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C l a s s i f i e d A d s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1

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FAMAS holds general assembly toratify constitutional amendments

Egypt like Edsa, Aquino hails peoplepower to free, reform society

MANILA, Philippines (February13, 2011—The Philippines on Saturdaycongratulated Egypt for winning itsfreedom in a revolution that ended withthe resignation of Hosni Mubarak, ahistoric moment that came 25 yearsafter Filipinos introduced people powerto the world on Edsa.

President Aquino on Saturdayhailed the “relatively peacefulresolution” of Egypt’s political crisisthat forced President Hosni Mubarak tostep down, making a reference toFilipinos’ bloodless people power

Eqyptians praying at Tahir Square See Page 4 Aquino hails

MONTREAL, Quebec, February 14,2011 - The oldest and biggest Filipinoorganization is set to hold its generalassembly to ratify the amendments toits constituion on Saturday, February19, 2011. It will be held from 1:00 to5:00 p.m. at St. Malachy’s Church on5330-A Clanranald Ave., cornerIsabella. Bus 129 brings you close tothe church.

All members in good standingare urged to attend this importantassembly. President Au Osdon hassent out a personal message in whichshe stated that members’ involvementand active participation are importantfor the success of this event. Vice-President Shinette Khoury also sent outanother message appealing tomembers: “We need you as FAMASmembers, to understand and getinvolved so that you may help uspreserve and protect our community

center as we, your elected officers,continue to volunteer our tme andresources in working together on yourbehalf, towards positive changes andprogress, unity and pride for the

Manny Coquia won $300 as his prize fordesigning this new logo of FAMAS.

The 112th Philippine Independence Day celebration began with a flag raising ceremony heldfor the first time in front of the FAMAS building on June 12, 2010, with the participation ofLaging Handa Scouts Group, the Girl Scouts of the Philippines Montreal Chapter, the YouthGroup of FAMAS. Montreal City government dignitaries and community leaders were invited.

See Page 4 FAMAS

February 20112 The North American Filipino Star


Business HoursMonday to Wednesday

2:00 to 5:30 P.M.Thursday & Friday2:00 to 8:00 P.M.

Saturday & Sunday2:00 to 5:30 P.M.

5710 Victoria(near Cote St. Catherine Road &Metro, basement of Cuisine deManille Restaurant)

Delivery service available onTuesday & Sundayfor orders of $50 or morein Côte-des-Neiges & Notre-Dame-de-Grâce areas

(Operated and managed bymember volunteers)

E-Mail:[email protected].: 514-733-8915or 514-485-7861

Entrance door to the Cusine de Manille Restaurant is the sameentrance to the Marché Coop in the basement.

The weather seems to be afactor for the low turnout of customersin small businesses. It seems as if onlybig stores like Walmart, Loblaws andVietnamese or Chinese owned storesare able to attract all kinds ofcustomers all the time. Or it can alsobe due to the location which evidentlyplays a big factor for a business to getahead. Marché Coop, beng located inthe basement of Cuisine de Manile, isnot visible to the passers by on VictoriaAvenue near Cote Ste-Catherine. Tomake it easier for everyone to locateus, we will put another sign soon asmany people have claimed that theydonot know where the Coop is locatedin spite of our newspaperadvertisement. But then there arethose who really know where we arebut do not come to shop anyway.

In order to make the Coopmore competitive against other storesselling the same thing, we will try toadapt the same strategy - make theprices lower than anywere else. Wewould like all our fellow citizens orkababayan to try us for a change. OurPhoenix rice that used to sell for $35.85for 20 kilos is now being sold at $34only. for the month of February to seehow our community will respond to thisoffer. A Chinese owned store whobuys in big quantities sells this at this

price so we are obliged to do the samething in order to make people come tothe Coop. If they try us, they will besurprised to find out that other itemsare also lower than at a popularVietnamese-owned store.

We would like to acknowledgeour loyal customers and supporters.The members of ICF (InternationalChritian Fellowship) headed by PastoraEmma Denny have been buyingregularly from us. Mr. Bert Santos,Reuben Santos and Cuisine de Manilleare also our regular customers, toname a few. But we are still waiting formore members who have not yetvisited us since we moved to our newlocation. Needless to say, the moremembers buy from their own store, thebetter it will be for all of us.

We have introduced a newitem in our store - a truly Philippinedelicacy called “balut” is available andquite popular. As the supply is limitedand not predictable, we need toreceive your orders at least a weekahead of time so that we can reservethe quantities you require. Please callus at 514-733-8915 or at 514-485-7861to place your orders. You can also e-mail your orderto:[email protected]. Check ourwebsite: marchecoop.com.

COOPERATIVE NEWSMarché Coop is still waiting formore support of members

On Sale till quantities last NEW - BALUT(Philippine delicacy)

Century Tuna99¢ each

Select corned beef$2.99 each

Palabok - 99¢ ea 2 for $5.50

Bihon - $1.09 ea.

$1.50 each

Salted Duck Egg - 6 for $2.89 (cooked)- 6 for $2.45(uncooked)

Mang Tomas - $1.15 big, 99¢ small

February 2011 3The North American Filipino Star


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The idea that people powercan almost do anything to change theworld is something amazing. Wheredid this power come from? Is it notfrom one little act of one person whichhas been repeated many thousandfold until the whole country is involved?The Philippines can be proud of itsown people power for the non-violentuprising against Marcos. This hasbecome a model for the Europeanuprising in 1989 that endedcommunism. And now it is the sameidea that has been applied in Tunisiaand Egypt. It is also spreading fastacross nations in the Middle East. It isexciting to note that the whole Arabworld may change because of peoplepower.

When we talk about peoplepower, we have to look at the source ofsuch power. Those who participated inthe uprising are people from all walksof life – men, women, and children, richor poor, educated or not. The idea torise against a 30-year autocratic rule ofMubarak is supposed to have begunfrom social networking. When theinternet was shut down by thegovernment, people became moreenraged and this led them to go outinto the streets to connect with oneanother. Perhaps, the action of oneperson that leads to influence anotherperson in itself is not a big thing butthen when a chain of communicationlinking one another until it becomes anincredible awakening of a sleepinggiant – the consciousness of commonpeople to change their own destinybecomes a powerful force that can nolonger be contained.

As the euphoria about peoplepower is currently in vogue, there is asobering question we should askourselves – can this people power beharnessed to sustain goodgovernance, economic prosperity,peace and security in all parts of theworld? Perhaps, this is such acomplicated issue that a simpleanswer should not be given without athorough and careful study of whatconstitutes people power and whatmotivates people to act the way theydo under certain conditions. It isobvious that by nature, human beingsare resilient, and can almost take anykind of sufferings and still survive. Butthere is always something that breaksthe camel’s back, or what we can referto as the “last straw.” In all cases

where people power toppled agovernment, the last straw seems to bethe blatant acts of the dictator to cheatin the elections, and the plundering ofthe country’s treasury. Marcos wassaid to have cheated Cory Aquino.This led to protests of the Comelecpeople and this snowballed into otherparts of the government. But why doesit take so long to realize that somethingwrong is going on? Why does it takemany years before the people rise upagainst the government?

From what we have read, itseems that in most cases thegovernment has been able to muzzlethe press and control the media. If theradio and television stations are ownedby the cronies of government, and ifthe newspapers are also owned andcontrolled by a few rich people, it iseasy to keep the people ignorant ofwhat goes on behind closed doors. Infact, the first thing that dictators do is toshut down the TV and radio stations inorder to keep the people from knowingthe truth. Yet, we also know thatrepressive practices cannot lastforever. Somehow, people get tiredfrom being poor and not having accessto employment. In Egypt, it is said thatthe unemployment among the youth is40%. The young people are reportedto have played a major role in theuprising.

Both history and currentevents lead us to conclude that thechange to make this world a betterplace only can come from the peoplethemselves. As Dr Jose Rizal wiselysaid - there are no tyrants where thereare no slaves. But the questionremains – how do we harness andsustain people power to develop acountry into becoming trulydemocratic and progressive? How dowe protect our democratic institutions?

In a true democracy, thefreedom of the press is very crucial indisseminating ideas to influence thepeople to think about their rights andtheir responsibilities. A responsiblepress is considered to be an importantfactor in making the people aware ofissues so that when they go to thepolls, they have the information theyneed to make a wise choice. But thisis not to say that the press cannot bemanipulated and used as propaganda.We still need to be critical of everythingwe read or hear. Critical thinking is askill that can only developed by means

Can people power reallychange the world?

of a well rounded education,experience, training and exposure todifferent cultures.

It goes without saying thatliving in a country where there is realdemocracy and freedom allows us tomake choices to be the best we can be.Hopefully, this choice should be notonly to think of ourselves but also ofothers as this is what makes the worlda better place. If people power can besustained and go beyond politics, wecan be sure to end poverty andcorruption in many parts of the world.Unfortunately, 25 years have passedsince Edsa I and Edsa II but thePhilippines has not yet become asprogressive as its nearest neighbors.Most of the people have remainedpoor. Without the foreign remittancesfrom overseas workers, the Philippineswould probably find itself in a worsesituation. Somehow, the magicsolution to the poverty problem has notyet been found.

If only people power can besustained to go beyond politics,perhaps we can really find the way tocreate the type of society we want.

FAMAS has grown anddeveloped over the past four decades.Its importance in the community’s lifecannot be overemphasized. It hasseen many types of leaders at thehelm. As can be seen from its pastrecord, there have been problems butthere have been successes, too. Itreflects the life of the community.

An important event such as theratification of the constitution willundoubtedly guide its activities for thenext decade or until there is a need toadapt it to the changing times.

An effective leader is obviouslyneeded. Just like any otherorganization or business enterprise, theleader of this organization must be ableto inspire, motivate, unify, protect, anddirect its course according to soundprinciples of human relations andbusiness management. But it must berecognized that a leader must also berecognized, appreciated, valued,respected and supported. To be apresident of FAMAS requires a greatsacrifice for this person must take a

considerable amount of his time towork as a volunteer and be willing toaccept a huge responsibility of findingways and means to improve whatneeds to be improved or find innovativeideas in order to help the greatestnumber of people who may findthemselves in need of its services.

There is such a highexpectation from a FAMAS president,hence, there is a danger that peoplemay become too demanding andimpatient. If he or she wants to be aFAMAS president, the position comeswith a high cost of being always thesubject of public scrutiny. As it isimpossible to please everyone, a hightolerance level is required in order towithstand the onslaught of criticismsthat may come from idle tongues.Many past FAMAS presidents have hada sad experience of being humiliatedand embarassed. The futurepresidents of FAMAS must learn how tohandle this kind of adversary and dowhat is right and just.

It is not an easy job to be apresident of FAMAS. Before making adecision to run for this position, it isnecessary to reflect on one’s personalmotivation - is becoming a FAMASpresident a real commitment to serveothers and not for egotistical reasons?Is the person qualified for the job andhas all of the skills required to do aneffective job?

On the other hand, how canmembers contribute to the progress ofthe organization? One obvious way isto be one of the volunteers who arealways required in a non-profitorganization. The reason why theJewish community center is smoothlyoperating is due to unselfishvolunteers. It is sad to say that we donot have this luxury in our community.It is not easy to find enough volunteersfor non-profit organizations. Speakingfrom experience, it is rare for people tofind the time to share as they seem tobe too busy with their own lives. Butperhaps, if the habit of sharingbecomes part of our culture, then andonly then we can find more willingvolunteers in spite of their busy lives.

The next election is almosthere. The new constitution seems tohave been designed to prevent any ofthe past mistakes and make ourelections truly democratic and clean. Itis hoped that the members will bewilling and able to do their part.

A challenge to learn fromhistory and plan for thefuture of FAMAS

February 20114


The North American Filipino Star

uprising that overthrew strongmanFerdinand Marcos in February 1986.

“Egypt’s ‘people power’transition shows that the aspirations fora more free and fair society areuniversal,” Mr. Aquino said in astatement read by Deputy PresidentialSpokesperson Abigail Valte.

“As Filipinos did in 1986,Egyptians must now begin the work ofrebuilding their institutions. We standin solidarity with Egypt and all peoplewho long for peaceful and meaningfulchange,” he added.

The Philippines will mark the25th anniversary of the first EdsaPeople Power on February 25. Theevent in 1986 marked the rise to powerof President Aquino’s mother, the lateicon of democracy Corazon Aquino.The revolt restored democracy to thePhilippines after 14 years of one-manrule.

In Cairo, Egyptians woke to anew dawn on Saturday after 30 yearsof autocratic rule under Mubarak, full ofhope after achieving almostunthinkable change, with the Army incharge and an uncertain future ahead.

As the muezzin’s call to prayerreverberated across Cairo, the soundof horns honking in jubilation grewlouder after a night when millionsacross the Arab world’s most populousnation joyfully celebrated the fall of thepresident.People power sweeps thru region

“The people overthrow theregime,” “The Revolution of the Youthsforced Mubarak to leave,” said front-page headlines in the semi-official al-Ahram newspaper.

It remains to be seen how theArmed Forces’ high command willcreate the foundations of democracyfor the first time in a nation that tracesits history back to the pharaohs morethan 5,000 years ago.

A wave of people power hasroared across this key American ally inthe Middle East, just four weeks afterTunisians toppled their own agingstrongman. Now, across the regionand beyond, autocratic rulers arecalculating their own chances ofsurvival.

“The Jan. 25 Revolution won.Mubarak steps out and the Armyrules,” said the official newspaper Al-Gomhuria.

Mubarak, 82, was thought tobe at his residence in the Red Searesort of Sharm el-Sheikh.Undreamt success

Eighteen days of rallies onCairo’s Tahrir, or Liberation, Square,resisting police assaults, rubberbullets, tear gas, live rounds and a last-ditch charge by pro-Mubarakhardliners on camels, broughtundreamt-of success.

“We are finally going to get agovernment we choose,” said 29-year-old call-center worker Rasha AbuOmar. “Perhaps we will finally get tohave the better country we alwaysdreamed of.”

The Army dismantledcheckpoints on Saturday morningaround Tahrir Square, which hasbecome the epicenter of the protest

movement, and some makeshiftbarricades were being removed.

There was a party atmosphereand people were once again streamingin to the square not to demonstrate butto celebrate.

Hours after word flashed outthat Mubarak was stepping down andhanding over to the Army, it was notjust Tahrir Square but, it seemed, everystreet and neighborhood in Cairo,Alexandria and cities and towns acrossthe country that were packed full.

Through the night fireworkscracked, cars honked under swathesof red, white and black Egyptian flags,people hoisted their children abovetheir heads. Some took souvenir snapswith smiling soldiers on their tanks oncity streets. All laughed and embracedin the hope of a new era.Celebrating population

Journalists long used to thesullen quiet of the police states thatmake up much of the Middle Eastspoke of feeling the optimism of acelebrating population anticipating anew chapter in Egyptian history,however uncertain that might be.

Relayed by satellite televisionchannels, SMS messages and Internetsocial networking sites, Egypt’snewfound euphoria flashed around aregion where autocrats hold sway fromthe Atlantic to the Gulf.

Mubarak was the second Arableader to be overthrown in a month.Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine BenAli was forced to flee his country whenthe generals told him they were notprepared to defend him againstprotesters.

Now Mubarak, who at the startof the year seemed ready to establish anew dynasty on the Nile by handingover to his businessman son, sits,impotent, in Sharm el-Sheikh and hisgenerals hold power in Cairo.Protests in Algiers, Bahrain, etc.

