Pilipino Express • Dec 16 2023

Volume 19 • No. 24 • December 16 - 31, 2023 Publication Mailing Account #41721512

Kathryn Bernardo

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Sarah Lahbati & Richard Gutierrez

Philippines bags major tourism awards in Dubai

Manila named World’s Leading City Destination The Philippines bagged four major honours at the prestigious 2023 World Travel Awards (WTA) on December 1, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said.

For the first time, the Philippines received the Global Tourism Resilience Award for demonstrating “global leadership, pioneering vision, and innovation to overcome critical challenges and adversity.”

As one of only five countries and destinations in the world cited for this inaugural award, the WTA said the Philippines and other “inaugural winners will serve as See PHILIPPINES p5

Photo credit: DOT FB Page

Photo Credit: Kathryn’s IG

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DECEMBER 16 - 31, 2023

DECEMBER 16 - 31, 2023

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PILIPINO EXPRESS

DECEMBER 16 - 31, 2023

Noche Buena, Christmas feasts, and Filipino Culture The -ber months are here, the last four months of the year during which the Christmas season is celebrated in the Philippines. In the diaspora, it is not as openly celebrated – there is an unstated rule in North America that you do not lay out your Christmas decorations until after Halloween – but the months still bear importance for Filipinos. It is a highly anticipated holiday, perhaps the most in Philippine culture, and is the time of the year that the love for pageantry and celebration are best demonstrated. Homes are lined with bright, flashing lights, parols line windows, and models of the Nativity are displayed in front yards. Indeed, no Filipino household is more identifiable from the outside than the Christmas season, almost the day after Halloween passes.

The feast of noche buena – the feast had after the midnight mass on Christmas Eve – is a fusion of Hispanized Catholicism and pre-Christian indigenous practice.

Doreen Fernandez, a Philippine cultural historian and food author, suggests that the latter was likely tied to older celebrations surrounding the rice harvest, a time that was celebrated for the bounty and life-giving sustenance it gave. It wouldn’t have been much of a stretch for Filipinos to attach such feasts to Christmas, a feast introduced by the Spanish in celebration of sustenance and salvation for one’s soul. Thus, while some Filipino families may celebrate with Spanish dishes (rellenong manok, leche flan, embutido, lechon, ensaimada) it is also accompanied by the ancient life staple of most Filipinos: rice, in its many forms.

Reflecting this surviving ancient heritage surrounding rice and the importance of rice as a staple in Philippine cuisine is the hearty presence of a variety of rice cakes, such as puto bumbong and its steaming bamboo tubes, golden baked bibingka, puto topped with a small bit of cheese, kutsinta, or suman wrapped in banana or coconut leaves. These are all in addition to obligatory tray of fried rice. Individual and family recipes for fried rice are as diverse as similar recipes for pancit.

Just as fried rice (or simple

plain white rice) is ever-present at a Filipino Christmas feast, so is a noodle dish, whether it be pancit Canton, pancit palabok, or Filipino-style spaghetti.

The term pancit expresses the Chinese influence on Filipino cuisine, coming from a word in the Hokkien dialect in Fujian province pien-e-set meaning “something easy to cook.” The Chinese influence shows itself in other noodle types: bihon, miki, miswa, and sotanghon are all Chinese names for noodle types.

Pancit – the Filipino dish – took on a unique Filipino flair because of what ingredients are locally available in the Philippines.

This is something so common in Filipino cuisine, the adaptation of outside-inspired dishes to the tastes, preferences, and availability of food in the Philippines. In 2021, the Philippine government tried to standardize the recipes for adobo, sinigang, sisig, lechon, and other Filipino dishes. Each of those listed are cooked differently in the homes and restaurants catering to Filipino foods. Take adobo, for example. Even before soy sauce was introduced to the Philippines (and before the Spanish arrived), a form of adobo (adobong puti) was already widely cooked, using only suka (vinegar) and water to boil the meat. Today, one often finds it with either manok (chicken) or baboy (pork); some put only garlic along with the meat, while others yet might have other vegetables such as bell peppers, potatoes, etc.

