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VOL. 1 NO. 202

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P-Noy welcomes Imperial Couple

Death of a cyclist spurs new campaign

‘3rd world war on poverty, injustice’

Enticing others to visit Canada

Apple’s iPhone success may be reaching its peak

PHL ranks 95th in global corruption report

BY KRIS M. CRISMUNDO Philippines News Agency

TATAY TOM The award winning architectural design of Multicultural Helping House Society on Fraser Street which provides temporary accommodations for newly landed immigrants, respite housing, as well as staff offices, rooms for meetings, counseling, and training/workshops. The expanded support services included settlement, job assistance, and programs for the youth, seniors and families. Photo inset is Tomas Avendano (Tatay Tom), the President and CEO who co-founded the MHHS (see his story on page 24).

Miss Universe is home As promised, Pia brings home real crown

BY JEANNETTE I. ANDRADE Philippine Daily Inquirer THE LAST time she was at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach barely turned heads.

But early Saturday morning, her name was on everybody’s lips and peo-

ple couldn’t have enough of her as they wantonly clicked away at the newly crowned Miss Universe using their mobile phones.

“I was so excited, I wasn’t able to sleep last night,” confessed Wurtzbach during a press conference shortly after

Renewable Energy – The Game Changer

MANILA — The Philippines ranks 95th among 168 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2015 released by Berlin-based Transparency International (TI) on Wednesday.

The Philippines scored 35 out of 100 in the global corruption survey.

The country’s ranking in 2015 improved by 39 notches from its spot in 2010 at 134th place.

However, the nation’s ranking in CPI 2015 declined by 10 notches from rank 85 in the 2014 index.

In the Southeast Asian region, the Philippines now ranks fifth — from rank three in the previous report — being surpassed by Thailand and Indonesia which ranked 76th and 88th, respectively, in the global survey.

Singapore is the least corrupt country among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations which

❱❱ PAGE 37 ❱❱ PAGE 10 Miss Universe

❱❱ PAGE 11 PHL ranks

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JANUARY 29, 2016

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FRIDAY

Philippine News

FRIDAY JANUARY 29, 2016

Cases vs massacre suspects hang in DOJ

BY JEROME ANING Philippine Daily Inquirer

drin Evangelista, Benito Oliver Sales III, Rassendell Rex Gingoyon and Suarez, deemed the case submitted for resolution after receiving no more counteraffidavits from three other respondents who requested copies of the complaint.

THE DEPARTMENT of Justice (DOJ) has yet to rule on whether or not there is probable cause to file criminal cases in the court against 90 members of the NBI is complainant Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), The representative of the National Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fight- Bureau of Investigation, which is the ers (BIFF) and private armed groups complainant in the case, stated that the (PAGs) accused of killing special police agency would no longer file a reply to commandos in Mamasapano, Maguin- the counteraffidavits of the four respondanao province, a year ago. dents.

Only four respondents in the complex OnDec. 17, the panel deemed submitcrime of direct assault with murder and ted for resolution the cases filed against theft of government property have filed all those who failed to submit their their counteraffidavits at the conclu- counteraffidavits in the earlier hearings. sion of the preliminary investigation of The panel is at a loss as to why the oththe DOJ on Jan. 14. They are Mustapha er respondents failed to participate in Tatak, Pendatun Utek Makakua, Laki- the preliminary investigation and subman Dawaling and Khalim Keda. mit counteraffidavits.

All denied their participation in the Suarez said all the subpoenas to the Mamasapano massacre and even pro- respondents were sent by registered duced certifications from the 118th mail and personal service with the assisMILF Base Comtance of the office of mand stating that the mayor of Mamathey were not memsapano as well as the bers of the group as Coordinating Commentioned in the mittee on the Cessacomplaint. tion of Hostilities.

In the counterafThe panel is He said returns or fidavits filed by their at a loss as to documents signifying counsels, Makakua why the other that the subpoeanas said he was a farmer, respondents were received have Keda a former teachfailed to been sent back to the er and Tatak a baranparticipate in DOJ, but those who gay chair. the preliminary did receive them still Dawaling, a resiinvestigation failed to submit their dent of the area, said and submit counteraffidavits. he was one of the cicounteraffidavits.

“As of the movilians who helped ment it appears that the police rescue the the notices were igvictims of the operanored,” Suarez said. tion and assisted in The cases pending the clearing operabefore the DOJ panel tions. pertain to the deaths of 35 of the 44 memResolved on allegations bers of the Philippine National PoliceState Prosecutor Alexander Suarez, Special Action Force that participated in member and spokesperson of the pre- Oplan Exodus, an operation to capture liminary investigation panel, said that suspected Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli for those who failed to show up at the bin Hir alias Marwan who was reported hearings, the case against them “will be hiding in Mamasapano. resolved based on the allegations [in the The 35 members of the 55th Special complaint].”

Action Company were surrounded and Asked if the panel would be able to trapped in a cornfield in Barangay Turesolve the case in time for the first an- kanalipao and shot at by the Moro guerniversary of the incident, Suarez re- rilla fighters and PAGs. Only one surplied, “We cannot give you a definite vived the carnage. time frame or period to resolve this case, The case was recommended against but what the panel can commit to is that the respondents in September 2015 by we shall expedite the resolution of the a special task force composed of NBI case.” agents and prosecutors from the DOJ’s The Mamasapano clash took place National Prosecution Service. It preone year ago today. sented its findings and recommendaThe panel of investigation prosecu- tions on the Mamasapano encounter in tors, composed of Rosanne Balauag, Al- April 2015.

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GPH-MNLF peace process review ends, moves to implementation of peace mechanisms PHILIPPINES NEWS AGENCY JEDDAH — The Philippine government (GPH), the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) formally signed on Tuesday the Joint Communique that marks the conclusion of the Tripartite Review Process (TRP) of the Implementation of the 1996 GPH-MNLF Final Peace Agreement (FPA) that has run for more than eight years.

“This is an important milestone we have reached as it sets the convergence of the two Bangsamoro peace processes,” explained Secretary Teresita Quintos Deles, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and head of the delegation of the Philippine Government during the two-day 5th Ministerial Level meeting of the TRP. The Joint Communiqué of the conference stated that the TRP ministerial meeting was held “to define a road map

towards the completion of the Review Process and identify ways and means of coordination and collaboration for the implementation of what they agreed upon during the Review Process.”

“What this means is that we have finally finished the eight-year long review of the implementation of the FPA, and we can now move forward towards implementing the agreements reached this time under the TRP,” added OPAPP Undersecretary for Programs Yusuf Jose Lorena.

Specifically, the Joint Communique identified four key areas that the parties agreed to implement: - The establishment of the Bangsamoro Development Assistance Fund that will be used for socio-economic development projects for MNLF communities; - The agreement on the Co-Management of Strategic Minerals will be ❱❱ PAGE 11 GPH-MNLF peace

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Philippine News

JANUARY 29, 2016

FRIDAY

Only a private celebration to mark Tita Cory’s birthday

BY JERRY E. ESPLANADA Philippine Daily Inquirer THERE WILL be no official Malacañang event to mark the 83rd birth anniversary of the late President Corazon C. Aquino today, according to Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. However, her son, the current President Aquino will be joining his family in a private commemoration of his mother’s birthday, the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) chief said yesterday. He did not elaborate.

Asked if Mr. Aquino will visit his mother’s tomb at the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City today or tomorrow, Coloma told the INQUIRER that he had “no information.”

In a statement issued over state-run Radyo ng Bayan, the Palace official said “the Filipino nation pays homage to the memory of President Corazon Aquino,” whom he recalled “took on the leadership of the movement to restore democracy after the assassination of [her husband] Sen. Benigno S. Aquino Jr. in 1983.”

“highlighted by the conduct of credible elections and the peaceful hand over of power to a new president [Fidel V. Ramos] in June 1992.”

The PCOO chief, who briefly served as Presidential Management Staff head during the Corazon Aquino administration, described his former boss as an “effective leader,” from whom he “learned lots of lessons and good examples.”

Malacañang had earlier praised Ms Aquino—whom Filipinos called “Tita Cory”—for being the nation’s “moral compass.”

“As a widow dressed in yellow, her soft-spoken and honest dedication to the struggle to win back our democracy by peaceful means earned her the respect of an empowered nation and the international community,” it noted.

Binay honors late president

President Benigno S. Aquino III attends a Mass at the tombs of his parents — former President Corazon "Cory" Aquino and former Senator Benigno S. Aquino Jr. — at the Manila Memorial Park in Sucat, Paranaque City on Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016. The Mass is in celebration of Cory's 83rd birthday on Jan. 25.

JOHNNY PASCUA / MALACAÑANG PHOTO BUREAU / PNA

Ms Aquino “became president in the aftermath of the triumph of the Edsa People Power revolution following the failed snap elections in February 1986,” he noted.

Aftermath of Edsa

“As President, she moved decisively to restore and rebuild the democratic institutions that had been dismantled during the regime of the dictatorship since the imposition of martial rule in September 1972,” he said.

Coloma also cited the late president for her “steadfast dedication and commitment to democracy,” which was

Meanwhile, Vice President Jejomar Binay issued a statement honoring the late President, who died of colon cancer in 2009.

“President Corazon Aquino’s humility and selfless service inspired all of us in our fight to restore democracy and rebuild our nation,” he said.

“As we commemorate her birth on Jan. 25, let us continue to fight for the ideals she fought for—a government that truly cares for the people and a nation free from fear, hunger and poverty,” Binay, the opposition’s presidential candidate in the May elections, said.

Despite running and winning against Mar Roxas, President Aquino’s running mate in the 2010 elections, the controversial Binay dissociated himself from the Aquino administration last year when he resigned from the Cabinet and formally led the opposition.

Roxas and Binay are again running against each other in the May polls—this time in the presidential race.

SC orders Antique governor reinstated

BY TARRA QUISMUNDO Philippine Daily Inquirer THE SUPREME Court has ordered the reinstatement of Antique Gov. Exequiel Javier, ruling that his removal by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) last year was “arbitrary and whimsical.”

Voting 11-0, the high court granted Javier’s petition to junk the Comelec en banc’s order which annulled his proclamation after the 2013 elections for his act of suspending Valderrama town Mayor Joyce Roquero during the elecwww.canadianinquirer.net

tion period.

In a decision dated Jan. 12, a summary of which was released only yesterday, the high court pointed out that the provisions of the Omnibus Election Code that prohibited the suspension of officials during election periods had already been repealed.

There was therefore no basis to disqualify Javier and the Comelec had “gravely abused its discretion” when it did so, the high court said.

The full Supreme Court decision has yet to be released. It was unclear how soon Javier would be reinstated.

Philippine News

FRIDAY JANUARY 29, 2016

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Solar power to light Boracay streets PHILIPPINES NEWS AGENCY

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Give Marcelino his due under law–De Lima

BY TARRA QUISMUNDO Philippine Daily Inquirer WHETHER HE was on a legitimate secret mission or had gone rogue, the former top antinarcotics operative arrested in a drug lab in Manila is entitled to due process under the law, former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said yesterday.

De Lima said it was too early to conclude anything about the case of Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino, the former chief operative of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), whose arrest in a drug raid before dawn on Thursday came as a shock.

Marcelino is detained while being investigated for manufacturing, conspiring to manufacture and possession of illegal drugs—all nonbailable offenses.

The decorated Marine insisted he was in the drug den as part of a legitimate intelligence operation.

“The incident regarding Marine Col. Ferdinand Marcelino and the different versions on what actually happened, as claimed by PDEA, on one side, and by Marcelino on the other, should give everyone involved reason to pause and allow the legal process to take its course,” De Lima said in a statement.

She recalled witnessing the officer’s dedication to the job in antidrug operations of the National Bureau of Investigation.

“It is still too early to tell which version is the truth, al-

though presumptively the fact of Marcelino’s presence at the location is a ground for his warrantless arrest and immediate inquest. However, at the same time, the story of how a wellknown antidrug crusader responsible for some of the biggest drug busts and antidrug intelligence operations in law enforcement history suddenly turns rogue leaves much to be explained,” De Lima said.

Gone to dark side

“Given Marcelino’s impressive track record, this turn of events is not easily comprehended by those who have closely worked with him and who have seen his dedication to law enforcement, including myself, when he was instrumental in the success of past NBI operations,” she said.

If Marcelino had indeed gone to the other side, “then we have a lot to worry about,” said De Lima.

“If, on the other hand, the situation is as Marcelino claims, that he was on site by virtue of an AFP mission order, then we should give him the benefit of the doubt as he clarifies his version of events during his preliminary investigation.”

Turning agents like Marcelino to the dark side may not be that easy, De Lima added.

“Much to this story is yet to unfold and it will serve all parties concerned and the public to first let the legal process take its course in uncovering the truth,” she said.

BORACAY ISLAND, AKLAN— A total of 118 units of solarpowered streetlights will be installed in major streets in this resort island.

Engr. Arnold Solano, officerin-charge of the Municipal Engineering Office of Malay, said the installation of the PHP5million streetlights is expected to be completed by the second week of February.

Solano said the solar powered streetlights will be installed along the main roads in the three villages of Boracay, namely Manocmanoc, Balabag and Yapak.

The streetlight project is funded by the local government unit of Malay.

He said the project is part of the LGU’s commitment to protect the environment.

The use of renewable energy sources is meanwhile mandated by Republic Act 9153 or The Renewable Energy Act of 2008.

“By using an alternative power source, particularly solar energy, we are also saving on electricity cost and helping to mitigate climate change,” So-

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lano said.

Solano also emphasized that using renewable source of energy will allow the use of street lights even during brownouts.

The solar-powered streetlights which will serve as additional to the island’s exiting

street lights is also seen to help in deterring criminal activities in this tourist island, especially in remote areas, he added.

“We will prioritize the installation of streetlights in remote areas like Mt. Luho and Tambisaan,” he said.

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Philippine News

JANUARY 29, 2016

FRIDAY

Petitioner asks Leonen to inhibit from Poe cases

BY TARRA QUISMUNDO AND LEILA B. SALAVERRIA Philippine Daily Inquirer

cause of petitioner,” Elamparo said.

She described Leonen’s interpellation as an “emotional speech,” saying “what happened was not an interpellation but a passionate plea to end petitioner’s (Poe) “difficulty.”

Leonen is expected to continue his interpellation on Tuesday, when oral arguments on Poe’s case against the Comelec continue.

Elamparo had won her disqualification bid against Poe at the Comelec’s Second Division, among two cases later upheld by the poll body’s en banc that prompted the candidate to seek relief from the Supreme Court.

ONE OF the lawyers seeking Sen. Grace Poe’s disqualification from the presidential race has asked a Supreme Court magistrate to inhibit himself from her appeal, citing his “shared experience” with the candidate having also grown up fatherless.

In a petition filed at the Supreme Court yesterday, Estrella Elamparo, the former Government Service Insurance System chief legal counsel, asked Associate Justice Marvic Leonen to recuse himself from Poe’s suit against the ComWhat happened mission on Elections was not an (Comelec) resoluinterpellation tions that voided but a passionate her candidacy, citing plea to end the magistrate’s bias petitioner’s (Poe) following his state“difficulty.” ments during oral arguments on Tuesday.

‘Glaring partiality’

In an eight-page petition, Elamparo cited Leonen’s interpellation of Poe’s lawyer Alex Poblador, where he disclosed that he “grew up without a father,” to some degree relating with the Senator’s upbringing as a foundling.

“With much reluctance and regret, the undersigned is compelled to now seek the voluntary inhibition of Associate Justice Mario Victor F. Leonen on account of prejudgment and glaring partiality,” said Elamparo.

“This ‘shared’ experience with petitioner and the overflowing expression of empathy that came with his very candid disclosure blatantly show that the Honorable Justice has lost his impartiality and is now determined to champion the

‘Devil’s advocate’

When sought for comment on the petition of Elamparo, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III said Supreme Court justices should not be judged based on the questions they ask parties during oral arguments on a case.

Pimentel, a lawyer and the chair of the Senate justice committee, said that in their line of questioning, magistrates could play devil’s advocate to test the theory of the parties.

“They could disguise their actual position,” Pimentel said in a phone interview, adding that this was actually a good strategy.

And even if they are not doing so, the justices are free to adopt the line of questioning they want, he said.

“Allow the justices freedom of speech, freedom to air their general impression of the case,” he said.

In the end, justices would take sides in a case because they would vote on it, he said.

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Speaker must obey Supreme Court, not House panel, say lawyers

BY JEROME ANING Philippine Daily Inquirer THE HOUSE of Representatives should enforce the Supreme Court’s ruling installing Lord Allan Jay Velasco, the runnerup in the 2013 congressional race in Marinduque, as the legitimate lawmaker for the province, two legal experts have said.

In an interview with reporters, former Integrated Bar of the Philippines president Vicente Joyas and former University of the East law dean Amado Valdez said Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. should honor and implement the high court’s Jan. 12 decision granting Velasco’s plea for mandamus.

The other day, Belmonte said he would not follow the Supreme Court but would implement instead the decision of the House of Representative Electoral Tribunal (HRET) which is to keep Reyes in her seat.

the oath and the registration of Velasco as the duly-elected congressman for Marinduque “are no longer a matter of discretion or judgment” on the part of Belmonte and House secretary general Marilyn Barua-Yap. The high tribunal had ruled with finality on October 2013 that sitting Marinduque Rep. Regina Ongsiako-Reyes was disqualified from election to Congress.

The court said the Commission on Elections found out that Reyes failed to prove that she was a Filipino citizen when she filed her certificate of candidacy and that she also failed to meet the oneyear residency requirement for congressional candidates.

In deciding on Velasco’s mandamus petition, the court said Belmonte and Barua-Yap were “legally duty-bound” to recognize Velasco as the duly elected Marinduque congressman as the court’s October 2013 was final and executory.

No legal personality

Lead to contempt

“Since the Supreme Court’s ruling is final, Velasco can just take his oath and assume the seat,” Valdez, also chair emeritus of the Philippine Association of Law Schools, said.

Joyas, for his part, warned that disobedience could lead to a contempt case, adding that parties that refuse to implement an order of the court could be penalized with a fine or imprisonment.

“A contempt proceeding is always a remedy available to an aggrieved party in cases of disobedience to a lawful order of the court,” Joyas said.

“Congress must follow the decision” the lawyer added, saying that “the officers of the House of Representatives are vested by law to implement the order of the Supreme Court.”

The court, voting 8-1, with 6 abstentions, ruled that the administration of

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“Any ruling deviating from [the high court’s] established ruling will be contrary to the rule of law and should not be countenanced,” the court said.

The court junked Reyes’ argument that only the HRET could remove her from office. It noted that since her certificate of candidacy was cancelled, her proclamation as winner was void and therefore she had no legal personality to be recognized as a lawmaker in the first place.

Reyes’ camp, through her counsel Harry Roque, said they would file a motion for reconsideration of the court’s ruling on the mandamus case.

Reyes, daughter of incumbent Marinduque Gov. Carmencita Reyes, is a member of the ruling Liberal Party.

Velasco is the son of Supreme Court Justice Presbitero Velasco and incumbent Ang Mata’y Alagaan party-list Rep. Lorna Velasco.

Philippine News

FRIDAY JANUARY 29, 2016

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P-Noy welcomes Imperial Couple

BY JERRY E. ESPLANADA Philippine Daily Inquirer NO LESS than President Aquino has acknowledged that in Japan and its people, Filipinos have found “steadfast partners and friends in the truest sense of the words,” according to Malacañang.

Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. yesterday formally announced that Mr. Aquino would lead the nation in welcoming Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko as they begin a five-day state visit tomorrow.

“The visit of Their Majesties

is significant as this year, 2016, is the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Japan,” Coloma said in an interview over state-run Radyo ng Bayan.

The close ties between Manila and Tokyo are “concretely manifested by Japan’s being the largest contributor of official development assistance to the Philippines,” he added.

Coloma also cited the north Asian country for being “one of the leading international advocates of the peace process in Mindanao.”

“Moreover, Japan has provided significant assistance to

the [Philippines] in terms of providing urban transportation and in providing relief to calamity victims,” he said.

Coloma said that on a personal note, Mr. Aquino “recalls that when he accompanied his mother, the late President Corazon Aquino, during her visit to Japan in 1986, Emperor Akihito’s father, the late Emperor Showa, conversed with him and advised him to take care of his parent.”

Malacañang earlier called the Imperial Couple’s trip a “major highlight and fitting start” to the 60th anniversary celebration of the forging of diplomatic ties between the two Asian nations.

Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko meet with the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) members at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila.

BENHUR ARCAYAN / MALACAÑANG PHOTO BUREAU / PNA

Caguioa appointed to Supreme Court

BY TARRA QUISMUNDO Philippine Daily Inquirer PRESIDENT AQUINO has appointed to the Supreme Court his close friend, Justice Secretary Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, who became his final appointee to the high tribunal before stepping down next June.

Mr. Aquino chose Caguioa, a 25year litigation veteran, to take the vacancy left after Associate Justice Martin Villarama Jr. opted for early retirement last Jan. 16, reportedly for health reasons.

Caguioa, 56, who has served barely three months as justice secretary, was handpicked from a short list of five nominees. He will serve on the high court until he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70 on Sept. 30, 2029, giving him 13 years on the tribunal.

“I am happy that we are once again a complete court as there is a lot of work to be done, which I expect Justice Caguioa to actively take part in,” Sereno said in a statement welcoming Caguioa to the court.

Caguioa, who was chief presidential legal counsel before becoming justice secretary, is Mr. Aquino’s sixth and last appointee to the high tribunal, joining Sereno and Associate Justices Bienvenido Reyes, Estela Perlas-Bernabe, Marvic Leonen and Francis Jardeleza.

The rest of the 15-member court are appointees of former President Gloria MacapagalArroyo.

Mr. Aquino appointed Justice Undersecretary and spokesperson Emmanuel Caparas as acting justice secretary. Caparas is also an Ateneo classmate of the President and Caguioa.

JBC grilling

Grade school classmate

The appointment was announced by Malacañang at 5.30 p.m. yesterday. There was no immediate word if Caguioa, who was a classmate of Mr. Aquino at Ateneo de Manila from grade school to college, had taken his oath before the President.

“Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. has transmitted the appointment letter dated 22 January 2016 to Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno,” said the brief Palace statement.

During the Judicial and Bar Council’s public interview, Caguioa said that despite having worked in the executive branch, his impartiality and probity as a judge would not be compromised by utang na loob (debt of gratitude).

“My father was a judge for 12 years. I know exactly how a judge thinks. I will wear an altogether different [cap], as judge,” said Caguioa, son of the late Court of Appeals Justice Eduardo Caguioa.

“There is no bias or inclina-

tion or anything in the face of whatever facts are presented to me,” he told the JBC, when asked if he would serve the interest of the administration if appointed.

JBC members also confronted Caguioa with a question that appeared to test his loyalty: Should President Aquino be held liable for the Disbursement Acceleration Program that the high court had declared unconstitutional?

Caguioa, who was the President’s chief legal counsel when the case against the DAP came before the Supreme Court, said: “I don’t believe he should be charged as he was not among the program’s authors.”

Caguioa further said the President merely exercised his discretion to augment savings, which is “completely allowable.”

The high court struck down the stimulus fund as unconstitutional in July 2014, but following a government appeal, upheld the act of reallocating unused funds to specific projects so long as they fell under general headings in the approved national budget.

Among top 3

Caguioa was among the top 3 on the JBC short list, getting the www.canadianinquirer.net

nod of all seven JBC members.

The two others were Presiding Justice Andres Reyes and Associate Justice Jose Reyes of the Court of Appeals.

Caguioa replaced Justice Secretary Leila de Lima last Oct. 12, after she stepped down to pursue her senatorial bid.

While serving at the Department of Justice (DOJ), Caguioa handled the tanim bala (bulletplanting) controversy at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, appointing for the first time duty prosecutors at Manila’s international air terminals.

It was also during his time that the Bureau of Immigration, an agency under the DOJ, was rocked by controversy over the alleged involvement of its chief in illegal activities.

President Aquino replaced Immigration Commissioner Siegfred Mison earlier this month.

The DOJ also saw the departure of several officials during Caguioa’s three months there, most notably Undersecretary Jose Justiniano, said to be among those being considered for the justice portfolio before De Lima’s departure.

Caguioa earned an economics degree, with an honorable mention, from Ateneo de Manila University in 1981, and graduated second honors at Ateneo Law School in 1985. He placed 15th in the 1986 bar exams.

He was in private practice for many years before he joined the government, founding in 2007 the Caguioa and Gatmaytan law firm. The firm specializes in litigation, arbitration and corporate and commercial cases, according to its website.

He was previously a partner at Sycip, Salazar, Hernandez and Gatmaytan from 1985 to 1987, and from 1988 to January 2007.

Caguioa also taught law at the University of Santo Tomas, Ateneo and San Sebastian College.

The firm he cofounded changed its name to Gatmaytan Yap Patacsil Gutierrez & Protacio when Caguioa was appointed chief presidential legal counsel in January 2013, replacing Eduardo de Mesa who resigned in December 2012.

Caguioa’s appointment was initially protested, primarily because of his close ties to the President, which was seen to involve a conflict-of-interest situation.

In his opposition letter, lawyer Ernesto Francisco Jr. claimed that Caguioa’s law firm had lawyered for Narra Nickel Mining and Development Corp., Tesoro Mining and Development and McArthur Mining Inc., whose financial and technical assistance agreements issued in the homestretch of the Arroyo administration were revoked by the Office of the President.