In Algiers, thousands of policein riot gear were preparing to stop aplanned demonstration there onSaturday from mimicking the uprisingin Egypt. Officials have banned theopposition march, setting the stage forpossible clashes.

“It’s going to be a great day fordemocracy in Algeria,” said MohsenBelabes, a spokesperson for the smallRCD opposition party, one of theorganizers of the protest.

In Bahrain, the oil-rich Gulfkingdom, officials were handing outcash worth over $2,500 to every family,to appease them ahead of protestsopposition groups plan for Monday.

In non-Arab Iran, leadershailed the victory of the people over aleader seen in Tehran as a puppet ofWashington and Israel. But the WhiteHouse said a clampdown on mediacoverage of the events in Egyptshowed that Iran’s Islamist rulers were“scared” of prodemocracy activistswho have said they may renew thestreet protests that rocked Tehran in2009.Beyond Arab world

“It’s broken a psychologicalbarrier not just for North Africa butacross the Middle East. I think youcould see some contagion in terms ofprotests; Morocco, perhaps Jordan,

Yemen,” said Anthony Skinner ofpolitical risk consultancy Maplecroft.

Beyond the Arab world,China—wary of any foreign upheavalsthat could reflect badly on its ownauthoritarian controls—gave its firstreaction in the official China Daily.

“Social stability should be ofoverriding importance. Any politicalchanges will be meaningless if thecountry falls prey to chaos in the end,”the English-language newspaper said.The end, at last

Mubarak’s political end wasswift, coming less than a day after hehad stunned protesters by insisting thathe would not step down despitewidespread expectations that he wasabout to do so.

Vice President Omar Suleimansaid a military council would run thecountry of 80 million for now. Thecouncil gave few details of what it saidwould be a “transitional phase” andgave no timetable for presidential orparliamentary elections. It said itwanted to “achieve the hopes of ourgreat people.”The people have spoken’

Some question the Army’sappetite for democracy. Westernpowers, and Israel just across the Sinaidesert border, worry about the electoralstrength of Islamist groups.

In the United States, Mubarak’slong-time sponsor, President BarackObama said, “The people of Egypt havespoken.”

He stressed to the US-aidedEgyptian Army that “nothing less thangenuine democracy” would satisfypeople’s hunger for change.

He also acknowledged: “Thisis not the end of Egypt’s transition. It’sa beginning. I’m sure there will bedifficult days ahead, and manyquestions remain unanswered.”

Washington has pursued asometimes meandering line since theprotests began on Jan. 25, apparentlyreluctant to lose a bulwark againstmilitant Islam in the Middle East butalso anxious to endorse calls forpolitical freedom.(Philippine Daily Enquirer)PHOTO

MANILA, FEBRUARY 17, 2011(CANADIAN PRESS) Chinese supremecourt upholds death sentence for 3Filipinos convicted of drug traffickingThe Canadian Press By The AssociatedPress | The Canadian Press – Tue, 15Feb, 2011 9:00 AM EST

The Philippine governmentsaid Tuesday that China had uphelddeath sentences for three Filipinosconvicted of drug trafficking, and thehmother of one of them appealed to thepresident to help her "victimized"daughter.

The foreign affairs departmentsaid it received information on Fridaythat the Supreme People's Court inBeijing had reviewed and rendered itsdecision on five cases of Filipinossentenced to death by courts in Fujianand Guandong provinces. The courtgave two-year reprieves for two of theFilipinos — such reprieves are usuallycommuted to life in prison — butupheld the death sentences by lethalinjection for the three others.

The department said it wasdisappointed and saddened by thedecision and continued to seek lessersentences for the two women aged 32and 38 and a 42-year-old man.

Edith Ordinario, the mother ofone of the convicted women — 32-year-old Sally Ordinario-Villanueva —tearfully appealed on ABS-CBNtelevision to President Benigno AquinoJr. to "help my daughter who was justvictimized by a drug syndicate."

Villanueva, a mother of two,was convicted of smuggling more thanfour kilograms of heroin to Xiamen onDec. 24, 2008.

Ordinario said her daughterwent to China thinking she had got ajob as a cellphone dealer, and wasgiven a bag by her recruiter in thePhilippines to give to the boss whenshe arrived there. The bag turned out tohave drugs hidden inside, she added.

She said the foreign affairsdepartment had told her that herdaughter was scheduled to beexecuted on Monday.

"As ordered by our president,our engagement with the Chineseauthorities continues," said ForeignUndersecretary Esteban Conejos ontelevision.

Smuggling at least 50 grams ofheroin or other drugs is punishable bydeath in China. The Philippines has nodeath penalty.

Under Chinese law, a deathverdict may be commuted to lifeimprisonment if the prisoner displaysgood behaviour in jail.

The foreign affairs departmentwarned citizens against carryingluggage for strangers and agreeing tocarry items for individuals befriendedthrough the Internet.

Corruption among lawenforcers and officials and vaststretches of unpatrolled coastline makethe Philippines an attractive narcoticssource and transshipment point.

By Delon Porcalla (The Philippine Star)

From Page 1 Egypt like Edsa

Filipino immigrants in Montreal andsuburbs.”

Under the proposedamendments, FAMAS is the acronymfor “Filipino Association of Montreal andSuburbs.” It took eight months for theFCBL Committee convened in March2010 to analyze and consult withdifferent individuals and interest groupsbefore coming up with a constitutionthat would represent the sentiments ofthe membership.

The FCBL (FAMAS Constitutionand By-Laws) committee wascomposed of the following: LeandroTolentino, chairperson; members:Erlinda Baltazar, Marlene Birao-Schachter, Alice Bustamante, MaggieCalcetas, Denie Guloy, Paz Guloy, MelleLugod, Felix Salazar, and BernardoSarmiento.

It would appear from our reviewof the document presented by the FCBLCommittee that they were quitethorough in their effort to cover all areasand that they did an excellent job.

From Page 1 FAMAS

China: No one is abovethe law

R I D I C U L O U SREQUIREMENT - Being adirector or former director ofFAMAS is one of therequirements a regularmember has to meet to beeligible to run for thepresidency of saidorganization.

I believe it is apreposterous requirementand, therefore, should bevoted out of the newConstitution and Bylawsslated to be ratified onSaturday, February 19, 2011,from 1:00 p.m. to 5;00 p.m., atSt. Malachy's Chruch SocialHall.

The proponents ofthat requirement argue thatsince a director or formerdirector already knows theinner workings of FAMAS, itwill be easier for him or her toperform the daunting tasks ofthe presidency. But whenasked if they could guaranteethat a director or a formerdirector would be a betterpresident than a member whois not or has not been adirector of FAMAS, they couldnot. In my opinion, it will be anunnecessary waste ofmanpower and talents if thecandidacy for presidency islimited to the aforementionedsmall group of people. Moreimportantly, it isdiscriminatory. And justimagine how many ableleaders cannot run because ofthat one silly disqualification.

How many directorsor former directors of FAMASare there? 50, 75? How manyof them are really serious torun for president? 5, 10? Ofthose who are serious to run,how many have leadershipskills? 1, 2, or even 0? Theshort answer to all thosequestions is most probably“very few.”

What if nobodyamong those directors andformer directors is notinterested to run for president?Or assuming that some ofthem are willing to run but donot have what it takes to bepresident? Then FAMASwould end up being run bysecond-rate leaders justbecause of that ridiculousrequirement.

Any member of goodstanding - whether or not he orshe is or was a director -should be allowed to run for

president subject to the otherrequirements.

On Ratification Day onFebruary 19, 2011, voteagainst that ridiculous andunfair eligibility requirement.SHINETTE, ELVIE ANDRIZA — August is drawingnearer and nearer, andcertainly, so is the next FAMASelection.

Already, the namesthat are often mentioned in thediscussions among TimHorton’s Van Horne and thePlaza Cote des Neiges’ FoodCourt Pinoy habitués belongto Shinette Khoury of theMabuhay Team, Elvie Maximoof the Samahang Makabayan,Riza Esmeralda of the Ogerio-Parado-Magallanes Group,and even the perennialpresidential also-ran MelDomingo. There are also darkhorses, like Manny Lagasca,Rey Balansi, Cesar Manueland Svetlana Suarez, amongprobable candidates.

In the meantime, letme be very clear here that noone among theaforementioned individualshas categorically signified, letalone declared, their intentionto run for said position. Mine ismere speculation born of theirresistible urge to writesomething that has to do withthe next FAMAS presidentialelection.

Assuming that they –particularly Shinette, Elvie andRiza – would indeed runagainst each other, it promisesto be a cliffhanging electionamong three women ofdifferent backgrounds,experiences and demeanors,and comparably differentcircles of friends.

Each of the threewomen is the best candidatefor FAMAS presidentdepending on whom you arelistening to. But for me,personally, the best – and theone I would love to seeelected – is the one who ishonest, not just perceptiblyhonest but genuinely honest.Furthermore, I want the nextFAMAS president to be also atleast fairly smart, competentand presentable because heor she will deal with peoplefrom different rungs of socialand/or political ladder.

Dull, dense or quixoticpeople, meek-types andintroverts need not apply

because they simply cannotcut the mustard. They wouldonly be devoured alive by theexacting demands of thepresidency, and FAMAS willbe the worse for it. I want a president with brainsand eager willingness to servethe community, and who is gung-ho about defending theAssociation when it ismaligned by its detractors.

*******FRAUD CRASSMAGALLANES VS. BS —What if Fraud and I run againsteach other in the next FAMASelection? Actually, I’ve beenfor the last few months silently,and seriously, toying with whatmight be an attention-grabbing idea. Any office willdo, except the presidency. Icannot run for presidentbecause the absurd anddiscriminatory requirementthat one has to be, or been, adirector first before he can runfor president has rendered meineligible. I have never been aFAMAS director or any officer,for that matter.

I’ll leave it up to Fraudwhich office he would like torun against me. In any case, Iwould only run if he runs, andonly if Brujulita des Parado willmanage his electoralcampaign and James de laPaz will manage mine. Theproblem is Fraud might be toocowardly to accept my dareand take on me.

There are people whothink that I’m controversial andmight pull down any party Iwould run under. I’m notconvinced that it’s true. Butwhether or not it’s true, I wouldrun independently.

My main – but not theonly – purpose is to put an endto speculation which one ofFraud and I is hated less – orloved more – by thecommunity than the other. Itisn’t necessary for either oneof us to win; whoever gets thehigher number of votes isenough for our purpose. Andby extension, who betweenBrujulita and James still hasmore friends and supportersafter all these years. That’s likethe proverbial “killing twobirds in one shot.”

Brujulita alwaysclaims that the communityloves her because of hernumerous charitableundertakings and her“unselfish” devotion tocommunity service. She alsobrags that she has tons ofawards to show for it. She hasalso publicly declared that shehas much more friends than Ido. Next August’s election isthe most opportune time toprove her claim and prove mewrong. And for James, that heis still the power to bereckoned with in the

community.I’m looking forward to

reading Fraud’s reply in hisnewspaper. I hope Fraudwon’t tell me that I’m out of mymind, crazy, preposterous,stupid, idiotic, moronic, andwhat have you. Let’s stopusing derogatory words todescribe each other and eachother’s articles. It’smonotonous already and haslost its appeal and novelty.Anyway, I’ll wait for Fraud’sresponse.

*******BEWARE OF BRATTYCANDIDATES - Ayaw ko rinng mga kandidato napagkatapos ma-elect ay hindimagseserve ng kanilang mgaterms dahil lamang sa hindinila gusto ang ibang mgananalo. Sasayangin lang nilaang panahon at pagpapagodng mga botante.

There were alreadycandidates like that in the pastelections. They won, but neverserved their terms merelybecause they didn’t want towork with the other winners,particularly the president-elect, from the opposing party.That’s ridiculous and childish,not to mentioncounterintuitive. I’m not fondof mature people who aresupposed to act their agebehave like spoiled brats. I’msure that my fellow Pinoyswho are worth their salt aren’tfond of them either.

I heard that thosebrats might run again thiscoming FAMAS election.Anyway, to me, refusing toserve after having beenelected merely because theother winners come from theopposing party is stupidity of

the first degree. It is anindication of emotionalimmaturity. And I don’t wantstupid and emotionallyimmature people to berunning FAMAS. Kahit pa mgakaibigan ko sila. When I vote, Igo for dedication,competence and goodleadership skills, and notfriendship, of the candidates..At iyon namang mga tao naalam nilang wala silangpanahon para gumanap ngkanilang mga tungkulin atresponsibilidad ay huwagnang kumandidato kahit pilitinpa sila. At saka pag nanalo na,huwag nilang laging sinasabiat ipinamumukha sa mga taona sila nama’y mga volunteerslamang at hindi suwelduhan.Wala namang namilit sa kanilana sila’y mag-volunteer. Meronba? Sila lang naman angnamilit sa kanilang mga sarili. They always complain aboutthe heat, but don’t want to getout of the kitchen.

*******BS IS INDEED BAD FORBUSINESS — There isanother thing that I have noproblem agreeing with FraudCrass Magallanes, albeit notentirely. The problem is, theFraudulent conveniently didnot make it clear to his readersthat it was his lying businessthat my limpid articles werebad for.

Fraud had beengetting away with all the liesthat he had been peddling tohis readers (mostly composedof his most loyal and mostcredulous friends andassociates), until I came intothe journalistic scene almost a



Bernardo “Budz” Sarmiento

A leader in the provision of programs and services to the 50+ community is seeking

Homecare Workers (Hourly, on call)

Social Services Department

Responsibilities:

Meal preparation Respite to family caregivers Accompaniment Shopping Personal care; bathing, dressing, transfers

Qualifications:

Minimum high school education Nurse’s aide training or equivalent Work experience with seniors English and French; other languages an asset

Interested candidates should submit a written resumé

to Human Resources Department Fax: 514-739-3208

E-mail: [email protected]

Only candidates to be interviewed will be contacted

Any Which Way ...

Fraud Crass Magallanes vs. BSin the next FAMAS Election (?)

See Page 7 Any Which Way

February 2011


The North American Filipino Star6

Dear EarthTalk: Global populationnumbers continue to rise, as does thepoverty, suffering and environmentaldegradation that goes with it. Has theU.S., under Obama, increased or at leastrestored its family planning aid todeveloping countries that was cut whenthe Bush Administration first took office?

-- T. Healy, via e-mail

The short answer is yes.President Obama is much moreinterested in family planning around theworld than his predecessor ever was.One of Obama’s first acts uponassuming office in 2009 was therestoration of funding for the UnitedNations Population Fund (UNFPA).George W. Bush had withheld some$244 million in aid to the UNFPA over theprevious seven years. UNFPA works withdeveloping countries around the world to“reduce poverty and to ensure that everypregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe,every young person is free of HIV/AIDS,and every girl and woman is treated withdignity and respect.”

Reinstated U.S. funding will helpthe agency pursue its goals of universalaccess to reproductive health services,universal primary education and closingof the gender gap in education, reducingmaternal and infant mortality, increasinglife expectancy and decreasing HIVinfection rates.

