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The First Filipino-CanadianScouts group is inviting parents andtheir children to attend its first FunNight which will be held on Saturday,February 24, at 6767 Cote Des Neiges,6th floor dining hall of the InterculturalLibrary building opposite Plaza Cotedes Neiges., starting at 3:30 p.m.Admission is free. Members andvolunteers are bringing potluck dishesfor the supper to be served to all whowill attend. Please call 514-485-7861to let Laging Handa Scouts know howmany people will attend this Fun Night.A lineup of activities, games, and videopresentations will surely entertain theparents and their children. The AreaCommissioner, Mr. Mark Brenchleyand other Scout leaders will bemoderating the games and they willalso be happy to explain to theparents what Scouting can offer to thedevelopment of our youth's leadershipand survival skills. There will bedemonstrations of typical Scoutingactivities, ceremonies, games, andsongs. The parents can watch theirchildren participate in the games andbe convinced that Scouting can offer a

better alternative to watching TV orplaying video games.Mr. Claro Bermudez, Head ScoutLeader, will be assisted by ScoutVolunteers Romy Valenzuela, AnnaMay Tappan, Richard San Miguel,Giovanni Ortiz, and parent volunteers,Joselito Sarto, Riza Esmeralda, ArnoldOrtiz, Bob and Helen Araneta, Cristina

Paac, and Mary Joy Lizarondo. Withthe increasing number of youth, thereis also an increasing demand for adultvolunteers. We are making an appealto those who can devote two hoursweekly to help in the implementation ofthe Scouting program to Filipino-

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Parents and children invited to Scouts Fun Night

Laguna Province TOURISM |PAGE 10

Filipino family represents NWT atcitizenship ceremony

The Pangilinan family was chosen to represent the Northwest Territory and to participatein the commeration of the 60th anniversary of citizenship. SEE PAGE 5

The Laging Handa Scouts pose for souvenir with La Union Governor Victor F. Ortega who was theguest speaker of FAMAS during the 108th Independence Day Anniversary Celebration, June 10, 2006

See Page 4 Scouts

Nigerian kidnappers release 24Filipino hostages

Nigerian kidnappers have released all 24 Filipino seamen they had been holding captive inthe creeks of the oil-producing Niger Delta since January 20 Story on Page 3

february 20072


The North American Filipino Star

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Sam FerryAssistant Editor News & Tourism

ColumnistsRiza Esmeralda

Lina V. FernandezDr. Victor Gavino

Prof. Isaac GoodineEsther StansfieldAnna May Tappan

Alvin D. Veloso Bert AbieraFounder

Lourdes FabiaEntertainment News

The North American Filipino StarSUBSCRIPTION

Opinions, comments of writers and columnists do not necessarily reflect that ofthe management of Filcan Publications, Inc.

4950 Queen Mary Road Penthouse (5th Floor) Montreal, QC H3W 1X3

Zenaida Ferry KharroubiChief Editor & Publisher

Nida Verginom ButaranMary Joy LizarondoSales Representatives

Tel.: 514-485-7861Enquiries: [email protected]: [email protected]

EEDDIITTOORRIIAALLEveryone agrees that our

future lies in our youth. . Yet, it wouldseem that we render lip service to thetask of making sure that our youth isprepared to take over the leadershiproles that will surely be left vacant bythe natural process of attrition. Thereare many organizations, all of differentorientations but it seems that there area few that are devoted to youthdevelopment. Needless to say, it willbe worthwhile considering Scouting asa good choice for our community tosupport if we want our young people,both boys and girls to develop theirleadership and survival skills. They willalso acquire ideal personality traitssuch as courtesy, respect of theirelders. Knowing all these benefits ofScouting for the young, why is it thenthat there are only a few families takingadvantage of the services offered bydevoted Scout volunteers? It seemsthat everyone is opting to be involvedonly in basketball or hockey. Whatcould be the reasons for this lack ofinterest? Do they know that there is avariety of activities that boys and girlscan learn?

We urge parents to considerfinding out more about Scouting andwhat it means to the world at large. Ifthey become aware of how thismovement spread around the worldand the reasons behind its popularityeverywhere, perhaps more parents willbe interested in enrolling their childrenwith the Laging Handa Scout Group.

As we reflect on what is goingon around us, perhaps we canappreciate the fact that there is toomuch violence, conflict, and wars inseveral areas of the world. Do we everwonder what each one of us can do tomake a difference? The vision of oneman, 100 years ago in England, madeit possible to make this difference forour young people thus enabling themto contribute to the betterment ofsociety. This man’s pioneering spiritlives on until this day. Lord Baden-Powell, was a 50-year-old retired armygeneral when he founded Scouting,and his revolutionary ideas inspiredthousands of young people, from allparts of society, to get involved inactivities that most had never

contemplated. Scouting is a type of informal

education with an emphasis onpractical outdoor activities, includingcamping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking,backpacking, and sports. It is learningby doing. It is also an excellent way ofpromoting awareness of theenvironment and encouraging theconservation of our natural resources.Would it not be a wonderful project if allyoung Filipino boys get involved incleaning up our neighborhood, andbeautifying our parks? They wouldcertainly grow up to be caring andresponsible adults. Instead ofspending their time in Metro stations,shopping centers, and playing videogames, they can be mobilized to usetheir excess energies for the good ofour community.

It is of great interest to see howmany parents show up at the ScoutsFun Night. It will serve as an indicatorof how much interest our parents cangive to the development of their ownchildren. The more parents getinvolved in Scouting, the better it willbe for all of us for it will surely have alasting impact on the improvement ofour society in general, and of the familyin particular.

As we all know, the modernfamily is often dysfunctional becauseof the pressures of having both motherand father work to earn a living.Childlren are often left to fend forthemselves, or in the extreme, are oftenspoiled and become stubborn.Parents become helpless and do notseem to know where to turn. Scoutingmay offer an alternative to somefamilies who are in this difficultsituation. There are resourcesavailable that can help, if only theseparents will check out the servicesoffered by the Scouts organization.

We hope parents will heed ourcall to celebrate the centennial year ofScouting by joining in the movementfor the sake of our children.

We hope to count you all andjoin us on Saturday, February 24, at3:30 p.m. at 6767 Cote des neiges.You will be glad you did!

Zenaida Kharroubi

Hilda T. VelosoCommunity News Editor

Store Hours: Monday to Friday - 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.Saturday-Sunday - 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

514-733-8915Tangkilin ang sariling atin.

Let the world be inspired by the Scouting spirit

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I made a different kind of New Year’s resolution …and it brought me the best year yet! ”

february 2007 3The North American Filipino Star


The holidays have come and gone and what isusually left is a New Years resolution on how tomake this year a healthier and better year. Thatall starts with making healthier choices. AlbertEinstein said “You cannot do the same thingover and over and expect a different result”. If forany reason you are suffering from pain in anypart of your body, just maybe you have not takencare of the problem.

There are so many people who have given upon their health, not knowing that there may be abetter way that what they’ve already tried. Theyneed a second chance with their health, like Ionce had. I want to share with you a true story ofa patient that is still under my regularchiropractic care.

Last year Ralf came to my office after theholidays. He had spent a week with his family inthe Caribbean and for a majority of the timethere, he spent on his back not able to movedue to debilitating back and neck pain. As well,both of his knees were so swollen they lookedlike two balloons in the middle of his legs .Hepromised himself that as soon as he got homehe would find the reason for his pain and fix it.That is when he scheduled his consultation withme. Ralf explained to me during that visit that“He had too much water in his knee and that heneeded to have it removed.” However, when Iexamined him I knew that the swelling was aprotection mechanism for the subluxations thatwere present in his lower back. Ralf understoodthe underlying cause for his pain and agreed tohave an adjustment. One week later he was ableto move around without pain. A few weeks laterhis neighbor asked what he was doing that wasso different because he looks so much healthierand happier! Ralf simply listened to his body. Hetook care of his subluxations so his body wasable to heal naturally.

So you see when you have subluxation, thenerves are chocked and the natural energycannot flow properly to the rest of your body.Several times a day patients thank me forhelping them with their health problems. But I

can’t really take the credit .I’ve never healedanyone of anything. What I do is make a specificspinal adjustment to remove the subluxation,and the body responds by healing itself.Subluxation is at a pandemic because of ourlifestyle. Sitting is the major cause ofsubluxation, an average person sits for 32 years.Sitting is as devastating on the spine as sugar isto the teeth.Subluxation also caused by stress,accidents, slips, falls and even the birthingprocess. But we get tremendous results it’s assimple as that.

Many people of all ages come to see me withtheir health problems .Such as …headaches, migraines, chronic pain, neck pain,shoulder/arm pain, insomnia backaches, earinfections, asthma, allergies, numbness in limbs,fatigued ,depression, arthritis, carpel tunnelsyndrome ,attention deficit disorder ,lack ofconcentration. Just to name a few. You don’thave to be in pain to get your spine checkedeither. If you’re one of millions of peoplesuffering from pain and have not yet seen thelight at the end of the tunnel…. Then this offer isjust for you!

We are offering you a special price for your initialconsultation examination and x-rays ifnecessary; normally $210.00 will be offered toyou at $45.00. ACT NOW this offer is only validfor two weeks and for the first 18 callers. Andfurther care is very affordable and you’ll behappy to know that I have affordable familyplans.

You can call Dr. Goel at DECARIE SQUAREFAMILY CHIROPRACTIC (located at 6900Decarie Blvd #340, Human ResourcesCanada). Our phone number is: 514-344-6118.

P.S When accompanied by the first I amalso offering the second family memberthe same examination for only $35.

February 13, 2006Nigerian kidnappers have released

all 24 Filipino seamen they had beenholding captive in the creeks of the oil-producing Niger Delta since January20, the men's employer, Germanshipping firm Baco-Liner, said onTuesday.

The kidnappers said they hadfreed the men "on humanitariangrounds" without receiving anyransom, following the intervention oflocal elders and authorities. Mostabductions in the anarchic Niger Deltaare resolved after money changeshands.

"The Nigerian authorities havehanded the vessel and its crew to us inWarri," a spokesman for the companysaid, referring to the main city in thewestern delta.

He said the men were tired, but ingood health. A replacement crew willbe hired to sail the ship out of the NigerDelta, he added.

Another seven foreign hostagesseized by different armed groups arestill in captivity in the delta, whereviolence against expatriates andagainst the oil industry is on the rise.The remaining hostages are twoItalians, one Lebanese, one American,two Filipinos and one Frenchman.

The kidnappers of the 24 Filipinossaid they had seized the Baco-Liner 2because it was "suspected to havebeen conveying arms and ammunitionimported by top politicians in the

country, to destabilize the 2007 generalelections in the region."

Nigeria is due to hold elections inApril that should mark the firstdemocratic transition from one civiliangovernment to the next in Africa's topoil producer.

The Baco-Liner spokesman saidthere were explosives on board thecargo ship but these were destined foroil companies that use them forexploration and had nothing to do withpolitics.

"We are not engaged in anysmuggling whatsoever," said thespokesman.

Divisions among rebels

The kidnappers said they would takeunspecified "further actions" unlessNigerian authorities met a series ofdemands including the release of twojailed leaders from the delta and thepayment of compensation to localvillages for oil spills.

The abduction of the 24 Filipinosexposed divisions among rebel groupsin the delta.

The kidnappers said they werefrom the Movement for theEmancipation of the Niger Delta(MEND), whose attacks a year agoforced the closure of 500,000 barrelsper day in oil output, a fifth of Nigeria'scapacity. That production has notresumed.

But Jomo Gbomo, who has always

spoken for MEND since the groupemerged in late 2005, has repeatedlydenied his group was involved in theabduction. He says a separate groupwas responsible and MEND does notshare that group's objectives.

Activist sources in the region saythe group who kidnapped the Filipinosused to have links with Gbomo'sMEND about a year ago, but they hadfallen out. MEND has sometimesworked with pre-existing militias whoseagendas are based on local issues.

Poverty, lawlessness and acollapse in public services due torampant corruption amonggovernment officials lie at the root ofthe problems in the Niger Delta, wherethe lines are blurred between politicalmilitancy and crime.

Most residents of the vast wetlandsregion live without clean water,electricity, roads or functional clinicsand this fuels resentment toward themultibillion-dollar oil industry.

Attacks on oil facilities,kidnappings for ransom, smuggling ofstolen oil, armed robberies andassaults on the security forces are allcommon. Many fear the situation willworsen ahead of April's elections asarmed thugs hired by politicians tointimidate their opponents spring intoaction.a

Nigerian kidnappers release 24 Filipino hostages Emotional homecoming forFilipino kidnap victimsFebruary 17, 2007

Twenty-four Filipino seamenrecently released after being heldcaptive at gunpoint for 24 days inNigeria flew home to an emotionalreunion with loved ones.

Looking haggard after their ordealbut smiling and waving, the men weremet by government officials and athrong of journalists after disembarkingfrom a commercial flight.