Philippine News

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JANUARY 29, 2016

FRIDAY

Public grades most government services ‘Good’

BY JELLY F. MUSICO Philippines News Agency MANILA — Six hundred ninety- seven out of 1,114 government service offices obtained a rating of Good in terms of compliance with the Anti-Red Tape Act (ARTA) provisions and overall quality of frontline service delivery, according to the results of the Report Card Survey (RCS) conducted by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) in 2015.

Said figure comprises the bulk of surveyed offices at 62.5%.

A total of 353 offices (32%) received an Excellent rating, six (0.5%) were Outstanding, and 43 (4%) were Acceptable.

Fifteen service offices (1%) incurred a Failed rating and were subsequently given service improvement orientation and workshops under the CSC’s Service Delivery Excellence Program (SDEP).

To check for improvement, the CSC conducted a second round of RCS in which all previously failed offices gained passing marks.

The 2015 RCS was conducted in all service offices of nine government agencies with heavy volume of frontline service transactions, based on the reports lodged by the public via the Contact Center ng Bayan, a call center facility managed by the CSC. These agencies are the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund), Land Registration Authority (LRA), Land Transportation Office (LTO), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth), Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), Philippine Statistics Authority-National Statistics Office (PSA-NSO), and Social Security System (SSS).

Also included were 46 first class cities nationwide, and 51 branches of the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP).

The CSC released the survey results during the opening ceremony of the ARTA Caravan on January 25 at the University of the Philippines Diliman, where more than 30 frontline services from 18 government agencies are being offered onsite.

Chairperson Alicia dela Rosa-Bala said that the CSC sees the results as both an achievement and a challenge.

“As the survey revealed, having majority of frontline service offices rated as Good by the public is a sign that the government is already reaping the benefits of vigorously implementing the ARTA law and of raising the public’s consciousness on their rights and responsibilities as consumers of government services,” said Bala.

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“However, we should strive to further improve the ratings instead of merely settling for Good. The CSC will continuously work with government agencies so that all Filipinos can get the quality of service they deserve,” she continued.

Among the 10 government agencies surveyed, GSIS, LBP, Philhealth, and SSS had a full passing rate with all of their service offices obtaining scores not lower than 70.

Same as last year, GSIS had the highest percentage of Excellent offices at 80% (46 out of 57 offices), followed by Philhealth at 66% (88 out of 133 offices).

Of the 46 first class cities, 11% obtained Excellent rating, 78% were Good, 9% were Acceptable, and 2% got a Failed rating.

The City Government of Taguig obtained the highest Excellent rating among the LGUs surveyed, with a numerical rating of 92.31%. Other LGUs that got Excellent are the cities of Batangas, Santiago (Isabela), Sta. Rosa (Laguna), and Olongapo.

About the RCS

The RCS provides a quantitative measure of client perceptions on the quality, efficiency, and adequacy of public services. The CSC runs the survey as the lead implementer of Republic Act No. 9485 or the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007 (ARTA).

In the RCS, 30 clients within the premises of the service office are interviewed immediately after they availed of any frontline service.

The CSC checks if the service office has a Citizen’s Charter that contains detailed commitments on transaction steps, cost, and time. It also checks if anti-fixing measures are implemented, if frontline staff wear identification cards, if there are no hidden transaction costs,

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if there is a manned Public Assistance and Complaints Desk, and if the service office observes the No Noon Break policy.

Also considered is overall client satisfaction based on the effectiveness of frontline service providers, service quality, physical setup of the office, availability of basic facilities, and client feedback.

The survey’s main output is a Report Card showing the scores of a government office on various areas. Scores are based on the rating made by respondents or clients interviewed and on the field inspection report accomplished by the interviewer.

Service offices which obtain a score of 90 to 100 are rated Excellent. Those with scores of 90 to 100 but have a failing mark in one area are rated Outstanding. Scores of 80-89.99 are rated Good; 70-79.99 are Acceptable; and 69.99 and below are Failed. Offices that fail in any of the two core areas, regardless of the final numerical rating, also incur a Failed rating.

Service offices that failed the RCS are subjected to the SDEP, which includes conduct of service improvement workshops and facilitation for increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the service office’s strategies, structure, staff, and systems.

SDEP Level 1 is given to offices which failed due to minor infractions including the non-observance of No Noon Break policy, employees’ failure to wear IDs, and the absence of a Public Assistance and Complaints Desk and anti-fixing measures. SDEP Level 2 is given to offices whose failure in the RCS requires improvement in the office strategies, structure, staff, and systems.

The complete results of the 2015 ARTA RCS can be accessed at the CSC website at www.csc.gov.ph.

Philippine News

FRIDAY JANUARY 29, 2016

9

Nothing to add on Mamasapano–Palace

BY NIKKO DIZON AND GIL CABACUNGAN Philippine Daily Inquirer WHAT ELSE is there to say about the Mamasapano debacle?

“We won’t know until the day of the hearing what could still be added by the senators or what else do they want to know and if there is evidence or basis for their questions. At this point, it’s very speculative because all we have are sort of thoughts being put out by some senators, but up to now I don’t see where there would be any difference at all,” said Malacañang spokesperson Manuel Quezon III. Quezon expressed confidence that the same version of events surrounding the botched operation against international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” last year will be tackled at the reopening of the Senate investigation into the massacre.

“We’re very confident because we have put forward the

version of events and the facts and the testimony,” Quezon said over state-run Radyo ng Bayan.

The Senate, at the behest of Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, will again look into the Mamasapano debacle in which 44 elite police commandos lost their lives when they were ambushed by various Muslim rebel groups, including the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front with which the Aquino administration has signed a peace agreement.

The investigation last year led by the committee on public order had concluded that President Aquino was ultimately responsible for the debacle, primarily because he allowed then PNP Director General Alan Purisima to participate in the planning of the operation even if Purisima was at the time under suspension by the Ombudsman.

No reason for affidavit

Malacañang did not see any reason for the President to submit an affidavit to the Senate,

Enrile’s lack of wisdom

At least 10 government officials and personnel of the Philippine National Police attend the reopening by the Senate of the investigation on the Mamasapano clash that happened a year ago.

AVITO C. DALAN / PNA

Quezon said.

“Let us not forget that the Senate already had a very extensive hearing which was attended by members of the executive (branch), the PNP (Philippine National Police) and the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines). They gave their testimonies and information that was needed by our lawmakers in aid of legislation,” he said.

Ruling Liberal Party (LP) politicians believe that Enrile’s move to reopen the investi-

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gation is meant as “payback” for the Aquino administration’s move to detain him and his chief aide, Gigi Reyes, for their alleged complicity in the P10billion pork barrel scam.

Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice said he would have thought that Enrile’s detention would have allowed him to think more broadly about why he had been charged with plunder.

“I can only speculate that this is a payback for what happened to him and his chief of staff,” said Erice in a text message.

By threatening to reveal new evidence to pin down the President, Enrile showed his “lack of wisdom despite his experience,” said Erice.

Iloilo Rep. Jerry Treñas said Enrile’s move was a blatant political maneuver meant to diminish the President’s endorsement value for LP standardbearer Mar Roxas and favor Enrile’s candidate, Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo doubted Enrile’s motive based on his track record. “History has taught us that his being a political master is beyond question,” he said.

Mr. Aquino will confer on Monday, the first anniversary of the Mamasapano massacre, the Medal of Valor on two of the slain SAF commandos, Senior Insp. Gednat Tabdi and Police Officer 2 Romeo Cempron.

Quezon said the President will also confer the PNP Distinguished Conduct Medal on the rest of the SAF 44.

Philippine News

10

Palace: Safety, not China, concern for sea protesters

BY JERRY E. ESPLANADA Philippine Daily Inquirer ALTHOUGH IT was ignoring warnings by China against excursions to the contested Spratly Islands, Malacañang said yesterday it was nonetheless discouraging a group of young people from going there due to concerns over the safety of sea travel in the area.

Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the Palace was not against the idealism of the youth group, composed mostly of college students from 81 provinces who want to assert the country’s claim to the disputed archipelago in the South China Sea. But it expressed concern for the group’s safety due to the “risks of traveling in that area,” citing rough sea conditions, Coloma said.

Coloma asserted that “from the outset and irrespective of China’s pronouncements, the government, through the Armed Forces of the Philippines, has engaged the youth group in a dialogue on their plan to (again) visit Pag-asa island.”

Continuing dialogue

China earlier advised the Philippines to “exercise restraint” over “relevant parties” after the group of young Filipino protesters said they planned to make a second trip to Pagasa and other Philippine-held islands in the South China Sea. In a text message to the IN-

QUIRER, Coloma disclosed that a “continuing dialogue is being held (by the AFP) with the group so that its members may duly consider the caution issued by authorities on the risks of traveling in that area.”

The authorities, Coloma added, also proposed to the group to take into consideration “other alternative methods of pursuing their advocacy.”

The Philippines occupies nine islets in the Spratlys, with Pag-asa the largest. Other claimed islands are: Ayungin Shoal, Lawak Island, Parola Island, Patag Island, Kota Island, Rizal Reef, Likas Island and Panata Island.

In December, about 50 Filipino students made a threeday boat trip to Pag-asa, part of Kalayaan town in the islandprovince of Palawan.

Originally, the group aimed to bring 10,000 youths in a monthlong protest late last year on different islands in the Spratlys, but this was cut down due to difficulties mobilizing resources.

The group later announced their plan to travel to the disputed islands again early this year, prompting Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei to ask Manila to exercise “restraint” over “relevant parties,” so as not to “complicate matters.”

Lei also reiterated that Beijing had “indisputable sovereignty” over the Spratlys, stressing the Philippines’ occupation of some of the islands was “against the law and without effect.”

JANUARY 29, 2016

Miss Universe... her arrival.

In an interview later aired over TV, the beauty queen said she brought home the real crown, not a replica that was sometimes used when the Miss Universe had to visit “rough” neighborhoods. “(The organizers said) the Philippines deserves the real deal so we brought (home) the genuine crown,” Wurtzbach said, referring to the $300,000 diadem studded with diamonds, topaz, sapphire, crystal and gold, whose design recalls the Manhattan skyline.

“In my previous interviews I always said, ‘Don’t worry. I’ll bring home the crown, and now I (was) finally able to do it,” she added.

Wurtzbach arrived in Manila around 6 a.m. yesterday onboard Philippine Airlines flight 538 from Jakarta, Indonesia, where she performed an official function as Miss Universe.

She was welcomed homewith a bouquet and a hug by Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. (BPCI) chair Stella Marquez Araneta.

“Every time I think about my trip coming back here, I would tear up a little bit because I feel like it has been so long and I have so many things to share with all of you,” said the world’s most beautiful woman who held herself back from speaking further, explaining that she was saving the stories of her experiences for today’s official press conference.

“I appreciate your taking time to come here,” Wurtzbach told the crowd of journalists, airport workers and airline passengers.

When she left for the Miss Universe beauty pageant in Las Vegas on Nov. 30 last year from Naia Terminal 2, Wurtzbach had only two TV news crew who saw her off along with BPCI representatives and a handful of supporters, some of whom wore paper cutouts of tiaras and sashes.

The beauty queen had asked for prayers and promised to do her best to win the coveted Miss Universe title.

Yesterday, the crowd screamed out her name as her car pulled out of the airport. ❰❰ 1

Worthy ambassador

AFP PHOTO / CSIS ASIA MARITIME TRANSPARENCY INITIATIVE / DIGITALGLOBE

FRIDAY

Smiling and waving from the car’s open window, Wurtzbach left a trail of breathless people www.canadianinquirer.net

Miss Universe 2015 Ms. Pia Wurtzbach arrives at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 in Pasay City.

AVITO C. DALAN / PNA

in her wake.

Malacañang yesterday hailed the Filipino-German beauty as a “worthy ambassador” of the Philippines and said her victory as Miss Universe united the whole country.

“It has been four decades and really, there are things that unite our society ... I think success like this is one of them,” Communications Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III said on state-run Radyo ng Bayan.

“In her interviews with the media in America, which we all followed, we saw that she’s a worthy ambassador of the country (as she) speaks very well,” Quezon added.

Wurtzbach is set to make a courtesy call this week on President Aquino, who was once romantically linked to her.

Asked what the public could expect from the Palace during Miss Universe’s courtesy call, Quezon said her visit to Malacañang “would be enough symbolism that the people’s Palace and the leader of our government and society ... represent all of us in praising and giving respect to Ms Wurtzbach.”

42-year title drought

A ticker-tape parade that will take her through Makati and Cubao, as well as a congressional medal of distinction await Wurtzbach during her homecoming, one month after she was named Miss Universe in a highly controversial coronation in Las Vegas, Nevada.

American host Steve Harvey had misread the cue card and mistakenly declared Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez as Miss Universe 2015, only to

correct himself four minutes later. The Colombian beauty was actually first runner-up, while Miss Philippines was the pageant winner.

Wurtzbach’s victory ended a 42-year title drought for the Philippines in the popular pageant generally dominated by South American beauties.

The last Filipino Miss Universe was Margie Moran, who won in 1973. Gloria Diaz first won the title for the country in 1969.

Asked whether Malacañang supported a congressional move to grant Wurtzbach a tax exemption from her Miss Universe earnings amid a reminder from tax commissioner Kim Henares that her winnings were taxable, Quezon said: “Well, I’m sure Ms Wurtzbach would appreciate (that) very much (but that is within) the power of Congress, and I’m sure they are thinking of the maximum benefit for all of us.”

Wurtzbach was hailed as a “Modern Filipina whose transformation inspires youngwomen all over the world to follow their dreams and aspirations.”

Unilever PR head, Apples Aberin, cited Wurtzbach’s previous attempts to win Binibining Pilipinas before clinching the title in 2015. “Despite the trials and tribulations she experienced along the way, she continued to believe in herself, knowing she had it in her to transform from good to great, from better to best. Her story and determination to realize her goals ... truly makes her a Modern Filipina who is confidently beautiful with a heart,” she added.

Philippine News

FRIDAY JANUARY 29, 2016

11

Duterte-Cayetano tandem commits to end ‘drug chaos’ in PHL

BY LILYBETH G. ISON Philippines News Agency MANILA — The tandem of presidential bet Davao City Mayor Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday warned that if the disorder brought by illegal drugs will not end, the country will become a narco state.

Duterte, in a statement, said the country is showing alarming signs of becoming a narco state.

“In the National Capital Region (NCR) where the country’s capital is situated, the government admitted that 92 percent of barangays are already infiltrated by illegal drugs. If Manila, the country’s seat of power, is helpless to address this, what more of the other parts of the country where government presence is weak?,” the toughtalking mayor said.

Duterte also noted the presence of international drug syndicates in the country, such as the Sinaloa drug cartel, a Mex-

Duterte will enforce stricter immigration laws to prevent international drug syndicates from entering the country.

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ican-based group considered the largest and most powerful drug trafficking organization in the West.

“This is a clear national security threat. This is an invasion of a new kind. Drug lords,

domestic and foreign, have declared a war against our families and children,” he noted.

If elected in the May 2016 polls, Duterte and Cayetano said they will implement a combination of national, regional

and international strategies to combat drug trafficking.

“On the national level, we will strengthen and capacitate our security forces. We will cleanse the ranks of the police and military of the corrupt, provide bet-

GPH-MNLF peace...

PHL ranks...

referred to the Oversight Committee created by RA 9054 for the continuation of its devolution process; - The participation of the MNLF in the Bangsamoro Transition Commission of the envisioned Bangsamoro Parliament; and, - The creation of the Tripartite Implementation Monitoring Committee, a body that will oversee the implementation of all points of consensus arrived at by the TRP. The communiqué was signed

by Undersecretary Jose Yusuf Iribani Lorena for the Philip-

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❰❰ 3

Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Peace Negotiating Panel Chairman Mohagher Iqbal and Government Peace Negotiating Panel Chairperson Miriam Coronel-Ferrer (extreme right) answer questions from reported after the launching of a historic publication named "Journey to the Bangsamoro" BEN BRIONES / PNA

pine Government, and Atty.

Randolph Parcasio and Muslimin Sema on behalf of the MNLF as principals, along with OIC Secretary General Iyad bin

Amin Madani for the 57-nation Islamic organization. OPAPP Secretary Teresita QuintosDeles and Samsula Adju of the MNLF signed as witnesses.

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ranked 8th globally followed by Malaysia placing at 54th spot.

The Philippines, for this year’s report, surpassed Vietnam at 112th place; Laos at 139th; Myanmar at 147th; and Cambodia at 150th.

CPI measures the perceived levels of public sector corruption around the world, scoring zero for most corrupt territories and 100 for least corrupt countries.

Average score in Asia Pacific is similar to the average global score at 43 out of 100.

Sixty-seven percent of coun-

ter salaries and incentives and modernize their anti-narcotics infrastructure,” Cayetano said.

“We will also strengthen the five pillars of our criminal justice system. Drug trafficking thrives best in countries where there is grave insecurity and injustice,” he added.

On the regional level, Cayetano said they will push to develop the regions, especially those heavily infiltrated by illegal drugs, to provide the people with alternative livelihood.

The vice presidential bet also said that internationally, he and Duterte will enforce stricter immigration laws to prevent international drug syndicates from entering the country.

“We will not allow the disorder to continue and our country to become a narco state. We will build a strong developmental state to provide bold solutions and swift actions to bring about real change. Under the Duterte-Cayetano watch, everyone will be afraid of the law, but everyone will be protected by the law,” Cayetano said.

tries in Asia Pacific also score below 50 in the CPI 2015.

“If there was one common challenge to unite the Asia Pacific region, it would be corruption. From campaign pledges to media coverage to civil society forums, corruption dominates discussion. Yet despite all this talk, there’s little sign of action,” said TI Regional Director of Asia Pacific Department Srirak Plipat.

Meanwhile, the five least corrupt countries in the world include Denmark, Finland, Sweden, New Zealand, and Netherlands.

12

Philippine News

JANUARY 29, 2016

FRIDAY

Death of a cyclist spurs new campaign for safer bike lanes

BY ERIC S. CARUNCHO Philippine Daily Inquirer LORELIE MELEVO always felt happy and safe riding her bicycle in Marikina.

The 30-year-old single mother of two had grown up and gone to school in Marikina, one of a handful of cities in Metro Manila with an official bicycle transportation system, which includes a network of bicycle lanes.

“Since we were kids, that was how we bonded,” recalled Melevo’s sister, Beverly. “We used to bike to Riverbanks and bike home, and never had any mishaps. She was always asking us to ride to Marikina River Park.

She wasn’t a newbie cyclist.”

In fact, Melevo—who also occasionally joined organized group rides—was confident enough with her riding skills that she used her bicycle to run errands around town, including ferrying her children to school.

On the morning of Jan. 5, she had just taken her 5-year-old son to his prep school and was riding homewhen the unthinkable happened.

Dead on the spot

According to eyewitness accounts, Melevo had just dismounted and was preparing to walk her bicycle across a pedestrian lane at a busy intersection of Mayor Gil Fernando Avenue when she was struck and run over by a dump truck. She died on the spot.

The truck driver later claimed that he did not see Melevo, but witnesses said the truck was moving at low speed, and had ample time to brake.

Horrific injuries

An autopsy report later revealed the extent of the woman’s horrific injuries.

Her family could only take comfort in the thought that it was over in an instant.

“It’s too painful,” said Beverly. “She chose to take the bike lane because it was supposed to be safer there, but because of the driver’s carelessness and lack of discipline, he chose not to respect the bike lane and killed my sister.”

Bike riders are killed in road

accidents with alarming regularity in Metro Manila. The victims usually end up as mere statistics in the annual count of road fatalities.

Human face

But Melevo’s death gave these victims a human face.

Her social media accounts give glimpses of the life that was snuffed out that Tuesday morning: that of a lively young woman just entering her prime, struggling to raise two children on her own, and still finding time to run the home she shared with her three sisters and to have fun with friends.

It’s hard for anyone who ever rode a bicycle on the street not to feel a sudden chill, and think: there but for the grace of God… An article written by cycling activist Katti Sta. Ana put it more bluntly: “We could have been Lorelie.”

Call for justice

Lorelei Melevo, the 30-year old single mother who died while biking in Marikina.

and informal groups, such as the We Want Bike Lanes in RP Movement, calling for the same things.

light. The accident tore some ligaments in her shoulder.

“There has been a lot of drumbeating about a dedicated, separate bicycle lane, but that’s only one possible version,” Jack Yabut said.

A veteran performer with the Philippine Educational Theater Association (Peta) and lifelong cyclist, Yabut is a cycling advocate with Firefly Brigade and a bicycle race organizer. He also conducts regular clinics on road safety for cyclists.

On Jan. 17, hundreds of cyclists rode from San Juan to the accident site in a “critical mass” ride organized by Fire- More than just bike lanes fly Brigade, a cycling advocacy But are bicycle lanes really group. In a simple ceremony, the answer? the group laid flowers and lit “Unfortunately, a lot of mocandles on the spot where Me- torists do not acknowledge that levo died, paused for a minute the bicycle is part of the transof silent prayer and ended the port system,” said Mia Bunao, event with a call for justice. a member of Firefly Brigade.

Melevo’s family is pursuing “It’s not just a matter of havcriminal and civil cases against ing a bike lane. It’s also [a matJonathan Silverio, the driver of ter of having] the infrastructhe dump truck, who is out on ture, [law] enforcement and Best option P30,000 bail, and “There are the operators many designs of the trucking and standards company. They in other counhope her death She chose to take the bike lane tries that we can will lead to betbecause it was supposed to be safer study,” he added. ter laws protectthere, but because of the driver’s “Some are open ing the safety of carelessness and lack of discipline, and shared with cyclists, pedeshe chose not to respect the bike lane other vehicles, trians and other and killed my sister. some are comroad users. pletely dedicated There are sevbike paths, and eral bills pending many are in bein Congress meant to promote an awareness campaign among tween.” cycling for health and physical motorists and pedestrians. It It’s like “pusoy” (a card fitness, lower levels of air pollu- could all have been avoided had game), there’s good, better or tion and carbon emissions, and the truck driver obeyed traffic best. “The best option is really ease traffic congestion by pro- rules.” a dedicated and separate bike viding an alternative means of path that’s protected, maybe transport. Nearly all these bills Hit and run with lighting and rest stops,” he call for the creation of bicycle Bunao knows whereof she said. lanes in one form or another to speaks: While cycling to attend But realistically, Yabut said, encourage more people to ride Melevo’s wake, she was struck cyclists shouldn’t expect this to bikes. There are also formal by a vehicle that ignored a red happen anytime soon. www.canadianinquirer.net

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Behavior and culture

Of the 230 kilometers of roadway in Metro Manila that have been deemed feasible for bike lane development by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), about 5 percent have bike paths built in the last 15 years. “[Having] those lanes won’t happen overnight, or even in the next 10 years,” Yabut said.

“While we should continue to advocate for good, better and best solutions, we also have to continuously use the roads so motorists and pedestrians get used to sharing the road with bicycles.”

Even when they do, bicycle paths are only part of the equation that will make for safe cycling, he stressed. Behavioral change and discipline on the part of road users may be the more important component.

Cyclists should also learn the skills they need to navigate traffic safely.

Filipinos can take a cue from the Japanese, who have remained a nation of bicycle commuters despite rapid urban and technological development, Yabut added.

“In Japan they have ‘invisible bike lanes.’ The ‘bike lanes’ are in the heads of cyclists and motorists … and in the behavior and culture of the people,” he said.

FRIDAY JANUARY 29, 2016

Philippine News

Edsa lane rule: 130 fined; barriers to be ‘permanent’

Gun ban nets 74 violators in Metro 2 NCRPO policemen, trader among those arrested between Jan. 10-22

BY MARICAR B. BRIZUELA Philippine Daily Inquirer AT LEAST 61 private vehicles and 70 public utility buses were flagged down for violations a week after the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) started enforcing the yellow-lane restrictions on Edsa’s southbound lane.

MMDA chair Emerson Carlos gave the report as he claimed that travel time for buses had been reduced by as much as 30 minutes on the country’s busiest highway.

“Commuters from Mandaluyong City going to Guadalupe (Makati) really benefited from this stricter implementation,” Carlos said on the agency’s weekly radio program on Sunday.

But the official said he was surprised that a large number of buses were still caught going outside the yellow lane and encroaching on the area for private vehicles.

“Why would they still want to use the lanes for private cars when the bus lanes are fastmoving? They will not be able to get passengers from the private lanes and they also cannot unload people in the middle of Edsa,” he noted.

An erring bus driver is slapped a P200 fine while a pri-

BY KRISTINE FELISSE MANGUNAY Philippine Daily Inquirer

EXEC8 / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

vate motorist pays P500 for the lane violation.

The MMDA chair explained that there are exemptions for private cars, taxis or AUVs (Asian utility vehicles) that need to enter the yellow lane.

“They can use it if they will turn right on the next intersection or if they will unload passengers,” he explained, noting that only those who “take advantage” of the bus lanes to reach their destinations faster are apprehended.

The strict implementation of the yellow lane rule was one of the solutions pushed by the Edsa technical working group, which is composed of the MMDA, Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board,

Department of Transportation and Communications and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Meanwhile, MMDA Traffic Engineering chief Neomie Recio also announced that the plastic barriers currently used to separate lanes would soon be replaced with more permanent, concrete separators to be provided by the DPWH. Replacing the plastic barriers was deemed necessary since they can be easily damaged or knocked out of place when hit by vehicles, she added.

“Our plastic barriers are only temporary,” Recio said. “They are also hard to manage because they can be easily moved (out of alignment). If one is hit by a vehicle, all barriers move because they are interconnected.”

Government workers to get increase in their travel allowance PHILIPPINES NEWS AGENCY MANILA — The travel allowance of government officials and employees will soon be increased from Php800 to Php2000.