This variety in a recipe is mostly the result of where the cook or chef comes from in the Philippines and what ingredients were easily available there. Sometimes the household gardens in the province supplied the ingredients, or else the local palengke, but the ingredients almost always were, and continue to be, locally available. Even in the diaspora, where globalized food chains today can supply even some of the most difficult to find ingredients, Filipinos will search out what they are familiar with. On the other hand, early immigrants to Canada in the 1960s and 1970s, when such food chains were not so well-sourced, adapted and adopted whatever was available.

Doreen Fernandez noted this

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highly personalized nature, too.

She wrote on how Christmas memories and traditions are as much personal and individual as they are a part of wider cultural practices. In one of her articles on the noche buena, Fernandez notes that every family has a different tradition as to what foods are served. Often it depends on what locale it is and what is easily available, or upon which dishes members of the family specialize.

In her twenty years of writing on Filipino food, Doreen Fernandez developed a sharp understanding of the nature and soul of the cuisine and its deeply personal experiences across the Philippines. She summarized the words of one of her co-authors: “the experience of food is ephemeral.

What one puts into the mouth is the end result of a process that starts with the sea, the soil, animal life. In the act of cooking, we make statements about ourselves – about our understanding of relationships between ingredients; about our perception of taste and appropriateness. In the act of eating, we ingest the environment, but do not stop at that, for we Filipinos make eating the occasion for ritual – and ritual the occasion for eating” (emphasis mine).

Christmas is one of the best examples of how pre-Hispanic, ancient Filipino traditions continue in the modern world. The values of family cohesiveness, communal support, and celebration of life are common in Filipino households and reach their expressive intensity with Christmas. But the diversity of tradition, celebration, and menu reflect the rich diversity of Filipino culture. There is not just one that can be applied to all Filipinos; that diversity adds complexity, beauty, uniqueness to Filipino culture.

For even if there is a variety of practices of noche buena or in the style with which the rice is fried or the pancit prepared, there is no doubt that they are Filipino.

I end off with a wonderfully expressive quote from Ms. Fernandez: “Noche buena, night of goodness, is thus not only hallowed by the birth of Christ,

by Christian tradition and family customs, but by life forces earlier than anyone remembers, by stirrings of the Filipino ethos. It is indeed, for rich and poor, a meal meaningful beyond memory.”

From me and my family, ANNE CAPRICE B. CLAROS ETHEL CLEMENTE FERNANDEZ BRO. GERRY GAMUROT NORMAN ACERON GARCIA LUCILLE NOLASCO GARRIDO MICHELE MAJUL-IBARRA PERLA JAVATE JUDIANNE JAYME PASTOR JUNIE JOSUE NOEL LAPUZ JON MALEK MALAYA MARCELINO ALONA MERCADO CST. REY OLAZO PAQUITO REY PACHECO DR. REY PAGTAKHAN CHERYL DIZON REYNANTE TIM ST. VINCENT MICHAEL SCOTT

Marilyn and Noah, I wish you all the merriest Christmas.

Sources Doreen G. Fernandez, Tikim: Essays on Philippine food and culture (Leiden; Boston: Brill, 2020) “DTI moves to set national standards for cooking adobo, other PH dishes,” Rappler 10 July 2021 (https://www.rappler.com/ life-and-style/food-drinks/dti-

REGINA RAMOS URBANO RON URBANO KATHRYN WEBER Youth Contributors Aksyon Ng Ating Kabataan (ANAK) Philippine Correspondents: FRANCESCO BRITANICO CRISTY FERMIN JON JOAQUIN AMBETH R. OCAMPO SALES & ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT: 204-956-7845 E-Mail: info@pilipino-express.com Sales & Marketing Team: ISAGANI BARTOLOME RODGE LOPEZ RUBY PASCO NEIL SOLIVEN

set-national-standards-cookingadobo-philippine-dishes/) Jon Malek is an Assistant Professor of History at Providence University College.

