full. This happens even when they just started accepting bookings online. How can it be full when they just started?

There is no way to know how many people are already in the system or how they were able to get into the system. There is a need for more transparency. Take for example, if they are only taking 150 heads and if the next person is number 151 , he should be able to retain his spot into the next consular outreach and be number 1 on the list. It is not his fault that the Outreach can only take 150 heads. According to a consular officer I spoke to, they do not do this because by that time, the person might not need their help anymore.

Really? How do they know? In this day and age of technology, it is not very hard to communicate with any person via mobile phone or through email. If you have a running list, you can contact them and give them five days to reply and if they don’t, you can give their spot to the person next in line. It’s as simple as that.

It is not that hard! So why are we making it so difficult? It’s time for the Duterte administration to change things for the better. In the interest of balancedand fair reporting, we made a call to the Vancouver office but never got a call back to get their side on the matter.

THE PULSE OF THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY IN THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA, CANADA

SEPTEMBER 2018

RELIGION| POINTS OF VIEW | INSPIRATION

Making Gospel Reading Trending FR. JHACK DIAZ Rev. Fr. Raldy "jhack" Diaz is the first Filipino priest ordained in the Diocese of St. Paul Alberta.

He is currently the Pastor of St. Jean de Brebeuf Parish, Mallaig, Alberta.

HYPOCRISY Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23

O

ur Gospel speaks about ritual purity. The Scribes and Pharisees questioning Jesus for violating their practices of purity: washing hands before meals. But Jesus answered them: “It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person but what comes out of the mouth that defiles.”

Friends, we are reminded by today’s Gospel that defilement is moral and spiritual; not physical. The problem is not the stomach but the heart. If we watch our physical appearance but don’t watch our spiritual figure there is something wrong with our diets.

Moral cleanliness is more important than ritual purity.

For Jesus, cleanliness is more intrinsic rather than extrinsic. Pretending to be clean externally when you are dirty internally is hypocrisy. What we eat may make us sick but it won’t make us a sinner. It is unhealthy but not unholy. Friends, internalize your externals.

Let us clean both our hands and hearts. It is hypocrisy when we are smiling but are angry. It is hypocrisy

when we are praising the Lord but cursing people. It is hypocrisy if we know all the church prayers and devotions but on the other hand we also have a litany of gossip and foul language. It is hypocrisy when your lips are saying I love you but your actions show hurt and hatred.

Hypocrites wear white robes but live in darkness. They claim to know God but their actions deny Him. They have clean hands but their hearts are dirty.

Cleansing your hands does not make your heart clean.

Warning: Be cautious of people whose actions don’t match their words. Don’t let your lips and your lives preach two different messages.

Blessings Fr. Jhack

By Payman Parseyan

Alberta’s minimum wage will rise starting October 1st, 2018.

The idea is to give people more money so that it can help to make ends meet. Except, this isn’t going to happen. Businesses who pay minimum wage usually have tight margins. Businesses are not charities and are private FOR-PROFIT entities. If costs go up, this will likely result in price increases. Minimum wage wasn’t meant to be a living wage. It was meant to be an introduction wage for someone to be introduced to the labour market. A rate for a 14-year-old going to their first job or someone who has yet to develop to the work force.

Minimum wage will increase from $13.60 to $15 per hour.

Provincial taxes will increase from $768 to $1040/year. That is a 10% increase in wages and 35% increase in taxes. Minimum wage increases raise prices for goods+ services and they result in higher taxes for the government.

For example: Someone making $13.60/hr now makes $15/hr. They used to pay $10 therefore being left with $3.60 after that (let’s assume 0 tax) but as costs for the business increase, so do products. Labour

costs also include insurance, coverage, admin, accounting and are usually 20-30% above the wage. Same meal now costs $11.65 and the person is left with $3.35 Minimum wage increases production costs, lowers part-time work and will put more pressure on current workers to take on more work as employers will be reluctant to hire additional staff.

Solution?