"We are very happy. Thank youvery much President (Gloria) Arroyo,"they said in unison to an explosion ofcamera flashes.

They were quickly taken to thepresidential Malacanang palace in thecapital and tearfully reunited with familyand friends.

"I couldn't sleep. I was just cryingand crying," said Jocelyn Arcangel asshe waited at the palace for herhusband, Roberto Arcangel, to arrive.

"My sons don't want him to leaveanymore. It was very traumatic. Wehave not heard from them for a longtime and there are fears that they wereharmed."

The men declined to comment onnegotiations that led to their freedomon February 13, for fear of jeopardizingthe safety of two other Filipinos seizedseparately. Filipino diplomats are inNigeria working to free them.

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Canadian youth. Please apply nowby calling 514-485-7861, attention ofMrs. Zenaida Kharroubi, GroupCommissioner. Parents are also urgedto join the Group Committee in order toshare the workload involved in theadministration - secretarial-clericalduties, fundraising solicitors, and othertasks necessary to make the groupfunction more smoothly.

The Laging Handa Scouts Group0592 was first chartered during a CornRoast sponsored by Gilmore Collegeon August 24, 2003 upon thesuggestion of Col. Camilo Tiqui, aretired Philippine Airforce pilot whoencouraged Mrs. Zenaida Kharroubi tosponsor the formation of the firstFilipino Scout group. Scouts Canada,Quebec Council Commissioner RossMiller presented the crest to ConsulMedardo Macaraig at MacKenzie KingPark, signifying the approval of thecharter to the First Filipino ScoutGroup to be named "Laging Handa0592". Mr. Sterling Lambert, the thenMembership Development Repre-sentative and Michael Belanger, AreaCommissioner, provided help andsupport in planning for the recruitmentof adult volunteers and children whichonly started the following year . Arechartering ceremony was held onSeptember 8, 2004 when the thenAmbassador Francisco Benedicto wasinvested as an honorary member. Col.Camilo Tiqui assisted by AreaCommissioner Brent Hussey did thehonors of placing the Scoutneckerchief on AmbassadorBenedicto. Other dignitaries presentat the ceremony were Borough MayorMichael Applebaum, Mr. Marc Leiterwho represented Hon. Irwin Cotler, theformer Secretary of Justice andAttorney General during the Liberalgovernment, Honorary ConsulSalvador Cabugao, SchoolCommissioner Khokom Maniruz-zaman, Prof. Isaac Goodine whodelivered the inspirational message,and other Filipino community leaders.To celebrate Independence Day in2005, Laging Handa held a treeplanting ceremony in front of themonument to Dr. Jose Rizal. It wasalso during this time that BoroughMayor Michael Applebaum wasinvested as an honorary member. TheGroup also joined the first GK walk inMontreal on September 9, 2005.

Although there were many adultvolunteers who filed applications withScouts Canada and received policeclearances, not all of them confirmedtheir appointments. The onlyvolunteers who decided to pioneer the

Scouting movement in the communityare: Claro Bermudez, RomeoValenzuela, Danilo Corpuz, RichardSan Miguel (all members of APO) andNida Butaran. All of these people havebeen with Laging Handa since 2004until the present time, except Mr.Corpuz and Ms. Butaran because oftheir busy schedules. Mr. Corpuzstayed for one year, Ms. Butaranstayed for two years. Miss Anna MayTappan joined the group lastSeptember 2006. Some of the firstprospective volunteers backed out ordid not show any firm commitment fora variety of reasons, some of themfinancial, others for lack of time. Anobstacle to recruiting more adults isthe membership fee which has to bepaid by each Scout volunteer. LagingHanda is therefore trying to solicitmore sponsors in order to offervolunteers and parents some financialassistance whenever possible. Thefirst significant amount received wassolicited by Riza Esmeralda whoapproached Mr. Yuri Fatawho worksfor the ICAO office in Montreal. Hegave a donation of $700 last year. Thiswas used in buying uniforms for thechildren and some Scoutsparaphernalia. Mr. Salvador Cabugaoalso gave a cash donation to theLaging Hand Scouts while they wereparticipating in the GK walk for thepoor. This was used to buy snacks forthe kids. Recently, the following peoplewho received solicitation letters fromthe Group Commissioner, ZenaidaKharroubi, last December 2005, sent intheir cheques, namely, Hon. LawrenceBergman, Borough Mayor MichaelApplebaum and Councilor MarvinRotrand. A thank you letter is on theway to them. Mrs. Kharroubi alsoapproached Mr. Sly El-Hachem, thebank manager of the Scotiabankbranch at 4681 Van Horne. She wasdelighted to receive a quick positiveresponse. A cheque will be forwardedto Scouts Canada on behalf of LagingHanda and will be earmarked for theScouts Fun Night this comingSaturday, February 24, at 3:30 p.mHowever, more donors are needed inorder to send at least six members tothe Scout Jamboree being held inCamp Tamaracouta, Quebec thissummer which will cost around $5000.It would be a rare experience for theyouth to participate in this jamboree asit is the centennial year of Scouting.

Most of the Scout leaders spendtheir own money in buying food andmaterials for the weekly activities.Some parents help out by bringingadditional food for snacks. If moresponsors are willing to help support aworthy cause, Laging Handa Scout

Group will also be able to help theadult volunteers and parents in termsof subsidizing the costs ofmembership fees and other activities,particularly camping which is animportant part of Scouting. So far, theGroup has been camping everyseason since winter 2005. It isrequired to have a minimum of fourcamping trips in a year.

It is hoped that parents will takeadvantage of the opportunity beingoffered by Laging Handa in developingthe future leaders of the Filipino-Canadian community. This year, beingthe Centennial Year of the Scoutingmovement, we should celebrate it bybeing active in promoting the Scoutingmovement . It will encourage theScout volunteers of Laging Handa ifmore people come to attend the FunNight, which is designed to showexamples of what the youth can learnfrom Scouting.Background notes on the ScoutsCentennial Year

The year 2007 will mark 100 yearsof Scouting worldwide. In 1907, LordBaden-Powell ran his experimentalcamp, on Brownsea Island on theSouth coast of England, for 20 youngLondon boys from different socialbackgrounds.

By 2007 over 500,000,000 womenand men from most of the world’scountries and cultures will havepromised to live by the Scout Promiseand Law.

Our Centenary is an opportunity forus to demonstrate the unique value ofScouting to the world and to celebratethe achievements of 100 years ofScouting.

It’s a time to celebrate the future ofScouting and look to how we canimprove it to meet the needs of evenmore young people, their families andcommunities worldwide.

Our Centenary year also marks the150th anniversary of the birth of ourfounder, Lord Robert Baden-Powell,who was born on February 22, 1857.Why should we mark the Centenary?

In 2007, Scouting worldwidecelebrates its Centenary. As they havedone for one hundred years, millionsof Scouts will help to change the worldfor good. What a great opportunity forus to demonstrate the value ofScouting to the world.

Not only will we celebrate theachievements of the past; but we’llplan a course for the futuredevelopment of Scouting. We’llactively seek to offer better and biggerScouting programs worldwide. Therewill be a lot happening in the next year!The Centenary provides us with anopportunity to promote Scouting to a

national and world audience. As ourpreparations get underway, we’ll shareour achievements and successes in allfields with the public. We’ll aim to bringScouting to more young people andcountries in the world and improve thequality and delivery of our programs.The 100th anniversary of Scouting maycreate among Scouts and formerScouts a sense of belonging to aworld-wide Movement (WOSM). Whata great forum for them to communicatewith each other and establish orreestablish contacts both nationallyand internationally. This is the unity ofWorld Scouting.

The Centenary is also anopportunity to obtain greaterrecognition of our success in the fieldof non-formal education, in particularthe work that we do towards promotinga culture of peace throughout theworld and our commitment to natureand the environment. We will also usethe occasion of the Centenary toprocure more support for Scouting inthe future from parents, communitygroups, authorities and the newsmedia.Who will celebrate?

The year 2007 marks 100 yearsfrom the date that Scouting wasfounded. This Centenary belongs toevery Scout from every WOSM countryand territory. As such, all activities,projects and work done in the name of2007 will involve all Scouts and takeplace on a local, national, regional andinternational level. It is so importantthat this Centenary is promoted as acelebration for all, and not just the dateof the next World Scout Jamboree.

The International Jamboreeand Canadian Jamboree are the majorworld and national events included inthe Centenary, but we will promote2007 as a national and worldwidecelebration. We have already begunour planning and developing to ensurethat 2007 is a resounding success.When should we start?

The 2007 Resolution inThessaloniki recognized the need toplan well in advance for the maximumbenefit. The worldwide Centenaryproject for all National ScoutingOrganizations, entitled Gifts for Peace,began in 2005.

In Canada, planning is alreadywell underway at a national level, andmany groups will begin their own plansat the start of the 2006/2007 Scoutingyear. It will be amazing to see theunique ways each group plans tocelebrate as they set their imaginationsfree. The year 2007 will truly be agolden year for Scouting. a

From Page 1 Scouts



Ottawa, February 16, 2007The Honorable Diane Finley, minister ofCitizenship and Immigration, welcomedtoday 17 families who are new Canadiancitizens, representing each province andterritories, on the occasion of a swearing inceremony for a special commemorationwhich was held at the Supreme Court ofCanada. The ceremony marked the 60thanniversary of Canadian citizenship.Among the dignitaries present were HerExcellency, the Very Honorable MichaelleJean, governor-general of Canada, theVery Honorable Beverly McLachlin, theChief Judge of the Supreme Court and thechief principal judge of Citizenship, MichelSimard.

“I am very proud to participate inthis commemoration of the 60thanniversary. Our Canadian values makeus an example for the planet,” said MinisterFinley. “Each day, we show that ournumerous differences should not divideus. A society that can be diversified andharmonious. Each time that we decide tobecome a Canadian citizen, it means tosay that this country is formidable.”

In 2006, 259 267 people took theoath of Canadian citizenship. Today, 17families, among them a Filipino family,

chosen to represent eachprovince andterriroty of Canada took their oath ofcitizenship in the ceremony held at theSupreme Court, at the same as thosebeing held in other places around thecountry to commemorate the six decadesof Canadian citizenship. Mr. GilbertPangilinan arrived from Pampanga,Philippines with his family on July 20, 2001and chose to settle down in the NorthwestTerritory. He is an electronics engineerand works for a telecommunicationcompany.

Canadian citizenship wasestablished legally and oficially on January1, 1947, when the first citizenship law wasenacted. Until then, persons who lived inCanada were considered British subjectsresiding in Canada.

“I arrived very young in Canada,in search of liberty and hope, and this iswhy the value of Canadian citizenship forme is profoundly personal,” declared thegovernor general, Michaëlle Jean, to thepeople pressent at the ceremony. “Now,that each one of you is entering the bigCanadian fmaily, I hope that you will tkaean active part in the permanent task ofedifying our country.”

“I am honored to welcome some

recent Canadian citizens in this building aswell as to the first ceremony of Canadiancitizenship which took place in 1947,”declared the Chief Justice BenevelyMcLachlin “The ceremony today marks agreat step for our new citizens as well asfor our country. We must all be proud that

Canada continues to be a place whereimmigrants find reasons to hop for theirfuture.”

This 60th anniversary ofcitizenship will continue to be celebratedthroughout the year. 2007.

Filipino Family chosen to represent Northwest Territory tocommemorate 60th anniversary of Canadian citizenship

Governor General Michaëlle Jean and the Supreme Court Justice Beverly McLachlin listenintently to the speech of Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Diane Finley.

february 20076 The North American Filipino Star


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are pleased to invite you tothe “Writers Helping Writers”

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Why you should attend:Everyone has to write, whether youearn your living by writing orworking for yourself or others, yourability to express yourself in Englishis absolutely essential. SinceEnglish has become the languageof business around the world,mastering the art of writing andspeaking is the key to your successin your personal and professionallife.

What they say about writing:There’s only one way to learn to write - read!Every person who has the ability to read can learn how towrite.What do writers do? They write.What do good writers do? They write and re-write.What do excellent writers do? They write, re-write, re-write,re-write until they get it “right.”Proof of Attendance:An attractive certificate and tax receipt will be given at theend of the workshop.Proceedings will be videotaped. You may purchase acopy for your future reference.NOTE:In addition to establishing a writers’ network, a publicspeaking course will be a follow-up to this workshop.

Schedule: Friday - 6:00 to 10:00 p.m.Saturday & Saturday - 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.Tuition Fee:2 1/2 days seminar for the low rate of $495 includingtaxes and materials.

inter-active, multi-cultural, motivational

Workshop Leaders

Isaac T. GoodineBsC., B.Ed. C. Eng.

