ilocos longanisa somali pirates free philippine … pirates free philippine tanker, 23 crew members...

Somali pirates free Philippinetanker, 23 crew members

C o n t e n t sC o o p e r a t i v e N e w s . . . . . . p . 3

T o u r i s m . . . . . . . . . . . . p . 6

P h i l i p p i n e C u i s i n e . . . . . p . 1 1

F i l s t a r P h o t o G a l l e r y . . . p . 1 2

H o m e B u s i n e s s . . . . . . . p . 1 4

J e r r y E s t r a d a C o l u m n . . . p . 1 6

A s k T h e V i d e o G u y . . . . . p . 1 7

S h o w b i z G o s s i p . . . . . . . p . 1 8

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

The wives of Filipino sailors, Doris Deseo, left, and Catherine Boretta, right, showing pictures of their husbands Carlo, secondfrom left, and Rodell, second from right, to the Associated Press as they visit the office of a shipping agency in Manila, Philippinesto get updates on negotiations to free their hostage husbands in Somalia in this April 13 file photo.

Manila April 21, 2009 -Somali pirates have freed a Japanesetanker and its crew of 23 Filipinos afterholding them for five months.

The owner of the ship saidsecuring the release was "difficult andprotracted". It is not known if a ransomwas paid.

The Philippines is the world'slargest supplier of maritime labour, andabout 100 of the 300 sailors currentlyheld hostage by Somali pirates areFilipino.

The Manila government hasnow decided to ban its sailors workingon ships travelling through the Gulf ofAden.

Somalia has had no stablegovernment since 1991, fuelling thelawlessness that has allowed piracy tothrive.

Nato warships are patrollingthe seas in the area, and over the pastweeks have stepped up their actionagainst the pirates, freeing a number ofships.

Minister Kenney Meets Leaders ofQuebec’s Cultural Communities

Minister Jason Kenney delivering his speech before an audience of 80 invited guests. Mr. Marcel Tremblay and Mrs. Tremblaycan be seen listening intently.

See Page 4 Freed Tanker

6210 Decarie Boulevard, Montreal, QC (cor. Van Horne)Telephone: 514-731-8881 From head to toe ..... beauty and care!

•Hair Cut, Set, Cclouring •Make up •Manicure•Facial & Skin Treatment •Body Massage •Foot Spa/Pedicure

HIGHLIGHTS

March Coop Pinoy4711 Van Horne

new product arrivalIlocos longanisa

limited quantities - sohurry and visit soon !

The Filipino SolidarityCoooperative

Special Gen. Meeting

Sunday,May 3

FAMASCentre

2:00 PMVolume XXVII, No. 4 April 2009 www.filipinostar.org

April 20092

www.filipinostar.org

The North American Filipino Star

Jean Janete AguilarJerry Estrada

Lina V. FernandezDr. Victor Gavino

Prof. Isaac GoodineAlvin D. Veloso

ContributorsBert Abiera

Founder

4950 Queen Mary Road Penthouse(5th Floor) near Snowdon MetroMontreal, QC H3W 1X3

Zenaida Ferry KharroubiChief Editor & Publisher

Nida Verginom ButaranSales Representative

Tel.: 514-485-7861E-Mail: [email protected]

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

EEDDIITTOORRIIAALL

Hilda T. VelosoCommunity News

Mary Joy LizarondoSports News

Sam FerryAssistant EditorNews & Tourism

The North American Filipino StarSUBSCRIPTION

1 year (12 issues) $24

2 years (24 issues) $40

Marché Coop PinoyThe Filipino Solidarity Cooperative4711 Van Horne AvenueMontreal, QC H3W 1H8Tel.: 514-733-8915E-Mail: [email protected]

Earth Day encourages us to do our share

Gift subscriptionLess 10% on the list price

Name ____________________________________________________________Address:__________________________________________________________Telephone: (Home) _________________ Business: _____________________E-Mail: ___________________________________________________________

Order lechon for Saturdaypick up but we need at least a

minimum order of 15 lbsno later than Thursday.Call us at 514-733-8915

to place your orders.Delivery service fee ranges from $5

to $8 for orders of $50 or more(Tuesday/Friday only)

To All our Kababayan, Members or Non-Members:

b We need your support and we welcome all of you to shop at

Marché Coop Pinoy. All nationalities are also welcomed.

In our desire to serve you better, wekeep our shelves full of merchandise,

including fresh vegetables weekly.We would appreciate it very much

if you could visit us first before going tothe other stores. We are just a few feet

away from Metro Plamondon.Join us and be a member now!

Enjoy spring shopping at Marché Coop Pinoy!

Litsong Manok$11.49 each

Lechon $11.99 lbWhole - med $210

big $240

Galunggong

Has anyone been aware whathappens to every single garbagethrown away? Perhaps no one hasreally cared so much until now. Eachyear, we are reminded of the problemfacing our planet during Earth Day.When you drop anything on the street,it can be blown away and can land inthe water, down the river and to theocean. Environmentalists say that theocean is one huge garbage dump. Itextends from off the California coast,across the northern Pacific almost toJapan. It is twice the size of Texas, andsome say it’s much bigger. It is evermoving, like a conveyor belt poweredby the ocean currents called the NorthPacific Gyre. Consequently, a vortexoccurs because plastics take a longtime to break down. Eventually, theplastics get ground up or degraded bysunlight into smaller and smallerpieces called nurdles. These nurdlescontain and attract harmful substancessuch as hydrocarbons and DDT, andthey end up in the food chain. Jellyfishor fish eat these small floating pieces,mistaking them for plankton or fisheggs. Turtles mistake plastic bags forjellyfish, and seabirds mistake plasticpieces for fish. Then larger fishconsume these fish, and so on. And welike to eat the larger fish such as tuna— no wonder they are full of toxins.What can you do? Reduce your use ofdisposable plastics. And if you do usesome, make sure to recycle. To protectyourself from toxins, eat small fish lowin the food chain, like sardines andherrings.

To understand how eachperson contributes to the overallproblem, consider these statistics: 100trillion plastic, only 1% get recycled,152 billion plastic bags used in theworld everyday, 4 ½ lbs garbage areproduced by one person or 22.5 lbs aday by a family of 4, 2.5 million plasticbottles and 43 000 tons of food arethrown everyday. People seem tothrow away a lot of stuff. Consumerismor buying more than what is neededcan be the cause of too much garbage.But what is worst is throwing awayobjects that are not biodegradable likeplastics and metal. They can stay inthe landfill practically forever.Consequently, we are also running outof landfill sites. Thus, the ocean hasnow become a dumping ground.

Celebrating Earth Dayannually on April 22 underscores allthese environmental concerns but italso makes us wonder how manypeople really change their behaviour

during the rest of the year. W ealso begin to ask many questions Howeffective is our educational system inpromoting environmental awareness?How committed is our government ininvesting in green technology? Do wehave laws that deter our multinationalcorporations from polluting theenvironment?

On a personal level, we needto ask ourselves: Are we willing to doour share in recycling everythingrecyclable? Are we doing enoughto make a difference? Do we help infinding solutions instead of creatingnew problems? Do we make a seriousattempt to reduce the garbage weproduce in our own household orworkplace? Do we take the initiative ofcleaning up our environment even if wemay be inconvenienced by it?

Answers to these questionsdepend upon our individualcommitment, and conscience. If welisten to our conscience, we may domore than our share. On the otherhand, if we let apathy control ourbehaviour, then we may not doanything at all. But perhaps we can stillbe affected by the media. People maybe moved by what they read, or whatthey see on television and what theyhear from the radio. Thus, it is part ofthe media’s role to shape publicopinion and behaviour.

It is indeed a good idea tohave Earth Day. Gaylord Nelson wouldlikely be pleased. In 1970, when theDemocratic Senator from Wisconsinlaunched Earth Day, he wanted it to bea grassroots demonstration that "wouldshake the political establishment out ofits lethargy and, finally, force this issuepermanently onto the national politicalagenda." Even though it is a single dayof raising awareness, it is now morepopular to do something “green”. Onthis day, projects are started andcontinued all year round. Initiatives like“One Million Acts of Green” is anexample of a movement that may havebegun because of Earth Day. Whoknows if Al Gore’s documentary “ AnInconvenient Truth” which shows thedisastrous effects of global warmingmay have been one of the spin offs ofcelebrating Earth Day.

Considering all the goodthings that result from celebratingEarth Day, it wil be even morewonderful if we all decide to observe iteveryday of our life.

Happy Earth Day.

ZenaidaFerry Kharroubi a

April 2009 3The North American Filipino Star

COOPERATIVE NEWS

It has been a year since thelast general assembly meeting lastMarch 2008 when we elected orproclaimed a new board of directors.Since that time, we have not had anygeneral meeting to discuss theongoing challenges that the FilipinoSolidarity Cooperative has been facingever since the founder and firstpresident Jose Gaviola left in August2006. No one can probably imaginehow tough it has been to keep theCooperative from closing down. It wasleft in such dire straits that it wasunbelievable how we had sustainedthe Coop over a period of almost threeyears with deficit financing, and all ofthis deficit is borne by one person -your current president. In hindsight, itwould have been better for the Coopto have been left to close at the verybeginning but after investing heavily init, it would be a big waste of money,time and effort.

Now there is an importantdecision to be made. As a cooperativeis only as good as its membership, it isimportant to have as many membersas we can gather to be morecommitted to the survival of the firstFilipino Solidarity Cooperative inQuebec, if not in Canada. It has beensuggested by one of the memberswho has a lot of cooperativeexperience to consult the wholemembership. This is the reason forthe special meeting that we would liketo invite everyone concerned toattend. The agenda cannot bepublished yet as the Board ofDirectors will still be meeting beforethe general assembly scheduled onSunday, May 3, 2009 at 2 p.m. atFAMAS Building. It is hoped thatmany members will attend thismeeting, A good attendance will be asign of better times ahead for thecooperative movement. On the otherhand, if few members answer this call,it will be difficult if not impossible tosucceed in our effort to make theCooperative become a viableenterprise.

Upon reviewing the names ofmembers already published, it wasdiscovered that those who becamemembers in the new administrationwere not yet published. All memberswho signed up during 2005, 2006, and2007 have already been published inpartial listing since October 2008 untilMarch 2009 but those who signed upin 2008 up to this year have not yet

been clearly identified as a group.Therefore, we are including all theirnames below:0611-08 Manon-og, Amy0612-08 Reyes, Raquel0613-08 Balmes, Remedios0614-08 Ladyong, Luzviminda0615-08 Cacal, Josie Rivera0616-08 Roldan, Esmeralda0617-08 Molino, Helen Rose0618-08 Lusdoc, Christie0619-08 Bariguez, Hesil0620-08 Solidarios, Mary Ann0621-08 Cortez, Catherine0622-08 De Guzman, Mae0623-08 Mamuad, Maricel0624-08 Abenoja, Imelda0625-08 Bermudez, Claro0626-08 Locquiao, Felipe Letecia0627-08 Riendeau, Marivel0628-08 Riendeau, Martin0629-08 Cloutier, Nida0630-08 Dulot, Edenia0631-08 Cousineau, Evangeline0632-08 El Hachem, Sly0633-08 Jaramillo, Greline0634-08 Torrecampo, Teena0635-08 Aguilar, Jean Janete0636-08 Agresor, Susana0637-08 Atayde, Alicia (Lee)0638-08 Valiente, Merle0639-08 Olanuza, Joy0640-08 Lozano, Antonio0641-08 Gao-ay, Gemma0642-08 Biaton, Amaliza Dagohoy0643-08 Cordova, Susana0644-08 Liwaliw, Joyce0645-08 Adriano, Lorellie Javier0646-08 Caranza, Rita Panti0647-08 Marcelo, Ricardo Leonardo0648-08 Esperon, Michele0649-08 Suni, May Gene0650-08 Santander, Gene (Dr.)0651-08 Macatao, Lorena0652-08 Alcantara, Nancy0653-08 Estrada, Jerry0654-08 Dupali, Concepcion0655-08 Antolin, Minda Gatmen0656-08 Gano, Heideliza Dumulag0657-08 Batolina, Roselyn Sapa0658-08 Mejia, Narciso0659-08 Reyes, Ella0660-08 Foja, Emelie Fortes0661-08 Basilan, Rosa0662-08 Flores, Lina0663-08 Garlando, Corazon0664-08 Rotrand, Marvin0665-08 Villarosa, Sherebel0666-08 Sideco, Edgar (Dr.)0667-08 Miranda, Leo Carlo0668-08 Sabadao, Danius Angco0669-08 Tacio, Nena0670-08 Perez, Rhoda

All members are urged to attend aspecial meeting, May 3, 2009

0671-08 Balansi, Rey0672-08 Rosario, Joyce del0673-08 Nool, MarissaHosana0674-08 Nunez, Marly Vega0675-08 Aquino, Jerico Octavo2009 Members0676-09 Melendrez, Armando0677-09 Suarez, Svetlana0678-09 Geronino, Jovito Ramos0679-09 Miranda, Nelvy Alcayde0680-09 Danda, Gloria Dango0681-09 Natividad, Rosita

We are appealing to memberswho are retired and who are willing tovolunteer at the Coop to help in someof the routine tasks such as checkingprices, making an inventory ofmerchandise, purchasing freshvegetables, displaying and arrangingstock, etc. For now, we have only onepaid employee and she is kept busyfor she has to do everything. After oneyear, she is entitled to take a two-weekholiday. Since she is going to thePhilippines, she will be away for amonth. We will therefore require areplacement who can be relied uponto operate the cash register and do theother things she has been doing.

It would be much appreciatedif we can establish a volunteer systemamong all our committed members sothat we can keep the store open longereveryday.