His research is on the history of the Philippines and the Filipino diaspora. His current writing projects include a book on the history of Filipinos in Canada and a project on Filipino food and culture.

The Pilipino Express is a Winnipeg based news-magazine published twice a month.

Its contents do not necessarily reflect the publisher’s opinion.

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DECEMBER 16 - 31, 2023

PILIPINO EXPRESS

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Express Entry is a good choice for skilled workers in demand in Canada Express Entry continues to be the best bet for skilled worker immigration. The evidence is compelling, and we have only to focus on the number of Invitations to Apply (ITA) that have been issued in the month of December 2023. After a quiet November when no invitations were issued, we have been pleasantly surprised by the activity in the current month.

See the summary of Express Entry draws from June 2023 to December 2023 for an overview of the ITAs. The department issued 5,900 invitations on December 8 under STEM related occupations.

STEM stands for four closely related areas of study, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It is anticipated that 377,500 jobs in the STEM area will be required in the years 2022 to 2032, such as Information Security Analysts

with a BSc in Cybersecurity, Soft Wear Developers with a BSc in Computer Science and Computer Information Researchers with a master’s level education in Information technology. The invitations issued on December 8th show a commitment to identify applicants from the Express Entry inventory.

An examination of the draw activity shows that IRCC invited 5,900 on December 8, 2013, with a minimum Comparative Ranking System (CRS) score of 481, which followed 1,000 invitations of French language proficiency submissions with a minimum CRS of 470 and a general or all program 4,750 invitations on December 6, 2023 with a minimum CRS of 475. In three days IRCC issued invitations to apply to 11,650 persons who had submitted their profiles to Express Entry.

The month of November was quiet in terms of invitations, but the department cautioned users that candidates who received ITAs in recent draws were unable to upload their final applications to the Express Entry profile builder.

It is possible that the reason for the lack of draw activity in November could be attributed to problems within the Express Entry system.

The solution of these issues explains the uptick in ITA activity for December. First, STEM is a high demand area and IRCC is moving to meet this continued demand and also selecting French speaking applicants and other skilled worker applicants to meet the country’s demand for skilled workers.

Since May of this year IRCC has been moving to invite applicants under category-based selections such as Healthcare, STEM professions, Trades,

DOT Undersecretary Shahlimar of countries in the world don’t PHILIPPINES...

Hofer Tamano and Assistant have. And it’s the people of From page 1 benchmarks for best practices in tourism resilience.”

The country also won the World’s Leading City Destination for its capital, Manila, another first.

Meanwhile, the Philippines defended its title as the World’s Leading Dive Destination and the World’s Leading Beach Destination.

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said the global tourism resilience award was an “affirmation of all the hard work done in the past year to strengthen the pillars of tourism development.”

“We are elated and grateful that Philippine tourism continues to soar to global prominence with tourists declaring their love for the Philippines as the undisputed World’s Leading Beach Destination and World’s Leading Dive Destination, and now World’s Leading City Destination, Manila,” she said in a statement dated December 5.

The awards showcase the Philippines as an “unparalleled destination” from its beaches, dive sites, dynamic urban landscapes, and culture and heritage, she added.

The award was received by

Secretary Maria Rica Bueno who represented the tourism chief during the awarding ceremony overseas on December 1 (Dubai time).

“The main asset is the people, and that is something that a lot

the Philippines that make your tourism assets the most amazing,” WTA President and Founder Graham Cooke said. “The work ethic, the happiness, the smile, and the hospitality that the Philippines have are global icons.” – PNA Tanay, Rizal

Photo credit: DOT FB Page Tres Reyes Island, Marinduque

Photo credit: DOT FB Page

Transport and Agriculture, and Agri-food. Examples include: 1,000 ITAs under Transport occupations on September 20; 1,500 Trade occupations on August 3; 1,500 Healthcare occupations on July 6; 500 STEM occupations on July 5; 500 Health care ITAs on June 28, and several draws under All-programs.