Along with restoring UNFPAfunding, Obama also overturned the so-called “Global Gag Rule” that prohibitedgroups funded by the U.S. Agency inInternational Development (USAID) fromusing any government or non-government funds for “providing advice,counseling or information regardingabortion, or lobbying a foreigngovernment to legalize or make abortionavailable.” Foreign nonprofits werealready not allowed to use U.S. funds topay for abortions, but the Global GagRule—first instituted as the ‘Mexico CityPolicy’ in 1984 by the Reagan WhiteHouse, then overturned by Clinton andlater reinstated by George W. Bush—went further by restricting the freespeech rights of government granteesand stifling public debate on thecontentious topic. Foreign NGOs thataccept U.S. funding still cannot performabortions, but can discuss the optionsopenly with the families they serve.

“For too long, internationalfamily planning assistance has beenused as a political wedge issue, thesubject of a back and forth debate thathas served only to divide us,” saidBarack Obama upon overturning thepolicy as one of his first acts in office. “Itis time that we end the politicization ofthis issue.”

Of course, advocates forincreased family planning are pressuringthe Obama administration to step up itsefforts aboard even more. The Institute of

Medicine, one of four government-affiliated nonprofit “academies” ofexperts, recommended last spring thatthe U.S. increase its spending on globalhealth by some 50 percent over the $63billion pledged by the Obama WhiteHouse over the next six years.

Groups providing familyplanning services domestically wouldalso like to see the Obama administrationstep up funding for their programs, not

only to improve the quality of life forAmerican families but to save money andreduce abortions as well: A 2009 reportby the nonprofit Guttmacher Instituteconcluded that publicly funded familyplanning services at both hospitals andnon-profit clinics saves taxpayers $4 forevery $1 spent by preventing nearly twomillion pregnancies and 810,000abortions per year.

CONTACTS: UNFPA, www.unfpa.org;USAID, www.usaid.gov; Institute ofMedicine, www.iom.edu; GuttmacherInstitute, www.guttmacher.org.

Dear EarthTalk: I understand that the useof antibiotics in raising farm animals isthreatening to make bacteria overallmore resistant to antibiotics, which hasserious life and death implications forpeople. Can you enlighten and advisewhat is being done about this? - -Robert Gelb, Raleigh, NC

Most medical doctors would

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agree that antibiotic drugs—which staveoff bacterial infections from staph tosalmonella to bacterial pneumonia—areamong the most important tools inmodern medicine. But public healthadvocates, environmentalists and evenmany doctors worry that our society’soveruse and misuse of antibiotics ismaking bacteria more resistant and thuslimiting the effectiveness of theselifesaving drugs.

Bacterial resistance to ourantibiotics simply means longer, moreserious and more costly illnesses. TheAlliance for the Prudent Use ofAntibiotics, a nonprofit that conductsresearch around the world on antibioticresistance, estimates that antibioticresistance has been responsible forupwards of $16 billion annually in extracosts to the U.S. health care system inrecent years. The U.S. Centers forDisease Control and Prevention (CDC)considers antibiotic resistance one of itstop concerns.

While misuse of antibiotics forhuman health problems is definitely aconcern—those with a valid need forantibiotics who don’t finish off theirprescriptions, for example, couldeffectively help bacteria developresistance and make it stronger for whenit infects its next host—a larger issue isthe misuse of antibiotics to treat thecommon cold and flu and other viral

infections which do not involve bacteria.The more antibiotics we use willy-nilly,the faster bacteria will developresistance, rendering many of the drugsmodern medicine has come to rely on

obsolete.Of even greater concern is the

preponderance of antibiotics used downon the farm. “Antibiotics often are usedon industrial farms not only to treat sickanimals but also to offset [the healtheffects of] crowding and poor sanitation,as well as to spur animal growth,”reports the Pew Campaign on HumanHealth and Industrial Farming. Indeed,researchers estimate that up to 70percent of all antibiotics sold in the U.S.are given to healthy food animals toartificially expedite their growth andcompensate for the effects of unsanitaryfarm conditions. “The routine use ofantibiotics in food animals presents aserious and growing threat to humanhealth because it creates new strains ofdangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria,”says Pew.

So what can we do to curtail theoveruse and misuse of antibiotics? Forone, we should not prescribe or useantibiotics to (mis)treat viral infections.Beyond being conscientious with ourown bodies, we should also urgefarmers to reduce their use of thesedrugs. Pew and other groups are tryingto muster public support for thePreservation of Antibiotics for MedicalTreatment Act (PAMTA, H.R. 1549/S.619), which if enacted would withdrawfrom food animal production the routineuse of seven classes of antibiotics vitallyimportant to human health unlessanimals are diseased or drug companiescan prove that their use does not harmhuman health. Hundreds of groups,including the American MedicalAssociation, American Academy ofPediatricians, Infectious DiseasesSociety of America and World HealthOrganization support the legislation.Pew is urging concerned citizens to calltheir Representatives and Senators andadvocate for pushing the legislation intocommittee hearings.

CONTACTS: Alliance for the PrudentUse of Antibiotics,www.tufts.edu/med/apua; CDC,www.cdc.gov; Pew Campaign onHuman Health and Industrial Farming,www.saveantibiotics.org.SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTALQUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, c/o E –The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box5098, Westport, CT 06881;[email protected]. E is anonprofit publication. Subscribe:www.emagaz ine .com/subsc r ibe ;Request a Free Trial Issue:www.emagazine.com/trial.

According to the Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming, the routine use ofantibiotics in food animals -- used not only to treat sick animals but also to offset the healtheffects of crowding and poor sanitation and to spur animal growth -- presents a serious andgrowing threat to human health because it creates new strains of dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Photo courtesy: Farm Sanctuary/Flickr

The Obama administration's reinstatement offunding to the United Nations Population Fund helpsthe agency's efforts around the world to reducepoverty and to ensure that every pregnancy iswanted, every birth is safe, every young person isfree of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman istreated with dignity and respect.Photo courtesyCIMMYT/Flickr



MEN AND WOMENHOMMES ET FEMMES

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year ago. Not surprisingly, he did notlike that someone had finally stood upagainst him and courageously andconvincingly exposed his many risiblearticles of lies and hypocrisy – from theclassic Magallanes tall tale about Tony-Siddayao in 1976 to the most recentRey-Balansi-kicked-me-out-of-the-UPS-election story. He tried to silenceme with threats of lawsuits, but he didnot succeed. That has made him evenmore in a froth over my exposé. I don'tknow what kind of epitaph his familywould put on his tombstone when hedies. How about "Here lies ..." No punintended.

In his article (BS is simply badfor business, Page 33, January 16-February 15, 2011 Edition, FilipinoForum), the Fraudulent wrote, “Turningthe Filipino Star into a Bernardo (“BS”)Sarmiento rag is to dig its grave.” Headded, “Before BS joined the paper, ithad at least over 21 ads or sevenpages of ads in a 24-page issue. ThisJanuary it had only four pages of ads ina 24-page issue.” The only grave thatmy articles may be digging belongs tohim and his trashy tabloid. That’s thebig reason he is getting desperate tostop me from thwarting his endlesslying since writing lies is his bread andbutter.

Fraud seems to give moreimportance to the quantity rather thequality. Number does not necessarilytell the whole and true story about thesuccess or failure of local Filipinonewspapers, including, and especially,the Filipino Forum. Assuming withoutconceding that Filipino Forum hasmore advertisers than the Filipino Starhas, it does not necessarily follow thatthe former is a success and the latter isa failure. For all we know, Fraud mighthave published many of theadvertisements in his newspaperwithout the prior knowledge orapproval of those advertisers that heclaims to be patronizing hispublication. Mrs. Kharroubi is toodecent and honest to resort to thatunderhanded strategy. She is actuallypaid by her advertisers. And she neverpublishes any advertisement withoutprior consent of the correspondingadvertiser. I cannot, in all honesty, saythe same about Fraud and hisactivities.

Meanwhile, I don’t think Zeny isunhappy with my involvement in the

Filipino Star. It’s the contrary. In fact,she’s so pleased with my contributionsthat she voluntarily increased mypaycheck last Wednesday, February 9th.Would she do that if the Filipino Star isworse off today than before I wasaround? Of course, she would not. Noshrewd businessperson would do thatunder unfavorable circumstance. I amsure that even an intellectually-challenged person like Fraud would beable to figure it out? Right, Fraud? I hopehe’s not dumber than I am inclined tothink he is.

*******FRAUD IS FOOLISHLY AGAINSTHIS OWN ADVICE — The Fraudulentdoes not really know what he is sayingor writing anymore. I would love to turnthe table on him and remind him to gethis facts straight. If he does, he will befollowing his own advice regarding thecardinal first rule in journalism.

He wrote in the latest issue ofhis there’s-nothing-like-it Filipino Forumthat Rey Balansi “asked me to leave thehall or something might happen to him.”Mr. Balansi was too occupied with theUPS electoral matters to pay attention tosomething that did not have anything todo with the UPS elections. I amprofoundly amazed how he could comeup with such a barefaced lie. I amabsolutely sure that Mr. Balansi – andmany other eyewitnesses, for that matter– will deny this story not because of me,but more because of the truth that Fraudis clearly hiding from the public to tailorhis story to his evil intention.

Furthermore, Fraud wrote “Thenumbers don't add up.” Yes, thenumbers don't add up, but they are hisnumbers, not mine. Fraud said that mydaughter was 17; that is another lie. Myyoungest daughter, the one Fraudreferred to in his article, is only 12 beingborn in January 1999. And I got divorcedin July 1997. That said, how can it beonly 10 years ago? I’ll leave it to Fraud todo the math. But since he seems to bedeficient in Math, I suggest to him thathe studies at Kumon in Cote des Neigesarea where my daughter is a studentand teacher’s assistant.

Hey, Fraud! Will you please doa better job in gathering your informationso you won’t get those factoids again?Filipino journalists in the Philippines usethe term “kuryente” or “nakuryente” fortaking a piece of factoid at its face valueand then use it in their reports.

Anyway, you don't have to rush,Fraud. There’s plenty of time to tell lies

From Page 5 Any Which Way

I was asked by a friend, “Docoops really work?” What are thedifferences between coops andcorporations or other businessstructures? According to him, maybe acoop is harder to manage and make itthrive.

He also asked, “Why do I helpbuild coops and help other people?Why don’t I make an economic activityfor myself alone where there cannot beany problem with other people and noworries about dividing the income whenit becomes profitable?

First, I do not have anydisagreements with other organizationalstructures. For me it depends on what isyour purpose and objectives. Do youplan to build a business firm becauseyou want to enrich yourself or do youwant to help other people so that theycan help themselves?

My answer to theabovementioned questions of a friend isboth “yes” and “no.” Of course thereare so many factors that differentiatecoops from other business structures,or the other way around. There arepoints that I personally do not like withother business structures and there arealso a handful of reasons that I do notlike about cooperatives.

I was first encouraged to beinvolved with cooperatives maybebecause of my experience as a person.I was born in a war-stricken area, grewup in the southern part of thePhilippines, where one could seefighting, hatred, and greed everyday. Iopened my eyes and rose as a personin a community where majority of itspeople were under the poverty line, andmostly lived in dilapidated houses.

During my younger years, Iexperienced working in a rice farmwhere I stood all day under the heat ofthe sun together with other poor peoplelike me. Those were the experiences ofmine that break my heart every time Isee people who could have had betterlives if only they had a chance.

The prime objective of a coop isto help its members, who are at thesame time the owners, while otherprivate entities work for itsshareholders. The coop members havethe same voice and voting rights inchoosing their officers regardless of theamount of their investments, however, inbig businesses they normally weighexecutive positions based on shares orinvestments - the greater amount ofmoney you invest, the louder your voicein the organization.

However, the sum of investmentsometimes becomes one of theweaknesses of cooperatives. There aremembers who want to manage a coopand become one of the members of the

board of directors. Because theinvestment is just a small amount itseems that the commitment is not thatbig, too. Of course, this doesn’t apply toeveryone. There are people who reallywant to help other people and thecommunity even if their investment inthe coop is not that much. In general,this unbalanced investment hasbecome a serious problem ofcooperatives.

To solve the commitment issue,the coop board of directors should set astandard of how much should be theinvestment of a coop member beforehe could run for any position. Officersshould analyze the effect ofinvestments. A sufficient or higherinvestment of one member could meana deeper involvement. One memberwho has a $10,000 or $100,000investment with the coop has a bigdifference of commitment with amember who has only a $100investment. On the other side, oneshould remember that money must notalways be the center of every decision.

I believe that to manage acooperative and make it big is not thateasy. We couldn’t make muscles in onepush-up. It requires a lot of effort anddedication. The structure of a coop ispeople-centered. A coop is built for thebenefit of people, without enoughparticipation from them; it would causea coop’s downfall.

A coop is not a bed of roses. It’sfull of thorns. People’s betterment is themain reason of a coop’s existence.Officers should not stop encouragingtheir members to give ideas.Appreciate and deliberate on members’different types of contributions. Coopswill not live long to serve its members ifthe members themselves do not getinvolved nor participate.

Do coops really work? Itdepends on how deep is thecommitment of its officers and membersin helping others and the community.

Involvement and Commitment

Philippine EmbassyConsular Outreach

MISSIONPhilippine Community Center

Saturday, March 19, 2011If you are renewing your passport,kindly call the Embassy to obtainappointment slots. They will not

entertain walk-in applicants.For more details please call the

Embassy at 613-233-1121or FAMAS at

514-341-7477.

See Page 10 Any Which Way

February 20118



COMMUNITY NEWS

One of the brightest and mostactive organizations in the FilipinoCommunity, the United Pilipino Seniors(UPS) held its induction of officers lastJanuary 7, 2011 at the Ruby RougeRestaurant at Chinatown in Montreal. As the Master of Ceremony, EdVasquez, a successful businessman,carried the event with his poise andpresence, and skilfully commandedthe attention of the audience. Ms.Aurora Osdon, the unflagging andindustrious president of the FilipinoAssociation of Montreal and Suburbs(FAMAS), inducted the new officerswhile Hon. Martin Cauchon, the formerMinister of Justice in the Jean Chretienadministration and who is reportedlybeing groomed as the next primeminister, delivered the inspirationalspeech as the guest speaker. He wasintroduced by James de la Paz, aformer president of both FAMAS andFederation of Filipino-CanadianAssociations of Quebec (FFCAQ).

The new officers are thefollowing: Warlie Basbacio – President,Alex Castro – Vice-President, WilliamFabia – 2nd Vice-President, Josie Tapia– Secretary, Merle Valiente – AssistantSecretary, Mae Ong – AssistantSecretary, Florinda Esteras – Treasurer,Pacing Castro – Assistant Treasurer,Merle Nuñez – Assistant Treasurer,Trans Liganor – Auditor, Luz Feniza,Assist. Auditor, Charito Canivel –Assistant Auditor, Rene Aberin –Business Manager, Tessie Mamagat –

Assistant Business Manager, FerminCosejo – Assistant Business Manager,Bert Abiera – Public Relations Officer,Jess Olivares – Assistant-PRO, TonyHU – Assistant-PRO, Remy Domingo –Peace Officer, Lucing Bulchand –Peace Officer, Ding Castillo – ChiefSecurity Officer, Orlando Javier –Security Officer, Clemente Bernardo –Security Officer and Armando Noche –Security Officer.

Romie Basbacio, the adviser,also joined the oath-taking.Mrs. Warlie Basbacio, still fresh fromher landslide re-election victory lastNovember, called on the presidentsand other leaders of the invitedorganizations to work harder towardsunity and cooperation in the Filipinocommunity.

Former Justice Minister MartinCauchon, after being introduced byJames de la Paz – a former president ofboth the FAMAS and the FFACQ,amused the audience with his keenobservation that members of UPSlooked so young to be senior citizensalready.