If there are positivesuggestions to make the Cooperativefunction well, we welcome your ideas.You can e-mail them to:[email protected]

I am looking forward tomeeting with all Coop members onSunday, May 3, 2009 at 2:00 P.M. at theFAMAS Building, 4708 Van HorneAvenue. Please call 514-733-8915, or514-485-7861 to indicate your intentionto attend this meeting. Thank you foryour attention to this appeal.

Zenaida Ferry Kharroubi, PresidentFilipino Solidarity Cooperative

(Editor’s Note: In our attempt to be betterinformed about the cooperative movement,we are constantly looking for materials toprint in this newspaper. I found thisparticular article that seems veryinformative, although some informationhave already been cited by Jerry Estradawho writes about cooperatives in theFilipino Star.)By Luc Labelle

In Canada, the province ofQuebec is notable for the number anddiversity of its cooperatives. This is aresult of a supportive provincialgovernment and a well-developedstrategy of cooperative developmentundertaken by a unified cooperative

movement. Quebec, with a populationof about 7.4 million, boasts over 3500cooperatives, compared to about 5000cooperatives in all the rest of Canada,population 28 million. The Quebeccooperatives have 5.4 million membersand 70,000 employees, do $12.2 billionCanadian in sales and have $78 billionin assets. (The Canadian dollar, whichis used throughout this article, is worthabout 65 cents US.) Although itcontinues to struggle with anunemployment rate of 8.4% in 1999, inthat same year, Quebec topped theother Canadian provinces in economicgrowth.

Cooperatives in Quebec havedeep roots. This is particularly true ofthe caisses populaires credit unionsystem, founded a century ago byvisionary Alphonse Desjardins toprovide credit and savings for thoseexcluded from the banking system. Infact, Desjardins is credited withinspiring the development of financialcooperatives and credit unionsthroughout Canada and the U.S. Today,almost five and a half million citizens ofQuebec are members of theMouvement Desjardins. About 13,000persons serve as volunteers within theDesjardins movement in Quebec. Withroughly 1200 member caisses, theDesjardins system is Quebec's largestfinancial institution with more than $70billion in assets. It is also the largestprivate employer in Quebec, with morethan 40,000 employees. Besidesproviding consumer financial services,the caisses have become a significantsource of commercial lending for smalland medium-sized businesses. Theyseem poised to play an increasinglyimportant role in the future under theirnew president Alban D'Amour.

In addition to the credit unionsystem, agricultural cooperatives,consumer cooperatives, forestrycooperatives, housing cooperatives,funeral cooperatives, cooperatives inschools (which demonstrate theprinciples of cooperative enterprises tostudents through cooperativebookstores and other activities), as wellas other types of cooperatives, havelong played an important role in theeconomic and social life of Quebec.The non-financial cooperativestogether have 1.4 million members,28,000 employees, and more than $8billion in assets. In recent years theyhave been joined by a rapidly growingworker cooperative sector.

Successful examples of new co-ops include the J.M. Asbestos miners'cooperative, the Wolfe forest managementcooperative, the Saint-Cesaire School laborcooperative, the Charlevoix forestry

Development ofCooperatives and EmployeeOwnership, Quebec style

See Page 15 Quebec Coops

April 20094



Montreal, April 4 2009 –Citizenship, Immigration andMulticulturalism Minister, Jason Kenney andhis Chief-of-Staff, Agop Evereklian, got awarm and boisterous welcome from 80leaders representing 34 cultural and ethnicCanadian communities across Quebec, atMontreal’s Hellenic Community Center.

The forum was sponsored by theHellenic Community of Montreal, and co-

hosted with the National Canadian-HellenicCongress and the Hellenic Congress ofQuebec. The event marked the first timethat a federal Conservative Minister wasable to meet with the leaders of so manyethnic Canadian communities in Quebec.

“I would like to thank Mr. BillBalabanos, President of the HellenicCommunity of Montreal, for his outstandinginitiative and for sponsoring this event,” saidMinister Kenney. “I welcome the opportunityto speak with the leadership of Quebec’scultural and ethnic communities.”

Minister Kenney reiterated that thepolicies of the federal ConservativeGovernment will ensure that Canadacontinues to be both a beacon and a havenfor immigrants from around the worldseeking a better life and a better economicfuture.

“This Government has invested anadditional $1.4 billion in immigrantsettlement programs and this includesfunding for free English and Frenchlanguage training programs for newimmigrants,” said Minister Kenney.

The Minister also spoke about howthis Government is investing heavily tomake certain that the process forprofessional accreditation for new

immigrants becomes more efficient. Hereiterated that under the previous federalLiberal governments, the back-log of casesof immigrants seeking citizenship went from40,000 to over 800,000 and that theConservative Government’s policies arenow correcting this tremendous disparity.Minister Kenney reminded the audience thatthe Conservative Government increasedCanada’s immigration quota at a time when

other governments around the world areseeking to curtail the influx of newimmigrants.

Minister Kenney answeredquestions from many cultural communityleaders and he called the forum a frank andhonest dialogue between Canadians andthe Government on the future of Canada.He also stated that this forum was only thebeginning of what he hopes will be a newand lasting relationship between thisGovernment and the cultural communitiesof Quebec.

During the question period, somepeople posed questions that are of specialinterest to their own communities. Onbehalf of the Filipino community, RizaEsmeralda asked about the consultationspromised by the government to resolveissues regarding the Live-in Caregiverprogram. In response, Minister Kenneypromised that consultations will be donesoon. The Filipino Star learned later thatindeed the consultations are scheduledaround the end of May. Hopefully, it will notbe in conflict with other meetings oractivities in the community but if invitationsto this consultative meeting are given withsufficient notice, it will make things easierfor everyone concerned. a

Minister Kenney Meetswith the Leadership ofCultural Communities

Part of the 80 multicultural communities invited to the dinner meeting with Citizenship andImmigration Canada Minister Jason Kenney at the Hellenic Community Center, April 4, 2009

Miniser Jason Kenney speaks to the leaders of the multicultural communities of Quebec

Continued from page 1 Freed Tanker

One of the suspected piratesis due to face trial in New York shortly -the first person to face piracy chargesin the US for more than a century.

Haggling

The Stolt Strength was seizedin November 2008 while it was carryinga cargo of phosphoric acid fromSenegal to India.

The owner of the vessel,Sagana Shipping Inc, declined to say

whether any ransom was paid forTuesday morning's release.

Doris Deseo, wife of CarloDeseo, the ship's 31-year-old thirdmate, told AP news agency: "Theyhave been released, thank God! I amsuper happy."

Andrew Mwangura, of the EastAfrican Seafarers AssistanceProgramme, told AFP news agency:"We think that something was paid butwe don't know what."

Relatives of the crew have saidthe pirates' ransom demand washaggled down to just over $2m(£1.4m) by last week.

Just before receiving news ofthe hostages' release, the Philippinegovernment decided to stop its sailorsworking on vessels that might passthrough the Gulf of Aden.

Several governmentdepartments are working on theprecise wording of the measure, andits scope and efficacy remain unclear.

But Arthur Bowring, managingdirector of the Hong Kong Ship-Owners' Association, told the BBC:"We do have concerns about how sucha measure would work in practice."

Philippine sailors are part ofthe country's huge remittanceeconomy, in which billions of dollarsare earned by the country's citizensworking abroad as maids, sailors orconstruction workers.

Families back in thePhilippines depend on the money theysend back.

Philippine seamen's groupshave attacked the idea of a ban asridiculous, saying it is empty rhetoricfrom a government unable to providelivelihoods at home. a

Catherine Boretta smiles as she talks to theAssociated Press in Manila, Philippines, onTuesday, April 21,2009. Boretta said shereceived a text message from the shippingcompany about her husband's release fromSomali pirates who freed a chemical tankerand its 23 Filipino crew members afterholding them hostage for more than fivemonths.

Economic crisis begins to hurttourism

The global financial crisis hasaffected the tourism business in thePhilippines, according to the NationalStatistical Coordination Board.

Romulo Virola, secretary- generalof the agency, said that during thesecond half of 2008, the growth oftourism-related services sectors wasslower than that of GDP, failing tocontinue the growth momentum thatbegan in the third quarter of 2006.

The tourism industry, whichaccounted for about 6.2 percent ofgross domestic product in thePhilippines, expanded by just 1percent in the third quarter of 2008 and4.0 percent in the fourth quarter, belowthe 4.6 percent growth of the GDP lastyear.

Before the crisis, the tourismindustry was growing by 8 percent to12 percent per quarter, data from theboard showed.

“Employment in tourism industriesdecelerated to 1.5 percent in 2008from 3.7 percent in 2007, slower thanthe 2.6 percent growth of the totalPhilippine employment last year,”Virola said.

Employment in hotels andrestaurants slowed down to 2.6percent and 1.7 percent in the fourthquarter of 2008 and first quarter of

2009, respectively, after having grownby 7.2 percent in the second quarter of2008 and 7.7 percent in the thirdquarter.

The growth of the gross value-added for hotels and restaurants andrecreational services also sloweddown to 0.78 percent in the thirdquarter of 2008 and 4.01 percent in thefourth quarter.

Despite the negative impact of thecrisis on tourism, Virola said domestictourism held much promise instimulating economic activities.

He noted that tourism was themost stable industry in Baguio Cityover the past 20 years.

The tourism industry coversaccommodation services, food andbeverage serving services,transportation, travel agencies andother reservation services,entertainment and recreation.

The sun, the moon andthe stars would havedisappeared long ago,

had they happened to bewithin the reach of

predatory human hands.Havelock Ellis




Don’t buy/sell house without consulting professionalinspector. Save thousands of dollars and enjoy ourprompt and professional inspection services. Writtenreport with pictures provided. Serving Filipinos since2001. For inspection booking and free orientationseminar, please call 514-862-9912

ART CORTEZB.Sc, Civil Engr.Professional Home &Property Inspector

Home Inspection & Consulting

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIALREAL ESTATE

OUR SERVICESPre-Purchase and Pre-Sale Inspections

Expertise and/or Single Component InspectionsProject Management and Monitoring

Seminar and Consultation

Four police accused of Red Crosskidnapping

Philippines police on Monday April6 asked for criminal charges to be filedagainst three policemen accused ofhelping Islamic militants holding twoEuropean Red Cross aid workershostage.

Seven suspects including thethree police officers have beenarrested in connection with a wide-ranging official enquiry into theJanuary 15 abductions on thesouthern island of Jolo, said provincialpolice chief Julasirim Kasim.

All seven are related to the AbuSayyaf group, blamed for the worstterrorist attacks in the Philippines, hesaid.

The gunmen are threatening tobehead Andreas Notter of Switzerlandand Eugenio Vagni of Italy unless thegovernment give them control of Jolo,

but the government has rejected theirdemand.

They released a third InternationalCommittee of the Red Cross hostage,Mary Jean Lacaba of the Philippines,last week after making similar threatsearlier that the authorities said theyfailed to carry out.

Jolo police asked stateprosecutors to file kidnapping chargesin court against Senior Police OfficersMuhilmi Ismula and Sattal Jadjuli andPolice Officer Marcial Ahajan, alldetailed with the Jolo police.

The police complaint also includedtwo village chiefs and two suspectedAbu Sayyaf members. Sixteen otherpeople earlier detained were releasedfor insufficient evidence, said regionalpolice spokesman SuperintendentJose Bayani Gucela.

"They (the seven) were identifiedby witnesses as people behind or(who) supported the kidnapping," headded.

"They allegedly provided financialand logistical support to kidnappers."

Gucela said Ismula is a nephew ofAlbader Parad, the self-declaredspokesman for the Abu Sayyafkidnappers. a

Speaker Prospero Nograles mayjust be dreaming.

A bipartisan uproar Tuesdaygreeted Nograles’ proposal Monday toshort-circuit usual norms and amendthe economic provisions of theConstitution just like any other billrequiring a simple majority to pass.

National Security Adviser NorbertoGonzales proposed another mode toamend the Constitution: a “Cory-style”constitutional commission.

Gonzales argued that theconstitutional commission created byPresident Corazon C. Aquino in theearly months of her “revolutionarygovernment” following the ouster ofthe dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986took only a year to revise the Charter.

“It was cheap, uncomplicated andvery quick,” said Gonzales.

Press Secretary Cerge Remondeand Cabinet Secretary Silvestre BelloIII laughed aloud when asked forcomment. “With all due respect, thatstatement of Secretary Gonzales onpolitical matters is entirely his own,”Remonde said.

A three-fourths vote of Congress is

required to amend the Constitutionunder the constituent assembly (Con-ass) mode.

“Institutionally, we are bound toconsider any measure that is sent to ushere by the House,” Senate PresidentJuan Ponce Enrile told reporters.

But Enrile, along with SenatorsMiriam Defensor-Santiago, Juan

Miguel Zubiri, Panfilo Lacson andJoker Arroyo, does not believe thatHouse Bill 737 could be passed in bothchambers just like any ordinary pieceof legislation.

The bill authored by Nograles callsfor amendments to the Constitution toallow aliens to own land to attractforeign investments and spureconomic growth.

Critics said the Nograles bill is butone of the Charter change (Cha-cha)ploys to adopt the parliamentarysystem using the Con-ass mode andextend the term ending next year ofPresident Gloria Macapagal-Arroyoand other elected officials.

Court rejection likely

It can’t be just a majority votebecause this will be thrown out by theSupreme Court,” Enrile said of theNograles proposal.

Enrile also said that he did notthink that Congress would have time toapprove such measure before theJune 2010 elections.

“But there is always a dream,” the

Senate president said.Enrile said it would be difficult to

obtain three-fourth votes in the Senateon such measure given that minoritybloc senators were unlikely to supportthe bill and majority oppose it.

Santiago said the Nogralesproposal suffered from “doctrinalconfusion.”

