Dr. Anton Juan’s lecture on Philippine culture hits home

www.filipinostar.org

Vol. XXX, No. 3 March 2012 http://www.filipinostar.org

Dr. Anton Juan’s lecture onPhilippine culture hits home

Dr. Anton Juan, a professor at Notre Dame University in Indiana, delivered a lecture on Philippinecultural heritage which he is passionate about. He urges Filipinos to remember their culture ashe says, if we forget it, we will also forget our values.

Reported by Z. Ferry-Kharroubi

Governments of Canada and Quebecinvest in affordable housing

Québec, March 19, 2012 – TheGovernments of Canada and Quebecannounced the signing of a newagreement that will result in aninvestment of $346 million over threeyears and that will help improve thehousing conditions of Quebechouseholds in need. The Investment inAffordable Housing 2011 2014Agreement was confirmed today, inQuébec, by the Honourable DianeFinley, Minister of Human Resourcesand Skills Development and Ministerresponsible for Canada Mortgage andHousing Corporation (CMHC), and byLaurent Lessard, Minister of MunicipalAffairs, Regions and Land Occupancy,who is also the Minister responsible forthe Société d’habitation du Québec(SHQ).

“Our Government understands

how important affordable housing is inbuilding safe communities and at thesame time, economic growth,” saidMinister Finley. “We are very pleased to

work with the provincial government indelivering solutions throughout Quebec,

See Page 7 Housing

Montreal, March 16, 2012 - Inspite of the short notice, a bigaudience was on hand to listen to Dr.Anton Juan, a UP alumnus and a fulltenured professor at Notre DameUniversity in Indiana, who came toMontreal on a brief visit,accompanied by the PhilippineEmbassy diplomatic corps, thePhilippine Ambassador, Leslie Gatanand his wife, Mrs. Debbie Gatan, andConsul and First Secretary Porfirio M.Mayo, Jr., and his wife, Mrs. FleridaAnne Camille P. Mayo, also a Consuland First Secretary. FAMAS headedby Au Osdon, a UP Alumna, alongwith members of the executive boardand volunteers made all thearrangements at 6767 Cote desNeiges, a community resource centerwhere the welcome reception washeld. Co-hosts are: The Auxiliary forFAMAS, Ladies and Knights of Rizal,Tess and Derek Fincham and theCouncil of Canadian Filipinos ofQuebec.

Dr. Juan’s main themeseemed to have driven home the

point that Filipinos everywhere need toremember their culture and pass it onto their children. He urged us toemulate heroic deeds because if wedo not, we do not really remember ourculture and we also forget our values.

It was evident from the verybeginning of his lecture that he waswell versed with Philippine history andthat he was not only delivering aspeech but also helping us build aunique Filipino identity which we seemto be losing after a long absence fromour home country. He interspersedhis lecture with humorous anecdotesthat elicited laughter. Time passedunnoticeable as he really made a lot ofsense and provoked some questions.For instance, he said “Of course, wecan have fun, but we can also have thetruth.” He pointed out not only ourstrengths but also our weaknesses.“Instead of erecting towers ofknowledge, we are destroyingourselves at the bottom.”

Dr. Juan traced the roots ofPhilippine cultural history - from theancient times to the present. Hepresented examples of great works ofart by Filipinos. He said that we as anation must be proud of ourselves.We have many talented artists,

See Page 4 - Philippine culture

Hon. Diane Finley, Minister of HumanResources and Skills Development Laurent Lessard, Minister of Municipal

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March 20122 The North American Filipino Star


5320-A Queen Mary Road

Montreal, Quebec H4C 1T7

Tel.: 514-485-7861

E-Mail: [email protected]

Published by: Filcan Publications, Inc.

Zenaida Ferry KharroubiChief Editor & Publisher

Sam KevinNews & Layout Editor

Hilda T. VelosoW.G. QuiambaoCommunity News

Bernardo SarmientoOpinion Editorial

Al AbdonJerry Estrada

Alberto Baens SantosColumnists Bert Abiera

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The opinions expressed by the writers and columnists do not necessarily reflect thatof the management of the North American Filipino Star nor its editors.

��5 March 2012

Disappointed at the Departmentof National Defence’s InactionBy Patricia (Pat) Varga

How could two departments ofthe federal government be sodiametrically opposed? I ask this questionbecause there are two economic supportprograms for our veterans in play here.

One is the Service PersonsIncome Security Insurance Plan LongTerm Disability (SISIP LTD), a mandatoryinsurance program for Canadian Forces(CF) members, and the other is theVeterans Affairs Canada Earnings LossBenefit (VAC ELB).

Before October 2011 the NewVeterans Charter (NVC) and the ServicePerson’s’ Income Security Insurance Plan(SISIP) provided for 75% of a CanadianForces member’s salary at release – thetwo programs were exactly the same.Injured members were on one or theother.

Last year, in response to appealsfrom veterans’ groups, such as The RoyalCanadian Legion, the federal governmentannounced they would increase thebenefit to ensure basic needs as shelter,food, clothing, etc., could be met. VACimplemented the increased amount to theELB program on 3 October 2011. TheDepartment of National Defence(DND)/CF did not. Therefore, there is nowa huge inequity! Through no fault of theirown we have some veterans who havebeen injured attributable to their militaryservice being paid $40,000 per year andsome at less than $20,000.

This is an unacceptable situationand needs to be fixed now. We have givenDND and the CF ample time to fix thisinequity but there has been nocommitment to date. Now, with the federalgovernment deficit reduction a certainty,The Royal Canadian Legion is looking fora commitment and a firm date.

This is a substantive example ofhow the federal government’s deficitreduction program is being run on thebacks of our veterans. Surely our veteransdeserve better treatment than this. Thosethat have been injured in the performanceof their duties with the CF deserve thesame income support regardless of whichprogram they are on. This is only fair.

It is inconceivable thatinstitutions such as the CF and the federalgovernment can stand up and say wecare for our troops and we care for ourown when they treat the most vulnerableof our veterans so shoddily.

Young men and women todayjoin the CF for a rewarding career. To haveit cut short by a debilitating injury ishard enough, however, the loss of asuitable income should they beunable to work again is a two-foldburden that they should not have tobear.

Patricia (Pat) Varga is the DominionPresident of The Royal CanadianLegion.

For more information call Bob Butt at613-591-3335 Extension 241 from 8a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday.

Letter to the Editor

After hearing Dr. Anton Juanspeak about Philippine culturalheritage, we felt quite pleasantlysurprised to learn that we have such arich cultural heritage. Perhaps, someof us knew this before but the longabsence from our home countrymakes us forget the past Moreover,not many parents have the time toteach their children about Philippinehistory. As years go by, and ourchildren grow up, we have not reallybeen diligent enough to go out of ourway to show something that will makethem understand that their parentscame from a civilized country, evenbefore the Western powers came tocolonize us. This lecture reminds us ofour obligation to show to our youththat cultural traditions connect us toour ancestors and provide a culturaltreasure that connect generations toone another, providing continuity andidentification.

It is quite a refreshing and aninspiring experience to listen toanother Filipino whose heart is full ofpassion for Philippine culture. He hascaptured the admiration of his fellow“kababayan” in realizing that we areblessed for having so many greatartists, and beautiful workscomparable to any other country in theworld. He has also shown us that wecan afford to laugh at ourselves, notbecause of any feeling of inferiority butbecause we can accept our commonhumanity.

Culture has always been quitean interesting aspect of our existencefor it reflects our values as a nation. Itis also a fundamental part of ouridentity which can easily beundermined by feeling of inferiorityand insecurity. What Dr. Juan gave usthrough this lecture is knowledge ofour own cultural history that makes usrealize that we have something to beproud about. He has shown to us themany wonderful things that we havemissed or failed to understand.

Having the experience oflistening to lectures similar to Dr.Juan’s is certainly a positive steptowards broadening our commonknowledge of our culture. It is also anopportunity to have a dialogue withothers and begin to understand whatis behind our apparent disunity. Oftentimes, we make critical comments thatare the result of miscommunication.On the other hand, if we manage towork on the idea that we havecommon values as Filipinos, we mayeventually succeed in overcoming thenegative traits of a “crab mentality” ofwhich we easily accuse others of.

Although Dr. Juan did notdiscuss the issue of community unity,he has probably made it possible tothink about this in relation to Filipinocultural traditions. There are manyorganizations in our community thatare based on dialects which seem toimply that there is an inherent obstacleto community unity because of thefragmentation created. When the timecomes to hold festivities, each groupseems to have the desire to have theirown party. Naturally, the dissipation ofresources is unavoidable and thesuccess of any activity iscompromised because of lack ofsupport. Even though it is a commonopinion that there are too manyassociations in the community, no onecan do anything about it. Maybe, it ispart of our being Filipino to form clicksor groups which we call in thevernacular “barkada.”

We are looking forward to thenext visit of Dr. Juan when he brings toMontreal the play about migrants andoverseas workers. Perhaps, this willgive us the opportunity to demonstratethat in spite of our apparent differencesfrom time to time, we can worktogether as a community to supportsomeone like Dr. Juan who has manyaccomplishments that make us proudfor being a Filipino.

Zenaida Ferry Kharroubi

Raising awareness and pride ofour cultural identity

(March 16, 2012) This weekmarks the centenary of the birth of IrvingLayton. I had the honour to participate intributes in his memory this past weekendin Ottawa and Montreal, where I joinedwith fellow students of his - which I was -and fellow admirers of his life and work,which I continue to be.

As I noted on the occasion, wewere there to celebrate and remember agreat teacher, poet, wordsmith, architectof language - a poetic genius with anabiding jeremiad against injustice.

Indeed, given his intense biblicalimage - his powerful, resonant voice, hisrailing against injustice - I rememberfeeling (I was studying Jeremiah at thetime) that Jeremiah must have looked andsounded like Irving Layton.

Between 1952 and 1955, IrvingLayton was my teacher not only inliterature and the humanities, but in theentirety of the secular studies program atHerzliah Junior High School - includingphysics, chemistry and math. The result

was that I learned a great deal aboutliterature and the humanities, but very littleabout physics, chemistry and math.

Irving Layton: a teacher and friend

See Page 7 Irving LaytonTelecommunicationsDecisions

Today's announcement willprovide Canadian families with morechoices at low prices for wirelessservices

Russell, Ontario, March 14,2012—Today, the HonourableChristian Paradis, Minister of Industry,announced that the HarperGovernment will be taking action toprovide Canadian families with morechoices at low prices for wirelessservices.

"The Harper Governmentunderstands that Canadian familieswork hard for their money and thatthey want their government to makedecisions that will help them keepmore of it," said Minister Paradis. "The

measures I am outlining today willensure the timely availability of world-class wireless services at low pricesfor Canadian families, including thosein rural areas."

Minister Paradis announcedthat:The Telecommunications Act willbe amended to lift foreign investmentrestrictions for telecom companies thathold less than a 10-percent share ofthe total Canadian telecom-munications market. This will helptelecom companies with a smallmarket share access the capital theyneed to grow and compete.

The government will beapplying caps in the upcoming

Harper Government Takes Actionto Support Canadian Families

See Page 14 Telecommunications

March 2012 3The North American Filipino Star


What is a cooperative?A co-operative is an enterprise thatprovides goods or services run by anautonomous association of personsaccording to democratic values, principlesand rules.

What distinguishes co-operatives is avalues-driven business model.In other words, a co-operative is:

A group of persons who collectivelyassume the responsibilities of businessowners

an enterprise in which the co-owners arethe users

an enterprise that seeks above all tomaximize the various benefits enjoyed bymembers as business people, users andcitizens

an enterprise that uses capital but doesnot make it the basis of members’decision-making power

An enterprise governed by rules whichgive members equal control and ensureequitable distribution of contributions andgains

an enterprise that encourages inter-cooperation in the process of building thebusiness and in contributing to thecommunity in which it operates

an enterprise that makes education, andespecially the sharing of knowledge andinformation, an essential part of itsapproach to doing business.

Under the law, a co-operative is alegal entity by means of which individualsor companies unite to meet commoneconomic, social or cultural needs byoperating a business in keeping with theprinciples governing co-operatives.

The 7 guiding principles of co-operatives1st principle: Voluntary and open

membership2nd principle: Democratic member

control3rd principle: Member economic

participation4th principle: Autonomy and

independence5th principle: Education, training and

information6th principle: Co-operation among

co-operatives7th principle: Concern for

communityThe 5 co-operative values

Self-help and self-responsibilityDemocracy

EqualityEquitySolidarity

To learn more about the principles andvalues, visit:http://www.cdr.coop/co-operative/une-coop-c%E2%80%99est-quoi/

Types of co-operatives

Producer co-operatives

These can be created by independentbusiness people, artists, farmers orother producers. They establish anenterprise that typically has a dualmission. The primary purpose is totransform and market products andservices, but members may also usethe co-operative to consolidatepurchasing, thereby obtainingsignificant savings on the goods andservices necessary to theirprofessional activities.

Over the decades, producerco-operatives have proven effective inthe agricultural and arts sectors. Butthe model is also applicable to a widevariety of producers working in aconstantly evolving economy.

Consumer co-operativesThere is an old Radio-Canada

TV series called La Pépinière whichrevolved around the ups and downs ofa group of tenants attempting to turntheir apartment building into a housingco-operative. It’s quite a similar storywhen enterprising consumers decideto create a co-operative to takeadvantage of greater purchasingpower in procuring goods or servicesfor their personal use. The members ofa consumer co-operative are assuredthat their business will be attentive totheir needs.

These types of co-operativescan be found in sectors such as food,housing, educational goods andservices, financial services, in-homeservices, funerary services and cableservices, to name just a few of thepossible areas in which consumer co-operatives could be established.

Solidarity or multi-stakeholder co-operatives

The defining feature of thistype of co-operative, which wasdeveloped by a group connected withthe CDR in Montréal-Laval in 1997, isthe diversity of its members and itsopenness to a wide range of partners.The solidarity co-operative makes itpossible for people who share acommon cause or interest, but havedifferent needs, to join together in a

COOPERATIVE NEWS single service enterprise.Unlike other types of co-

operatives that have only onecategory of member (workers,producers, consumers), the solidarityco-operative brings together serviceusers and employees. In this type ofco-operative, these people cancombine to meet their needs andaspirations.

In addition, any person orcompany with an economic, social orcultural interest in fulfilling the co-operative’s mission can join as asupporting member.

Employee-shareholder co-operativesAs its name suggests, the

employee-shareholder co-operativemakes it possible for employees toacquire equity in their company andparticipate in its management. Thisinvestment allows employees to beactively involved in shaping thebusiness. The employees only holdvoting shares indirectly: the co-operative is actually the shareholderand it names a member of the Boardof Directors to represent the workers.

With the creation of anemployee-shareholder co-operative, acompany can benefit from an influx ofcapital from the employees, a stimuluswhich has the added advantage ofstrengthening the ties between seniormanagement and the employees. Theemployee-shareholder co-operative isinvolved in running the company inthe best interest of its members andsharing its gains. The interest of themembers coincides with the interest ofthe company as the company’ssuccess becomes everybody’sbusiness.

This type of worker co-operative, which is mostly found inQuébec, originated in Montreal in1985. Since then, it has taken root invarious sectors, including newtechnologies, wood processing,manufacturing and transportation.

Worker co-operativesIn this type of cooperative,

workers seeking to create jobs orprotect existing ones come together torun their own company and in sodoing create working conditions oftheir own choosing. Of course, onemust work for the co-operative tobecome a member. The workers areboth employees and owners of thecompany and they control all itsoperations.

In addition to their wages anddepending on the profitability of thebusiness, the worker-owners canperiodically receive returns based ontheir contribution to the coop.

There are more and moreyoung professionals and self-employed persons who wish toimprove their conditions by formingthis type of co-operative, which isalready growing in sectors such asconsulting-engineering, computertechnology, the environment, land-useplanning, business advisoryserviceoperatives and how to startone, contact the Coopérative dedéveloppement régional de Montréal-Laval:

The mission of theCoopérative de développementrégional de Montréal-Laval is topromote co-operatives within itsoperating territory and to offer co-operatives and prospectiveentrepreneurs expertise andcustomized support, especially inconnection with producer and workerco-operatives.

The CDR de Montréal-Lavalprovides personalized support tobusiness people through the entireprocess of setting up a co-operative,from initial idea to start-up.