“The present travel allowance was based upon the prevailing market prices during the time it was crafted and does not truly reflect the current fiscal situation of the economy,” said Rep. Catalina G. LeonenPizarro (Partylist ABS).

“The prices of basic commodities in 2004 have changed, and

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the real value of the amount of travel expenses worth Php800 is not the same as it is today,” Pizarro said.

Pizarro, author of House Resolution 2261, said it is the responsibility of the government to provide travel allowance to its officials and employees in fulfillment of their duties and responsibilities.

Under Executive Order 298 government officials and employees are given Php800 travel allowance regardless of rank and destination.

Pizarro said under the law 50 percent of the travel allowance

shall be allotted to hotel and lodging while 30 percent shall be allotted for meals.

Pizarro said 20 percent of the Php800 travel allowance should be allotted for incidental expenses.

Pizarro said the increase in travel allowance shall be allocated to hotel and lodging, Php600 for meals and Php400 for incidental expenses.

Pizarro said the travel allowance is also subject to reduction depending on the time of arrival at the place of destination and departure from such destination. www.canadianinquirer.net

vehicle or public conveyance, even if licensed to possess or carry the same, unless authorized in writing by the poll body.

During the election period METRO MANILA policemen between Jan. 10 until June 8, have arrested 74 people, includ- “only regular members of the ing two policemen, for violating Philippine National Police, the the gun ban being enforced na- Armed Forces of the Philiptionwide by the Commission on pines and other law enforceElections (Comelec). ment agencies of the governIn a statement issued the ment who are duly deputized other day, the National Capital in writing by the [Comelec] for Region Police Office (NCRPO) election duty may be authosaid that the 74 individuals rized to carry and possess firewere accosted between Jan. 10 arms....” and 22.

As part of security measures, During this period, the five the police and military will set Metro police disup checkpoints tricts—Eastern under the superPolice District, vision of the poll Southern Police body to impleDistrict, NorthI am ment the gun ern Police Disreminding the ban and prevent trict, Manila Popublic that election-related lice District and the gun ban violence. the Quezon City is still being One of those Police District— implemented. arrested for vioset up a total of lating the gun 708 checkpoints ban was PO1 throughout the Michael Sean metropolis.

Tabarangao who “The [conduct of check- was drunk when he threatened points] is in support [of ] the to shoot a neighbor in Navotas gun ban imposed by the Come- City on Jan. 16. lec for safe and fair elections…”

The policeman used to be NCRPO chief Director Joel with the Eastern Police DisPagdilao said. trict but was placed under the Aside from 34 firearms, also NCRPO holding unit after being seized from the violators were charged with illegally firing his a hand grenade and 38 bladed gun in December 2014 during a weapons. fight with another neighbor.

“I am reminding the public Tabangarao now faces atthat the gun ban is still being tempted murder, illegal possesimplemented. Avoid bringing sion of firearms and violation of [guns] and other weapons... to the election gun ban. avoid sanctions,” Pagdilao said.

Another NCRPO policeman, According to him, those ar- PO1 Marvin Granada, was aprested face a jail term ranging prehended at a checkpoint on from one to six years. On the Dagupan Street in Tondo, Maother hand, lawmen caught vio- nila, while carrying his 9-mm lating the election gun ban may pistol. be dishonorably discharged On the other hand, businessfrom the service and forfeit man Peter Mark Chua was artheir retirement benefits. As rested for pointing his firearm for government workers, they at another motorist during a could be perpetually barred traffic altercation at the corfrom government service, Pag- ner of Dapitan and E. Quintos dilao added.

Streets in Manila, also on Jan. Based on Comelec Resolu- 16. tion No. 10015, no person shall He was later charged with bear, carry or transport fire- grave threats, resistance and arms or other deadly weapons disobedience to persons in in public places, including any authority and violation of the building, street, park, private election gun ban.

14

Philippine News

JANUARY 29, 2016

FRIDAY

PNP bares aid given to SAF kin

BY MARLON RAMOS Philippine Daily Inquirer ONE OF the widows was given P300,000 to bankroll her Internet cafe business. Another asked for P100,000 to start a sari-sari (variety) store.

A father’s request for educational assistance for 17 of his nephews and nieces had been approved.

A mother, on the other hand, sought the concreting of a feeder road in their far-flung village, which cost P20 million to complete.

Most of them received new houses or financial aid for the repair of their houses.

These were among the benefits given to the grief- stricken families of the 44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos who perished in a botched antiterrorism operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao province, exactly a year ago today.

The assistance was on top of more than P92 million in cash, that was released to them by various government agencies over the past 12 months, according to records from the Philippine National Police, copies of which were obtained by the INQUIRER. The documents, which were prepared by the PNP Directorate for Comptrollership, seemed to contradict the claims of many of the families that they had yet to receive what was promised to them by President Aquino during the state funeral for the brave SAF personnel.

families of the SAF 44 had received more than P188.33 million in government aid and other benefits due the commandos and supplementary assistance from other agencies.

The carnage in Mamasapano, which also left 17 Moro rebels and three civilians dead, triggered the worst political crisis of the Aquino administration, and which also virtually killed the government’s efforts to seal a peace agreement with the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

A senior police officer agreed to give copies of the summary of benefits to the INQUIRER provided that the names of the registered beneficiaries would be withheld in deference to the heroism of the slain SAF commandos.

“These documents would set the record straight regarding the accusations that the PNP and the national government had failed to make good on their promises to the SAF 44 families,” said the PNP official, who asked not to be named for lack of authority to speak to the media.

“The records would also show how some relatives of the SAF 44 abused the kindness of the government and the concern of the public regarding their plight,” he added.

According to the PNP records, each family of the slain police commandos, now collectively known as SAF 44, received P250,000 from the Presidential Social Fund of Mr. Aquino.

P188-M aid

Additional aid

In all, Malacañang said the

The legal beneficiaries of the

BENHUR ARCAYAN / MALACAÑANG PHOTO BUREAU / PNA

slain PNP personnel were entitled to burial and gratuity pay from the National Police Commission ranging from P222,500 to P530,000 depending on their length of service.

Each of the family also received special financial assistance from the PNP, cash equivalent of their late kin’s accumulated leaves and “backearned pension.”

Since March last year, the families had started getting monthly pension of as much as P50,000 depending on the rank of their slain relatives.

The families also got additional financial aid from the Senate (P100,000), the House of Representatives (P100,000), the Dasmariñas City government (P50,000) and PNP Special Assistance Fund

(P300,000).

According to PNP documents, the Department of Social Welfare and Development provided food supplies, psychosocial services and cash assistance of as much as P75,000 to the SAF 44 families.

The Employees’ Compensation Commission also released P20,000 in financial aid to every family.

Other state agencies, such as the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education, granted scholarships to the siblings, cousins, nephews, nieces and even inlaws of the slain police commandos.

The National Housing Authority coordinated with the local governments in provid-

ing houses for the families and financial aid for the reconstruction of dilapidated houses of other beneficiaries.

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Labor and Employment, and Department of Agriculture granted the SAF 44 families’ requests for livelihood and skills training.

The Department of Health, on the other hand, paid for the hospital bills and provided medical assistance to some relatives, including the payment of laboratory fees.

On Feb. 26, 2015, state-run Philippine Health Insurance Corp. passed a resolution ensuring lifetime coverage for the dependents of the SAF 44.

Alleged DNA test report showing Poe, Marcos are related mailed to Senate media members

BY JELLY F. MUSICO Philippines News Agency MANILA — Members of the media covering the Philippine Senate on Monday received mailed copies of an alleged DNA test of Senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr., claiming that Marcos and Senator Grace Poe “are related.”

In a copy received by this reporter, a certain forensic scientist Julie Ludovico signed the DNA test report dated Nov. 12, 2015 with Case Reference Number: TO23445.

“DNA isolation was carried.

Genetic characteristics were determined by PowerPlex 21 PCR kit. In parallel, positive and negative controls were performed which gave the ex-

pected and correct results,” Ludovico said in the DNA Test Report.

An attached note states: “This is Sen. Bongbong Marcos’ DNA result. Compare this with that of Sen. Grace Poe and you will see that they are related.”

The DNA Solutions Philippines with address 64 Sct. Gandia St. Diliman, Quezon City www.canadianinquirer.net

carried out the DNA test but mailed by the First Technik Philippines, Inc. located at 2310 Legarda, Sampaloc, Manila.

Poe, one of the leading presidential candidates in the May 9 elections, denied the DNA test result.

“How they were able to get my DNA when I have not undergone DNA test?,” Poe said when asked for comment.

Poe, adopted daughter of the late movie actor Fernando Poe Jr. and actress Susan Roces, had denied in many instances that she was the love child of former President Ferdinand Marcos and her aunt, former actress Rosemarie Sonora.

As a newly-born, Poe was allegedly abandoned by her biological parents in a church in Jaro, Iloilo in 1968.

Philippine News

FRIDAY JANUARY 29, 2016

15

‘3rd world war on poverty, injustice’

BY LITO ZULUETA Philippine Daily Inquirer CEBU CITY — The official representative of Pope Francis to the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) that opened here on Sunday urged Catholics to declare a “third world war” against poverty and injustice while also calling on them them to unite against Christian persecutions, especially in countries where Christianity is a minority.

In his homily at the opening Mass of the IEC at Plaza Independencia, Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, archbishop of Rangoon, Burma (Myanmar), said the Holy Eucharist, both the ritual that Catholics celebrated in memory of the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Christ, and the sacrament or symbol of the body and blood of Christ that they consumed as spiritual nourishment, meant that Catholics should commit to battling poverty and injustice in the world.

“In a world where millions are poor, the Eucharist is a challenge,” Bo said. “Devotion to the Eucharist continues in the streets …. In an inhuman world, the Eucharist is humanity. No other religion elevates the poor to this level.”

He said Filipinos needed to declare war on poverty and injustice. Catholics around the world need to fight social iniquity and marginalization, he said.

“The biggest Catholic country needs to declare a third world war against poverty and economic injustice,” he said.

Unity vs persecution

The Salesian cardinal also urged Catholics to unite against the persecution of Christians, alluding to the campaigns against Christians in the Middle East by the Islamic State

BENHUR ARCAYAN / MALACAÑANG PHOTO BUREAU / PNA

group and in China by the communists.

“Today, Christianity is a risk,” he said. But he also urged Christians to be a source of unity and peace.

To the delight of the crowd, Bo declared: “The Philippines needs peace. The world needs peace.”

Speaking against the backdrop of the oldest Spanish colonial fort in the Philippines named after St. Peter the Apostle, Bo lavished praise on the Philippines on behalf of Pope Francis, a successor to Peter, held by Catholics as the first Pope.

“The Pope loves all of you, especially Filipinos,” he said. He repeated the message in Filipino and Cebuano, further delighting the crowd.

In his welcome remarks, Cebu Archbishop Jose S. Palma, who’s also president of the 51st IEC, said the congress was being held to resolve the “observable dichotomy between worship and life” among Catholics, as well as find ways in which their devotion to the Eucharist could be “manifested” in practice.

Palma said everyone was eager to hear from Bo.

“We always turn to St. Peter for strength,” he told Bo. “Wewill listen to you as to the Holy Father. You are the words and presence of St. Peter himself.”

Papal message

Pope Francis himself will speak to the congress via a video message during the closing Mass on Jan. 31. He is expected to announce the country that will host the 52nd IEC. Bo said he was honored and humbled to have been chosen

by Pope Francis as his representative to the IEC in Cebu, which he called “the gateway of Christianity to this great nation,” alluding to the first Christian conversions that happened here when the Magellan expedition reached the country in 1521.

He said it was only proper for the IEC to be held in Cebu, “the cradle of Christianity in the Philippines.”

“You are a great nation. You are the light of Asia,” Bo told the crowd, drawing applause after applause.

He said Filipino Catholics, especially the great army of overseas workers, were leading the Church’s call for “new evan-

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gelization.”

“In many parts of the world, Catholicism means Filipino presence,” he said.

Gift from Francis

At the start of the Mass, the official appointment of Bo by Pope Francis was read. Later Vatican officials showed the crowd a gift from Pope Francis— a book of the Gospels bound in ivory-white, with a Byzantine icon on the front cover.

The Mass was celebrated in several languages. The prayers of the faithful were read in Filipino, Spanish, French and Portuguese.

Bo led the celebration of the Eucharist in English.

The hymns were performed by the 60-member Christ the King College Youth Symphony Orchestra (CKC-YSO) of Calbayog City in Samar and the Koro de San Agustin of Tuguegarao City. The CKC-YSO was the orchestra that provided music for the concluding Mass of Pope Francis at Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park, Manila, in January last year.

Large crowd

Both the Cebu archdiocese and the police placed the crowd

at 350,000 people as of 6 p.m.

According to Msgr. Joseph Tan, spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Cebu, the Mass was concelebrated by at least 1,500 priests, 200 bishops, and 10 cardinals, including Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Cardinal Quevedo, and retired Cardinals Gaudencio Rosales of Manila and Ricardo Vidal of Cebu.

Some 13,000 have so far registered for the congress, of whom 13 percent are foreigners.

Aside from the Philippines, delegates to the congress come from at least 70 countries, organizers said.

The congress proper opens today with morning prayers to be led by Archbishop Theodore Mascarenhas and plenary lectures by Peruvian Oblate Archbishop Miguel Cabrejos Vidarte, Dominican friar and best-selling writer Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, Salesian biblical scholar Fr. Francis Moloney and Georgian Ambassador Tamara Grdzelidze.

The congress will largely consist of “catechesis,” or lectures, on the Christian faith by leading Church hierarchs and writers and scholars, as well as prayers, reflection and sharing sessions, a theater festival, a heritage and museum night, and even a workshop on the ministry for the deaf and disabled.

This is the second time that the Philippines is hosting the IEC. It first hosted the congress in 1937, when the 33rd IEC was held in Manila.

The choice of Cebu was made during the last IEC in Dublin, Ireland, and Cebu was chosen because it was the first to accept the Catholic religion in 1521, making it the cradle of Christianity in the Philippines.

Opinion

16

JANUARY 29, 2016

FRIDAY

ANALYSIS

Fat bonuses of SSS execs untouched

By Amando Doronila Philippine Daily Inquirer FAT BONUSES enjoyed by top Social Security System (SSS) officials since 2013 have remained untouched despite the furor over the recent veto by President Aquino of a proposed law granting SSS members a relatively modest P2,000 increase in their monthly pensions.

The backlash against the veto intensified as SSS officials clung tenaciously to their perks amid charges that the government was mismanaging the pension fund and using it to allow cronies and political allies to pillage the fund. Emilio de Quiros Jr., SSS president and CEO, inflamed the public after he confirmed that seven other members of the SSS board received at least P1 million each as bonuses for the “good performance” of the fund.

However, he quickly qualified his affirmation, saying that bonuses amounting to P276 million were distributed to other SSS employees to compensate for the mandatory increase in contributions in January,

2013 on grounds that the SSS won’t have enough funds to cover retirement and their benefits beyond 2039.

According to De Quiros, the bonuses—both the estimated P10 million for eight board members and the P276 million for its employees— were given in accordance with the “performance-based” system set by the Governance Commission for Government-owned and-controlled corporations (GCG).

tasked with overseeing the pay and perks of state corporations.

In justifying the fabulous bonuses the SSS board awarded to its members, De Quiros claimed that the board was operating in accordance with the norms observed by government corporations.

Executives of 20 GOCCs were granted bonuses for hitting at least 90 percent of their income target in 2012, according to the GCG spokesperson.

the big bonuses and other extravagant benefits executives and board members of state firms had been giving themselves.

It is ironical that by 2015, his sermons were coming home to roost as his top executives at the SSS found themselves under fire for their selfawarded extravagant bonuses and perks.

Convoluted Since the storm blew over the boCondemned nuses, we have been INQUIRER Redeluded by convoDe Quiros claimed that the board was operating in accordance search reported luted explanations with the norms observed by government corporations. that the grant of based on actuarial generous bonuses data, the financial to SSS executives was condemned state of the SSS and pension fund by the public, as an increase in SSS Sanctimonious that has given fabulous benefits to membership contribution loomed The GCG was established by a law top officials, while the board throws and concerns were raised by the signed by Mr. Aquino in 2011, accom- crumbs to the SSS rankand-file in the Commission on Audit over the slow panied by a blaze of sanctimonious form of miserly pension increase in processing of payments of death, dis- declarations, such as “a stop to the a system of dog-eat-dog that leaves ability and retirement claims of SSS multimillion-peso bonuses and ex- the underdog behind in the scramble members. travagant benefits top executives and over the distribution of spoils of ofUnder the system of incentives, board members of state corporations fice in the SSS hierarchy. the bonuses were given in accor- give members.”

In October 2013, presidential dance with the incentives set up The law came almost after the spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said by the GCG, the presidential body Aquino administration uncovered the board of directors as well as em-

ployees of the SSS could keep their huge bonuses after Malacañang found nothing wrong with such incentives despite strong public criticism.

Lacierda said officials and employees of the SSS were given bonuses in line with a performance-based incentives system set by the GCG. “You can only declare a bonus if the GOCC profits and the SSS has earned huge profits,” he said. “There is also a corresponding bonus for employees.”

De Quiros silent Lacierda also praised the SSS for remaining focused on its duty as keepers of the fund, adding that “I can say they are performing their job responsibly and with utmost good faith.”

Less reassuring to the public is the fact that despite all their explanations, the SSS executives have hardly given an assurance to the public that they are considering cutting back on their fabulous bonuses.

De Quiros is absolutely silent on this issue. ■

AT LARGE

The last innocents

By Rina Jimenez-David Philippine Daily Inquirer THEY ARE, if you want to be melodramatic about it, “the last innocents,” belonging to the generation of students of the University of the Philippines who were on the cusp of the dramatic shift in politics, culture and mores (or morals) that the late 1960s and early 1970s would bring.

Young people in the United States heralded the change, making 1968 the Year of Woodstock, free love, the anti-Vietnam War student protests. Here in the Philippines, the youth were slow to embrace flower power and the hippies, but the growing restiveness against the Marcos regime and especially the declaration of martial law in 1972 would radicalize the heretofore carefree generation.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of “Batch ’66” of the fraternity Upsilon Sigma Phi and its sister organization the Sigma Delta Phi sorority. Back then, say members of this batch, fraternities and sororities had yet to imprint themselves in the public imagination as a bunch of hooligans engaged in violent clashes. Back then, they add, belonging to a “Greek letter organization” was a prestigious achievement because the societies were quite picky about those they invited to their rosters and put neo-

phytes through rigorous initiations. ferences were tolerated within the *** Although, they hasten to add, there fraternity, with inclusiveness and ac- SIGMA Deltans likewise count was none of the physical abuse and ceptance encouraged. among their roster such famous punishment that in later years would But belonging to a fraternity and personalities as painter Anita Magresult in needless deaths. sorority, explains Foreign Affairs saysay-Ho, culinary icon Nora Daza, “Most of it was in the spirit of Undersecretary Jesus Yabes, meant fearless commentator Winnie Monfun, although the initiation was also enjoying a lifetime of friendship and sod, stage stalwart Celia Diaz-Laurel, meant to test our mettle and loyalty alliances even with “brods” or “sis” of the late secretary Josie Lichauco, to each other,” recalls Felice Pruden- other batches. beauty queen and activist leader te Sta. Maria, cultural scholar and Upsilon ’66 had 47 members, the Nelia Sancho, and broadcaster Ces food writer. “We would be required to biggest number in the fraternity’s Drilon. come to campus wearing our clothes history. Six of them became lawyers, Apart from Prudente-Sta. Maria inside out, serve our older sisters’ ev- two became diplomats, four became and Alora, noted members of Batch ery whim, and follow them around.” doctors, and five became entrepre- ’66 include Ester Rimpos, one of the For the Upsilonians, recalls Mon neurs. The rest became bankers, country’s first prima ballerinas, and Maronilla, who is Mian Gancayco, a also the president of former educator the UP Alumni Asand now business Here in the Philippines, the youth were slow to embrace sociation, initiation executive. Fifteen flower power and the hippies, but the growing restiveness against was mainly a test of Sigma Delta ’66 the Marcos regime and especially the declaration of martial law in of character, with came from UP Dili1972 would radicalize the heretofore carefree generation. newbies forced to man while two were engage in humiliatfrom UP Los Baños. ing activities such as delivering flow- business executives and retired emTo mark their golden year, Batch ers to frat members’ girlfriends. ployees. The couple Efren and Mian ’66 will celebrate with a major *** Gancayco run a construction and thanksgiving and fellowship party POLITICS and ideological divides electrical firm that sponsors a num- called “A Celebration of Life” on Feb. had yet to become trademarks of UP ber of scholars. Other members who 6 at the Wack Wack Golf and Country student life. Although Mila Alora, have passed on are the ambassador Club. Regardless of what batch they now an OPS assistant secretary who to Washington and Beijing Willy Gaa belong to, all Upsilonians and Sigma chairs the APO Production Unit and and the TV personality Angelo Cas- Deltans are invited. a Sigma Deltan, notes that just to tro Jr. Quietly working behind the scenes show how wide and inclusive was the They join such famous “brods” as to make the golden jubilee a success embrace of the fraternity spirit, both Gerry Roxas (father of presidential are Lena Lubi, Narcy Avellana-David, Ninoy Aquino and Sen. Juan Ponce aspirant Mar Roxas), Doy Laurel, UP Sonny Villariba, Serge Naguiat, Jun Enrile were (and are) Upsilonians. president Fred Pascual and former Aniag and many more.

Maronilla explains that political— senator (and candidate) Dick Gor*** and even business or personal—dif- don, aside from Ninoy and Enrile.

A LETTER to the editor from Sen.

www.canadianinquirer.net

Tito Sotto was run in this paper recently. In it, Sotto, who is “blamed,” along with budget committee chair Sen. Loren Legarda, for excising P1 billion from the Department of Health budget, nit-picked several points I raised about his role in depriving an estimated five million women of lifesaving contraceptives.

Both Sotto and Legarda have sought to backtrack from their nefarious deed, saying there is enough money “left over” in the DOH budget to meet couples’ family planning needs and pointing out how other programs would benefit from the lost allocation. But what cannot be denied is that Sotto has spent the better part of his Senate career thwarting the reproductive health aspirations of women, men and children—for what reason I can’t say.

One thing Sotto said in his letter I must take exception to. It’s that my columns show my “disdain” for politicians who used to be (or still are) entertainers. No, Mr. Sotto, I don’t “disdain” actors, singers or sports figures. I just wish that they bring to their duties sufficient preparation for their role as public officials and not just rely on charm or popularity to get by.

And if I am a pawn of the international contraceptive lobby, then he must be a puppet of the Vatican and its local representatives. ■

Opinion

FRIDAY JANUARY 29, 2016

17

PUBLIC LIVES

The Japanese Emperor’s visit

By Randy David Philippine Daily Inquirer FOR THE generation of Filipinos who witnessed and lived through the atrocities of World War II, the Japanese Emperor’s visit to the Philippines this week is bound to summon painful memories that make forgiveness extremely difficult. The voices of the surviving Filipino “comfort women” who were captured and turned into sex slaves for Japanese soldiers may have been the most persistent. But they are not alone in asking: Is there an obligation to forgive and to forget?

Emperor Akihito’s visit comes at a time when Japan and the Philippines are forging stronger defense ties in order to deal with the perceived common threat that is China.

It is thus understandable that what is highlighted in official pronouncements of this historic visit—the first by a Japanese emperor—is the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Not mentioned is the inconvenient fact that one week after the royal visit, survivors will mark the 71st anniversary of the holocaust that flattened most of Manila in February 1945, and killed 100,000 residents in a month of unspeakable carnage per-

petrated by Japanese forces.

50 years after the event, this book is uments and museums, and in their The sheer evil and the excessive astounding in its vividness and sub- children’s textbooks. What they care cruelty committed by the cornered dued tone. to remember or to forget, however, Japanese soldiers in what was supBenito J. Legarda’s “Occupation: is an object of unceasing dispute. Acposed to be the last limping stage of The Later Years,” a compilation of cordingly, the necessity of a formal the Japanese Occupation defy all the author’s powerful essays which apology for all the cruelty and dereason. Filipinos have only a vague appeared mostly in the Philippines struction inflicted by the Japanese idea of the scale of human suffering Free Press, provides a list of titles in forces during World War II has probthat attended the Battle for the Lib- this growing literature of war mem- ably been more publicly discussed eration of Manila. But thanks to the oirs. Top in his list are: Alfredo R. in Japan than anywhere else. The publication of the personal memoirs Roces’ “Looking for Liling: A Family precise formulation of the remorse of some of those who experienced History of WWII Martyr Rafael R. remains a divisive issue in Japanese this brutality and barbarism, this aw- Roces Jr.,” Jose Ma. Bonifacio M. Es- politics. Many Japanese insist that ful episode in our nation’s history is coda’s “Warsaw of Asia: The Rape of Japan must not forget that the first not completely forgotten.

Manila,” Joaquin L. Garcia’s “It Took nuclear bombs were dropped on HiMy own introroshima and Nagaduction to those saki just when the On the other hand, Japan’s progressive intellectuals events was through war was about to warn against expressions of Japanese nationalism that hint at a Alfonso J. Aluit’s end. On the other resurgence of the militarist ethos.