The feisty administration senatorsaid amending the Constitution is notpart of the legislative power ofCongress but “inherently” belongs tothe people who take part in a plebisciteto give this authority to Congress.

“The power to pass an ordinary billis not the same. You can’t translate itwith the power to change theConstitution. It’s like comparing a dilis(small fish) to a whale,” said Santiago.

“I don’t think at this time theSenate will entertain this,” SenatorArroyo told reporters. He also foundthe House measure “hypocritical,”pointing out that foreign investmentswill come even with the Constitutionallimitation. a

Furor over 4th Charter change mode

House Speaker Prospero C. Nograles’proposal was greeted with a bipartisanuproar on Monday April 19, 2009

Exiled Philippine communist leaderJose Maria Sison yesterday demandedthe EU remove him from its terrorist listafter Dutch prosecutors dropped amurder investigation against him.

Sison said the decision on Tuesdayby Dutch prosecutors to abandon a probeimplicating him in political killings in thePhilippines was “long overdue” and saidthe investigation was based onallegations by the Philippine military.

“I have always been confident thatthe case would eventually be dismissedbecause in the first place, I am innocent ofthe allegation,” Sison said in a statementfrom the Dutch city of Utrecht.

He was speaking after prosecutorssaid they would abandon the probebecause of a lack of evidence.

Sison called on the Dutchgovernment to “have my name removedfrom the terrorist list of the Council of theEuropean Union” to compensate for whathe called unspecified “injustices” he saidhe had suffered while seeking asylum.

Sison, 70, is the founder of theunderground Communist Party of thePhilippines (CPP) and its armed wing, theNew People’s Army (NPA), which havebeen waging a Maoist rebellion since1969.

He has been living in exile in theNetherlands since 1987, and in 2007 wasarrested and accused by the Dutchauthorities of ordering the killings of twoformer NPA commanders over ideologicaldifferences.

Peace talks between the Philippinesand the CPP-NPA have been suspendedsince 2003, shortly after the EU placed thegroup as well as Sison’s name on its list offoreign terrorists.

Sison’s assets have been frozen andthe Dutch authorities have also frozen hispension. Philippine authorities said themove had also resulted in a freeze onforeign funding to the rebel movement.

While the Dutch government hasrejected his bid for asylum, it has notreturned Sison to the Philippines becauseof threats to his life.

Meanwhile, NPA guerrillas continueto engage troops in deadly clashes andhave also turned to extortion activities tokeep the insurgency alive.

On Tuesday, NPA rebels attacked apolice station in the southern city ofMalaybalay, triggering a gun battle thatleft eight rebels, three pro-governmentmilitiamen and two civilians dead, themilitary said. a

Exiled Philippine communist leader Jose Maria Sison talks to reporters after Dutchprosecutors abandon a probe implicating him in political killings in the Philippines

Sison seeks removal from EUlist of terrorists

April 20096



TOURISMS O U T H

M I N D A N A O

C O T A B A T O

At a 7,600 ft. elevetion, Mount Matutum with its looming height and eye-catchingform dominates the neighboring ranges to the delight of nature lovers.

Lake Sebu is home to the T'bolis, a highland tribe that has its roots inSouth Cotabato. The local tribesmen consider the lake not only a God-givenfood basket but also a miraculous body of water that never dries up.

South Cotabato is endowed withnumerous natural sceneries that havea great potential as tourist attractions,and is blessed with creative peoplewho maintain and develop the beautyof these places.

This fruitful province is located inthe southern part island of Mindanao.South Cotabato has many distinctphysiographic features which include aseries of relatively high mountains,upland lakes and inactive volcanoes

Helobung Festival, Lake Sebu, held annually on the 2nd week of November

T’boli woman participating in the Helobong Festival which showcases thedifferent arts, culture, sports, and other tribal activities of the T'boli



that form the Daguma Range.South Cotabato is Southern

Mindanao's melting pot of religionsand cultures. Panay inhabitants mainlypopulate the land. Its native tongue iscomposed of both Hiligaynon andCebuano.

One of the most colorful people ofMindanao live in the localizationaround Lake Sebu. T'boli natives areknown for their beaded personalornaments, embroidered dresses,bangles, bracelets, chokers and brassmail belts. The popular T’nalak is abeautifully woven fabric made by theT'boli. To weave one T'nalak by handtakes several months to accomplish.Geometric patterns are typical of theT'nalak design. The rich black and redcolors of the fabric are derived fromnatural vegetable dyes.

The province is cant as anagricultural eden. The rich and fertilelands of Koronadal and Allah containfields that produce rice and corn. Animmense plantation of pineapples andbananas located at the town ofPolomolok, near General Santos City,are one of their main sources ofincome.

South Cotabato is blessed with amajestic and exotic wilderness whichadded to its one of a kind culturalheritage that boosts the local tourismindustry. Several mountain ranges,natural caves, mountain lakes, forests

and springs abound the land. Themunicipalities of Lake Sebu and T'boliare well known for their culturalheritage and crafts of its autochthonalT'boli and B'laan communities. Thescenic Mt. Matutum, El Gawel Resortand Wildlife Sanctuary, Lake Sebu,Lake Maughan and Mt. Parker and theSeven Falls offers unrivalled vistas forall tourists and explorers.

The famous and unique T'boliTribal Festival held every third week ofSeptember is a thanksgiving festivitywhich branched out from the belief ofthe T'boli in the golden age which theycall Lem-Lunay. Each festival is anopportunity to re-energize the peopleand renew their vow to work for thiscoveted side of life. Other importantnot-to-miss festivals include:- Tinalak Festival (July 16-19)An annual celebration in SouthCotabato which demonstrates theimportance and significance of theT'nalak cloth as part of the culturalimage of South Cotabato.- Helobong Festival (Lake Sebu; 2ndweek of November)There are two ways for you to arrive onSouth Cotabato. One is a direct flightto Davao City and travel by land toLake Sebu for a 6-hour ride. Second,also a direct flight to Gen. Santos Cityand the traveling time to the city ismuch shorter, only 2-hour ride. a

T'bolis in traditional clothing

T'nalak Festival, Koronadal City - An annual celebration in South Cotabato whichdemonstrates the importance and significance of the T'nalak cloth as part of the culturalimage of South Cotabato.

Trappistine Monastery, Polomolok

Seafood Platter, General Santos City

Tuna Festival

April 20098



DR. EMILIA ESPIRITU

CHIRURGIEN DENTISTE / DENTALSURGEON

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

AND GET CASH NOW!

Good & Bad Credit Accepted

Police arrested yesterday thedriver and three househelpers of newsanchor Ted Failon for obstruction ofjustice after Failon’s wife, who died lastnight, was shot last Wednesdaymorning in the couple’s home.

Failon’s wife Trinidad ArtecheEtong, 45, was declared dead bydoctors of the New Era GeneralHospital at 8:50 last night. She hadbeen in a coma and declared brain-dead after she sustained a bulletwound in her left temple after theshooting incident at 10:30 a.m. insidetheir house on 27 General Aquinostreet, Tierra Pura Subdivision inTandang Sora, Quezon City.

Failon, Mario Teodoro Failon Etongin real life, a news anchor of ABS-CBNTV Patrol, claimed that his wifecommitted suicide.

Police picked up from the Failonresidence driver Glenn Ponan,housemaids Carlota Morbos andWilfreda Bollicer, and houseboyPacifico Apacible and brought them tothe Quezon City Police District (QCPD)headquarters at Camp Karingal inQuezon City.

Superintendent Franklin Mabanag,chief of the QCPD’s CriminalInvestigation and Detection Unit(CIDU), said the four househelpers andFailon would face inquest forobstruction of justice or violation ofPresidential Decree 1829, the lawpenalizing the obstruction ofapprehension and prosecution ofcriminals.

Mabanag said the househelpershad cleaned the bathroom where thevictim was found as well as the blueMitsubishi Pajero with license plateXPE-293 that was used to bring thevictim to the nearby New Era GeneralHospital.

Members of the household alsoclaimed the caliber .380 Walther PPKpistol used in the shooting was foundon the right side of the victim when shewas discovered slumped inside thebathroom of the couple’s child on thesecond floor of the house.

He said Failon had immediatelycommitted a violation when hetouched the gun that was used in theshooting.

PAO fetches Failon from QCPDheadquarters

Police investigators brought Failonto the Quezon City Police Districtheadquarters in Camp Karingal lastWednesday night but he was later

released.Senior Inspector Roberto Razon

said Failon’s arrival at the QCPD-CIDUat past midnight yesterday came aftereight hours of negotiation.

Failon’s lawyers, ABS-CBNbroadcaster Korina Sanchez and threebodyguards accompanied him toCamp Karingal.

QCPD director SeniorSuperintendent Elmo San Diego saidFailon was already considered asuspect along with the other membersof the household and all were beinginvestigated.

Public Attorney’s Office (PAO)chief Persida Rueda-Acosta laterfetched Failon from the policeheadquarters and accompanied him tothe hospital to visit his wife.

Acosta also insisted that the policecould no longer place Failon underarrest because the nine-hour period forhis detention had already expired andthe police have to secure an arrestwarrant to hold Failon.

She said their entry into the case isan offshoot of the memorandum ofagreement with the National PressClub (NPC), which provides that thePAO can provide legal assistance tonewsmen who are facing criminalcharges.

Failon must be accorded hisconstitutional right and must be treatedas innocent until proven guilty, shesaid.

She also denied reports that Failonescaped from Camp Karingal, sayingthat she requested investigators toallow the broadcaster to visit his wife atNew Era Hospital.

Acosta, Failon’s temporary lawyer,noted that there is no direct evidenceyet linking Failon to the incident. Shesaid that as of now, no complainantagainst Failon has been filed.

“We fetched Mr. Failon thismorning to bring him to the hospital.He’s not going to flee. He is always

available for statements. He’s not afugitive. His wife needs him right now,”Acosta explained.

Acosta added that Failon’shousehelpers cleaned the bathroomwhere the bloodied victim was found.

“We cannot blame the maids forcleaning the crime scene. They are notaware of the rules on the preservationof evidence,” the PAO chief said.

Acosta repeatedly said Trinidad’sshooting was a case of suicide.

She said that Failon left his gun attheir house since he does not have apermit to carry firearms.

“It is a suicide as far as our forensicconsultant is concerned,” Acosta toldreporters during a press briefing at thehospital.

The police, however, insisted thatthe findings of PAO are immaterial tothe investigation, since the Scene ofCrime Operatives (SOCO) reportwould prevail in resolving whether theincident was a suicide or homicide.

Acosta said at the time of theincident Failon was hosting his dailymorning radio program on dzMM andthey have tapes to prove it.

She added that based on theaffidavits of Failon, his driver and otherwitnesses, “this is generally a case ofsuicide.”

Acosta said if the case were not asuicide the relatives of Failon’s wife,especially her sisters and brothers,would have complained.

“As it is, they are one praying forher and for Ted Failon’s family,” shesaid.

She also revealed that thebroadcaster’s wife made a financialinvestment that failed. “That’s what Iheard from the family,” she said.

Failon has admitted that he and hiswife quarreled on Tuesday night aboutsome problems having to do withmoney but refused to elaborate.

He reportedly told his wife that theycould cope with financial loss sincethey were poor before.

Meanwhile, Justice SecretaryGonzalez said he ordered PAO chiefAcosta to stop acting as Failon’slawyer.

“That is not their mandate (in PAO).I’ll charge them for administrativeviolations (if they continue). I have

already called her (Acosta) and I’missuing a formal memo,” saidGonzalez.

In an earlier telephoneconversation, Acosta explained toGonzalez that she believes it waswithin her authority to serve as lawyerof Failon.

The PAO chief served as Failon’slawyer after dzMM officials contactedher last Wednesday afternoon tonotarize the sworn statement of thebroadcaster.

“She should not do that whenthere is no court order or mandate fromus. She’s crazy. That’s none of herbusiness,” Gonzalez said.

Lawyer Filomeno Arteche III, acousin of Trinidad, denied earlierreports that the victim is alreadyclinically dead.

“Her vital signs are significantlyimproving and her blood pressure isnormal but she’s not yet out ofdanger,” Arteche said.

He reiterated that no one in theirfamily is blaming Ted Failon right now.“We’re all sad (about the incident).We’re just praying for Trina’s speedyrecovery,” Arteche said.

He said five of Trinidad’s siblings,together with Failon’s sister, are waitingat her hospital room.

He refused to comment if Trinidadhad indeed attempted suicide.

“I haven’t seen any evidence and Ihave no basis to conclude.”

Escape from Karingal?

Police officials said Failonapparently “escaped” from the QCPDwhen he left after giving his statementto investigators.

“Technically he (Failon) slipped outof this office,” said lawyer VimarBarcellano, chief of QCPD.

Investigator Police Officer 3 JoyMarcelo told reporters that Failon’scamp had asked permission fromQCPD-CIDU deputy chiefSuperintendent Gerardo Ratuita toleave the office after giving hisstatement to visit his wife at thehospital.

CONTINUED on Page 9FROM FAILON

Failon’s wife dies after being shot at home

Trying times - Broadcaster Ted Failonwhile being questioned by the police forthe shooting of his wife, Trinidad, rightphoto, shown with daughter Kaye, right.

5790 Cote des Neiges RdSuite A-024MONTREAL, QUEBECH3S 1Y9

PHONE: 514-340-822 (4077)E-Mail: [email protected]



Manny Pacquiao wishedOscar De La Hoya all the best inlife shortly after the Golden Boyannounced his retirement fromboxing Tuesday.

“I am very happy for Oscar andhis family,” Pacquiao said in astatement. “I think he made thecorrect decision.”

Pacquiao, currently theconsensus No.1 pound-for-poundboxer in the planet, turned out tobe De La Hoya’s final opponent.Pacquiao thoroughly beat De LaHoya last December, handing theGolden Boy his fourth loss in hislast seven outings.