The team of advisors helpsbusiness people with each of thefollowing steps: project feasibility,legal structure, knowledge transferand start-up, as well as personalizedservices such as training concerningthe Cooperatives Act and taxregulations and various consulting

See Page 8 Cooperatives

March 20124


The North American Filipino Star

I've been living in Canada for 43 yearsbut I've never returned home to thePhilippines even once. However myinterest in our culture that I've almostforgotten has been renewed after hearingDr. Anton Juan's lecture on cultural historyof the Philippines on March 16 at 6767Cote des Neiges. He was successful inreconnecting Filipinos in Montreal to theirroot. In fact, James de la Paz, president ofCouncil of Canadian-Filipino Associationsof Quebec and Manny Lagasca, formerFAMAS director, remarked, "He knowswhat he is talking about. Ok ito."

It is no wonder why Juan's lectureabout the cultural history of the Philippinesappealed to men and women, young andold. He has an impressive background.

The list of Juan's achievementsand recognitions is long. Internationallyrecognized for his works that oftenchallenge convention, playwright anddirector Juan is a Tenured Full Professorand Theatre Director at the University ofNotre Dame du Lac in the USA. Hecompleted his Ph. D in semiotics at theKadistrian and Pandhellenic University ofAthens. To honor his contributions to thearts, Juan has been Knighted twice by theFrench government, receiving theChevalier du L'ordre des Arts et Lettres in1992 and the Chevalier de L'odre Nationalde Merit in 2002. He also received theAlexander Onassis International Award forTheatre (Playwriting) and the Special JuryPrize Screenplay from the Cine ManilaInternational Film Festival. In addition, hereceived the Balagtas Award from theNational Writers Union of the Philippines,and won several playwriting awards fromthe Carlos Palanca Literary Awards.

Fluent in French, Italian, Spanish,Greek, English and Tagalog, Juandelivered his lecture with fluidity. When hetalked about the political history of thePhilippines, he confided that he alwaysmakes it a point to ask why the Philippineswas sold for US$30,000 to the Americans.He discussed the diversity anduniqueness of the Philippines with 85languages and 125 dialects. He talkedabout the cultural history of the Philippinesand its evolution - reflecting foreigncultures such as Spanish, Japanese,American and even Malaysian influences.For example, he explained that Zarzuela isa Spanish lyric-dramatic genre thatalternates between spoken and sungscenes. It featured the Filipinos' love forwomen that symbolized our Inang BayanHence, the Zarzuela was banned by theAmericans. He also talked about thebeauty of Filipinas who were calledmeztisas. The notion that only a mestizawas considered beautiful originated fromthe Spaniards that likened the mestiza toa Saint. He said the media sadlyhypnotized our culture.

The lecture about the culturalhistory of the Philippines lasted for morethan two hours but Juan managed tocapture the interest of the audience withhis sense of humor that oftentimes elicited

a roar of laughter. He told a story that inGreece, when someone dies, Greeks praysilently on the wake but in the Philippines,Filipinos serve food and play mahjongand cards. Moeover, he finds thefondness of Filipinos strange for posing forpictures at the funeral parlour or cemetery.He asked a rhetorical question whyFilipinos are considered the best players ofthe flute. He said this is because of theshape of our flat nose.

Juan is not only deliriously funnybut also undoubtedly witty. He seemed tohave answers for almost everything. Whena female member of the audience fromMexico asked why it was important topreserve our culture, he said, "Honey,when we die, our names will carry it. Weshould be deeply involved in our culture."

Juan strongly urged the Filipinoswho are going back to the Philippines notonly to look for restaurants but also towatch cultural shows because Filipinoshave immense talents.

"Our children have no memoriesof our culture," Juan said. "They shouldremember and know their culture."

Juan's plays usually deal withsocial issues that have messages. Hehopes to bring here his play, Bayan,Bayanan, a play about the lives of migrantsand overseas workers, in the near future.

The next time Juan visitsMontreal, make sure you don't miss hislecture or his play. You won’t regret it.

*************

Juan’s lecture is entertaining andeducational by W. G. Quiambaosingers, musicians, painters, and

artisans. He showed examples ofnative designs that are unique as theyare dreamed by the weaversthemselves. He mentioned how NoraAunor raised the bar of acting. Heshowed a young Dr. Jose Rizal andsome of his works. What surprisedmany people in the audience was Dr.Rizal’s sculpture that predated theStatue of Liberty. It would seem thatthis Statue was a copy of his work.

Some misconceptions andmyths were dispelled by Dr. Juan, andeven educated us about the truenature of Philippine languages that weused to believe consisted of 87dialects. By defining what a languageis, he said that the Philippines have 85languages and 125 dialects. He madeus understand the differentmovements portrayed in mostPhilippine folk dances Using bodylanguage and gestures, he was quiteamusing and entertaining when hemade comments about commonmistakes in the interpretation of someof our native dances. He cited somestrange practices of Filipinos liketaking a picture with the dead, playingcards and mahjong and serving foodduring the wake for relatives and lovedones. On the other hand, the Greekspray solemnly which he observedfirsthand because he lived and studiedin Greece for several years.

Dr. Juan referred to the

different times of colonization of thePhilippines - the long years underSpain, then under the Americans, andthe Japanese for a brief period. Heexplained that we survived all thesedifficult times because of our piety.“Without piety, we would have notsurvived.” But he could not helpasking a disturbing question – why didSpain sell the Philippines to the UnitedStates for $30,000 dollars? Filipinosalready won independence fromSpain at that time. He said that eventhough the French gave him an awardtwo times, he kept raising the questionwhy they did not follow the terms oftheir own treaty.

At the conclusion of hislecture, he stated that “culture andknowledge are the two ends of ourexperience.” He acknowledged thatby the very nature of our culture anddifferent languages, we have diversitybut in spite of this, we have a unity ofspirit. He did not elaborate much on

the issue of community unity althoughhe seemed to have acknowledged thatthis is a common problem amongdifferent communities where we findFilipinos around the world. Forexample, why do Filipino businesses,in particular, the restaurants do not lastlong? This is due to the lack ofpatronage from fellow Filipinos. Hesurmised that this could be due to thefact that some Filipinos prefer to cooktheir own food at home, andsometimes even claim that they cookbetter than the restaurants

Finally, Dr. Juan stated that thenext opportunity he has will be aboutcorruption which is admittedly part ofPhilippine culture. He jokinglywondered aloud – how couldFernando Poe, Jr., a well-known folkhero, receive zero in many pollingplaces in the Muslim districts duringhis election battle with GMA.

Dr. Juan has plans of bringinga play to Montreal regarding migrantand overseas workers entitled “Bayan,Bayanan.” He is interested in findingout if this play will gather support fromthe Montreal community. Even thoughit is in the vernacular, there will beEnglish subtitles so that it can beunderstood by foreign audiences.Many community leaders expressedgreat interest in helping promote thisevent. At press time, it is not yetknown when this will be realized.

The launching of the 7thAmbassadors, Consuls General, andTourism Directors Tour to the

Philippines was presented before thelecture, and then resumed at the endof the question and answer period.Ambassador Leslie Gatan spokebriefly about the economic benefits ofhaving Filipino-Canadians visit thePhilippines for it helps create jobs.Mrs. Gatan also gave a short talkabout the tour and encouragedeveryone to participate. Informationflyers were given out. Those who areinterested in joining the tour cancontact the Philippine Embassy inOttawa.at telephone 613-233-1121.Locally, they can contact Ms. ShinetteKhoury. of Galleon Travel.

Anton Juan was born on 25November 1950. He obtained his primaryand secondary education at the Ateneo deManila University, and his BA inComparative Literature at the University ofthe Philippines. He received a series ofgrants and scholarships abroad, notably inItaly, France, Greece, Japan, and the U.S.His Ph.D. in Semiology earned him a markof Arista (equivalent to summa cum laude)from the University of Athens. His post-doctoral work includes a HitachiFoundation grant for a study of theJapanese Noh theater and Butoh dance,and a Fulbright grant for research onFilipino production during the Americanoccupation, which won the CentennialPrize for the full-length play “The Price ofRedemption.” His numerous awardsinclude the Alexander Onassis FoundationInternational Prize for Playwriting, theFrench Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts etLettres, Manila's “Alagad ng Sining,” UPChancellor's Most Outstanding Faculty andMost Outstanding Artist, Asian CulturalCouncil Award, and various PalancaAwards. He continues to be an activelecturer, workshop panelist, visitingprofessor, director, designer, and librettistfor productions in the Visayas, Mindanaoand Europe.

Compiled by

Alberto Baens Santos

From Page 1 Philippine culture

Biographical Notes

Philippine Ambassador Leslie Gatan and Mrs. Gatan enjoying the lecture of Dr. Juan.Photo shows part of the big audience. (Photo: Courtesy of Bert Santos.)

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Statement by Minister Ambrose

on International Women's WeekThe following is a statement

by the Honourable Rona Ambrose,Minister of Public Works andGovernment Services and Minister forStatus of Women, on the occasion ofInternational Women's Day, March 8,and International Women's Week,March 4 to 10.

International Women's Week isa time to celebrate women of all agesand to honour their invaluablecontributions to our families, ourcommunities, our country and ourworld. Each year, this week providesCanadians with the opportunity tocelebrate women's achievements, pastand present. It is also a time tocelebrate women's extraordinarypotential.

Canada's theme forInternational Women's Week 2012 isStrong Women, Strong Canada –Women in Rural, Remote and NorthernCommunities: Key to Canada'sEconomic Prosperity.

Women are crucial to the well-being and prosperity of theircommunities throughout Canada,whether they are in urbanenvironments, agricultural areas orremote settlements in Canada's North.

With this year's theme, we callon Canadians to honour the threemillion women and girls who live andwork in the 5,200 rural, remote andNorthern communities from coast tocoast to coast.

Our government is working toensure women in rural, remote andNorthern communities can live freefrom harm, improve their lives, andparticipate fully in their communitiesand the Canadian economy. To thatend, we have announced funding thisweek for 48 new projects totalling over$12 million across Canada.

To all Canadians, I extend my very best

wishes for a happy InternationalWomen's Day and a fulfillingInternational Women's Week.

HOUSE OF COMMONS TO TAKEFINAL VOTE ON THE SAFESTREETS AND COMMUNITIESACT (BILL C-10)

VAUGHAN, March 7, 2012 – TheHonourable Rob Nicholson, P.C., Q.C.,M.P. for Niagara Falls, Minister ofJustice and Attorney General ofCanada, accompanied by theHonourable Julian Fantino, AssociateMinister of National Defence, andSenator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu,today welcomed the final vote in theHouse of Commons on the SafeStreets and Communities Act (Bill C-10).

“Canadians gave ourgovernment a strong mandate to crackdown on child predators and violentdrug traffickers,” said MinisterNicholson. “We promised to do that inthe first 100 sitting days of Parliamentand today we will deliver on thatcommitment.”

“More than 7.4 millionCanadians became victims of crime in2009 alone,” said Senator Boisvenu.“We want to prevent furthervictimization and that means keepingdangerous and violent criminals off ourstreets.”

“Our government is achievingresults in our commitment to buildingsafer communities. I advocated forsuch legislation during my years aspolice chief, and am very pleased thatthis Government is delivering on ourcommitments,” said Minister Fantino.“We are ensuring those guilty ofvictimizing law abiding Canadians willserve sentences that better reflect theseverity of their crimes.”

The Safe Streets andCommunities Act re-introduces thefollowing reforms:

The Protecting Children fromSexual Predators Act (former Bill C-54), which will increase penalties forsexual offences against children, aswell as create two new offences aimedat conduct that could facilitate orenable the commission of a sexualoffence against a child;

The Penalties for OrganizedDrug Crime Act (former Bill S-10),which targets serious drug crimes,including those committed byorganized crime, by imposing toughersentences for the production andtrafficking of illicit drugs;

Sébastien's Law (Protecting the Publicfrom Violent Young Offenders) (formerBill C-4), which will better protectCanadians from violent and repeatyoung offenders and make theprotection of society a paramountconsideration in the management ofyoung offenders by the justice system;

The Ending House Arrest forProperty and Other Serious Crimes bySerious and Violent Offenders Act(former Bill C-16), which will eliminatethe use of conditional sentences, orhouse arrest, for serious and violentcrimes;

The Increasing OffenderAccountability Act (former Bill C-39),which will enshrine a victim's right toparticipate in parole hearings andaddress inmate accountability,responsibility, and management underthe Corrections and ConditionalRelease Act;

The Eliminating Pardons forSerious Crimes Act (former Bill C-23B), which will extend the ineligibilityperiods for applications for a recordsuspension (currently called a"pardon") to five years for summaryconviction offences and to ten yearsfor indictable offences;

The Keeping Canadians Safe(International Transfer of Offenders)Act (former Bill C-5), which will addadditional criteria that the Minister ofPublic Safety could consider whendeciding whether or not to allow thetransfer of a Canadian offender backto Canada to serve their sentence;

The Justice for Victims of

Terrorism Act and relatedamendments to the State ImmunityAct (former Bill S-7), which will allowvictims of terrorism to sue perpetratorsand supporters of terrorism, includinglisted foreign states, for loss ordamage that occurred as a result of anact of terrorism committed anywherein the world; and

The Preventing the Trafficking,Abuse and Exploitation of VulnerableImmigrants Act (former Bill C-56),which will authorize immigrationofficers to refuse work permits tovulnerable foreign nationals when it isdetermined that they are at risk ofhumiliating or degrading treatment,including sexual exploitation or humantrafficking.

Backgrounder: Safe Streets &Communities Act

A detailed backgrounder onIncreasing Offender Accountabilitycan be found on Public SafetyCanada’s Web site.

-30-

Ref.:Julie Di MambroPress SecretaryOffice of the Minister of Justice613-992-4621Media RelationsDepartment of Justice613-957-4207

March 2012


The North American Filipino Star6

Dear EarthTalk: Americanfarmers are an aging population. Isanyone doing anything to make sureyounger people are taking up thisprofession in large enough numbersto keep at least some of our foodproduction domestic?-- Beverly Smith, Milwaukee, WI

Indeed American farmers as awhole are an aging group today asyoung people gravitate more towardsvirtual realities than tilling in the soil.The National Young Farmers’Coalition (NYFC) reports that the totalnumber of American farmers hasdeclined from over six million in 1910to just over two million today, and thatfor each farmer under the age of 35there are now six over 65. With theaverage age of U.S. farmers now at57, one quarter (500,000) of allAmerican farmers will retire over thenext two decades. U.S. Secretary ofAgriculture Tom Vilsack is calling forhundreds of thousands of newfarmers nationwide, but convincingyoung people to take up farmingremains a hard sell.

NYFC would like to see actionat the local, state and federal levels tohelp beginning farmers. “At the locallevel, communities can create marketopportunities for farmers by startingCommunity Supported Agriculturegroups and shopping at farmersmarkets, as well as protecting existingfarmland through zoning and thepurchase of development rights.”States can be helpful, the group adds,by offering incentives to preservefarmland and giving tax credits forfarmers who sell their land to newpractitioners.

But real change has to comefrom the top down. NYFC and othersare pinning their hopes on theinclusion of the “Beginning Farmersand Ranchers Opportunity Act” inCongress’ next Farm Bill. The purposeof the proposed legislation is to investin the next generation of Americanagricultural and livestock producersby enabling access to land, credit and

crop insurance to help new farmersand ranchers launch or strengthentheir businesses and become betterstewards of their land.

“The future of family farmingand ranching in America—and theviability of our nation’s food supply—depends upon removing existingobstacles to entry into farming so thatmore people can start to farm,” saysthe National Sustainable AgricultureCoalition, another backer of theproposed legislation. “This billencompasses a national strategy foraddressing those barriers, focusing onthe issues that consistently rank as the

greatest challenges for beginningproducers.” Backers of the bill warnthat, at a cost of just a fraction of onepercent of the U.S. Department ofAgriculture’s (USDA’s) budget, thenation can’t afford not to pass the billgiven its potential long term benefits toboth our food supply and trade deficit.

The good news is that interestin healthier, greener food is driving aresurgence in organic agriculture. Assuch, many of the new farmerscropping up to replace their retiredforebears are eschewing geneticallymodified crops and harsh chemicals,thus improving the quality of ouragricultural land base overall.

Tierney Creech of theWashington Young Farmers’ Coalition(WYFC) calls this influx of greenenthusiasm an agrarian revival. “We’renot just a few people spread acrossthe country, we’re a well organized,politically active group that can bedocumented,” she says. “We knowwho our senators and representativesare, we vote, and our friends andfamilies vote. We need USDA andgovernment support to succeed andwe’re going to let the nation knowthat.”