Canada’s Immigration Minister Marc Miller is correct in saying that Canada requires more skilled workers to address shortages in the labour market with nine million Canadians expected to retire by 2030. The current Immigration Levels Plan for 2023 to 2025 show that the country expects 114,000 Federal High Skilled immigrants to land under Express Entry by the end of 2025. The opportunities are there, especially for foreign applicants in demand occupational areas, such as STEM, Health Care, Trades, Transportation, and Agrifood.

Christmas is a time of giving to others and this is true of Express Entry, which has been issuing thousands of ITAs to

specialized applicants. Check into your qualifications to determine if you fit the demand and obtain the necessary English or French proficiency requirements as well as having your academic credentials certified by an approved Canadian accreditation agency. You may be surprised to discover that you, your relative or your friend are in increased demand in Canada – but don’t wait for IRCC to find you. You must submit an online Express of Interest profile in order to get started. There is no better time than the present. Good luck and we wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas.

Michael Scott is a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC, R525678) who has 30 years of experience with Immigration Canada and the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program. He currently works as a licensed consultant with Immigration Connexion International Ltd. Contact him at 204-691-1166 or 204-2270292. E-mail: mscott.ici@gmail. com.

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PILIPINO EXPRESS

Ma-Buhay!

Meet the creator of the all-Filipino musical

by Lucille Nolasco-Garrido It’s finally happening! After many years, Ma-Buhay! a fullscale production of an all-Filipino musical will make its Canadian premier in June 2024 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Rainbow Stage.

Ma-Buhay! is the brainchild of local artist, choreographer and stage director, Joseph Sevillo, who created the musical based on his professional and personal experiences. Pilipino Express recently caught up with Sevillo to talk about his dream that has come true.

PE: First of all, congratulations, Joseph!

Ma-Buhay! will finally make its Canadian premier at Rainbow Stage next year. What was your initial reaction about it?

JS: My initial reaction was relief that everything that we have worked so hard for in the last five years was worth it. I am grateful and feel blessed to have this opportunity to showcase my work at Canada’s largest and longest running outdoor theatre company.

PE: The musical has been five years in the making. Did you expect it to take this long?

JS: Rainbow Stage and my Ma-Buhay! core development team have always had a master plan to get this show to its production stages in three phases from first developing the script and score, second, community engagement and audience building and finally, the production. Most shows take about six to eight years plus to get it produced on a professional stage. We did ours in five given that the pandemic, amongst other things, took away about two years from our process.

PE: What was the hardest part in the whole process, from inception to the culmination of Ma-Buhay!? The easiest?

JS: The hardest part for me was to continue to develop the optimism, confidence, independence, and back bone to keep my voice and vision alive, while watching my mother’s slow decline from this world.

Thankfully, what also made it easy was the unconditional love, and wisdom of my mother as I would workshop draft after draft, with the incredible support of Rainbow Stage, my family, and loyal friends who stood by me through the worst.

PE: What’s the inspiration behind the subject or story of MaBuhay!?

JS: The inspiration of my musical are my parents who always supported my love to sing, dance and act, as well as the local Filipinx talents in Manitoba who have inspired me year after year during the days of Tuklas Talino, the most prestigious Filipino singing contest in Manitoba, and how singing seems to be the love language of so many Filipinx here in Manitoba.

PE: Do you see yourself in any of the characters?

JS: All the characters are an extension of who I am, the good, bad, and the ugly, and sometimes pretty. Ha! As a writer, the way they speak and act has to come from my own instincts, memory and creativity, thus being an extension of who I am.

PE: What are your realizations in creating and producing such a theatre piece?

JS: I realize that the only way Filipinx can truly thrive in the mainstream performing arts

world, is to create our own work, but not only that, to be able to work with a diversity of people and artists really teaches us how to learn about our differences and needs, but also what we share in common. I believe that we are all capable of changing the world for the better if we cultivate enough courage to take the first step on our own.

PE: What do you hope to achieve with Ma-Buhay!?