“By Sword and Fire: hand, Japan’s proThe Destruction of gressive intellecManila in World War II.” I couldn’t Four Years for the Rising Sun to Set,” tuals warn against expressions of believe that anything like this hap- “These Hallowed Halls,” a gripping Japanese nationalism that hint at a pened in our country only one year account of the massacre that took resurgence of the militarist ethos. before I was born. By far, the most place inside De La Salle College writNo one perhaps bears this inheritpoignant account I have read of those ten by Br. Andrew Gonzalez and Ale- ed burden more deeply than the son years is Lourdes Reyes-Montinola’s jandro T. Reyes, Marcial Lichauco’s and successor of Emperor Hirohito, “Breaking the Silence.” I have bought “Dear Mother Putnam: A Diary of in whose name the Japanese Impeseveral copies of this amazing mem- the Second World War in the Philip- rial Army ravaged Southeast Asia. At oir by Ms Montinola, who survived pines,” Fernando J. Mañalac’s “Ma- the banquet he gave in honor of Presthe heinous massacre that wiped out nila: Memories of World War II,” and ident Aquino during the latter’s state the family of Nicanor Reyes Sr. in Felipe Buencamino III’s “Memoirs visit to Japan in June 2015, Emperor Malate on Feb. 9, 1945, to give to my and Diaries (1941-1944).”

Akihito noted that the ties between Japanese friends who seek an honBut, the Japanese have long mem- the two countries had had a long hisest closure to the war years. Written ories, too. One sees this in their mon- tory. “During World War II, however,

fierce battles between Japan and the United States took place on Philippine soil, resulting in the loss of many Filipino lives. This is something we Japanese must long remember with a profound sense of remorse.”

We expect the Emperor to reiterate this personal manifestation of remorse and, by implication, plea for forgiveness during his visit. The Jewish philosopher Avishai Margalit, in his profoundly moving book, “The Ethics of Memory,” writes “that the obligation to forgive, to the extent that such an obligation exists, is like the obligation not to reject a gift—an obligation not to reject the expression of remorse and the plea for forgiveness.” But, he argues that “forgiveness is based on disregarding the sin rather than forgetting it.”

We forgive, but we do not forget.

Those who perished in the Manila massacre were not the hapless collateral damage in the war between America and Japan. Officers of the Japanese Imperial Army ordered their troops to commit methodical acts of viciousness and cruelty against unarmed and defenseless Filipino civilians. That we continue to remember this, even as we have decided to forgive and disregard it in the name of friendship, is what lends to forgiveness its moral meaning. ■

LOOKING BACK

History in our wallets

By Ambeth R. Ocampo Philippine Daily Inquirer ONCE I gave my students a quiz that required them to list, in order of monetary value, the names of the people featured on our coins and bank notes. The instruction seemed simple enough, except that they were not allowed to open their wallets and examine what they had. Lesson of the day: We often go through life seeing things but hardly noticing them.

After a few minutes I allowed the students to check out the money they had on them, and asked if there was a rationale behind the choice of person for either coin or bank note. Was there a pattern? Then there was the issue of relevance and value: Jose Rizal is on the P1 coin, while Ninoy Aquino is on the P500 bill. Does this mean that Ninoy is more important than Rizal?

I wonder how a grandstanding politician would fare in that quiz.

This politician wanted to conduct an inquiry in order to compel the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to explain why the P100 and P1,000 bills had a similar color that led to some confusion. While it is true that some people determine the value of bank notes according to their color, one

would think that the value of the note security features; second, I learned what image would be relevant to all the in words and figures is clear enough to appreciate the hard work that goes member-states? I think it would be rice. to most people. Even if you are illit- into the production of each bank note We know our money has a long hiserate, you can still differentiate be- that most people take for granted. tory stretching back to the 10th centween the two because the P100 bill Have you ever wondered, for ex- tury because of the Laguna Copper has one image on it and the P1,000 ample, why our bank notes come in Plate Inscription, a piece of copper inbill has three! If you know some his- different cheerful colors while the US cised with ancient Javanese characters tory, you will recognize Roxas on the dollar denominations are all in green? that document a transaction in gold, P100 bill and the trio of Abad Santos, One side of the euro has doors and win- the payment of a debt. I would have Lim and Escoda on the P1,000 bill. dows while the reverse has bridges. If wanted the earliest written document I remember that whenIwas a boy, you look closely at the design of these in Philippine history to be a fragment our family driver was a magnet for doors, windows and bridges, you will of a poem or epic. I wished that our earkotong (mulcting) cops: He would be educated on the chronology of ar- liest writing had something to do with be pulled over for some real or imag- chitectural styles from the ancient to literature or history, but our ancestors ined traffic violation and, after some the modern periods. You look at the were more pragmatic: They left us with discussion, the exa receipt that gives us change would be important clues into Then there was the issue of relevance and value: Jose concluded with the the social and ecoRizal is on the P1 coin, while Ninoy Aquino is on the P500 bill. cop asking who his nomic life in 10thDoes this mean that Ninoy is more important than Rizal? lawyer was: “Sino ba century Philippines. ang abogado mo?”

As it is now, gold To which the driver would reply euro and presume that these doors, was used as an indicator of trade and “Quezon” (P20) or “Osmeña” (P50). windows and bridges are to be found social class in pre-Spanish times. ArI am told that inflation has made somewhere in Europe, but actually, for cheological evidence reveals that early the Commonwealth Duo, even in the sake of unity, the European Union money took the form of small gold pelcombination, useless against kotong chose to keep things generic and avoid- lets. These were known in numismatic cops. Who is the streetside “lawyer” of ed landmarks identified with certain circles as “piloncitos” and stamped with choice today? That I need to find out. countries—to cite some examples, the the pre-Spanish character for “ma,” Mylong and happy association rose windows of Chartres, the Bran- which some historians claim was short with the Numismatic Committee of denburg Gate, or London Bridge. The for “Ma-yi,” one of the ancient names of the Bangko Sentral taught me two euro is amazing because the images on one of the islands in an archipelago that things: First, I learned to pay atten- it are all made up; they do not exist. is now the modern Philippines. tion to bank note design, paper, and If Asean adopts a common currency, These piloncitos have also been

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found in archeological sites in Indonesia, Thailand and other parts of insular Southeast Asia, suggesting a currency that was in use before the coming of the Westerners in the 16th century. It is significant that the character “ma” stamped on the piloncitos could mean “mas,” short for “emas,” the Malay word for gold. (If you want to be dazzled by ancient gold, visit the Ayala Museum and BSP Museum collections and take pride in what was literally a Golden Age. Unfortunately, the usual follow-up question to the visit is: If our ancestors were so rich in the past, why are we poor today?)

Then the Spanish came to our shores, and the Manila galleons connected the world through the exchange of goods in the ports of Manila and Acapulco. For centuries the Spanish silver dollar, a beautiful coin better known as the pirates’ “pieces of eight” ( ocho reales), was universally accepted just as the US dollar is today. Gold coins were first minted in Manila in 1859. This piece of information reminds us of a time when coins literally had metal value, unlike the present coins in fractions of a peso that most Filipinos consider a nuisance. There is a lot of history in our wallets waiting to be appreciated. ■

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Canada News

"Stop Fast Track" rally in Washington D.C., April 2015.

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Clark battles B.C.’s ‘forces of No,’ on LNG, trade deal; says she’s no quitter THE CANADIAN PRESS VANCOUVER — Premier Christy Clark had sharp words Monday for what she calls the “forces of No” in British Columbia who mount resistance efforts to government initiatives purely out of a fear of change.

First Nations leaders quickly shot back at the premier, labelling her comments “paternalistic” and “mindless.”

Clark made the statements during a news conference where she fielded questions about opposition to the Trans-Pacific Trade Partnership, environmental concerns over liquefied natural gas development and tax breaks for the mining industry.

She said negotiating trade pacts and resource developments involves tough, but potentially rewarding benefits and she would rather be known as an achiever than a quitter.

“There are people who just say no to everything, and heaven knows there are plenty of those in British Columbia,” said Clark. “But just because it’s hard doesn’t mean you give up. It doesn’t mean you should be a quitter.”

She criticized a coalition of First Nations, environmentalists and Opposition New Democrats who signed a declaration demanding a protection zone near a proposed multibillion-dollar LNG project at Lelu Island near Prince Rupert.

“I’m not sure what science the forces of No bring together up there except that it’s not really about the science,” said Clark. “It’s not really about the fish. It’s just about trying to say No. It’s about fear of change. It’s about a fear of the future.”

Pacific Northwest LNG, backed by Malaysian energy giant Petronas, has proposed to build an LNG export terminal at Lelu Island.

The proposed project is billed as the largest private-sector investment in B.C.’s history, valued at $36 billion and estimated to create 4,500 construction jobs.

But the Lelu Island and Flora Bank region at the mouth of the Skeena River, is considered vital to the ecosystem of B.C.’s second-largest salmon-bearing waterway.

A coalition signed a declaration to protect the area at the end of a weekend summit in Prince Rupert, attended by more than 300 hereditary and elected First Nations leaders, scientists, politicians, fishermen and others.

“Once again, people from the entire length and breadth of the Skeena River and its estuaries have come together to let both levels of government and the industry know that they’ve made a mistake in siting this particular project,” said Gerald Amos, Friends of Wild Salmon spokesman.

Amos said the area surrounding Lelu Island is known for its eel grass beds that ❱❱ PAGE 26 Clark battles

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FRIDAY JANUARY 29, 2016

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Canada will sign controversial TPP trade deal, but ratification not certain

BY STEPHANIE LEVITZ The Canadian Press OTTAWA — Canada plans to sign the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact next week, but that procedural step doesn’t necessarily mean ratifying the controversial agreement is a done deal, the federal government said Monday.

International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland stressed that the government’s signature on the 12-country treaty essentially means Canada can keep its spot at the bargaining table.

Freeland said she intends to join trade ministers from the TPP’s partner countries at a signing event Feb. 4 in Auckland, New Zealand.

“Just as it is too soon to endorse the TPP, it is also too soon to close the door,” Freeland wrote Monday in an open letter posted on her department’s website.

“Signing does not equal ratifying.... Signing is simply a technical step in the process, allowing the TPP text to be tabled in Parliament for consideration and debate before any final decision is made.”

Only a majority vote in the House of Commons would bind Canada to the deal, said Free-

land. She has also requested a thorough, transparent study of the agreement by parliamentary committee.

In recent weeks, Freeland conducted public consultations on the wide-ranging accord, which — if ratified — would also set new international rules for sectors beyond trade. Those other areas include intellectual property, which worries some experts.

“We’ve been hearing a variety of views,” Freeland said after question period Monday. “Some people strongly critical, some voices strongly supportive.”

The minister has already indicated the massive accord, which includes major economies such as the United States and Japan, cannot be renegotiated.

It remains unclear whether the government would attempt to carve out side accords to help address concerns. Some legal experts have urged the government to do so.

Asked whether the government could push for side deals, Freeland responded by saying it wouldn’t be very wise for her to answer such “hypotheticals.”

“As you know, there are a number of side letters already (in the TPP) and one of the things that we will be listening

to people about is, you know, what (are) their concerns.”

Each country has up to two years to consider ratification before making a final decision.

She has said that while Liberals are strong supporters of trade, she’s also noted that they didn’t negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

The former Conservative government announced an agreement-in-principle on the pact in October during the federal election campaign.

At the time, then-prime minister Stephen Harper warned that Canada couldn’t afford to let the opportunities afforded by the agreement pass by.

The treaty, which came under heavy criticism in part because the talks took place in secrecy, can take effect if it’s ratified by half the participating countries representing 85 per cent of the proposed trade zone’s economy.

It remains unclear, however, whether U.S. lawmakers will ratify the accord.

On Monday, interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose urged the government to support the TPP to help Canada’s limping economy.

“Right now when Western Canada is hurting... the TransPacific Partnership offers huge opportunities, particularly in

TPP Chief Negotiators and Stakeholders' Briefing.

the business services sector and the agricultural sector,” Ambrose said in Ottawa.

New Democrat Leader Tom Mulcair warned Monday the TPP would kill thousands of Canadian jobs, weaken its supply managed dairy and poultry sector, hurt the auto industry and put innovators at a competitive disadvantage.

The Canadian auto-workers’ union, Unifor, has called the deal disastrous, warning it threatens some 20,000 manufacturing jobs in Canada.

Freeland recently said she

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heard from groups representing farmers in Alberta and the Port of Vancouver that were very strongly in favour of TPP, a deal that would open up new foreign markets for many Canadian firms.

On the other hand, Freeland also heard concerns from Canadian and U.S. academics at a recent event at the University of Toronto. Several trade experts who addressed the conference criticized the TPP’s provisions on intellectual property and warned they would be harmful for Canada.

Two more alleged gang members charged in B.C.’s turf war murder conspiracy

BY GEORDON OMAND The Canadian Press VANCOUVER — Two alleged gang members have been arrested and charged with conspiring to kill the leaders of a notorious rival crime group nearly a decade after Metro Vancouver was terrorized by a brutal gang war.

RCMP announced on Monday the arrests of 32-year-old Troy Tran of Vancouver and a 31-year-old man whose identity is not being released “to preserve the integrity of a future court proceeding.”

The men are accused of tak-

ing part in a plot to murder the the 2008 killing of Jonathan but died in a hail of gunfire in three leaders of the Red Scor- Barber and the shooting death Burnaby, B.C., while driving the pions gang, brothers Jarrod, of Kevin LeClair the following vehicle.

Jonathan and Jamie Bacon, and year.

Barber’s girlfriend, who was their associates. following behind The Mounthim, was also inies said they bejured in the gunlieve Tran and fire. his co-accused Our simple message is that that gang LeClair was are members of lifestyle really ends in only one of shot at a shopthe rival United two ways: jail or death. We the police ping centre in Nations gang, want to offer an alternative to that.

Langley, B.C. Powhich was emWe can keep our witnesses safe. lice said he was broiled in a vioa high-ranking lent turf war member of the against the ScorScorpions. pions between UN gang mem2007 and 2009.

Barber, who worked as a ste- ber Daniel Russell pleaded The pair also face first-degree reo installer, was to work on guilty to manslaughter for his murder charges in relation to Jamie Bacon’s black Porsche part in Barber’s death and was www.canadianinquirer.net

sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2013.

Russell, along with five other UN members, also admitted to a murder conspiracy against the Bacon brothers that same year.

“There’s a culture in the gang lifestyle where people are reluctant to come forward and speak with police,” RCMP Supt.

Dwayne McDonald said on Monday. McDonald heads up the province’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.

“Our simple message is that that gang lifestyle really ends in only one of two ways: jail or ❱❱ PAGE 21 Two more

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m info@canadianinquirer.net sales@canadianinquirer.net

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Liberal negotiations with civil Alberta’s job losses service could reverse $900M last year worst since in planned savings 1982, Statistics Canada says

BY ANDY BLATCHFORD The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — The Liberals are poised to abandon the Conservative hardline approach to contract talks with public labour unions, a move that could cost the federal balance sheet nearly $1 billion this fiscal year.

The Liberal government has confirmed it will repeal Tory legislation that allows Ottawa to impose changes to shortterm disability and sick leave in the public service.

The Treasury Board recently signalled to federal unions that it would make withdrawing a provision in Bill C-59 “one of its first orders of business.”

The action is expected to have fiscal consequences.

The Conservatives booked $900 million in savings to the government’s bottom line in last year’s budget, even though negotiations were still ongoing with the unions.

The Harper government’s accounting decision helped its election-year budget forecast a $2.4-billion surplus, including the contingency reserve.

By booking that figure, it means the 2015-16 balance sheet could be another $900 million deeper in the red.

Since coming to power, the Liberals updated the 2015-16 budget projection in November to a $3-billion shortfall.

Internally, however, the government is aware that more could be shaved from the public books because of the accounting around the short-term disability and sick leave regime.

“If the (short-term disability plan) is not implemented this fiscal year, then the $900 million in savings in 2015-16 will need to be unwound,” said briefing material on “urgent issues” provided to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shortly after he took office.

The briefing said the matter could require action or a decision within 50 days of the October election.

Regardless of the outcome of contract talks, the government won’t ever see the $900 million

BY IAN BICKIS The Canadian Press

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party of Canada.

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in estimated savings realized in actual dollar terms, said Debi Daviau, president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada.

That’s because the value is a booked liability, she said.

“They can remove the liability from their books, but the Canadian public needs to understand it’s a liability that would have sat there to foreverness without ever actually having to be paid out,” Daviau said.

“Truth be told — and I’m sure this is not what Canadians want to hear — but there will be another $900 million that we’re in deficit.”

Briefing material prepared for Treasury Board President Scott Brison informed him about two court applications filed in June against the federal government by about a dozen labour unions. The Treasury Board oversees government negotiations with the civil service.

The unions allege that part of C-59 substantially interfered with collective bargaining and contravened the freedom of association section in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Brison’s briefing binder said.

The Trudeau briefing document noted that C-59 enacted provisions to permit the Trea-

sury Board to modify terms and conditions of public service sick leaves and create the short-term disability plan in the absence of a negotiated agreement.

The Trudeau and Brison briefings, each labelled “secret,” were obtained separately

by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act. Daviau said the unions have suspended their legal action against the government because of its stated intention to ditch C-59. The government informed unions it would not exercise the legislation’s powers before it is repealed, she added.

“It’s something we worked really hard for because this was an absurd piece of legislation,” Daviau said of C-59.

On Monday, Brison declined to discuss the potential fiscal impact for fear of disrupting the collective bargaining process, but he insisted the Liberals would negotiate in good faith with the unions.

“We’re not going to repeat the same error that the previous government made in disrespecting the negotiation process,” Brison said. “The previous government actually prejudiced the entire negotiations with C-59.” www.canadianinquirer.net

CALGARY — Alberta lost more jobs last year than in any year since 1982, when the province was in the throes of a deep recession, Statistics Canada said Tuesday.

The government agency released revised figures showing that Alberta had a net loss of 19,600 jobs in 2015, up from the 14,600 job losses it estimated in early January.

That was much higher than the 17,200 jobs lost in 2009 and the most since 1982, when the province shed 45,000 jobs.

At that time, the province was reeling from a recession and the federally-imposed national energy program, ending the year with an unemployment rate of 10.3 per cent.

The figures put into stark relief the damage falling oil prices have left on the province’s economy, which has seen mass layoffs across the energy sector with an estimated 40,000 jobs lost.

At the beginning of last year, crude prices were near the US$53 mark. They closed Tuesday at US$31.45 a barrel.

The job loss numbers are also a stark contrast to 2014, when Alberta added 63,700 positions — more than half of all jobs created in Canada that year.

“Alberta is, in effect, ground zero when it comes to absorbing a commodity price shock,” National Bank said in a note to clients last week. “More than any province, it will take the brunt of the expected drop-off in business investment.”

Last year saw the province’s unemployment rate steadily climb from 4.8 per cent to seven per cent as the anticipated recovery in oil prices failed to materialize.

But ATB Financial is forecasting that to edge up to 7.2 per cent and the economy to shrink by 0.5 per cent this year.

In a research note published Tuesday, TD Bank said it expects unemployment in the province heading towards 7.5 per cent by mid-year before some of the oil price shock wears off in the second half of the year.

“This will set the stage for a return to modest growth — and a tapering off in the sharp upward trend in jobless rates — in Alberta and Saskatchewan,” the bank said.

Two more... death. We the police want to offer an alternative to that. We can keep our witnesses safe.”

Kevin Hackett, Chief Superintendent of B.C.’s combined forces special forces unit, described the “all-out gang war” in the late 2000s, which involved “brazen public executions, shootings and retaliations.”

In March 2009, then-police chief Jim Chu admitted after numerous shootings that Metro Vancouver was in the midst of a turf war between rival gangs.

“As police, we’ve always been told by media experts to never ❰❰ 19

say or admit that there is a gang war,” said Chu. “We’ll, let’s get serious. There is a gang war and it’s brutal.”

Efforts by law enforcement in the Lower Mainland has forced gangs to regroup and adapt, said Hackett.

“Although the current look of the UN from the past no longer exists in the manner in which we knew them, they’re still there and lurking behind the scenes.”

Another alleged leader of the UN gang is still at large. McDonald said Conor D’Monte is implicated in the murder conspiracy, as well as the killing of Kevin LeClair.

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FRIDAY

World News

FRIDAY JANUARY 29, 2016

US, China spar over North Korea, South China Sea

BY MATTHEW LEE AND CHRISTOPHER BODEEN The Associated Press BEIJING — The United States and China sparred Wednesday on how to deal with North Korea’s latest nuclear weapons test and ease rising tensions over territorial disputes in the South China Sea. After meeting for more than four hours in Beijing in what they both termed “constructive” and “candid” discussions, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi nonetheless presented sharply opposing positions on the two issues at a news conference.

Kerry acknowledged that “our differences will continue to test us” but stressed that the world benefits when the United States and China are able to work together, including on the Iran nuclear deal and climate change.

On North Korea, Kerry said the United States wanted new U.N. Security Council action that would impose “significant new measures” to punish Pyongyang for its latest test earlier this month and boost pressure on it to return to disarmament talks.

“There’s been a lot of talk about North Korea through these past years. Now we believe is the time for action that can bring North Korea back to the table,” Kerry said.

Wang said China agreed on the need for a new resolution, but suggested that Beijing would not support new sanctions. “Sanctions are not an end in themselves,” he said.

“The new resolution should not provoke new tension in the situation, still less destabilize the Korean peninsula,” Wang said.

China is North Korea’s most important ally, chief trading partner and a key source of economic assistance. While it condemned the latest test, Beijing has balked at imposing harsh sanctions that could destabilize the hard-line communist regime.

Kerry noted that sanctions had brought Iran to the nuclear negotiating table. “With all due respect,” he said.

“More significant and impactful sanctions were put in place against Iran, which did not have a nuclear weapon than against North Korea, which does.”

“All nations, particularly those who seek a global leadership role, or have a global leadership role, have a responsibility to deal with this threat,” he said, referring to China.

Kerry said the sides agreed both on the need for a strong new resolution on North Korea, but also to accelerate talks on what that would entail.

“It’s good to agree on the goal. But it’s not enough to agree on the goal, we believe we need to agree on the meaningful steps necessary to get to the achievement of the goal to the negotiations that result in denuclearization,” Kerry said.

For his part, Wang also took umbrage at U.S. complaints that China is not doing as much as it can with the leverage it has on North Korea to stop the destabilizing behaviour. He noted that China’s position has been consistent in opposing North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and supporting a diplomatic resolution to the matter.

“For many years China has been working hard to implement these,” he said.

“We have delivered on our obligation.”

Wang said China’s position is “clear cut” and “responsible.”

“Our position will not be swayed by specific events or the temporary mood of the moment,” he said. “We reject all groundless speculation or distortion of China’s position.”

Kerry, though, pressed ahead, saying that China is North Korea’s main link to the outside world, and that it could do more to limit cross-border transactions that benefit North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his government.

Kim Jong Un’s actions in testing the latest device was “reckless and dangerous,” Kerry said, vowing that the U.S. would take whatever steps it needed to protect itself and its allies.

Kerry, who after meeting with Wang was set to see State Councilor Yang Jiechi and President Xi Jinping, also called on China to halt land reclamation and construction of airstrips in disputed areas of the South China Sea, steps that have alarmed its smaller neighbours.

“I stressed the importance of finding common ground among the claimants and avoiding the destabilizing cycle of mistrust or escalation,” Kerry said.

Wang, though denied that China has was doing anything other than protecting its territorial sovereignty. And, he rejected accusations from the United States and others that China was not interested in peaceful resolutions to the disputes or militarizing the areas.

“We cannot accept the allegation that China’s words are not being matched by actions.”

Kerry arrived in China from stops in Laos and Cambodia, where he called on the two members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to present a united front in dealing with increasing Chinese assertiveness over the South China Sea claims. His visits to Vientiane and Phnom Penh come ahead of a summit with the leaders of all 10 ASEAN nations that President Barack

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FILIPINO-CANADIAN IN FOCUS:

Tomas Avendano: A man for all seasons

BY LAARNI E. LIWANAG Philippine Canadian Inquirer TO MANY, he is “Tatay Tom”, the man behind the Multicultural Helping House Society on Fraser St., Vancouver, British Columbia. He is the man who dreamt of guiding and helping new Filipino migrants in Vancouver settle in their new country; a man who is very passionate in helping our “kababayans” integrate into Canadian society and have a successful career in Canada. He is the most visible fixture at the Multicultural Helping House what with his words, “magkakasakit ako kapag hindi ako makapunta sa MHHS” in any given day.

And who is Tatay Tom? the year 2000 and was later renamed Multicultural Helping House Society.

MHHS is a multicultural Challenges society which provides settleWhen Tatay moved to Surrey, ment services, social programs BC, the city presented to him for the youth and the seniors, a challenge that was — to help various workshops for carethem build a church. There was givers and temporary foreign no church in Surrey then, mass workers, third party job postwas being held at the gymna- ings, hall rentals and respite sium and so he helped in the housing. Last year, it opened its many activities with the sup- Manila, office which offers preport of the Filipino community departure seminar to Filipinos who looked up to him as their migrating to Canada. leader, to raise funds to help Tatay’s dedication to the misbuild the St. Matthew Church.” sion of Multicultural Helping Life in Canada Tatay’s challeges in his early House earned him numerous Tatay Tom described his months in Canada inspired him awards like, Queen Elizabeth first few months in Canada as to help the Filipinos.