CONTACTS: NYFC,www.youngfarmers.org; NationalSustainable Agriculture Coalition,www.sustainableagricul ture.net;W Y F C ,www.washingtonyoungfarmers.org;Beginning Farmers and RanchersOpportunity Act, thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:H.R.3236: (includeending colon).E - The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: I can’t seem tofind any natural bug repellents that

really work so I end up using theharsh, chemical varieties. Are thereany really effective bug repellants thataren’t chemically based, or otherstrategies we can use to keep bugs atbay? -- Melissa Armantine,New Paltz, NY

While the industry standardinsect repellents rely on the insecticideDEET (N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide) tokeep bugs at bay, many environmentaland public health advocates worry thatregular long-term exposure to even

small amounts of the chemical cannegatively affect the human nervoussystem.

The U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) reports that,in studies, DEET has been shown tobe “of low acute toxicity,” although itcan irritate the eyes, mouth and skin.The EPA concluded after acomprehensive 1998 assessment thatDEET does not present a health risk aslong as consumers follow labeldirections and take properprecautions. And since nothing worksquite as well as DEET in deterringdisease-carrying ticks andmosquitoes, the Centers for DiseaseControl (CDC) is relatively bullish onits use in order to reduce incidences ofLyme disease, encephalitis and otherinsect-borne diseases.

Regardless, many consumerswould prefer natural alternatives, andthere are several companies alreadyselling DEET-free insect repellents,many of which use essential oils astheir active ingredients. WebMDreports that soy-based repellentformulas (such as Bite Blocker forKids) are the most effective substitutesfor DEET, usually lasting for 90minutes, which is longer than somelow-concentration DEET formulas.Some other leading alternativerepellents include All Terrain’s HerbalArmor, Quantum Health’s Buzz AwayExtreme, Lakon Herbals BygoneBugz, and California Baby’s NaturalBug Blend Repellent.

WebMD adds that, despitepopular opinion, products containingcitronella are not the best non-chemical choice, as their effectivenesstypically wanes within an hour.Likewise, peppermint oil and someother plant-based oils are alsoeffective as insect repellents. Evenvenerable Avon Skin-So-Soft bath oil,long thought to deter pests as well asDEET, only keeps mosquitoes awayfor up to a half hour.

Beyond repellents, there aremany other ways to keep pests away.For one, avoid floral fragrances fromperfume, deodorant or other sourcesthat can attract mosquitoes and otherbugs. The EarthEasy websiterecommends eliminating standingwater around your home to keepmosquito breeding at bay. Bird baths,wading pools and pet water bowlsshould be changed at least twice aweek; also make sure your gutters aredraining properly. Also, sincemosquitoes are attracted by carbondioxide released from campfires andbarbeque grills, EarthEasyrecommends throwing sage orrosemary on the coals to repel themosquitoes.

If all else fails and DEET isyour only option, use it sparingly. TheAmerican Academy of Pediatricsrecommends using repellents with nomore than a 30 percent concentrationof DEET for kids over two-months old(and no repellent for younger babies).Keep in mind that formulas with lowerconcentrations of DEET may work justas well as others but not for as long. A10 percent DEET concentration, forinstance, should work for up to twohours outside. Applying DEET-basedbug spray to your clothing instead ofskin can help minimize any negativeeffects of exposure. Also, kids andgrown-ups alike should wash off anyDEET-based repellents when they are“out of the woods” so to speak.

CONTACTS: EPA DEET FactSheet, factsheets/chemicals/deet.htm;CDC Insect Repellent Use & Safety,www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/qa/insect_repellent.htm; EarthEasy,www.eartheasy.com; AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics, www.aap.org;WebMD, www.webmd.com.EarthTalk® is written and edited byRoddy Scheer and Doug Moss and isa registered trademark of E - TheEnvironmental Magazine(www.emagazine.com). Sendquestions to:e a r t h t a l k @ e m a g a z i n e . c o m .S u b s c r i b e :www.emagazine.com/subscribe. FreeTrial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial.

There are several companies now selling natural insect repellents, many of which useessential oils as their active ingredients.Credit: iStockPhoto

Convincing young people to take up farmingis a hard sell but a necessary one: For eachAmerican farmer under the age of 35 thereare now six over 65 and one quarter(500,000) of all American farmers will retireover the next two decades. Credit:iStockPhoto

At a fish market, lookinto the crab barrel.

They never have to put alid on it because if one

crab crawls out, theothers will grab him and

pull him back down.That’s what negativepeer pressure does.

Ben Carson



Brucy Canada inc., a manufacturing company incement products (located in Les Cèdres, off highway20, 4km west of Dorion) is looking for candidates to

operate a robotic slab machine, lift-trucks, andgeneral manual work. Experience not needed, 40

hours per week, daytime only. Also included medical,dental, life, etc…benefits !

Please contact us.Roland Ferretti

Tel.: 450-452-4044 E-Mail: [email protected]: 450-452-2479 Toll free: 514-990-2940

1300, Montée LégerLes Cèdres (Qué.) J7T 1E9

for those that need it most.”“In addition to helping

thousands of citizens benefit from betterhousing conditions, the Government ofQuebec’s housing initiatives contributeto improving the quality of life for theentire population, as they havesignificant economic and social impactson all of Quebec society,” said MinisterLaurent Lessard. “By combining ourefforts with those of the Government ofCanada, we are maximizing the strengthof our actions, which is excellent news.”

With this new agreement, whichprovides for total annual jointinvestments of more than $115 million,Quebec will have greater flexibility in theuse of federal funding, which will allowthe SHQ, through its housing assistanceand home improvement programs, tomaintain its efforts to help Quebechouseholds in need find adequatehousing.

Today’s announcement fulfillsthe remainder of a five-year commitmentmade in September 2008 by theGovernment of Canada to provide morethan $1.9 billion to address the needs oflow-income Canadians, those at risk ofhomelessness, and the homeless.

The governments took theopportunity to recall the substantialsums invested from 2009 to 2011, underthe different programs that are designedto promote the wellness of the people ofQuebec by giving them access to qualityhousing and living environments.Canada’s Economic Action Plan

From 2009 to 2011, theGovernments of Canada and Quebecand their partners jointly provided more

than $552 million under Canada’sEconomic Action Plan. Theseinvestments allowed for thedevelopment of 86 community housingprojects, for a total of 2,189 units for low-income seniors and persons withdisabilities. An investment of $311million allowed for the renovation of1,236 low-rental housing projects, for atotal of 51,071 units.

Affordable Housing InitiativeThe extension of the Affordable

Housing Initiative generated totalcombined investments of nearly $114million from 2009 to 2011, to build 47additional affordable housing projects,for a total of 1,100 units.Joint concerted actions

It should be noted that theinvestments resulting from Canada’sEconomic Action Plan and theAffordable Housing Initiative build on allthe other actions taken by the SHQ inthis regard.

About the SHQThe SHQ’s mission is to

facilitate citizens’ access to appropriatehousing conditions. Each year, throughits various programs, the SHQ supportsmore than 240,000 households acrossQuebec.

In addition to helping thousandsof low-income households benefit frombetter housing conditions, the SHQ’sactions contribute to improving thequality of life for the entire population, asthey have economic and social impactson all of Quebec society. For moreinformation on this agency’s programsand services, visitwww.habitation.gouv.qc.ca/english.html.About CMHC

From Page 1 HousingTo find out more about how the

Government of Canada, through CMHC, isworking to build stronger homes andcommunities for all Canadians, call CMHC at1-800-668-2642 or visitwww.cmhc.ca/housingactionplan. For moreinformation on Canada’s Economic ActionPlan, call 1-800-O-Canada or visitwww.actionplan.gc.ca.

Sources:

Julie BoivinPress SecretaryOffice of the Minister of Municipal Affairs,Regions and Land Occupancy418-691-2050

Alyson QueenDirector of Communications

Office of Minister Finley819-994-2482Information:François SimardCommunications AdvisorSociété d’habitation du Québec418-643-4035, ext. 1341

[email protected]

Charles SauriolMedia RelationsCMHC613-748-2799

Mathilde CôtéCommunicationsCMHC, Quebec Region514-886-4019

Irving would teach us Shelley,Wordsworth, and Shakespeare, orPlato, Marx and Nietzsche, withappropriate criticisms. He would readfrom his own works in progress - suchas Red Carpet in the Sun - in thatresonant voice, that unique union ofmind, heart, spirit and passion.

Herewith an excerpt, as aliveand resonant today as when Irvingwrote the words:

"They dance best who dance withdesire

Who lifting feet of fire from fire

Weave, before they lie down

A Red Carpet for the Sun."

He was a great teacher:challenging, probing, provocative,evocative, passionate, audacious andinspiring. He had a unique andcompelling command of words, oflanguage. His words resonated in hispedagogy as in his poetry.

Irving Layton seemed tointernalize in his psyche, as well as inhis poetry, the romanticism of Shelley,the pantheism of Wordsworth, thedialectics of Hegel, the questioning ofSocrates - questioning whatever wasthe zeitgeist of the time. His passionfor justice, for the struggle againstinjustice, including the political

correctness that passed forconventional wisdom, was overriding.

Yes, sometimes there wassexual imagery or maddeningmetaphor that might have causedShelley to blush, or Wordsworth todisclaim, or the prophets to ask, wherewas God in all this?

Yet Irving - teaching us in themid-'50s, writing in the shadow of theHolocaust and the rebirth of the state ofIsrael - was alive always to the vulnerabilityof the powerless and the powerlessness ofthe vulnerable. He became the voice of thevoiceless; and it was a voice profoundlyJewish - though not religious, andunwaveringly universalistic in its message.He put himself on the line with his poetryand message.

And so it was that Irving Layton,my teacher, my mentor, my inspiration,became also my colleague and my friend.Our lives intersected at neuralgic points ofour respective being and becoming.

We both began our teaching atToronto's York University in 1970. We bothleft York and returned to Montreal, forreasons as much of esthetics asanthropology.

We joined hands early andoften in the struggle for Soviet Jewry -including the then-Soviet prisoner ofconscience Anatoly Sharansky.

And we would meet - not bydesign but by inclination and intuition -in the same haunts and hallways: theJewish Public Library, the BrownDerby restaurant, or the newsstand at

From Page 2 Irving Layton

See Page 14 Irving Layton

March 20128



Need Money?Do you have a full time job?If yes, call (514) 344-1499

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FAMAS with ACCESSS(l’Alliance des CommunautésCulturelles pour l’Égalité dans la Santéet les Services Sociaux) conducted atraining workshop for the elderly lastMarch 14 at the community centre.The workshop was attended byFAMAS volunteers, many of them areretired nurses that included RoseArellano, Sofie Toledo, TessNepomuceno.

"Oftentimes, our volunteersget inquiries from the members of ourcommunity about the services offeredfor seniors," said Au Osdon, FAMASpresident. "We want them to be able toserve our community better."

Access is an alliance ofcultural communities for equality in thehealth and social services for culturalcommunities.

"We're serving organizations,not individuals, because we have 116members," said Pascal Delgado,community organizer for Access."Associations that become membersget special benefits like traininginformation. I work to support and trainorganizations. The project entails

training of organizations regarding allprograms available for the elderly inQuebec.

"I'm getting more involved inprograms to counter elderly abuseand to network with many groups ofethnic communities to improve thelives of the elderly and reduce anyform of abuse."

Some of the groups that theelderly can call are:Caregiver Support Centre - (514) 485-7374Healthcare Insurance Administration -Medical Insurance MAMQ - (514) 864-3411, 1-800 361-3939Info Sante - 8-1-1

Meals on Wheels - (514) 484-7878Mental Health -Issues - (514) 252-8555Loc. 22 Anna Luisa Calbezas..Mental Health Issues Transcultural -Psychiatry Clinic (514) 729-3036Paratransit - (514) 280-8211Elders Abuse (514) 489-2287

Because of the success of thetraining workshop last March 14,another one is planned to take place inthe near future.

COMMUNITY NEWS

PRESS RELEASEMontréal, March 13, 2012 – As

a reminder, the street parkingrestriction period begins on April 1st2012 and is to be applied throughoutthe borough’s territory. The aim of thisrestriction period is to allow for streetand sidewalk clean-up andmaintenance operations.

Take note also that importantchanges were brought to seasonalparking restriction periods in thedistricts of Loyola and Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. These changes affect,amongst other things, the frequencyand duration of parking restrictions aswell as the days of the week uponwhich such restrictions are to beapplied. Indeed, in those sectorswhere these changes have beenmade, parking will now be prohibitedonly once weekly rather than twice butfor a period of two hours rather thanone. Such changes will allow the

Borough to proceed more efficientlywith the clean-up of its territory andwill entail significant savings in termsof both time and costs.

The gradual installation ofnew traffic signs began last week andwill continue until the end of March.The Borough therefore encouragescitizens to be mindful of, and torespect, these new signs. StartingApril 1st, car owners who fail to abideby these regulations may be fined.

If they have any questions,citizens are invited to communicatewith the Bureau Accès Montréal bydialling 311.

Source: Borough of Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce

Information: Caroline LangisChargée de communication

514 868-4018

Street parking restrictions startingApril 1st: Important changes in thedistricts of Loyola and NDG

services related to financing andcapitalization. In addition, the CDRMontréal-Laval specialists offerassistance in managing theassociative and economic life of theorganization as well as itsgovernance and development.To learn more: http://www.cdr.coop

Elsewhere in Québec:

The mission of the Fédération descoopératives de développementrégional du Québec (FCDRQ) is tosupport the Coopératives dedéveloppement régional (CDR) inpursuing their mission and to ensurecoordination of and co-operationwithin the CDR network. The networkof regional development co-operatives is a federation composedof 11 CDRs that cover Québec’s 17administrative regions.

The network has more than 1,100members. With a total of $6 millionin revenues and $5 million inconsolidated assets, the CDRnetwork has been involved in settingup more than 1,200 co-operatives inQuébec. Over the years, it hascontributed to creating andmaintaining more than 16, 000 jobs.

To learn more:http://www.fcdrq.coop/

For additional information on workerco-operatives:

The mission of the Réseau de lacoopération du travail du Québec is tofoster the development of workercooperatives in Québec. To that end, theRéseau offers its members training andsupport services. Through its variousprojects and activities, the Réseaupromotes the co-operative model,introduces young people to thecooperative experience and supportsworker cooperatives. According to theMinister of Economic Development,Innovation and Export Trade, there weremore than 2,800 worker cooperatives inQuébec as of 2012.

http://www.reseau.coop

2012 International Yearof Co-operatives

In December 2009, theUnited Nations declared 2012 theInternational Year of Co-operativeswith the theme “Co-operativeenterprises build a better world.” TheInternational Year is designed topromote the growth of co-operativesacross the globe. It is also intendedto encourage individuals,communities and governments torecognize co-operatives asorganizations that contribute to thesocial and economic development ofcommunities in Canada andthroughout the world.

Main objectives of the InternationalYear of Co-operatives :

Raise awareness of co-operativesand the role they play

Promote the growth of co-operativebusinesses and organizations

Encourage the development ofsuitable national policies to supportco-operatives.

The International Year of Co-operatives is a year-long opportunityto build public awareness ofcooperatives and promote a betterbusiness model. More than a billionpeople across the world willparticipate in the celebrations andcontribute to demonstrating how co-operative enterprises help to build abetter world.

In Canada, the Canadian Co-operative Association, the Conseilcanadien de la coopération et de lamutualité and the Canadiangovernment’s Co-operativesSecretariat have joined forces in anation-wide effort to make theInternational Year of Co-operatives asuccess. The initiatives include thew e b s i t ehttp://www.canada2012.coop

In Québec, the Conseilquébécois de la coopération et de lamutualité (CQCM) and theCoopérative de développementrégional de Montréal-Laval (CDRML)are involved in several Québecinitiatives in connection with theInternational Year of Co-operatives,including this website.

The objective of the Conseilquébécois de la coopération et de lamutualité (CQCM) is to contribute to

Services for elderly offered by ACCESSS

A souvenir photo taken of the workshop attended by community leaders with the members ofthe FAMAS executive board.

From Page 3 Cooperatives

See Page 9 Cooperatives



9

Ang pitak na ito ay inihahandog ko saaking manugang. Si Jerry Grinnageay unang natutunang bigkasin angmga salitang Tatay at Nanay.

Hanggang sa mga susunod na labasay manaka-nakang isasalin ko sasalitang Ingles ang mga mahalagangsalita upang si Jerry at maramingkatulad niya na napusuang mahalinang ating kalahi ay unti-unting maginginteresado sa Wikang Pambansa.

* * * * *

Mga Hiyas ng Wikang Pambansa

May mga hiyas ang ating wika namaningning noon ngunit ngayon ayhalos kislap na lang na nakalikom samga publikong aklatan.