Dr. Gene Santander, arespected leader in the community, ledthe invocation. Echoing Mrs.Basbacio’s concern about unityproblem in the community, Dr.Santander exhorted members of theaudience to be more understandingand forgiving of one another, and worktowards unity.

UPS Induction of Officers for 2011-2013 — a resounding success

Au Osdon, FAMAS president (at left), inducted the newly elected officers of UPS. Theassociation re-elected Mrs. Warlie Basbascio (Courtesy of Budz Sarmiento)

50TH BIRTHDAY of Edmondo Poso (2nd from right), with wife Lully, and some long time friendsfrom Maimonides Hospital. From left: Rod Garcia, Nick Lacquiao, & Raymundo (extreme right)

Dr. Victor C. Gavino wasordained by the Presbyterian Church inCanada as Minister of Word andSacrament. The ordination took placeon December 5, 2010 at theWestminster Presbyterian Church,Pierrefonds, where he now serves asMinister.

The Rev. Dr. Gavino completedhis theological studies at McGillUniversity and the Presbyterian

College in Montreal, earning aBachelor in Theology and a Master ofDivinity. He is the first Filipino-Canadian to be ordained by thePresbyterian Church in Canada, whichis one of the three historical mainlineProtestant denominations in thecountry. The service of ordination drewfriends from the English, French,Filipino and Arabic communities, aswell as clergy from all over Montrealand as far south as Huntingdon in theChateauguay valley. In addition to hisministry at the church, Gavino is also amember of the Board of Governors ofthe Presbyterian College, and remainsa professor at the Université deMontréal, Department of Nutrition atthe Faculty of Medicine.

Dr. Gavino used to write the“Health & Science” column iin theNorth American Filipino Star whichenjoyed a wide readership. His topicswere very well researched and weregreatly appreciated by the community.

He and his wife, Dr. GraceRamos-Gavino, live in Ville St-Laurent.

Rev. Dr. Victor C. Gavino, former Starcontributor, ordained Minister of Word andSacrament, Presbyterian Church in Canada

A big crowd gathered around Rev. Dr. Victor Gavino kneeling in front of theRev.Dr. Joseph Reed, Moderator, Presbytery of Montreal.PRESS RELEASE

Outstanding CitizenAwards: Borough ofCDN–NDG invitescitizens to nominatecandidates

Montréal, Monday, February 7,2011 – Michael Applebaum, Mayor ofCôte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâceborough, is proud to announce theopening of nominations for the secondedition of the Outstanding Citizen Awards.Citizens have until April 1, 2011, tonominate individuals or groups they feeldeserve the title of Outstanding Citizen.This honour pays tribute to people whomake an exceptional contribution tobuilding the community.

“Many citizens and groups helpenhance our living environment andshape our social fabric,” Mr. Applebaumsaid. “Through the Outstanding CitizenAwards, we want to acknowledge theircontributions to the borough’s reputationand encourage citizens to pursue their

commitment to community betterment.”An independent, non-political

jury consisting of five well-known people,each from a separate area of expertise inthe borough, will be appointed in March.This jury will select the recipients in sixcategories:

* Architecture and Heritage* Volunteerism and Social Involvement* Organizations and Community* Ambassador and Outreach* Sports and Culture* Economy and Innovation

Citizens will be asked to submit acomprehensive file meeting the selectioncriteria outlined in the information leafletavailable at the main CDN—NDGborough points of service or on theborough website atwww.ville.montreal.qc.ca/cdn-ndg.

Recipients will be honoured at arecognition event to be held in June.Source: Borough of CDN—NDGIInformation: Magdalena BoberCommunications Officer 514 868-4018



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9

(Erratum - The following article is reprintedin its entirety as there were errors in theprevious issue which may have made thearticle incomprehensible.)

Sa pagpapatuloy ng pagsusuri. . .

"Ang pagbabago ng alpabetoay dapat lang samahan ng angkop narebisyon sa mga tuntunin sa paggamitng alpabetong ito.

Sentral sa mga pagbabagongito ang nauukol sa paggamit ngwalong dagdag na letra, angpinakamatingkad na manipestasyonng modernisasyon atintelektuwalisasyon ng Filipino,bagaman, siya ring ugat ng maramingkalituhan at debateng pangwika.Ang 1976 Tuntunin, ang 1987Patnubay at 2001 Revisyon ay dapatna tingnan bilang patuloy napagsisikap na ayusin at pinuhin,gawing kapaki-pakinabang atkatanggap-tanggap ang mga gabay sapagbabaybay lalo na ang nauukol sawalong dagdag na letra."

"Sa pinakahuling rebisyon,halimbawa, pinaluluwag ang paggamitng walong dagdag na letra. Ano angkahulugan nito?

Sa 1976 Tuntunin at 1987Patnubay, nalilimitahan ang paggamitng mga dagdag na letra sapagbabaybay ng mga (1) katutubongsalita mula sa iba't ibang wika saPilipinas, (2) salitang pang-agham atteknikal, (3) mga simbolong pang-agham at (4) mga salitang Ingles at ibapang banyagang wika namakabubuting pansamantalang

hiramin sa orihinal na anyo tulad sakaso ng mga salitang malayo na angispeling kung sakaling baybayin ayonsa alpabetong Filipino. Sinasabingmaluwag ang 2002 Revisyon dahil,bukod sa nabanggit na kondisyon,pinagagamit na rin ang walongdagdag na letra maging sapagbabaybay ng mga (1) salitang mayinternasyonal na anyong nakikilala atginagamit, at (2) lahat ng hiram nasalita, anuman ang varayti nito,kasama ang hindi pormal at hinditeknikal na varayti, o iyong tinatawagna karaniwang salita."

"Isang mahalagang konseptosa rebisyong ito ang paghahati ng mgadagdag na letra sa dalawang pangkat:iyong may ponemikong katangiangaya ng F, J, V at Z, at iyong maykinakatawang higit pa sa isang tunogtulad ng C, N, Q at X. Sa pagbabaybayng mga hiram na salita sa Filipino,gagamitin lamang ang mga letrangmay ponemikong katangian. Saganitong paraan, napapanatili anghalos ganap na ponemikong katangianng dating 20 letrang abakada. Bataysa ganitong tuntunin, madalingpagpasyahan kung paano babaybayinhalimbawa ang figurasyon,fragmentasyon, formalismo, fetisismo,defamilyarisasyon, sabjek, vernakular,volyum, varayti, variedad, voltahe,zoolohiya at iba pang espesyalisadongterminong hinihiram o inaangkin natinsa Filipino. Gaya ng mahihiwatigan samga halimbawang salita, ang bagong

Wikang Pambansa: Nanganganib na Sari(Blg. 3)

See Page 10 Sariling Wika

The basis for the Philippinenational language is Tagalog, which hadprimarily been spoken only in Manila andthe surrounding provinces when theCommonwealth constitution was drawnup in the 1930s. That constitutionprovided for a national language, but didnot specifically designate it as Tagalogbecause of objections raised byrepresentatives from other parts of thecountry where Tagalog was not spoken. Itmerely stated that a national languageacceptable to the entire populace (andideally incorporating elements from thediverse languages spoken throughout theislands) would be a future goal. Tagalog,of course, by virtue of being the linguafranca of those who lived in or near thegovernment capital, was the predominantcandidate.

By the time work on a newconstitution began in the early 1970s,more than half the Philippine citizenry wascommunicating in Tagalog on a regularbasis. (Forty years earlier, it was barely 25percent.) Spurred on by President Marcosand his dream of a "New Society,"nationalist academics focused theirefforts on developing a national language— Pilipino, by that time understood to beTagalog de facto. Neologisms wereintroduced to enrich the vocabulary andreplace words that were of foreign origin.A much-remembered example is"salumpuwit" (literally, "that to support thebuttocks") for "chair" to replace the widelyadopted, Spanish-derived "silya." Suchefforts to nativize the Philippine nationallanguage were for naught, however, sincewords of English and Spanish origin hadbecome an integral part of the languageused in the everday and intellectualdiscourse of Filipinos.

This reality was finally reflected inthe constitution composed during theAquino presidency in the latter half of the1980s. The national language waslabeled Filipino to acknowledge andembrace the existence of and preferencefor many English- and Spanish-derivedwords. "Western" letters such as f, j, c, xand z — sounds of which were notindigenous to the islands before thearrival of the Spaniards and theAmericans — were included in the officialFilipino alphabet.

The aforementioned evolution ofthe Philippine national language is taughtas part of the school curriculum in thePhilippines, such that when you ask aFilipino what the national language of the

country is, the response is "Filipino." Inthe same way that there are English(composition, literature...) classes inAmerican elementary, secondary andtertiary schools to teach the nationallanguage of the United States, there areFilipino classes (not Tagalog classes;Filipino literature classes, not Tagalogliterature classes) in Philippine schools. So what is the difference between Filipinoand Tagalog? Think of Filipino as TagalogPlus. Filipino is inclusive of thecontributions of languages other thanTagalog. For instance, it is quite all right tosay "diksyunaryo" (from the Spanishdiccionario) in Filipino, whereas a Tagalogpurist (or someone stuck in the "Pilipino"era) might insist on a native Tagalog wordlike "talatinigan." It is also more politicallycorrect to refer to Filipino, not Tagalog, asthe Philippine national language. ForFilipinos from other parts of the country,Tagalog is not their first language; theylearn to speak Filipino because it isconstitutionally the national language andtaught in schools.

In practical terms, most people,especially Filipinos overseas who havecome to realize that foreigners favor"Tagalog" to refer to the Philippinenational language, don't strictlydifferentiate among the words Filipino,Pilipino and Tagalog, and have learned toadapt to how Americans or Canadiansperceive the meaning of each word. Thatis why when you go to a bookstore inNorth America, for example, you are morelikely to find a "Tagalog (or Pilipino)dictionary" than a "Filipino dictionary."Postscript: Philippino, Philipino and othersuch misspellings are unacceptable andare jarring to Filipino eyes. Remember:Filipino is the noun that refers to thePhilippine national language and to thePhilippine people (Filipinos); it is also anadjective to describe people, things andsuch from the Philippines (the otheradjective being Philippine). The countryitself is called the Philippines (currentlythe Republic of the Philippines; formerly,and actually still, the Philippine Islands) inEnglish, Las Islas Filipinas or simplyLa/Las Filipinas in Spanish, and Pilipinasin Filipino (Tagalog). Cultural Note: Although the word "Filipino"is acceptable in Filipino (the Philippinelanguage), most Filipinos will still sayPilipino when referring to a Filipino personwhile speaking in Filipino/Tagalog.For example: "Ako ay Pilipino." ("I amFilipino.")

Filipino? Tagalog? Pilipino?Compiled by Bernardo Sarmiento

See Page 10 Filipino, Tagalog,

February 201110



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Al Abdon

closer to your mid-section. At thisposition you have much more strengththan holding the camera up at eye level.

Another trick to making a shotsteady is to lean on some object, like awall, a car, or a tree. The added supportwill show in your steadier shot. Try toavoid walking during a shot. If it isnecessary for the camera to moveduring a shot, try to find a way to roll thecamera or yourself. Try sitting in a wheelchair and getting a friend to push. Theshot will become smoother and lack thebouncing motion you get when walkingwith the camera.

2. What is the best way to keepeverything in focus?

Every DV video camera isequipped with auto focus. However,auto focus is not "auto-perfect." Manytimes auto focus will constantly readjustitself depending on what is going on inthe shot. It could be a lighting change,or a moving object that could changethe focus.

To assure your focus is steady,it is best to turn off the auto focuswhenever possible. After turning offauto-focus you need to manually focus.Use a technique called "Rack Focusing."

To Rack Focus, zoom in on theobject as close as possible, turn off autofocus, then manually set the focus.When the camera is zoomed in, thedepth of field is reduced, allowing you tohave a better idea of what is in focus. Asyou zoom out, you will find that yourobject stays in focus as long as neitherthe object you are shooting nor thecamera move.

If you know that the distancebetween the camera and the objectsyou are shooting will be moving, it isbest to zoom out as far as the shot willallow. This ensures that you will have thelargest depth of field possible, allowingyour objects to appear less blurry.

3. How do I frame the shot? A common mistake for many beginnersis to place the subjects head directly inthe middle of the picture. This is verydispleasing to the eye because youhave just left half the picture with emptyspace.

Instead think of the viewfinderas having a 5 x 7 grid. Then watch yourfavourite television shows and see howthe people fit in on the grid. TV showsaren't necessarily the ultimate "framers,"but it is a good place to start. Take notesand practice, practice, practice!

Framing is one of the mostimportant things to remember whengetting a good shot. Imagine a 5 x 7 gridand keep your subject within it.

Remember to practice thosesteady camera handling as if it is asecond nature on you.Al AbdonHollywood Junkies Video Productions(514) [email protected]

From Page 9 Sariling Dila

tuntunin ay higit na mapakikinabangansa mas matataas na lebel ng pag-aaral,sa antas na higit na kailangan angpanghihiram ng mga konsepto bunsodna rin ng mga espesyalisasyon ngkaalaman."

"Ang kontrobersiyal sa bagongtuntunin ay ang tungkol sa mga hiram nasalita na dati nang binago ang ispeling oumangkop na sa orihinal na sistema ngispeling sa Filipino. Sa 2001 Revisyon,ang mga salitang ito ay mananatili ngunitituturing lamang na lehitimong varyant ngispeling. Tinatanaw ang panahon na angmga salitang ito ay magiging makaluma,hindi karaniwan at diyalektal. Halimbawarito ang salitang pabrika, pamilya,paborito, posporo, prutas, baka,bakasyon, baso, bintana, Biyernes,sapatos, at iba pa. Marami angnaniniwala na na dapat na itong manatililalo't napalahok na ang mga ito sa isangmapagkakatiwalaang diksiyonaryo.Kung hindi magkakaroon ng masmalinaw na tuntunin, maaaringmagresulta ito ng mas maramingkalituhan at sigalot." (Prof. G. S. Zafra)

Matutunghayan sa susunod atkatapusang labas ng pagsusuring itokung bakit pinamagatan ko ang mgaartikulong ito ng ganoon. Hindilamang ang mga pagpilipit ng mgakabataan tulad ng bagong usong wikangJejemon at pagbabalikwas ng mgapanlapi sa mga kataga noong araw angsanhi ng nanganganib na sari: angWikang Pambansa. Hindi rinnakapagtataka na ang survey na ginawasa bungad ng paksang ito ay nagdulotng napakababang resulta.

May gantimpalang naghihintaysa mga masugid na sumubaybay sa mgaaraling ito. Pagkatapos ay hihilinginkong ilathala ang mga obra maestra sapanitikan na nagdaan sa editor nasumunod sa mga rebisyon. *****

Why? Primarily because a "p" sound iseasier for a Filipino to pronounce than an"f" sound. In fact, even though the lettersc, f, j, x, z, etc. have formally beenincluded in the Philippine/Filipinoalphabet, there is still an overwhelmingtendency to transliterate foreign wordsinto native pronunciation forms.Examples: kompyuter, kwalipikasyon,okasyon, kendi, indibidwal... (With files from the tagaloglang.com)

*****

This topic is often discussedamong videographers at WEVA(Wedding Event VideographersAssociation) town hall meeting inAtlanta Ga. Although it seems simpleenough to understand and learn thetricks of free style shooting techniques,the end result of an acceptable video islearning the skills of basic camerahandling.