International Speaker & Author“Leaders Leding Leaders”

Resource Person, TransparencyInternational, Fomrer Principal,Director of Schools & Colleges,

Human Resources DevelopmentSpecialist, Consultant, World Bank

Zenaida F. KharroubiB.A. English, M.A. Ed. StudiesDiploma in Education, TESL

Founder & Director-GeneralGilmore College

Editor & Publisher,North American Filipino StarGroup Commissioner, Scouts

Canada, Quebec Council

Gilmore International College4950 Queen Mary Rd. PenthouseMontreal, QC H3W 1X3

www.gilmorecollege.com Call 514-485-7861 to register

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1. Anak ng Dalita2. Ang Mutya3. Dahil Sa Isang Bulaklak4. Pakiusap5. Sa Kabukiran6. Mutya ng Pasig

7. Basta’t Mahal Kita8. Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal9. Sa Libis Ng Nayon10. Nasaan Ka Irog11. Sapagkat Kami Ay Tao Lamang12. Madaling Araw

Painted faces, colourful costumesand elaborate headdresses were plentifulas the Aklan Association of Montreal heldtheir 6th Annual Ati-Atihan Festival. Overfive hundred association members andguests joined in the merriment at St.Kevin’s in Cote-des-Neiges, Saturday,January 27th, to honour Santo Nino.

The celebration began with a mass at5pm. Guests then moved downstairs,where they were treated to the sight of abrightly decorated hall, with picturedisplays of past Montreal Ati-Atihanfestivals and videos of the 2006 Ati-Atihanfrom Aklan.

The evening festivities started with theWelcome Address from outgoingpresident, Winston Derequito. Hededicated the evening’s celebration to hiswife, Emily, who had worked hard onfestivals in the past. She passed away lastMay.

The invocation was given by Fr.Francisco Alvarez. Fr. Artemio Calaycaywas also on hand to perform the blessingover the food. Guests then servedthemselves to a buffet dinner of traditionalFilipino dishes. As they dined, animpressive demonstration was put on bythe martial arts students from the CacoyDoce Pares World Federation, followed bya belly dance by the young and talentedSacha Nicole Almanon Tamayo. Sachawas one of the finalists in the Little MissPhilbecan 2006 Beauty Pageant.

The entertainment was followed bythe induction of the officers, by FelyRosales Carino. Larry Panado, presidentelect, gave his acceptance speech,especially thanking his family for theirsupport. The Turn Over of the “Saruk” wasperformed and, with the words “Viva KaySr. Santo Nino!”, the parade began. The

drummers and other percussionists beatout an infectious rhythm that no one couldresist. The dance floor quickly filled upwith costumed Aklanons and guests,parading and dancing to the beat of thedrums.

The party continued long into thenight, with music, dancing, raffles andmore parading to the drums. Although itwas only one night, instead of the weeklong festival like in Aklan, it truly capturedthe spirit and revelry of any of the Ati-Atihan festivals back home.

Brief History of the Ati-AtihanThe Ati-Atihan festival originated on the

island of Panay, home of the Ati, who havedark skin and curly hair. In the 13thcentury, the Atis sold land to a group ofpeople from Borneo, who later becameknown as the Maraynon. A friendshipgrew between these two groups, after aparticularly bad harvest for the Atis.Having no food one year, they came downto visit the new island settlers and ask forfood. The Atis danced and sang to showtheir gratitude. This visit grew into anannual celebration. The Maraynoneventually began painting their faces withblack soot, in honour of the Atis, andjoined in the dancing and singing. Thefestival became a feast day for the SantoNino, after the Spanish arrived andFerdinand Magellan presented the SantoNino to the Queen of Cebu. Since then,the Ati-Atihan has become the largest andwildest of the Philippine fiestas.

Viva Kay Sr. Santo Nino! Aklan Association ofMontreal Celebrates 6th Annual Ati-Atihan Festival

Guests celebrate the 2007 Ati-Atihan, parading to the rhythm of the drums.

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The Early Origins of CooperativesCooperative efforts have

occurred throughout history. Sinceearly man cooperated with others tohelp kill large animals for survival,people have been cooperating toachieve objectives that they could notreach if they acted individually.Cooperation has emerged throughoutthe world. Ancient records show that Babylonianspracticed cooperative farming and thatthe Chinese developed savings andloan associations similar to those inuse today. In response to the

depressed economic conditionsbrought forth by industrialization, somepeople began to form cooperativebusinesses to meet their needs.The Prime Movers of Cooperativism:Robert Owen (1771–1858), GreatBritain.

Fathered the cooperativemovement. A factory manager and oneof the partners of the Chorlton TwistCompany at Manchester, who madehis fortune in the cotton trade, saw thatpeople needed help. He wanted to givethe people in his factory better lives. Hehelped them by paying higher wages

and making his factory safe. Owenbelieved in putting his workers in agood environment with access toeducation for themselves and theirchildren. These ideas were put intoeffect successfully in the cotton mills ofNew Lanark, Scotland. It was here thatthe first co-operative store was openedwhere the workers themselves ownedand ran. Spurred by the success ofthis, he had the idea of forming"villages of co-operation" whereworkers would drag themselves out ofpoverty by growing their own food,making their own clothes andultimately becoming self-governing. Hetried to form such communities inOrbiston in Scotland and in NewHarmony, Indiana in the United Statesof America, but both communitiesfailed.Dr. William King (1786–1865),England.

He was a physician andphilanthropist from Brighton. AlthoughOwen inspired the co-operativemovement, Dr. King took his ideas andmade them more workable andpractical. King believed in startingsmall, and realized that the workingclasses would need to set up co-operatives for themselves, so he sawhis role as one of instruction. Hefounded a monthly periodical(newspaper) called The Cooperator,the first edition of which appeared onMay 1, 1828. The Cooperator had awide circulation and a great influencein the emerging movement. The paperserved to educate and unify otherwisescattered groups.

King's articles in the papergave the movement somephilosophical and practical basis that ithad lacked before. This gave a mixtureof co-operative philosophy andpractical advice about running a shopusing cooperative principles. Kingadvised people not to cut themselvesoff from society, but rather to form asociety within a society, and to startwith a shop because, "We must go to ashop every day to buy food andnecessaries - why then should we notgo to our own shop?" He proposedsensible rules, such as having a weeklyaccount audit, having 3 trustees, and

not having meetings inpubs/beerhouses (to avoid thetemptation of drinking profits). The First Cooperatives

The earliest cooperativesappeared in Europe in the late 18thand 19th centuries, during theIndustrial Revolution. As peoplemoved from farms into the growingcities, they had to rely on stores tofeed their families because they couldno longer grow their own food.Working people had very little controlover the quality of their food or livingconditions. Those with money gainedmore and more power over thosewithout. Early co-ops were set up as away to protect the interests of the lesspowerful members of society -workers, consumers, farmers, andproducers.The Rochdale Equitable PioneersSociety

In 1843, a few poor weaver-workers in the textile mills of Rochdale,England went on strike. When thestrike failed, the mill workers began tolook for other ways to improve theirlives. Instead of calling for anotherstrike or asking charitable groups forhelp, some of these people decided totake control of one of the mostimmediate and pressing areas of theirlives.

At that time, consumers werefrustrated and dissatisfied by theabuses of the merchants andstoreowners in their community, manyof whom adulterated products toincrease their profits. In many cases,workers' wages were paid in company"chits" - credit that could only be usedat the company's stores. The averageconsumer had very few choices andlittle control.

They believed they neededtheir own food store as an alternative tothe company store. Twenty-eight (28)people joined together and formed aconsumer cooperative known as theRochdale Equitable Pioneers Society.Groups of these people beganexperimenting with various methods ofproviding for their needs themselves. They decided to pool their money. After

COOPERATIVEMOVEMENTBigger than whatyou think

By Jerry EstradaPhilippine Correspondent

Editor’s Note: Mr. Estrada is a coop volunteer worker/leader in thePhilippines and presently working with Atty. Mordino R. Cua(Cooperatives Man of Asia 2004, awarded in Seoul, Korea).Together, they are continually organizing cooperatives and at thesame time writing Atty. Cua’s books on cooperatives entitled: “MyCooperative Journey (53 years), An Autobiography” and “How theCooperative Code of the Philippines (RA 6938) and theCooperative Development Authority Law (RA 6939) were craftedby the Cooperative Movement in the Philippines.” CongressmanGuillermo P. Cua, the incumbent Co-op Representative in thePhilippine Congress, is the son of Atty. Cua.

The Beginnings, Nature, Principles andPractices of Economic Cooperation

See Page 19 Cooperatives

february 20078



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Dear EarthTalk: What are the fast-foodchains doing to cut back on--or at leastrecycle--the huge amount of paper, plasticand foam they use daily? Are there anylaws or regulations to force them to begood environmental citizens?-- Carol Endres, Stroud Township, PA

Currently there are no federal laws orregulations in the U.S. specifically aimed atgetting fast food chains to reduce, reuse orrecycle their waste. Businesses of all kindsmust always obey local laws pertaining towhat must be recycled versus what can bediscarded. And a small number of citiesand towns have local laws specificallydesigned to force businesses to do the

right thing, but they are few and farbetween.

There have been some strides in thefast food business with regard topackaging materials and waste reduction,but it has all been voluntary and usuallyunder pressure from green groups.McDonald’s made headlines back in 1989when, at the urging of environmentalists, itswitched its hamburger packaging fromnon-recyclable Styrofoam to recyclablepaper wraps and cardboard boxes. Thecompany also replaced its bleached papercarryout bags with unbleached bags andmade other green-friendly packagingadvances.

Both McDonald’s and PepsiCo (ownerof KFC and Taco Bell) have crafted internalpolicies to address environmental

concerns. PepsiCo states that itencourages “conservation of naturalresources, recycling, source reduction andpollution control to ensure cleaner air andwater and to reduce landfill wastes,” butdoes not elaborate on specific actions ittakes. McDonald’s makes similar generalstatements and claims to be “activelypursuing the conversion of used cookingoil into biofuels for transportation vehicles,heating, and other purposes,” andpursuing various in-store paper, cardboard,delivery container and pallet recyclingprograms in Australia, Sweden, Japan andBritain. In Canada the company claims tobe the “largest user of recycled paper inour industry” for trays, boxes, carry outbags and drink holders.

Some smaller fast food chains havegarnered accolades for their recyclingefforts. Arizona-based eegee’s, forinstance, earned an Administrator’s Awardfrom the U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency for recycling all paper, cardboardand polystyrene across its 21-store chain.Besides the positive attention it hasgenerated, the company’s recycling effortalso saves it money in garbage disposalfees every month.

Despite such efforts, though, the fastfood industry is still a large generator ofwaste. Some communities are respondingby passing local regulations requiringrecycling where applicable. Seattle,Washington, for example, passed anordinance in 2005 prohibiting businesses(all businesses, not just restaurants) fromdisposing of recyclable paper orcardboard, though violators only pay anominal $50 fine.

Perhaps policymakers in the U.S. andelsewhere could take a lead from Taiwan,which since 2004 has required its 600 fast-food restaurants, including McDonald’s,Burger King and KFC, to maintain facilitiesfor proper disposal of recyclables bycustomers. Diners are obliged to deposittheir garbage in four separate containersfor leftover food, recyclable paper, regularwaste and liquids. “Customers only have tospend under a minute to finish the trash-classification assignment,” saidenvironmental protection administrator HauLung-bin in announcing the program.Restaurants that don’t comply face fines ofup to $8,700 (U.S.).

CONTACTS: eegee’s, www.eegees.com;Taipei Times, “Restaurants set the newrecycling trend,”www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2004/01/02/2003086025.

Dear EarthTalk: What are the environmentalpros and cons of switching to plant-based“bio-fuels” to reduce our reliance on oil?

--Jim Dand, Somerville, MAThere are many eco-benefits to

replacing oil with bio-fuels like ethanol andbiodiesel. For one, since such fuels arederived from agricultural crops, they areinherently renewable--a¬nd our ownfarmers typically produce themdomestically, reducing our dependence onunstable foreign sources of oil. Additionally,ethanol and biodiesel emit less particulate

pollution than traditional petroleum-basedgasoline and diesel fuels. They also do notcontribute to global warming, since theyonly emit back to the environment thecarbon dioxide (CO2) that their sourceplants absorbed out of the atmosphere inthe first place.

And unlike other forms of renewableenergy (like hydrogen, solar or wind),biofuels are easy for people andbusinesses to transition to without specialapparatus or a change in vehicle or homeheating infrastructure--you can just fill yourexisting car, truck or home oil tank with it.Those looking to replace gasoline withethanol in their car, however, must have a“flex-fuel” model that can run on either fuel.Otherwise, most regular diesel enginescan handle biodiesel as readily as regulardiesel.

Despite the upsides, however, expertspoint out that biofuels are far from a cure

for our addiction to petroleum. A wholesalesocietal shift from gasoline to biofuels,given the number of gas-only cars alreadyon the road and the lack of ethanol orbiodiesel pumps at existing filling stations,would take some time.