Unahin natin ang balagtasan.

Ang balagtasan ay isang pagtatalo ngdalawang magkaibang panig ukol saisang paksa sa paraang patula nanangangahulugang may tugma atsukat.

Isang halimbawang paksa: Dapatbang aprobahan ang diborsiyo saPilipinas o hindi? (Should divorce beapproved in the Philippines?)

Panig ng Hindi Dapat: (Con)

"Pinagpipitaganang katoto,Salungat ang katwiran mo.Biyaya ng Diyos, di mapapasaiyoKung utos Niya'y lalabagin mo."

Panig ng Dapat: (Pro)

"Kapatid!! Di ba't Diyos din angnagwikaUmiwas sa alipin ng mga tukso?Kung kabiyak mo ay nagwawala naNakahahawang sakit ay dadapo dinsa'yo."

Ang balagtasan ay unang nasaksihansa mga pampublikong entablado atteatro. Sumunod, napanood na rin itosa mga palatuntunan sa radio tuwingaraw ng Sabado o Linggo (radyo dahilwala pang TV noon). Ngayon, kapagmay malaking kapistahan ay maynagtatampok pa rin ng balagtasan samga entablado para mang-aliw atmagturo sa mga tao.

Dahil sa ang uri ng pagtatalo ay, kungminsan, biglang-isip na pagbuo atpagbigkas ng tula, ang gumaganap sabalagtasan ay mga bihasang makatapati na ang lakandiwang namamagitansa dalawang nagpapalitan ngkatwiran. Nagiging masaya ang dulong pagtatanghal lalo't ang madla anginaatasang humusga sa nagwagi ayonsa lakas ng palakpakan.

Tuntunin natin ang pinagmulan ng

hiyas na ito.

Ang unang nakaulat na balagtasan ayitinanghal noong ika-6 ng Abril, 1924.Nagdebate sina Jose Corazon deJesus at Florentino Collantes na maynakahandang iskrip. Malakingtagumpay sa madla ang palabas na itokaya nasundan pa ito ng iba pangsagupaan sa pagtula.

Ang malaking debate ay ginanap saOlympic Stadium sa Maynila noongika-18 ng Oktubre. 1925. Sapagwawagi ni Jose Corazon de Jesusay tinnagurian siyang Hari ngBalagtasan (King of Balagtasan) atnakamatayang maaga ang titulonoong 1930.

Nagkaroon ng kani-kaniyang bersiyonang balagtasan sa iba't ibang wikatulad ng bukanegan sa Ilocos na isaring parangal sa kanilang makata na siPedro Bukaneg. Sa Pampanga namanay ang crisotan na hango sa pangalanat pagpupugay kay Juan CrisostomoSoto.

Noong 1924, may isang samahan ngmga manunulat na Tagalog nahinango ang salitang balagtasan sapangalang Francisco Baltazarna kinilalang prinsipe ng mga makataat sumulat ng dakilang awit naFlorante at Laura. Ang balagtasan ayisang pagdangal kay Baltazar na nag-iwan sa atin ng isang mahalaganghiyas ng panitikan.

* * * * *

31 Marso, 2012

Mahal kong Pechay,

Malugod at taos-puso kitang binabatisa pagdiriwang ng iyong unangkaarawan.

Nagmamahal,

Kuya Pichu

ICS STAFFING CANADAIntegrity and commitment to service

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Francisco Baltazar

E-Mail: [email protected]

Realties Inc.

Les Immeubles

On February 27, 2012, Peter Tan was inducted by City Councillor Marvin Rotrand at thelatter's office. Tan is now the President of the Fil-Can Chess & Social Club who took overthe late Albert Floresca and will be serving until February 28, 2014. Councilor M Rotrandcongratulates Peter Tan (photo by: Mars Cabantugan) Reported by Bert Santos

Québec’s social and economicdevelopment by encouraging athriving co-operative movement.

Our mission:

facilitate cooperationbetween the co-operative andmutualist sectors and their partners

represent and defend the

interests of Québec’s co-operativeand mutualist movement

promote the development ofthe co-operative and mutualistmovement by spearheading avariety of activities, all with a view toexpanding the benefits ofcooperation and mutualism formembers of the movement and forsociety as a whole.

To learn more:http://www.coopquebec.coop

From Page 8 Cooperatives

Beautitudes of Leadership+Blessed is the leader who knows where he is going, whyhe is going and how to get there.Blessed is the leader who knows no discouragement, whopresents no alibi.Blessed is the leader who knows how to lead withoutbeing dictatorial.Blessed is the leader who leads for the good of the mostpeople and not for the personal graatification of his ownideas.Blessed is the leader who develops leaders while leading.Blessed is the leader who has his head in the clouds buthis feet on the ground.Blessed is the leader who considers leadership anopportunity for service. ANONYMOUS

March 2012



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The iPAD GenerationTwo years ago I bought the first

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As expected Apple will not remaindormant on this model. They will up-gradeand make a new model far greater than theone I have.

Maybe you’re not one of themillions of folks who already own an iPad.And maybe you’re ready to do somethingabout it. Apple’s added an extra wrinkle foryou to consider: Which generation iPadshould you buy?

Last year, when Apple rolled out anew model of its tablet, the decision was notterribly complicated—either you bought thenew version or you didn’t. This time around,though, Apple has not only introduced the3rd generation but kept around the iPad 2—or at least, it kept around two versions of thattablet. So it’s not just a question of whichmodel iPad to purchase: You also have tofigure out if the 16GB iPad 2 and its reducedprice tag prove to be more appealing thanthe latest version of Apple’s tablet.

First, the basics: Apple only offersthe iPad 2 at one capacity now—16GB, withthe Wi-Fi-only version priced at $499. Aversion of the iPad 2 that also includes theability to connect to 3G networks costs $629.

Comparable models of the new iPad cost$100 more—$599 for the Wi-Fi-only 16GBversion and $629 for one that can connect tocellular networks. These prices vary becauseif you look at Future Shop and Best Buy,these prices may be lower.

Jason Snell’s iPad review goes in-depth on the merits of the latest version ofApple’s tablet. (And his iPad 2 review fromlast year is worth reading if you’d like to knowabout that version’s strong points.) As formaking any iPad 2-versus-iPad comparisons,I find the best way to settle the issue is to aska few questions about your plans for yournew tablet.What will you use your iPad for?

The most important factor to weighis what you’ll use your shiny new tablet for. Ifyou want to use it for watching movies,playing games, reading books, surfing theWeb, checking email, and the like, the truth isyou’ll be well-served by either version of theiPad. Text will look a smidgen crisper on thenew iPad, as will videos, photos, and anyapps optimized to take advantage of the newiPad’s Retina display; you’ll see even moredetail in high definition movies or whenlooking at photographs with the new iPad,too. But many folks have contentedly usedthe iPad 2 for a year or longer, without findingthat the non-Retina display employed by thatolder model looks blurry or unclear.

If, however, you envision yourselfprimarily reading on your new iPad, you maywell benefit from getting that new iPad and itsRetina display. Once again, the iPad 2’sscreen isn’t lousy by any stretch, but

prolonged reading periods may cause lesstotal eyestrain with the high-resolutiondisplay in the new iPad ensuring the crispesttext possible.

In fact, there’s only one iPad usecase which entirely rules out the iPad 2 as anoption—and that’s if you intend to use yournew tablet as an oversized still and/or videocamera.

The iPad 2’s rear-facing camera islousy. It takes blurry photos little better than anon-smartphone’s junky included camera.The new iPad’s front-facing camera isunchanged from what you’ll get in the iPad 2,but it’s intended primarily for video chats.The rear-facing camera, on the other hand, isa 5-megapixel iSight camera. It won’tmeasure up to what you’ll find in an iPhone

4S, but it’s certainly comparable to theiPhone 4’s camera.

That said, an iPad makes anawkward camera: It’s big, and holding it upto snap photos requires two hands. But if youexpect to use your iPad for photography,spring for the new model.How much storage do you plan on needing?

The iPad’s storage isn’texpandable: What you get when you buy thetablet is what you’ll have for the rest of its life.As mentioned, the iPad 2 only offers 16GB ofstorage. The new iPad, on the other hand, isavailable in 16GB), 32GB, and 64GB sizes. Ifyou plan to load your iPad up with not justoodles of apps, but also your full musiclibrary, a bunch of movies, and a lots ofphotos.Thus, if you do expect to store all kinds oflarge media on your iPad, I wouldn’t considera 16GB iPad model acceptable anymore.That means your lowest-cost option is the32GB new iPad. If you instead don’t plan tostore several gigabytes of music on your

iPad—either because you plan to use iTunesMatch, or sync no or little music—the 16GBsize remains a viable option, which meansyou needn’t cross the iPad 2 off your list justyet.How much networking speed do you need?

If you’re content with a Wi-Fi-onlyiPad, this question isn’t relevant to you. But ifyou want a model that has the ability toconnect to a cellular network, you’ll need toconsider the fact that the iPad 2 is onlycompatible with 3G networks.How to decide

So if you don’t plan to use youriPad for extensive photography and constantreading, you don’t need more than 16GB ofstorage, and cellular connectivity is a mootpoint for you, should you just save the $100and go for the iPad 2?

The answer is a definite maybe.$100 buys an awful lot of apps; saving thatextra hundred bucks on your iPad purchaseaffords a whole lot of games involving birdsin various emotional states.

But the new iPad is, objectively, abetter iPad than the iPad 2. Beyond theRetina display, the new model also addssupport for voice dictation and more RAMthan the iPad 2. When Apple inevitablyreleases another new iPad in 2013, it’spossible that new iPad 2 owners will feelmore buyer’s remorse than folks who opt forthe new iPad instead.

The original, first-generation iPadstill supports iOS 5 completely. Will it supportiOS 6, or will that be limited to the two neweriPads? At some point, an iOS update willsurely leave the iPad 2 in the lurch whilekeeping the third-generation iPad supported.But then, at some point, the third-generationiPad will be out of date, too.

Thus, if you have the extra $100 tospend, the new iPad is objectively superior tothe iPad 2, and more future-proof. But ifsaving the cash today helps your bankaccount, it’s impossible to be disappointedby the iPad 2, which is a perfectly fine tabletin its own right.

Try one out today and see foryourself and join the millions of iPAD lovers.

Al AbdonHollywood Junkies Video



Philippine Embassy News

Ambassador Gatan joined theHonorable Diana Ablonczy, Minister ofState of Foreign Affairs, and HisWorship, Mayor Jim Watson, at theceremonies opening the show. In hiswelcome remarks, Mayor Watson hailedthe travel show for enabling visitors totravel around the world in one hour. Healso cited the saleability of culinary,heritage and cultural trips to Canada’s

ageing population. Minister Ablonczyopened the show which she regardedas a “tremendous way of buildingbridges and friendships around theworld.” Describing Canadians asadventuresome, she noted that 56million trips, out of a population of 33million, are made by Canadians eachyear. She encouraged Canadiantravellers to observe the three R’s(Read, Register and Reach Us) whentaking trips abroad.

The Ambassador discussedPhilippine destinations with exhibitorsand other visitors to the Philippine booth

that included Minister Ablonczy herself. (L) Amb. Gatan discusses PH

packages with Stephane Tellier ofUnikTour (R) Minister Ablonczy visits thePH booth

Since participating in travelshows in Canada several years ago,more and more tour operators havebeen selling Philippine packages.These include Tours Hai International,Jade Tours, Handa Travel, and RoyalScenic, among others. At the show,there was palpable interest in sellingmore Philippine destinations asdemonstrated by Uniktour, TravelProfessionals International and Family

Travel Scoop.The forthcoming 7th

Ambassadors, Consuls General andTourism Directors (ACGTD) Tour wasalso earnestly marketed by thePhilippine Embassy with promisingresults. The Embassy launching of theACGTD Tour will take place in Ottawaand Montreal on 15 and 16 March 2012,respectively.

Besides tourism, the PhilippineEmbassy took the occasion to promotePhilippine products and food. Filipinoshell craft, baskets and the turon werethe top drawers inviting queries andcompliments from visitors.

Philippine participation in thetravel show was organized by thePhilippine Department of Tourism officein New York represented by Ms.Mitchelle T. Dy, Deputy Director forMarketing.

Visited by some 16,000 travel-ready Canadians, the 18th OttawaTravel and Visitors Show boasted over

190 travel and vacation exhibits fromover 50 countries. Ottawa is home to1.2 million well-educated, affluentCanadians with the second highest percapita income of all major Canadiancities.

“Filipinos in Canada are well-placed to persuade their Canadianfriends to take an interest in a Philippinevacation, as Canadian visitors to thePhilippine booth proved. Together withthe Filipino community, the Embassyhopes to generate more buzz forPhilippine destinations in line with itseconomic diplomacy program,”Ambassador Gatan stated. END

Philippines Intensifies Tourism campaignat Tourism and Vacation Package show

10 March 2012Thank you for inviting me to your

important event tonight. Let mecongratulate the new officers andfelicitate the outgoing officers for a jobwell done, and I refer, in particular, toyour Association’s commendable effortsin easing up the accreditation processfor accountants trained in thePhilippines, as well as for your annualtax preparation assistance to the seniorcitizens.

Your anniversary theme,“Staying Ahead in a Changing World,”also applies to the story of the Philippineeconomy and how it can stay ahead. Predictions

Merrill Lynch of BoA projected lastJanuary that the Philippines will post thisyear a GDP of 4.4%. It also projectedthat only four countries in our region -Australia, New Zealand, the Philippinesand Thailand - will achieve faster growth.Merrill Lynch predicted the global GDPto average at 3.6% in 2012; 2.5% for theAmericas, and 0.5% for Europe, theMiddle East and Africa.

Early this month, the ADB Presidentsaid he expected the Philippineeconomy to grow by 5 percent in 2012and a medium to long term growth from6 to 7%, based on our balancedeconomy, relying not solely onrebounding exports but also on our verystrong services sector, outsourcing andfinancial sectors, including the realestate sector, as well as on such growthdrivers as consumption andinvestments.

On our economic policies, the IMFpraised the Philippines last Tuesday inSingapore for its sound monetary andfiscal policies and even suggested to letthe peso rise further to respond tocapital inflows. The IMF described oureconomic policies as prudent thatunderpin our strong economic recovery.On trade, British banking giant HSBCgave a briefing last Wednesday inManila saying Philippine trade will growby an annual average of 6.4% over thenext five years, higher than the 3.78% inglobal trade, supported by rising intra-regional trade, entry into new markets andexpansion of higher value-addedproducts.. This projection does not takeinto account the impact of mining once itspotentials valued at $1 trillion areunlocked, the Philippines being the fifthmost mineralized country in the world .

On FDIs, our 13 InvestmentPromotion Agencies, led by the PhilippineExport Zone Authority, targets P5 trillioninvestment inflows in the next five years.Its prediction is buoyed up by the surveyfindings of the Japan External TradeOrganization that the Philippines is thebest investment destination in Asia, and bythe IPAs’ own track record with PEZA,alone, realizing earnings of P1.99 trillionsince its inception in1995 and P413 billionin the last 18 months representing 22% ofits total earnings. Signs of a Robust Economic Health

Do you know that the Philippinesis now a creditor country? We prepaid allour debts with the IMF ending 45 years asan IMF borrower. As part of the IMF’screditor list since 2010, we already lent$251.1 million, half of which went to theailing countries in Europe. Thanks to our

healthy gross international reserves,amounting to roughly $77 billion today,which continue to grow substantially fromremittances. And do you also know thatCanada is the second largest source ofworkers’ remittances, next to the US?

Do you know that Manila is nowthe call center capital of the world? OurBusiness Processing Associationpredicted an increase in revenues from$11 billion in 2011 to $25 in the next fiveyears, to equal the volume of remittances.With a workforce of 600,000 and soon toreach 1.3 million, our predicted revenuesrepresents only 10% of the global BPOmarket where India’s share is 51%,followed by Canada as the second largestin the non-voice sector where we accountfor only 7%, covering such services asbanking, game development, animation,transcriptions, engineering and relatedservices. The BPO market potential isvast. Tips for us to stay ahead will help.

Our renewable energy sector is asource of great pride for Filipinos. Do youknow that our nine coco-diesel plantsproduce 390 million liters of biodiesel andbioethanol or about 60% more than thelocal demand at 2% blend and that oursurplus can help feed into worldwidedemand, which will collaterally help ourailing coconut industry? Perhaps considerthat we are the world’s second largestgenerators of geothermal energy. Nearly39% of our country’s energy requirementsare supplied by renewable sources, fromhydropower, geothermal, solar, wind tobiomass. The biomass sector will soonincrease its output from 39 megawatt in2010 to 300 megawatt a five years, givingover half a million farm families stablesource of income from agri-wastes andforest residues. Talk too about ourrenewable energy investment potentials.