Many videographers I know relyon the magic of post-production editingand ignore the importance of a steadyshot. This means the trick is to slowmotion the scene to make a slow effectsimulating a smooth flow of movement.Not a good idea. The results are artificialthat smart editors and audience knew itwas just a trick to cover a shaky handcameraman.

1. How do I get a steady shot? Tripods are generally the first place tostart making your shot steady. Puttingyour camera on a tripod allows you tonot think about the camera and startthinking about the shot. But tripods arenot just great way to get stationaryshots, they are also good for movement.

Attach a tripod to the camerafor moving handheld shots. The extraweight will help steady the shot becausemore force will be required to changethe direction of the momentum of thecamera allowing your camera to besteadier.

Almost all DV video camerashave a flip out LCD screen. While usingthe flip out LCD screen greatly reducesthe life of your battery, it can greatlyincrease the steadiness of your shot.With the screen flipped out, you areafforded the ability to hold the camera

Video Camera Techniques

From Page 9 Filipino, Tagalog

about me since I will be around muchlonger than you might havesubconsciously wished Mrs. Kharroubihad kicked me out of the Filipino Star.

By the way, I wonder why Fraudplaced “(sic)” after “Mrs. NeneFrancisco’s” in the phrase “…Mrs. NeneFrancisco’s and Mrs. Warlie Basbacio’scamps” when it is perfectly inaccordance with grammatical rules onapostrophe. The term “sic” is used withinbrackets or parentheses to indicate thatwhat precedes it is written intentionally oris copied verbatim from the original,even if it appears to be a mistake. Thereis no mistake in that particular sentence.

It seems that the bright editor-in-chief is not that bright after all. I suggestthat Fraud re-acquaint himself with therules not only on apostrophe, but also onother punctuation marks. It’sembarrassing for an editor-in-chief tomake such a minor error. But it is Fraud.He isn’t capable of getting embarrassedsince he is afflicted with NarcissisticPersonality Disorder, and an NPDsufferer has no shameFor comments, write [email protected]).

*******

From Page 7 Any Which Way

Advertise in theNorth American

Filipino StarCall 514-485-7861



(Editor’s Note: This article has beenwritten in an attempt to make thecommunity become aware of thehistory of the oldest and biggestassociation of Filipinos in Montreal.Due to limitations of time and space aswell as the pressure of deadlines, thisarticle should not be consideredcomplete and final but only as a startingpoint. It is also to be noted that thisarticle is the result of referencesprovided by Bert Abiera, LinaFernandez, Budz Sarmiento and thepresent editor of the Filipino Star,Zenaida Kharroubi who believes that allFamas presidents should beacknowledged for their volunteerismand personal sacrifices.)

Founded in 1963, the FilipinoAssociation of Montreal and Suburbs(FAMAS) is turning 48 this year. TheAssociation has come a long way sinceits formation, and Filipinos who werearound during its infancy and still withus today can bear witness to itsevolution into a progressive andrecognized organization it is today.From about 50 members, it can nowboast of more than 4,000 members.

The primary goal of FAMASwhen it was founded was for Filipinosin Montreal to get to know each other

better and to make their separationaway from the families they left behindin the Philippines much lessunbearable. In the early days, thenumber of Filipinos was comparablysmall, and FAMAS was not ascommunity-oriented then as it is today.In fact, the money left by eachpresident after his tenure was spentmore for socializing than anything elseEven the FAMAS election was sosimple that mere raising of hands bythe voters was enough to elect a set ofofficers. Sometimes, it was held atBeaver Lake in Montreal; other times,at Angrignon Park in La Salle. It wasalso in any one of those places that asmall group of Filipinos usually hadtheir occasional picnics and only ahandful was keen on running for office,more particularly the presidency.

In the ‘70s, the community sawthe changing times, the economy andthe ever-growing number of Filipinos inMontreal and suburbs. The aspiringFAMAS officers decided to aim higher,

but were confronted with more andbigger challenges. They realized thatFAMAS should be community-orientedif it was to be relevant. To accomplishthis goal, essential services to thecommunity had to be provided.FAMAS officers, consisted ofvolunteers, who had to work hard notonly to recruit members and raisefunds but also to develop projects. The

biggest source of income for FAMASthen and even now has been theMunting Binibining Pilipinas beautypageant.

In 1978, Mrs. Norma Villarosastarted the building fund in the amountof $500, unlike the previous FAMASpresidents who usually spent leftoverfunds after their term on picnic or anyother social activities because at thattime FAMAS had no specific project.Therefore, it was during this time whenmassive fund raising was dedicated tothe community center building fund.Every FAMAS president began to workharder in order to turn over an amountto the building fund. In 1986-87 duringthe term of Bert Abiera, a committe wasformed to adopt a “copy cat” fundraising idea used in the Philippines, theMunting Bb. Pilipinas which was asuccess. It raised more than $20,000.At the end of his term, he made ahandsome turn over which rapidlygrew. When Marlene Birao Schachtertook over, FAMAS had the sufficient

amount to make a down payment for aduplex on Van Horne Avenue with theapproval of the officers and the boardof trustees. They utilized the servicesof Nemia Saldua, a realtor, who was amember of the board of trustees. Themortgage was signed by Marlene BiraoSchachter and Bartolome Javier whorepresented the board of trustees.

It was decided to convert theduplex into a community center wherethe services that the associationwanted to provide to the communitycould be served but it was not easysince zoning bylaws existing at thetime got in the way. When James de laPaz became the president, heassiduously lobbied Montreal City Hallto grant a rezoning permit. However,the neighbors were opposed to theprospect of converting the duplex intoa community centre because of thenoise and disturbance it might bring tothe otherwise quiet neighborhood.Despite the rezoning snag, de la Paz’srequest was granted within a year. Withthe help of volunteers, the duplex wasrenovated in the late ‘90s, andworthwhile activities like Heritageclasses were introduced thereafter.

In addition to the successfulconversion of the duplex to become acenter, de la Paz made a controversialdecision. He called an assembly topresent his proposal to pay themortgage of FAMAS in full since it hadenough money for that purpose.He believed that payment of themortgage balance would save moneyby avoiding the high and ever-

increasing mortgage interest rates.FAMAS made more changes

in the ‘90s. For example, it amended itsconstitution and bylaws to allow thepresident to serve for two years ratherthan just one year. The ExecutiveBoard at the time was convinced thatone year was not long enough for anypresident, but particularly a good one,to accomplish the association’s goalsand objectives. For reasons of theirown, many community members cameout of the woodwork, and becamemore and more interested in becomingpresident, or at least to be an officer.FAMAS has become one of the mosttalked about and anticipated events inthe community, particularly in thesummertime. Like the IndependenceDay and the Pista sa Nayon, theElection Day has always been an eventfor many Filipinos to meet friends theyhave not seen in a while.

In 2009, the leadership skill ofAu Osdon, who has a background inmanagement, was put to the test afterwinning the presidency of FAMAS inthat year. Despite her detractors’skepticism, or perhaps because of it,she managed to keep the affairs ofFAMAS in order. The regular activitieslike the Binibining Pilipinas, BinibiningMunti, Pista sa Nayon, Heritage andFrench classes are still existing. Newprojects are still being developed or attheir early stages. The just-recentlylaunched Miss Teen FAMAS and thefledgling Project Pagsibol, a youthdevelopment program, are two suchprojects.

In spite of criticisms hurledagainst James de la Paz by those whohave personal issues with him, FAMAShas substantially benefited from hispolitical connections that he shrewdlycultivated when he was president ofthe organization. Arguably, he pavedthe way for the Filipino community tobe more visible in the mainstreampolitics when he was FAMASpresident. He once said, “Politiciansused to say `The Jews, Italians,Chinese, etc.' It was frustrating forFilipinos because they weresystematically relegated to “others.”They didn't have any identity until de laPaz came into the local political scene.Now, politicians from municipal,provincial and federal levels recognizethe existence not only of FAMAS but

FAMAS in a capsule By Wilfredo Quiambao

FAMAS building which is serving as the Philippine Community Center located on 4708 VanHorne Avenue in Montreal. (Photo taken February 13, 2011)

See Page 15 FAMAS

The Comelec headed by Butch Aracenas of the Filipino Catholic Mission pose for souvenirduring the August 14, 2005 FAMAS elections.



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also the entire burgeoning Filipinocommunity.

Giving due recognition to dela Paz’s role is not meant to diminishother presidents before or after himwho made valuable contributions tothe stature of FAMAS as a communityorganization. All past presidents of

FAMAS, without exception, had givenup their time, and made somepersonal sacrifices in order to do theirjob. It can be stated without anydoubt that no one has a monopoly ofaccomplishments for there have beenother past presidents who tried to dowhat they thought was good for thecommunity. For example, Lee Sanga(who already passed on) introducedthe Heritage classes, Joe Bustamantewas responsible for the conversion ofthe duplex garage into a classroom;Bert Abiera’s term saw the creation ofBb. Munting Pilipinas and Pista saNayon for fund raising projects,Carlos Reyes (who already passedon) for the installation of the flagpole,Alberto Floresca for the constructionof the balcony, Claro Bermudez (whois now working in South Africa) forcelebrating Philippine IndependenceDay jointly for the first time withFCAWI, Flor Rillo for the constructionof the patio with the help of the CDN-NDG Borough. Perhaps, the name ofCarmelita Sideco who passed awaynot too long ago must also bementioned for being the first femaleFAMAS president. Her contribution isnot visible but her influence over those

who worked with her are still felt.Norma Casaclang Villarosa who died ina very tragic car accident several yearsago was known to have been the firstone to put aside some funds for thepurpose of acquiring a communitycenter. Dr. Bart Javier together withMarlene Birao Schacter were the

signatories to the deed of sale of theFAMAS building on April 1, 1989.

There may have been otheraccomplishments of some presidentsthat have not been included above butit is hoped that their place in FAMAShistory is an acknowledgement of theirvolunteerism and service to thecommunity. Those who are still living inMontreal may wish to let us knowabout their own contributions which areomitted in this article. Their names arelisted from the earliest to the latestperiod: 1963-1964 – Vicente Sison,1964-1965 –Dr. Ben Oteyza finished theterm of Emil Assistores; 1965-1966 –Dr. Ben de Guzman, 1966-1967 - R.Mendoza finished the term started byDr. Carlos Borromeo; 1967-1968 – Dr.Diego Rosales gave up in favor of JohnAlvarado. Then in 1967, a crisisoccurred that led to the formation oftwo associations. John Alvaradocontinued to be president of PAM(Philippine Association of Montreal)while Orlan Racacho became presidentof a new association called FilipinoAssociation of the Province of Quebec.In 1968-1969, George Poblete becamepresident of PAM, and Dr. DeoEsguerra was at the helm of FAPQ. In

1969, according to Jake Maguigad’sarticle, FAMAS made its maidenappearance with Dr. Nap Magadia andlater Mr. T. Patricio as President whilethe name of Andy Palomar wasrecorded by Bert Abiera as thepresident during the period of 1969-1970. Abiera also provided the namesof other past presidents, namely, 1970-1971 – Simeon Orejudos; 1971-1972 –Alvin Veloso; 1972-1973 – RobertoBernas; 1973-1974 – Carmelita Sideco;1974-1975 – Orlan Racacho; 1975-1976 – Dominador Rosales; 1976-1977– Dr. Bartolome Javier; 1977-1978 –Henry Casuga; 1978-1979 – NormaVillarosa; 1979-1980 – Dr. EdilbertoPelausa; 1980-1981 – Liwanag Sm.Sanga; 1981-1982 – Angelita Ogerio;

1982-1983 – Salvador Cabugao; 1983-1984 – Nemia Saldua; 1984-1985 – Dr.Genoveva Santander; 1985-1986 –Julita Parado; 1986-1987 – AlbertoAbiera; 1987-1988 – Aurora Osdon;1988-1989 – Marlene Birao Schachter;1989-1990 – Mario Umali; 1990-1991 –Erlinda Baltazar; 1991-1992 – LimneoCollao; 1992-1993 – Dick Dahiroc;1993-1994 – Marlene Birao Schachter;1994-1995 – Emma Resurreccion;1995-1997 – James de la Paz (2continuous terms); 1997-1998 –Ricardo Cosico; 1998-1999 – JoseBustamante. The change in the termsof presidents began in 1999-2001 withCarlos Reyes; 2001-2003 – VenancioParial; 2003-2005 – Santiago Tino;2005-2007 – Alberto Floresca; 2007-2008 – Claro Bermudez who had toleave for a job opportunity in SouthAfrica and appointed Flor Rillo to

replace him for the balance of his termuntil August 2009. The currentpresident, Au Osdon, started inSeptember 2009 and will finish herterm on August 31, 2011.

FAMAS had, and still has, itsups and downs. As already noted,even during its beginning, there hadbeen a short lived feud between theeast side and the west side, resulting intwo associations, one called PhilippineAssociation of Montreal (PAM), and theother the Filipino Association of theProvince of Quebec (FAPQ). It cannotbe denied that bickering anddifferences among different factionshave been a constant threat to thesolidarity among Filipinos.Nevertheless, they are always there for

each other in time of great need. It islike a family. After all, other culturalassociations have had their ownproblems, too.

Hon. Jason Kenny, member of the present Conservative government, visited FAMAS when hewas the Secretary of State and Multiculturalism, and is the current Minister of Citizenshipand Immigration,

A typical scene during FAMAS elections held at MacKenzie King Park. Voters lineup, rain or shine, just to cast their votes for their candidates.

Famas in a Capsule - continued from page 11

Vigie Asiatique (a committee composed of members of 11 ethnic communities) and MontrealPolice headed by Marc Parent who is now head of the Police Department held one of theirmeetings at Famas center on May 20, 2008.

Mayor Gerald Tremblay visited FAMAS together with CDN-NDG councilors. From left: ShinetteKhoury, Mayor Tremblay, Helen Fotopoulos -CDN councilor, Au Osdon, Marvin Rotrand -Snowdon councilor, Borough Mayor Michael Applebaum, Lionel Perez - Darlington Councilor,and Gina Medina. Photo taken on September 25, 2009.

Dr. Jose RizalThe Order of the Knights of Rizal and the Ladiesof Rizal, Montreal chapter will celebrate Dr.Rizal’s 150th birth anniversary, June 4 - 19,2011. More details to follow next issue. ContactR. Balansi, Tel. 514-738-7999.

February 201116



It seems like Pop Princess SarahGeronimo needs more time to mendher heart after turning emotional at arecent Valentine concert.

During the "What Love Is" concertwith Concert King Martin Nievera, ateary-eyed Geronimo shared herinsights on love as she said: "Hindimasasaktan ang isang tao kung hindisiya totoong nagmahal o nagmamahal.Pero sabi nga nila, hindi lahat ng gustonatin ay para sa atin sa lahat ng bagay,hindi lang ito sa love life, sa buhay pag-ibig."

Holding back tears, the 22-year-oldperformer, though referring to no one,added: "Hindi lahat ng hilingin natin ayibibigay sa atin ng Diyos dahil ang

totoo, mayroon siyangnapakagandang plano sa atin."

In December, Geronimo and sultryactress Cristine Reyes figured in acontroversy after the latter hurlednegative comments in themicroblogging site Twitter.

Meantime, actor-dancer RayverCruz, who was formerly linked toGeronimo and now the boyfriend ofReyes, claimed responsibility for thetiff.