Pacquiao was humble in

victory, telling De La Hoya that heis still his idol shortly after theirfight.

The General Santos City-basedsouthpaw also acknowledged DeLa Hoya’s contribution to the sport.

“Fighters of my generation owehim a great debt. I wish himnothing but the best,” he said.

De La Hoya retired with arecord of 39-6, including 30stoppages.

Pacquiao, meanwhile, is still farfrom hanging up his gloves. He isslated to face British star RickyHatton on May 2 (May 3 in Manila)in what could be boxing’s richestfight for 2009. a

Pacquiao pays tribute to De LaHoya

Freddie Roach is betting hishouse that Manny Pacquiao will knockout Ricky Hatton on May 2 in LasVegas.

“Ricky’s a tough guy, but we’llknock him out. I’ll bet my house on it,”Roach told Lance Pugmire of the LATimes Wednesday.

Pacquiao staged a media workoutat the Wild Card Gym that day, a non-sparring day, and did his normal three-hour routine.

Pacquiao is in his last few days ofsparring, and Roach has added somespice by offering $1,000 to anyonewho can knock Pacquiao down.

Since sparring began exactly amonth ago, Pacquiao has thrown hisweight around his sparring partners.

On the first day, he knocked downan undefeated Armenian boxer who

also suffered a cut over his left eye.Two more sparring partners havesuffered the same fate, being knockeddown with head and body shots.

Pacquiao has been sparring latelywith Urbano Antillon, RaymundSerrano, David Rodela and MikeAlvarado, the undefeated juniorwelterweight who has knocked out 18of his 25 opponents.

But he has no luck againstPacquiao, and one week left insparring it seems that Roach will keephis $1,000 in his pocket.

“This will be a quick fight,” Roachadded of the 140-lb fight whereHatton’s IBO junior welterweight crownwill be staked.

“Next week we will enter the

toughest phase in my training and I willhave to start dropping down inweight,” said Pacquiao who still movesaround just a little under 150 lbs.

On Tuesday, Pacquiao will sparearlier than usual because he has toboard a private plane that will take himto San Francisco where he will throwthe ceremonial pitch in the Giantsgame against the San Diego Padres atthe AT&T Park.

Bob Arum of Top Rank said it’s justanother way of drumming up thecoming fight. He said fight teasers willbe all over the ballpark, in thescoreboards and the giant screens.

Pacquiao bobble-head dolls willbe given away to fans. a

Roach sure of KO win, bets house on Pacman

Ratuita did not give Failonpermission, but when the police officialtemporarily left his office, Failon andhis companions left the QCPD-CIDU atpast 7 a.m.

Barcellano said Failon’s camp wasinsisting the broadcaster should bereleased upon giving his swornstatement.

“But until the prescriptive period of72 hours has not lapsed, ourinvestigation is still not finished,” hesaid, noting a lot of verification still hadto be done.

Mabanag said charges ofobstruction of justice should havebeen filed as early as yesterdaymorning against Failon if he hadstayed in the police headquarters.

“He (Failon) was abiding with thecleaning (of the bathroom whereEtong was found and the MitsubishiPajero used to bring the wife to theNew Era General Hospital). He alsosecluded himself from theinvestigation,” Mabanag said.

The househelpers cleaned thecrime scene and they claimed thatthey did it on their own.

“There was a direct order from Tedfor them (househelpers and drivers)not to talk to us,” Mabanag said.

Marcelo said investigators are alsoconsidering the filing of charges ofobstruction of justice against

Trinidad’s sisters Pamela and NancyArteche “because they refused tospeak up.”

Mabanag said there were traces of

blood in the master’s bedroom basedon forensic examination done by theteam of Dr. Filemon Porciuncula.

He said Failon had initially askedthem not to go the master’s bedroomto respect the family’s privacy.

The police official also noted therewere blood traces that did not appear

to be just drops leading to the stairs.Ratuita added that the slug

recovered was deformed, indicatingthat it had hit a blunt object afterpassing through Trinidad’s head.

He noted that there was no bulletmarks on the wall of the bathroomwhere the victim was found.

Investigators said the bullet’strajectory was downward.

Mabanag said investigators havelocated the point of ricochet of thebullet behind the toilet bowl near thearea where the victim was shot.

He said the point of ricochet wasnear the floor and investigators werepuzzled why the point of ricochet wasnot level with the supposed point ofentry of the bullet.

Mabanag also clarified that Failonhad no scratches on his face or abruised nose as earlier reported byinvestigators.

Failon not yet off the hook

Metro Manila police director ChiefSuperintendent Roberto Rosales saidFailon and other members of thehousehold were not yet off the hook,despite testing negative forgunpowder burns.

Dr. Porciuncula said that this wasstill inconclusive to determine ifanyone among them fired a gun.

Police investigators and SOCOwent back to the house of the couplebefore noon yesterday for a secondarysearch.

The family had initially barred thepolice from entering the house, butinvestigators insisted that the house isa crime scene and police have theright to enter.

Upon the arrival of the barangaychair and a lawyer from Failon’s camp,the police were finally allowed to enterthe house.

Justice Secretary Gonzalez alsoordered the Bureau of Immigration toinclude Failon in the bureau’s watchlist to prevent the broadcaster fromslipping out of the country.

Under immigration rules, a personplaced in the watch list would beallowed to leave the country only aftersecuring some requirements such as apolice clearance. The National Bureauof Investigation (NBI) will be assistingthe QCPD in the investigation of thecase.

NBI Director Nestor Mantaring saidGonzalez ordered him to conduct ajoint investigation with the Quezon Citypolice.

Mantaring said the NBI’s SpecialTask Force (STF) led by head agentArnel Dalumpines would coordinatewith the QCPD.a

Failon was taken to police headquartersin connection to the shooting of his wife(top right) - His driver (bottom left) andhousekhelpers were also arrested.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Contact: Grace Yip 514-683-3111 or Michel 514-277-1832

Admission: Free

April 200910



RESTAURANTLA MAISON NEW KUM MO

66556655 CCoottee ddeesskk NNeeiiggeess,,MMoonnttrreeaall,, QQCC ((CCoorrnneerr AApppplleettoonn))

Bean Curd Seafood Soup1/2 Crispy ChickenSalt and Pepper Pork LoinStuffed Bean Curd with ShrimpsSauted Seasonal VegetablesSteamed Rice

$37.954 Persons

FREE DELIVERYMinimum order of $10Del iver y hours:11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

551144--773333--66002299551144--773333--11006677For party menu, call Kenny

Fish Maw Seafood SoupBaked Lobster with GingerSeafood with Chinese BroccoliSaltand Pepper Cuttle FishFried Sea Bass FishSteamed Rice

$58.954 Persons

Bean Curd Soup1/2 Crispy ChickenShrimp Cake with Chinese BroccoliSweet and Sour PorkSeafood with Bean Curd in Hot PotSalt and Pepper SquidFried Sea Bass FishSteamed Rice

$63.956 Persons

Fish maw seafood soup2 Baked Lobsters with GingerSeafood with Eggplant

in Hot PotStuffed Bean Curd with ShrimpSeafood with Chinese broccoliFried Sea Bass FishHouse Fried RiceSpecial Fried Noodles

$125.95

10 Persons

5047 Henri Bourassa EstMontréal, QC H1G 2S1Tel.: (514) 322-3133, 322-3130

6565 Cote des Neiges

Gilmore Alumni ProfileSet a goal and follow your dreams

It’s an inspiring story thatneeds to be told and give others amodel to follow. Rafael Agaloos is oneGilmore alumni that his teachers arevery proud of. He not only followed his

teachers’ goal setting course but healso exceeded them. Now he is on hisway to realize all his dreams.

Rafael graduated from LyceumNorthwestern University in 2000 andobtained his bachelor’s degree innursing. He chose nursing for he knewit could be his passport to go abroad.First he worked in Saudi Arabia as a

nurse for two years. For a short while,he also worked in Israel before comingto Canada in 2004. In 2006, hedecided to enroll in the nursing aideprogram of Gilmore InternationalCollege. Immediately after finishingthe program, he began working onmaking his dream come true – to find away to become his own boss as soonas possible. He asked his teachers to

give him references for which theygladly did as they were aware that thisstudent has a good plan to succeed inlife. In a course taught by Nina Schiffwho was one of his teachers atGilmore, he learned about goal settingand what steps to follow to achievethem. He told his teacher of his owntime limit to achieve his goal. True tohis word, Rafael did and invited all histeachers last December 2008 to attendthe inauguration of his home business.Many of his friends were there, too.

At age 35, Rafael does notmind working hard in order to achievehis financial independence earlier thanmost people. He is optimistic about thefuture and happy to be with his family.His wife works with him in their homebusiness. He also employs two peoplewho assist them during weekends andenable them to take some rest.

In spite of the difficulteconomic situation, Rafael is enjoyingan exceptional way of earning a living.He likes what he is doing and knowswhere he wants to be in a few years.He is prepared to put in long hoursnow to build a solid future for him andhis family.

What is the secret of his

success? He says it is having a goaland following one’s dream. He iscertainly doing what he is preaching.and we are sure that he will besuccessful in whatever career hechooses to follow. a

Rafael Agaloos

Rafael Agaloos is flanked by his teachers (at left) Clarice Mackay and (on the right) JosieToledo during their visit to his home, April 14, 2009.

Nursing Aide students pose with their teachers in front of St. Margaret Residence From left: Amy Manon-og, teacher; Daisy Morales and Daisy Castillo, students; Zenaida Kharroubi, director-general, RafaelAgaloos and Leah Peradilla, students; and Hermie Arguilles, supervisor at St. Margaret.

By Zenaida Ferry KharroubiOPEN HOUSE

Pot Luck LunchSunday, June 13 - 12:00 -3:00 PM

6767 Cote des NeigesScouting ProgramsVideo Presentation

Enroll your children inScouting to learn survival &leadership skills.Beavers, Cubs, Scouts,Venturers (ages 5 to 17)

Be a Scout leader and helpour youth become our leadersof tomorrow.Adult volunteers needed.

LAGING HAND SCOUT GROUP 0592Call for information: 514-485-7861

Philippine Cuisine

2.69lb

Half or Wholepork

Cut & Wrapped

3.49lb

Beef Blade steak

1.29lb

Picnic ham(with bone)

lb

Pork loinApproximately

15 lbs

2.09lb

Front quarter of beefApproximately 200 lbs

3.99lb

Boneless leg of ham

8.79lb 1.99lbPork Spare Ribs

1 litre of fresh

blood with purchase

when available

1/2 pork

2.99lb2.99lb

Beef short ribs

4.79lb

4.89lb10 lbs & over

Regular smokedbacon

� Fresh pork blood

� Fresh bacon

� Fresh liver

� Pork skin

Available

83 Covey Hill, Hemmingford QC J0L 1H0

Tel.: (450) 247-2130 or (450) 247-3561

203

HavelockJackson Road

SherringtonBarrington

Hemmingford219

219

MaloneModers

Covey Hill Road

Boucherie Viau Inc.

Canada

U. S. A.

ParcSafari

Champlain

Class

SortieExit No.6

202 Lacolle

Napierville

St.Chrysostome St. EdouardSt. Remi

15

Fresh Belly with skin

Hours:

Mon. Tue. Wed. - 8 am - 5 p.m.Thu. Fri - 8 am- 6 pm Sat. 8 am-5 pm Closed on Sundays

39 1.

Home smoked meat

11The North American Filipino Star


OTTAWA TULIPS FESTIVAL

When: Sunday, May 17Assembly time: 7 a.m.

Place: Plamondon Metro(Van Horne Exit)

Return to Montreal: 7 p.m.Reserve your tickets now

by calling514-485-7861

Tour includes visit to the Museum of

Civilization

his is a Filipino dish that’s idealto serve when you have non-Filipino guests for dinner. Itlooks great at the dinner tableand does not have exoticingredients that the uninitiatedor the timid may turn awayfrom.

This is a family recipe which Ihave altered mainly in size andin finishing the sauce. I startedthis recipe without exactmeasurements, please use yourindividual taste to guide you.

Mini Morcon:

1 lb. beef round rouladen(about 4 pieces)1/8 c. soy sauce1 tbsp. lemon or calamansijuice1 small onion, chopped1 garlic clove, chopped1 small bay leaf1/2 c. tomato sauceground black pepper

1 hard-boiled egg, sliced1 whole sweet pickle, quarteredlengthwise1 piece chorizo bilbao, cut in 8lengthwise1 thin carrot, quarteredlengthwise or 8 baby carrotsstrips of red pimientos

4 pieces cheddar or queso debola cheese sticks, about 3 by.5 inches

2 tbsps. butter

First, let’s talk about the meat.Round of beef is the best touse. Supermarkets carryrouladen cuts that you can useas is. If you can’t find this, awhole round will do. Using asharp, long knife make thinstrips about 8-10 inches inwidth and 4-6 inches in lengthand an eight of an inch thick.There’s no need to get it paper-thin, it’s harder to roll up whenthe meat is cut too thin.

Marinate the beef in the next 7ingredients. Cover and leaveovernight in the refrigerator.

Next, lay out the rest of theingredients on a plate. On along chopping board, lay outone piece of the beef and add aslice each of the egg, chorizo,cheese, pimiento, pickle, carrotand bacon on one end. Rolltightly and secure with kitchentwine. Repeat.

TIP: Make sure you lay yourstrips of filling parallel to thegrain of the meat.

Heat a wok or stockpot with abit of olive oil over mediumheat. Brown the roulades on allsides. Put in the marinade withthe meat. Add a cup of water.Bring this to a boil and allow tosimmer for an hour. Check forseasonings.