Do you know that Boracay wasvoted by the travel website(www.TripAdvisor.com) last January as thebest beach in Asia and second in theentire world next only to the Provinciales,Turk and Caicos in the Caribbean? Thetravel advisor also ranked Baguio as the22nd top destination, and three Philippinehotels ranked among the best, namely,Dave’s Straw Hut Inn in Boracay (14th),Padre Burgos Castle Resort in SouthernLeyte (18th), and the Alegre Beach Resortin Cebu (25th). You will be proud of yourown country’s world class touristicofferings. I invite you to join me in the 7thAmbassador, Consuls General andTourism Directors Tour of the Philippines

from 11 to 15 July this year, to see foryourselves our tourism strides. Surf theembassy website for more informationon this tour. Do you know that onetourist generates a job for one year?Do you know that Canada is now the8th largest source of tourists? You willnot only promote our tourism but alsogenerate jobs for our poor.

In relation to tourism, do youknow that Cebu Pacific will embark thisyear on long haul flights to NorthAmerica, Europe and the Middle East?Also in aviation, do you know thatCebu Air is setting up a world class fullaviation academy at Clark with thesupport of Montreal-based CAE, Inc. theworld leader in simulation and modelling

Speech of Ambassador Leslie B. Gatan atthe 34th Anniversary and Induction of NewOfficers of the Association of Filipino-Canadian Accountants, Saints Peter andPaul Banquet Hall, Scarborough, Ontario

See Page 21 Ambassador Gatan

Ambassador Gatan (2nd from right) joins Mayor Watson and MinisterAbloncsy (center) during the opening of the trade show.

Visitors looking over materials displayed in the Philippine Embassy booth during the tradeshow held in Ottawa.


www.filipinostar.orgwww.filipinostar.org

Scan here to watch a video and learn more.

Balayez ici pour regarder une vidéo et en savoir plus.

“ I was looking for a career that would make a difference. Here, challenges come at you fast, and when they do, you have to deal with them. With this kind of responsibility, I can make a real impact.” Sub-Lieutenant MOHAMED ALI GUDAL

« J’étais à la recherche d’une carrière qui me permettrait de faire une différence. Ici, les défis ne se font pas attendre et il faut être prêt à y faire face. Compte tenu de mes responsabilités, je sais que j’ai vraiment un impact. » Enseigne de vaisseau de 1re classe MOHAMED ALI GUDAL

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Products on SaleMarch 25-April 5, 2012

STAR PHOTO GALLERY

Part of the Philippine Embassy booth at the Tourism and Vacation Package show in Ottawaheld on March 10, 2012 to promote the 7th Ambassadors Tour to the Philippines

Ravi Tours Travel Agency held a blessing ceremony and party on Saturday, March 17, 2012at their new office on the ground floor of Holiday Inn, 99 Viger West, Montreal.

Dr. Anton Juan (left, seated) poses with the FAMAS Executive Board and the PhilippineAmbassador Leslie Gatan and his wife, Mrs. Lydia Debbie Mijares Gatan.(March 16, 2012)

A souvenir photo with Dr. Juan (from left): Willie Quiambao, Zenaida Kharroubi, Tess andDerek Fincham (March 16, 2012)

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March 201214





PERSONALITY OF THE MONTH

by W. G. QuiambaoUnknown to us, Montreal is a

city where we can find talented Filipinoperformers who need exposure. Wehave already featured Norm Zabala,a music composer/folk singer who hasperformed in Vancouver Olympics,Montreal Jazz Festival, Bermuda

Music Festival and Paul Baluyot, astand-up comic who has performed inthe Philippines and the United States.Another personality we have featuredis Emilee Veluz, a stage actress whowon the Montreal Mirror's 2005 BestSecond Local Actress for herperformance in Miss Orient (ed). MarkVicente, a ballet and Zumba dancer,belongs to this group of talentedperformers who we can call the prideof Filipinos.

Vicente's love for ballethappened by accident. He was still inan elementary school in Montrealwhen he saw a poster that piqued hisinterest. The poster simply asked, "Doyou like to dance?". At the age of 10,Vicente decided to leave home. Hewent to Toronto to audition at theprestigious National Ballet School. Hisdecision was initially difficult for hisfamily, especially for his mother.However, his mother, who alwayssupports her children to do whatever

they are passionate about, knew thathe would be happy with his decision.The National Ballet School has manychildren from all over Canada and theworld who live and study in Residencewith 150 girls and 70 boys.

"My mom wants all of us to beactive," said Vicente. "My dad, Ramon,

has a band. He sings, plays the drum,percussion and saxophone. And mymother, Ester, takes Zumba class. Mysisters are all active too. Anna worksand performs at Cirque du Soleil.Frances is a yoga instructor and adancer. Elizabeth is in the eighthseason as a Montreal Alouelttes'cheerleader.

"I knew then that if I didn't dosomething, my mom would choosesomething for me that I didn't like,"Vicente said with a laughter. "Butseriously, I'm thankful to my parentsfor their support and love."

When Vicente got accepted tothe National Ballet School, he startedtraining as a classical dancer.Although ballet was his maineducation, he did contemporary,modern and flamenco. Balletcompanies do other forms of dance intheir repertoire so it is important to bewell-rounded.

"We trained every single day

Vicente expresses his emotionsthrough dance - from ballet to Zumba

for two to four hours, includingSaturday," said Vicente. "People don'talways associate dance with sportsbut dancers are really athletes. Theyhave to be strong and agile. They've tobe graceful under pressure. Balletdancing is a physically demandingprofession and like athletes, dancersget injured all the time. "

A year later, he joined theStrafford Festival of Canada andperformed in the West Side Story. Healso did another season there andperformed in the King and I. Bothproductions are musicals. He alsoperformed in the Toronto production ofDisney's the Lion King at the Prince ofWales Theatre for three years.

Although he was happy inToronto, he moved to New Yorkbecause it had been his dream to livethere. Living there was difficultbecause he had no visa at the timeand the competition in the businesswas cut-throat, but he had no regretsmaking such decision because itchallenged him and fed his soul. Helearned about himself. It was a magicaltime.

From New Yorkr, after fouryears, he moved to Montreal where heseemed to find his niche. His sisterintroduced him to Zumba.

"Zumba is a cardio fitnessusing world music and Latin rhythm,"explained Vicente. "It's about havingfun and love for move to music)_"

Because of his love forZumba, Vicente opened classes invarious locations in Montreal, one ofthem is at rgw Appleton Centre.

Mark's students can only saypositive things about his class.

"Once you start Zumba, you'llget used to it," said Haileen Quiambaowith enthusiasm. "The reaction to yourbody gives you 100% energy. It feelsgood. The stress is relieved."

Emmanuell Bostner, a French-Canadian who is on her third session,said, "I feel the spirit of the group."Mark makes you feel good becausehe enourages you and smiles a lot. It'snice to feel the spirit of the group. Asense of belonging."

"Filipinos are very welcoming,"said Kimvy Haang Lee, who originallycomes from Vietnam. "Zumba makesyou feel energetic . It combines workand fun.”

Vicente takes pride in sayingthat he started with 30 people andnow, he has about 60. Many of themare female and he hopes more menwill join.

"Zumba is about celebratingwho you are," said Vicente. "I think thatZumba is so effective. To see so manyof all ages and sizes have space tojust be free and have fun is such arewarding experience for me. It hasnothing to do with doing the ‘right stepnor being perfect.’ “

Zumba is held every Mondayand Wednesday at 6585 AppletonCentre, Cote des Neiges. FAMASregistration fee is $7 and every sessionis $3.00. For more information, call at(514) 341-7477.

the corner of Peel and Ste. Catherine.I spoke on the occasion of

Irving's 85th birthday at the CentaurTheatre. There was a most movingmoment when Irving said publiclywhat he had said in our privateencounters: that I was his "spiritualson."

Irving developed Alzheimer'sin his last years, but continued to becomforted and cared for by MusiaSchwartz, his devoted friend for some50 years.

It was with her (and until nowwas only known to her) that Iexperienced my most movingencounter with Irving.

It was at MaimonidesHospital. Irving did not know who Iwas, but somehow also did know, in aplace where the heart and spirit cametogether, and the head nodded inacknowledgement of me as his"spiritual son" - or so I believed in myconceit. Irving was for me at thatmoment - given all that had comebefore and all that he had meant to mein my life, as I stood there in thepresence of one who taught me howto think, how to struggle againstinjustice, "how to live," as LeonardCohen put it - my "spiritual father."

IRWIN COTLER is the Member ofParliament for Mount Royal and aformer federal minister of justice andattorneygeneral of Canada. He was afriend of Irving Layton.© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette

From Page 7 Irving Layton

spectrum auctions to guarantee thatboth new wireless competitors andincumbent carriers have access to thespectrum up for auction.

The government will applyspecific measures in the 700 MHzauction to see that rural Canadianswill have access to the sameadvanced services as everyone elsein a timely manner.

The government will improveand extend the existing policy onroaming and tower sharing to furthersupport competition and will improvetransparency and information sharingto facilitate agreements betweencompanies to slow the proliferation ofnew cellphone towers.

A portion of the 700 MHzspectrum will be reserved for publicsafety users such as police andfirefighters across Canada.

This spectrum will allowtelecom companies to bring the latest4G LTE mobile networks to Canadianconsumers and businesses, includingthose in rural areas. This meansCanadians will have access to thefastest mobile speeds and latestdevices, such as the newest iPad,PlayBook and smartphones. They willhave access to high-definition videoand video conferencing over mobilenetworks. Canadians will benefit fromgreater access to e-health, intelligenttransport and other advancedapplications. This will result in

From Page 2 Telecommunicatiions

See Page 23 Telecommunications



2.69lb

Half or Wholepork

Cut & Wrapped

3.99lb

Beef Blade steak

1.69lb

Picnic ham(with bone)

Pork Head$12.00 each

1. lb

Pork loinApproximately

15 lbs

3.09lb

Front quarter of beefApproximately 200 lbs

7.99lb

3.49lb

Pork Spare Ribs

3.29lb 1.99lb

Beef short ribs

4.99lb

Regular smokedbacon

Fresh pork blood

Fresh bacon

Fresh liver

Pork skin

GoatAvailable on order

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Ground PorkSpecial 1.89/lb

Philippine Cuisineand

Favorite FoodCompiled by Zenaida Ferry Kharroubi

Sarsiadong isda is an old Filipino recipethat is easy to prepare. It is very popularamong mothers in the Philippines due toits simple preparation and availability ofingredients. The process merelyinvolved frying the fish in a combinationof tomatoes and beaten eggs.Sarcaiadong is easy, simple, anddelicious.Ingredients:

2 medium fish cleaned (any fish)2-3 eggs beaten1 tomato chopped3 cloves garlic minced1 small onion chopped2 tbsp fish saucecooking oil1/2 cup water

salt and pepper to tasteSarsiadong Isda Cooking Instructions:

Wash and clean the fish. Make a sliton both sides and rub salt around.Heat cooking oil in a wok and fry fishuntil brown. Set aside.

In same pan saute onion, garlic andtomatoes. Add water, and season withfish sauce. Simmer to boil.

Add eggs beaten and simmer untilcooked. Place fried fish on the mixtureand pour the sauce over the top of fish.Let fish sit for few minutes. Salt andpepper to taste. Turn off heat.

Serve with steamed rice.Sarsiadong Isda(Fish in tomato sauce)

Pakbet or Pinakbet RecipeEstimated cooking time: 35 minutesPakbet Ingredients:

1/4 kilo pork with fat, cut into smallpieces

2 Amapalya (bitter melons) sliced tobite size pieces

2 eggplants, sliced to bite sizepieces

5 pieces of okra, cut in two1 head garlic, minced2 onions, diced5 tomatoes, sliced1 tablespoon of ginger, crushed and

sliced4 tablespoons bagoong isda or

bagoong alamang3 tablespoons of oil

1 1/2 cup waterSalt and pepper to taste

Pakbet Cooking Instructions:

In a cooking pan, heat oil and frythe pork until brown, remove the porkfrom the pan and set aside.

On the same pan, saute garlic,onion, ginger and tomatoes.

In a casserole, boil water and addbagoong.

Add the pork in the casserole andmix in the sautéed garlic, onion, gingerand tomatoes. Bring to a boil andsimmer for 10 minutes.

Add in all the vegetables and cookuntil the vegetables are done, carefulnot to overcook.

Maja Blanca is a Filipino dessertmade from coconut milk, cornstarch,and sugar. Often called CoconutPudding, this luscious dessert is easyto make and the ingredients are verycommon.Unknown to many, theoriginal Maja Blanca Recipe does notinclude corn and milk. In this recipe, Iadded whole sweet kernel corn andcondensed milk for added taste anda more creamy texture.Maja BlancaRecipe: Maja BlancaIngredients

4 cups coconut milk3/4 cup cornstarch14 ounces condensed milk3/4 cup fresh milk3/4 cup granulated sugar15 ounces whole sweet kernel

corn5 tbsp toasted grated coconut

1/2 cup lean pork, cut into cubes2 tbsp cooking oil1 tsp minced garlic1/3 cup chopped onions1 cup chopped tomatoes1/2 cup tomato sauce1 cup diced potatoes1/2 cup of green peas1 red bell pepper, diced1 and 1/2 cups of watersalt and pepper to taste

How to Make Pork Sarciado

1. Saute the garlic, onions andtomatoes in cooking oil.2. After about three minutes, add thepork and a little water.3. Add in the seasonings, cover andsimmer until pork is almost done4. Add the potato cubes and cook for5 minutes.6. Add the green peas and bellpeppers.7. Cook for 3 more minutes whilegently stirring.Adjust the amount of water andtomato sauce to get the desiredthickness.

Pork Sarsiado

March 201216



FILIPINO STARS H O W B I Z G O S S I PLocal, international celebsamong '100 Amazing Filipinas'

Celebrities not only entertain,some also manage to make asignificant difference in society, asevidenced by the inclusion of a handfulof female celebrities in the list of "100Amazing Filipinas" complied by localwebsite Female Network.

Released on March 19, the listenumerates the inspiring women “whohave shown… that adversity onlyserves to make a strong womanstronger,” and is divided into fivecategories: Artists, Superstars,Trailblazers, Warriors for a Cause, andReal Women.

About two dozen celebrities werecited in the Superstars category. Theseinclude actresses Nora Aunor, AnneCurtis, Ai Ai delas Alas, EugeneDomingo, Angel Locsin, Cherry PiePicache, Vilma Santos, AndiEigenmann, Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski, KC Concepcion, and RuffaGutierrez; songbird Regine Velasquez;TV hosts Bianca Gonzalez, MaricelLaxa-Pangilinan, Christine Jacob-Sandejas, and Cong. Lucy Torres-Gomez; beauty queens ShamceySupsup and Venus Raj; model-racerGaby dela Merced; Ford Supermodelof the World 2011 winner DanicaMagpantay; and internationalperformers Lea Salonga and Charice.

Half-Filipinos Nicole Scherzinger(of The Pussycat Dolls fame andformer judge on “The X Factor USA”)and Hailee Steinfeld (who reapedacclaim for her debut performance inthe film “True Grit”) are also part of thelist.

Veteran broadcast journalistsLuchi Cruz-Valdez, Kara David, andCes Oreña-Drilon were among theTrailblazers, or the individuals who“bring truth and innovation to thecountry.” Also part of this illustrious

category are international designersJosie Natori, Monique Lhuillier, andMelissa Ramsay.

"Creative souls" were likewise citedin the list via the Artists category. Theseinclude singer-songwriter CynthiaAlexander, prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, theater actress MenchuLauchengco-Yulo, and famous filmextra Lilia Cuntapay.

Meanwhile, broadcaster MelTiangco was recognized underWarriors for a Cause, the “passionate,driven individuals who are working tobetter the country—and the world—one step at a time.” She was listedalongside senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Pia Cayetano, andcongresswoman Risa Hontiveros.

And because one does not alwaysneed to be a celebrity to affect changeand inspire others, the Real Womencategory lauds non-celebrities who areadvocates of certain causes, survivorsof illnesses, entrepreuers, even writersand other such representatives ofstrong women who "overcomeadversity" and "draw on her innerstrength when the situation calls for it;"women that are "living proof that youcan achieve your dreams with a littleluck and a lot of hard work." a

Venus Raj

It has been three months sinceSharon Cuneta inked an alleged P1-billion, five-year deal with TV5, andthe lull has many fans asking what’s instore for their idol.