Cruz also admitted that he hadloved Geronimo, but decided not topursue the singer in deference to thewishes of the Pop Princess’s parents.

Was Geronimo referring to Cruzduring the concert?

Instead of dropping names,Geronimo opted to give advice toyoung girls experiencing the same fatein love.

"Gusto ko lang sabihin sa lahat ngmga anak, mga anak na babae, mostespecially just like our parents, Godonly wants the best for us, His children.And if it's not meant to be, one has tolet go and move on," she said.

And before singing her rendition of"Almost Over You", Geronimo said:"Kapag nakapag-move on ka na, onlythen will true love find its way to yourheart." a

Sarah Geronimo still dwelling inthe past?

Sarah Geronimo performing at her recentValentine concert

New Grammy awardee BrunoMars avoided a possible jail sentencefollowing his guilty plea before a LasVegas court last Feb. 16 for cocainepossession.

Online reports say that in lieu ofstaying behind bars, the renowned Fil-Am singer-songwriter will go on a one-year probation. He was also requiredto undergo drug counseling at aprivate institution in Los Angeles,render 200 hours of communityservice and pay a fine of $2,000 (aboutP90,000).

Mars himself appeared brieflybefore judge Jessie Walsh of the ClarkCounty District. His lawyer, Blair Berk,entered the plea on behalf of the

singer.The reports added that if the

Hawaii native, a first-time offender,fulfills his part of the plea deal, thedrug charge can be dismissed and willbe erased from his record. However, ifhe fails to do so, the judge said he mayserve up to four years in prison.

Although Mars (Peter Hernandezin real life) has declined to commenton the matter, Atty. Berk said his clientis grateful of the possibility that hiscase could be dismissed.

Mars was caught with 2.6 grams ofcocaine in the bathroom of Hard RockHotel and Casino in Las Vegas lastSept. 19 after a performance at thesaid venue. The singer reportedly toldthe police that he never used drugsbefore.

Regarded as one of the hottestcommodities in music today, Marswon one out of his seven Grammynominations (as a singer and/orsongwriter)---Best Male Pop VocalPerformance---for his solo numberone, “Just The Way You Are” off hisdebut album, “Doo-Woops andHooligans.”

His performance with B.o.B. andupcoming tour mate Janelle Monae ina medley of their respective songs“Nothin’ On You,” “Grenade” and“Cold War” during the awards showheld Feb. 13 at the Staples Center inLA, earned the trio a standing ovation.

Mars is set to hold two concerts inthe Philippines in April a

Fil-Am Bruno Mars dodgesprison, goes on probation fordrug possession

Bruno Mars

FILIPINO STARS H O W B I Z G O S S I P

The fight ain’t over yet, as far asKatrina Halili’s lawsuit againstHayden Kho is concerned.

The 25-year-old actress recentlyfiled a notice for appeal before thePasig City Regional Trial Court, tohave her case against Kho restudied.

In May 2009, Halili sued thecosmetic surgeon for allegedlyviolating Republic Act No. 9262 orthe Anti-Violence Act Against Womenand Children of 2004—at the heightof the public scandal over a series ofvideos that showed Kho engaging insexual acts with her and otherwomen.

Last month, Judge RodolfoBonifacio of Branch 159 of the PasigCity Regional Trial Court dismissedthe case for “insufficiency ofevidence.”

Halili admitted she felt hurt whenpeople said she was only exploitingthe issue for personal gain. “Isadmitting that you have a sex videosomething to be proud of? I’m notdoing this to promote myself. This isabout seeking justice from theperson who has wronged me,” shetold Inquirer Entertainment. “Before Idecided to file this case, I had nowork and contract with GMA 7, andonly recently put my house on sale. Iwas only lucky that, shortly after this,I got a call from my GMA 7 bosses,who told me to get back to work …”

Her most recent acting stint wasin the romantic drama “BeautyQueen” on the Kapuso network.

GratefulShe said she is grateful to the

members of the human rights groupGabriela who showed their supportby showing up at her court hearings.

“I met victims with similar casesin some of the sessions I’ve attendedwith Gabriela. One girl didn’t knowthat her boyfriend had videotapedher. When they broke up a year later,his new girlfriend decided to uploadthe sex video on the Net for everyoneto see,” Halili recalled.

She wanted to make a stand, shesaid. Otherwise, “these horrible menwill continue doing what they do.”

Well aware that her fight could goon for years, Halili declared, “I’mready for anything … ’di na akoaatras. I’m prepared for theemotional stress … If I don’t do this,lalakas lang lalo ang loob niya(Kho).”

In November 2009, theProfessional Regulation Commission(PRC) revoked Kho’s medical licensedue to the sex video scandal. In aresolution, the PRC’s Board ofMedicine found the cosmeticsurgeon guilty of committing“immorality, dishonorable andunethical conduct” after he recordedhis most private moments withvarious women without theirconsent.”

Halili expressed one wish: “Sanamaraming babaeng maging kasingkulit ko … We need to fight. I don’twant this to happen to anyoneagain.” a

Katrina: Fight ain’t over



Who would ever believe thatsomeone as handsome and ascharming as Jason Abalos had alonesome Valentine's Day last week?

He who has been the subject ofendless controversies about womenhad no Valentine date to speak of.

“I didn’t have a Valentine date. Itwas just like an ordinary day lastValentine’s Day,” Abalos exclaimedThursday night at the birthday bash ofDaisy Chua, owner of Cotton Clubapparel, at President Restaurant alongOngpin Street in Binondo, Manila.

“Wala po akong magagawa kunghindi kayo maniniwala pero ‘yon po

ang totoo,” he announced emphaticallyto some guests.

It was work that made Abalos busythe whole day last Monday. “Trabaholang po. Shooting. Then, umuwi langpo ako ng bahay. ‘Yon, mag-isa naako,” he confided.

Although his daily soap “Alynna”will soon end, he has to tape and shootother shows for ABS-CBN.

As a matter of fact, observed Chua,Abalos has lost weight probably due tostaying out late at night taping andshooting.

Or is it because he has nosweetheart to take care of him and beefhim up?

Abalos was advised by JoelCapulong, marketing manager ofCotton Club, to put on some pounds.

"Kailangan tumaba pa nang konti siJason bago kami mag-pictorial for ournew line," said Capulong.

Abalos is the image model ofCotton Club along with young star RiaGarcia. His contract expires in May.

“It looks like we’re renewingJason’s contract with us, though,”Capulong revealed. a

A lonely Valentine for Jason Abalos

If his estranged wife Kris Aquino"prayed" for "freedom" on her recent40th birthday, James Yap wished for"peace" on his 29th birthday last Feb.16.

“Sana maging peaceful na lahat.Okay naman. Sana wala nang away,”James said on “Showbiz NewsNgayon.”

Describing his relationship withKris these days as “okay naman,”James stressed that “masaya,

masaya lahat.”The two even exchanged gifts:

Bruno Mars tickets for him, a braceletfor her.

“Alam ko naman na gusto niyabracelet. Okay naman kami.Siyempre, Mama naman siya ng anakko. At least masaya ako nanagustuhan niya ‘yung gift,” saidJames.

On “Juicy” aired that night, Glaizade Castro expressed willingness toagain play support role to MarianRivera on a forthcoming soap.

“Hindi ko pa sigurado ‘yung roleko. Malalaman ko pa this week kapagnag-storycon na kami. Kahit naano’ng ibigay ayos lang ‘yon sa akin.Kumbaga, the more challenging, thebetter,” she said.

Previously, Glaiza’s camp saidthat she will refrain from playingkontravidas on soaps because shehas already played lead on“Grazilda.”

Glaiza was non-commital on herrumored romance with Felix Rocco.“Malayo pa ‘yong itatakbo. Maramipang kailangang ano... pagtuunanmuna ng pansin,” she said. a

James Yap wishes for peace; Glaizade Castro back to support role

James Yap

On dirt tracks somewhere inBicutan, Kapamilya hunk Sam Milbyplays the role of daredevil to the hilt –steering a motorbike through hairpintwists, revving up and soaring fromone hill to the next.

For the past four years, Sam hasbeen seriously engaged inmotocross; lately, he’s been trainingwith the National Motorcycle Sportsand Safety Association (Namssa).

“I always ride with Kenneth SanAndres and his dad Jun. Kenneth is anational champion,” Sam says.

Last year, he rode only five times.

This year, he seems determined tomake up for lost time. Barely a monthinto the new year, he had joined atleast three meets.

Racing runs in the family, he says.“My dad Lloyd introduced me to thesport. My brothers Bret and Bryan arealso into racing. I started riding at age10.” He admits he has fallen off thebike “many, many times. Once in theUS, I ran into a tree and broke my lefthand.”

Still, he hits the tracks. “I have aneed for speed,” he enthuses. He

shares his passion with friends BillyCrawford and KC Concepcion.

“I’d love to ride a motorbike in mymovies and TV shows,” Sam says,sighing, “but management wouldrather use a stuntman.” a

Cute hunk as easy rider

Sam Milby

Sam Milby (center) with fellowenthusiasts at a motocross meet.

Philippine Azkals' soccer strikerheartthrob Phil Younghusband haspublicly offered his apology to actressAngel Locsin after creating a big fusswhen he invited the latter for aValentine date over Twitter.

In an interview with ABS-CBNNews, Younghusband revealed that hedid not really intend to publicize thematter that much.

“I didn’t realize it at that time that itwould become so public...I apologizefor making it public to Angel because itpretty brought too much attention. Iapologize,” he said.

Furthermore, the football playersaid that he does not want things to beblown out of proportion and so he justwants to keep things down low.

“There’s a lot publicity aboutAngel...I want to keep it down low. Irespect Angel because she’s verytalented and a great person so as likeone says, I want to keep everythingdown and not make anything too much

publicized,” he said.Azkals reveal showbiz crushesMeanwhile, it seems that

Younghusband is not the only Azkalwho has a crush on Locsin.Younghusband’s older brother Jamesand their teammate Reymark Palmesadmitted they too have eyes for Locsin.

But it seems both will be hands-offafter Phil bared his intentions to datethe actress.

Also, midfielder Chieffy Caligdongwants to show off his football skills tohis own crush, versatile actressAngelica Panganiban.

He even jokingly challenged thePanganiban's boyfriend, actor DerekRamsey.

Jerry Barbaso, on the other hand,invited comedienne Melai Cantiverosfor a date. "Melai, puwede ba tayomagkita,” he said.

Azkals team captain Aly Borromeo,meantime, said his dream girl isHollywood star Jessica Alba. a

Phil Younghusband says sorry toAngel over 'big fuss'

Phil YounghusbandAngel Locsin

Jason Abalos

February 201118



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Hunk actor Piolo Pascual onSunday finally broke his silence on thereal score between him and actress-TVhost KC Concepcion.

Pascual admitted on The Buzz,where Concepcion is a host, that heand the daughter of Megastar SharonCuneta are in a romantic relationship.

Concepcion became his girlfriendon October 21 last year, he revealed.

"It took me 2 years (before she saidyes). Tsaka na 'yung detalye. Bastathat's one of the best days of my life.For the first time in more than 8 years,I'm getting into a relationship, acommitment. And I'm planning to keepit," he said.

Asked about his term ofendearment to Concepcion, Pascualsaid, "I call her my princess."

For months, Pascual andConcepcion have been mum on thestatus of their relationship, saying thatthey want to stay away from the"huzzles and buzzles" of showbiz.

Pascual, in particular, wanted tokeep things private so as not to affecthis 13-year-old son, Iñigo.

"The reason why I never admittednaman was because maypinoprotektahan ako. I have a son,ayaw mong magkaroon ng ibangreaction 'yung bata. He's only 13 yearsold," he explained.

He continued, "Mahirap talaga (forher) and I found it too unfair kasi siyalagi ang nagsasalita. So finally acouple of days ago I said na it's time forme to speak up...it's also myresponsibility para she's not left in the

dark, para hindi siya nahihirapangsumagot."

The hunk actor also apologized toConcepcion, "Sorry if it took me thislong. It's a thorn off my chest, I mustsay."

'KC is taken'

Pascual said he also decided toannounce his relationship withConcepcion so the latter's admirerswould no longer consider courting theactress.

Among those rumored to haveexpressed interest in theMegadaughter are Azkals footballplayer Phil Younghusband, actor SamMilby, and apl.de.ap, the Filipinomember of American hip hop groupBlack Eyed Peas.

"Para matigilan na rin 'yung mganagpaparinig kay Kristina (laughs),"Pascual said.

He added, "I wouldn't want towatch another interview para maymagsabi na may crush sa kanya orgustong makipag-date. I just wantthem to know that she's taken."

Pascual thanked Concepcion for"sticking it out with me" and for being"sobrang sobrang patient andunderstanding."

Asked if Concepcion is the womanhe's willing to spend the rest of his lifewith, the hunk actor said, "Siguro dinaman ako aamin nang ganito ormagta-take ng risk kung sa tingin ko diko siya gusto makasamahabangbuhay." a

Piolo admits relationshipwith KC

Piolo Pascual KC ConcepcionMegastar Sharon Cuneta did not

mince words on Sunday when sheaddressed anew an issue involving hercontroversial Marie France billboardad.

In her live interview on “The Buzz,”Cuneta noted that it doesn’t makesense that Marie France would put upa billboard with her altered photos andrisk ruining both their reputations andcredibility. She said they are “notstupid” to do that.

“You come out with a billboard likethat and then you see this girl on TVshows like ‘The Buzz’ or ‘Star Power’every week, tapos iba ‘yong itsura.Parang ang laki laki ko naman sa ‘StarPower’ tapos sa billboard sobrang liitko, sino po bang mag-mumukhangtanga doon, di ba?” the megastar said,referring to a singing competition she’scurrently hosting.

She added: “Napakalayo ba ngitsura ko doon sa ‘after’ picture dito sanakikita ninyo sa TV?”

According to Cuneta, she is pickywhen it comes to acceptingendorsements and that when sheendorses a product or service, “I haveto believe in it.” She said she wouldnever deceive the public.

She said endorsers are also made“to sign something [because] therehas to be truth in advertising.”

She also pointed out that all herphotos were done by notedphotographer Raymond Isaac, who isknown for his ability and honesty.

“Walang dinaya doon. Bakit? Kasipo it's a series of billboard na lalabasover the coming several months, ‘yongprogress ng weight loss ko…hanggang you reach the ideal weightpara makita na it's working and it'sgradual,” she said.

“I can assure you, and God is mywitness, those pictures are not alteredto make me look thinner than I was atthat time,” she added.

She said she is not surprised thather detractors are making up thesecontroversies. “Let's just say,puwedeng competitor, puwede din naisang tao with an ax to grind….Mahirap magsalita kasi ayokongpumatol sa isang hindi kapatol patol.”

Sharon vs HaydenCuneta recently lambasted former

celebrity doctor Hayden Kho after heallegedly took a swipe at her billboardon Twitter. Kho is the boyfriend of Dr.Vicki Belo, owner of the Belo MedicalClinic.

The target of her fury was thisstatement made by Kho last January28: “There’s a billboard ad in EDSAdeveloped by advertisers who thinkconsumer are stupid. Guess.”

The megastar believes that Khowas referring to her controversial MarieFrance billboard.

Kho has already made a denialthat he was referring to Cuneta’sbillboard. Kho said Cuneta’s statementwas “quite a wounding tirade fromsomeone I respect. Ironic, really. Veryironic.”

Despite the denial, Kho is not yetoff the hook as far as the megastar isconcerned.