Another major hurdle for widespreadadoption of biofuels is the challenge ofgrowing enough crops to meet demand,something skeptics say might well requireconverting just about all of the world’sremaining forests and open spaces over to

agricultural land. “Replacing only fivepercent of the nation’s diesel consumptionwith biodiesel would require divertingapproximately 60 percent of today’s soycrops to biodiesel production,” saysMatthew Brown, an energy consultant andformer energy program director at theNational Conference of State Legislatures.“That’s bad news for tofu lovers.”

Another dark cloud looming overbiofuels is whether producing themactually requires more energy than theycan generate. After factoring in theenergy needed to grow crops and thenconvert them into biofuels, CornellUniversity researcher David Pimentalconcludes that the numbers just don’tadd up. His 2005 study found thatproducing ethanol from corn required29 percent more energy than the endproduct itself is capable of generating.He found similarly troubling numbersin making biodiesel from soybeans.“There is just no energy benefit tousing plant biomass for liquid fuel,”says Pimentel.

There is no one quick-fix forweaning ourselves off of fossil fuelsand the future will likely see acombination of sources--from wind andocean currents to hydrogen, solar and,yes, some use of biofuels--poweringour energy needs. The “elephant in theliving room,” however, that is oftenignored when considering energyoptions is the hard reality that we mustreduce our consumption, not justreplace it with something else. Indeed,conservation is probably the largestsingle “alternative fuel” available to us.CONTACTS: Ecology Center Biofuel Fact sheet,www.ecologycenter.org/factsheets/biodiesel.html; Earth911 Energy Conservatio, factsheetwww.earth911.org/master.asp?s=lib&a=Energy/energy.asp.GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION?Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/TheEnvironmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098,Westport, CT 06881; submit it at:www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek/, ore-mail: [email protected]. Readpast columns at:www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php.

North America's fast food industry is a hugegenerator of waste. Some strides havebeen made in recycling and reducingpackaging and serving materials, but it hasall been voluntary and usually only underintense pressure from environmentalgroups. (Getty Images)

A major hurdle for biofuels is the challengeof growing enough crops to meet demand,something skeptics say might well requireconverting just about all of the world’sremaining forests and open spaces over toagricultural land. (Getty Images)



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February 14, 2007Standing ankle-deep in swamp

mud, couples have wed in an unusualValentines Day' ceremony on thiswestern Philippine island, that markedtheir commitment to the environment.

The 100 barefoot couples, dressedin white, stood in the swamp facing thesea and exchanged vows in a ceremonyofficiated by the city mayor.

"You will be an example of true lovenot just to your partner but to theenvironment," Mayor Edward Hagedornsaid in a short speech after marrying themostly poor couples from Palawanisland's capital of Puerto Princesa.

The official ceremony was free of

charge for the couples in exchange forplanting mangrove saplings in theswamp and helping further to protecttheir island.

This strange combination ofenvironmentalism, romance and aid tothe poor has become an annual event inPuerto Princesa which has been pushingan image of cleanliness and ecologicalactivism to attract tourists to Palawan.

For seventy-two year old farmerProtacio de Ocampo, the free ceremonywas a chance to make official hisrelationship with 67-year-old partnerTeofela Apolinario.

The pair have been together since1958 but de Ocampo has been too

embarrassed to approach officials toarrange a traditional wedding becausehe is illiterate and could not sign themarriage license.

"It would be embarrassing if theypassed away without getting married. Atleast now we know that their unionwould be recognized in heaven," saidtheir daughter Leonora Apolinario, 58,who witnessed the mass wedding alongwith her daughter and some 3,000 otherguests.

Josephine Rodriguez, 27, wearing adress she borrowed from her partner'saunt, said she was thankful for theceremony as she and her constructionworker husband could not afford a

private one. "Maybe later when we havemoney we can have a private wedding,"said the mother-of-one who spent mostof the ceremony trying to keep her dressout of the mud. She said she understoodthe importance of the mangrove swamp,which serves as a nursery and habitat forsmall fish and anchors the fragile soil onthe shore to prevent erosion.

"It's a lot of fun. And this is goodbecause this is where the smaller fishcan live," she told AFP.

Afterwards the newlywedscelebrated with wedding cake and ashoreline banquet of omelets and friednoodles, courtesy of the citygovernment. a

Newly-wed couples walk to the shore passed new mangrove saplings they planted in the swampafter a mass wedding to mark Valentine's Day on the western Philippine island of Palawan.

Mass swamp wedding marksValentine's Day in Palawan

Estimated cooking time: 2 to 3 hours.

Morcon Ingredients:* 1 kilo beef, sliced 1/4 inch thick

(3 pcs.)* 1/4 kilo ground beef liver* 200 grams sliced sausages or

ham* 200 grams pork fat (cut is

strips)* 3 hard boiled eggs, sliced* 100 grams cheddar cheese in

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* 1/2 cup vinegar* 2 teaspoon salt* 2 cups of water* 2 meters thread or string (for

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Beef Morcon Cooking Instructions:

* Spread and stretch the slicedbeef on your working table.

* Arrange the filling on thesliced beef: sausage strips, cheesestrips, sliced eggs, pork fat and someground liver.

* Roll the sliced beef with all thefilling inside and secure with a threador string.

* Repeat the procedure for thetwo remaining beef slices.

* On a pot, place the beef rollsand put the water, the remainingground liver, grated cheese, choppedonions, bay leaves, ground blackpepper and salt.

* Cover the pot and bring to aboil. Simmer for one hour.

* Add the vinegar and continueto simmer of another hour or until beefis tender.

* Slice the beef morcon,arrange on a platter and top with thesauce/ gravy poured on top.

Cooking Tips:

* A spoon or two of flour can beadded to water to thicken the sauce.

* Instead of boiling in a pot, youcan use a pressure cooker for fastercooking.

* Optional: Garnish with olivesbefore serving.

Beef Morcon Recipe

february 200710



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Buruwisan Falls in Famy Sinoloan, Laguna

A row of the sturdy, rustic Nipa Huts, famous in the tropics because its structure allowing theinterior to remain breezy and cool even during the hottest months of the year. It is made of driedcoconut leaves, woven together by abaca. 8 such Nipa Huts line the lakefront of Villa Escudero

The Nagcarlan Church was built during the mid1800s, and is one of Nagcarlan's historicalstructures. The other famous structure in townis the Underground Cemetery.

The Grand Carousel in Enchanted Kingdom, the largest amusement park in the Philippines.Grand Carousel, located in Victoria Park (one of the Park Zones in EK), welcomes you into theage of Victorian elegance. One can meet and greet the park's mascot, the Wizard, and take amagical ride on the zone's centerpiece attraction.

Hidden Valley Springs, a popular family outting& picnic spot

Resort Province of the Philippines

Lake Caliraya - The man-made lake was built by American engineers in the 1930s in order toprovide hydroelectric power in the region. Lake Caliraya is situated at 1,200 feet above sealevel. It is endowed with cool winds, clear water, and the surrounding greenery.

Laguna,is a haven of fresh andpristine bodies of water such as hotsprings, lakes, and waterfalls. Mostnotable is Pagsanjan Falls, formerlycalled Magdapio Falls, referred to as“shooting rapids.” It is found in Cavinti,starting from Pagsanjan town. Anotheris Lake Caliraya, which is locatedbetween Cavinti and Lumban. Thestrong mountain breeze that blowsfrom the Sierra Madre MountainRanges and the distant MountBanahaw makes the lake an idealplace for aqua sports like wind surfing,water skiing, sailing as well as gamefishing. Approaching the province isone of the most pleasant 1 ½ hour drivein all of Luzon.

Innumerable hot springs abound inthe province, including the famousHidden Valley Springs which islocated in a secluded part of Alaminos

town. A trip to Dalitiwan River, locatedin Botocan, Majayjay, is an excitingadventure because the terrain isrugged, as mountain lands go, and thecool water or river gushes through therocks and boulders along thewatercourse in sweeping currents. Themystical Mt. Makiling in Los Baños isan inactive volcano, rising to about1,109 meters above sea level. It isindeed endowed with nature’s beauty,making it ideal for all types of naturetripping, from trekking to bird andbutterfly watching and even camping.

Laguna is not only endowed withnatural wonders. It also plays animportant role in the country’s historyas the birthplace of Dr. Jose Rizal, thecountry’s national hero, whose infancyand early manhood were spent in thetowns of Calamba and Biñan. Anumber of churches of Spanish-influenced architecture in intricateRomanesque and Baroque design,mostly restored to their originalelegance, are also found in theprovince.

The province is one hugeshowcase of Southern Tagalogcraftsmanship. The town of Paete isfamous for its woodcarvings, papiermache, and handmade paper

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The province owes its name to this body of water that forms its northern boundary which, in turn,was named after the first provincial capital, the town of Bay. Laguna de Bay is known to beSoutheast Asia’s largest fresh water lake. It stays pristine throughout the year as the area is blessedwith regular rain showers.

products. Tree seedlings, sampaguitaflowers, orchids, and exotic plants arebig business. Cut flower farms arefound mostly in towns of Calamba, LosBaños, and Bay. Sweet tropical fruitsabound, such as the lanzones fromPaete, pineapple from Calauan, chico,banana, mango, rambutan, andavocado. Add to these Laguna’sembroidered garments. Jusi clothmade from banana fiber ispainstakingly, albeit deftly, transformedinto beautiful pieces of clothing worthy

of being tailored into the Philippinenational costume, the Barong Tagalog.Shoes made from abaca hemp is agrowing industry in the town of Liliw.

Owing to its nearness to Manila,Laguna is presently becoming thecenter of economic activity in theSouthern Tagalog Region and theCalabarzon area. Business in the areais bustling as shown by the presenceof several industrial estates designedfor handling large scale firms engagedin textile manufacturing, electronics,

food processing, industrial machines,and car assembly. Today, Laguna is athriving province. Its fertile landsproduce millions of pesos’ worth ofcoconuts, rice, sugar, citrus fruits,lanzones, and other agriculturalproducts. Its tourist spots attract amultitude of foreign and domestictourists. Other spots not to missinclude:- Pagsanjan: The town of Pagsanjanis blessed with natural wonders – theawe-inspiring gorges, the roaring

rapids, and the Pagsanjan Falls, a plusfactor that made Pagsanjan one of thepremiere tourist attractions of thecountry.- Mount Makiling: The mystical MountMakiling is an inactive volcano rising toabout 1,109 meters above sea level- Enchanted Kingdom: Linger in oneof the Philippines’ finest theme parks,located in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, whereyou can indulge in themed activitiesand fun rides for hours at affordablerates. a

Built in the 18th century by the Franciscan Missionaries, the Underground Cemetery is enclosed by acircular structure. A red-tiled walk leads straight to the small chapel, where an altar-like structure islocated. The tombstones are embedded on the brick walls of the cemetery and the basement. At thecrypt of the cemetery, is where the local Katipuneros, plotted against Spanish rule.

february 200712



Sponsor: Scotiabank

Induction of Officers (left to right): Ati-Atihan AssociationLarry Panado (President), Chrstopher Bautista (Sgt. at Arms), Jolly Reyes (Vice-President), Alice Arceno-Panado (Secretary), Mary Anne Advincula (Assistant Secretary), Fely Rosales Carino - (Administered theoath), Marlon Candolita (Assistant Treasurer), Haydee Trinidad (Treasurer), Rando Ruance (Sgt. at Arms),Jimmy Bautista, Sr. (PRO), Jimmy Bautista, Jr. (Business Manager), Mary Anne Bautista, James SheldonBautista (front) Not in Picture:Roque Mayor, Jr. (Auditor), Vicente Tafalla, Joel Reyes & Benjo Reyes(Sgt. at Arms)

The Pangilinan family poses with Hon. Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship andImmigration, Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverly McLachlin, Feb. 16, 2007.

february 200714



Is Ogie Regine’s mystery lover?

confession has something to do withhis reported "secret romance" (somesay it's an open secret) with the Asia'sSongbird, Regine Velasquez. The two"best of friends" were caught ontelevision hugging during the Cheers to'07 New Year countdown of GMA-7 atRajah Sulayman Park along RoxasBlvd. in Manila. In an interview Ogieexplained that it was just a "friendly"hug. There are speculations that Ogie'smarriage to Australian Michelle vanEimeren is on the rocks. Michelle andher two daughters by Ogie live inSydney. Regine stoked the fire ofcontroversy when she declared late lastyear that she has a boyfriend of fouryears, whom she called George. Shedenied Ogie is her secret boyfriend butOgie later volunteered that he is theGeorge being referred to by Regine.Regine topbilled in a series of concertsin January at Klownz Angeles inPampanga, with Ogie Alcasid as herspecial guest. In December she startedshooting a movie with Piolo Pascual,tentatively titled 'Fallin', a co-productionof Viva Films and Star Cinema anddirected by Joyce Bernal. a

Lea Salonga will return toBroadway as Fantine in CameronMackintosh's new production of LesMisérables beginning March 6 at TheBroadhurst Theatre. Lea playedEponine in 1993 in the originalBroadway run of Les Misérables. Dueto strong box-office and enthusiasticaudiences, Les Miz recentlyannounced an extension through atleast the summer of 2007, and Lea willstay with the production through theentire period.