Aside from a couple of eventappearances and TV guest stints, shehasn’t been visible. But that’s about tochange.

This month, Cuneta will officiallydebut as a Kapatid talent via a dailytalk show, “Sharon.” Although theconcept and format are still underwraps, TV5 head of creative andentertainment production PerciIntalan said the show was tailor-madefor Cuneta and “different from whatpeople might expect.”

Intalan noted that TV5 would mineits experience from creating “publicaffairs-talk show hybrids,” such as“Public Atorni” and “Face to Face” for

Cuneta’s new talk show.“Sharon has done talk shows in

the past, but we want somethingfresh. We’re confident that we’vecreated is perfect for her,” Intalan toldthe

Inquirer. He added that Cunetawas “very hands-on,” and attended allbrainstorming sessions.

More accessibleIn a TV interview, Cuneta

promised viewers that the showwould have a lot of heart. “Masmakabuluhan … the best among allthe shows I’ve done.”

While “Sharon” is expected totackle a wide range of topics, Intalanrevealed that more focus would begiven to issues concerning women.

“Expect a more accessibleSharon, someone people can reachout to and confide in,” he said. “She’sprepared to really open up, and won’tbe afraid to share her personalexperiences.”

Asked if there was a possibility of“Sharon” going up against KrisAquino’s “Kris TV” over at ABS-CBN,Intalan said he would announce thefinal time slot soon. He added: “Ourshow will be different from Kris,’ thatmuch I can say.” a

TV5: Sharon’s talk show willnot be like Kris’

Sharon Cuneta

Continuing her gracefuldeparture from the heartbreak phase,KC Concepcion is now more open ingetting to know different people.

Although quite uncertain if she canbe considered “dating” again, sherelated in an interview with ABS-CBNNews that, "Marami akong nakikilalangmababait at mga sincere na tao.”

The multi-faceted Kapamilya starnoted, however, that there’s no oneromantically special to her at themoment. And if she looks moreblooming these days, it’s due to afitness program she enrolled in as wellas a “happy heart,” KC said.

Her continuous showbiz work haslikewise allowed her to furtherappreciate the value of her craft, addedthe singer-host-actress.

She even shared an advice of sortsto her Twitter followers on Mar. 12.

“Great to be happy this summer...Choose to be happy! Everything in life isa choice. Hello, summer!☀” she posted.

KC has embarked on some boldmoves since her high-profile breakupwith Piolo Pascual last year, including

cutting her hair short, and doing sexypictorials for Rogue and Cosmopolitan.

‘X Factor’ updateKC is busy doing rounds all over the

country for the auditions of thePhilippine version of “The X Factor,”which she will host. She’s excited overthe project and hopes to meet thebrainchild of the original UK talentsearch and former “American Idol”judge, Simon Cowell, whom sherevealed also needs to approve the localcontestants.

Although tight-lipped on the identityof the “X Factor Philippines” judges, KCsaid that the selection undergoes ameticulous process.

"We've been doing screen testspara sa mga judge. So as you can seehindi lang 'yung mga contestants angino-audition." a

KC: ‘Choose to be happy!’

KC admits her heart is 'happy'

KC on the cover of the CosmopolitanMarch Issue



Maricel Soriano and her formerhelpers May Cachuela and CamilleAcojedo have finally reached anagreement in an out-of-courtsettlement months after the twoaccused the actress of physical andverbal abuse, among other charges.

A joint statement by both campsaired on “Showbiz Central,” Mar. 19,said that the resolution of the issuewas made possible with the help ofradio broadcaster Mon Tulfo and ALEPartylist Rep. Catalina Bagasina.

“… ang mga partido ay nabigyanang bawat isa ng pagkakataon naipaliwanag ang kanilang saloobin samga pangyayari sa isa’t isa. Ditonatanto ng lahat na ang naganap nainsidente ay isa lamang hindipagkakaintindihan ng mga partidodahil sa bugso ng kani-kanilangdamdamin,” it read.

With that, “Pinili ng mga partido namakipagkasundo sa isa’t isa atkalimutan na lamang ang kunganumang nangyari at bigyang halagaang matiwasay na mulingpagkakasundo nila."

A proof of this agreement in theform of a photo was aired in a “24Oras” Chika Minute report Tuesdayevening. In the photo, Soriano can beseen flanked by Cachuela andAcojedo, all smiles.

Recall that July 2011, Cachuelaand Acojedo publicly decried Sorianofor allegedly abusing them during theirless than a month stay at the actress’condo unit at Rockwell, Makati City.On June 30, the two appeared asguests on Tulfo’s radio show torecount their experience.

In an interview with “The Buzz” onJuly 3, Cachuela and Acojedorevealed what drove them to leaveSoriano’s home the day before theirinterview with Tulfo. According tothem, while they were tending toSoriano’s things as she wasscheduled then for a recording the dayprior, she went as far as hurling cursesand threatening that she would useher gun on them.

More, the two helpers related thatSoriano’s son, Chen, not onlydefended them from her but alsosigned their clearances so that theycould be allowed to leave the building.

Soriano’s camp slammed theseallegations, with her personal assistantInday Castillo claiming that Cachuelaand Acojedo stole from the actress.Cachuela, in turn, belied this.

Cachuela even purported in thesame “Buzz” report, “Marami na dawmga katulong na bumaba nasinasaktan ho niya, na sinabuyan dawng mga mainit na tubig, pinukpok dawng kung anu-ano. Hindi ho silalumaban, 'yung mga katulong na'yondahil, ewan ko, binayaran daw po

Legal tussle between Maricel,two househelp now over

Filipinos as world-class talentswas again showcased in a reality-based talent show, “Canada’s GotTalent,” where two Pinoy acts earned astanding ovation for theirperformances.

Paul Kelvin Ong, who introducedhimself as “a new immigrant from thePhilippines although I’m a pureChinese” and who lived for “just over ayear” in Winnipeg, performed“Somewhere” from “The West SideStory.”

“Canada’s Got Talent” judgesMartin Short, Stephan Moccio andMeasha Brueggergosman wereimpressed with his performance, aswere the audience who lavished himwith applause and a standing ovation.

“You have a sweet voice. Bravo,bravo, bravo” said Moccio. “I’mintrigued. I really want to see what’snext from you, Paul,” he added.

“I really like how connected youwere to the song. It was a really, reallygreat performance,” Brueggergosmancommented.

“I do think you have a really lovelyvoice,” Short said admiringly.

All three judges gave Paul their“yes,” which helped him advance tothe next round.

In his post-performance interview,Paul, who was initially speechless,said, “It’s a once in a lifetimeexperience. Thank you.”

A Pinoy group that collectivelycalls themselves Kayumanggi FilipinaPerforming Arts likewise earnedplaudits and standing ovation for theirperformance.

Before their showcase, one malemember shared that, “Being heregives us an opportunity to share ourculture. The Philippines in history…wehave been incorporated by so many

different cultures from Spaniards toJapanese to Chinese.”

He added, “This part that we’redoing in particular is from the Muslimculture. We’re very proud to beFilipinos.”

A female performer, who playedthe princess, shared the backgroundof their dance, the singkil.

“The story behind it is that theprincess escapes from the evil king,from the castle, and everything goesback into harmony,” she said.

After a thunderous applause, the

three judges favorably said yes toKayumanggi.

Brueggergosman, obviouslyimpressed with the group’sperformance, said, “I was really, reallylooking forward to representation fromthe Filipino community and Winnipegis, I heard, a very large one. Thank youso much.”

Moccio felt that, “There was agenuine authenticity to yourperformance. Your costumes aregorgeous. Your smiles are gorgeous.”

Short compared the group’s act to“different beautiful paintings beingpresented to us.”

In a report posted by ABS-CBNnews.com, it said that TorontoStar had written a favorable review ofKayumanggi’s performance.

“Their performance, acting out atale about a princess escaping froman evil king in a castle, included boysbalancing on bamboo poles held aloft,girls dancing and posing between thepoles as the guys brought themtogether and apart, and dancing withfans. It was very colourful and unlikeanything we’ve seen before on theshow,” the review noted. a

Two Pinoy acts earn standing ovation on 'Canada's Got Talent'

All's well now between Maricel Sorianoand her two former househelp MayCachuela and Camille Acojedo

Paul Kelvin Ong and Kayumanggi once again showcased world-class Filipino talent

sila.”Prior to the settlement, Soriano

has never personally spoken up aboutthe issue, only claiming in a rejoinderaffidavit that “Showbiz Central” wasable to secure and air in October, “I

categorically deny the accusationsthat I called any of them names, hurledspiteful expletives or threaten to shootany of them with a gun consideringthat I do not keep any gun inside myresidence.” a

Several OPM artists see nothingwrong with Charice’s recent and muchtalked-about image evolution—a shortblonde hair, a “Love Eternally” tattoo,and an overall rock chic look.

Geneva Cruz deemed that theinternational singing sensation might’vefelt “bored” with her previous look that’swhy she took a 360-degree turn in herimage.

“Si Britney Spears [nga]nagpakalbo one time. And I understandher kasi I grew up in this business,” saidthe sexy singer in a “TV Patrol” interviewaired March 13.

The changes in Charice—whetherin her musical inclinations or her looks—will continue as her career soars,another industry veteran, Basil Valdez,said. Nevertheless, he did not overlookthe improvement in the young singer'svocal prowess.

“Makikita mo ‘yung changes interms of 'yung vocal [na] kakayahanniya,” said the balladeer.

Meanwhile, Kuh Ledesma stood upfor the 19-year-old performer, whosesexual preference got questioned amidthe buzz about her “tomboy” look. Thesinger apparently can relate to Chariceas she had also been rumored to havehad “a different preference.”

“Sabi ko mga tsismoso kayonglahat. Masama iyon eh kasi maramingtsismis na hindi totoo,” said Kuh.

At the press conference for herrecently concluded Manila “Infinity Tour”concert, Charice wasn’t pleased whenthe gender issue was brought up.

"Why would you ask me thatquestion? I think that's a veryinappropriate question. For me, just loveme. I'm a person. If you think I'm a boyor a girl or if I look like a boy, then fine.I'm Charice,” she responded.

Charice maintained that the drasticchange in her look was her decision.

“’Yun ‘yung makakapagpasaya saakin. I’m gonna get a haircut. I’m gonnado it. And I was actually proud,” saidshe.

Having been a target of criticismsespecially online, Charice couldn’t careless about what others think of her.

"This is the look that I want. The onlything that you can do is move on,”related the “Louder” singer.

Prior to her latest look, Charice hadalso sported long straight locks, wavytresses, as well as her notable “geeky”look on “Glee.” a

‘This is the look that I want,’ saysCharice

Local artists back Charice's imageevolution

March 201218



Showbiz Gossip Continued from p.17

She may not have impressed thejudges during the latestperformance night but JessicaSanchez remains in contention,advancing to the Top 10 of theongoing “American Idol.”

Shannon Magrane was voted off,March 16, leaving Joshua Ledet,Phillip Phillips, Skylar Laine, ColtonDixon, Deandre Brackensick, HollieCavanagh, Heejun Han, Erika VanPelt and Elise Testone with Sanchezto continue next week’s round ofperformances.

Jermaine Jones was disqualifiedover the week because of criminalhistory, leaving the Top 11 to performduring the “Year You Were Born”night, March 14 (March 15 inManila).

The 16-year-old Filipino-Mexicancontestant chose the 1995 GloriaEstefan hit “Turn The Beat Around”as her piece.

Although her performance waswell-applauded, the San Diegonative didn’t earn a standing ovationfrom the judges Steven Tyler,Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jacksonthis time. It was Joshua Ledet’srendition of Michael Bolton’s “WhenA Man Loves A Woman” that stoodout.

Sanchez, who wowed “AmericanIdol” since her inclusion in the Top

13, faced constructive criticismsfrom the judges regarding her songchoice.

Tyler said, “Jessica… I love yourvoice… I love your voice, but youcan’t stray too far from what I thinkyou sing the best which is ballad andI don’t think you should stray too faron that.”

“And the rhythm that you sangwith the song was just a little shadybut again I love your voice, obviouslythey do, too,” he added.

Lopez agreed to Tyler and alsotook note of Sanchez’s strongvibrato, which didn’t fit her songchoice.

“It’s the type of thing that yourvoice has such a strong vibratowhich is so beautiful on certainsongs but on songs like this whereyou have to really be kind of be

syncopated and on that beat, itlagged a little bit behind so it lost alittle bit of the energy,” sheexplained.

“Even though you sang it great,it’s not about that. It’s about justhaving the rhythm on those type ofsongs so you really, really just kill it.So for me, [your performance is] notmy favorite thing I’ve ever seen youdo but good job,” Lopez remarked.

Jackson believes that Sanchez’s“Turn The Beat Around” didn’t let herbig old voice to shine.

“You’re one of the greatest in thiscompetition so I feel that we shouldreally steer you always on the rightdirection and give you greatconstructive criticism. The problemfor me was the song choice. You gotthis big old voice. The song does notallow you to show that. Not that youhave to show it every time but picksomething more that you can reallyplay with and make your own. Causeyou’re so good,” he said.

Sanchez, on the other hand,welcomed the criticisms. Sheadmitted, “I had to work really hardto make my voice fit this song. It wasa bit of a challenge.”

Before the performance night,mentor-of-the-week Black EyedPeas’ will.i.am was impressed withSanchez, calling the young singer,

“You’re a Swaggernaut.”A Swaggernaut, as will.i.am

explained, is like an “out of spaceswag” for a 16-year-old.

Fellow BEP and Fil-Amapl.de.ap. urged his fellow Pinoys tosupport Sanchez.

“Watching ‘American Idol,’ to allmy Pinoys vote for Jessica Sanchez,Pinoy pride, she’s amazing!” Aplposted on Twitter, March 15.

In a separate ABS-CBN Newsinterview, Sanchez thanked herFilipino fans for their continuoussupport.

“Thank you guys for all thesupport and all the love. I hope I canvisit the Philippines one day. Youguys are amazing!” she said.

Due to the setback in the earlyrounds of performances, critics havebeen comparing Sanchez to lastseason’s finalist Pia Toscano, ajudges’ favorite who was voted outtoo early from the competition.

A quote from USA Today said,“Tonight, Jessica reminds me of amore mobile Pia Toscano. She’snote perfect, and she’s got hermoves down, too, but there’ssomething that’s just a little toostudied. It’s probably somethingshe’ll grow out of, but she’s only gota few weeks to do it.” a

Jessica continues 'Idol' journey, faces criticisms from judges

President Noynoy Aquino may notbe some people’s most favorite personright now, but his current apple of theeye, Grace Lee, remains supportive ofhim.

The TV and radio personality, who’ssaid to be “getting to know” the chiefexecutive, related that she’s more thanwilling to lend an ear to PNoy, what withall the concerns he has to attend toeveryday.

“His love for his country puts mylove for this country to shame. So, all Ican do is listen if he wants to tell mesomething, if he has problems that hewants to share, if there are certainincidents na gusto niyang ipahiwatig saakin. I'm there to listen, and I think that'sone of the bigger things that I can do forhim...” said Grace in an interview withPEP.

Protesters recently slammed whatthey dubbed as “noynoying,” a term thatindicates the president’s alleged languidwork ethics. Apparently in an attempt to

belie the claim, the Palace has releasedphotos of the president hard at work.

Grace deemed that PNoy, asidefrom having a great support system, alsohas a “very strong stance of what heneeds to do for the country.”

“And no matter what problems he'sfacing, kakayanin niya 'yon dahil mahalna mahal niya ang Pilipinas at ang mgatao,” she added.

As for Grace’s own career, theManila-based Korean looks forward tostart her new program on Magic 89.9.Recall that she exited “Good Times,” amorning show she headlined with MoTwister, among others, earlier thismonth.

The concept of her new show, sherelated, would hopefully be “morewomen-conscious and more women-oriented.”

"Kasi 'yong show namin tuwingumaga at sa gabi, very male-oriented, ‘diba? So for a change naman… I think it'llbe nice to have a female-oriented show.

"But ayaw ko rin naman… na purobabae lang ang makikinig sa shownamin. So, we're going to have a little oftwist to that. That's what we're studyingright now,” said Grace.

Grace is grateful to the radio stationfor their continued support and trust.