Increase the minimum taxable threshold so that people aren’t paying taxes until they earn a full minimum wage. Working $13.6/ hr for a year = $28,288/ year. The minimum tax threshold is currently at $18,915/Year and this number should be increased to allow people to take home more of their earnings and businesses to grow.

Growing businesses will hire more people and as their staff gain more experience, their wages increase. $15/hour, after tax is $25,825.00/ Year. $13.60/Hour without tax is $28,288.

Who is the real winner when minimum wage increases?

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

Never be apart from Martial Arts:

Where my Expertise turns into Business

Hey! My name is Kevin Mejia (@ kev4point) and I am a co-host on The Taekwondo Podcast (@theTKDpodcast).

Influenced by my older brother and The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, I started Taekwondo in

‘95. Some of my Taekwondo career highlights include Canadian Jr. National Champ, Jr. National Team member at Jr. World Championships, US Open Bronze, participant at the '09 Universiade and too many national silver medals.

Proud of these guys. They started taekwondo just over three years ago when we were still in a community hall. Today they medaled at their first international event.

On Cody’s first class he was convinced he could run faster in his Naruto pose and the only sport he played prior was E-Sports. Cody started his day strong with a 19-0 win. I am especially proud of his second match where he went down 16-0 and persevered to win it no quit.

In his third match he fell short to a very good and experienced player.

For only his fourth tournament as a black belt and his first tournament outside of the province, a silver at an international tournament is

something to be proud of.

Gershwin trained hard for this event but unfortunately there was no competitors in his weight category.

Had an exhibition with an older competitor and was great experience.

Our friend Lovedeep from ultimate yyc also had a very good showing in a division with very experienced players. After four tough fights Lovedeep ended with a second place finish.

This is the first large event I went to as only a coach. I think we’ve proven that we belong at these larger events.

We’re proud of our results but not yet satisfied knowing our potential is much greater. With hard work and consistency we know we’ll improve.

All photos and articles available online. Follow us

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Minimum wage or tax increase?

Filipinos Success' Stories:

Kevin’s Products

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

Upon graduating from NAIT’s Personal Trainer Program, I stepped away from Taekwondo for a few years and started my own personal training company. I’ve always had a passion for helping others meet their goals, whether it be helping them get stronger, improve endurance/conditioning and or increasing flexibility to name a few. However, life wasn’t the same without Taekwondo so I got back into it and opened my own Edmonton based school, 4Point Taekwondo (@4pointtkd) in 2015. Teaching students the value of respect and discipline through martial arts has been very rewarding. In addition to this, entrepreneurship is another passion I have discovered and have pursued which led me to start my own equipment company Aurum Martial Arts (@aumartialarts).

I believe that learning never stops. I am always looking to grow and enhance my skills and knowledge as a coach. I hope the information which The Taekwondo Podcast brings to its audience will help better athletes, coaches and students in the game.

www.AlbertaFilipinoJournal.com

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IMMIGRATION SERVICES | COMMUNITY

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

Parents And Grandparents SponsorshipMinimum Necessary Income From Migration to Immigration MARJORIE CARMONA NEWMAN info@mcncanadaimmigration.com 780-758-2045

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

I

n the past two weeks I had consultations with several kababayans who received an Invitation to Apply to Sponsor their parents. One of them asked if he must show the minimum necessary income plus 30%, varying for family size, for the last fiscal years to be eligible to sponsor his parents under Super Visa category.

I think my kababayan asking the question is confused between the income level required to sponsor parents for permanent residence as opposed to the income level required to sponsor parents for a super visa. I

would like to clarify that to sponsor your parents under Super Visa, you don't need to show IRCC that you meet the MNI +30% for multiple consecutive years- this is an eligibility requirement that an applicant must meet when sponsoring parent for permanent residence status.

The Super Visa is a variant of Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) which offers the additional benefit of being able to visit Canada for up to two (2) years as compared to the usual duration of six (6) months that comes with a regular TRV. If you review the policy for Super Visa the

INCOME TABLE Effective from January 1 to December 31, 2018 Your child or grandchild may use the following income scale to assess their ability to meet the income requirements.

Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) Minimum necessary Size of Family Unit gross income 1 person (your child or grandchild) $24,949 2 persons $31,061 3 persons $38,185 4 persons $46,362 5 persons $52,583 6 persons $59,304 7 persons $66,027 More than 7 persons, for each additional $6,723 person, add Federal Income Table for Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship (2017, 2016, 2015) Size of Family Unit Minimum Income 2 persons 3 persons 4 persons 5 persons 6 persons 7 persons If more than 7 persons, for each additional person, add from page 19

2018 ANCOP WALK...

Mariden Tours, Angeles Law Office, Grelanie Homes, Nexus Machining and Ellwood Daycare. Media staff from the Alberta Filipino Journal led by Lito Velasco, Editor, and Mo Billacura plus the 3 DJs from radio station Himig Pinoy, Roland, Joanne and Mia, graced the event as well.

Greg Parillas, ANCOP Area Coordinator in Edmonton, gave updates about the construction of a 32-unit shelter project inside Bgy. Moonwalk Village, Paranaque City, Philippines. This ANCOP Edmonton shelter project is in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Paranaque City and the local government.

2017 $39,813 $48,945 $59,426 $67,400 $76,015 $84,631 $8,616

2016 $39,371 $48,404 $58,768 $66,654 $75,174 $83,695 $8,522

2015 $38,618 $47,476 $57,642 $65,377 $73,733 $82,091 $8,358

The construction started on May 30, 2018 and is expected to be awarded to the 32 homeless families in January 2019. A very laudable child sponsor, Quality Sleep Care, represented by Ms. Wilma Payne was called to share the company’s plans with respect to its 2 college scholars in the Philippines. Ms. Payne said, "as part of the social responsibility of Quality Sleep Care, the company sponsored 2 college students with the plan of bringing them to Edmonton upon graduation and provide them employment in the company”.

Aside from the support given to the local Food Bank in Edmonton, the Canadian Blood Stem Cell

www.AlbertaFilipinoJournal.com

guidelines clearly indicate that the sponsor must meet MNI (LICO) for the current year (not three years), and there is no need to add the 30%.

Pleasesee the table below to check the relevant income requirements.

Guidelines specify that you can have a co-signer if the sponsor does not meet the required LICO level.

When sponsoring parents or grandparents and their dependents for permanent residence, the sponsor must meet MNI plus 30% for three consecutive tax years prior to filing the sponsorship. This number is arrived at by taking the Low Income Cut Off calculated annually by Statistics Canada for the relevant family size, and adding 30%. IRCC offers a very handy chart below: Federal Income Table for sponsors of parents and grandparents The following table applies to residents of all provinces except Quebec. For each of the three consecutive taxation years preceding the date on which the application is submitted to us, the sponsor (and co-signer, if applicable) must meet the Minimum Necessary Income, which is based on the Low Income Cut-offs plus 30%.

You must provide your Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) as proof that you meet the following minimum income requirements for taxation years 2017, 2016, and 2015.

Based on the above table, IRCC has already added on the extra 30% thus there is no need to add or calculate and do the math.

If the Sponsor follows the above chart the only thing to consider is determine the appropriate size of the family unit.

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

SEPTEMBER 2018

from page 13

Resources on Getting... city administration, usually before the wider public consultation takes place. The link to join is: https:// www.edmontoninsightcommunity. ca/Portal/default.aspx 2. 311 or the equivalent in the area: 311 is the main line to contact the city for any complaints related to the programs and services that the city offers. 311 can be contacted through email, telephone, or an app on your phone. I personally have used the app to report a series of vandalisms that occurred in our neighbourhood park, and adding the photos was a handy feature. The best part is that the telephone service is offered in many languages. The link with all the information is: https://www. edmonton.ca/programs_services/ service-311-contact-centre.aspx 3. Email and Social Media Accounts of Elected Representatives: The office and contact information of elected representatives is very easy to access online. Many of them are quite active and responsive on social media also. This can come in handy when the goal is to advocate for a specific change in the law that may take a while to become from page 20

Back to School season of summer. However, I want to help all the students reading this get back to a regular routine in order to be productive and successful in their studies.