JS: I hope that Ma-Buhay! will be the most successful musical of all time and the first musical from Manitoba that will have a longstanding run on Broadway, as well as many sit down productions internationally. Filipinx are the most adaptable of people and can be found on every continent, I hope this show provides a mirror to which they can see themselves and feel proud of their culture.

PE: Anything else you would like to impart to our readers?

JS: I really hope that the Filipinx community comes out to support this historical event at Rainbow Stage, with its 70th anniversary season, this will be the first all-Filipino musical created, directed, choreographed, and musically directed all by Filipinos ever to be professionally produced on this stage. I also hope more Filipinx from our community can engage with the abundance of rich theatre and art being created and produced in Manitoba, and to watch out for the auditions next year, as we will be employing a cast of over 20 Filipinx for this premiere production.

Tickets to Rainbow Stage’s 70th Anniversary Season are on sale now at rainbowstage.ca or by phone: 204-989-0888.

DECEMBER 16 - 31, 2023

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PILIPINO EXPRESS

DECEMBER 16 - 31, 2023

After their breakup, will KathNiel reunion movie push through?

Two weeks after the confirmation of their breakup, fans of ex-couple Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla are eager to know if their reunion movie will still push through.

Before the much-publicized split of two of the most bankable stars and love teams of their generation, Bernardo and Padilla were slated to work together after their solo movie projects. Bernardo starred in A Very Good Girl with Dolly de Leon last September, while Padilla is working on a movie with Zanjoe Marudo, titled

Nang Mapagod si Kamatayan.

The pair was supposed to work together in a comeback movie to be directed by Cathy GarciaSampana, who was asked on Sunday if the project is now in danger of being shelved.

“I am not closing my doors doon sa project na yun. Kasi syempre, who wouldn’t want a KathNiel movie? But maybe, pwedeng ma-delay, pwedeng mausog lang naman,” said GarciaSampana, who was speaking during the Star Magic screening See KATHNIEL p11

Daniel Padilla & Kathryn Bernanrdo

May mensahe si Annabelle Rama sa mga chismosang Marites!

Nagbigay ng pahayag sa pamamagitan ng Instagram post si Annabelle Rama kaugnay sa mga naglalabasang balita na hiwalay na ang anak niyang si Richard Gutierrez at asawa nitong si Sarah Lahbati. May mensahe rin si Annabelle sa tinawag niyang mga “Chismosang Marites.”

“Mga Chismosang Marites!

Tigilan n’yo na ang gumawa ng maling kuwento,” saad ni Annabelle sa kaniyang post noong Biyernes (Dec. 8) na makikita ang isang larawan na magkakasama ang kanilang pamilya pero kapansin-pansin na wala si Sarah.

“Lahat ng lumabas sa [social] media is all fake news,” sabi pa ng palabang ina ni Richard.

Hiniling niya sa kaniyang

followers na huwag nang dumagdag sa pagkakalat ng maling impormasyon tungkol sa isyu.

“Malalaman niyo rin ang katotohanan in due time,” ani Annabelle dahil na rin sa mga komento ng ilang netizens na tila siya sinisisi sa kung ano man ang problema ng mag-asawa.

“Baka ma-shock kayo at hindi na ako ang lalabas na kontrabida,” dagdag niya. “Mali ang [bintang] n’yo sa akin.”

Ayon pa kay Annabelle, siya man ay nagbigla sa mga pangyayari. Nilinaw niyang mahal niya ang kaniyang mga apo kaya ayaw niyang maghiwalay ang mag-asawa.

“Nagulat na lang ako, biglang See ANNABELLE p9

Sarah Lahbati & Richard Gutierrez

DECEMBER 16 - 31, 2023

PILIPINO EXPRESS

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Wishing you a Happy Holidays!

Constituency Office 892 Sargent Avenue Winnipeg MB R3E 0C7  204-984-1675

Mag-enjoy sana ang buong ANNABELLE... mundo sa sasabihin kung kwento.

From page 8 dumating ang nanay at tatay galing ibang bansa. Doon na nag umpisa ang malaking gulo,” saad pa niya sa post. “‘Wag niyo ibagsak sa akin ang sisi.”