Lea, who has been staying in thePhilippines since giving birth last May16 to firstborn Nicole Beverly, isbringing her daughter to the US. Even ifshe’s already a proven Broadwaytalent, still Lea had to audition for therole of Fantine in April last year. Shewas eight months pregnant then whenshe sang for composer Claude-MichelSchönberg, who was the same manwho tested her for the role of Kim,heroine of “Miss Saigon,” in 1988. Lea,who is turning 36 on Feb. 22,catapulted to international stagestardom when she was chosen to staras Kim in the 1989 London worldpremiere of Boublil and Schonberg'sMiss Saigon, produced by CameronMackintosh. Only 17 at the time, Leareceived critical acclaim and went on to

win the Olivier Award as Best Actress ina Musical. In 1991 she reprised herperformance on Broadway, againearning rave reviews and winning theTony Award as Best Actress in aMusical, along with Best Actresshonors from the Drama Desk and theOuter Critics' Circle. She returned toBroadway in 2002, starring in therevival of Rodgers & Hammerstein'sFlower Drum Song. a

Angel Locsin dropped a bombshellwith her admission that she andboyfriend Oyo Boy Sotto have brokenup during the Christmas holidays afterbarely two years of going steady. Sheconfirmed the separation in aninterview with Butch Francisco onStartalk last Dec. 28. “Cool-off ba?”asked Butch. A teary-eyed Angel shookher head, then Butch asked, “Tapos nanga ba?” Angel nodded and quipped,“Ang hirap sagutin.” According tospeculations, there are two possiblereasons for the break-up. First, Oyo isallegedly “getting along fine” with BingLoyzaga, estranged wife of JannoGibbs. But Bing dismissed the rumor."They are barking at the wrong tree. . .Pareho ko silang kaibigan kayanalungkot ako nang malaman ko natotoo na palang nag-break sila." Shesaid she considers Oyo as a "kidbrother" because "matagal na kamingmagkabarkada . . . At 36 [years old],tita na ako ni Oyo who's only 22. Kayapara pag-isipan ako na girlfriend niya .. ."

The second reason for the break-up is the love angle in the team-up ofAngel and Robin Padilla in the newGMA-7 show Asian Treasures. ButAngel assured "Oyo has nothing to bejealous of Robin," adding that her ex-boyfriend trusts her. insiders say thereal reason for the break-up is the lackof time for each other, especially on thepart of Angel, who is one of the most in-demand actresses today. Lately shehas been frequently traveling for hernew TV show with Robin. Angel and Oyo had planned to leavefor Bantayan Island in Cebu on Dec. 26for a brief vacation but it never pushedthrough. As of press time, Angel and Oyo havenot issued any more information abouttheir break-up. a

Will Ogie Alcasid finally sing? Thetalented composer-singer-comedianhas promised to make a "surprise"announcement in June when he said

would make an admission aboutsomething private or personal. Buteven without any clue, showbizinsiders believe Ogie's forthcoming

Angel & Oyocall it quits

Lea Returns toBroadway



First, KC Concepcion-Pangilinanand TV director Lino Cayetano werereported to be just friends. Then therewere rumors that they were dating.Latest reports say the two are now anitem!

KC, 21, and Lino, 29, reportedlyspent a brief vacation with a few friendsin Boracay after Christmas. Paris-based KC was in the country during theChristmas holidays. Rumors about ablossoming romance between thepretty daughter of Sharon Cuneta andLino swirled following the break-up ofthe son of the late Senator ReneCayetano and Blog host and formerPinoy Big Brother housemate BiancaGonzalez. One report said, “Bianca isreally hurting and is still texting Lino.”

Bianca and Lino had a lover’s quarrelafter Bianca joined the reality TV showPinoy Big Brother, where she becameextra close to PBB housemate ZanjoeMarudo. But after Bianca left the PBBhouse, she cut all ties with Zanjoe. KCand Lino were reportedly spottedhaving lunch last Dec. 22 at Sonya'sGarden in Tagaytay. KC was said to beshooting a commercial that day inTagaytay. But as the two left Sonya'sGarden, they were holding hands.Asked about the budding romancewith KC, this was all Lino would say, ““Ilike her a lot. and I think napakaganda,napakatalino, and talented niyang tao.”The two reportedly hit it off instantlywhen they met in Paris, where KC isenrolled at the American University. a

Are KC and TV Director now an Item?

Avid showbiz observers believethat Vic "Bossing" Sotto has finally methis match - for the second time -- in EatBulaga co-host Pia Guanio. Vic, whohas been one of showbiz's mosteligible bachelors since the break-up ofhis marriage to Dina Bonnevie, hadbeen romantically involved with anumber of his co-hosts in the popularnoontime TV show, including ConeyReyes, Angela Luz and ChristineJacob.

Incidentally, Pia's previousboyfriend of seven years, Mike Jacob,is the brother of Christine. But despitehis playboy image, Bossing does nottalk publicly about his love life. That isuntil he fell for Pia. Now, the erstwhile

tight-lipped Romeo has suddenlybecome very open about his feelingsfor his current girlfriend. In an interviewwith Yes! Magazine, Bossingunabashedly and uncharacteristicallydeclared, "Kung hindi rin lang siya angmapapangasawa ko, hindi na akomag-aasawa." The lovebirds seem sosure of each other that the altar date isjust a matter of time, sayknowledgeable showbiz insiders. Theirformal union, they add, should havebeen held this year if not for thepreviously set wedding of Bossing'sand Dina"s daughter, Danica, tobasketball player Marc Pingris thisyear. So Bossing gets a one-year leaseon his bachelor life. a

Bossing’s playboy days are numbered

After her feud with Dawn Zulueta,Gretchen Barretto now finds herselfembroiled in a word war with LaniMercado. The two have a history ofbad blood due to the brief romanticliaison in 1992 between GretchenLani's husband, Senator Bong Revilla.Their affair ended after four monthswhen Bong decided to return to hiswife, who at that time had already threechildren with the actor.

The old wound was reopened by aseemingly innocent (?) Christmas wishthat Lani had expressed for Gretchen."I hope that she will have a marriagewith Tony (millionaire businessmanTonyboy Cojuangco, Gretchen's live-inpartner)," Lani said when asked in a TVinterview in December what shewanted to say to Gretchen. The remarkdid not sit well with Gretchen, whopromptly dished out a mouthful. "WhatLani has with Bong is what you call a

wedding, di ba? What I have with Tonyis a marriage. A marriage is acommitment between two people wholove each other." She continued: "Iproudly can say that I have Tony's love,attention. I am his priority in life. Hecomes home to me and me alone.Most of all, I have Tony's loyalty. I canonly truly wish, with all my heart, thatLani has got Bong's loyalty."

The feisty "prima donna" isn'tfinished. "Lani says 'I have six beautifulchildren with Bong'. This is the first timeI'm going to say this. . . If Lani has sixbeautiful children with Bong, I hopethat she hasn't forgotten that Bong hasseven beautiful children. . . Sabi niya,'What I have with Bong is a marriageand it's beautiful.' Lani, I didn't knowthat Bong's infidelity is somethingbeautiful. It's obviously not beautiful.You don't have to pretend, you don'thave to hit me. We all know that Bonghas somebody else, and it's not me. Sohindi ako ang dapat niyang tirahin." (Inher Inquirer column, Dolly Carvajalwrote that Bong has a teenage sonnamed Luigi with a certain L.G.)Afterwards nothing more was heardfrom Lani, and Bong had to request theshowbiz press not to blow up theissue.

But the couple's manager, LolitSolis, warned that she would spill thebeans on Gretchen's alleged role in the1994 Manila filmfest scam if the actresswould not stop her tirade against Lani.Before things could get any worse,Tonyboy reportedly phoned theirrepressible Lolit to make a peaceoffering, after which she passed on thephone to Gretchen, who told ManayLolit the issue is now a closed case. a

It’s Gretchen vs Lani this time

Left to right: Tito, Vic & Joey

Buntis na si Meryll Soriano! Naka-dalawang beses na siyang nagpregnancy test at panay positive anglumabas na resulta. Sobrang happy angmag-asawang Meryll at Bernard Palancasa unang blessing na binigay sa kanilangayong taon. Nakakaranas na si Merylng paglilihi at ang nakakahiligan niya ayang pagkain ng kamias. Masungit na ngaraw siya ngayon dahil madali siyangmairita. Isa pa sa labis na natutuwa sapagdadalang-tao ni Meryll ay ang amaniyang si Willie Revillame. Natutuwa angpopular TV host para sa mag-asawangBernard at Meryll dahil mabubuo natalaga ang pamilya ng kanyang anak.Nang matanong si Willie tungkol sapagbubuntis ng kanyang anak, ito angsabi niya, “Magiging lolo na ako sa ayawko’t sa gusto, maaga akong magiginglolo, pero a baby is always a blessing,

masaya ako for Bernard and Meryll.Dagdag pa ni Willie: “Maganda yun, masmagiging masikap pa sila dahil meron nasilang paglalaanang responsabilidad,mas maaga silang matututo, masmaganda para sa kanila.” Ang anak niMeryll at Bernard ang siyang unag apo sabawa’t partido kaya’t tiyak na puno nangpagmamahal ang makukuha ng sanggolpaglabas niya. At siguradong spoiled angbaby sa kanyang mga lolo at lola. Kaso,nung nakaraang lingo lang, nababalitangnagkakalabuan daw itong si Bernard atMeryll. Nagpadala pa ng text messageitong si Meryll sa the Buzz, na kung anoman ang mangyari sa kanila ni Bernard,bubuhayin niyang mag-isa ang anak at diaasa ng anumang tulong kay Bernard. Atito naming si Bernard ay napabalitangnagpahayag sa mga kaibigan nya ng “ImFree…I’m Single again…”!! a

Magiging Lolo na si Willie

february 200716



Plasma or LCD: What to buy - Part 2We have gone through the technical

aspect of an LCD & Plasma, let go on withthe difference and advantages of thesetechnologies.1. Plasma and LCD technology - what'sthe difference?Plasma and LCD panels may look similar,but the flat screen and thin profile is wherethe similarities end. Plasma screens, as itsname suggests, uses a matrix of tiny gasplasma cells charged by precise electricalvoltages to create a picture. LCD screens(liquid crystal display) are made up ofliquid crystal pushed in the space betweentwo glass plates. Images are created byvarying the amount electrical chargeapplied to the crystals.

2. Is there a difference in picturequality between plasma and LCDscreens and normal CRT TVs?It's not what's happening behind thescreen that's important - it's how the screenperforms as a television that matters themost. In that regard, both plasma and LCDsets produce excellent pictures, althoughmany home entertainment specialists andgamers still say CRTs produce the bestoverall images (although plasmas and LCDsets are quickly catching up in terms ofquality).

Those same home entertainmentspecialists will tell you that for basic home

theatre-like usage, plasma screens have aslight edge over LCDs. This is becauseplasma screens can display blacks moreaccurately than LCDs can, which meansbetter contrast and detail in dark-colouredtelevision or movie scenes. The nature ofLCD technology, where a backlight shinesthrough the LCD layer, means it's hard for itto achieve true blacks because there'salways some light leakage from betweenpixels. This is steadily improving with everynew generation of LCD, however.

3. What advantages does plasmahave over LCD?Apart from better contrast due to its abilityto show deeper blacks, plasma screenstypically have better viewing angles thanLCD. Viewing angles are how far you cansit on either side of a screen before thepicture's quality is affected. You tend to seesome brightness and colour shift whenyou're on too far of an angle with LCDs,while a plasma's picture remains fairlysolid. This is steadily changing, however,with more and more LCDs entering themarket with viewing angles equal to orgreater than some plasmas. Plasmas canalso produce a brighter colour, once againdue to light leakage on an LCD affecting itscolour saturation.

Technicians will also tell you that someLCD screens have a tendency to blur

images, particularly during fast movingscenes in movies or in sports. While thatwas true for older generation LCD screens,newer models have improved significantly- so much so that the differences inperformance between LCDs and plasmasin this regard is almost negligible (here's atip -- if you're shopping for LCDs, check therefresh rate. The lower it is, the better theimage quality in fast moving scenes).

Perhaps the biggest advantageplasmas have now over their LCD cousinsis price, particularly in the large screen endof the market. Plasmas typically come inlarger sizes than LCDs at a cheaper price.Plasmas being sold in Compusmartbetween 42-inches and 63-inches wide,with the cheapest 42-inch selling forapproximately CDN$3,000 (although youcan expect to find sets cheaper than CDN$3,000 in real world prices). 60-inch andabove plasmas can go for as much as$20,000. LCDs, on the other hand, top outaround the mid 40-inch mark, and aremore expensive than similar-sizedplasmas.