II Golden Jubilee Award and “from heaven to hell.” His poHe cited that based on per- Queen Elizabeth II Diamond litical life in the Philippines sonal experience, his frustra- Jubilee Award. He was also was breezy. When he came to tions as newly landed immi- bestowed the highly regarded Canada he found out “you are grant, — not knowing where Paul Yuzyk award, which is beon your own.” to go for counsel, nor to talk to ing given to an individual or a His first job in Canada as he somebody for guidance for sim- group that demonstrates dedidescribed was cation to plu“playing hockralism and the ey” which really integration of is mopping the newcomers into floor at one of To have a good life, a good future, a Canadian sociMcDonald’s outpeaceful life, — economic freedom, ety. He was also lets. He never political freedom, then Canada is awarded Banaag regretted comthe place to go but you have to reAward (Philiping to Canada program your mind. pines) among though. He said others. the freedom he At 87 (to be enjoyed is pricecelebrated on less. “In Canada January 30 thru there is an equal opportunity, ple direction, challenged him to a gala, put together by his staff what the rich can buy, the poor put up a drop in center for Fili- and the caregivers) Tatay Tom can also buy; what the rich can pinos to be able to connect. In is still ready to rock the floor. eat, the poor people can also 1998, he formed Filipino Cana- In his words, God is providing eat. The only difference may- dian Support Services Society. him strength and good health be is that the rich do not have It was moved to its Fraser St in so he can carry his duties as Life in the Philippines

Tatay Tom was an educator in the Philippines prior to coming to Canada in 1982. He was an elected Councilor at the City of Pasay for almost 12 years. He entered politics in the hope that “I could make some changes for the good of the city but then I felt that I was like Robin Hood fighting alone against corruption, gambling, and other vices consuming my constituents. I was not successful and out of frustration I decided to migrate to Canada.”

debts. But for as long as you work and work hard, you can buy things within your means.

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President and CEO of MHHS. This gala is a fundraising event for the scholarship of caregivers and the youth. Caregivers are mandated to upgrade otherwise they might lose their job next year due to the imposed changes in the live-in-caregiver program by the government Message to the Filipinos

“To have a good life, a good future, a peaceful life, — economic freedom, political freedom, then Canada is the place to go but you have to re program your mind. You have to leave some of your bad habits in the Philippines. Opportunities are here but you have to work hard for it.“ On his legacy as CEO of MHHS, Tatay said “I have been here from its formation, my main purpose aside from the service, is to unite, at least the spirit of the Filipinos into one thing that they could be proud of. And here is MHHS, do come and use it and serve, be a volunteer because this is our legacy — aside from the building built from an award winning

design by Filipino Architect Henry Mayuga, we are providing award winning services to people.

On succession — should his time come to end, Tatay Tom said God will provide his successor. “I am seeing new and younger immigrants coming in who have new ideas. Maybe in due time, one will be able to step up and fill the void.”

On Manila office — “Pre-departure workshop are held in the Manila office. Once they arrive in Canada, post arrival seminar is also conducted. To disseminate this service, we connect with Canadian embassy, with our Philippine government, and with DOLE. By next month I will be going to Manitoba, in Toronto, and in different places in order to establish our connection with different NGOs so that when they arrive here, softlanding na sila” said Tatay.

On retiring, Tatay Tom said “I will retire when I am dead but I cannot retire while I am still breathing. This (MHHS) is my twin, which I cannot live without.”

World News

FRIDAY JANUARY 29, 2016

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The REtroSPECT Reunion Concert on March 11th at Columbia Theatre, New Westminster BC

BY BABES CASTRONEWLAND

VANCOUVER, B.C. — Threetime (Hall of Famer) Philippine ALIW Awardee for Best Group Performer in bars, theatres and restaurants, The REtroSPECT’s, reunion tour couldn’t be any sweeter. After original headliners Goldie Castro-Dituri and Joy “Em-J” Cabarrios left the group over domestic bliss, remaining original male vocal leads J. Martin Castro and Rogel “Ogie” Ramos continued on the tradition as the Philippines’ premier retro pop group performing in hotels, bars, restaurants and on local television networks. This group is oftentimes the preferred choice to liven up corporate and private events. When it comes to onstage delivery, nothing beats The REtroSPECT flair. Their act is bar none. Their eclectic iconic fashion individu-

ality, smooth and classy choreoOn Friday 11th March, all her penchant for stage performgraphed executions are truly all roads will lead to the historic ing. Ditto with Vancouver-based their own. Make no mistake in Columbia Theatre, in New member Goldie Castro-Dituri comparing them to other local Westminster BC as The REtro- who is now married to Canadigroups or international pop mu- SPECT’s original lead vocalists an-born Alex Dituri. Goldie still sic celebrities. Their popular- embark on first Canadian leg of performs for various Filipino ity came about long before the their world reunion tour. It is community events in Vancouver likes of Lady Gaga came to fore. exactly eight years ago this year as a solo artist. The group’s band Consistently leader/manager, donned in funky J. Martin Castro attires, daring has now permaaccessories and nently settled hairpieces, they Their eclectic iconic fashion in the beautiful relive most loved individuality, smooth and classy island of Guam. popular hits from choreographed executions are truly With his comthe 70’s and 80’s all their own. panion cum busiwithout disapness partner, pointment. InRobert Marticluding their nez, they formed eponymous covers of Earth, when the group debuted in an an entertainment outfit called Wind & Fire ditties to include SRO crowd at the Edgewater JARO Productions USA who “Reasons”, “September”, “Let’s Casino, Vancouver BC. It will co-produces The REtroSPECT’s Groove” and many more by the be the first time for Italy-based reunion world tour together soothing falsettos of J. Martin. contralto lead Em-J Cabarrios with Alex and Goldie Dituri’s Once the group starts prompt- to perform once again with the Rhythm Nation International. ing their audience that, “It’s Par- group after she left to join her Other original members Ogie ty Time!”, there’s no stopping mother in Italy many moons Ramos and Maria Theresa “Teefor an all-night frenzy of feet ago. Now happily married with Jay” Bagasbas are still based in stomping and jumping to their 2 wonderful young daughters, the Philippines. They both acmusic.

Em-J has never ceased pursuing tively perform with the band’s

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new members. Unfortunately, Tee-Jay is unable to join the international reunion tour due to undisclosed reasons. If you’re up to some world-class party music entertainment, this one will surely light your fire. And don’t say I didn’t warn you. You would surely need those comfy dancing shoes! They will also be performing premium cuts from their all-original albums under Dyna Music and distribution by Alpha Music Corporation. For tickets and information: please text/call (604) 814 0340, (604) 813-3181, (604) 720-9882, (778) 628-3803.

The REtroSPECT world tour kicks off at Cebu City’s Waterfront Hotel earlier this month.

To be followed by another show at the Music Museum, Greenhills, San Juan, Philippines on January 29. The group departs for series of concerts in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver BC, London, Italy and the Middle East.

26

World News

Clark battles... offer protection for salmon before they head to the ocean or return to the Skeena to spawn.

He said First Nations view Clark’s comments about as insensitive to people who want to protect the Skeena salmon.

“She’s on the wrong side of this equation,” he said. “Labelling the forces of No is paternalistic. It’s downright insulting.”

Lax Kw’alaams hereditary Chief Yahaan said the project is a threat to a centuries-old salmon-fishing culture. He said Clark doesn’t understand the ties his people have to the river and the salmon.

“Her mentality, the mindless phrases that come out of her mouth,” said Yahaan. “Saying that we’re the people of No. We’re the indigenous people of this land. We live here. We know about the environment.

She doesn’t.”

But Gitga’at First Nation Chief Arnold Clifton said declaring Lelu Island and Flora Bank off limits to industrial development may be premature.

Clifton and four other elected area chiefs representing the ❰❰ 18

northwest’s Tsimshian Nation said many First Nations area awaiting the results of two independent scientific reviews before deciding whether to support the LNG project.

He downplayed the comments of Yahaan and other hereditary chiefs, but pointed at area New Democrats who signed the declaration.

“They stepped in a little too quickly,” said Clifton of nearby Hartley Bay. “They should have spoken to the chiefs first.”

New Democrat members of the legislature Jennifer Rice, Robin Austin and Doug Donaldson and the North Coast’s federal member of Parliament Nathan Cullen signed the declaration.

Provincial New Democrat LNG critic Bruce Ralston said his party opposes the Lelu Island project because it does not meet the party’s conditions of approval, including First Nations consent.

He said the NDP remains committed to supporting the LNG industry, providing it meets the Opposition’s four conditions.

US, China...

Obama will host next month in California.

China, which claims sovereignty of much of the territory in the South China Sea, rejects claims from countries like the Philippines and Vietnam and has bristled at U.S. warnings that its activities threaten the freedom of navigation in some of the world’s busiest commercial shipping lanes.

Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei also have overlapping claims in the strategically vital sea, through which around $5 trillion in world trade passes each year.

The U.S. says it takes no position on the claims but says developments in the South China Sea are a national security interest. It has urged that the disputes be settled peacefully and that a binding code of conduct be established for the area.

Tensions have been especially high since Beijing transformed seven disputed reefs into islands, where it is now constructing runways and facilities that rival claimants say can be used militarily. China ❰❰ 23

has said it built the islands primarily to foster safe civilian sea travel and fishing.

In response, the U.S. sent a guided-missile destroyer close to one of the Chinese-built islands, called Subi Reef, in October in a challenge to Beijing’s territorial claims, sparking warnings from China. U.S. officials vowed to continue manoeuvrs to protect freedom of navigation and overflight.

Recent developments, including China’s movement of an oil rig into a zone disputed with Vietnam and warnings against Philippines overflight of what it claims to be its territory, have raised those levels of concern. China dismisses the warnings as unwarranted, but has harshly criticized a U.S.Philippines defence pact that allows American forces, warships and planes to be based temporarily in local military camps. China says that will “escalate tensions and undermine peace and stability in the region,” echoing language the United States uses to criticize China’s actions.

JANUARY 29, 2016

FRIDAY

Vietnam ruling party boss reelected, cements hold on power

BY VIJAY JOSHI The Associated Press HANOI, VIETNAM — Vietnam’s Communist Party Wednesday re-elected its 71-year-old chief for a second term, an expected outcome that sees the conservative proChina ideologue cementing his hold on power.

The party’s congress elected Nguyen Phu Trong (pronounced Noo-yen Foo Chong) to a 19-member Politburo, the all-powerful body that handles the day-to-day affairs of the government and the party. In a subsequent vote, he was immediately chosen as the general-secretary, the de facto No. 1 leader of the country.

The announcement was made on the official Vietnam News Agency’s website.

Officials said Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc was also elected to the Politburo, and he is now expected to become the prime minister. He will replace Nguyen Tan Dung, who had had led economic reforms over the last 10 years and had harboured ambitions for the top job. His challenge, however, was snuffed by Trong’s supporters during the weeklong party congress that ends Thursday.

The third most important member elected to the Politburo was Minister of Public Security Tran Dai Quang, who will be the country’s new president, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The general secretary, the prime minister and the president, along with the chairman of the National Assembly, are the four key members in the collective leadership represented by the Politburo, and the 180-member Central Committee, which handles policy.

The renewal of the leadership means little change for Vietnam.

Trong is expected to continue to push Dung’s economic reforms. Despite having a reputation for being pro-China he is not likely to be totally subservient to Beijing as that would risk massive anger from ordinary www.canadianinquirer.net

Nguyen Phu Trong.

Vietnamese who harbour a deep dislike and historical suspicion of China.

“Many people were afraid that a conservative trend would prevail if Mr. Trong is re-elected. But ... whoever they may be, and however conservative they may be, when they are at the helm they are under pressure to carry out reforms,” Le Hong Hiep, a visiting Vietnamese fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asia Studies in Singapore, told The Associated Press.

The Communist Party is entitled by the constitution to govern and Vietnam’s 93 million people have no direct role in electing the leaders of the 4.5 million-member party.

It is believed that as a compromise with Prime Minister Dung’s camp, Trong will not serve his full five-year term but may hand over power to another leader mid-way.

Dung was seen as a probusiness leader who investors believe would have continued with economic reforms he set in motion 10 years ago that helped Vietnam attract a flood of foreign investment and was partly responsible for tripling the per capita GDP to $2,100.

He was also seen as standing up to China, which is making aggressive territorial claims in the South China Sea and building islands, much to the chagrin of Southeast Asia nations who have conflicting claims in the waters.

China sent an oil rig into Viet-

FACEBOOK PHOTO

namese waters in 2014, triggering a massive backlash among Vietnamese, including attacks on Chinese businesses. Dung was vocal in criticizing China then, while Trong was muted.

Despite Trong’s reputation as being an anti-thesis of Dung, the reality is not so black-andwhite. Observers agree that the economic reforms Dung started have the blessings of the collective leadership, including Trong.

A clear example came when a plenum of the outgoing Central Committee overwhelmingly endorsed Vietnam joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a U.S. led free-trade initiative.

As for China, Trong will likely not risk the ire of the public by being soft if Beijing’s assertiveness impinges on Vietnam territorial integrity.

The cosmetic change in the leadership also means that Vietnam has no immediate hopes for political reforms, even though there is a desire in the government to loosen up on public freedoms.

“They are faced with a dilemma. They want to maintain the one-party rule and at the same time they want to have reforms in some limited areas,” said Hiep, the Vietnamese scholar.

“Their trend is to change, but they will still be cautious, because the party’s ultimate goal is to maintain their monopoly on power,” Hiep said.

Tran Van Minh contributed to this report.

FRIDAY JANUARY 29, 2016

27

Travel

Low dollar, food and shopping enticing Americans and others to visit Canada

BY GIUSEPPE VALIANTE The Canadian Press MONTREAL — From British Columbia to Montreal, the low Canadian dollar is proving a boon to the tourism sector.

Dragged down by cheap oil and an international slump in commodity prices, the dollar is trading at around 70 cents against the greenback and enticing Americans to travel north of the border.

“We’re getting more reservations at the last minute from Americans planning trips for the weekend,” says Eve Pare, head of the Hotel Association of Greater Montreal.

Montreal-area hotels in December made more than $40 million, up more than nine per cent from a year earlier, Pare noted.

The city’s tourism bureau said last summer’s season — between June and August — saw a 10 per cent increase year over year in the number of American tourists crossing the border into Quebec.

For Katie, 20, a McGill University student from New York State, the low Canadian dollar means her tuition is “basically nothing.”

On a mini-vacation with her friend Jack, 21, also from New York, the two said they were spending more than they regularly would on eating out.

“I’ve been taking advantage already,” says Jack, standing on a corner in Old Montreal.

“We’re going out to nicer dinners than normally because it means you can take off 40 per cent from the bill.”

Around the corner at the Jacques Cartier Square, Adriana Carvalho, 43, from Brazil, said she and her partner had been planning on visiting the United States but changed their minds at the last minute to take advantage of the dollar.

The Brazilian real is trading at 24 cents US while it’s at about 34 cents in Canada.

When the Americans get here and realize the discount and that their economy is strong, then they are buying champagne and nice wines.

But Carvalho said the dol- stone streets, said she is about 2015 were the busiest for those lar wasn’t the only reason they to marry her fiance, Lance months on record and that the made the trip to Montreal.

Lynch, 30, who travelled from low Canadian dollar has been a “You guys have things here Florida to be interviewed by “huge incentive” for American we can’t get in the U.S. like U.S. immigration officials. visitors. furs,” she said. “And we love “I came up to meet her at the “The mood is really positive,” skiing.” consulate and we made a vaca- said Patricia Westerholm, addAlexander Kiorpelidis, who tion out of it,” he said. “Every- ing that snow conditions have owns a Montreal also been fantassouvenir shop, tic. “That energy estimates he’s and the vibe is had about a 15 really palpable in per cent increase The city’s tourism bureau said last the resort.” in the number of summer’s season — between June She said the American tourand August — saw a 10 per cent organization ists over the past increase year over year in the number doesn’t track six months, even of American tourists crossing the commerce overthough they border into Quebec. all, but that anaren’t necessarecdotally busiily buying more nesses are seeing of his wares. “significant in“(This) year we’re expecting thing is virtually 30 per cent off creases” in guests. a big jump he said,” referring to here, which is huge.”

“A lot of businesses are makthe upcoming high tourist seaIn British Columbia, a ing sure that they’re highlightson in July and August. spokeswoman for Tourism ing the difference with the U.S. “I would like to see 25 per Whistler, which tracks over- dollar,” she said. “So they might cent increase in sales,” he said. night room stays at the cluster be posting items in their store Ellen Graham, 25, walking of resorts north of Vancouver, that have a Canadian price and down the old district’s cobble- said November and December then the U.S. price, just to make www.canadianinquirer.net

SHUTTERSTOCK

that visual for the guests.”

Joey Gibbons, owner and president of “Gibbons Whistler,” which own five bars, a brewery and a distillery, said more Canadians are hitting the resort.

“Canadians will compare the loonie to the American dollar every day,” he said. “So Canadians are coming up to Whistler instead of kicking off to Hawaii.

“When the Americans get here and realize the discount and that their economy is strong, then they are buying champagne and nice wines.”

Gibbons said the combination of the low dollar and excellent snow conditions has given them a bumper season.

“We’ve had the perfect storm, we couldn’t ask for a better circumstance for our resorts for the last two months” With files from Tamsyn Burgmann in Vancouver

28

Travel

JANUARY 29, 2016

FRIDAY

Artists showcase magical ice sculptures at the Ice Magic Festival

BY KATHERINE PADILLA Philippine Canadian Inquirer ICE CARVERS from different parts of the world graced the 2016 Ice Magic Festival at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise in Banff National Park in January 14. This year’s theme was Earth, Wind, Fire and Water—Elements of Life.

Teams composed of no more than two members participated in site selection at the Welcome Reception in Thursday. The carving time started at 8 am in Friday, January 15 until10 pm of the same day. The teams were given 3 days with 34 hours in total to finish their ice sculptures that are at least 7 ft. tall.

They resumed sculpting in Sat-

urday and Sunday. The teams were provided of 15 blocks of Cleinbell sculpting ice, weighing 300 lbs per block. They were also allowed to use natural snow as bonding agent. The carving time ended at 2 pm in Sunday and the winners of the Team Ice Carving Competition were proclaimed at 4 pm during the Awards Ceremony.

Team LDP Batch 92 from the Philippines ranked first place with their sculpture entitled Once Upon a Time. The Dancing Water sculpture of Team Junichi and Dean from Japan and USA won second place.

Team Sakha’s The Beloved Blue Shore ranked third place and bagged the Carver’s Choice and People’s Choice awards. Team Sakha came represented Rus-

sia, the Republic of Sakha.

The winning teams received $2,500, $1,500, $700, respectively. Team Sakha who won both the Carver’s Choice and the People’s Choice awards also received $750 and $500 on top of their prize for ranking third in the competition.

One member from every participating team in the Team Ice Carving Competition also competed in a speed competition called One Carver, One Hour, One Block.

The winners were: Benjamin Rand, USA (First Place and People’s Choice), Dean Murray, USA (Second Place), Rolando (Butter) De La Garza, USA (Third Place) and Alexey Andreev (Fourth Place). They received $1,000, $300, $200,

BANFFLAKELOUISE.COM

respectively. Rand received an additional $500 for winning the People’s Choice award.

The award-winning sculptures may be viewed by the public at the ice carving site at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise in Banff National Park for free.

However, tickets for visiting

the site will be required during peak visitation times on January 23 and 24 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. As a bonus, a whole checklist of free activities and special discounts will be offered throughout Lake Louise during the festival. The Ice Magic Festival lasts until January 24.

Survive and thrive while winter camping, whether it’s hard core or glamping

BY PAULA LAST The Canadian Press TORONTO — Fraser Johnson hits the winter trail every year for two reasons: the challenge and the serenity.

While the out-tripping expert leads his fellow Mountain Equipment Coop colleagues into the backcountry every winter, he acknowledges it’s not for everyone.

But with the loonie heading south faster than snowbirds this year, enjoying winter could mean embracing the cold rather than jetting off to southern climes.

“Once you get through the first trip, you’ll either never do it again and you’ll have a great story to tell, or each subsequent trip becomes better and easier,” he said.

Here’s how to do it right and where to go, whether you’re primed for a hard-core experience or a newbie.

HARD-CORE WINTER CAMPING

Preparation and staying positive are key.

“If you’re worried about be-

ing cold, you’ll actually panic,” said Toronto-based Johnson.

“Panic can set into a tiny bit of shock, and you get colder than you would otherwise.”

Johnson suggests these tips and tricks for first-timers: - Hike a maximum of 20 to 30 minutes from your car or ranger station in case you need to get warm pronto.

- Rent expensive gear, like a -40 C sleeping bag and fourseason tent, until you decide to become a regular and it makes sense to invest.

- Pack extra white gas fuel (naphtha). Lantern or camping fuel will freeze in extreme temperatures. Staying hydrated is important and you’ll need fuel if you find it necessary to melt snow.

Staying warm

- Wear layers to trap heat: a base layer, a warm layer, plus potentially another light layer, and a shell to hold the warmth in and keep you dry. Never wear cotton as it doesn’t provide any insulation when wet and won’t dry without heat.

- Keep a warm drink in your coat or sleeping bag day and night. The heat from the bottle will help keep you warm and

king a heavy-duty prospector tent and chimney-equipped, wood-burning stove to a remote area to make a warm and toasty base camp.

Make sure you get the right equipment and know how to use it. A source like Algonquin Basecamp Outfitters and Supply will even set it up for you.

(They charge $150 per night for the first night, $100 per night after.)

Never use a propane stove inside a tent due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

GLAMPING Here’s how to do camping right.

your water won’t freeze.

- Sleep with a change of clothes in your sleeping bag and get changed in the bag.

- Keep boots warm overnight in your sleeping bag. Put wet boots in a garbage bag to keep your sleeping bag dry.

- If you’re out for a four- to five-day trip, dig yourself a quinzhee, a super-insulating snow structure that sleeps up to three people.

- When nature calls, answer.

“If you’re sitting in your sleeping bag and you really need to www.canadianinquirer.net

go pee, the best thing you can do is go pee,” Johnson said, explaining that the body uses a lot of energy to keep that urine warm.

Mountain Equipment Coop (http://www.mec.ca/) holds winter camping 101 courses across Canada for a low fee, or for $265 attend Canada West Mountain School (http://themountainschool.com/) and learn how to build an igloo.

Glamping is all about experiencing the outdoors in comfort, ranging from a cabin in the woods to a simple yurt with bunk beds and an electric heater.

Many federal and provincial parks offer cabins and yurts year-round.

Gatineau Park has roofed winter accommodations from four-season tents starting at $87 per night, to cabins, and yurts starting at $115 per night.

The Societe des etablissements de plein air du Que-

HOT-TENTING

Hot-tenting involves trek-

❱❱ PAGE 32 Survive and

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FRIDAY JANUARY 29, 2016

G N A N A L P A G M G N I M A A S KASAMA

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Community News

30

JANUARY 29, 2016

FRIDAY

New Orleans priest wows Vancouver LBC delivered smiles to 3,000 kids

BY JEREMIAH NEIL ZAMORA SUMAGUI

A GUEST priest from the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Fr. Tony Ricard, recently came to Saint Mary’s Parish in Vancouver to raise awareness on a plethora of causes, including raising money for the earthquake fund and repairing damage caused by flooding at the monastery.

The event also featured a book sale at the back of the church to fund raise for Fr. Tony’s causes.

Fr. Tony spoke twice that day: a light, humorous talk in the morning, and a more serious discourse in the evening.

Both speeches turned out to be blockbuster events, before full church and were met with enthusiastic response.

The morning act began with the normally reserved St. Mary’s Pastor, Fr. Pierre regaling the congregation with his story of how he ‘survived’ a Whistler journey with Fr. Tony.

Fr. Tony took over from there, energizing the reserved people with a ‘revival’ he cooked up. He said he and Fr. Pierre got stuck in the ski lift, and their drive at night resulted in a lady saying “it’s dark” over and over, and driving in circles.

Raucous laughter filled the Church, with the targeted lady behind the crowd in fits of laughter. He then went on to tell more stories until the

THE BUSY holiday season was made extra special with the activation of Box A Smile, LBC’s Christmas gift-giving activity during which smiles were delivered to 3,000 underprivileged children in various communities. With the invaluable assistance of Project Pearls, the Box A Smile gift-giving events were a success, drawing volunteers both from the LBC and Project Pearls communities.

Project Pearls, a volunteer, non-government agency headed by Melissa Villa, gathered children in the various commu-

nities of Helping Land/Newland, Tondo, Manila, Lubusang Alyansa ng Katutubong Aeta ng Sambales (LAKAS) in Botolan, Zambales, and relocated residents of Ulingan now in Barangay Batia, Bulacan.

A total of 3,000 children were treated to a Christmas party with games and prizes, lots of dancing and singing, and of course, food and drinks.

We thank all our co-sponsors, and volunteers, and likewise our customer participants for helping LBC make this possible, and bring smiles to 3,000 children.

Fr. Tony.

crowd was ready for the powerful message that he came to impart: “We don’t know when God is going to return, so we must look for him now.” He said Jesus may already have returned, just not in the way we expect, examples being rowdy children and youth.

The evening show was largely the same, with more laughs, and a more demure message, “Remember who you belong to, and don’t be stupid.” His words belied the complexity of the message; we all represent our respective heritages and orga-

nizations, which we should remember, so that we know what gravity our actions hold. The ending of the sentence was a suggestion to ‘not be stupid’.

Fr. Tony was asked where he got his humour and talent for speaking before crowds. He credited his remarkable prowess and storytelling wit to his mother and her ancestors who were all vivid storytellers.

He then wished everyone to remember that Lent isn’t an ‘early’ Christmas, but an anticipation, or time of preparation for Jesus’ birth.

THE 2015 Aliw Entertainer of the Year and Asia’s Got Talent runner-up Gerphil Flores will hold Valentine concerts in Canada at the following venues: Kay Meek Centre in W. Vancouver – Feb. 14; White Eagle Hall in Victoria, B.C.- Feb. 15; Westminster United Church in Winnipeg, MB – Feb. 17; and Center Stage in Surrey, B.C. – Feb. 19.