Remove roulades from the potand allow to cool. Meantime,strain and reduce the cookingliquids to about half a cup. Adda tablespoon or two of butterand take off the heat.

When your morcon rolls arecool, cut off kicthen twine. Slicethin and arrange on a plate.Serve with the sauce on theside. a

April 200912



3543 Van Horne AvenueMontreal, QC H3S 1R7Business Hours:Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m. - midnight

Sunday-Monday 11 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.

W ebsite: www.restaurantparthenon.com

For Reservations:Call 514-738-5758

Bring your wineLunch Specials - $6.25 to $9.50

Special Greek Plates, served withgreen salad, rice and tzatziki

The North American

Filipino Star Photo Gallery

SPISAK TEAM514-730-8800

$500Gift Certificatetowards your Notary

Fees if you sell or buyyour property with us.Expires May 31,2009

For all your Real Estate Needs

Call us for Free ConsultationSylvia Adam

Scout Leader Michel Belanger explains the game to the Cubs and Scouts during the LagingHanda group’s regular activity at the FAMAS building, April 18, 2009

International Trade Minister Stockwell Day poses withRafael Tzoubari and the Filipino delegation during his visitto the Synagogue in NDG on April 9, 2009.

The game of getting inside a paper ring is tricky as these kids are realizing.

April 200914



Everyone who has ever beenon the internet or who is planning toput up a home business has heard ofeBay. While many people paythousands of dollar to have a websitebuilt and then thousand more toadvertise it and get traffic, the smartentrepreneurs are going to where thetraffic is already is. Ebay has over400,00 registered users and generatesmillions of dollars in transactions daily.With all this money changing hands,many people have tried getting into thebusiness. Some have been verysuccessful while most have failed.

The reality of pulling someobscure item out of your attic orgarage in search of some rarecollectibles worth thousands does nothappen very often. Having it happenmore than once is almost freakish.Now, you want to know if you canmake money on eBay home business?Absolutely!

But do not expect to get richovernight; you will be disappointed.Building any business takes time,money and effort. If you lack any ofthese ingredients, you will not makeany money at all. Before making thejump into entrepreneurship, askyourself these questions: how muchmoney do I have for buying andshipping supplies, inventory,marketing, eBay fees and unforeseenexpenses? Do I have the energy anddrive to get this business off theground or can I spend more time oncomputer every night answeringemails of potential buyers? Youranswer to these questions will helpdirect you to the right course of action.

You may only have enoughtime and energy to the business aspart-time. This is ok; most peopleselling on Ebay have other jobs. Youhave to pay the bills and it is unlikely

that an eBay startup business willimmediately replace your income.That can take months or years. Moneyis another issue. What was youranswer? Do you have available fundsor are you scraping from paycheck topaycheck. If it is the latter, try selling

unwanted items from your home thatare easy to pack and ship or find alegitimate wholesaler that offers dropshipping with good profits to keep. It isa great way to start to build a businessfund and experience.

Money, time and energy haveall been looked at and you know whereyou stand. What are you going to sell?Here is where most people go awry intheir quest for a successful eBaybusiness. Not everything sells well oneBay. Some items never sell becausethere are 50 other people selling thevery same thing. Before you decide tolist your items, do market research.There are several free resources foryou to use on eBay. Take advantage ofall of them before listing your first item.Correct use of marketing toolsavailable will give you an edge that

others did not bother to look at. Theinformation you glean from thisresearch will be what you will use tocreate your niche in the eBaymarketplace. Are you nuts aboutvintage jeans? Does the word technojunkie fit you? Or are you like me whohave tons of creativity ideas? Combineyour interest with what is hot in asmaller market and you will do well.Don’t try to take on the mass marketerswith ratings in the thousands and aninventory that rivals Wal-Mart, you can’tdo it. Instead find your niche in yourlittle corner in eBay and sell your heartout. It is far better to sell 10 beautifulthrow pillow with unique design orcustomized gift items for a premium,than it is to try to beat out all of thevendors selling the same type of butordinary merchandise for a buck ortwo. In the end your customers willcome to know and trust you. Yourreputation will grow faster and so willyour following. In a short month of timeyou may start to look to expand intothe other personalized items. As youslowly expand and adapt yourbusiness to what is hot in the market orwhatever category you choose, yourprofits and customer base will grow.Eventually you will be in a position thatyou can cut back on your employmentand eventually make the leap into fulltime eBay selling.

Becoming a seller on eBaymeans you can offer your items for saleto a world-wide audience in a safe, fairand enjoyable trading environment.You can have your own place bearingyour own name and communicate withyour customers and display yourproducts or services in a way that youlike. eBay also offers a wide range ofresources and tools that help youdevelop a thriving business, no matterhow large or small. Finally, eBayCommunity resources allow you toconnect with other users to get tips,ask for help, or just have fun.

There are three types of feescharged when selling on eBay: as oftoday;• Insertion Fee - A non-refundable fee will be charged to youraccount when you list your item. Thisranges between C$0.23 (US$0.20) andC$5.60 (US$4.80). From time to time,eBay offers pricing promotions thatallow you to save on insertion fees.

• Additional Option Fee - onlycharged if you choose optional sellerfeatures such as Gallery, FeaturedItem, Highlight, etc.

• Final Value Fee - based uponthe final sale price of your item andonly applicable if your item sells. It isgenerally a small percentage of thefinal selling price of the item

For detailed eBay Selling tips andtutorial, go tohttp://pages.ebay.ca/education/selling.html# and eBAY will explained.

So, can I make money oneBay selling? Yes, you can with a goodbusiness plan and proper motivation.Every business has to be run usingsound and proven business tactics.Take the time to learn how it works.

Take advantage of all the free toolseBay has to offer to you and certainly,you can make money with an eBayhome business. Okay, bye bye fornow! Till next issue. a

Can I make money on eBay Home Business?

forestry cooperative, the Pin RougeSki Center cooperative and thePeribonka sawmill employees'cooperative.What accounts for the number andvigor of cooperatives in Quebec?

The answer: strongorganizational support fromestablished cooperatives and thefederations they have created, alongwith the support and partnership of theQuebec government.

The development of workers'cooperativesRecent changes in law and theemergence of a variety of supportorganizations have improved theclimate for the creation of newcooperatives and the growth of olderones. One major innovation in the1980s was the "Cooperative ofEmployee Shareholders." This newcooperative form resembles theAmerican ESOP in that it permitspartial or total employee ownership offirms, but it continues the one person-one vote structure in the governanceof the employee cooperative. At thesuggestion of the Cooperative Councilof Quebec, the 1997 revisions of theQuebec provincial Law onCooperatives added another new formof cooperative: the "cooperative ofsolidarity." This hybrid form, linkingconsumers and workers in acooperative, allows customers,employees and interested localorganizations to all be members.

Labor cooperatives, owned bytheir workers, have grown to morethan 400 enterprises in Quebec. Theyemploy more than 10,000, with abouthalf of the employment being in theforestry sector. Forestry worker co-opshave originated other worker co-ops inQuebec and have long been strong. Inrecent years, worker cooperativeshave expanded into various and neweconomic sectors, such as ambulanceservices, ski centers, metal industries,and a few high tech firms.

Worker cooperatives havetraditionally been 100% employeeowned, with each member having asingle vote. However, more than 100of the 400 worker co-ops are the newform, a Cooperative of EmployeeShareholders (CES), which purchasesshares and exercises stock votingrights according to its share ofownership. The company strengthensits capitalization and typically enjoys arise in productivity superior to gainsfrom other types of participativemanagement. The employeecooperative gains a share of profitsand access to participation in thedirection of the firm.

The CES form is currentlyexperiencing exponential growth.Firms are attracted to it mainlybecause they have benefited from

From Page 3 Quebec Coops



There could be situations inour life that seem hopeless to get outof. Maybe a family divorce? Laid-offfrom a job? Sickness? Addiction? Orsimply tired of life? Different people,different situations but we can still havethe same denominator: Jesus Christ –the answer to all our difficulties.

We believe that as children ofGod, He does have great plans for usto be prosperous, not to be harmed, tohave hope in life and to have a betterfuture.

Our God is a glorious God. Hisglory is incomparable. By His graceand through His grace, this is whatJesus is Lord (JIL) Church stands for.

We are dedicated to spreadthe love of God to all people regardlessof circumstances and affiliationsknowing that Jesus Christ is there toheal, to save and to deliver.

With this belief, JIL Church ispassionate to sing worship to God andinvite His presence to dwell. Thiscauses our souls to be nourished,encouraged and eventually preparesus to heed the Word of God. And theWord of God is what we ought to holdon to as we walk in this life.

We do testify! We declare howGod heals, restores and blesses everyaspect of our lives all for His glory! Weboldly believe in the power of prayerand we humbly walk with our visions.We do not see them as ‘might’ or‘maybe’. By faith, we walk becausetheir fulfillment is a certainty. As Jesus

Christ epitomizes how we should live inthis world, by His grace, we give as Heenables us, we willingly serve just ashow He served, we love the way Godlove us that He gave His only begottenSon to die for you and for me. We justneed to believe that an everlasting lifeis in store for us.

Should you want to experienceall these, you may come to one of ourSunday services at Jesus Is LordChurch in Decarie Square from 10am-12noon and 3-5pm or at JIL NDG from10-12noon. For more information youmay reach us at 514-373-5178 or atww.jilcanada.com

Jesus Is Lord Church isinviting everyone to the followingactivities:Mother's Day Celebration - May 10th,2pm at 6900 Decarie Square # 217JIL Montreal's 10th Year AnniversaryCelebration - June 7th, 6pm at 6767Cote-des-NeigesArea 10 Camp - July 25-26 at JILPraise Valley Camp, Oaklake OntarioChildren's Camp - August 1-2 at JILPraise Valley Camp, Oaklake OntarioYouth Camp - August 22-23 at JILPraise Valley Camp, Oaklake OntarioJIL12 Encounter - August 29-30 atTrenton OntarioJIL12 Re-Encounter - September 12-13 at Trenton Ontario a

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH

Learn French the fast andeasy way at Gilmore College

Call 514-485-7861

broadening employee participationand they want to go further in workerparticipation. It is also used whencompanies are seeking capital forexpansion, restructuring theenterprise, striving to retain personnel,and consolidating enterprises inresponse to economic difficulties.

Here's how the CES works. Inthis example, the Cooperative ofEmployee Shareholders of Company Xowns 35% of the company stock andother shareholders – in this case XYZ,Inc. owns

65%. Cooperative membersvote their shares of the cooperative ona one member, one vote basis. Butcooperatives are born one by one, andthe presence of support organizationsfacilitates their growth.

Quebec's Model ofCooperative Development In a globaleconomy where individualism appearstriumphant and in a North Americancontext where cooperatives are notpart of the privileged economic model,spreading the cooperative model takeswork. Quebec's new model forcooperative development represents apartnership between the existingcooperatives organized at theprovincial and regional levels and thegovernment of Quebec. Thispartnership has significantly increasedthe rate of co-op formation and growth.

Conseil de la Coopération du Québec– CCQ (Cooperative Council ofQuebec)

The cooperative organizations

of Quebec are brought together at thesectoral level in federations andalliances and at the regional level in theRegional Development Cooperatives.The whole cooperative sector isgathered together by the 60-year oldCCQ. It is the nucleus of cooperationamong all the cooperativeorganizations, and serves as anumbrella organization for 40cooperative federations and alliances,including the federation of 11 RegionalDevelopment Cooperatives.

The CCQ concerns itself withcreating the context and conditionsthat favor the emergence anddevelopment of cooperatives. In thisrole, it works closely with the provincialgovernment, especially theDepartment of Industry and Commercewhich oversees cooperativelegislation, as well as with its membercooperatives.

Regional Development CooperativesQuebec's Regional Develop-

ment Cooperatives (RDC) are second-order cooperatives -- they areassociations of cooperatives. The firstRDCs were set up in 1985 to provideassistance for startup cooperatives.Today there are eleven RegionalDevelopment Cooperatives with about75 professional staff throughoutQuebec's seventeen regions.

The RDCs' mission is topromote cooperative enterprises and

See Page 16 Quebec Cioops

April 200916



Meting is a priority for everysuccessful organization to get results.To make meetings become successful,it requires careful management -before, during, and after the meeting.Meeting can be very productive andthey can also be a waste of time. Toschedule and hold a meeting isexpensive when we account for thetime of the people attending especiallyhere in Canada where almost everyone of us is busy.

Just like any businessorganization, cooperatives alsoconduct its meeting schedules bothmonthly and annually. Normally, theBoard of Directors (BOD) of the coopholds their meeting once a month andall coop owner-members gather once ayear - and it’s called the generalassembly (GA). Sometimes, a coopcalls up for an emergency meeting forsome urgent agenda or to solve aproblem.

Brainstorming is veryimportant for cooperatives to combineideas from one another as the sayinggoes “Two heads are better than one.”Officers of the coop should meet everymonth or whenever the need arises toplan or to work on a problem and findsolutions together.

The general meeting orgeneral assembly is a good venuewhere the officers could present thecoop’s performance and their futureplans. Major decisions that affect thecoop need members’ approval tobecome successful. Also, the generalassembly or GA is the chance of thecoop owner-members to air grievancesand suggestions. As owners, it is theirtime to talk and listen.

Effective meetings thatproduce results, begin with meetingplanning. Then, decide what we hopeto accomplish by holding the meeting.Establish doable goals for a coopmeeting. The goals we set willestablish the framework for an effectivemeeting plan. Once we’ve developedour meeting plan, ensure that ameeting is the appropriate vehicle foraccomplishing the set goals. The BODmakes the effort to determine that ameeting is the best opportunity tosolve problems, improve the process,or make an ongoing plan.