4. What advantages does LCD haveover plasma?It's not all doom and gloom for LCDthough, as it has the edge over plasma inseveral key areas. LCDs tend to havehigher native resolution than plasmas ofsimilar size, which means more pixels on ascreen. If you're a true high-def junkiewho's keen to see every pixel of a high-res1080i/p image reproduced pixel-by-pixel(providing you have a source that high, ofcourse), then LCDs are the way to go.

LCDs also tend to consume lesspower than plasma screens, with someestimates ranging that power saving at upto 30 per cent less than plasma. LCDs arealso generally lighter than similar sizedplasmas, making it easier to move aroundor wall mount.

LCD pundits also point to the fact thatLCDs have a longer lifespan than plasma

screens. This was true of earlier plasmamodels, which would lose half of theirbrightness after more than 20,000 hours ofviewing. Later plasma generations havebumped that up to anything between30,000 and 60,000 hours. LCDs, on theother hand, are guaranteed for 60,000hours.

You might have also heard thatplasmas suffer from screen burn in, anaffliction not as commonly associated withLCDs. Screen burn in occurs when animage is left too long on a screen, resultingin a ghost of that image burned inpermanently. Newer plasmas are lesssusceptible to this thanks to improvedtechnology and other features such built-inscreen savers, but we still hear anecdotalreports here of burn-in with new plasmas.

5. Which is better value for me rightnow: plasma or LCD?If you're in the market for a big screentelevision -- and we're talking 42-inchesand above -- then I suggest Plasmas giveyou more bang for your buck at the bigend of town, and while LCDs can give youbetter resolution, the price difference iscurrently too wide. However, if money's notan issue and you want the sharpest imagein town, then a large LCD is for you. At thesmaller end of things (15" to 36" TVs), LCDis the only way to go if you want somethingslim and tasteful. And the best thing is thatLCDs are getting cheaper all the time.

Just a quick note when buyingelectronics, it is wiser to get their extendedwarranty because technology is notperfect. It could save you money andhassle down the road. But before signingup ask a lot of questions and make sureyou write them down. Happy shopping folks. aAl AbdonHollywood Junkies Video ProductionsServing Nationwide(514) 264-8706



Reading youyour rightsBy Atty. Lito I. Domingo

Second article:

Coming to Canada!

In a world darkened by ethnic conflictsthat tear nations apart, Canada standsas a model of how people of differentcultures can live and work together inpeace, prosperity, and mutual respect.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton

Canada is a place whereimmigrants can provide their familieswith a quality of life and a brighterfuture while maintaining their cultureand heritage. It is a country recognizedworldwide as a model multiculturalsociety that embraces ethnic diversity.

Having visited my cousins,aunts, uncles and grandparents in thePhilippines, I understand the blessingsI was afforded by my parents’ decisionto immigrate to Canada.

As a Filipino-Canadian, I haveexperienced first hand the benefits andopportunities of growing up in Canada.When I was born into this world, I wasan infant requiring extensive medicalattention. I was very fortunate to beborn into a country with such a strong

healthcare system. For without it, Iwould not have the health and qualityof life I have today.

I have also had the opportunityof obtaining a great education in aprovince which boasts one of thelowest tuition costs for university inNorth America. Again, without such aprogram I may not have completed lawschool.

Therefore, it is no surprise thatmany immigrants, such as those of ourFilipino community, have chosenCanada as their new home.

This year, our nation isopening its arms to thousands more towelcome them as new residents. InOttawa, the Minister of CIC (Citizenshipand Immigration Canada) recentlytabled the 2006 “Annual Report toParliament on Immigration”. In tablingits annual report, CIC said it plans toaccept between 240,000 and 265,000newcomers as permanent residents in2007.

Taking the decision to leaveyour native country, a place that has

always been your home, can be adifficult decision. However, thedecision alone is only the beginning ofthe many challenges one encounterswhen deciding to immigrate toCanada.

For many potentialnewcomers, the decision to immigrateis usually the easy part. It is theimmigration process that can prove tobe quite challenging.

Before beginning the process,you must be aware that Canada offersan array of options to choose fromwhen applying for permanentresidence status. Each option must bestudied in order to determine theapplication program that best suits youand your family.

One of the most commonlyused options in our community is theprocess which falls under “family classimmigration”. Through this particularprogram, you may help your lovedones become permanent residents ofCanada by sponsoring them. Theymust however be one of the relatives orfamily members listed as eligibleapplicants for sponsorship under thefamily class.

In addition, you, as thesponsor, as well as the person you aresponsoring must satisfy specificrequirements. In light of the fact thatimmigration is a shared jurisdictionbetween the governments of Québecand Canada, a person exercising theoption under “family classimmigration” must therefore satisfy therequirements of both governments.

In terms of Quebec, thoseintending to sponsor a close relative orfamily member abroad, may sponsor:

• their spouse, common-lawpartner or conjugal partner • their dependent child • their father, mother,grandfather or grandmother • their orphaned brother, sister,nephew, niece, grandson orgranddaughter, who is under the ageof 18, and not married or in a common-law relationship • a child they plan to adopt

As a sponsor, you must beaware that you will have to sign anundertaking agreement. Thisagreement should not be taken lightly.You will have to accept certainresponsibilities and obligations withregard to not only the person you aresponsoring but also toward theQuebec government. By signing anagreement, you are promising tofinancially support the person you aresponsoring for a number of years toensure that they will not have to applyfor social assistance once they arrive.

By sponsoring your lovedones, you must commit yourself toproviding them with their basic needssuch as food, clothing and othernecessities for the entire period of theagreement. This undertaking allowsthe government to ensure that the new

See Page Coming to Canada

february 2007

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18



A Filipina woman was abducted onFebruary 7 in Port Harcourt in RiversState. Gunmen abducted the womanfrom the centre of the city, at the heart ofNigeria's oil industry.

A day earlier a Filipino employee ofNetco Dietsmann -- the Nigerian arm ofa Monaco-based oil services company -- was seized from a company carheading for the airport in Owerri, thecapital of Imo State.

Late Saturday, the 24 men and theirfamilies met with President Arroyo whohosted a dinner at the palace in theirhonour.

Jocelyn Arcangel said she and herfamily would take a holiday beforedeciding on their future.

"We will have a very long familyvacation after this incident and we'lldecide after whether he (Roberto)should leave again," she said.

Roberto, chief engineer of theseized vessel, said he just wanted to bewith his family before declining to talkfurther with reporters.

Glenda Cagas said her husband,Herculano Cagas, would probably shipout again after resting in Manila, despite

his traumatic ordeal."It is difficult, but we don't have any

other choice. We need the livelihood forthe family," Cagas said, noting that theirtwo children aged six and four have yetto enter primary school.

"The hardest part for us was whenwe saw them on cable television beingthreatened with guns by their captors inmasks," she said.

Nigeria is one of the biggestemployers of Filipino workers in Africa,with some 3,900 Filipinos employedthere at the end of 2006.

President Arroyo has bannedfurther deployments to Nigeria in thewake of the kidnappings. a

From Page 3 HOMECOMING

President Gloria Arroyo greets twenty-four of 26 Filipino seamen who were seized last month bygunmen in Nigeria, after a thanksgiving dinner at Malacanang presidential palace in Manila.

February 20, 2007It’s not a proxy war between

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyoand former President Joseph Estrada,Malacañang insisted yesterday on theongoing election campaign that pitsadministration and oppositionsenatorial candidates against eachother.

“We are not taking the bait of theopposition of making the campaign afight between the Palace and formerPresident Estrada,” said PresidentialSpokesman Ignacio Bunye.

Bunye also debunked theopposition’s assertion that it is withinthe power of Malacañang to allow Mr.Estrada to be temporarily freed or to beplaced under house arrest in hisresidence on Polk Street in Greenhills,San Juan.

The former president has askedthe Sandiganbayan to be releasedfrom detention so that he couldcampaign for opposition candidates inthe May 14 elections. “We leave thematter to the court,” Bunye said.

Over the weekend, SenatePresident Manuel Villar, a guestsenatorial bet adopted by the“Genuine Opposition,” said he felt badthat Estrada remains under detentionsix years after he was toppled frompower and after he was charged withthe non-bailable plunder case forallegedly amassing more than P4billion in “tainted wealth.”

It was Villar, as speaker of House ofRepresentatives, who railroaded thetransmittal of the Estrada impeachmentresolution to the Senate in November2000.

Bunye said that the campaign “isnot about personalities but issues, notabout the past but about the future.”

President Arroyo and Team Unityare campaigning under a platform ofcontinuing growth and reform and willnot get bogged down by controversiesthat are being handled by the courts,”Bunye said. “We are for unity andreconciliation but under the rule oflaw.”

Dodging restrictions on hismovements imposed by theSandiganbayan and National Police,Mr. Estrada was able to meet with theopposition senatorial candidates whenhe visited her sickly mother, Doña MaryEjercito, in their paternal house onanother street in Greenhills, San Juan.The candidates had themselvesphotographed with Estrada as part oftheir publicity campaign.

But opposition campaignspokesman Adel Tamano said theywould ask the anti-graft court to lift thetravel and media ban against Estrada.He said they would also ask the courtto transfer the former president fromhis resthouse and farm in Tanay, Rizalto his home in Greenhills.

Bunye also justified the President’sdecision to limit her appearances incampaign rallies and sorties of TeamUnity to allow her to concentrate on theeconomy.

“President Arroyo has vowed notto let politics get in the way of theeconomy, but to reinforce the economywith firm political stability,” the Palacespokesman said.

“We see the political campaigntaking its course in a manner reflectinga full-pledged Philippine democracy;and this should convince one and allthat freedom reigns beside a freemarket in our country. We call on theopposition not to hurt, but to helpgrow, the economy. a

Palace won’t take opposition bait

February 20, 2007Heavy remittances from Filipino

migrant workers and foreigninvestment flows into the stock marketpushed the peso to as high of 48.03against the US dollar yesterday, tradersaid.

“Portfolio inflows as well asremittances [from migrant workers]more than met the scant corporatedemand. The overall sentiment for thepeso continues to be positive,” he said.

The peso edged at 48.10,unchanged from Friday’s close.Traders said suspected interventionfrom the central bank capped thepeso’s gain.

The peso opened at 48.05 andtraded within a seven-centavo range. Itaveraged at 48.062 against the dollar

on a volume of $364.5 million, downfrom Friday’s $439 million.

BDO Private Bank vice presidentJose Emmanuel Hilado said the pesotraded at a tight range in the absenceof significant news. He said the marketwas quiet due to the Chinese New Yearholiday.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.vice president Marcelo Ayes said heexpected the peso to continue its rise,adding that the market would test the48:$1 level this week on positive newsand with the continued strength ofregional currencies.

University of Asia and the Pacificprofessor Victor Abola said the steadyflow of remittances from Filipinomigrant workers had been supportingthe strength of the peso. a

Peso surges to new 6-year high of 48.03



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saving money for over a year, thesepioneers opened their co-op storetogether at 31 Toad Lane on a coldDecember evening in 1844. Althoughthe founders agreed to sell just butter,sugar, flour, and oatmeal to members,they also offered tallow candles forsale that night. They were forced to buycandles because the gas companyrefused to supply gas for the newgroup's lights. They bought candles inbulk and sold what they didn't use totheir members.

When they purchased goodsfrom a wholesale dealer and thendivided them equally amongthemselves, they were surprised at thesavings and higher quality of productsthey were able to obtain. The Pioneers agreed to work togetherto provide members with places to live.They ran a factory so members couldhave jobs, bought land to grow foodfor each other, and opened a school fortheir children.

Each member of the groupprovided some money. Everyoneowned an equal part of the RochdaleSociety of Equitable Pioneers’ differentactivities. And all took turns working forthe group and helping make decisionson what it should do.The Rochdale Pioneers weren't the firstgroup to try forming a co-op but theywere the first to make their co-opsucceed and endure. To avoid themistakes made by earlier co-op

societies and to help others, theydeveloped a unique combination ofwritten policies that governed theaffairs of the cooperative in 1844,which have been highly influentialthroughout the cooperative movementuntil today. Among these rules were:Democratic control of members,Payment of limited interest on capital,and Net margins distributed tomembers according to level ofpatronage.

Based on its success, theRochdale set of policies soon becamea model for other cooperativeendeavors, and became known as thecooperative principles that make acooperative unique from otherbusiness structures. The Societyquickly grew to include otherenterprises and businesses. Rochdaleis still considered the birthplace of themodern cooperative movement.Franz Hermann Schulze-Delitzsch(August 29, 1808 - April 29, 1883),Germany.