The first thing I would suggest to all students is to make sure that you get enough sleep. Without proper rest, it can be difficult to focus in class, or even do homework/study if you can barely stay awake. Second, make time for exercise at least a few times a week as it can help sharpen the mind during your studies and improve your health. Third, it is vital to manage your time effectively as we all have busy schedules. So, what I would suggest is purchasing or creating an agenda for the school year and writing important events on the dates way ahead of time (family events, tests, assignments, part-time work) so if anything comes up last minute, you know if you will be available or find a way

reality. Sometimes it can be tricky to remember the name of your elected representative, or what ward or territory your home address falls under. If feeling unsure, a quick online search to know which level of government oversees the issue you care about is a good start. Once you have identified whether it is federal, provincial, or municipal, it is easier to search the name of your elected representative for your area and contact them. The links that lists these representatives are: • Municipal: https://www.edmonton. ca/city_government/mayor-citycouncillors.aspx • Provincial: http://www.assembly. ab.ca/net/index.aspx?p=mla_home • Federal: https://www.ourcommons. ca/Parliamentarians/en/members While many of these are specific programs in Edmonton, there are certainly equivalents in other cities and towns. A quick online search while adding the name of the town or city can help identify specific services in the area. It’s valuable to remember that the voice and the perspective of the average person really matters. These channels can help get these messages to those who need to hear them.

to fit whatever it may be into your schedule. Fourth, try your best to stay positive in all situations. Yes, school can be stressful, and it can be hard to effectively manage your time, but that does not mean you should give up. It just means you need to take a break to prevent burnout and know you can achieve your goals/deadlines. Fifth, if possible, try to find someone who can hold you accountable for your studies, someone who watches over you to make sure you are not procrastinating too much and not overworking yourself. Having someone there to support you throughout the school year is crucial for success, plus it is always delightful having company and will help keep you sane.

This school year, I hope all of you work hard and achieve your goals while also having fun. If the thought of school still gives you everlasting dread, just look at it this way, summer break is only nine months away!

ADVERTISE WITH US 780-916-7677 publisher@albertafilipinojournal.com Research Team was given the opportunity to promote the “Get Swabbed Campaign” prior to the Walk and the Team was grateful to get the support of ANCOP Edmonton.

The participants were led through a vibrant limbering exercise by the CFC Leaders and guests. After the exercise, the participants carried colorful banners and proceeded to complete a one round 3 mile walk around Millwoods Park, a busy area in the southside of Edmonton.

One of the top proponents for Filipino participation is also 2017 ANCOP's top solicitor, JC and Jenna Llanos, who have solicited $3,650.00 in donations last year.

It is no wonder that the 2017 Top Team Solicitor is headed by their parents, Eng. Nap and Ely Llanos.

2018 Early Bird Registrants are Rey & Judy Lumanglas who were awarded a gift basket.

As in the past years, a raffle draw was held after the walk led by CFC West Chapter Heads Ernie and Divine Anzures who was assisted

by Deacon Tony Obleada who drew the winning numbers. Lots of raffle prizes, which were donated

by Sunfreight Cargo, were given away. Other prizes included bags of rice from Ms. Loida Lumanlan of ReMax, and gift baskets from the members of the United Conservative Party, led by Ms. Marjorie Newman

(Glenora), Kaycee Madu (West), Jovita Mendita (Strathcona) Jeff Walters, and Laila Ho. At the end of the raffle draw, Greg Parillas announced that cash donations for this year’s ANCOP Walk can still be made till September 30, 2018. Generous donors can contact Greg at (780) 982-9152 or they may visit the ANCOP website at: www.ancopcanada.org. Anyone interested in sponsoring a child may also visit the ANCOP website.

To end the event, Deacon Monching Morales led the closing prayer and thanked everyone for participating in this eventful occasion.