Some coop leaders usemeetings to get results following thesimple “Three I” format- “Inform,Involve, and Implement.” A Coop willnot get good output if coop officersdon’t inform and involve the members.And it’s important that before theofficers jumpstart major projects, theyshould inform and involve the

members prior to implementation.Collaboration is necessary becausecoop members are the owners and atthe same time the customers whopatronize the coop’s services. Withoutthe members’ participation andcooperation, the coop will not function. Usually, coop officers use“Parliamentary Procedures” duringmeetings so that every member of theboard could have their time to sharetheir views and ideas.

A meeting has to have: apurpose, an agenda, and a timeframe.Coop officers should be able to definethe purpose of the meeting (e.g. "Thismeeting is to plan the new marketingstrategy"). That way everyone knowswhy they are there, what needs to bedone, and how to evaluate if they aresuccessful.

In normal conditions, theChairman of the Board presides themeeting and the person responsible tospeak or moderate the discussion. TheChairman lists the items the board isgoing to review and discuss; sets atime limit to each agenda item. At thevery least, set a start and end time.Setting duration for each item in theagenda could also save time. Theseshould total to the overall meetingtimeframe.

Meetings need to start on time.Don't wait for stragglers to show up.When someone arrives late, don't goback and review what has alreadybeen covered. That just wastes thetime of the people who showed up ontime for the meeting. The neededattendees must be available to attendthe meeting. Postpone the meetingrather than holding a meeting without aquorum. If necessary, consult thecoop’s by-laws or the Coop Act (Law)what constitutes a quorum. These twodocuments should be present everymeeting as a guide.

Someone should keepminutes of the meeting. How detailedthey should be depends on the natureof what is being discussed and the skillof the available minutes-taker. Theminutes-taker can use the agenda asan outline. The minutes should recordwho attended, what was discussed,any agreements that were reached,and any action items that wereassigned.

The minutes of the meetingshould be distributed to all whoattended, any invitees who did notattend, and anyone else effected bythe discussion. Distributing theminutes informs those not at themeeting with regards to the progressthat was made and reminds everyone

Jerry Estrada

Sharing ideasfor a better life

MeetingsBy

Jerry Estrada

of their action items.If the board of directors

neglects any one of these meetingmanagement opportunities, theirmeetings will not bear the fruit and theycould not achieve the expected,positive, and constructive outcomes. Disagreements and arguments duringmeetings could not be avoidedbecause opponents and coopsupporters all carry a picture in theirheads of how things should work. Either you were raised barefoot andpoor or middle class; highly educatedor unschooled, let’s always rememberthat during meetings, we are there tolearn from one another. A counter-productive person who attends ameeting is not our enemy. Our realenemy is poverty. We attend coopmeetings so that we could share ourideas and work together to helpourselves and other people for a betterlife. a

provide an association for existingcooperatives. Their purpose can besummarized in five mandates. (1) Planand carry out activities like CooperationWeek to promote the formation of morecooperatives. (2) Supply technicalassistance to cooperativeentrepreneurs for the start up orexpansion of a cooperative enterprise.(3) Promote familiarity with successfulcooperatives in various social andeconomic organizational settings andamong the general public. (4) Organizemini-conferences, seminars andtraining adapted to the needs ofparticular cooperatives. (5) Getinvolved beyond the cooperative worldin other regional economicdevelopment projects with bothgovernmental and private partners.

In providing technicalassistance, the RDCs generally workwith start-ups, but they also do someownership transition work in assistingemployees to form Cooperatives ofEmployee Shareholders, which mayinclude buying from retiring owners.For funding these startups andbuyouts, they turn to the Desjardinscredit unions for loans and to thecooperative development funds ofInvestment Quebec for loanguarantees.

The RDCs bring togethercooperative organizations to form acooperative network in each region,and they encourage coordinated actionat a regional level. On specific projects,they can include employers,governments, labor unions andeducational institutions as partners.Each institution can share a role inconcrete projects of economicdevelopment.

The RDC's mission is topromote cooperative enterprises andhelp existing cooperatives to formorganizations. In 1999, the RDCscreated more than 175 newcooperative enterprises, representingmore than 1500 jobs created orretained in Quebec, compared to 15per year a decade ago.

The Regional DevelopmentCooperatives are supported bycooperatives in the region and receive

government funds for job creation -- ifthey create jobs through startups. Inrecent years, the provincial governmenthas reimbursed the RDCs $2000 perjob created in new cooperatives, up toa cap that was regularly hit. In practice,the CCQ has a contract with thegovernment for job creation, with mirrorcontracts with each RDC. The CCQfacilitates and co-administers theprogram with the government.

Gouvernement du Québec(The Government of Quebec)Working with the cooperative sector,Direction des Coopératives (Office ofCooperatives), within the QuebecMinistry of Industry and Commerce,encourages new cooperatives and thegrowth of existing cooperativeenterprises in the province. It issuesregulations, compiles statistics, andoffers programs to sustain thedevelopment of cooperation. Thisincludes the System CooperativeInvestment Tax Incentive (Régimed'investissement Coopératif), explainedbelow. It sometimes assists in providingexperts from different cooperativesectors and offering legalinterpretation. It may provide or supporttraining, and it publishes practicalguides for cooperative leaders. Thegovernment's services and partnershipare really helpful to develop thecooperative movement.

Investissement Québec(Investment Quebec) Thisgovernmental corporation has themission of encouraging the growth ofinvestment in Quebec. Generally itfocuses on financing smaller andmedium-sized businesses. InvestmentQuebec has developed a number ofdifferent funds, including a $140 millionfund specifically for the cooperativesector. Interestingly, the cooperativefund is the most successful of thesesectoral funds in having the lowestlosses. Further, Investment Quebec hasa vice-president for Development ofCooperatives and the Social Economy.The Vice-President and staff arededicated to the financing ofcooperatives and similar enterprises.

Investment Quebec primarilyprovides loan guarantees and loans.The Coop Guarantee is a universalfinancial product that provides aguarantee to repay a financialinstitution a percentage of any net lossresulting from a financial commitmentto a cooperative. This flexible productmakes loans to cooperatives moreattractive to financial institutions byreducing their risk. (Editor's Note:Curiously, the labor-sponsored QuebecSolidarity Fund [see Owners at Work,Summer 1995, pp.14-15], which nowhas about $4 billion in assets, does notparticipate in financing the cooperativesector. On the other hand, the newerlabor-sponsored Fondaction, withabout $200 million in assets, which issponsored by the Catholic unions,helps to finance cooperativedevelopment.)

Investment Quebec's co-oplending is increasingly active. During1999-2000, more than 128 new loansand loan guarantees were authorized,an increase of 36% over the year

From Page 15 Quebec Coops

See Page 17 Quebec Coops



Global PositioningSystem (GPS)

It is a wonderful feeling tocome out from a long sabbatical fromthe Filipino Star “Ask the Video Guy”.Since my last column with the Star,there were plenty of newdevelopments and discoveries in therealm of consumer technology whichis available for domestic and businessuse.

The most commonly used isthe GPS. Three years ago, I bought myfirst GPS because I needed a guide tonavigate through the maze of dirt roadin the Eastern town of Ontario namedOsgoode. I had a wedding video of arustic, outdoor scene where the bridecame from a 50 ft yacht to meet hergroom waiting in the dock. It is one ofthose unique weddings which I couldnot resist filming.

The GPS made by Garwin wason sale for $199 from Bureau En Gros.The operating manual was easy tounderstand and in 15 minutes ofsetting it up, I was up and ready to go.The GPS has many features that canmake your driving easy andinformative. One of my favorites is the“Point of Interest” or POI features. Youcan check on banks, hotels, parks,restaurants and many more places. Itwill indicate these places as you drivealong to your intended route. It alsohas voice instructions which you canchoose among the many voices of afemale and male. It also indicates theapproximate time of arrival, theduration of your trip and your averagespeed.

The GPS came a long wayfrom its conception. It was first used bythe United State Navy using aconstellation of five satellites to providea navigational fix once per hour. Afterthe Korean Air Lines Flight 007 wasshot down in 1983 after straying intothe USSR’s prohibited airspace,President Ronald Reagan issued adirective making GPS freely availablefor civilian use as a common good.

The GPS works by a series ofcalculation between the GPS receiverand the GPS satellites high above theearth. Normally four satellites arerequired for operations but three isenough to solve for positions. Thefourth one is used to solve positionalerror caused by signal propagation ofthese satellites.

The measurements can bederived by calculation of the distancefrom your receiver to these satellitesincluding the speed and displacementof the device. It is called trilateration.It’s a method of determining theintersections of three sphere surfacesgiven the centers and the radii of thethree spheres.

Like any device it also hassome imperfections. Most of the time it

is the fault of the users. For example, Iwanted to go to 778 42nd Est Montrealin Pointe-au-Trembles. We all knowthat it is in the East end and part ofMontreal. I typed in the city which isMontreal and the street 42nd East andthe house number. The GPS rapidlycalculates and directs you to 42ndEast in St. Michel district. I realize laterthat the city is suppose to be Pointe-au-Trembles.

You should know yourgeography or at least oriented to yourdestination. You should have a mentalpicture of the distance of your car inrelation to your next turn. For example.The GPS will tell you that you have 800meters before you turn right

In general, 800 meters isalmost a kilometer or every lamp postis 100 meters apart

This means you should beready to turn by slowing down, bycounting the lamp post or looking atyour position in your GPS. If you missthe turn, don’t worry. It will re-calculateand guide you to the nearest route toyour destination.

I should also warn you not toleave your GPS on your windshield.My first GPS was stolen by breakingthe side window and taking the devicewithout the power supply.

There are many models tochoose from. I have purchased 4 GPSand each has its pros and cons. Myfavorite GPS is made by Garmin. Veryreliable and plenty of features andaffordable. My 2nd choice is TomTom.Packaging and manuals remind me ofApple products. It’s just a class! Veryaffordable. I have trouble withMagellan. The model I got is expensivebecause of the large screen but theylack vital information during the time Ibought it two years ago. I was lookingfor Peel street in Montreal and I couldnot believe that I did not locate it. Idownloaded their new software andeven called their support staff. Theythemselves cannot locate Peel Street. Ireturned it for another Garmin.

In my next article, I shallpresent to you the latest video cameraand techniques.

Please feel free to suggest anytopic in regards to technology in mediaand consumer products.

Have a Spring Day in April,Al [email protected](514) 264-8706 a

Ask theVideo Guy

Al Abdon

before. These represented $36 millionof financing. As of March 31, 2000, theco-op portfolio totaled $140 million infinancing. The loan loss rate on co-oploans compares favorably to that ofnon-cooperative private enterprises.One explanation lies in a recent studyconducted by the Ministry of Industryand Commerce and presented by theMinister, Mr. Guy Julien, in August 1999at the congress of the InternationalCooperative Alliance in Quebec. Thestudy demonstrated that cooperativeshave a higher survival rate thancomparable, non-cooperativeenterprises. Co-op startups are twiceas likely to celebrate their 10th birthdayas conventionally owned privatebusinesses.

Still, co-ops do get intofinancial difficulties. When its investeecooperatives get into trouble,Investment Quebec can take boardseats and appoint experts to advise theenterprise.The Cooperative Investment TaxIncentives

The purpose of the SystemCooperative Investment Tax Incentive(SCI) (Régime d'investissementCoopératif) is to encourage thecapitalization of cooperativeenterprises through investment bymembers and workers. Cooperativeworker/members can deduct fromtaxable income up to 150% of anyinvestment in cooperatives. Thisprovincial tax incentive was put inplace in 1985; from 1985-1999,members have invested more than$170 million in producer and workercooperatives. In 1997, the SCI had itsbest performance ever, with recordinvestment of $25.5 million for the year,an increase of 33% over 1996. Ofdeposits from 10,301members/workers of eligiblecooperatives, averaging $2,480, sixty-three percent of the investments weremade in worker cooperatives. The 160participating cooperatives had totaldeposits averaging $160,000. Depositsfrom the forestry cooperatives, whichwere having an especially good year,more than doubled from 1996 to 1997.A Quebec Style of Development

The new Quebec model forcooperative development hasdeveloped over the past fifteen years. Ithas been driven by the cooperativemovement itself in partnership with theprovincial government. The CCQ hasbeen responsible not just for strategicplanning but also for implementationthrough its coordination of efforts andencouragement of the establishment ofRegional Development Cooperatives.The RDCs do the work of cooperativedevelopment in the field, with about55% of their costs covered byprovincial job creation contracts. Theprovincial government also supportsthrough tax incentives and its loan andloan guarantee programs. Togetherthis partnership has created thousandsof permanent jobs and dramaticallyincreased the number of cooperatives.It is recognized as the cheapest jobcreation model in Quebec.

From Page 16 Quebec CoopsFighting for Our LocalVoicesThe Hon. Jack Layton, M.P. P.C.Leader of the New Democratic Party ofCanada

There’s something reassuringabout a familiar face, a face from yourown community, on the television or theirvoice on the radio. You turn on the newsand you know you’re hearing the storiesthat matter. National and internationalcoverage is always there, but so too arethe events of our daily lives, that giveshape to your community.

Whether its news about thelocal hockey teams, the weather in yourregion, or important developments in theregional economy, local news keeps youin the loop. I know how important thosevoices can be. In my travels to meet withCanadians, I often turn to local news forinsight into the what’s happening in yourpart of Canada. From Victoria toSudbury to Charlottetown to Whitehorse,local voices matter.

But those voices aredisappearing and the Harpergovernment is content to let themvanish. We saw that this week with itstreatment of the CBC, our publicbroadcaster.

On Wednesday, after the Harpergovernment refused to provide $100m inbridging finance, the CBC announced800 lay-offs. Regional stations will seefewer resources and scaling back ofcoverage. For many, those CBCbroadcasts are the only ones giving younews and weather from your community.