On Sunday, Cuneta said she got apiece of information saying that Kho,the central figure in the 2009 sex videoscandal, was referring to the billboardof Joel Cruz of Aficionado Perfumesthat came out in July 2010.

She wondered though why it tookKho 7 months to react to Cruz’sbillboard.

She also noted Kho’s timing. Shesaid he made that post when rumorsabout plans to remove her billboardalong EDSA began to circulate.

Cuneta also countered: “I don’tunderstand. What’s ironic is that herespects me and that I have to treathim like this? I don’t treat people in abad way unless… I know how toprotect myself. There are times nakailangang tahimik ka lang pero thereare times na you have to stand andfight for yourself.”

During the interview, she alsobrought up the 2009 sex videoscandal. Her daughter, KCConcepcion, was dragged into thescandal.

“If he respects me so much, bakitnadamay ang anak ko?” Cuneta said.“I think that time lagi niyang tinetextang anak ko. I never said anything kasialam ko ang totoo… althoughnakakainis ma-associate sa ganoongissue ang isang bata na alam mongpinalaki mo ng ubod ng disente.“

She also noted that it was “soconvenient” for Kho not to name thebillboard he was referring to, so thatlater on he could easily issue a denialwhen confronted.

Nonetheless, she thanked all herdetractors because people are nowtalking about her billboard because ofthem. “Effective na effective angendorsement. Parang natarantakayong lahat ng bonggang-bonga.”.a

Sharon slams Hayden anewover billboard ad

February 201120



If in the past, Twitter was the venuefor warring personalities to spite eachother, these days the social networkingsite has taken a whole new purpose –that is, it's venue for people, and now anumber of celebrities, to express theirwillingness to meet someone.

Don’t look now but after footballplayer Phil Younghusband madepublic his intention to date actressAngel Locsin, another heartthrob ballplayer is taking his chances on Twitterto meet his crush.

Simon Atkins, De La Sallebasketball player and model, took toTwitter to signal his intention to meetKim Chiu. Through his friend JosefElizalde, a “Pinoy Big Brother” alumna,Atkins expressed his idea.

“@josefelizalde pssst kim chiu!pakilala mo ako haha", Atkins tweeted.

Chiu was immediately swarmedwith questions about Atkins when shewas presented in a presscon recently.

“Simon Atkins? Actually, hindi kosiya kilala,” Chiu reacted on “ShowbizNews Ngayon,” Feb. 15.

Without mentioning the name ofAtkins’ friend, Chiu admitted she hasalready been introduced to her newest

admirer through cellphone.“‘Yung isang friend niya

pinakausap sa akin. Kanina (lang).Sandali lang, eh, kasi may ginagawapa ako. Hindi ko siya kilala tapos gustoniya ako makausap,” Chiu shared.

Asked what are the chances of hermeeting up with Atkins, Chiu quipped,“Hindi ko pa alam.”

The actress echoed the sameuncertainty if she will end up beingAtkins’ girlfriend in the future.

“Hindi ko alam. ‘Yungpagmamahal, ‘yung boyfrienddarating at darating din ‘yan, eh. Hindinaman hinahanap ‘yan. Darating nangkusa ‘yan nang hindi mo alam.”

Meanwhile, "SNN" TV host BiancaGonzalez gave her insights about theissue. “Kasi alam ko for the longesttime merong mga fans si Kim naparang, 'sige, ‘wag kang mahiyamabait si Kim... boto kamin sa ‘yo.'May mga ilang gano’n. I think si Simongot in touch with Ate Heidi, make-upartist ni Kim Chiu and do’n yata silanag-uusap,” Gonzalez said. a

Basketball player Simon Atkinswants to meet Kim Chiu

Simon Atkins All's well that ends well for tv host-actress Toni Gonzaga after patching upher friendship with actress MarielRodriguez.

Gonzaga confirmed that she had a4-hour, closed-door meeting withRodriguez in preparation for theirupcoming noontime show.

"I came from Pampanga [because]I had a pictorial. Tapos iniisip ko kungitetext ko siya, kung anong sasabihinko after 6 or seven months, aftereverything that we've been through,kahapon at kagabi lang kami talagamagkikita. I prayed about it andcomposed a text message para sakanya, finorward ko na yung pagkikitanatin mamaya sana we could talkabout a lot of things and I just want tostart over ," she said.

In September 2010, Gonzagaadmitted that she and Rodriguez arenot on good terms after she found outthat the latter had been badmouthingher.

The "Multi-media star" added thatmeeting Rodriguez after thecontroversial rift was one of the mostawkward events in her life.

"Yun na ata ang pinaka-awkwardna moment sa buong buhay ko...Tumayo lang siya. Sabi niya, 'Hi Toni'.Sabi ko, 'Hi Ma'. We were trying to benormal... parang bago lang kami nag-meet, pinaka-awkward naconversation," she laughed.

"Until the food came, then I startedasking questions, she startedanswering questions. She also startedasking me questions. Bigla na lang

kaming maiiyak. Nawalan na langkaming gana kumain, umiyak na langkami," said Gonzaga.

The 27-year-old actress said theexperience taught her several things.

"Ang daming nangyari, angdaming na-involve , siguro 'yungpinakapangit lang, may ibang tao nana-involve. Yung media, maramingnasabi against both of us. Sa loob ngapat na oras na iyon, I'd love to believein my heart and she also said to methat we ended it on a good conversion,that it was a good talk. Everything wascleared."

"We were given a big blessing. It'sa big responsibility for us napagbutihin ang trabaho natin and toset aside our personal emotions tostart anew, clean slate lang, maayoslang kasi I've worked with her for 6years now," she said.

Gonzaga also extended herapologies to tv host Bianca Gonzales,their common friend, who made aneffort to patch things up between hertwo Pinoy Big Brother co-hosts.

"I'd like to apologize to her [Bianca]kasi minsan nasisigawan ko na siya...Bianca kept her belief na maayos anglahat and ayun naniwala naman ako namaayos na, naayos at nagtapos ngmaayos at binigyan kami ng chance namagsimula muli," said Gonzaga.

Gonzaga and Rodriguez are set tohost a noontime show with singer-hostRandy Santiago and actor JohnEstrada a

Toni confirms reconciliationwith Mariel

Toni Gonzaga Mariel Rodriguez

Kim Chiu

Ogie busy helping organize 25thanniversary of EDSA PeoplePower

Ogie Alcasid, who had to endurenumerous attacks for his appointmentas EDSA People Power commissioner,seems only too eager to silence hiscritics.

But while others would havewasted time countering the allegationsby defending the appointment, Alcasid

put one over his detractors byspending a great amount of timepreparing for the upcoming week-longcelebrations to mark the 25thanniversary of the historic revolution---and he made sure they knew about it.

Alcasid called for a pressconference recently to inform mediathat he is currently very busy—morethan he ever did in his three decadesas actor-singer-songwriter—makingthe landmark event a truly memorableexperience.

The singer-songwriter crowed thatamong his notable contributions to theevent is having gathered—through thehelp of the country’s three biggest TVnetworks--a number of local showbizluminaries for a grand musicalextravaganza.

“We have yet to confirm the

attendance of the likes of Gary[Valenciano] and Jed [Madela], perothere are others, like my wife [singer-actress Regine Velasquez] syempre,who already agreed to take part in theconcert,” he said.

Alcasid added that he also had ahand in organizing an exhibit featuringauthentic memorabilia from the 1986revolution.

“Meron ‘dun yung tanke naginamit ng militar nung 1986,” heshared.

“Syempre hindi na ito tumatakbopero puede kayo mag-picture duontapos makinig ng audio presentationna may boses nina Cardinal Sin, niJPE [senator Juan Ponce Enrile] atFVR [former president Fidel V.

Ramos].”Alcasid proudly shared that the

projects were made possible sans taxmoney.

“Walang gagamiting pera ngbayan dito,” he maintained. “Ito’ypuro private enterprise, mgasponsors.”

According to Alcasid, being part ofthe commission was a handful in thathe even had to give up some personalprojects.

Still, it's worth it. Ogie admittedthat being a member of thecommission comes with manybenefits, including getting the supportof the House of Representatives for hisadvocacy to improve the local musicindustry. a

Ogie Alcasiid



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It looks like true love has madecelebrity cosmetic doctor Vicki Beloapprove of her boyfriend HaydenKho's return to show business.

Amid previous controversies,Belo decided to let her partnerembrace the entertainment worldanew as she said: “For me naman,it’s very hard kasi alam ko he's goodat it. Alam ko oportunidad ‘to. Andthen he's earning money. It will helphis business kasi sisikat na namansiya, so Hayden fragrances will beknown.”

The beauty clinic owner has alsodivulged that Kho, her partner formore than 2 years, vowed to give uphis showbiz career if Belo asked himto do so.

“Nagustuhan na naman [siya] ngexecutives. They keep calling, givinghim so many offers. So right now he'sjust going to try it out until the end ofthe month,” said Belo.

“And then we will have a serioustalk together and he promised methat if I don't like, he won't go,” shetold ABS-CBN News.

Previous reports said that Beloprohibited Kho from doing any workfor any media-related outfit after thelatter’s video scandal with sexyactress Katrina Halili and doctor-commercial model-actress MaricarReyes surfaced on the Internet.

Shortly after the incident, Beloand Kho called it quits and later

reunited in 2010.Meantime, Belo shared that

those painful experiences havetaught her and Kho valuable lessons.

“Both of us think, ‘yun [showbiz]ang maling step namin sarelationship kung tatanungin mo.Kasi we’re already together for 2 anda half years prior to going to showbiz.We were very happy and quiet,” Belosaid.

“Because of my desire namakilala siya, kasi pagod na akong

marinig na boyfriend ni Dr. Belo, kasimay pangalan itong taong ito, siHayden, the fastest way to get sikatis to go showbiz [kaya] pumasoksiya,” she added.

Though she already gave her gosignal, Belo admitted that she feelswary about Kho’s showbizcomeback.

“I’m thinking kung pwedenghosting na lang, but still natatakot parin ako. In our relationship, we haveto weigh what’s important and what’snot. Na-trauma na ako dati. Hindi koalam kung kaya niya ngayon,” shesaid.

Despite her fears, the surgeonsaid she has been giving her partnersome advice. “I think I always tellhim, ‘Don’t let it get into your head’.Kasi dati talaga, pumasok talaga saulo niya 'yung na-excite siya, theglamour, parang nawala siya ngkonti. So this time, 'Keep your feet onthe ground and reach for the sky'.”a

Belo OKs Hayden's showbizcomeback

Vicki Belo

Eat, Bulaga! continues to lord overevery Pinoy viewer’s heart on its 32ndyear in July.

It has proven itself to be nothingshort of a daily habit as it delivers purefun and entertainment day in and dayout with more new talents to discover,more innovative games andtrendsetting dance moves, like themonstrous hit Shembot, to offer.

Over and above all these, thebrains behind Eat, Bulaga!, Tape, Inc.,had taken their goal a notch higher byreaching out to the masses throughnoteworthy projects concerningeducation for instance.

On its 30th year, the showlaunched what it called the EBScholars, which was followed byselfless involvement in the constructionof dilapidated classrooms in a townsomewhere in Quezon.

Last Oct. 9, Eat, Bulaga!introduced the Plastic ni Juancampaign, which was able to collectover a million plastic bottles fromdifferent barangays.

These plastic bottles were recycledinto school chairs which were donatedto the Aplaya National High School inSta. Rosa, Laguna, the Tanza National

Comprehensive High School inTanza, Cavite, the Libsong ElementarySchool in Lingayen, Pangasinan, theSan Juan Bano Elementary School inArayat, Pampanga and the NazareneVille Elementary School in Antipolo,Rizal.

Then there’s the popular Juan forAll, All for Juan segment which is ableto generate more chairs for moreschools all over the country.

To date, 261 barangays have, sofar, benefited from this Eat, Bulaga!drive which, incidentally, paved the

way for the PNB or Pambato ngBarangay segment where raw talentslike EJ Salamante, the so-calledSleeping Diva, was discovered.

Also worth mentioning are Sen.Tito Sotto’s initiative to provide jobs forunemployed viewers featured in theJose Manalo, Wally Bayola and PaoloBallesteros segment; Vic Sotto’sgenerosity to send less fortunate butdeserving students to school; andAllan K’s tireless effort to help launchthe careers of Eat, Bulaga!’s newdiscoveries.

Other than the show’s sociallyrelevant missions, the now-famousPinoy Henyo game portion has alsobecome a trademark. Never has therebeen a successful segment onPhilippine television landscape such asthis that wherever one goes — be it inChristmas parties, reunions or fiestas— chances are, he/she will findhimself/herself being a willingparticipant in the tricky game of willand wit.

This year, Eat, Bulaga! still standsto be the only program with a positivespirit and heart.

Rain or shine, whatever comes, theshow and its hosts will remain true totheir mission and vision: That is, to giveback all the love and support loyalPinoy viewers have showered themeach and every lunchtime of their lives,Mondays through Saturdays on GMA7.

As the Puso ng Eat, Bulaga!continues to beat and serveteleviewers, so will the program beforever etched in the hearts and mindsof Pinoy followers. a

‘Eat, Bulaga’ continues to winpinoys’ heart

Hayden Kho

February 201122



President Benigno Aquino 3rd onFriday made a personal appeal to thepeople to unite in praying for threeFilipinos who are set to be executednext week in China for drug trafficking.

At the same time, he expressedbelief that a “miracle” was not too muchto hope for if that would spare thecondemned Filipinos.

President Aquino’s plea came aday after the Chinese governmentapproved the Philippines’ request thatVice President Jejomar Binay beallowed to go to Beijing to appeal forclemency for the three Filipinos facingthe death penalty.

“The entire Filipino nation is unitedin appealing for leniency before the topofficials of the People‘s Republic ofChina, so that our countrymen metedout the death penalty may be grantedclemency,” the President said in astatement.

Mr. Aquino assured that hisadministration is exhausting all possiblepossible efforts to save the lives of theFilipinos, citing a letter of appeal toChinese President Hu Jintao and thetrip of Binay to Beijing.

Binay, who left Friday morning forChina, also personally brought with himthe letter from Mr. Aquino to theChinese president, asking Beijing forleniency for the condemned Filipinos.

In a statement issued also onFriday, he said that he respected thedecision of the Chinese courts butwould argue that the three deserved alighter penalty.

“We do not condone drugtrafficking. However, we believe thatthese Filipinos were merely victims ofinternational drug syndicates,” Binayadded.

According to the President, “Webelieve we have found a soft spot in thehearts of China‘s ranking officials.”

“We have been told several times thatthere is no more hope, but I believe thatwhile there is still time, hope springseternal in the nation‘s breast,” Mr.Aquino said.

He added that the government will

sustain all efforts to get clemency orreprieve for the three Filipinos — SallyVillanueva, Ramon Credo and ElizabethBatain — convicted of drug trafficking inChina.

Villanueva and Credo are set to beexecuted in Xiamen on Monday nextweek and Batain in Shenzhen the nextday.Mr. Aquino thanked the Chineseleaders “for tempering justice withmercy.”

The President called on all Filipinosto unite in offering prayers for theircompatriots.

“May I call on all Filipinos, led byour religious leaders of all faiths to uniteourselves in prayer beginning today[Friday] at sundown, at the pealing ofthe bell for the Angelus or during the

most quiet and meditative timesconsistent with our respective faiths,”Mr. Aquino said.