News contributor: Marizza Diaz, ANCOP Media Volunteer

THE PULSE OF THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY IN THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA, CANADA

SEPTEMBER 2018

ARTS AND CULTURE

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

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Hannah Adamson: The One, and the Star

O

ne of the delightful surprises I had during my work on Emma the Musical came in the form of pint sized and spritely Hannah Adamson. The youngest of the cast members, she handed me her artist’s resume on my first day of rehearsal for the production so “I will get to know her better”. At the Emma performance, a number of people inquired about her, noting her stage presence and the earnestness of her performance.

Hannah is the only child of Douglas and Vilma Adamson. A precocious child, she was singing songs she had heard only once or twice when she was 2.

She started performing at age 4, singing in family and social functions, and continued later on doing guest stints in community events, front acts for visiting artists (Maja Salvador, Pooh, Bamboo), singing competitions, and musicals. At age 10, she’s already had her own sold out solo concert.

She has won in competitions like St. Albert’s Got Talent and Futures Fest.

Last summer, Hannah competed in the World Championship of Performing Arts (WCOPA) in Long Beach, California. Despite a lack of dedicated preparation for the competition since she was deep into the production of Emma (in fact heading

straight to the airport a few hours after the performance to fly to the US), she still managed to garner: 2 Silver medals for Original and Contemporary Songs; a Gold for Broadway category; Gold for the Finals - as the top 5 out of 400 in her division; and received a plaque for Overall Winner of the Broadway category. It should be noted too that the song she performed in the Original Song category, “The One”, is her own composition.

During the Emma production, Hannah was relentless and exhibited enthusiasm in learning - asking tips for acting, how to execute complicated dance steps, etc. In between rehearsals, she would pull us to choreograph her musical theatre entry, which we were pleased to learn was the piece that brought her to the finals in WCOPA, gave her a Gold medal, and made her the Overall Winner for the Broadway category. Some people may regard this as a kind of pestering, but she is such a sweet and affectionate girl with sponge-like absorption for every correction and advice given, that you can’t help but entertain and nourish this passion and curiosity.

Hannah’s zest for life and adventurous spirit is evident in her various interests: aside from singing (both as a solo artist and part of a school choir), she plays the piano, drums, guitar; does ballet, hiphop, jazz, modelling, acting, skating, swimming; has won awards for her writing; composes songs; and still manages to be a top student in her class. Even with all these activities though, truth be told, I think her parents are more exhausted than her.

With her talents and all her achievements, it is stirring to see her parents’ dedication in supporting her endeavours, making sure she gets the opportunities she needs to grow, but at the same time making sure she enjoys her childhood, and grows up aware of her dual heritage. So yes, they may remark about being tired or craving for more time, but they are definitely, deep down, proud of their daughter.

Artospective - an artist’s point of view IDA BELTRAN-LUCILA ida_b_lucila@yahoo.com

Unfortunately, not everything is rosy and bright for Hannah. She has her fair share of catty remarks and attitude from peers, who are perhaps jealous of her achievements and popularity. When confronted with the taunting, she keeps quiet and ignores the negativity, and releases her emotions and thoughts by composing her own songs - creating the melody, doing the musical arrangement, and writing the lyrics. Her songs “The One” and “Stars” are expectant and philosophical. They talk about soaring towards your dreams, of not being pushed to the ground when people put you down, of being strong and true to yourself. She is able to go beyond her peers’ animosity as she maintains that her singing is not a way of showing off, but a means of expressing herself and developing her talent. Wise words from such a young girl.

Now opportunities are opening up for Hannah - for performances, projects, possible recordings. Up next in the near future is a plan to do a music video for her next composition. Equipped with talent, grit, and the support of her parents, the world is at Hannah Adamson’s feet. A word of advice though, for this young prodigy - always remember where you came from, the people who helped you along the way, and give credit where credit is due. Not only will you be a true and good artist, but a much better person for doing so. And with that, you will embody what you aspire for in the songs that you have written so profoundly - the One and the Star.