For years now, the CBC hasrelied on advertising dollars to stayafloat. Starved of funding byConservatives and Liberals,broadcasting American shows alongsideCanadian content was a necessity.

Now that the recession iscutting ad spending and competition isheating up, the CBC finds itself strappedfor cash. It needed $100 million dollars inbridging finance to see it through difficulttimes, but Stephen Harper and his teamrefused to provide it.

I believe – New Democratsbelieve – that CBC should receive thosebridging funds, and that the organisationneeds longer term reform to make itserve your needs better. StephenHarper’s refusal to deliver those funds isa slap in the face not just to the workerswho will be thrown out of their jobs, butto every community in Canada that relieson the CBC.

Instead of assisting the CBC,the government is talking about bailingout private networks. The samenetworks that expanded too fast, boughtand then closed local stations, declaringthem unprofitable.

You know, I’d rather see thoseprivate networks live up to the rules oftheir broadcasting licenses and deliverfor local communities. Any assistance forthose broadcasters should come withthe requirement for revitalising regionalstations.

To date, Stephen Harper andHeritage Minister James Moore haveturned a deaf ear to the crisis in localbroadcasting. They’ve turned theirbacks on the small communities thatmake this country so rich and strong.

You can change that. Makeyour voice heard by this government –and keep your voices on the air in yourcommunity. a

April 200918



ABS-CBN anchor Korina Sanchezis on a roll and continues to hit thewinning streak as she won accoladesfrom various award-giving bodiesrecently including the prestigious NewYork Festivals. Korina's daring investigative report onthe substandard food supplementsbagged the coveted Silver MedalAward at the NYF. “You really have to look and write yourstories from the eyes of the worldnowadays. I have always thought thatthe story on food supplement wouldcatch the attention of the westernmedia because it’s something unheardof,” explained Korina. Not only did Korina proved herfearlessness in exposing the story, butshe also proved to have the nose fornews and the heart to serve the publicand champion consumer issues,which make her unprecedented in thisindustry for 25 years now. “I can smell a story from mile away. Ican see what the best angle is. It justcomes with the experience,” she said. But despite her excellence in the field,

Korina remained grounded and stillputs best foot forward in every storyshe makes. “I’m a firm believer that nobody isindispensable in this industry. Youhave to stay focused, keep learning,and work very, very hard. This is not aglamorous job, but I must say this isthe best job in the world,” said Korina,the 2008 Ka Doroy Brodkaster of theYear given by the Golden DoveAwards. Aside from bagging the Silver Award,her expose on a wiretapping tappingincident also gave her a Best NewsReporter finalist nod. Her magazineprogram “Rated K” was also finalist forthe Best Magazine Format category atthe NYF. On the next episode of "Rated K,"Korina shares various human intereststories that happened in the beautifulisland of Puerto Princesa. Find outmore about the mysterious andmiraculous well in Brgy. Inagawan, theP50 million worth mansion of NickHernandez, and interesting story ofRonnie Dabal, a fisherman who was

Korina Sanchez, Grand SlamQueen in Philippine broadcasting

FFIILLIIPPIINNOO SSTTAARRSS HH OO WW BB II ZZ GG OO SS SS II PP

Willie is Yes! magazine mostpowerful entertainer

Entertainment magazine Yes!listed Wowowee host Willie Revillameas the most powerful entertainer inlocal show business.

“As many people adore Willie asdisapprove of him – but nobody can beindifferent to him,” the magazine said.

Yes! said the comedian’s noontimeshow Wowowee as the “persistentthorn in Eat Bulaga!’s side.” EatBulaga! is the longest noontime showin the country.

It also cited Willie’s “global” status

with his popularity among Filipinoworkers abroad.

“What’s even more amazing is hisaudience’s continued adulationdespite the negative issues that houndhim to this day, foremost of which isthe deadly 2006 stampede at the Ultrastadium that marked his show’sanniversary,” the magazine said.

Willie denied reports that he earnsP1 million a day from his home studio.

“Hindi ako kumikita ng ganungkalaki....Babayaran ba ako ng ABS-CBN ng ganun? Kumita man ako ngpiso o isang milyon, sinisikap ko napareho pa rin ang aking performancedahil maraming sumasaya sa pera nayan,” he said.

The 48-year-old TV hostdownplays his status. “Wala namanakong power, e. Ang power lang naibinibigay ko siguro dito is yunghappiness to the people, not just in thePhilippines, but also abroad.”

Willie is followed in the entertainerscategory by Kris Aquino, John LloydCruz, Robin Padilla, Marian Rivera,Richard Gutierrez and DingdongDantes. a

Willie Revillane

saved from death by 30 dolphins. Other awards she received in the pastyear include the Broadcaster of theYear for Television from the ManilaRotary Club Journalism Awards; BestAnchorwoman and Best AM RadioAnnouncer from the UPLB GandinganAwards; Best Magazine Show Hostfrom the KBP Golden Dove Awards;and the No 1. Preferred/Children-Friendly TV Personality from the AnakTV Seal Awards. “These awards validate everything ajournalist sacrificed for. It’s an

affirmation that you’re doing the rightthing. But you can only bask in theglory of every award for a very shorttime. You’re only good as your lastreport. People will remember yourmistake, not your NYF,” she said. Catch Korina Sanchez on TFC in"Bandila" and “Rated K.” She also goeson board DZMM with Ted Failon in“Tambalang Failon at Sanchez,” to talkabout the latest issues affecting thePhilippines

a

As in past elections, it will beanother star-studded affair come 2010.Celebrities, banking on theirpopularity, are expected to join thebiggest show in town.

For the vice presidential post,Senator Francis Pangilinan hasindicated he is eyeing the No. 2 post.But he is still undecided on whether he

will run as independent candidate orunder a political party.

The husband of Sharon Cunetabelongs to the Liberal Party but is notin good terms with the partyleadership. He ran as an independentin the 2007 senatorial elections.

Heading the list of senatorialaspirants are three actors seeking asecond six-year term: Senators Ramon"Bong" Revilla Jr., Jinggoy Estrada andLito Lapid.

Bong, who had earlier indicated hewould seek the vice presidency,recently announced that upon theadvice of his father, former SenatorRamon Revilla Sr., he was shelving hisVP ambitions and will instead seekreelection next year.

Meanwhile, a survey showed thattelevision personalities Edu Manzano,Willie Revillame and Korina Sanchezare potential strong contenders in thesenatorial race on account of theirpopularity.

TV host-actor and now DangerousDrugs Board chief Vicente “Tito” SottoIII, a former two-term senator, isexpected to run again in 2010 after amiserable showing in the 2007senatorial election. a

Celebrities in 2010 Elections

Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr.

Korina Sanchez




Jake and Gerald supported RotaractManila’s SALUDO SA SUNDALO ATKAPAMILYA project

The lead actors of ABS-CBN's top-rating TV series Tayong Dalawa, JakeCuenca and Gerald Anderson, gave apart of their total winnings in KapamilyaDeal or No Deal to the Cancer patientsof the AFP Medical Center.

Gerald and Jake donated 400,000pesos for the project spearheaded bythe Rotaract Club of Manila, dubbed asSaludo sa Sundalo at Kapamilya.

Saludo sa Sundalo at Kapamilya is

a continuation of Rotaract Manila'sprogram for cancer patients of the AFPMedical Center. The project supportsselected soldiers and children ofsoldiers who are undergoing treatmentfor cancer.

“Masarap ang pakiramdam pagnakakatulong. Sure kami (ni Jake) namalaki rin ang maitutulong ng halagangito sa mga cancer patients,” Geraldexpressed.

”Kahit papano ay na-feel narinnamin kung papaano maging sundalo.Mahirap talaga, papaano pa kaya yungmga sundalong dumaranas ng cancer.Kaya naman, nararapat lang silangtulungan,” Jake shared.

Continue to watch the high-ratingseries of ABS-CBN, Tayong Dalawa,weeknights after I Love Betty La Fea.

For more updates, log on towww.abs-cbn.com orhttp://tayongdalawatv.multiply.com. a

Kris Aquino hosts the newestgame show on TFC

The Queen of Game Shows KrisAquino hosts the newest and literally,the biggest ABS-CBN game show -"Pinoy Bingo Night".

The latest offering from the gameshow capital of Philippine TV bringstogether an interesting cast. KrisAquino leads the pack with herexpertise and charming candidness.To provide additional excitement andfun, she will be joined by Mel Felicianoand Brod Pete, who play the roles of“commissioner” and “bingo caller,”respectively.

Mel is the former choreographerof ‘90s dance group “Solid GoldDancers” who is now a floor directorfor ABS-CBN game shows like“Kapamilya, Deal or No Deal,” and“The Singing Bee.” He is tasked tolook over the studio audienceparticipants and verify their “Bingo”claims.

Brod Pete, meanwhile, is one ofthe country’s most recognized andrespected comedians. The witty funnyman is expected to call the numbers

the way Filipinos normally do in malls,carnivals, and in homes. He aims toinfuse more of the Filipino flavor to“Pinoy Bingo Night,” which is thePhilippine version of America’s“National Bingo Night.”There will be 402 studio players vyingfor over P2 million every weeknightinside the most hi-tech set ever in thehistory of game shows in the country,while home viewers in the Philippinesalso get a chance to win an instantprize daily.

Filipinos from all over the worldcan expect a grand time as they join inthe fun of “Pinoy Bingo Night,” only onTFC. a

Kris Aquino hosts Pinoy Bingo Night

King John Lloyd & Queen Sarah

It’s official: John Lloyd Cruz andSarah Geronimo are Box-Office King &Queen for 2008.

The Guillermo Mendoza MemorialScholarship Awards, which has beengiving out the Box-Office EntertainmentAwards for 40 years, has released its2008 list in 26 categories.

Heading the awardees are JohnLloyd and Sarah, who were cited forthe phenomenal box-office success oftheir first movie team-up last year, AVery Special Love, under Star Cinema.

Sarah was also declared FemaleConcert Performer of the Year for herSRO: The Next One concert and

Female Recording Artist of the Year forher double-platinum album, The NextOne.

KC Concepcion is the recipient ofthree awards: Princess of PhilippineMovies & TV, Most Promising FemaleStar of Movies & TV, and New FemaleRecording Artist of the Year (MostPromising Singer).

Richard Gutierrez and MarianRivera were given the special awardsValentine Box Office-King and Queen,respectively, for their 2008 Valentinemovie, My Best Friend's Girlfriend.

Other awardees were:Film Actor of the Year - Christopher

de Leon (Magkaibigan)Film Actress of the Year - Sharon

Cuneta (Caregiver)Prince & Princess of Philippine

Movies & TV - Richard Gutierrez & KCConcepcion (For The First Time)

Male Concert Performer of the Year- Gary Valenciano (Gary Live@25)

Most Popular Love Team of Movies& TV - Gerald Anderson & Kim Chiu a

Sarah Geronimo & John Lloyd Cruz

Cuisine de ManilleRestaurant

MOTHER’S DAYBUFFET SPECIAL

MAY 10, 200911:30 am-2:30 pm, 5:30-8 pm

12 dishes with lechon$10.00 tax included.

REGULAR BUFFETSaturday & Sunday

11:30 am-2:00, 5:00-8:00 pm

8 dishes$10.00 tax included

Available - Special Halo-Halo

5710 Victoria Avenue corner Cote St. CatherineMontreal, Quebec H3W 3H2

Telephone: 514-344-3670Mon-Friday 12:00-9:00 pm Saturday-Sunday 11:30-9:00 pm

April 200920



Showbiz Gossip Continued from p.19

Aubrey Miles admits having an8 Year old son

This week’s highlight over at SNN

was Aubrey Miles’ admission of havingan 8 year old son with her formerboyfriend. In an interview with BoyAbunda, a crying Aubrey Miles finallytold the world that she had an 8 yr oldson.

Kris Aquino knew this secret for afew years now and told that sheunderstood why the need to keep thisa secret.

In the showbiz industry specially ifyou are categorized as a “sexy star”, itis a must that one is single, unmarried,available, and no kinds at all. The“likeability” and the “expectancy” ofany sexy star fans dictate this.

Bachelor guys wouldn’t wantsome mom being packaged as such astar so as a struggling mom, Aubreyhad no choice but to keep her son asecret just to put food on the table. a

Aubrey Miles

Singing sensation Charice marksher Hollywood debut in 20th CenturyFox movie Alvin and the Chipmunks2.

Charice has finished shooting herscenes in Los Angeles. She uses her

name and plays herself in the movie,which is due for release in January.

“It’s a dream come true for me,”she told Philippine Star entertainmentcolumnist Ricky Lo. “My mom is a bigfan of the Chipmunks and that’s howI got to know the group.”

“It’s not a big role but the fact thatit’s a Hollywood movie is already abig deal for me,” she added.

One scene in the movie showsCharice representing her school at asinging contest in which she singsthe Alicia Keys song No One,competing with other contestantsthat include The Chipmunks.

Charice said she auditioned forthe role, “kasi nga fan ako ngChipmunks.” The Chipmunksdirector saw her on Oprah Winfrey’sshow and he liked her performance.

“That’s why he said he wantedme to be in his movie,” she said. a

Charice in Chipmunks Movie

Charice

Dieter-Kristine affair is aclosed Chapter

Two years after going theirseparate ways and a month after theircivil marriage was annulled by thecourt, Diether Ocampo and KristineHermosa are now moving on with theirown lives and have no more contactwith each other.

Diet, who is very open about hisrelationship with non-showbiz

girlfriend Rema Ostwani, said his pastwith Kristine is over.

“Bakit, kailangan pa ba? Tapos nayun. Dumaan na kami sa stage nakahit wala na kami, there's stillcommunication, and at this point,dapat wala na. Puwera na lang siguropag nagkikita kami sa mga events orsa Star Magic, pero ganun na lang,” hesaid.