FilCan educators mentor immigrant teachers

BY TONY A. SAN JUAN, OCT THE PHILIPPINE Teachers Association of Canada (PTAC) is rolling out its enhanced “Mentoring Project” under the Professional Assistance Service Program as part of its community outreach service.

The Mentoring Project is offered to eligible members of the Filipino Canadian community in the Greater Toronto Area and other communities in Ontario.

The project aims to bring together internationally educated teacher-immigrants and experienced Filipino Canadian

educators in teacher-specific career mentoring relationships.

It also hopes to contribute and meet the needs of Philippine-trained teachers for successful career search, adjustment and integration into the Ontario education market. Immigrant- teachers entering the program are given the opportunity to acquire information and insights and to receive guidance in teacher-certification procedures and network building in the profession through a oneto-one professional mentoring process.

PTAC, formed in 2006, is a socio-professional organiza-

tion of Ontario-certified and Philippine- licensed educators who are currently teaching or seeking teaching assignments in Catholic, public and private elementary and secondary schools and colleges in Ontario.

One of its ongoing programs is helping newcomer-teachers establish professional connections through mentoring and, as well, developing strategies and tools to support newcomers with integration in Ontario.

In addition to its current members, PTAC is encouraging and inviting other experienced and practicing Filipino Canadian education profeswww.canadianinquirer.net

sionals to get involved by engaging and offering their expertise as volunteer mentors in the project.

On the other hand, interested Filipino newcomer-teachers are encouraged to become members of the Philippine Teachers Association of Canada as well as to join the project as mentees.

To become a mentee, one must be an Ontario resident and have limited or no Canadian teaching experience ; have at least a bachelor's degree in education; be eligible to work in Canada; currently unemployed or underemployed ; and/or currently doing non-teaching

jobs or in career transition or planning for Ontario teacher certification.

Mentees are requested to commit to a total of 24 hours over six months. Meetings between mentee and mentor can be in person, online, over the phone and include referral meetings on arranged schedules.

For membership applications and further information about the PTAC Mentoring Project, contact Perly Santos-Laganas at: perly_laganas@yahoo.com, tel. no. (416)763-8724 or Maricon Bernasor at:mbernasor@yahoo.com, tel.no. (905)795-2617.

31

FRIDAY JANUARY 29, 2016

Entertainment

Erich-Daniel love affair ‘not scripted’

BY MARINEL R. CRUZ Philippine Daily Inquirer “IT’S REAL. We’re genuinely happy together,” said Erich Gonzales of her boyfriend, Brazilian-Japanese actor Daniel Matsunaga, who is also her leading man in the ABS-CBN teleserye, “Be My Lady.”

During a recent media gathering, the actress pointed out that the concept of a program dealing with interracial romance was developed “long before Daniel and I realized that we were in love. This isn’t part of any script (or publicity stunt).”

Business unit head Ruel Bayani echoed Erich’s statement: “The original story featured a Filipino woman and an American guy. We were having a hard time completing the cast when Ma’am Charo (Santos-Concio, former ABS-CBN president), suggested Daniel and Erich. We simply changed the nationality of the male character to Brazilian.”

Daniel recalled that he and Erich first met on the set of the morning show, “Kris TV,” and eventually got to work together there on several episodes.

They first realized that they felt “something more than friendship” for each other while working on the defunct Kapamilya series “Two Wives.”

“I waited for three years for that special someone, then she finally came along. She is such a blessing to me,” added Daniel, the grand winner of the reality series, “Pinoy Big Brother: All In” in 2014.

More time together

“Be My Lady” is his first big break in ABS-CBN. He said: “I’m thankful for the opportunity. The show is even more special because I’m working with my girlfriend. We get to spend a lot of time together. I also learn a lot about her.”

Erich said “Be My Lady” was special to her in the sense that she would often go to work “feeling inspired.” The set is lo-

FACEBOOK PHOTO

cated in Arayat, Pampanga.

According to director Theodore Boborol, working on a love story with real-life sweethearts has its advantages. “You can’t fake their chemistry—it’s natural. Another plus factor is that they help each other even

when I’m not on the set. Work for us is made easier because of this. The two read their scripts together and discuss characterization.”

Erich admitted to feeling the pressure of being the lead star in the series. “I think it’s a good

thing, because it keeps me from being complacent. As a result, I push myself to give my best.”

The couple likewise clarified that the pictures they uploaded on Instagram during their recent vacation in Bali, Indonesia, weren’t prenup photos.

“We celebrated my birthday there. The place is truly lovely, and we simply wanted to share our magical moments there (with our supporters),” Daniel explained.

The Brazilian-Japanese celebrity also denied he has immediate plans of settling down with Erich. “Of course I have future plans with her, but our focus now is the show. We believe that things will happen in God’s time. My immediate goal is to build a home for my family here in the Philippines,” he pointed out.

“Marriage is a big deal,” Erich added. “We don’t want to rush something that we want to last forever. We’re grateful to be given the chance to work together!”

Coco Martin: I’ll ask Cardo to probe MMFF ‘cheating’

BY MARINEL R. CRUZ Philippine Daily Inquirer I ASSURE people that they have nothing to worry about.

I will ask Cardo to investigate this.” That was Coco Martin’s flippant remark regarding cheating allegations to boost his film’s (“Beauty and the Bestie”) box-office standing at the recent Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).

Cardo is Coco’s police character in the top-rating teleserye, “Ang Probinsiyano,” on ABSCBN. On a serious note, Coco (one of the lead stars of “Beauty”) said: “Ours is but a small industry, so it doesn’t look good to see that we’re fighting each other.”

His action-comedy flick with

Vice Ganda was one of eight MMFF entries. Its producers, Star Cinema and Viva Films, had been accused of orchestrating the swapping of tickets in order to boost the film’s standing in the box office.

“This (cheating) isn’t true.

This issue makes me sad,” he said. “I want to remind people that we create films for the MMFF as gifts to them, not to see whose entry is better or which film earned more at the tills.”

Comedienne Ai-Ai delas Alas had said she refused to believe Vice Ganda’s pronouncement that “Beauty” had beaten “My Bebe Love” in the box-office ranking.

Delas Alas said this was because M-Zet Films, the producer of their film, “My Bebe Love,”

did not resort to cheating.

“Like what we said while promoting the film, viewers would come out of the movie house happy and smiling. I guess that was what made ‘Beauty’ No. 1.”

Last week, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA, which oversees the MMFF) released the festival’s top earners, but did not disclose the specific ranking.

“In no particular order,” MMDA chief Emmerson Carlos announced the topgrossing movies, as follows: “Haunted Mansion,” “My Bebe Love: #KiligPaMore,” “Beauty and the Bestie” and “#WalangForever.”

On the decision of the MMDA not to release the exact figures, Coco said: “I don’t want to say www.canadianinquirer.net

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anything because I have limited knowledge of the festival’s rules and regulations. I respect what-

ever decision they (organizers) make. I simply did my job as an actor.”

32

Entertainment

JANUARY 29, 2016

FRIDAY

Boss Vic: Stars are Ex-couple Derek and Solenn, born and made no regrets about their split Show biz vet is still on the lookout for the next multimedia sensation

BY BAYANI SAN DIEGO JR. Philippine Daily Inquirer

for in a possible winner.

“On top of the list is talent, of course. A close second is charisma—that doesn’t mean that the DOES THE country need yet contestant has to be extremely another singing competition? good-looking, though,” he clariTV5 apparently believes so and fied. “Sometimes, the X factor recently launched “Born to be comes out once they’re already a Star,” its newest reality talent in the contest and after they’ve tilt and latest collaboration with undergone a makeover.”

Viva big boss, Vic del Rosario, Some contestants aren’t that who now serves as the Kapatid competent in the beginning, he network’s chief strategist. pointed out, “but they eventuDel Rosario, who has been in ally improve as the contest goes the business of discovering, de- on.” veloping and managing stars for Youth is another prime confive decades, vows that he will sideration. “We’re looking for personally handle the career of someone between the ages of the eventual winner of the tilt, 13 and 18,” he said. “When Nora which premieres on Feb. 6.

Aunor won in ‘Tawag ng Tang“The problem with the other halan,’ she was 13. When Regine contests was that the winners Velasquez topped ‘Bagong were not given proper followup Kampeon,’ she was 16. When projects or the right recording we discovered Sarah in ‘Star for or album after a Night,’ she was the show,” he told 14,” he related. the INQUIRER. Young peoHe cited as ple can still be example Sarah The X factor trained and deGeronimo, wincomes out veloped, he said. ner of the Vivaonce they’re “We are looking produced singing already in the for a singing star contest, “Star for contest and that today’s youth a Night,” in 2003. after they’ve can idolize.”

“We immediately undergone a He noted that, gave her a single, makeover. apart from the ‘Forever is Not age limit, the Enough,’ which show is open to became a hit,” he everyone: rich or recalled. poor, city-bred or Sustaining the gains from a from the provinces—and whattalent-show triumph is crucial, ever the sexual orientation. he explained. “The struggle “It doesn’t matter whether a doesn’t end with winning—that contestant is male, female, gay is only the beginning of an aspi- or lesbian,” he said. “Gender rant’s journey to superstardom.” should not be an obstacle in atMore than the P1-million taining stardom. Today’s market prize money, the show’s winner is ready for gay or lesbian stars.” will benefit from his extensive Although the show’s title asexperience in the music indus- serts that stars are “born,” Del try, Del Rosario said. “I will do Rosario insists that they can everything to make the show’s also be “manufactured.” “Take a winner a success.” (The winner look at K-Pop stars. In South Kowill receive a P1-million con- rea, stars are mass-produced. It tract from Viva and TV5 and helps to reinvent stars, to maxiP1-million real estate property, mize their assets and get rid of too.) their weaknesses,” he said.

A dozen years after discoverEven after 50 years in show ing Geronimo, Del Rosario feels business, he remains gung ho in the time is right to look for an- his search for a multimedia senother multimedia superstar. sation. He said, “I am still lookDel Rosario, who is credited for ing for the next big star who will helping Sharon Cuneta achieve follow in the footsteps of Nora, megastardom in the 1980s, enu- Sharon, Regine and Sarah. The merated the traits he’s looking search still excites me!”

BY MARINEL R. CRUZ Philippine Daily Inquirer “IT’S HARD to hang on to ‘what ifs.’ We only deal with the present,” said actor Derek Ramsay when asked if he ever considered rekindling an old flame— Solenn Heussaff.

The two worked together for the first time in Jason Paul Laxamana’s romantic comedy flick, “Love is Blind,” which will start screening nationwide on Feb. 10.

“Everything happens for a reason. I don’t regret anything.

After all, Solenn is still very much a part of my life, even after the split [nine years ago],” said Derek during the press conference organized by the film’s producer, Regal Entertainment, on Wednesday. “The great thing about us is that we’re still good friends. I can call her anytime, knowing that she’ll be there for me.”

Solenn said the relationship lasted for four years. “Derek was my first real boyfriend. He was my first love, so our relationship was kind of intense,” she shared with reporters.

“I was also studying abroad.

There was no Skype then. I still bought phone cards, so I could call him for 20 minutes.”

She said the long-distance romance had been tough for her. “But it made me more mature. I think every relationship is different. I’ve learned a lot from what Derek and I went through.”

When it comes to handling relationships, Derek said he and Solenn are the same in the sense that “we both give our all.

What I learned from what happened to us was to not focus too

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much on one another, to not forget myself. She was there studying, and I was here trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, but still my priority was to answer the phone whenever she called. It was then when we started having fights for petty reasons.”

According to Solenn, her Argentine boyfriend Nico Bolzico isn’t the jealous type and that he has no issues with her working with an ex-boyfriend. “He doesn’t meddle with my work.

He said if you can do it, then go ahead. He doesn’t ask questions.”

For his part, Derek said he is lucky that his current girlfriend, Joanne Villablanca, “trusts me and understands my work. The nice thing about her is that she accepts the kind of job that I do. I was already an actor when we met.”

In “Love is Blind,” Derek plays Wade, who leaves his sexy

and beautiful girlfriend Maggie (Solenn) for the ordinarylooking hotel intern Fe (Kiray Celis), much to the surprise of his family and friends.

Asked whether it was possible for him to fall in love with someone who is not physically attractive, Derek replied: “When you see someone you’re physically attracted to, you want to talk to that someone to find out if you have a special connection. If so, you then get into a relationship. It’s harder when there’s no attraction. ” For her part, Solenn said she has always been “more attracted to personality. Of course, if I enter a room and see someone good-looking, he will catch my attention, but he has to have the intellect to be able to my interest!

“Personality is what lasts.

The physical aspect is only there in the beginning. A woman’s breasts will eventually sag—that’s the truth!”

book through a website like glampinghub.com. A cabin in Northwest Territories, for instance, lets you call your friends from the near Arctic while lounging in a hot tub. Starts at $456 per night.

your thing, day-tripping is an option.

No car? If you live in Toronto, Parkbus is transporting this winter for the first time to Arrowhead Provincial Park, with day trips on Jan. 30 and Feb. 27.

Tickets include return bus fare and a park pass: $84 per adult, $76 per student/senior, $42 per child under 12.

Survive and... bec offers a number of different winter glamping experiences across the province. Winter prices range from rustic shelters at $64 per night, to $119 for an EXP cabin (more modern with large windows), and $143 per night for a nature cabin.

Children under 17 are free.

If luxury is what you want, ❰❰ 28

www.canadianinquirer.net

Day-tripping

If returning to your own bed at the end of the day is more

Entertainment

FRIDAY JANUARY 29, 2016

33

Miss Universe winner says next dream is to be a Bond girl THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MANILA, PHILIPPINES — The reigning Miss Universe has her eyes set on her next big dream: being a Bond girl.

Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach returned home to the Philippines for the first time since her crowning — and that awkward moment when host Steve Harvey mistakenly announced Miss Colombia as the winner instead of her. She said Sunday she’s using the intense attention she got after that controversy to focus on her causes like fighting HIV and AIDS. “I’m using the attention to talk about my causes. Now, I have everybody’s attention,” she said.

She told a news conference that she plans to be tested for HIV publicly in New York to en-

courage other people to be tested, including in the Philippines, where HIV cases have risen alarmingly in recent years.

Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez Arevalo was briefly crowned Miss Universe at the pageant in Las Vegas last month before Harvey returned to centre stage to apologize and announced he misread the card, which had Miss Philippines as the winner and Colombia as the first runner-up.

Asked about her plans after her reign, Wurtzbach said she would consider possible job offers in the United States, adding: “I might be the next Bond girl, who knows? So, we’ll see, that’s the next dream.”

Many international actresses have been cast alongside actors playing British agent James Bond and are popularly known as “Bond girls.”

Wurtzbach, 26, has worked as an actress and model in the Philippines before winning the crown. The Miss Universe pageant is a big deal in the Philippines, where two other women have brought home the crown before her, with the last one winning in 1973.

On Monday, Wurtzbach will meet President Benigno Aquino III, a bachelor who is rumoured to have gone on a date with her before. She’ll receive a citation from the Senate for her victory then join a motorcade around Manila that will end with a fireworks show.

Wurtzbach told reporters she was so overwhelmed with her triumph that she constantly checked on her crown in the initial days and even took a nap beside it but decided not to do that again because she might break it.

An exultant Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach waves to well-wishers on her arrival on Saturday morning at the same Manila airport where, just a month ago, she left virtually unnoticed. The 2015 Miss Universe comes home to a grand homecoming that includes a ticker-tape parade on Monday, a courtesy call on President Aquino and a congressional medal of distinction from lawmakers.

NIÑO JESUS ORBETA / PDI

“God forbid that would happen, the Filipinos are gonna kill me. I haven’t even done

my homecoming yet,” she said, repeatedly touching the diamond-studded crown.

Angelil remembered at funeral as a ‘giant’ and a loving father THE CANADIAN PRESS MONTREAL — Rene Angelil was remembered Friday as a loving father, a bon vivant and a man who helped put Quebec culture on the international map.

Angelil’s funeral was held at Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica, the same church where he and singer Celine Dion were married in 1994, more than a decade after he became her manager.

The superstar walked to her seat holding the hands of her five-year-old twins Nelson and Eddy as the service began at 3:20 p.m. with a taped rendition of Dion’s version of the appropriately named “Trois heures vingt.”

Patrick Angelil, one of the deceased’s three adult children from two previous marriages, told the service his father treated others the way he wanted to be treated himself.

“If he couldn’t always be there with us, he never missed a chance to declare his love for

Celine Dion and family at husband Rene’s funeral.

us,” he said of the impresario, who died of throat cancer last week at the age of 73. “All our life, our father told us, ‘I love you.’

“And now, more than ever, we realize how exceptional it was to have had a father who never hesitated to utter such precious words.”

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Angelil also said his father shared his passions, especially his love of gambling.

“When we were very young, we all learned we had to say ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you,’ that we had to look left and right before crossing the street and that at blackjack, if you have a five and a six, you have to double www.canadianinquirer.net

your bet.”

He was followed at the podium by Rene-Charles, the oldest of the three Dion-Angelil children and who will turn 15 on Monday.

“You had a busy life but we were communicating through golf, hockey, poker and smoked meat,” he said to laughter — “and a lot of other wonderful food, bonding more and more as time went by.

“You left me now with enough good memories of you to share with my younger brothers. As they grow older, without you being around, I’ll make sure to pass on what I’ve learned from you.

“You are a tough act to follow but with your help, everything is going to be fine. Dad, I promise you here that we’re all going to live up to your standards. Je t’aime papa.”

Dion’s family accepted Premier Philippe Couillard’s offer for the government to play a role in the organization of the funeral.

Former prime minister Brian Mulroney described Angelil as

a “terrific gentleman” who will be sorely missed.

“He was a giant, Rene, and together they created the biggest success story in showbiz in Canadian history,” Mulroney told reporters before the service.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is in Davos for the World Economic Summit, was represented by his spouse, Sophie Gregoire.

Others attending included Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, Couillard and ex-premiers Bernard Landry and Jean Charest.

Landry said Angelil managed to give Quebec an “international reputation” over the years.

“Celine, in her category, is the biggest of her time,” he added.

Couillard previously announced the flag at the legislature would fly at half-mast Friday.

Angelil had three other adult children from two previous marriages.

A celebration of his life will take place Feb. 3 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

34

JANUARY 29, 2016

FRIDAY

Lifestyle

Coaches confident that more gender barriers will fall in the future

BY GREGORY STRONG The Canadian Press AS GENDER barriers are starting to fall in the pro coaching ranks, some in the Canadian sport community say there is a bigger issue at play — getting women to consider coaching at all.

“The go-to answer is the environment is not welcoming and it’s pretty lonely,” said Coaching Association of Canada chief executive officer Lorraine Lafreniere.

“I think until we tackle getting an equitable amount of women’s coaches coaching women’s teams, that’s the starting point as far as I’m concerned ... to me that’s the biggest challenge,” she added.

The NFL now has its first full-time female coach after Kathryn Smith was promoted by the Buffalo Bills this week to take over as special teams quality control coach on Rex Ryan’s staff. A number of women have worked in front-office positions but female coaching hires have been quite rare in North American men’s professional sport.

Brock University assistant athletic director Chris Critelli, who previously served as a women’s basketball coach at the St. Catharines, Ont., school, said there is cause for optimism when it comes to women’s coaching, but there is much more to be done.

“I see it in the boardroom, I see it on the playing fields, that it is changing,” she said.

“But women also have to put themselves out there. We have to get more women into coaching, they have to want to coach, there’s not enough of us that really want to dedicate our lives — like the men do — to coaching. It’s just not ingrained yet.”

The coaching lifestyle can be

challenging regardless of gender. The workdays are long, it can be tough on family life, the travel can be a grind and getting started at lower levels often means a commensurate salary.

There are many female assistants at the Canadian Intrauniversity Sport level in a variety of sports. But only a handful have served as head coaches and even fewer have coached men’s teams.

Longtime Queen’s University men’s volleyball coach Brenda Willis recalled that when her school was looking for a women’s volleyball head coach two years ago, there were a lot of applications for the posting but only five per cent were from women.

“I think most women have put a limitation on their options, just not considering (coaching) as a viable path, mostly because of a lack of role models and a lack of opportunities.”

She added that the creation of more mentorship programs changing,” said Wally Buono, much attention is brought to and national women’s coaching head coach and general man- things if you’re not doing it for schools would help increase the ager of the Canadian Football the right reasons.” pool of women who could take League’s B.C. Lions. “The barSmith has worked with Ryan it to a higher level. rier was going to break, most for several years — she was the On the professional side, barriers have been broken in New York Jets’ player personformer WNBA player Becky sports and obviously this is just nel assistant when Ryan took Hammon was hired by the San another barrier. over as coach there in 2009.

Antonio Spurs “It’s growing in 2014 to join and I’m delightcoach Gregg ed that a profesPopovich’s staff, sional team in making her the I think most women have put a the quintessenNBA’s first fulllimitation on their options, just not tial masculine time paid female considering (coaching) as a viable sport — football assistant coach. path, mostly because of a lack of role — has done this Last month, Mamodels and a lack of opportunities. and I think it will jor League Basegradually spread ball’s Seattle the message,” Mariners hired said former CaAmanda Hopnadian track star kins as an area scout.

“First of all, you’re not just Bruce Kidd, now a kinesiology Smith, meanwhile, spent this doing this if that person isn’t and physical education profespast season as an administra- qualified to do the function. sor at the University of Toronto tive assistant for the Bills’ as- The NFL doesn’t need or I’m Scarborough. sistant coaches before getting a not sure football needs to have Basketball coach Olga Hrycak promotion. a little bit of glitz and glam- had a decade-long run as coach “I think in today’s world the our. It’s at a point today where of the men’s basketball team standards or norms are forever there’s too much at stake, too at the University of Quebec at www.canadianinquirer.net

Montreal before retiring last year. She spent nearly 50 years coaching women and men at virtually every level, and feels we will one day see a female coach at the NBA level.

“It’s happening slower than I thought,” she said. “But based on ability, performance, outcome, there’s no reason why women cannot coach at that level, so it’s going to happen.”

Willis feels it can take longer for women’s coaches to establish themselves. Once they do, however, the sky’s the limit.

“I would like to say it’s an obvious evolution,” she said.

“Women are running for president. All of those things, I think the ceiling is unlimited. I think it’s what ceiling we put on ourselves and also the developmental opportunities that are made available to us.”

With files from The Associated Press and Canadian Press sports reporter Dan Ralph.

Lifestyle

FRIDAY JANUARY 29, 2016

35

Right at Home:

Bold, black kitchens serve up style

BY KIM COOK The Associated Press THE KITCHEN’S often a room to experiment — with decor, as well as food and drink. Over the years we’ve seen yellow, turquoise, avocado green, greige and white take their turn as favoured hues.

But right now, black is back.

“It makes perfect sense, style-wise,” says New York City designer Elaine Griffin. “We began seeing the rise of black appliances as sleek and stylish non-white alternatives to pricier stainless options at the new millennium, and black as the ‘new neutral’ wall colour has been gaining popularity over the past decade.”

You can go ultramodern or traditional when bringing black into the kitchen.

High-end, Euro-style lacquered cabinetry from companies like Boffi, Poliform and Bulthap is sleek and sexy. Marble countertops and geometric fixtures can create a glamorous, jewel-box kitchen, great for entertaining.

Put the hue on Shaker-style cabinets, add rustic French tile, smooth quartz counters and hand-rubbed brass fittings, and you’ve got a sophisticated space. Or add a walnut or maple

slab island and saddle leather stools for an industrial look.

A few things to remember if you’re going to get a black kitchen right: Contrast is key. Going overboard with black will get you a kitchen that resembles a bad mall hair salon, says Griffin.

Use black on the cabinets and a paler hue on counters and floors, or vice versa.

Maria Killam, a colour expert and designer in Vancouver, British Columbia, agrees.

“Make sure your floors and countertops are very light to balance and contrast the superdark cabinets. Working with black is a balancing act and requires some skill,” she advises.

“Simple white tile with black grout is a great way to get some light in the space and give a nod to classic kitchens.”

Killam suggests including wood elements like a butcherblock island countertop. “Wood lower cabinets would work with black countertops and upper shelving, for example. I would keep the wood finishes as natural as possible ... and relatively pale so the overall effect isn’t too heavy,” she says.

Ikea offers the Sektion kitchen cabinets in black, and there is a range of co-ordinating black kitchen fittings there too, including drawer pulls, storage

items and trash cans. (www. ikea.com ) You can repaint existing cabinetry if you’re budgetconscious. Consider Benjamin Moore’s Midsummer Night, Sherwin-Williams’ Black Fox, Valspar’s Raven Black or Behr’s Black Suede. Many shades of black pick up other hues in an interesting way — midnight blues, chocolates and sooty greys, for example. Choose the right finish: Save the glossy paint for trim or you’ll be swabbing fingerprints forever.

“Like a little black dress, accessories make a statement in a black kitchen, so choose your hardware and fixtures with care,” advises Griffin. “Polished or antiqued brass and black is a white-hot finish option right now, for both contemporary and traditional looks.”

Add a cool stool; Houzz has a big selection. Recent offerings include stools with chic, slim hairpin legs, as well as comfylooking upholstered ones, and several stools in snazzy hues like red, orange and blue. (www. houzz.com ) Embossed or painted concrete, sculpted limestone, pressed tin, or wallpaper would be striking complements to black cabinetry and fittings.

Add an Art Deco touch to a black kitchen with Giorbello’s

Bold, black kitchen is back.

Water Jet glass tiles. Daltile’s Bamboo Forest faux wood tile would be a durable, style-savvy backsplash or floor. Italian ceramic tile maker Fap has a matteblack subway tile in its new Boston collection. (www.wayfair. com ; www.italytile.com ) The right lighting is important in a black kitchen. Killam likes skylights and large windows to take advantage of natural light.