“All our prayers will soar to theheavens to touch the heart of God —the God who ‘will make a way where

there seems to be no way,’” thePresident added.

He said, “And as we bend ourknees for earnest prayers, we ask theDivine to provide daily strength to Sally,Ramon and Elizabeth and their families,as we all await a miracle.”

On Thursday, Beijing turned downManila’s request to allow Binay to cometo China, citing the “inappropriate”timing of the trip.

Binay, also the presidential adviserfor overseas Filipino workers’ concerns,is set to meet with the president of theSupreme People’s Court of China andother high-ranking Chinese officialsthere.

During a briefing in Malacanang,deputy spokesman Abigail Valte saidthat the letter of appeal of Mr. Aquino to

the Chinese president was based on“humanitarian grounds.”

“By our efforts, we do not mean tosay that we are condoning the acts ofthe three [Filipinos] but yet we areappealing for a reprieve forhumanitarian reasons,” she added.

The same grounds were cited alsoon Friday by the Department of ForeignAffairs (DFA).

Admitting that there are no morelegal remedies left to save the lives ofthe three Filipinos, Eduardo Malaya,DFA spokesman, said that thedepartment remains optimistic that theChinese government will hear thesentiments of Mr. Aquino on the matter.

DFA Undersecretary for MigrantAffairs Esteban Conejos Jr. left forBeijing with Binay on Friday morningand arrived there at noon time.

The Vice President will meet withPresident Wang Shen Jun of theSupreme People’s Court of China andother high-ranking Chinesegovernment officials on Fridayafternoon.

Muslim civil group and religiousleaders also on Friday joined the nationin praying for reprieve or commutationof the death sentences on the threeFilipinos, lawyer Nabil Tan of theAlliance of Tausug Professionals toldThe Manila Times during an exclusiveinterview.

Tan, a former vice governor of theAutonomous Region in MuslimMindanao and a former deputy adviseron the peace process, said that herespects laws of other countries thatimpose the death penalty on drugtraffickers.

There are more than 500 Filipinosfacing drug charges in the world andthey are implicated in 209 cases inChina. a

‘Miracle,’ Chinese mercy will save 3 Filipinos from death

Vice President Jejomar Binay arrives in China on Friday to meet with the head ofthe country’s Supreme Court.

Boxing superstar Manny “PacMan”Pacquiao and his wife, Jinkee, met withUS President Barack Obama and USVice President Joe Biden at the WhiteHouse Oval Office on Tuesday(Wednesday in Manila).

“It was a great honor to be invitedand to meet the President of the UnitedStates,” Pacquiao said.

Obama presented Pacquiao with awatch bearing the presidential seal.

Pacquiao, a first-term lawmaker forSarangani province, in turn invitedObama to his May 7 defense of his worldwelterweight title against Shane Mosleyat the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Obama declined but said that hewould watch the fight on pay-per-viewtelevision.

Pacquiao’s chief of staff Jeng Gacalsaid that the meeting lasted more than10 minutes, adding that the Filipinoboxing icon was extremely delighted to

meet with top American officials.The conversation between Pacquiao

and Obama centered mostly on boxing,basketball and some politics.

Earlier, Pacquiao was honored in theUS Senate by Majority Leader Harry Reidof Nevada.

Reid, a former amateur boxer,walked the visitor through the Senatefloor, and later joined him in a joint pressconference at the Mike Mansfield Roomin the US Senate.The American senator paid tribute toPacquiao for his accomplishments in anout of the ring.

When asked how long he would lastif he were to fight Pacquiao in his prime,Reid said, “Five seconds.”

From Malacañang, PresidentBenigno Aquino 3rd on Wednesdaydescribed the meeting between Obamaand Pacquiao in Washington, D.C., arecognition of Filipino talent and worth.

During an interview PresidentAquino hailed the meeting betweenPacquiao and Obama.“It highlights the fact that we have anoutstanding Filipino athlete worthy ofbeing talked to by arguably one of themost powerful men in the world,” Mr.Aquino said. a

Benigno Aquino III on Thursdayurged the Advertising Board not tosupport the media companiesengaging in sensational reporting.

He urged advertisers to help thecountry by using theiradvertisements—the lifeblood of theprint, radio and television industry—to“encourage media to police its ownranks.”

“Unfortunately in our country,sometimes sensationalism is a lotbetter than spreading the truth,” Mr.Aquino ad libbed in his speech at theinduction of the 2011 AdBoardofficers and directors in Malacañang

“Sometimes the truth seems to bea forgotten concept by some of ourmedia practitioners.

“Those of us who will supportthem [the media] in their endeavors[sensational reporting] undoubtedlycontribute to the problems we arefacing.”

Presidential spokesman RamonCarandang, however, said Mr. Aquinowas not calling for an advertisingboycott of some news organizations.

“What we are saying is put your

money into media that areresponsible,” he said.

“Advertisers have power, [andthey can use it] by channeling theiradvertisements into things that helppromote good things for the country.

“Anywhere you go, there are goodeggs and there are bad eggs, but thePresident never threatened to putcontrols on media. The speech wasabsolutely not a boycott call.”

AdBoard chairman Andre Khan ofJ. Romero and Associates said Mr.Aquino’s call on advertisers tosupport responsible media reportingwas “valid.”

“We have seen on someoccasions where what PresidentAquino said was correct. There is atendency for media perhaps to over-sensationalize,” Khan said.

“We can definitely discuss thetreatment of the news with the newseditors and ask them for theircooperation.” a

Aquino: Don’t advertise insensationalist papers

Pacquiao meets Obama, Biden atWhite House



Report as to FinalDissolution of thePCFGM (2004) Inc.

This is to clarify an articlewritten by Abel Desprez in theDecember 2010 issue of the NorthAmerican Filipino Star.

Note that the writer is not amember of Management Team, nor aDirector of the Foundation, he is avolunteer auditor. In addition, a reportas to distribution of Foundation fundswas published in a local communitynewspaper. The article was submittedby the Treasurer who is authorized toissue the report.

Here are the facts:

1) As to dissolution of the Foundation -there is no dissention within the group,except for 1 or 2 directors, the rest ofManagement team members areunified and work cohesively.Unfortunately and because of the factthat one director could not get alongwith the majority, it was for the bestinterest of the members to dissolve theFoundation.

2) As to lack of support from theFilipino community and the manyFilipino Association leaders - this is thewriter’s sole opinion. Did the writer everconsider asking the question “why hethinks the community is not supportingthe Foundation”?? Did it ever occur tohim that perhaps the Foundation wasimproperly or maliciously representedby one of the directors; or perhapsthere is the lack of trust and credibilitywithin the ranks.

3) As to a thank you letter from FAMAS– FAMAS verbally acknowledged andthank the Foundation during one ofFAMAS social events. FAMAS alsoissued a written acknowledgementpublished in one of the localcommunity newspaper. In addition, aCertificate of Appreciation waspresented to the Foundation (acceptedby one of the Directors) during theFAMAS Christmas event.

4) As to the incessant begging of oneDirector who did not raise much fundsfor the Foundation - the writer failed tounderstand the following:

- $10,000 donation to FAMASwas approved by the board notbecause of the incessant begging ofone director.

- a director not raising muchfunds for the Foundation – the writermust bear in mind that the Foundationis composed and managed by a group

of people who rely on each othersstrength. Fortunately, we have a teammember who is strong in fund raisingand raised more funds than the others.Management team members are not incompetition as to who raise the mostfunds. Bear in mind that without theFoundation, a director cannot raisefunds. If the sole purpose of theDirector raising the most funds is to letthe world know she raised the most,then this Director’s motive is not for thebest interest of the Foundation.

5) As to the Seniors in Motion project -this project was approved by themajority of Management Teammembers. The writer has knowledgeof this project - he was present whenthis project was discussed.

As to return of cheque of$10,500.00 – this action definitelyjeopardized the project. For the writer’sinformation, here is an excerpt of aletter received from Service Canada toCaring Tabunar regarding the Seniorsin Motion project, to wit:

”……..As you requested I'm sendingyou a written confirmation of thecurrent situation of the NHSP project9077801 ''Seniors in Motion'',submitted by you under the PhilippineCentre Foundation of GreaterMontreal. As you know, due to thepeculiar situation the Philippine CentreFoundation of Greater Montreal and itsmembers were going through, ServiceCanada representatives tried toaccommodate both parties by signinga Novation Agreement. This agreementwould have tranfered all the rights,responsibilities and funds to anotherbody, i.e., the newly formed bodycalled "Philippine Foundation ofMontreal" chaired by you and yourassociates. Unfortunately, the partyrepresenting the Philippine CentreFoundation of Greater Montreal wasnot committed to sign the NovationAgreement and thus transfer the rights,responsibilities and fundings to thePhilippine Foundation of Montreal. Inthis case, NHSP cannot interfere ininternal affairs of parties involved. ……,we will be closing the file at is”.

Perhaps the writer, who is not aFilipino, may want to reflect on the“crabbing mentality” innuendo – nowwho has a crabbing mentality.

MANAGEMENT TEAMCARING TABUNARNORMA VOHRAGENE SANTANDERCIONY NUEVAVALENT LLOYD HUGHES

FILCAN CHESS & SOCIAL CLUBSa unang pagkakataon ang Fil-Can Chess & Social Club (FCCSC)

ay magdaraos ng isang pagdiriwang buhat nang manumpa sapanunungkulan ang pamunuan nito noong Disyembre 4, 2010.

Paparangalan ang mga kasaping may kaarawan nitong buwan ng Eneroat Pebrero sa Fireside Restaurant, 4759 Van Horne sa ika- 6:00 n.h., Pebrero19, 2011. Isang gabi ng salo-salo, satsatan, sayawan, tugtugan at pawangkasayahan ang naghihintay.

Inaasahang magiging tagumpay ito sa masigasig na pangangasiwa niRandy Noriega, VP External Affair.

NC)—According to Sigma Assistel,a Desjardins Financial Securitysubsidiary specializing in telephoneassistance services, identity theft isbecoming more common in Canada. Infact, you may already know someonewho has been victimized by this crime.Worse yet, you may become a victimsometime in the future. What is identity theft?I t occurs when someoneobtains another person's personalinformation without consent (such as acredit card number, driver's license,social insurance number, date of birth,etc.) to commit a crime like fraud. Oncearmed with this information, an identitythief can easily defraud victims ofthousands of dollars. Luckily, there are steps that you cantake to prevent this crime fromhappening to you. Five easy steps to protect yourselfagainst identity theft• Systematically shred all unnecessarydocuments that contain any personal

information that could be used toidentify you, such as your date of birth,home address or social insurancenumber. • Never confirm your PIN, credit cardnumbers, SIN, driver's license or otherpersonal information over the phone ore–mail unless you initiated the request.• Collect your mail every day. Or, ifyou're about to go on vacation, ask atrusted friend or member to collect itfor you.• Only do business over the web withreputable companies that have highInternet security standards.• Use a credit card with a low creditlimit when making online purchases.Identity theft is a troubling trend, butforewarned is forearmed. Know therisks and know how to protect yourself.And if identity theft should happen toyou, contact your financial institutionimmediately. For more informationabout protecting yourself, visitwww.assistel.com.www.newscanada.com

Avoid identity theft in five easy steps

Century Bicol Expresscanned tuna has beenrecalled from Canadianmarkets after theCanadian Food InspectionAgency (CFIA) discoveredthat the product containssoy which allegedly is notdeclared on its label.

The Century Pacific Groupwhich manufactures the product,however, has denied that it failed todeclare the soy content, saying thelabels of the product in question weretampered with by an unofficialdistributor.

In a release posted on itswebsite, the CFIA, along with productdistributor AFOD Ltd., warned peopleallergic to soy not to consume CenturyTuna Bicol Express.

“Consumption of this productmay cause a serious or life-threateningreaction in persons with allergies tosoy," the CFIA release stated.

It added, however, that therehave been no reported illnesses due toconsumption of this product.

The CFIA said the Centurybrand, a product of the Philippines, issold in 180-gram cans bearing thecode UPC 7 48485 10033 3.

The product has beendistributed in British Columbia, Alberta,Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Yukon.

“The importer, AFOD Ltd.,Richmond, BC, is voluntarily recallingthe affected product from themarketplace. The CFIA is monitoringthe effectiveness of the recall," theCFIA said.

In an interview with GMANews, Century’s Pacific's qualityassurance manager Honelet Sayassaid it appears that the labels on thecanned tuna product, pictures of whichare on the CFIA website, have beentampered with.

The official distributors ofCentury Tuna — the brand name ofCentury Pacific — in Canada are ApoProducts Ltd. and Uno Foods Inc., not

AFOD, according to the qualityassurance manager.

The original label, whichdeclares that the product containssoya oil and soy protein, was coveredby another label which bears a Frenchtranslation of the ingredients, Sayasexplained.

She said the label over theoriginal failed to include in itstranslation the product’s soy content.

“Tampered ‘yung label.Natakpan yung original label (The labelwas tampered. The original label wascovered)," Sayas said.

Century Pacific has a separatelabel for products shipped to Canada,bearing a French translation of theingredients as required by Canadianlaws, she stressed, saying the officiallabel clearly indicates the product’ssoy content.

While Century Pacific's exportand legal departments are now tryingto contactAFOD, Sayas said it ispossible that AFOD bought cans ofCentury Bicol Express fromsupermarkets in the Philippines andthen shipped them to Canada.

“We have to clarify this, thoughna-post na ‘yung alert (the alert hasalready been posted) and the damagehas been done. We will clarify with theCFIA," Sayas said.

PAB/PSW/Nursing Aide

Classes available duringweekday evenings and

weekendsSubject to minimum

enrollment of 6 students pergroup

Weekday evenings March 7, 2011

Sunday class, March 13

Call Gilmore College514-485-7861

February 201124


The North American Filipino StarThe North American Filipino Star


• International Trade Research• Legal Aspects of International Trad• International Trade Management• Intercultural Aspects of Trade

• Global Entrepreneurship• International Marketing• International Trade Finance• International Logistics• International Market Entry & Distribution

Enroll in the International TradeProgram at Gilmore International College. Earn a C.I.T.P. diploma (Certified International TradeProfessional) Call 514-485-7861 for information.

Education raises the bar but lowers the barriers to a rewarding career.

5450, chemin de la Cote des NeigesSuite 511(corner Edouard Montpetit)Montreal, QC H3T 1Y6Tel.: 514-485-7861Fax: 514-485-3076

E-mail: [email protected]: gilmorecollege.comFormateur agréé de la Commission despartenaires du marché du travail

Cote des NeigesSeated from left: Bunsong Ung “Ti”, Zenaida Kharroubi, Sokhon Chou, Standing:Sopheap Chann, Ninh Sam, Sereyroth Veng, and Channa Huot. These are full timestudents from Cambodia and are studying English and French at Gilmore College.

Seated from left: Edith Fedalizo, Amy Manon-og, PAB instructors, Zenaida Kharroubi,director-general, Clarisa Mackay and Sophie Toledo, PAB instructors. Standing (backrow)Ethel Tugna, Annie Signey, Janeth Haydock, Lourdes Lubang and Annabelle Alloso, PABstudents doing their practicum at St. Margaret CHSLd on Hillside Avenue in Westmount.

Mrs. Clarice Mackay (seated) poses with her students in the PAB course

Office AssistantCertified International Trade

Professional P.A.B./PSW Nursing Aide

ratify constitutional amendments

Documents

Transcript of ratify constitutional amendments