"Lahat talaga ng DJ sa Magic,tinulungan ako to get past all theproblems that I faced, directly orindirectly, between Magic and my showbefore, sa morning show. And to themanagement, nagpapasalamat din akodahil they trust me enough to give me ashow,” said she.a

Grace Lee: An earnest listenerfor PNoy

Korean TV and radio personality GraceLee believes PNoy has a ‘very strongstance of what he needs to do for thecountry’

Jessica Sanchez turns the beat aroundbut fails to impress ‘Idol’ judges.

Charice herself confirmed reportssaying she will be joining ABS-CBN’supcoming talent search “X FactorPhilippines.”

The international sensationannounced this during her “Infinity”concert tour’s Manila leg, March 9held at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

“Ate KC, I’m so excited to workwith you. Yes, I’m one of the judges.It’s going to be amazing!” the“Pyramid” hitmaker addressed theshow’s host KC Concepcion, who waspresent at her concert.

Charice is said to be the onlyfemale judge on board “X FactorPhilippines,” a cut from “X Factor”created by Simon Cowell andoriginated in the UK.

In an interview with ABS-CBNNews, the 19-year-old singerexpressed excitement over her

upcoming stint on the show and thatshe vowed to be an “honest” judgethroughout the show.

“I wanna be honest. I know somepeople will think that I will be mean,but I wanna be honest. I wannachoose who’s talented. I wannachoose the real talent,” she said.

“Thank you so much to the peoplebehind ‘X Factor.’ I love ‘X Factor’ andI’m very happy to be part of the teamand I’m very excited. I just wanted say,‘Saludo ako.’ I know there are a lot ofvery talented celebs here in thePhilippines. Thank you for trustingme,” Charice added.

Being a judge in “X Factor” is likebringing Charice back to where shestarted. In 2005, when she was just 12years old, Charice finished third placein ABS-CBN’s singing search “LittleBig Star,” where Sam Concepcionemerged as winner.

The two “Little Big Stars” winnershad a mini reunion of sorts duringCharice’s concert, where she wasjoined by “Little Big Star” alumni:Rhap Salazar, Kyle Balili, and GianBarbarona.

After her Philippine stop, Charicewill bring “Infinity” to Hong Kong onMarch 19 and South Korea on March21. a

Charice Confirms Judge RoleOn 'X Factor Philippines'

The ‘new’ Charice during her ‘Infinity’concert tour, March 9 at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.



Filipino-American Paul Quiemerged champion Feb. 29 duringthe final cook-off of “Top Chef:Texas,” season 9 of the US-airedreality show.

Qui, the executive chef of UchikoRestaurant in Austin, Texas, defeatedSarah Gruenberg of Chicagofollowing a kitchen square-off atBlack & Blue restaurant in Vancouver,British Columbia.

Qui told host Padma Lakshmiafter she named him Top Chef: “I amtop chef. I am extremely happy to seemy mom and dad and Deana beingthere and everybody I metthroughout this journey. Seeing mydad cry makes me say that he is

really proud of me. It has been awhile since I saw him be proud of melike that.”

However, work remains the samefor the new celebrity chef. “I’d still becooking, and doing what I do best,”the 31-year-old winner of $125,000said.

During the finale, Qui “rocked aclam dashi broth and coconut icecream with Thai chili foam,”according to OK! News.

Other Fil-Ams have tried to winthe title exhibiting grace underpressure over several seasons of theBravo and Food Network realityshow aired over Solar cablechannels in Manila. Sally Camachoof Los Angeles placed runner-up toChris Hanmer of Las Vegas in 2011’ssecond season of “Top Chef: JustDesserts.”

US-based Filipinos previouslyfeatured in the TV franchise wereDale Talde from “Top Chef All-Stars”season 8 and “Top Chef” season 4,Leah Cohen and Eugene Villatorafrom “Top Chef” season 5 (NewYork), and Josie Smith-Malave from“Top Chef” season 2 (Los Angeles).

Qui is scheduled to return for areunion episode of the biggestseason yet for “Top Chef.” A total of29 hopefuls made it at the start of thecompetition. In the US, the showclocks in an average of more thanone to two million viewers perseason. a

Fil-Am Wins 'Top Chef' In US

Paul Qui

Actor Robin Padilla admitted thatthings are not well between him andhis brother Rustom Padilla, who is nowknown as BB Gandanghari.

Talking to reporters during a pressconference for his endorsement ofremittance company Moneygram onWednesday, Padilla said his wife, hostMariel Rodriguez, wanted to have areunion since Gandanghari is currentlyin town.

Gandanghari, who has beenbased in New York for the past twoyears, returned to Manila early thismonth.

“Gusto ni Mariel na magkaroon ngreunion kasi dumating nga si Rustom.Gusto niya magsama sama kamingmagkakapatid. Parang siya ang nagingdaan para magkausap-usap angmagkakapatid,” Padilla said.

Without going into details, Padillasaid he is “shocked” with his brother.

“Shocked ako eh. Lalo na ako,” hesaid.According to rumors, Gandanghari hashad a sex change operation, althoughhe declined to discuss the issue in aninterview with another network.

Instead he told Rodriguez, who didthe interview, that “whatever you’reseeing now is a manifestation of how Ireally feel deep inside.”

“And I’ve made decisions in my lifeand I guess (they’re) the best decisions

I’ve made. It made me surer, it mademe happier, more peaceful,” he said inthe TV5 interview.

It can be recalled that RustomPadilla admitted that he was gay whenhe was a contestant on the first "PinoyBig Brother Celebrity Edition."

A few years later, he announcedthat "Rustom Padilla is dead" and isnow BB Gandanghari.

Robin Padilla, however, is notclosing the door on his brother.

“Darating tayo d’yan. Sa ngayon,hindi kami okay,” he said.

“Sa mga paniniwala medyomagkaiba kami ng tinatahak,” headded. a

Robin ‘shocked” with brotherRustom aka BB Gandanghari

Robin Padilla

According to BoxingScene.com,welterweight champion, MannyPacquiao is in talks to take his productline from Nike to NBA legend MichaelJordan's own Nike branch-off, theJordan Brand.

Pairing up with one of the mostwell-known sports figures of all timewill take Pacquiao's alreadyenormously successful career to a newlevel, even after he does eventuallyretire from boxing.

Hooking up with Nike has givenPacquiao's career a boost, as his line isbig success with his ever-growingfanbase, and adding Jordan's nameanywhere near Pacman's will be adouble threat that would surely boostsales of Pacquiao endorsedmerchandise even more.

Fans in Pacquiao's home countryof the Philippines already compare himto Jordan, according to AntonyGordan, president of Creative Talent &Advisory Group, the company heading

the talks about switching Pacman overto the Jordan Brand from Nike.

"...the infatuation of sports fans inthe Philippines and surrounding areasin Asia with basketball finally hit a'marketing tipping point' when the localmedia began branding Pacquiao asthe so-called 'Michael Jordan ofboxing,'" Gordan said.

Along with fellow welterweightchamp Floyd Mayweather, Pacquiao isalready one of the most known boxerssince Mike Tyson, so it would be a no-brainer for Jordan to bring Pacquiao onboard with the Jordan Brand, makinghim the third boxer to team up with theJordan brand behind Roy Jones, Jr.and Andre Ward.

With Pacquiao saying he has twoor three more fights left in him, he mostlikely has around one or two moreyears left in the sport of boxing. TheJordan Brand getting the hypesurrounding partnering up withPacquiao as he bids farewell to thesport that made him a worldwide starwill help ensure Pacquiao's presence inboxing won't be gone even though heisn't fighting anymore.

If the deal does indeed go through,as it appears it will, Jordan would givePacquiao's career a breath of fresh air,one that could have his career soaring,like Jordan once did on the basketballcourt. a

Manny Pacquiao teaming upwith Michael Jordan

Manny in New York

Rustom Padilla

Rustom now BB Gandanghari



Showbiz Gossip Continued from p.19Garrie Concepcion shares griefover death of 'stepfather' IggyArroyo

Gwen Zamora is keeping herfingers crossed that Pinoys would beproud of her stint in the internationalmovie, “The Witness.”

Weeks prior to the release of theGMA Films and Skylar Films co-produced Indonesian flick, Zamorashared how thrilled she was to be partof a production as big as this one.

“I hope I made the Philippinesproud kasi I’m the only Filipinarepresenting the Philippines in [that]Indonesian film,” enthused the partFrench, Italian, Vietnamese and Filipinoactress in a taped interview with“Unang Hirit [UH]” aired March 6.

Filming experienceIn the film, Zamora plays half-

Filipina, half-American expatriate,Angel; a hotel employee who,according to a previous BulletinEntertainment report, witnesses thegrotesque killing of her father by anarmed syndicate.

Being sole eyewitness to the crime,Angel was forced to flee and hide fromthe syndicate who wants to get rid ofher as well. With the goal to avenge herfather’s death, Angel eventually meetshis leading man played by Indonesianactor, Tyo Pakusa Dewol.

Since fractions of the film were shot

in Indonesia, which is known as a strictMuslim country, Zamora reiterated thatthe entire production team had to beextremely cautious in capturing certainsequences.

“They were very meticulous about‘yung pagtakbo ko. Hindi pwedengumaalog ‘yung dibdib gano’n,” sharedthe actress in the “UH” report.

Although, she deems the film to be“very conservative” she pointed outthat they were able to successfully goaround the “sensitive scenes” makingthe flick “very twisted” at the same time.

Of all the things that she's done inthe film, Zamora singled out that whatfrayed her nerves the most was “’yungshooting everyday tapos iyakaneveryday."

Recall that in a past report, Zamoradescribed the film as the “most intense”she’s done to date, in her relatively newacting career.

“There's a lot of action, a lot ofshooting, a lot of blood. Madugo talaga‘yung Gwen Zamora na makikita ninyodito,” she said.

She even boasted that she did allthe stunts in the film without a doublewhich is why “half of my shooting days,I had bruises everywhere. My kneecapwas sort of out for a while, so I was [inand out] of the hospital and I wasalways on painkillers so it was reallyintense talaga.”

But, despite the physicalchallenges posed by her role, Zamorasaid "It was really worth it!"

The young actress bagged thetitular role in the suspense-thriller flickwhen the Indonesian film outfit wasscouting for talent from the GMA ArtistCenter (GMAAC).

"Actually they went around thePhilippines kasi gusto daw nila ngPhilippine actress in their movie andGMA presented their various actressestapos ‘yon,” shared Zamora in the “UH”episode.

According to her, the film wouldpremiere in local theaters on March 21.It will also be screened in other Asiancountries namely Singapore,Indonesia, Hong Kong, Malaysia,Thailand; and in Dubai. a

With the passing of her Dada,Negros Occidental representative IggyArroyo, last Jan. 26, Garrie Concepcionsays that the overpowering pain thatwashed through her almost felt like shelost her own father.

Garrie is the daughter of actorGabby Concepcion and former starGrace Ibuna, Iggy’s partner of sixyears.

In a live interview with “The Buzz”on March 4, Garrie tearfully recalled thebeautiful and loving family life that Iggyhad enabled them to experience allthese years.

“Gusto ‘ko lang pong sabihin salahat na very blessed ako to have twofathers. Siyempre si Papa Gabby andnandyan din po si Dada (Iggy),” shebegan.

The budding actress said that hermom had never been any happier thanwhen she was with Iggy. More, she alsoshared that “he [Iggy] really loved mymom so much and he loved me and mysiblings so much like we were his ownchildren.”

“Tito Boy [Abunda], my momchanged everything. ‘Yung buongbuhay niya changed because of Dada.‘Yung pagmamahal na binigay nila saisa’t-isa, ang laking binago ng buhay niMommy, ng buhay namin. In a sensena punong-puno ng pagmamahal,” sherecalled.

According to her, the love that theirfamily felt also extended to Iggy’sdaughters with his first wife—Dina

Arroyo-Tantoco and Bianca Arroyo,who have welcomed them to theirfamily with open arms.

It was the reason losing him brokethe heart of everyone in their family.

“It was painful for me to see mymom hurt so bad and also to see mytwo siblings, my younger siblings, feelthat way. Na this is it, this is so good forus. We already have a complete familyand then he was taken away,” sheemotionally shared.

The ‘other woman’Even before Iggy’s death, Grace

has been the target of accusations andoffending labels by some people, oneof which was her being called the“other woman.” Iggy’s marriage withhis second wife, Aleli Arroyo, is said tohave not been annulled. Speculationalso arose that Grace was only after thelate congressman’s wealth.

Grace has remained mum over allthe allegations, but Garrie won't just sitby and allow the public to “judge” hermom, taking a swipe at their family'sdetractors during the interview.

“Masakit po na marinig ‘yung mgaganon pong bagay especially para sapamilya ‘ko. Alam po kasi namin ‘yungtotoo kaya po kami nasasaktan.

“Ang dami pong taong nagju-judgena sa tingin ‘ko po sana po tumigil nakayo kasi they really loved each othersincerely and I witnessed everythingfrom day one. They were always therefor each other,” she stated.

Garrie even attested that hermother’s love for the late politician wasso great that she’s willing to “give upeverything” just to get him back.

“And with regard do’n sa habol ngmommy ‘ko pera lang, it’s not true,”she refuted.

“Kasi ‘yung mommy ‘ko na nga‘yung nagsasabi na pwede niyangibigay lahat. Na kung gusto niyaibibigay niya na lahat, bumalik lang siDada. She can give up everything,”Garie stressed. a

Gwen Zamora goes international

Garrie to her mom Grace: ‘Be strong’

Gwen joins the list of local celebs whohave conquered the international filmindustry

A total contrast from the strong andmuscular hunk that fans have come toknow, an emotional Derek Ramsayappeared on “The Buzz” on March 4 toshare that his greatest fear in life islosing his parents.

The Filipino-British actor said thatboth his parents are in the midst ofrecuperating from age-relateddiseases.

“My Dad, matigas ang ulo rinniyan, eh. He’s been having problemswith his feet and there’s somethingwrong with his stomach and it’sactually been a while now,” the hunkactor shared.

Derek said that at first his father didnot want to have himself checked buttheir family was eventually able toconvince him to do so.

“He actually missed the day whenhe’s gonna get the results of the testsbecause he came with me to have ameeting with ABS-CBN,” he recalled.“So ‘yun nga, inuna niya pa rin akokesa sa sarili niya.”

Derek had a meeting on Feb. 29with the Kapamilya executivesregarding his contract with the network.

Later in the interview, Derekmorosely bared that his mother alsohad her share of misfortune as sherecently suffered a mild stroke.

“And then my mom naman, she’s a

very strong woman but alsohardheaded. It’s actually her secondmild stroke. Hindi niya kasi iniinom‘yung gamot niya,” he said in achastising but concerned tone.

He continued, “It’s supposed to bemaintenance medicine and she onlytakes it when she feels na mataas na‘yung blood pressure niya. So nowtutok na tutok kami na sa kanya.”

Asked how he’s coping with hisparents' condition, Derek took a longpause and obviously held back tears insaying: “That's my biggest fear… Ican’t entertain the thought namawawala sila.”

Derek claimed that he doesn’tusually turn emotional on cam butsince, for him, “family comes first,” hecan’t help it.

In the end, the box office actor wasasked what he wanted to tell hisparents.

He enthused, “Mom and Dad, they

know that I love them deeply. Theyknow how I try my best to make themproud and I just want them to know thatI know that they’re proud of me. Andit’s a great feeling to know that youhave parents who are there for you andalways will be.”

“Hindi ako umiiyak sa totoongbuhay ‘eh so I hate you Dad,” he saidin jest.

Before speculations could rise,Derek immediately clarified that puttinghis family first doesn’t necessarilymean that his longtime girlfriendAngelica Panganiban is going to be outof the picture.

“Family always comes first for me.And when I say that they ask, ‘Panonaman si Angel?’ Well Angel’s part ofthe family and my parents treat her liketheir very own. Sometimes nga betterthan me,” shared he. a

Derek Ramsay worries for ailing parents

For hunk actor Derek Ramsay, familycomes first



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Five Tips forNavigating aWine ListBy David White

Navigating a wine list can bedaunting.

Even wine geeks areintimidated by the leather-bound tomesthat so many restaurants hand out.When the wine list doesn't land on thetable with a thud, patrons are still metwith unrecognizable regions andproducers. Plus, no matter where youdine or how much you know, prices canbe senseless.

Fortunately, deciphering arestaurant's list doesn't have to bestressful. Here are five simple tips.Ask For Help

The era of the snootysommelier is over. Whereasyesteryear's sommeliers were glorifiedsales agents who intimidated theirguests by pushing expensive,predictable wines, today's sommeliersare wine zealots, eager to share theirpassion and palates. So if therestaurant you're visiting employs a

wine professional, ask for advice. Mostare keen to help patrons find theperfect wine, regardless of the price.