To avoid what Griffin calls “black hole syndrome”, install lights at multiple height levels: ceiling, pendant, under-cabinet and even countertop lamps.

Lamps Plus has forged-iron and rubbed-bronze chandeliers and pendants. Hudson Valley Lighting’s Lydney polished black nickel pendant would work well in any style of kitchen. (www.lampsplus.com ; www. hudsonvalleylighting.com ) Those who like the idea of black but are tentative might

COURTESY OF IKEA

consider introducing one or two black elements. Chicago design studio KitchenLab has used black accents like islands, lighting, kitchen ladders and window treatments. (www. kitchenlabdesign.com ) Artwork and textiles incorporating black with brights, whites, or subtle neutrals like sage, putty and cream add drama.

Instead of paint, consider black appliances. GE’s got a slate, French-door refrigerator with a smudge-resistant finish.

Ikea offers a black cooktop. Upscale brands like AGA and Le Cornue have black enameled stoves. Jenn-Air’s Obsidian fridge has a black interior, ostensibly making even the humblest leftovers look magazineworthy.

Wayfair stocks a broad range of black faucets by Moen, Delta and Kohler, in matte or satin finishes. (www.wayfair.com )

Study questions link between teen pot smoking and IQ decline

BY MALCOLM RITTER The Associated Press NEW YORK — A new analysis is challenging the idea that smoking marijuana during adolescence can lead to declines in intelligence.

Instead, the new study says, pot smoking may be merely a symptom of something else that’s really responsible for a brainpower effect seen in some previous research.

It’s not clear what that other factor is, said Joshua Isen, an author of the analysis. But an adolescent at risk for smoking pot “is probably going to

show this IQ drop regardless of whether he or she is actually smoking marijuana,” said Isen, a lecturer in psychology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

The study was released Monday by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Some prior research has led to suggestions that the developing adolescent brain is particularly vulnerable to harm from marijuana.

Studying the topic is difficult because children can’t ethically be randomly chosen to either take illicit drugs or abstain for years so that their outcomes can be compared. Scientists have to assess what people do

on their own.

For the new work, the researchers examined data that had been collected for two big U.S. studies of twins. They focused on 3,066 participants who were given a battery of intelligence tests at ages 9 to 12 — before any of them had used marijuana — and again at ages 17 to 20.

They tracked changes in the test scores and studied whether those trajectories were worse for marijuana users than for non-users. Most tests revealed no difference between the two groups, but users did fare more poorly than abstainers in tests of vocabulary and general knowledge. www.canadianinquirer.net

If smoking pot harmed test scores, the researchers reasoned, people who’d smoked more pot should show poorer trends than those who’d smoked less. But that’s not what the data revealed. Among users, those who’d smoked more than 30 times or used it daily for more than a six-month stretch didn’t do worse.

The study also looked at 290 pairs of twins in which one had used marijuana and the other had not. The members of each pair had grown up together and 137 sets were identical twins so they shared the same DNA. Again, the pot users did not fare worse than their abstaining

twin siblings.

So, the researchers concluded, pot smoking itself does not appear responsible for declines in test scores. Isen noted, however, that the work says nothing about other potential harmful consequences of smoking marijuana in adolescence.

A prominent 2012 study had indicated long-term IQ harm from pot smoking in teenagers.

An author of that research said the new work does not conflict with her finding. Terrie Moffitt of Duke University said her study dealt with marijuana use that was far more serious and longer-lasting than the levels reported in the new work.

36

JANUARY 29, 2016

FRIDAY

Business

Paul Godfrey on Postmedia’s woes, ‘unprofitable’ tablet specific business model

BY DAVID FRIEND The Canadian Press TORONTO — Paul Godfrey doesn’t need to be prompted to talk about the troubled state of Canada’s media industry in the midst of a steady stream of bleak news — the Postmedia CEO raises the topic himself.

Just a few minutes after stepping into his office at the company’s headquarters in downtown Toronto, Godfrey is already expounding on how he sees an industry in strife.

“There’s no doubt the business models for newspapers, magazines and conventional television are all being disrupted,” said the 77-year-old executive, stating what’s become painfully obvious for Canadian news outlets.

Godfrey points to technology giants like Google and Facebook as behemoth competitors who are luring away longtime advertisers by selling audience reach and metrics that traditional media companies simply cannot offer.

Canada’s media industry is indeed facing widespread turmoil — hundreds of pink slips have been handed out already this year, and two daily newspapers are closing down permanently — but Postmedia is sitting with its own unique time bomb of financial constraints.

The country’s largest news-

paper chain, owner of the National Post and city dailies like the Ottawa Citizen and Vancouver Sun, is operating under debt obligations that come due over the next few years at astronomical amounts.

This year, Postmedia owes $25.9 million of long-term debt, and that figure jumps to a stunning $302.7-million in 2017, according to its annual report filed last November.

If Postmedia is unable to repay those debts, or find a solution to refinance what it owes, the company is almost certain to wind up in bankruptcy.

Godfrey stops short of trying predict Postmedia’s future, saying that any suggestion its days are numbered is “a guess.” But he clearly identifies where the potential pitfalls lie.

“We have bills to pay called mortgages — first-lien and second-lien notes,” he said.

“When you own a house with two mortgages, you’re still bringing in income every week, but if your revenue starts to fall and you can’t pay off your mortgages, what are you going to do? You’re going to keep cutting your costs or someone takes your home away from you,” he added.

Godfrey then explains one of the biggest challenges in repaying those debts.

“What’s really hurtful to us (is the) second-lien notes are all in U.S. funds,” he said. “With the Canadian dollar falling the

way it’s falling, that’s almost like a noose around your neck.”

Others share those concerns, including Moody’s Investors Service, which last week further downgraded its ratings on the company over its refinancing prospects.

Some analysts find it surprising Postmedia’s newspapers have survived this long after sitting in limbo during the Canwest bankruptcy proceedings before they were bought in 2010 by an investment group backed by New York hedge fund Golden Tree Asset Management for $1.1 billion.

The acquisition was contested by some, including the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, which urged the federal government to reconsider the consolidation of so many newspapers, especially under a U.S. participant.

Golden Tree has remained a sticking point for media critics, with some suggesting the firm is sapping Postmedia business — particularly its valuable real estate assets — for as much as it can get.

Godfrey disputes those assertions.

“Golden Tree is an equity player, not a debt player,” he said.

“If it wasn’t for Golden Tree Asset Management, this chain may not be in existence today because there were no Canadi-

Paul Godfrey.

ans who stepped up to buy (the papers) .... People should be happy that at least somebody (bought the newspapers) and kept a lot of people employed.”

In early 2010, the Toronto Star’s parent company bid for Canwest’s newspaper and digital business in partnership with Fairfax Financial Holdings. Sources familiar with the proceedings say executives halted those negotiations after the price tag became too high. Eventually the papers were bought for $1.1 billion and formed into Postmedia.

Over the coming months, Godfrey will reshape Postmedia even further in preparation for lender negotiations he hopes will lead to refinancing the firstlien notes by August 2017.

The latest round of cuts are “paramount,” he said, to making Postmedia’s business model attractive for investors who hold the keys to financial relief.

The company recently an-

SCHREENSHOT

nounced it was merging newsrooms and cutting about 90 jobs as part of a large-scale effort to save $80 million by the middle of next year. The newsroom cuts only get the company “part way” to the goal, Godfrey said.

Beyond its journalists, he said executives are considering many avenues of change. Those include whether money can be saved in how the newspapers are laid out each night, whether printing the paper half an hour earlier would be cheaper and if there’s a way to have fewer delivery people on the streets each morning.

“We’re going to do our very best adjusting the cost base so that people who are potential investors in the debt see we are doing everything we can to be able to repay the debt,” he said.

“Is it a pleasant thing to do?

Obviously it’s the most painful thing to do to disrupt your own ❱❱ PAGE 47 Paul Godfrey

Exporters eye markets outside China, Europe

BY AMY R. REMO Philippine Daily Inquirer DESPITE LINGERING weakness in the global economy, local enterprises were still hopeful of meeting their export revenue target of $102 billion this year by entering new markets.

Sergio R. Ortiz- Luis Jr., pres-

ident of the Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc., said they were eyeing new areas for expansion to replace the problematic, traditional markets like Europe and China. These potential markets include some countries in Asia such as India, as well as Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa, which are reportedly at a “similar stage of newly advanced economic de-

velopment.”

“We then need to be more aggressive and collaborative in our continuing struggle for sustained development and progress. Within this context, innovation, value-adding and diversification are key success in the coming years,” OrtizLuis said.

Apart from tapping new markets, keeping currency www.canadianinquirer.net

exchange rates competitive and transportation costs low would be critical for exporters to thrive in a challenging global market, he said.

Exporters expect the electronics sector, which accounts for 60 percent of the country ’s total export trade, to continue leading the growth this year.

They are likewise hopeful of a recovery in the metals and

mining sectors and continued growth in the tourism sector.

The Export Marketing Bureau at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said last week it expected total Philippine exports to have posted a slight decline to about $85 billion in 2015 from the $86.9 billion posted in 2014 due to sluggish global demand.

Business

FRIDAY JANUARY 29, 2016

37

Renewable Energy – The Game Changer TOO EXASPERATED with high electric bills? Confused with everyday news of the unpredictable weather pattern around the globe which is being blamed on man-made climate change – global warming?

Worried about floods, drought, snow storms, typhoons, tornadoes, earthquakes, and other miserable acts of nature which are happening everywhere not necessarily in the usual countries but more so in countries where such occurrences are seldom heard of? Where do people go from here?

Documented facts run like this: Yes, there is a climate change happening for the past years. Fossil fuel, petroleum, and natural gas continuously mined and used by man worldwide contribute immensely to global warming and its chain of harmful effects. According to environmentalists, global warming is caused primarily by carbon dioxide emission from burning fossil fuel from the use of coal in power generating plants to power up manufacturing processes, and to produce electricity for house heating.

Carbon dioxide is also emitted by using gasoline for transportation, for generators, and for any equipment that needs the use of energy.

Renewable solar power evolved. Now in the 21st century, solar energy became part of green living plan.

It is believed that there can be a substitute good source of energy - nuclear power. But nuclear energy although considered much better and cleaner than energy created by fossil fuel due to its low green house emission is twinned with danger and predictably can bring more harm and possible doom for mankind. Any nuclear accident or nuclear plant meltdown can render areas unfit for human habitation for long periods of time.

Hydro electric power is another good source of energy.

But bodies of water to use to build hydro electric dams is

limited and cost prohibitive for many countries.

For years, the search began for a cheaper, cleaner and more potent source to reduce dependence on fossil fuel to benefit greater number of peoples The heat of the sun intrigued scientists even in the early days.

And after so many researches had been done about making use of the heat emanating from the sun, it was concluded that sun’s heat can be harnessed and converted into useful energy.

Solar panels were invented and are used to produce electricity from the heat of the sun.

So many countries now have so-

lar farms. So many companies were formed to propagate the use of solar renewable energy.

Renewable solar power evolved. Now in the 21st century, solar energy became part of green living plan.

But there are pros and cons in the use of solar energy as researched by scientists, environmentalists, and economists. The pros: solar energy is a clean energy source; it is renewable and the world will never run out of it and will last for generations; it is sustainable; there is no need to be connected to national grid; it can be bridled even in remote areas; it

can be installed in rooftops; it will greatly reduce electricity bills; it requires very low maintenance; it produces power quietly without the noise associated with running power plants or turbines to create electricity.

However, there are cons too.

The initial cost to install solar power in homes are unaffordable to many households; it can be produced only at daytime when the sun is up; the effectiveness of solar cells can be affected by pollution in high pollution zones; there is a need for large set up area for solar collectors if rooftops of buildings are not big enough; there is a need for safe and secured storage areas for rechargeable batteries; and it is costly to replace batteries.

People outweighing the pros over the cons are now putting up businesses to make use of solar renewable energy. Some who have started a few years ahead are now in high gear to maintain momentum and gain more mileage. Although there are still technical flaws and the present system must be improved to be more cost effective to the reach of low wage earners, solar renewable energy is the game changer not just for ordinary people but to the business world as well.

Free fall in world oil prices cuts PH’s import bill

BY AMY R. REMO Philippine Daily Inquirer LOWER PRICES of crude oil in the global market significantly slashed the country’s oil import bill in the first nine months of 2015 to only $6.5 billion from the $10.8 billion recorded in the same period the previous year.

This was despite an increase in the volume of imports, which rose by 11.5 percent to 108 million barrels in the same period from only 96.86 million barrels imported a year ago, data from the Department of Energy (DOE) showed.

Of the 108 million barrels, 47.2 percent or 50.98 million barrels were crude imports while the remaining 52.8 percent or 57 million barrels were petroleum products.

A 39 percent increase in the www.canadianinquirer.net

volume of crude oil and petroleum exported, however, pulled down the country’s export earnings by 27.5 percent to $698 million in the same period last year. DOE data showed total export volume in the first nine months last year reached 12.2 million barrels.

The country’s net oil imports—or crude and petroleum product imports minus exports—thus reached $5.829 billion as of end September last year, lower compared to the $9.837 billion posted in the same period in 2014.

The continued free fall in global oil prices is expected to benefit an oil importing country like the Philippines in the short term, including lower costs of production, transport and logistics, and electricity.

Melita V. Obillo, officer in charge of the Oil Industry

Management Bureau at the DOE, earlier said the country remained in a comfortable position in terms of prices and supply, with the hope that the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East will be contained.

Oil prices may reverse its current trend by the middle of the year, but the increases may be gradual.

The Department of Trade and Industry earlier asked the private sector to cut the suggested retail prices (SRPs) of basic necessities and prime commodities relative to the decrease in fuel prices.

Data from the DOE showed that retail prices of oil significantly declined in 2015, corresponding to a 25.81 percent price drop in diesel, 13.12 percent in fuel oil, and 4.27 percent in household liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

38

JANUARY 29, 2016

FRIDAY

Sports

McMorris leads Canadian contingent into X Games, the “Super Bowl” of snow sports

BY DONNA SPENCER The Canadian Press OLYMPIC GLORY and X Games glory are two distinct but equally desirable goals, according to Canada’s top snow sport athletes.

The Olympic Games gave snowboarders and freestyle skiers a world-wide mainstream audience when their events entered the Winter Games.

“It comes around once every four years and even your grandma knows about it,” snowboarder Mark McMorris said.

But the annual Winter X Games in Aspen, Colo., is McMorris’s Super Bowl.

McMorris, freestyle skiers Dara Howell and Mike Riddle and ski cross racer Marielle Thompson are among 24 Canadians invited to compete Thursday to Sunday in the multi-sport festival that also includes para snow sport, snowmobiling, gaming and Special Olympics snowboarding.

Roughly 270 international stars in their respective sports compete for rich paycheques.

With over-the-top camera angles and television production, the X Games are a coveted platform not only for the athletes, but their sponsors.

“The X Games is definitely really important to us as action sports athletes,” McMorris told The Canadian Press. “It’s sort of our Super Bowl if you will.

“It’s really helped my career.

I think it will have a lot to say about how I did in my snowboarding. Everyone remembers

what happened at the X Games because there’s so much hype around it, you know?”

The Olympic bronze medallist in slopestyle owns five X Games gold medals in slopestyle and big air. McMorris is the defending champion in both. Big air makes its Olympic debut in 2018.

McMorris heads to Aspen with momentum. He’s coming off a slopestyle win and a US$75,000 cheque at the Laax Open in Switzerland.

The 22-year-old from Regina has said he’s dedicating his X Games performance to the victims of last week’s shooting in La Loche, Sask.

Howell and Riddle won Olympic freestyle gold and silver respectively in Sochi, Russia, in 2014. They consider X Games success an important box to check before their careers are over.

“I obviously have had Olympic success, which is absolutely amazing,” Howell said. “I have not had the X Games success that I have always wanted. You have one success, but you still want the other.”

Howell, from Huntsville, Ont., has finished third in slopestyle twice in Aspen.

At 30, Riddle will be one of the oldest competitors at the X Games. The freestyle skier from Sherwood Park, Alta., has yet to finish in the medals in halfpipe.

“Every year that there isn’t an Olympics, the X Games is our biggest event,” Riddle said.

“Ideally, every athlete would like to have a medal in both. My goal for the next couple of years

The X Games are a coveted platform not only for the athletes, but their sponsors.

is to podium at X Games because I have four fourth-place finishes, but no medal.

“I know early on in my career I probably didn’t handle X Games well. There’s always more pressure from sponsors and I’d put pressure on myself and crash and burn every year.”

Ski cross returns after a threeyear absence, which is welcome news for Canada’s Thompson, Kelsey Serwa, Brady Leman and Chris Del Bosco.

“They took ski cross out to put in more motor sports,” explained Thompson, the reign-

www.canadianinquirer.net

ing Olympic women’s champion. “X Games is where all of our sports began, so it’s a really big honour to do well there.

“I know I definitely respect people who have won at X Games. It’s on a whole other level.”

With a young and knowledgeable audience and the look of a rock festival, the X Games are a marketer’s dream. ESPN doesn’t publicize prize money, but it has been reported in the past to be S$3 million.

Leman estimated a win in men’s ski cross could be worth

ESPNCDN.COM

a $25,000 payday.

“X Games is the event that launched these sports into the Olympics, halfpipe, slopestyle, snowboarding, ski cross, everything,” the Calgarian pointed out. “It made these sports into the multi-million dollar industries that they are.

“For a lot of people, it’s still the biggest event. It’s sponsorbranded like crazy and it’s bigname companies that pay big, big bucks to be there. It’s a cool opportunity for us too because you get the full rock-star treatment.”

Sports

FRIDAY JANUARY 29, 2016

Fowler eyes major to merit inclusion in golf’s elite

BY STEVE DOUGLAS The Associated Press

his winning run that has also taken in the Scottish Open and the Deutsche Bank, and made him believe more in himself.

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB “From The Players on, just EMIRATES — Golf’s new “Big being in the situation, conThree” has been around for tention, Sunday, final round, only a few months, and already against the best players in the there’s talk of the exclusive world and just believing and group being expanded. having the confidence that, hey, Rickie Fowler is back in the if I go hit the shots, I’m winning, conversation after his fourth no question,” Fowler said. worldwide victory in the last “It’s nice to have that added nine months, over a stellar field confidence now. Really havat the Abu Dhabi HSBC Cham- ing the belief and knowing that pionship. come Sunday when I’m in the On Monday, the American mix, I know I can go get it done.” found himself at a career-high That experience likely helped No. 4 in the rankings, with in Abu Dhabi when Alejandro only Jordan Spieth, Jason Day Canizares and Thomas Pietand Rory McIlers both came roy above him. within one shot But to merit inof Fowler’s ficlusion in the nal-round lead, sport’s golfing which started elite, Fowler Really having at two strokes knows he needs the belief and and had grown to add a major to knowing that to four by No. 6. his increasingly come Sunday Fowler pulled impressive rewhen I’m in off some clutch sume. the mix, I putts and two He gets his know I can go chip-ins — from first chance at get it done. a greenside the Masters in bunker from 30 April. yards at No. 8 for “I’d like to eagle, and from jump in and be just off the green a part of that at No. 17. crew,” said Fowler, sitting be“Being able to do that, you side the huge Falcon Trophy get such an adrenaline rush and awarded to the Abu Dhabi such a boost from it, and it’s so champion. “The goal right now rewarding,” said Fowler, who with where my game’s at — it’s won by one shot from Pieters. “I the best it’s been this early in felt really comfortable in some the season in my career — I’m of those situations.” working on getting ready for In 2014, Fowler finished in Augusta. the top five in all four majors “I’d like to have my shot at and his fifth place at the Masgetting the green jacket there.” ters was his best at Augusta.

Fowler had never previously He said Sunday that, with a won a tournament in the first rare early-season victory in the four months of a year. He’s been bag, all roads now lead to Aua slow starter to seasons — he gusta. tied for 66th in Abu Dhabi in “It’s a great way to start,” 2015, 17 shots behind unher- Fowler said. “Nice to have the alded French winner Gary Stal game where it’s at right now — making the Masters even going into the season, instead tougher to win. of trying to work on things and But this is a different Fowl- trying to find stuff. er, who acknowledges that his “Right now, I can go and finework on the range with cele- tune and really build ultimately brated coach Butch Harmon is for Augusta. ... The ultimate starting to pay off. goal this year is to go win a maHis playoff win at The Players jor and this is a step in the right Championship last May started direction.”

39

Fewer foreigners in UFL this time

BY CEDELF P. TUPAS Philippine Daily Inquirer THE UNITED Football League will have fewer foreign players seeing action for clubs starting this season based on the limit set by the Asian Football Confederation.

Acting on a directive from the Philippine Football Federation, UFL clubs will only have five foreign players in their lineups, four of whom can be listed in the 18-man roster for matchday.

One of the four foreign players should be an Asian player.

The old rule allows an unlimited number of players in the matchday squad but limits five foreign players on the pitch at any given time.

“We have to follow the AFC directive since we are also participating in the AFC Cup,” said PFF general secretary Ed Gastanes.

“This decision will benefit our homegrown players as they will now have more opportunities to get slots with UFL teams.”

Ceres-La Salle and Kaya will

represent the country in the AFC Cup starting next month.

Gastanes said players based abroad who signed for UFL clubs will also be required to submit an International Transfer Certificate that clears them from any commitment with their previous clubs.

“They should be registered with the PFF, otherwise they cannot play in the UFL,” Gastanes said.

The UFL season starts Feb. 6with the UFL Cup at Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Tennis officials interview players over mixed doubles match

BY RYAN NAKASHIMA The Associated Press MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA — Players involved in a mixed doubles match at the Australian Open said Monday they were interviewed by the Tennis Integrity Unit after a newspaper reported it had attracted suspicious betting patterns.

According to The New York Times report, the gambling website Pinnacle Sports said it had received an unusual spike in bets for Lukasz Kubot and Andrea Hlavackova to beat David Marrero and Lara Arruabarrena, causing it to suspend betting before the teams played on Sunday.

All players identified in the newspaper report rejected any possibility of fixing in the match, which was won by Kubot and Hlavackova 6-0, 6-3.

Kubot said Monday that the TIU had asked him and Hlavackova questions about the match, without offering any more details. He added, though, that he didn’t notice anything unusual on the court, saying “we give 100 per cent of that match” and he believed his opponents “were trying 100 per cent.”

“It’s not very comfortable to think that we didn’t win the match on our terms,” Hlavackova said. “We played our best (yesterday), we did very well and we won. So it’s a bit not comfortable to be questioned if someone else was not playing www.canadianinquirer.net

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100 per cent or something.”

Marrero and Arruabarrena rejected the allegations in an interview with the Times, with Marrero citing a knee injury for his team’s poor play. They were not available for comment on Monday.

The sport has been under intense scrutiny in the wake of reports published by BBC and BuzzFeed News last Monday saying tennis authorities have ignored widespread evidence of match-fixing involving 16 players who had been ranked in the top 50 over the past decade. The media outlets didn’t name any players, but said half of them would be competing at the Australian Open.

Tennis authorities immediately rejected the assertion they had suppressed evidence of match-fixing or failed to thoroughly investigate suspected cases.

The International Tennis Federation declined to comment and the TIU does not address individual cases.

The latest report came as a former top-200 tennis player from Australia, Nick Lindahl, pleaded guilty in a Sydney court to a match-fixing charge after prosecutors say he informed two people he would intentionally lose a match at a lower-tier tournament in 2013 so they could bet against him.

Tennis Australia declined to comment on the suspicious betting reported by the New York Times in Sunday’s Australian Open mixed doubles match, reiterating in a statement that the TIU’s policy is “to review and investigate every allegation of corruption in tennis.”

According to the newspaper, Pinnacle said it began seeing “a ❱❱ PAGE 47 Tennis officials

40

JANUARY 29, 2016

FRIDAY

Technology

Apple’s iPhone success may be reaching its peak

BY BRANDON BAILEY The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO — Apple could soon face one of its biggest challenges to date: Peak iPhone.

Most analysts believe Apple surpassed its own record by selling more than 74.5 million units of its flagship product in the final three months of 2015.

But there are signs that iPhone sales in the first three months of 2016 will — for the first time ever — show an abrupt decline from the same period a year earlier.

That could mark a pivotal moment for the Silicon Valley giant. Apple is the world’s biggest company, in terms of stock value, thanks to the iPhone’s surging popularity around the world. In business terms, Apple makes most of its money from iPhone sales.

But concerns about slowing growth have sent the stock into a months-long slump, fueling debate about what kind of company Apple will be in the future.

The iPhone contributed nearly two-thirds of Apple’s $234 billion in revenue last year. None of the other new products Apple has launched in recent years have emerged as blockbusters. That’s led some critics to suggest Apple has lost its innovative touch, while others say it’s evolving to depend on a broader base of related tech products and services.

One thing is clear, said analyst Angelo Zino at S&P Capital IQ: “Last year was an unprecedented year for Apple and the iPhone.... You’ll never see that type of growth from the iPhone again.”

When CEO Tim Cook reports Tuesday on Apple’s sales for the last three months of 2015, investors will be watching closely for any hints about how Apple’s signature smartphone is faring in the current quarter. Sales usually fall somewhat after the holiday shopping season. But analysts say it appears Apple has cut production orders from key suppliers in recent weeks,

There are signs that iPhone sales in the first three months of 2016 will — for the first time ever — show an abrupt decline from the same period a year earlier.

suggesting it’s lowered its own 55 million. “people are feeling like there forecasts.