Sinabi rin ni Annabelle na pinagbawalan siyang magsalita ng abogado.

“Kung hindi ako pinag bawalan ng lawyer na magsalita.

Gigil na gigil na akong isiwalat ang katotohanan sa pangyayari pero wala akong magawa,” patuloy niya. “abangan ang susunod na kabanata.”

Ikinasal sina Richard at Sara noong March 2020, at may dalawa silang anak na sina Zion at Kai. — FRJ, GMA Integrated News

The Gutierrez Family

LeahGazan.ca  Leah.Gazan@parl.gc.ca  /LeahGazanMP  @ leahgazan @leahgazanMP

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PILIPINO EXPRESS

DECEMBER 16 - 31, 2023

DECEMBER 16 - 31, 2023

OUR HEALTH PILIPINO EXPRESS

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Healthy for the Holidays Hand hygiene, maintaining distance can keep viruses at bay

The holiday season is ubiquitous with family gatherings, shopping excursions in busy stores and malls, and workplace potlucks.

With all the fun and merriment of the season, it’s easy to forget that these gatherings in enclosed spaces also can lead to uninvited guests: nasty colds, RSV, gastrointestinal viruses, COVID-19 and the flu.

“Getting sick during the holidays seems to feel even worse because we may be missing out on the fun while we’re stuck at home recovering,” says Chatura Alur, M.D., family medicine physician at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato. “But there are ways to help avoid getting sick and spreading viruses this time of year if you’re careful.”

Dr. Alur recommends these tips for preventing the spread of

illness: Stay home if you are sick.

This means staying home from school and work. Food service workers are required by law to stay home if they are sick.

Practice proper hand hygiene. Wash your hands carefully with soap and water, especially after using the restroom and changing diapers and before preparing foods or eating. Wash your hands more often when someone in your household is sick.

Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer to use prior to eating out in public, as well as after touching doors, surfaces and items in a store or other public place.

Be smart in the kitchen. Do not prepare food or help serve

food while you are sick.

Clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces. Use a household bleach solution (up to 1½ cups of bleach in one gallon of water) to clean surfaces after vomiting or diarrhea accidents.

Avoid potluck gatherings.

As difficult as this may be, it’s good advice to stay away from homemade items just to reduce exposure to potentially contaminated food.

Consider wearing a mask.

Masks can help protect people from all respiratory viruses, not just COVID-19. If you’re sick, consider wearing a mask to protect others.

Get vaccinated. Prevention is key. Stay current on your recommended vaccines, including influenza, COVID-19 and RSV. – Mayo Clinic News Network

Frequent and thorough hand washing is one of the best ways to stay safe from COVID-19 and other viruses. The simple practice can protect all of us from the disease. Photo by Bill Branson/National Cancer Institute

KathNiel themselves. Basta ako Like everyone else, Garcia- in a number of films. They were natanggap nila, at alam kong KATHNIEL... nandito lang ako if they need me to Sampana was shocked when the also one of the few stars invited to medyo marami nang iniisip, so From page 8 of the microfilm Toss Coin, which stars Alexa Ilacad and KD Estrada.

She adds that she will respect the decision of the two actors.

“At the end of the day, it’s the call of the management and

do the film, of course,” the director said.

Garcia-Sampana had confirmed in December 2022 that a new film starring Bernardo and Padilla was in the works, noting at the time that it was “very different” from the pair’s previous movies.

breakup news came out.

“Wala namang hindi malulungkot. Ganun naman ang relationship, I mean I do love stories. So I know may mga ganyang moments,” she said.

Garcia-Sampana has worked closely with Bernardo and Padilla

her wedding last May. “We can only hope for the best.

Basta ako, mahal ko si Kathryn.

Mahal ko si Daniel. In fact, that’s what I messaged them. After what I heard, I messaged Kathryn and Daniel that I love you. Hindi naman sila sumagot. Alam kong

ayoko nang sumabay pa,” she said.