A German economist was bornat Delitzsch, in Prussian Saxony. Theplace-name Delitzsch was added in1848 to distinguish him from otherSchulzes in the National Assembly.He studied law at Leipzig and Halleuniversities and, when thirty, hebecame an assessor in the court ofjustice at Berlin, and three years laterwas appointed patrimonial-richter atDelitzsch. Entering the parliament of1848, he joined the Left Centre, and,

acting as president of the commissionof inquiry into the condition of thelabourers and artisans, becameimpressed with the necessity of co-operation to enable the smaller trades-people to hold their own against thecapitalists.He was a member of the SecondChamber in 1848-1849; but as mattersceased to run smoothly betweenhimself and the high legal officials, hethrew up his public appointments inOctober 1851, and withdrew toDelitzsch. Here he devoted himself tothe organization and development ofco-operation in Germany, and to thefoundation of Vorschussvereine(peoples' banks), of which he hadestablished the first at Delitzsch in1850.

In 1859 he promoted the firstGenossenschaftstag, a co-operativemeeting, in Weimar, and founded acentral bureau of co-operativesocieties. In 1863 he devoted the chiefportion of a testimonial, amounting to£7500, to the maintenance of his co-operative institutions and offices. This,however, was only to meet anexceptional outlay, for he alwaysinsisted that they must be self-supporting.

The spread of theseorganizations naturally led tolegislation on the subject, and this toowas chiefly the work of Schulze-Delitzsch. As a member of theChamber in 1867 he was mainlyinstrumental in passing the Prussianlaw of association, which wasextended to the North GermanConfederation in 1868, and later to theempire.

His life-work was nowcomplete; he had placed theadvantages of capital and co-operationwithin the reach of strugglingtradesmen throughout Germany. Hisremaining years were spent inconsolidating this work. Both as awriter and a member of the Reichstaghis industry was incessant, and he diedin harness on the 29th of April 1883 atPotsdam, leaving the reputation of abenefactor to the smaller tradesmenand artisans, in which light he must beregarded rather than as the founder of

true co-operative principles inGermany.Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen (May 3,1818 - May 11, 1888), Germany.

A German cooperative leader.He was mayor of several towns: from1845 he was mayor ofWeyerbusch/Westerwald; from 1848he was mayor of Flammersfeld-/Westerwald; and finally he was mayorof Heddesdorf from 1852 until 1865.

Raiffeisen conceived of theidea of cooperative self-help during histenure as the young mayor ofFlammersfeld. He was inspired byobserving the suffering of the farmerswho were often in the grip ofloansharks. And being a countrysidemayor he was confronted with themiserable poverty of the farmers andtheir families. He tried to alleviate thisneed through a variety of charitableactivities. He soon realized, however,that self-reliance had more potential inthe long run than charitable aid. Hetherefore converted his charitablefoundations into a farmers' cooperativelending bank in Germany, in effect thefirst credit union in 1864. In doing so hecreated the Darlehnskassen-Verein, itcollected the savings of thecountryside dwellers and provided theenterprising but needy farmers withloans.

In the year 2006, the RZBGroup posted the following results:Total assets at around 110 billioneuros, operating income of 1.8 billion

, Net income 1.6 billion , anequivalent of full-time employees of55,400 distributed in 2,850 outlets,serving over 11.7 million clients and areturn on equity of 38%.

The Raiffeisen Internationaloffers the following products:Commercial banking, Investmentbanking, Private banking, and AssetManagement, mostly owned by RZB(whose share is 70%), which operatesbanking subsidiaries in 15 countries ofCentral and Eastern Europe, namelyAlbania, Belarus, Bosnia andHerzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, CzechRepublic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland,Romania, Russia, Serbia (including

From Page 7 Cooperatives

See Page 20 Cooperatives

February 200720



Lourdes Blanco RosalesFinancial Security Advisor

Tel.: 514-336-2415 Ext. 256 Cell: 514-885-7343

• Financial Investment, Retirement and Tax Planning

• Child Education - RESP• Banking Services - HELOC• Annuities and RRIFs• Group Retirement Plans• Insurance (Life, Group, Disability, Business,Critical Illness, Mortgages and Travel)Commissioner for OathsIn all judicial districts of Quebec and outsideQuebec (Affidavit, Contract, Deed of Sale, LegalDocuments, etc.)Tel.: (514) 885-7343 E-Mail: [email protected]

Kosovo), Slovakia, Slovenia andUkraine.

The Rabobank, a Dutchcooperative banking institution withoffices all over the world, althoughprimarily in the Netherlands is rooted inthe ideas of Friedrich WilhelmRaiffeisen.

There are many independentRaiffeisen co-operative organizations inother countries, most of themspecialized in agribusiness or banking.Gabriel-Alphonse Desjardins(November 5, 1854 - October 31, 1920),Canada.

He was born in Lévis, Quebec,Canada. He was the co-founder of theCaisses Populaires Desjardins (todayDesjardins Group) and the forerunnerof North American credit unions.Gabriel-Alphonse Desjardins was ajournalist at L'écho and Le Canadienuntil 1879. He was publisher of Débatsde la législature du Québec from 1879to 1890, and French-languageparliamentary stenographer at theHouse of Commons from 1892 to 1917.

In 1897, Desjardins becameincreasingly concerned with theproblem of usury and undertook threeyears of careful research and correspondence with the founders ofcooperative savings and creditmovements in Europe. On December 6,1900, Desjardins and his wife,Dorimène Roy Desjardins, co-foundedthe first Caisse d'épargne Desjardins inLévis and opened for business thefollowing month. Later, it was renamedCaisses populaires Desjardins.Caisse populaire is a synthesis(combination) of four popular savingsand credit systems established inGermany, Italy and France: the caissed'épargne, the Schulze-Delitzsch bank,the Raiffeisen credit co-operative andthe Luzzatti popular bank. Desjardinsstayed in close contact with many of thefounders of the European co-operativemovement throughout his life.

From 1900 to 1906, Desjardinsfounded just three other caissespopulaires: Lauzon (1902), Hull (1903),and Saint-Malo, Québec (1905). Afterfailing to get a federal law passed inOttawa that would provide a Canadian-wide framework for more suchorganizations, Desjardins turned hisefforts, with the collaboration ofjournalists and priests, to foundingmore caisses. During the 1907-1914period, Desjardins personally founded146 caisses.

At the time of his death in 1920,there were 187 caisses populaires inQuébec (30,000 members and totalassets of nearly $6 million), 24 inOntario and 9 in the United States.Alphonse and Dorimène Desjardins'home, where the first caisse populairewas launched, is now a centerdedicated to his memory and has beenvisited by over 178,000 people from115 countries since its opening in 1982.

Total assets at DesjardinsGroup currently reach C$118.068billion. This ranks it as the sixth-largestfinancial institution in Canada and thelargest in Québec, ahead of NationalBank of Canada, which had assets ofC$77 billion as of October 2003. It has39,294 employees and 7,184 elected

and volunteer officers. In 2005, it gaveits members C$408 million in patronageallocations and C$58 million indonations, sponsorships and academicscholarships. Most of this latter sumwent to regional economicdevelopment and health purposes.Today, the cooperative movement inQuebec is more than 3,500 cooperativeorganizations and mutuals, 80,000jobs, $20 billion in sales, $130 billion inassets and owned by over 7.5 millionmembers.

There are over 10,000cooperative businesses in Canada,generating nearly 160,000 jobs, holdingcombined assets of $167 billion andowned by 15 million members.Cooperative Movement Around theWorld.

Co-operative communitiessuch as food retail, insurance, banking,funeral services, transport, housing,agriculture, insurance and the travelindustry are now widespread in manyparts of the world.

Mondragón in the BasqueCountry of Spain is one of the largestand most successful coop examples. Inmany European countries, cooperativeinstitutions have a predominant marketshare in the retail banking andinsurance businesses. In the UK, co-operatives formed the Co-operativeParty in the early 20th century torepresent members of co-ops inParliament. The Co-operative Party nowhas a permanent electoral pact with theLabour Party, and some Labour MPsare Co-operative Party members.

Credit unions, insurancecooperatives and Housingcooperatives, which they call “Market-Rate Housing Coops”, are verycommon in New York City. SocialCooperatives are prominent in Italy. Thewell-known Best Western Hotel Chain(Building or Workers’ Coops) is a largecoop in Great Britain. France, Sweden,Switzerland, Spain, Italy, andScandinavia have giant cooperatives,like consumers’ coops, insurancecoops and credit unions owned and ranby their coop members.

The passenger buses in Israel,managed and owned by driver-members, are carrying more than 80%of daily travelers. Japan has a verylarge and well-developed consumercoop movement with over 14 millionmembers. Their retail coops alone hada combined turnover of U$ 21 billion, aswell as coops on medical, housing,insurance, and coops for teachers anduniversity-based.

Today, there are bigcooperatives and credit unions widelyspread in Asian countries like SouthKorea, Hong Kong, Japan, Indonesia,Bangladesh, Singapore, Nepal,Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Sri Lanka,and the Philippines.

The worldwide cooperativemovement counts nearly 750,000cooperatives in more than 100countries and creates jobs for 100million people.

(The Prime Movers and Historyof Coop Movement in the Philippineswill be tackled next issue.)

Montreal, February 20, 2007 -From the previous report which is quitedetailed, there are still outstandingissues which were not completelyresolved. The exact amount of themissing cash was not determined asthe volunteer bookkeeper, LourdesFagsao, was still reviewing all thesource documents. She prepared aninterim financial statement for bankingpurposes, but since the results weredismal, the bank actually did not findthe Coop to be a good credit risk at themoment. Hence, there are other stepsthat need to be taken by the newmanagement team to find othersolutions.

One of the needed changes isthe splitting of duties orresponsibilities. Rhoda Tremocha hastbeen taking a lot of the burdenbecause she was not only the tresurerbut she also did most of thepurchasing and dealt with themembers who were claiming refunds.Needless to say, it was quite stressfulto be in her position. Hence, sherequested to be replaced. With theblessing of the board of directors, Mrs.Zenaida Kharroubi became the newtresaurer. since January 21, 2007.Being in this position, she has beendealing with most of the people whoare still waiting for reimbursement oftheir savings plan. Mrs. Kharroubi hastried to refund the most urgent oneswhenever possible. Those who canwait, she appealed to them to give theCoop more time to find the neededfunds which are expected to comefrom the membership drive. Somedirectors, including Mrs. Kharroubi,had to lend money to the Coop just topay the rent, and other bills that needto be paid right away. Cash is alsorequired to pay for purchases upondelivery. A couple of suppliers agreedto receive postdated cheques but theyare only for two or three weeks delay.

Although CDEC gave its word

that it will give a grant of $40 000 if theCoop gets a business loan, they havedecided to take some more time beforereleasing the funds and they want aguaranty that it will not be used foranything else than what it wasoriginally intended for. Mr. JasonPrince promised to work for theprotection of the Coop and he askedthat Mrs. Kharroubi communicate withhim regularly and to answer questionsthat need to be answered in order topresent a clear report of what is goingon. The committee that will finallydecide the release of the grant willmeet only on March 15, 2007. For thecoming weeks, it is critical that theCoop receives more support from itsown members. They should try to buyas often as possible to generate moresales, and to make a fast turnover ofthe merchandise inventory. Theyshould also try to participate in themembership drive announced in theJanuary issue of the North AmericanFilipino Star. The deadline toparticipate has been extended toMarch 15 (formerly, it was supposed tobe February 22, 2007). The contest willend on November 15, 2007, and thewinners will be announced in theDecember 2007 issue of the Star.

Ben Bade, president of theCoop plans to travel to Toronto to meetwith suppliers who import directly fromthe Philippines in order to get betterprices. It is also planned that in thenear future, if the Coop receivessufficient capital funds, to deal directlywith producers and manufacturers inthe Philippines. Perhaps, a shippingcompany or balik-bayan box outfit cancollaborate with the Coop in theshipment of merchandise. When thishappens, it will no longer be a problemto compete with the other stores as theCoop will definitely attract more peoplewho are looking for lower prices andbetter service.

From Page 19 Cooperatives

\

Filipino Solidarity Cooperative on theway to recovery, slowly but surelyBy Zenaida Ferry Kharroubi

See Page 22 FILIPINO COOPERATIVE



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GlobalPerspectives

The choice of where to retire is now yours“The choice of when to retire will soonbe yours”: was the heading for theprevious issue of this Column, and now, I am pleased to beable to inform you, Dear Readers, that;the choice of

Where to retire is now yours”.The statement on when to retire refersto the announcement that the Province of Ontario abolishedthe compulsory retirement age lastDecember and the statement onchoice of where to retire refers tooptions created by the globalizationprocess.

The meeting on managingtransitions in the ageing society that Iattended in Manila last Decemberincluded a special visit to the PhilippineRetirement Authority (PRA) that isdesigned specifically to promote thePhilippines as Asia’s RetirementHaven. The program caters to foreignnationals and former Filipino citizensand offers similar benefits to allparticipants through a SpecialResident Retiree’s Visa (SRRVisa). ThePhilippines is one of about a dozencountries that offer special residencyconditions for retirees and the PRS’sconditions are among the mostgenerous available. One’s place ofresidence is the controlling factor intaxation including income tax onpensions and annuities. In that regard,the Philippines does not tax pensionsor income from outside sources forretirees under this program, making itvery attractive for tax avoidance inplanning for retirement.