Be BraveIf you're at a restaurant with an

impressive wine list, seize theopportunity to be adventurous. Yourdinner companions will be impressedwith your courage, and you'll learnsomething new.

If you like Chardonnay, forexample, consider Viognier. If you likeSauvignon Blanc, try Torrontes orAlbarino. If you typically orderCalifornia Cabernet, consider orderingMalbec or Sangiovese. And don't beafraid of Merlot. Even though it'sbecome cool to bash the grape, Merlotcan be as rich as Cabernet Sauvignon,and is generally more approachable.

If everyone at your table hasordered something different, opt for anunusual wine that'll pair with virtuallyeverything. For white, think AustrianGruner Veltliner. For red, think SicilianNero d'Avola.

Look For ValueI recently chatted with Kathy

Morgan MS -- one of just 186 peopleworldwide to earn the "mastersommelier" designation -- and sheinsisted that good deals can be foundvirtually everywhere.

"Don't be afraid to ordercheaper wines, especially if the winelist was put together by a sommelier ora wine professional," she explained. "Ifthought is put into the list, all the winesshould be good."

If there isn't a sommelier,Morgan advises people to seek outwines from less popular regions. Atsteakhouses, for example, you canoften find deals on Pinot Noir fromFrance and the United States, as most

patrons order bigger wines. And atevery restaurant, wines from Spaintypically offer a great value.

Try Some GlassesMorgan is also convinced that

skipping the bottle list can be a wisedecision. "At restaurants with seriouswine programs," she explained,"sommeliers see wines by the glass asan introduction to their programs --they know that's where people aregoing to get their first impression."qOrdering by the glass also enablespatrons to try a wine before committingto it -- it's not frowned upon to ask yourserver for a taste of something beforeordering a full glass. Plus, ordering bythe glass makes it easier to try a varietyof wines at one meal.

Remember That You're In ChargeIs your wine too warm? Do you

feel pressured to spend more thanyou'd like? Is your server refilling yourglass too quickly? If the answer to anyof these questions is "yes," speak up!

Restaurants are notorious forserving red wine too warm -- redsshould always be served slightly cool,at about 60-65 degrees. So if your winetastes like it's been sitting at roomtemperature, ask for an ice bucket orswitch to a white wine -- or beer.

If the sommelier is steering youtowards something too expensive,there was probably amiscommunication. So say something.If you don't want to let your guestsknow how much you're spending, pointto the price you're thinking and ask forsomething similar.

Finally, don't be embarrassedto ask your server to slow down. Ialways insist on finishing my glass ofwine before it's refilled. That way, I cantrack the wine's evolution and bettermonitor how much I've consumed.

While there are countlessother ways to navigate a restaurant'swine program, these five tips shouldbe easy to remember -- and helpelevate your next dining experience.

David White, a wine writer, isthe founder and editor ofTerroirist.com. His columns are housedat Wines.com, the fastest growing wineportal on the Internet.

itechnologies, to help provide Asia’srequirements of 72,000 pilots in the next20 years?

Do you know that morePhilippine health centers are now beingrecognized by Accreditation Canada,which will give many Canadians theopportunity to seek sophisticated, timelyand cost-effective medical services in thePhilippines tied to the Canadian nationalhealth system? Our national healthsystem now gives you the option toundergo treatment using state-of-the-artfacilities, recovering among lushforested mountains and palm-linedbeaches.

Do you know that electronicproducts are our top export? Ourelectronics industry considers 2012 as arebound year where growth is expectedat 20% with more new investmentsstreaming in? Fully 85% of mobilephones in the world contain a vital chiponly made in the Philippines. Tell yourfriends that parts of their cellphones aremade in the Philippines.

There are other many healthysigns for our economy. Our stockmarket was the best performer in Asialast year; inflation is among the lowestin Asia at 3.9%; infrastructure spendingis rising; corporate balance sheets arein the best of shape in a decade;

From Page 11 Ambassador Gatan

See Page 23 Ambassador Gatan



Showbiz Gossip Continued from p. 20

Judy Ann is eager to work withtoday's hot actors

Actress Judy Ann Santos wants towork with some of today’s hottest,most bankable actors, singling outJohn Lloyd Cruz and Coco Martin aspossible onscreen partners.

“Si John Lloyd nakatrabaho kosiya nagsisimula pa lang siya. Babyboy nga ang tawag ko sa batang ‘yan.Proud na proud ako sa bata kasinakikita ko kung paano siyamagtrabaho,” said she in a recentinterview with push.com.

As for Martin, Santos said she haslong been fascinated with how theactor works and is “excited” to observehim up close.

“Kasi nakikita ko siya kung gaanosiya ka-intense umarte. Nakikita kokung gaano siya mag-motivate,” sheexplained.

But Santos, it seems, is not as

eager to work with heartthrob PioloPascual.

“Lahat ng bagay napapag-usapan.Lahat ng bagay nagagawan ngparaan. Naghahanap lang siguro tayong maayos na panahon,” said she,seemingly balking at the suggestionthat she works again with her formeronscreen love interest.

For now, however, Santos is hardat work being the best mom to herchildren. Sharing the burden is herhusband, actor Ryan Agoncillo.

"Siyempre Kami naman ni Juday,we're trying hard talaga to give the bestto our family,” said Agoncillo in aseparate interview with PEP.

But the “Talentadong Pinoy” hostadmitted that Santos wants to doanother teleserye or a movie and, assuch, is motivated to lose weight.

“Iniisip niya na lang din nakailangan niyang pumayat para satrabaho rin and I admire her for that, forhaving a healthy view in life," said he.

With both of them being busy, thecouple isn’t really planning on havinganother baby anytime soon.

"Kung darating ang another baby,darating. Pero sa ngayon, masayakami na dalawa ang anak naming.Hindi naman kami nagpapa-pressure,"said Agoncillo.

The husband and wife team lastworked together in "MyHousehusband: Ikaw Na." a

OFW chosen as torchbearer inthe 2012 Summer Olympics

OFW Reymund Enteria will bringhonor to the country after having beenchosen as one of the torchbearers forthis year’s Summer Olympics in London.

“Sipag, determinasyon at lakas ngloob. Mga katangian na naging daanupang makamit ni Reymund Interia,isang OFW sa London, ang pangarapniyang maging torchbearer sa 2012Summer Olympics sa London,” a reporton “24 Oras” said.

As recalled by the report, “Samurang edad pa lamang [ay] namulatna si Reymund sa hirap ng buhay. Batapa lamang ay tinutulungan na niya angkaniyang ina na maglako ng ulam.Nangarap hanggang makatapos sakursong Occupational Therapy. Sandalilang nagtrabaho sa bansa si Reymundhanggang makapagtrabaho ito sa SaudiArabia at ngayon ay nasa isang ospitalna sa London.”

Actually, Reymund had read aboutan ad looking for possible torchbearersbut he initially did not give it importance.

“Kuwento ni Reymund o mas kilalasa tawag na Apol, hindi niya pinansin

ang advertisement na naghahanap ngtorchbearer nang una niya itongmakita.”

“One night, mga around August poyata ‘yun, noong nag-i-scan ako ngmagazine I read na kailangan nila nginspiring individual. Hindi ko naman ponaisip ang sarili ko na i-promote asinspiring kasi nga wala pa naman akongnagagawa pero naisip ko agad ‘yungmga overseas Filipino workers,”Reymund recall in the episode.

“Nagbago ang kanyang isip nangmakita niyang ang hinahanap natorchbearer ay isang taong ang buhayay maaaring maging inspirasyon ngnakararami.

“Isinulat niya ang buhay niya bilanganak ng OFW at bilang OFW. Disyembrenoong nakaraang taon nang tanggapinniya ang mensahe na isa siya sa mganapili para maging torchbearer.”

Reymund’s friends greeted andcongratulated him for his feat.

“Hi Apol, good luck. God bless.Mabuhay!” they collectively greeted himin the episode.

Luz Interia, Reymund’s mom wasoverwhelmed with joy when she learnedof her son’s great luck.

“Masayang-masaya ako. Proud naproud ako dahil sabi ko talagang gift ngGod sa amin dahil binigyan ako ngmabait na anak. Kung bibigyan ngpagkakataon gusto naming makaratingdoon para mapanood namin siya,” Mrs.Interia said.

Reymund offers his feat to fellowFilipinos, especially the OFWs.

“I’m not really doing this for myselfbut for the entire Filipino overseasworkers kasi I owe everything to mymom. Gusto ko mapasalamatan ko siyasa lahat ng mga hardships na ginawaniya,” he said.

“Nag-iwan din siya ng mensahepara sa mga nangangarap na tulad niya.‘Wag raw mawalan ng pag-asa [dahil]ito raw ang susi sa pagkamit ngtagumpay,” the report closed. a

Reymund Enteria shares the honor ofbearing the torch in the 2012 SummerOlympics with his fellow OFWs

Judy Ann Santos wants a good balancebetween career and parenting

Sam Milby continues chasing'the American dream'

Fil-Am actor-musician Sam Milbyremains hopeful despite critics'claims that his breaking intoHollywood would be a near-impossible feat.

Recall that Milby has put his localcareer on hold in favor of trying outin the American entertainmentindustry. He has been based in NewYork City for about a month now.

“Parang imposible pumasok saHollywood, and for me, a lot ofpeople say [that] it is. Maybe a lot ofpeople are saying that and even upuntil now, if nothing happens even

this year - let's say this year, 'causeit's my first season - I'm not gonnagive up,” Milby said in a tapedinterview aired on The FilipinoChannel’s “Balitang America,” withthe video clip posted on its officialwebsite on March 8.

According to the report, Milbyhas already “gone through nineauditions for roles in TV pilots formajor networks and is now waiting tohear from casting agents anddirectors.”

On this, he expressed, “It isanxious and stressful. You know,'cause you hear good things, youhear good feedback, and then you'relike, 'Okay, what's going on here?Will I get a call back?'”

Nevertheless, Milby believes thathis dream is “something that youreally got to keep believing in and bepositive about always.”

“I already have the step ahead ofbeing with such a good agency andthat's already hard to find. So If Ihave such a good agency thatbelieves in me, it’s just maybe theright project has not come for me yetthis season. Hindi ibig sabihin naimposible.

“Kasi I believe... you just gottabelieve. You gotta believe,” hestressed. a

Sam Milby currently resides in theupscale SoHo neighborhood

Sharon plunges into real estate

Actress-singer Sharon Cuneta iseager to add another notch to herseemingly ever-widening belt – that ofproperty mogul.

The actress, herself, revealed so ina recent interview, saying it's thefulfillment of a longtime dream.Already, she has acquired severalproperties including one in an areanear Tomas Morato, where she plansto build several townhouses.

More, Cuneta divulged havingbought a two-hectare oceanfrontproperty in Bohol that she aims todevelop into a retirement village.Another recent investment is an eight-hectare property in Palawan.

In the same interview, the 46-yearold denied having an interest inpolitics saying that she doesn’t havewhat it takes to last in such a “cynical”arena. Cuneta, who is married to Sen.Francis Pangilinan, insists that havingone politician in the family is enough.

That said, Cuneta lavishes praiseson several colleagues who have madeinroads in politics including VilmaSantos, governor of Batangas.

Prior, Cuneta signed a long-termcontract with media giant TV5 in hopesof reinvigorating her TV career. Thedeal, rumored to have amounted to abillion pesos, is said to be the biggestever in the history of local showbusiness. a

Sharon has invested millions in Boholand Palawan

The North American Filipino StarMarch 2012 23The North American Filipino Star


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government budget gap has narrowedto about 2% from a record high of5.2% in 2002; consumer debt as aproportion of the economy is 7%, thelowest in Asia; remittances accountsfor 10% of our GDP; Manila to possiblybecome another Las Vegas in fiveyears; and the allure presented by ouryouthful population from a marketnearing 100 million, over 80% of whomspeak English.

ChallengesI will be biased if I present only the

rosy side of the story. Our country isalso beset with a number ofchallenges, among which are, asreported by Reuters: stock prices areamong Asia’s most expensive;investment protection laws need moretransparency; government revenue is

deemed the weakest in SoutheastAsia; huge diaspora seekingopportunities abroad; more spendingby multinationals needed to furtherspur investments; mining investmentsremain difficult to attract due to policyissues; and good governance requiremore bold measures.

In conclusion, have you heard orread the Hongkong Bank studyreleased late last year, carried bysome Filipino community papers inToronto, that by 2050 the Philippineswill be the 16th strongest economy inthe world? We do not have to wait for2050 to stay ahead if we all work moreclosely together. Other nationalitiesare doing it. Our famed Filipinoaccountants can do better.

Mabuhay kayong lahat!**********

From Page 21 Ambassador Gatan

improved connectivity for consumers,increased business productivity andenhanced safety for Canadians.

In 2008, the HarperGovernment set aside spectrum fornew entrants and implemented otherpolicies to support new competitors.New entrants have since made largeinvestments to launch services and areproviding greater choice to Canadianconsumers.

"Our government has takensignificant action to promotecompetition in the wireless sector, andour decisions have helped to reducemobile wireless prices for Canadianfamilies by 10 percent since 2008,"said Minister Paradis.

Today's announcement willprovide Canadian families with morechoices at low prices for wirelessservices. For a more detaileddescription of the measures to betaken as part of the policy approach tothe upcoming auctions of 700 MHz

and 2500 MHz spectrum, pleaseconsult the attached backgrounder.

For further information (media only),please contact:

Richard WalkerDirector of CommunicationsOffice of the Honourable ChristianParadisMinister of Industry613-995-9001

Media RelationsIndustry Canada613-943-2502Backgrounder

Harper Government Takes Action toSupport Canadian Families

Rules for the 700 MHz and 2500 MHzSpectrum Auctions

Foreign Investment Restrictions in theTelecommunications Sector

The Harper Government isintroducing several measures with theobjectives of sustaining competitionand robust investment in wirelesstelecommunications and of promotingthe timely availability of advancedservices for all Canadians, includingthose in rural areas.

Foreign investmentrestrictions will be lifted for companiesthat have less than a 10 percent share

of the telecommunications market,promoting competition by improvingnew wireless entrants' access tocapital.

Caps in upcoming spectrumauctions will effectively ensure thatnew wireless entrants and regionalproviders have access to primespectrum.

Tower sharing and roamingpolicies will be improved andextended.

Obligations will be imposedon 700 MHz spectrum licence holdersto see advanced wireless servicesquickly delivered to rural Canadians.

The government plans to holdthe 700 MHz auction in the first half of2013, to be followed by auction of the2500 MHz spectrum within a year.

prices for Canadian families,including those in rural areas.

Wireless telecommunications,and the radio frequency spectrum thatenables it, are fundamental to world-class digital infrastructure, a key pillarof Canada's digital economy.

From Page 14 Telecommunications

Advertise in the North American

Filipino Star514-485-7861

March 201224



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Gilmore International College providesimmigrants the tools for a successful careerchange. The training and the skills that Ilearned from the program gave me theconfidence to work as a nurses’ aide.(Adele Lascano, October 2008)

• PSW-PAB Nursing Aide • Office Technology

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Gilmore International College gave me theopportunity to start a new career, I finishedthe nursing aid/P.A.B. course last October2011. I got a job easily and I am nowworking fulltime because I learned newthings from this course which focuses onhow to care for the elderly. I'm proud to bepart of this college. (Giselle Arellano, Oct.2011)

PAB/PSW Batch 6 class (Old Program - 100 hours, theory Session: June 3, 2009-August 30, 2009(200 h Practicum - September 5, 2009 to December 27, 2009 Students of this group: Balag-ey,Carolina; Battad, Mildred; Bituin, Milaine; Dagdagan, Joan; Danda, Gloria; Gacutan, Maria Ann;Laqui, Paz; Nipa, Edilan; Pagada, Jovita; Pailaga, Delia; Ramos, Juvelyn; Ramos, Ronalyn.Instructors: Amy Manon-og; Sophie Toledo; Director-General: Zenaida Kharroubi. Other instructorsnot in photo: Terry White, Clarice Mackay. The new PAB/PSW program has been upgraded to 600hours, consisting of 350 hours of theory and 250 hours of practicum, in response to therequirements of the job market. Graduates of the old program are therefore encouraged to getadditional training in order to have access to jobs in government health care facilities. Call 514-485-7861 for information on upgrading courses.

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Dr. Anton Juan’s lecture on Philippine culture hits home

Documents

Transcript of Dr. Anton Juan’s lecture on Philippine culture hits home