Garcia-Sampana was the director of the KathNiel movie project titled After Forever, which was shelved because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the network shutdown in 2020.

– ABS-CBN NEWS

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OUR COMMUNITY PILIPINO EXPRESS

DECEMBER 16 - 31, 2023

Association of Ilocanos in Manitoba Christmas Party, Dec. 9

Association of Ilocanos in Manitoba officers with special guest, Cindy Lamoureux, MLA for Tyndall Park

Mindoreños Association of Manitoba Christmas Party, Dec. 9

Mindoreños Association of Manitoba officers, members and guests

Rose & Dionie Lanoria’s 45th Wedding Anniversary, Dec. 10

Rose and Dionie Lanoria celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary with family and friends

DECEMBER 16 - 31, 2023

OUR COMMUNITY PILIPINO EXPRESS

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Pinays Manitoba Christmas Party, Dec. 2

The Pinays Manitoba members wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Proud to be Pinay!

The “human Christmas tree” game and the competing teams show their creative work with glee!

Pinays Board of Directors, standing l-r: Araceli Ancheta, Meghan Marquez, Emmie Joaquin, Marita Salazar, Luella Sadicon, Belle Lerio. Seated l-r: Lucille Nolasco-Garrido, Winnie Navarro, Josie Concepcion, Connie De Villa. Not in photo: Leah Beltran.

It’s truly a Merry Christmas party for Pinays Manitoba members and families at the Viscount Gort Hotel. They enjoyed camaraderie, had a delicious lunch, sang Christmas carols, played games, and won lots of prizes.

BIBAK Association of Manitoba, Dec. 2

BIBAK Association of Manitoba officers, members and friends from Winnipeg, Steinbach, Morden, Pembina Valley, Brandon, Neepawa, Gladstone, and Portage La Prairie

EH KASI, PINOY!

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PILIPINO EXPRESS

KROSWORD NO. 431 Ni Bro. Gerry Gamurot

PAHALANG 2. Batingaw 9. Iwasto 11. Kahuyan 13. Bihasa 14. Silong 15. Ipinanalangin 17. Pantukoy 18. ___ Angeles 20. Yugyog 22. Punglo 26. Epekto 29. Bigyan ng pamasko 32. Sandata ng sundalo 33. Kaparangan 34. Bahay ampunan 35. Tuwa 36. Panata PABABA 1. Tali 2. Partner ng ulam 3. Batang lalaki 4. Maliit na ibon 5. Kagyat 6. Taling 7. Patalastas 8. Kapatid

10. Pindang 12. Bulong 16. Gastos 19. Itaas 21. Hangad 23. Pagkalaglag 24. Unawa 25. Sabi nila 26. Kapok 27. Isama 28. Nawa 30. Galaw ng dagat 31. Ligaw

SAGOT SA NO. 430

DECEMBER 16 - 31, 2023

39 OFWs from Israel home for Christmas Two batches of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Israel arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on December 11 and 13 just in time to celebrate Christmas with their families.

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) welcomed to the country 39 returning OFWs, composed of caregivers and hotel workers, who arrived via Etihad Airways.

Senior officials and personnel from concerned government agencies were present at the NAIA to welcome the returning OFWs. The DMW said this follows the order of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for a “whole of government approach” in helping all OFWs returning from Israel.

Upon arrival, the OFW returnees were asked to fill out their information sheets which will be used for their monitoring, and as bases for the provision of additional services for them.

They also received immediate assistance upon arrival and other forms of support.

Each OFW returnee received PHP50,000 financial assistance from OWWA, PHP20,000 livelihood assistance from the DSWD, and PHP5,000 and skills training vouchers from TESDA. The DOH also extended medical assistance to the OFW returnees.

The repatriates will also receive comprehensive reintegration assistance and job facilitation services for other employment opportunities, whether here or in another country.

To date, a total of 374 OFWs

and 14 children from Israel, and 61 from Lebanon have been repatriated by the Philippine government since the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched their attack in southern Israel on October 7. – PNA

DECEMBER 16 - 31, 2023

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