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

Search for Global Beauties of Canada 2018 The 6th edition of the SEARCH for GLOBAL BEAUTIES OF CANADA 2018. The reigning Miss Tourism Queen Worldwide Miss Ceduna Maggee and Judge Mes Nenette Legaapi Maggee, crowning the newly Crowned Miss Runway Model UNIVERSE Canada 2018.

The event was held at the Chinese Cultural Center on Aug. 26, 2018 Photos by Dario Juanillo | AFJ All photos and articles available online. Follow us

www.AlbertaFilipinoJournal.com

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ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

GREETINGS | BUSINESS

SEPTEMBER 2018

50th Wedding Anniversay of Lito & Juliet Reyes Congratulations to Brother Lito and Lady Juliet on the occasion of their Golden Wedding Anniversary which was held last August 25, 2018 at the Executive Royal Hotel in Edmonton. A solemn renewal of vows was officiated at the Royal Executive by Father Jovy Augustine. The occasion was attended by family, relatives and friends from the Nazareno Council and the Community of Knights of Columbus in Alberta.

Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary! May God grant you more years of togetherness, happiness and prosperity.

Photos by Dario Juanillo | Alberta Filipino Journal

ASTROLOGER, PSYCHIC & SPIRITUALIST

PANDIT RAJA RAM JI MASTER IS HELPING PEOPLE ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS

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Lucky Gucci is 4, Teri follows up with another celebration

By Moses Billacura

Teri Reyes first thought of having that dog four years ago. It was just a thought.

But she could not stop thinking about and so she and husband Resty welcomed that dog to their humble home and named their new fury friend, Gucci, who just turned four years old last September 1.

When Gucci, a three-legged dog, came to the Reyes' family, Resty could not help to reveal that her coming was good luck as their

travel tours business started to have an upswing.

"Suwerte yang si Gucci sa amin," said Resty.

The celebrations did not stop though as Teri received a surprise birthday celebration, September 13, at their office, Fly Friendly Travel and Tours along 51 Avenue.

It was a working day for Teri but that’s how business owners in Alberta do. Even on their birthdays, they don’t take a break. Except of course, if it is Gucci’s birthday.

MILLWOODS RD AND 23 AVE. OPEN 7 DAYS. 9 AM - 9 PM

780-246-4439

Gucci, her buddies and human family and friends come together for her 4th birthday at the home of Fly Friendly Travel and Tours owners Resty and Teri Reyes.

(Photo by Moses Billacura | Alberta Filipino Journal)

ADVERTISE WITH US 780-916-7677 publisher@albertafilipinojournal.com www.AlbertaFilipinoJournal.com

THE PULSE OF THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY IN THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA, CANADA

SEPTEMBER 2018

GREETINGS | COMMUNITY | VOLUNTEERISM

ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

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Kris Salumbides' Birthday Bash

Congratulations Kris on the occasion of his 37th birthday which was held at Sejong Multicultural Center September 15th 2018. “I would like to thank all the people ( my family, my friends including those who are out of the country, my business partners , Quality Care Group staff and the Filipino community in Alberta) who joined me to celebrate my birthday. No words can express how grateful I am with your presence, lovely messages and greetings. Thank you very much.

It was an awesome celebration. Hope you had fun as I did.�

From the Alberta Filipino Journal and Staff, Happy Birthday Kris!

Celebrates Life at Work

The sweet-single and open to mingle lady celebrated her natal day last September 17, 2018. A proficient unit clerk at the University of Alberta Hospital, Hematology Ward.

Dina Nepomuceno (known as Miss Dee) is very much thankful about the gift of life that the Creator has entrusted upon her. She lives to work; rather than works to live-workaholic!

Happy Birthday Ms. Dee! All photos and articles available online. Follow us

www.AlbertaFilipinoJournal.com

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ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

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ENTERTAINMENT | PROMOTION

SEPTEMBER 2018

THE PULSE OF THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY IN THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA, CANADA

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ALBERTA FILIPINO JOURNAL

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HEALTH-FAMILY MEDICINE

SEPTEMBER 2018

THE PULSE OF THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY IN THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA, CANADA