An estimated 500 million hasn’t been anything that’s reApple hasn’t commented people own iPhones now, which ally new” in the latest iPhone on iPhone sales since last fall, means Apple can rely on a sig- models, known as the 6S and when Cook struck an upbeat nificant number to upgrade 6S Plus, which came out last tone. In part, fall, said market Zino and other researcher John experts say, the Feland of Argus company is sufInsights. fering from its None of those new products have Apple will own success. sold like the iPhone itself, however. likely make sigApple sold 61 Sales of the iPad have been declining nificant changes million iPhones for two years. in the next main the March jor iPhone requarter of 2015, lease, expected or 40 per cent in September, more than it did which could fuel a year earlier. To match that each year. But some have put another surge in sales. Some growth rate, Apple would need off buying a new model because tech blogs have reported a new to sell more than 85 million in they didn’t see a strong reason model might even be coming the current period. Instead, to upgrade. this spring. analysts are expecting around Despite some new features, The company went through www.canadianinquirer.net

a similar cycle a few years ago, when iPhone sales growth slowed to 7 per cent in the final months of 2013. The next year, Apple introduced new models with significantly bigger screens. That sent sales skyrocketing, especially in Asia, where consumers had previously flocked to buy big-screen phones from rival Samsung.

But there may no more equally dramatic changes left to jump-start sales like that again.

“Apple really pulled the big lever they had left un-pulled, up to then,” said tech analyst Jan Dawson of Jackdaw Research.

“That was sort of a one-off event.”

While iPhone sales may be slowing, Apple has launched other products and services tied to the iPhone — from the Apple Watch to the digital payments service known as Apple Pay, the subscription-based Apple Music and “smart home” software that lets users control their lights and appliances with Siri, the voice-enabled digital assistant on the iPhone and iPad. These are designed to make the iPhone itself more useful, while producing a steady stream of new revenue.

None of those new products have sold like the iPhone itself, however. Sales of the iPad have been declining for two years.

“Apple still has a lot of value, a lot of cash flow, so it’s not to say the company is in trouble. But it’s difficult to say that it’s on the cutting edge,” said Murillo Campello, a finance professor at Cornell University who follows Apple closely.

Others say it’s premature to count Apple among former tech giants, like Hewlett-Packard, that have struggled for relevance as their pace of growth and innovation declined.

Apple is working on a wide range of future products, from streaming video to virtual reality and even self-driving cars, said FBR Capital Markets’ analyst Daniel Ives in a recent note to clients.

“Apple’s often surprised us with what they end up doing,” added Dawson.

Technology

FRIDAY JANUARY 29, 2016

41

Smart cars that share revealing info about drivers catch privacy watchdog’s eye

BY JIM BRONSKILL The Canadian Press OTTAWA — The family car is learning more about who’s behind the wheel — everything from where a driver likes to shop to how hard they brake — as automakers roll out new tech-savvy features.

With cars collecting and even sharing more personal data, Canada’s privacy watchdog is quietly trying to ensure manufacturers, retailers and insurance companies avoid bumps on the virtual highway.

On-board navigation systems can tell where a vehicle is and where it has been. Electronic components stream data to computers that gauge driver behaviour and the car’s roadworthiness. Vehicles recognize drivers and adjust settings for them. Infotainment systems allow voice and data communications.

“With connectivity, cars are becoming highly efficient data harvesting machines,” says a 2015 study by the British Columbia Freedom of Information and Privacy Association.

Customer data generated by the connected car is now seen as a major new source of revenue for marketers and advertisers, the study found. Some insurance companies are offering coverage that sets premiums based on driving patterns.

When tracked, combined or linked with other available data, the information can reveal intensely private details of a person’s life, making it vulnerable to abuse by thieves, stalkers and others with malicious intent, the study says.

It argues automakers have failed to comply with their obligations under Canadian privacy law when it comes to giving customers adequate information and choice about how their data is collected and used.

The study recommends creation of data-protection regulations for the connected car and insurance industries, as well as involvement of privacy experts in the design stage of wired-vehicle research projects.

The federal privacy commissioner’s office, which financially supported the B.C. study, is “actively following” the issues and has held discussions with

As vehicles become increasingly reliant on technology, security will be paramount.

industry players and provincial regulators, said Valerie Lawton, a spokeswoman for the commissioner.

The Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association, which represents the country’s largest car-makers, initiated a meeting with the federal commissioner’s office last June, say notes disclosed under the Access to Information Act. Federal privacy officials saw it as an opportunity to get a better sense of the information collected by intelligent cars,

what might be coming, and whether manufacturers were fully aware of their obligations, the notes indicate.

Legal and regulatory requirements are considered whenever car-makers look at introducing new technologies with privacy implications, said Mark Nantais, manufacturers association president.

“We’re fully compliant — and intend to be fully compliant — with the laws that are applicable,” he said in an interview.

As for insurance-related data,

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that’s a relationship between the driver and their insurance company that goes beyond the automaker, Nantais said.

The internal notes from the privacy commissioner paint a futuristic scenario involving incar advertising — for instance, a near-empty gas-tank sensor could project an advisory on the windshield offering the driver a discount at a nearby filling station.

Nantais, however, played down the notion wired cars produce a bounty of valuable information.

“Is it myth or reality that the data actually exists? That’s a valid question,” he said. “Some people think that everything under the sun is available, and I don’t think that’s the case.”

As vehicles become increasingly reliant on technology, security will be paramount, Nantais added.

“We want to make sure that those vehicles cannot be hacked and that they remain safe,” he said. “And there’s a lot of work going on in the industry relative to cyber security of vehicles, primarily from a safety perspective.”

Long term forecast from www.theweathernetwork.com CALGARY

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Events

42

JANUARY 29, 2016

FRIDAY

CANADA EVENTS

To have your events featured on PCI, please email events@canadianinquirer.net

YUKON NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

NUNAVUT

BRITISH COLUMBIA ALBERTA

MANITOBA

SASKATCHEWAN

New WelcomePack Canada Distribution Centre

By WelcomePack Canada Inc. WHEN/WHERE: 1 to 5 p.m., Mon, Tues, Thu & Fri at the Filipino Centre Bldg., 597 Parliament St., Suite 103, Toronto, On. MORE INFO: Call (416) 928-9355

View all events by scanning this QR code or visiting

http://bit.ly/ PCI-Events

Homework/Tutorial Class

By FCT WHEN/WHERE: 11a.m. to 12 nn, every Saturday, Filipino Centre Toronto, 597 Parliament St., Suite 103, Toronto, ON MORE INFO: For registrations, call 416928-9355. The office, at 597 Parliament St., Suite 103, Toronto, is open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 1 to 6 p.m.

Tagalog Class

By FCT WHEN/WHERE: 10 to 11 a.m., every Saturday, Filipino Centre Toronto, NEWFOUNDLAND Toronto

ONTARIO

QUEBEC

NOVA SCOTIA

Prayer Rally

By Tapsilog WHEN/WHERE: 12 nn to 2 p.m., Jan. 28, at China Consulate Office, 3380 Granville St., Vancouver, B.C. MORE INFO: Freddie Bagunu, spokesman Vancouver Police Department Diversity Advisory

By Vancouver Multicultural Society WHEN/WHERE: 7 to 9 p.m., Jan. 28, at 5294 Imperial St., Burnaby, B.C. MORE INFO: Refreshments will be served. Lots of parking spaces available. To register call: (604)7632590, (604)616-8258, (604)551-4883, (778)998-7024 or email: mariajavier@me.com, artviray@yahoo. ca;violetct99@gmail.com;ctapia@telus.net Temporary Foreign Workers Uncontested Divorce Clinic

By Law Courts Center WHEN/WHERE: Saturdays from 2 to 4 p.m., at the Justice Education Society at the Provincial Court of BC Room 260 800 Hornby St., Vancouver B.C. MORE INFO: To book an appointment, call/text 778322-2839 or email: tfw.divorce@gmail.com English Now: No Cost Language Training for Jobs in Administration or Retail

By ISS of BC MORE INFO: Contact 604-684-2325 or englishnow@issbc.org Career Development Workshop

By Multicultural Helping House Society

WHEN/WHERE: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 30, Rm. 203 MHHS-NRC, 4802 Fraser St., Vancouver, B.C. MORE INFO: Guest Speaker: Dr. Iqbal Bhulyan; To register, call 604-879-3277 ext 226 Skills Now: Project-based Training for Immigrants in Retail and Administration

By ISS of BC WHEN/WHERE: Call or email at 604-684-2581 (ext 2193 Nanki) skillsnow@issbc.org MORE INFO: Receive a certificate or skills training in retail or administration; job search workshops; and strong employment opportunities.

Conversational English Class

By Multicultural Helping House WHEN/WHERE: 3 to 4:30 p.m., Jan. 30 to Mar. 5, Room 203, MHHS 4802 Fraser St., Vancouver, B.C. MORE INFO: Call Sanzida @ (604)879-3277 10 Weeks of English Conversation

By South Vancouver Neighbourhood House WHEN/WHERE: Feb. 1 to Apr. 9, 18 locations in Metro Vancouver, MORE INFO: Call Amie to register – 604-324-6212 ext 142 Mentoring Programme for Immigrant High School Students: Breakfast & Baon 101

By Mentorship & Leadership for Youth Programme WHEN/WHERE: 10 a.m. to 12 nn at Corpus Christi College (near UBC) 5935 Iona Dr. Vancouver BC. Free pick up and drop off service.

MORE INFO: Meet young professionals plus learn to www.canadianinquirer.net

cook. Call/text Kyle Andrews at (778)896-0661 I Belong Support Group

By Mosaic WHEN/WHERE: 5:30 to7:30 p.m., every Monday of the month, Mosaic Burnaby Centre for Immigrants, 5902 Kingsway, Vancouver, B.C. MORE INFO: Call Darae (604)254-9626 Free Counselling Support Group

By Mosaic WHEN/WHERE: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., every last Monday of the month at Mosaic Burnaby Centre for Immigrants, 5902 Kingsway, Vancouver, B.C. MORE INFO: Call Darae (604)254-9626 English Conversation Circle for Newcomers

By Mosaic WHEN/WHERE: Tuesdays, 1–2:30 p.m., until Feb. 23at Mosaic Vancouver Language Centre, 304–2730 Commercial Dr., Vancouver, B.C. MORE INFO: Call Paeony at (604)254-9626 Dreams: Gerphil Flores

By Tribu Productions WHEN/WHERE: Feb 14, Kay Meek Theatre 1700 Mathers Ave. W. Vancouver, B.C. and Feb. 19, Centre Stage, Surrey City Hall 13450 104 Ave. Surrey, BC MORE INFO: VIP ticket holders ($100+GST) | door opens @ 5:30 p.m. General Admission ($45+GST) | door opens @ 7:00 p.m.

JANUARY 29, 2016

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44

JANUARY 29, 2016

FRIDAY

Food

10 fresh takes on mastering easy dinners with a box of pasta

BY ALISON LADMAN The Associated Press ON CRAZY weeknights, sometimes the only thing standing between you and yet another order of takeout... Is a box of pasta.

Because a box of pasta is like that been-through-it-all-with-you friend, that dinnertime Swiss Army knife that can be counted on in your time of need no matter what the day has tossed your way. When there’s nothing in the house and your energy and time are at their lowest, a box of pasta is your ultimate ally. It’s fast. It’s easy. It’s versatile. And everybody loves it.

All you need is a box of pasta and a little inspiration. You provide the pasta.

We got you covered on the inspiration.

Here are 10 easy pasta meals to solve your weeknight dinner woes.

10 ways to easy pasta dinners

Start with 12 ounces of any shape pasta, cooked and drained according to package instructions.

- SHRIMP: In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil, then add 4 cloves thinly sliced garlic and cook until just starting to brown. Add 2 diced large tomatoes and 1 finely chopped small red onion. Cook for 2 minutes, then add 1 pound peeled and deveined cooked shrimp. Cook just until heated through.

Stir in the pasta and add 1 cup torn fresh basil leaves. Serve topped with additional olive oil and shaved Parmesan cheese.

- THAI CHICKEN: In a skillet, cook 1 chopped large yellow onion in 1 table-

All you need is a box of pasta and a little inspiration.

spoon vegetable oil. Add 1 cup grape tomatoes and 2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken meat. Stir in a 14 1/2-ounce can light coconut milk and 1 to 2 tablespoons red curry paste. Bring to a simmer, then add the pasta. Stir in 1 tablespoon fish sauce, if desired. Serve with lime wedges and chopped fresh cilantro.

- BROTHY BEEF AND MUSHROOM: Cook 8 ounces button mushrooms (whole or sliced) in a skillet with a little olive oil. Transfer to a plate, then cook 1 pound thinly sliced flank steak in a bit more oil. Season with salt and black pepper. Add 1 cup low-sodium beef broth and 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth.

Stir in the pasta and mushrooms. Serve topped with chopped fresh chives or

scallions.

- PEANUT AND ROASTED RED PEPPER: In a blender, combine 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Adjust the consistency with water, if needed. In a large skillet, gently warm the pasta and a 12-ounce jar of drained, sliced roasted red peppers. Add the peanut sauce and heat until warm. Serve topped with sliced scallions and ground black pepper.

- ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CHICKPEAS: On a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, combine a 15-ounce can of chickpeas (drained, rinsed and patted dry) with 2 cups cubed butternut squash. Toss with olive oil, salt, black pepper and 1 tablespoon coriander seeds. Roast at 400 F until golden brown and tender. Toss with pasta, the zest and juice of 1 lemon, and additional olive oil.

- QUICK VEGGIE: In a large bowl, toss together a grated medium zucchini, 1 pint halved grape tomatoes, 2 cloves minced garlic, the pasta and a healthy drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper, then top with grated Romano cheese or crumbled feta.

- KALE AND SAUSAGE: In a large skillet, brown 1 pound loose sausage meat or crumbled chorizo. Add 1 sliced large onion and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook until tender. Add 5 ounces

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baby kale and wilt. Stir in the pasta and serve.

- CREAMY HAM AND PEA: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Add 1 diced medium yellow onion and cook until tender. Stir in 1 tablespoon allpurpose flour and stir to coat. Add 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth and whisk together. Add 1/2 cup heavy cream and whisk again. Bring to a simmer, then add 2 cups diced ham and 2 cups frozen peas. Cook for 3 minutes, then stir in the pasta.

- COTTAGE PIE: Boil 2 diced medium Yukon gold potatoes until tender. Meanwhile, in a large skillet with a splash of vegetable oil, brown 1 pound ground beef with 1 diced medium yellow onion. Stir in 4 ounces cream cheese until melted.

Season with salt and black pepper. Stir in 1 cup frozen corn kernels and warm gently. Add the pasta and potatoes.

- BACON, LEEK AND SWISS: In a large skillet, cook 2 large diced leeks in 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter over medium heat until very tender. Stir in 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme. Add 1 cup crumbled cooked bacon and stir in the pasta. Stir in 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese.

Alison Ladman is a chef, food writer and recipe developer for The Associated Press.

She also owns The Crust and Crumb Baking Company in Concord, New Hampshire.

Seen & Scenes: Vancouver

FRIDAY JANUARY 29, 2016

45

LAUDATO SI AFTER PARIS A symposium was held Jan. 22, at St. Mark’s College in Vancouver, B.C. to discuss Pope Francis’ encyclical (Laudato Si) regarding the environment. Dr. Robert Allore, a geneticist and pastor of St. Mark’s Chapel, and MP for Vancouver Quadra Joyce Murray, talked about how people can address the looming ecological crisis (Photos by Dom Bautista).

COMMUNITY MEETING AT VANCOUVER PCG Officers of the United FilipinoCanadian Associations in BC had a consultation meeting with Consul General Neil Ferrer on Jan. 25, at PCG-Vancouver regarding upcoming activities for the year including the Independence Day gala and Pista ng Bayan festivities (Photos by Salve Dayao).

LBC Box a Smile, a project of LBC, brought joy on kids’ faces this past Holiday season.

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46

Seen and Scenes: Toronto

JANUARY 29, 2016

ATENEO ALUMNI

MP LEVITT

Ateneo Alumni Association Canada’s new set of officers for 2016-2017 are Reynaldo Reyes (Ateneo de Manila) – chairman; Bill Quebral (Ateneo de Zamboanga) – vice-chairman; Jose Gutierrez (Ateneo de Naga) – treasurer; Luthello Peñaflor (Ateneo de Naga) – asst. treasurer; Floro Dabu, Jr. (Ateneo de Naga and Ateneo de Manila) – secretary; Medy Chua (Ateneo de Naga) – asst. secretary; Bernie Sychangco (Ateneo de Manila) – public relations; Ed Doroja (Ateneo de Zamboanga) – sergeant at arms; Robert Chua – auditor.

Newly-elected member of parliament for York Centre, Michael Levitt, held his New Year's appreciation dinner on Jan. 17, at Montecassino Hotel.

Distinguished Filipino Canadians attended the event, including Tony San Juan; Rose Tijam (Press Club president); Michelle and Monina Serrano; Nitz Redjik (FCT Director); and Joseph and Lorelei Redoblado.

FRIDAY

TALAKAYAN Leading FilCan nominee to Canada's Senate Michele Serrano (seated, front) posed with Talakayan Radyo Filipino AM 1430 crew on Jan. 23, after an hour-long interview.

Shown are: Karen Tan, May Cabrias and Tony San Juan (Photo by Joseph Redoblado).

PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE DAY COUNCIL Philippine Independence Day Council (PIDC) President Norma Carpio presented on Jan. 17, the candidates for Mrs. Philippines 2016 at Metro Hall - Toronto. Coronation night will be at Rembrandt Banquet Hall on Mar. 19.

For photo submissions, please email info@canadianinquirer.net.

Michele Serrano (3rd from L) a leading nomination candidate from Ontario to the Canadian Senate, visited Toronto's Talakayan Radyo Filipino AM 1430 broadcast staff on Jan. 23. Shown from left are Tony A. San Juan, Joy San Juan, Michele Serrano, Jess Cabrias, Karen Tan, May Cabrias, Lorelei Redoblado and Bobby Achacon (Photo by Joseph Redoblado).

www.canadianinquirer.net

Food

FRIDAY JANUARY 29, 2016

47

Paul Godfrey... company. You know you’re hurting certain people’s lives.”

At the same time, executives are on the hunt to create new revenue streams.

One of them took shape on Monday when Postmedia announced a three-year partnership with Mogo Finance Technology Inc. that will see it pocket a portion of revenues generated by the short-term loan provider.

The partnership is unconventional but comes with a solid upside — if Mogo can find customers in Postmedia’s readership, then both companies will reap the rewards.

Godfrey said the Mogo agreement is a snapshot of what’s to come.

“This one area seemed to be a natural,” he said. “We have two or three others we are working on.”

Postmedia has also abandoned ventures it found didn’t deliver results — including an evening tablet edition once trumpeted as a major area of growth for the company. Godfrey said Postmedia bailed on the tablet experiment when it was clear it wasn’t going to deliver a profit.

He suggested the Toronto Star — which has invested millions of dollars on its Star Touch tablet platform — reconsider its devotion to the tablet as well.

“They’re way off base and they spent a fortune,” he said, pointing to mobile phones as the smartest bet for media companies.

“Our philosophy here is fail fast. I don’t think they recog❰❰ 36

In a rush? Grab a rotisserie chicken for a flavourful stew

BY MELISSA D’ARABIAN The Associated Press HAVING A trusty fast food strategy is the busy person’s key to eating well. When I’m swamped with work, travel, kids’ activities (or whatever), I quite simply cannot be trusted to choose the healthy meal over the quick one.

Unless, that is, the healthy one is the quick one. Over the years, I have developed a repertoire of healthier fast food options, dinners I can get on the table in minutes. A standby is, of course, the supermarket rotisserie chicken. Pick up one of those, add a quick spinach salad (by which I mean spinach with red wine vinegar and olive oil sprinkled on it with a handful of almonds and a quick chop of scallions on top), and my family is eating before anyone even has time to ask what’s for dinner.

I also always buy two rotisserie chickens (or roast two chickens when I’m bothering to heat up the house with the oven), so I have leftover chicken seasoned and ready to go for another meal a day or two later.

This week’s chicken and black bean stew is a meal inspired by one of those weeks. The ingredients are all basic, simple stuff that I have on hand most of the time (and if not, I can find something to substitute).

I use canned chipotles in adobo sauce for tons of flavour and

some warm heat (buy it canned, then store it in a freezer bag and just lop off a hunk for recipes as you need it).

Don’t have or like chipotles?

You also can use tomato paste and chili powder or whatever other warm spicy item you have in your cupboard (Sriracha?

Red pepper flakes? Chipotle powder? All great!). The secret to this quick stew is that the chicken already has so much flavour that adding just a little spice and a little acid (the lime juice) makes the flavours taste far more complex than the quick and healthy little dinner gem that this dish is.

QUICK AND SPICY ROTISSERIE CHICKEN AND BLACK BEAN STEW

Start to finish: 20 minutes Servings: 4 • 1 tablespoon olive oil • 1 small yellow onion, chopped • 1 stalk celery, chopped • 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped • 3 cloves garlic, minced • 2 tablespoons (or more) chipotles in adobo sauce, finely chopped, sauce included (or tomato paste if no spice is desired) • 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock, hot • 1 1/2 cups water, hot • 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained • 1 cup frozen corn kernels,

thawed • 2 cups shredded chicken from a rotisserie chicken • 2 tablespoons lime juice • Kosher salt and ground black pepper • 1/2 large avocado, cubed • 1 medium tomato, cubed, seeds removed, or tomato salsa • 1/2 cup cilantro leaves • Lime wedges, to garnish In a large, heavy pot over medium-high, heat the oil. Add the onion, celery and carrots and cook until starting to get tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chipotles, then stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the stock, water, beans, corn and chicken and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in the lime juice, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Ladle into 4 serving bowl, then top with avocado, tomato or salsa, and cilantro, and offer lime wedges on the side.

Nutrition information per serving: 320 calories; 90 calories from fat (28 per cent of total calories); 10 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 50 mg cholesterol; 480 mg sodium; 37 g carbohydrate; 12 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 22 g protein.

Food Network star Melissa d’Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is the author of the cookbook, “Supermarket Healthy.” www.canadianinquirer.net

nize that. You tried it, everybody’s got to experiment, but they keep spending and spending like crazy on it.”

Godfrey is confident owners of the Star will eventually reach the same conclusion his company did: a tablet-specific business model isn’t profitable.

“They’re going to realize it sooner or later,” he said.

Torstar has said the Star Touch has been downloaded more than 100,000 times, though it also laid off 10 members of the tablet team earlier this month.

Some media critics have called on the federal government to step in and give the country’s newspapers financial assistance that could get them through the next few years.

Godfrey said he’s not interested in asking for the government’s help at this point.

“As far as I’m concerned I’m running a business right now,” he said. “The preferential route is to explore all options we can do by ourselves first. I haven’t even thought about that.”

In the meantime, the CEO is prepared to endure criticism from outsiders who say his decision to repurpose stories for different outlets and merge newsrooms in four cities where it owns two newspapers will affect quality.

“Ultimately the buck stops with me, and I recognize that,” he said.

“Four months from now, you’ve got every right to dump all over me if the product has decayed. But I’ll tell you something, if they haven’t decayed, I don’t want to hear from them.”

Tennis officials... large amount of money” being wagered on Kubot and Hlavackova to win the match by a “small number of people” after it opened betting on Thursday, prompting it to suspend wagers and notify the police in Victoria state, where Melbourne is located.

Another betting agency, William Hill, which is a sponsor of this year’s Australian Open, however, said Monday it saw no suspicious betting activity on the match, receiving less than five bets, each at stakes below $5 per bet. London-based Betfair ❰❰ 39

told The Associated Press it also kept betting open on the match.

Kubot said that while he was open to answering the TIU’s questions, he didn’t believe players should be identified publicly without proof of wrongdoing.

“Of course, I think everybody should play fair and everyone is responsible for themselves. But as I said, this is nothing proved, then nothing should be said, that’s it,” Kubot said. “You work hard every day, as every one of us, and this is just putting us, let’s say, on the black list, but without any (proof ).”

48

JANUARY 29, 2016

FRIDAY

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If you complete one IMT between January 1, 2016, and March 31, 2016 (the “Promotional Period”), we will refund the service fee ($13.50 CDN) and offer you one refunded IMT per month in the two consecutive months that follow. Example: If you send an IMT in February, you may send 2 additional refunded IMTs, one in March and the other in April. Totals are not cumulative, and if not used, may not be carried over to the next month. All refunds will be credited to the bank account in which the IMT originated 8 weeks after the IMT was completed. Only one offer (one IMT per month for 3 consecutive months) per client. Excess debit transaction fee may also apply depending on the account. Additional service fees by any intermediary and receiving bank may apply. Currency conversion fees may also apply. The financial institution on the receiving end of the transaction may have other requirements. The IMT service is not available to recipients in Canada and in restricted countries. Maximum of $2,500 Canadian or Canadian equivalent dollars per transaction per calendar day. 2 Must be enrolled in RBC Online Banking® and have either a Canadian RBC Royal Bank® chequing or savings account. Some restrictions may apply. Cannot remit funds from a US dollar account, or the RBC High Interest eSavings® account. 3 Not available to recipients in Canada and restricted countries. 4 If an unauthorized transaction is conducted through your RBC Online Banking service, you will be reimbursed 100% for any resulting losses to those accounts. For a definition of an unauthorized transaction and for full details regarding the protections and limitations of the RBC Online Banking Security Guarantee, please see your Electronic Access Agreement. This guarantee is given by Royal Bank of Canada in connection with its Online Banking service. ®/™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. RBC and Royal Bank are registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. www.canadianinquirer.net