He said he tried to work things outbetween him and Kristine but to noavail. “Like I've said, tapos na akodiyan, I gave myself an opportunity todo something about it, and didn't workout, so I moved on.”

For her part, Kristine is beinglinked to Oyo Sotto. The two are veryclose and are often seen together butthey maintain that they are just verygood friends. Oyo, however, admitsthat Kristine is a good wife material. a

Diether Ocampo & Kristine Hermosa

Have Gabby & SharonReconciled?

This is the $64-million question inshowbiz circles after GabbyConcepcion disclosed to reporters thathe and estranged wife Sharon Cunetafinally had a face-to-face meeting aftertheir separation. It happened lastMarch 16 at Sharon’s dressing room atABS-CBN, he said..

“Just like I said before, nag-uusapna naman kami ni Sharon. Nagkitakami for the first time dahil nga sastation ID ng ABS-CBN. Inalam kokung nandun siya, nagpunta ako sadressing room niya, kinumusta ko siya.Sandali lang, but it's a very happyfeeling. Ang daming words to put thatfeeling, but overall it was really, reallygood feeling to see her again. Nag-usap kami uli after all those storms thatpassed,” Gabby told PEP (PhilippineEntertainment Portal).

Gabby, who returned to the

country last year to resume hisshowbiz career after a 13-yearabsence, is in the cast of the teleseryeMay Bukas Pa. He is slated to do a TVproject with Lorna Tolentino and JohnEstrada.

“I'm ecstatic, siyempre lahat ngnangayayari sa akin ng 2009, happyako dahil yung mga projects na yun,napag-aralan nang husto,” he said.“I'm so thankful nga na may mgaproject ako na ganun kagaganda nahindi ko naman ine-expect.”

Last Jan. 6 during the birthdayconcert of Sharon at the AranetaColiseum, Gabby sent a special videomessage to his ex-wife upon theinstigation of their daughter, KCConcepcion, who has been wishing fortheir reconciliation. a

Sharon Cuneta & Gabby ConcepcionKristine Hermosa admits OyoBoy is special

Despite denying for the nth timethat she and Oyo Boy Sotto are in aserious relationship, actress KristineHermosa still admitted on Sunday thatthe actor is “definitely in my heart.”

During “The Buzz’ Tough 10Questions,” Hermosa was asked byhost Boy Abunda if she and Sotto werealready an item. Hermosa replied:“No, Tito Boy. Baka gusto mong i-rephrase, kasi no talaga.”

When Abunda prodded how shewould rephrase the question, theactress said while laughing: “Bakagusto mong itanong sa akin kungnasaan siya sa puso ko?”

The “Maruja” star’s answer to therephrased question was: “Iisa lang angpuso ko at definitely nasa puso kosiya.”

“Mag-isa lang ba siya sa pusomo?” Abunda said.

“Nag-iisa,” the actress replied,eliciting cheers from the studioaudience.

The actress also confessed thatSotto is among those who are makingher happy right now. a

Kristine Reyes



The North American Filipino Star Classified AdsDRIVING

Quebec certified driving instructorwith 11 years experience in giving

driving lessons. Exam caravailable

Toton 514-969-9622

ADVERTISING TECHNICIANHaving computer problems?

Call (514) 770-4066, 342-3066An experienced Filipino computertechnician can come to your place

at a very reasonable rate

Cheapest way to advertise!Heading + 1 line of text =$10Additional line - $2 per line

Please send text by e-mail to:[email protected]

and we will let you know cost ofyour ad. Please prepay your

ads in person or by mail.

Office cleaners for West Island, carneeded, work Mon-Fri after 6 pm

Michael call 514-624-3437

CLEANERS

TRAVEL TOURS

www.ptncanada.com/ferrytraveltoursCommitted to yourtraveling pleasureCall 514-485-7861

for any of your travel needs,airfare, cruises, car rental,vacation & honeymoon

packages, hotels, anywhere around the world

Daily specials to populardestinations &

Business travel oneconomy price

Licensed driving instructor with many-years

experience and tips on how topass the road test. Save your

time. Exam car available.Jason 514-691-1816.

BOURRET-VICTORIA3½, 4½ $550+ Heat, h/wReno. Appl. Elev. Metro

(514) 735-2985 (514) 575-4691WE SPEAK TAGALOG

CDN APTS. FOR RENT

P.A.B.Sunday Class available8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

starting May 2, 2009To register, please call

514-485-7861

NURSING AIDE

Cleaning company seekingcleaners, pref. w/experience

Call 514-731-9682

COMMERCIAL CLEANERS

English, French, Spanish,Mandarin, Filipino (Tagalog)

Small groups or semi-private,flexible schedules, call for appt.

to register, 514-485-7861

LANGUAGECOURSES

Valerie Concepcion andRoxanne Guinoo confirmed thatthey are leaving all-femalecomedy show Banana Split.The show announced that anew set of cast will beintroduced for the secondseason of Banana Split butreports said the contracts ofConcepcion and Guinoo werenot renewed. Both Concepcionand Guinoo confirmed thereport during the pressconference of upcoming

television series PreciousHearts Romance.

Nakikipag-negotiate sila samanager ko about my budgettapos hindi sila nagkasundo.Dinecide na huwag na lang[ituloy], Concepcion said.

Guinoo, on the other hand,admitted that it was the decisionof ABS-CBN management toremove her from the show.

Wala talaga akongmaipapaliwanag tungkol issue.Ganon talaga, may ma-re-retain, may kailangang ilipatsa[ibang] shows, she said.

Their co-stars, AngelicaPanganiban and Cristine Reyes,meanwhile, said they weresaddened by this newdevelopment.

Nakakalungkot dahil hindibiro yong ginagawa namingtrabaho pero nasa ABSCBN [padin naman] kaming lahat,Panganiban said.

For Reyes, she would misstheir bonding moments.Tumatakas pa kami,nagpupunta kami ng spakumakain kami. Nagkakaroonkami ng bonding, Reyes said. a

Valerie, Roxanne leavingBanana Split

Valerie Concepcion

Robin: I’m immoral, I can’tbe a politician

Action star Robin Padilla hasdispelled rumors that he isrunning for an elective positionin Mindanao next year with astraight-forward explanation.

“Naku sir, imoral ako. Hindipo ako pwedeng politician. I'man immoral man,” Robin toldPEP (Philippine EntertainmentPortal).

He admitted that he has

been approached by numerousindividuals and groups urginghim to run in 2010. “Marami po.Pero okay na po na ako ay siTotoy Bato,” he said, referring tohis new television series.

According to Robin, who is aMuslim, the offers to enterpolitics must have beenprompted by his deepinvolvement in various projectsin Mindanao.

“Pero alam n'yo, napakalapitng Mindanao...buong Luzon,Visayas, at Mindanao, aymalapit sa puso ko. Kaya langang Mindanao kasi lagingnagiging sentro ng kaguluhan,kaya lagi akong nandodoon. Athangga't makakaya aytumutulong. Kailangan nila, e,kailangan nila ng tulong. Perohindi po ibig sabihin nun na akoay magpupulitika. Hindi potalaga. Masaya po ako sapagiging artista.”

One of his projects is aschool for young children in aMuslim community in Quezon City.a

Robin Padilla

Looking for full time Live-in caregiverfor 2 children 40 hrs.a wk. $8.50 perhr. Will have to do cooking, cleaning,and taking care of children. Location:Broussard private accomodation willbe provided.Contact: 514-885-2942

Melissa.

Looking for full time Live-in caregiverfor 2 children 40 hrs.a wk. $8.50 perhr. Will have to do cooking, cleaning,

and taking care of children.Location: Westmount private

accomodation will be provided.CONTACT : Nathalie-514-938-1377,

HELP WANTED

Anyone who can read canlearn how to write - but youhave to learn the secret ofovercoming the so-called

“writers’ block”Multi-cultural, interactive

seminar to start soonRegister by appointment

Call 514-485-7861

SEMINARS

April 200922



April 5 at Yonge-Dundas Square, Western Union introduced its new global brand campaign called yes! that celebrates how Western Union makes it easier for families to stay connectedthrough person-to-person money transfers. The campaign targets the 200 million people across the globe who live outside their country of origin.



6430 Victoria Avenue Prices valid from:Montreal, QC Tel.: 514-733-7816 April 22, to May 3, 2009

Selecta Ice Cream(Mango, Ube MacapunoFruit Salad, Buco Salad)

$10.99 each

Ice Cream Bar $2.49 / box4 pieces (honey dew,

mango, lychee, macapuno,green bean, red bean)

Wangderm Coco dessert2 / $5.00

AP Thai Shrimp, headless, 31-35, 2 / $9.00

Diwa Pancit Canton227 g $1.19 / bag454 g $2.19 / bag

Rosan Fishball (Hot & Reg)$1.69 / bag

AA1 Butterfish 600 g$2.99 / bag

Daing - Marinated Milkfish1 pce $3.99 each

Seacatch - Hasa-Hasa$2.99 /bag

Polar Bear Milagrosa8 kg $12.99 18 kg $26.99

Pork Picnic$2.49 / kg

White King Mix(adobo, bijon, canton, palabok)

$0.89 each

UFC Banana Sauce550 g $1.39 / bottle

Pork & Skin$3.49 / kg

Mama Sita’sBBQ Marinated Sauce

$1.79 / bottle

Buenas RiceSticks

454 g $1.99 / bag

2009 Miss Philippines Earth candidates talk greenThe Miss Philippines-Earth

beauty contest has been known for itsunprecedented regional search for atrue Filipina who cares for and helps inthe preservation of the environment.

Now on its ninth year, the contestcontinues to expand its search notonly in provinces, cities andmunicipalities in the country but alsoin Filipino communities abroad, suchas Australia, France, Germany, UnitedArab Emirates and the United States.

The 2009 Miss Philippines-Earthcontest edition is seen as the largestbeauty pageant in the Philippines with52 official candidates and vying for toptitles such as Miss Philippines-Earth,Miss Philippines-Air, Miss Philippines-Water, Miss Philippines-Fire and MissPhilippines-Ecotourism.

Eight of the candidates took timeout from their hectic schedule to visitThe Manila Times and talk about theiradvocacies: Kathleen Jebulan(Sorsogon province); Tanya LouiseHendy (Melbourne, Australia);Angelee Claudett delos Reyes(Olongapo City); Agnes Dizon(Mexico, Pampanga); Mia Guansing(Baguio City); Charmaine Chiong(West Coast, USA); Evangeline MaeCastillo (Province of Tarlac); andJennelyn Bagsit (Batangas City) wereone in saying that “it’s not yet late tosave Mother Earth from dying.”

“The time to care for ourenvironment is now,” they added. “All

of us should start in our own little wayslike proper waste disposal at home,joining environmental awarenessprograms and activities and being rolemodels to young children.”

Earlier on Tuesday, the candidateswere presented to the press at thepoolside of Traders Hotel in Manila.

Today, as the world celebratesEarth Day, all the candidates are

scheduled to join a motorcade to rallythe people on environmentalawareness and to love and care forEarth. Kick-off time is at 6:45 a.m. onMacapagal Avenue in Manila. Fromthere, the contestants will pitch for theEarth at Legazpi Mini Park in MakatiCity at 9 a.m.

Coronation of the winners in the2009 Miss Philippines-Earth beautypageant will be on May 10 at TheArena, San Juan City, Metro Manila.

Makati to showcase E-jeepneys onEarth Day

To promote alternatives to fossil fuels,the city of Makati will showcase itselectric jeepneys in a motorcade ofelectric vehicles on April 22, Earth Day.

Makati will join the "ByahengMalinis, Byaheng Kay Ganda [AClean, Beautiful Trip]," a motorcadearound Metro Manila to advocate theuse of vehicles powered by enginesthat do not use fossil fuels, whichcause pollution and global warming.

The country's financial district isknown for rolling out the Philippines'first electric-powered jeepneys in2007.In the motorcade are four electricbicycles, a dozen electric scooters, anelectric car, three electric tricycles andeight electric jeepneys, along withcontestants of the Miss PhilippinesEarth 2009.a

Candidates for the 2009 Miss Philippines Earth beauty pageant display placardsurging different ways to save Mother Earth during a media presentation at theTraders Hotel in Pasay City, April 21, 2009.

April 200924



4950 Queen Mary RoadPenthouseMontreal, QC H3W 1X3Telephone: 514-485-7861

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

• Languages - English, French,Spanish, Mandarin, Tagalog

• Accounting & Bookkeeping• Keyboarding (Touch Typing)• Computer Literacy• Microsoft Word, Excel, Access• Personal Support Worker

(Nursing Aid, PAB)• Early Childhood Education

Assistant• Office Technology• International Trade (C.I.T.P.)• Integration of Foreign Graduates

of Nursing (Permit Pending)• Daycare Management

Seminars:• Writers Helping Writers • Intercultural Communication • Leadership Training

COURSES

Established since 1989

Souvenir photo of the Sunday French Class: Mary AnnSolidarios, Christe Lusdoc, Hesil Bariguez, Maricel Mamuad,Helen Rose Molino and Esmeralda Roldan with Mrs. Z.Kharroubi, teacher.

Professor Isaac T. GoodineInternational Educator and Author, “Leaders Leading Leaders

Are you prepared for the globalization ofthe world markets and labour? Register now in the International Trade Program at GilmoreInternational College.Be a certified international trade professional (C.I.T.P. )Module 1 - Global Entrepreneurshipto be given by Professor Goodine Course to be scheduled soon.

Near Snowdon Metro

Daycare Assistant Administrative Assistant Certified International TradeProfessional (C.I.T.P.)

Personal Support Worker (Nursing Aide)

GILMORE INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE

ilocos longanisa somali pirates free philippine … pirates free philippine tanker, 23 crew members...

Documents