Tax avoidance, which is legaland in conformity to tax treaties, shouldnot be confused with tax evasion,which is not legal and is offered by

some, so called, tax havens, thatoperate in secret. In short, it is possibleto establish residency in thePhilippines, as a reriree, and avoidpaying income tax on paymentsreceived from pensions abroad. Theconcept is not new, but the Philippineshas in place the appropriate authorityto implement international agreementswith several countries. This can beparticularly attractive to Canadians,and especially for Canadians of Filipinoorigin. As far back as 1986, Canadianswere informed that the Government ofthe day, then under the ProgressiveConservative party, was implementingpension reforms while seeking tobalance a responsibility “to ensurebasic levels of income for needyelderly with the equally importantresponsibility of Canadians to providefor their own retirement through theexercise of initiative and self-reliance”That policy statement by the FinanceMinister, Michael Wilson, wasconsidered by many Canadians as asharp turn to the right in social policywith its new emphasis on self-reliance.Now we know that many of the elderlyare seeking to remain self reliant aslong as possible; some supplementtheir pensions by working; others cutliving expenses by various meansincluding tax avoidance. Therefore, theoptions offered by the PhilippineRetirement Authority offer additionalmeans to achieve self-reliance afterretirement.

The benefits offered by thePRA are: 1) Option of permanentresidency, multiple-entry, and indefinitestay in the Philippines; 2) Exemptionfrom exit clearance and re-entrypermits; 3) Exemption from Custom

Duties and Taxes for importation ofpersonal effects up to US$ 7,000.00; 4)Exemption from travel tax if stay in thePhilippines is less than a year from thelast entry date; 5) Option of includingdependents to the Program; 6)Exemption from obtaining specialstudy permit; 7) Assistance inobtaining an Alien Employment Permit;Tax-free remittance of Annuities andPensions; 8) Exemption from theBureau of Immigration’s AnnualRegistration Requirement; and 10)Guaranteed repatriation of thedeposit/investment.

SSRVisa provisions are: Citizenship: Foreign nationals andformer Filipino citizensRequirements: Principal Applicant--Foreign nationals and former Filipinocitizens who are at least 35 years old;Dependent Applicant—Spouse andChildren below 21 years oldDeposit Requirements: ForeignNationals, 35—49 yrs. old = US$75,000.00, 50 yrs old and above =US$50,000.00; Former Filipino Citizens=US$1,500.00One-time processing fees: Principal =US$ 1,500.00: Dependent/Spouse =US$ 300.00Documentary Requirements: 1)Accomplished PRA application form;2) Original passport with valid entry; 3)Medical Certificate; 4) Police orNational Bureau of Investigation (NBI)Clearance; 5) Time DepositCertification from any PRA approvedaccredited bank of the Inward US$Remittance; and 6) Photographs (sixeach) 1”x1” & 2”x2”

NOTES: --Spouse and dependents are requiredto submit Medical Certificate andPolice/National Bureau of InvestigationClearance--Marriage Contract or any similar proof

of relationship for joining spouse--Birth certificate or any similar proof ofrelationship of relationship for joiningchildren--All documents obtained abroad mustbe authenticated by the PhilippineEmbassy/Consular Office, andtranslated into English if necessary.

N.B. Above all else, anyone whodecides to live and retire in thePhilippines can expect to: experiencehospitality, friendliness and innaterespect & love for the elderly.

For further information pleasevisit the Philippine Retirement AuthorityWebsite: www.pra.gov.phTel: (632) 848 1412, Fax No: (632) 8481411

residents will make every effort tobecome self-supporting and contributeto our nation instead of becoming aburden to it.

In the event the person yousponsored does prove to become aburden on our society, as they turn tofinancial assistance via governmentsocial programs, you will be legallyrequired to reimburse the amountsprovided by the government tosupport them.

Taking the decision toimmigrate to Canada is an importantone. For many, the decision toimmigrate to Canada has been a lifelong dream. Therefore, you shouldconsider consulting a lawyer or agovernment representative in order toensure that the process will be assmooth and successful as possible.

From Page 17 Coming to Canada

You may contact Attorney Domingo ofDG Attorneys at (514) 823-8464

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From Page 20 Filipino Cooperative of cash pilferage. Knowing that there ismore than one person handling cash,and that Rhoda Tremocha was awayfor a month in May 2006 for a holiday,and that she said that she did nothandle the savings plan anymore uponher return after a month, it would seemunfair to put the blame on her, as whatthe former president was trying to do.Perhaps, his sudden decision to quitwas a way to avoid the issuealtogether. It would have been easierfor everyone to find out the truth if hedid not leave and if he turned over alldocuments for proper scrutiny. Nowthat he and his wife are gone, there isno way to make a definitive conclusionto this affair. Obviously, the lack of tightaccounting procedures made thesituation complicated.

In view of this, how do peopleregain trust in the Cooperative? Whatare the steps that the newmanagement team need to take? Howdo they make sure that anomalies ofthis nature do not happen again? Willmembers consider this a lessonlearned and not take it against thepeople who are left behind to continuethe business? Only time will providethe answers. Howevever, most of usbehind the Coop are optimistic that indue time, we will be able to overcomeall these problems. If all members buytheir Pilipino groceries from the Coop,and if they also recruit their friends,family and associates to becomemembers, there is no reason for failure.The Filipino Cooperative must riseagain and become a valuable tool for

the community’s economic prosperity.As a final word, the point of

this whole report is to underscore theimportance of making all Filipino-Canadians in Cote des Neiges becomemore involved. Instead of walkingstraightforward to the other stores onthe corner of the street, they should atleast take a few more steps toward thedirection of their own cooperative. Themore people who care and who do notbegrudge a 5-cent difference at all, theeasier it will be for us to build up ourown business. it is not even true thatprices at the Filipino SolidarityCooperative are higher than in theothere stores. Most of the prices arecomparable, and sometimes evenlower. But the advantage of the biggerstores is their purchasing power whichis greater. Hopefully, this will not lastlong. We can look forward to havingthe means to buy in bigger quantitiesand pass on the savings to all themembers.

Let’s take our numbers to our ownadvantage. Let’s create jobs, andimprove our economic conditions. It’sin everyone’s power to makethesethings happen and to make adifference.

UPDATE ON THE COOP’SMEMBERSHIP DRIVE

Most of the details announcedin the January issue are still valid. Theonly change is the deadline which ismoved to March 15, 2007 fororganizational reasons.

We started collecting data to

get the most important businesses asour sponsors. A proposal has beensent to Air Canada through thewebsite. Letters will be sent todecision makers in companies that candonate either cash or goods.

If any one has a suggestionconcerning prospective donors,please send us your feedback throughthe North American Filipino Starwebsite or e-mail:[email protected], orwww.filipinostar.org.

Membership application formsand contest entry forms will beavailable shortly. Please call for moreinformation st 514-733-8915, or at theStar’s offices at 514-485-7861.

Target is to have a minimum of1000 members. The more the better. Ifwe succeed in having at least 5 000members in a year or two, we will bethe next “Cooperative of the Year”.Every year, CDR is holding a galadinner to recognize cooperatives fortheir accomplishments. We should beall motivated enough to work towardsthis goal of winning the title and thehonor. We have enough population tomake our dream a reality.

On Thursday, March 15, 2006,CDR is holding a gala dinner at theHyatt Regency Hotel. Tickets are: $80for cooperative members, and $85 fornon-members.

Contact details:

514-485-7861 for information

In spite of the length of the previous reporton the Coop, not everything was includedbecause it was not possible to get the exactiamount of the missing cash, and theaccounting work was not completed yet.As ot this time, only an interim or tentativereport is available. This report will beaudited and the final figures determinedbefore the next general assemblyscheduled to be held in April.Nevertheless, to keep the affairs of theCoop an open book, some of the missinginformation is provided in this status report.

According to the interim incomestatement, there was a terminal loss of42,042.13 consisting of the following:

Leased equipment repossessed $6 943.20Basement improvements 12 062.50Unreceipted cash spent:for year 2005 12 062.50for year 2006 11 325.94Total terminal loss $42 042.13Add: Operating loss 22 274.98Total Net Loss 2006 $64 317.11

Another data omitted is thediscovery of Loto tickets in an envelopewhich Ben Bade found lying around inthe basement. The tickets purchasedfrom cash and cheque totalled $4 982.Only $682 was purchased by cheque,the rest in cash. Considering the totalcash unaccounted for is $23 388.54(both years 2005 and 2006), and theamount of unnecessary purchases,rent of the basement and repairstotalling about $18 000, it seems toprovide an idea of the reason why theFilipino Solidarity Cooperative is in abig financial bind. Unfortunately, thereis no written proof to accuse anyone

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Mixed reactions to Philippine government's newpolicies for domestic helpersFebruary 20, 2007

The Philippines wants to uplift thestatus of Filipinos working as domestichelpers outside the country, with a newminimum wage.

However, the new policies are adouble-edged sword for Filipinos whocannot find work at home.

Under the government's new hiringpolicy for domestic helpers boundoverseas, a Language and CultureCertificate of Competence is just one ofthe certificates that they now have toacquire before they can leave.

Consuelo Canoza, Assessor,Technical Education and SkillsDevelopment Authority, said, "We haveto be globally competitive. We have tolearn first of all, communication skills,not only skills in household chores butskills also in communicating."

With the government's new reformpackage, they will not just be known asplain domestic helpers but upgraded tohousehold service workers. This is aterm that the government feels shouldenable them to double their salary to asmuch as US$400 a month.

Arturo Brion, Secretary, Departmentof Labor and Employment, said, "(The)bottomline here is, we must protect ourwomen. Number two, we must enhanceour level of participation overseas evenat the level of domestic helpers. Wemust be at that higher end of domestichelpers. Let us leave the US$200

market. Let us leave them to othercountries. Let us concentrate on thehigher paying level of domestic helpersand go to the countries that can pay thisminimum wage."

To justify the higher minimum wage,the Philippine government is promisingbetter equipped workers. All domestichelper applicants will now have toundergo a month's training onhousehold chores. It is based on thebelief that better wages will mean betterself esteem. But for some, the newrequirements could prevent them fromhaving a better future.

Starting March 1, only those aged25 years and above will be allowed towork as household service workers.That is why some women have beenworking double time to finish theirtraining and beat the deadline. LeenethAgpalza, a trainee, said, "It doesn'tdepend on age. I can work. We do thisbecause here in the Philippines, thesalary is low even if you've graduatedfrom college."

Another trainee, Janet Bisera, said,"I really want to leave so I can help myparents. I'm the eldest child and mysiblings are depending on me to pay fortheir studies."

With such sentiments, it looks like atough balancing act for the Philippinegovernment, even as it tries to protect itscitizens pushed to leave family andcountry in order to find work. a

February 26, 2007The Philippine government is to

appeal a move by the US to ban some17,000 nurses who passed the 2006nursing examination amid allegations ofmass cheating.

The United States Commission onGraduates of Foreign Nursing Schools(CGFNS) issued the temporary ban thisweek insisting that Filipino nurses retakesections of the 2006 examination wheremass cheating took place.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyoon Friday ordered Labor SecretaryArturo Brion to appeal the decision.

The order comes after a nursingreview centre disclosed it had leakedanswers to some students who took theexaminations.

The scandal rocked the country'smedical profession and cast a shadowover the quality of its nurses, who are inhigh demand overseas, especially in theUnited States, Europe and the MiddleEast.

Some 42,000 students sat thenursing examination but only 17,000passed.

Arroyo in a statement Saturday saidshe had ordered the appeal to "upholdthe prestige of the country’s nursingprofession and continue the deploymentof Filipino nurses abroad."

She said the government hasalready provided financial assistance tothe 2006 nurses who passed to retake

the exams.The president said all officials of the

Professional Regulations Commission(PRC), which overseas theexaminations, found involved in scandalwill be dismissed and criminallycharged.

"All officials involved in the nursingexam leakage should be dismissedwithout benefits and criminallycharged," she stressed.

The CGFNS said on its website onThursday that "Philippine nurses whowere sworn in as licensed nurses in thePhilippines following their passing thecompromised licensure exam of June2006 are not eligible for a VisaScreenCertificate."

The Philadelphia-based CGFNSsaid that it sent a fact-finding mission tothe Philippines in September 2006 toinvestigate the reports of irregularities inthe nursing licensure exam.

The CGFNS investigationconcluded that "those who receivedtheir license as a result of passing thecompromised June 2006 licensureexamination raises significant questionsabout the accurate assessment of thecompetencies of many of thoseindividuals."

All foreign nurses must have aCGFNS-issued VisaScreen Certificatebefore being allowed to work in the US.

a

Philippines to appeal U.S. nurse ban

february 200724



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