m
info@canadianinquirer.net
sales@canadianinquirer.net
facebook.com/
Philippine
CanadianInquirer
twitter.com/
pcinews_twt
A vendor sells different-sized and colored candles at his stall on Sta. Elene Street, Binondo in Manila on Wednesday (Oct. 19, 2022). The price of the candles starts at PHP40 each, depending on
their quality and size.
F2F classes to proceed
amid Omicron XBB,
XBC threat
BY STEPHANIE SEVILLANO
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The Department of Educa-
tion (DepEd) said Wednesday mandato-
ry face-to-face classes will push through
as scheduled starting November 2, de-
spite threats of the new coronavirus dis-
ease 2019 (Covid-19) omicron XBB and
XBC subvariants.
In a radio interview, DepEd spokes-
Contact Your Toronto Area Dealer
CANADA’S FIRST AND ONLY NATIONWIDE FILIPINO-CANADIAN NEWSPAPER FORDTO.CA
OCTOBER 21, 2022 www.canadianinquirer.net VOL. 8 NO. 512
CANDLES FOR SALE
ALFRED FRIAS / PNA
21
Are ‘core memories’ real?
The science behind 5
person Michael Poa said despite the common myths
detection of the XBB and XBC omicron
subvariants in the country, Department
Order (DO) 44 will remain effective. 29
“Sa ngayon, wala po tayong pagbabago
doon sa amendatory DO na na-issue po `
How will China interact with
natin last Monday (As of now, there’s no
changes in our amendatory DO which the world over the next 5 years?
we issued last Monday),” he said. Xi’s new speech holds clues
Under DO 44, all public schools are Global warming puts Arabica
PAGE 14 coffee at risk, and we’re barrelling
❱❱ PAGE 8 F2F classes to towards a crucial threshold
Advanced equipment and testing available
We direct bill most insurance companies:
Square One
Sun Life Green Shield
Manulife Blue Cross
Great-West Life Claim Secure Valid only at
Located in Square One Industrial Alliance Square One
inside Pearle Vision
If you are 19 years old and under or 65 years old
905-277-3052
and older, you are covered under OHIP**
visit www.drshekari.com *Eye exams available by Independent Doctors of Optometry inside Pearle Vision.
to schedule your eye exam*
12/31/2021.
2 OCTOBER 21, 2022
PRESTO
Take advantage of discounts and offers on major attractions
with your PRESTO card across the Greater Toronto and
Hamilton Area (GTHA).
Your PRESTO card makes it easier to take in the sights and
try new things – all at great discounts. When your family and
friends from back home visit, take them to all the highlights
around the GTHA, including the Ontario Science Centre, the
Toronto Zoo and the Royal Ontario Museum.
Missing food from back home? Sign up for Pumpkin Kart and
get 50% off your first food order. You’ll have high-quality
ingredients and recipes of home delivered right to your door,
so you can make your favourite dishes.
Feel like cheering for Toronto’s sports teams? Watch exhila-
rating sports action live, with up to 20% off on Toronto FC’s
and Toronto Argos’ home games.
www.canadianinquirer.net
FRIDAY
YOUR TICKET TO
A WORLD OF PERKS!
Looking for a new adventure? Get 20% off at Chicopee Tube
Park or Black Creek Pioneer Village.
Other attractions you can check out with PRESTO Perks
include the Aga Khan Museum, Fort George National Historic
site, Gardiner Museum, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Royal
Botanical Gardens, the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Museum of
Contemporary Art, and lots more.
The same PRESTO card that gets you a discount on these
attractions gets you a discount on your transit fare. It’s a whole
new way to discover the GTHA with your go-to transit card!
Get the full list of PRESTO Perks here: https://www.presto-
card.ca/en/about/presto-perks
FRIDAY OCTOBER 21, 2022 Philippine News 3

Marcos enjoins Filipinos to visit museums

BY AZER PARROCHA
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – President Ferdi-
nand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
on Monday called on Filipinos
to keep visiting museums, cit-
ing the importance of these
institutions in showcasing rich
Filipino cultural heritage.
He made this remark as his
administration joins the coun-
try in celebrating Museums and
Galleries Month.
“Ang dalang kultura, kama-
layan at kasaysayan ng ating mga
museums at galleries ay pumu-
pukaw sa ’ting damdaming mak-
abayan at pambansang pagka-
kilanlan (The culture, awareness
and history of our museums and
galleries arouse our feelings of
patriotism and national identi-
ty),” he said on Facebook.
Marcos said visiting mu-
seums is important for na-
tion-building and shaping na-
tional destiny.
“Bisitahin natin ang ating
mga museo at ipagmalaki ang
ating pagka-Pilipino (It is
an important part of our na-
tion-building. Let’s visit our
museums and be proud of our
Filipinoness)! he added.
Museums and Galleries
Month is observed every month
of October by virtue of Presiden-
tial Proclamation No. 798, s. 1991.
The event “underscores the
importance of arousing nation-
al consciousness and pride in
our rich Filipino culture and
The National Museum of Natural History (JUDGEFLORO - OWN WORK/WIKIMEDIA
COMMONS, CC0)
heritage embodying the aspi-
rations of the nation, expressed
in all media of art as well as his-
torical and religious artifacts”,
according to the National Com-
mission for Culture and the
Arts (NCCA).
This year’s celebration goes
by the theme “Embracing Un-
certainty: Showcasing Solidari-
ty, Hope, and Recovery” which
highlights the binding role
of museums and galleries as
cultural identifiers in a rapid-
ly-changing world.
The theme also aims to weave
the narrative of NCCA’s 35th
anniversary celebrated under
“Pagpupunyagi at Pagpapalawig
ng Sining at Kultura sa ika-tat-
lumpu’t Lima” which aims to
celebrate artistic and cultural
achievements and to remain com-
mitted to the objective of cultural
and artistic developments.
The narrative also celebrates
the 50th year of the Order of
National Artists celebrating the
nation’s highest ideals and aes-
thetic expressions. ■

LTFRB studies petition for Better obstetric,

‘surge’ charge on PUV fares newborn care still a
BY RAYMOND CARL DELA
CRUZ
Philippine News Agency
challenge: POPCOM
MANILA – The Land Trans-
portation Franchising and
Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is
currently studying a petition
made by groups of public utility
vehicle (PUV) drivers and op-
erators to add “surge” pricing
to the fares of traditional and
modern public utility jeepneys
(PUJ) as well as public utility
buses (PUB).
In a statement on Tuesday,
the LTFRB said the petition was
filed by Pasang Masda, Alliance
of Transport Operators and
Drivers Association of the Phil-
ippines (ALTODAP), and Alli-
ance of Concerned Transport
Organization (ACTO) on Friday.
“Base sa petisyon, hiling ng
transport groups na lagyan ng
dagdag-pasahe sa kada kilomet-
rong biyahe tuwing rush hour
o peak hours (According to the
petition, transport groups are
seeking to increase per kilome-
ter fares during rush hours or
peak hours),” it said.
It assured PUV drivers and
operators that their petition is
being heard and is understand-
able due to the continued rise of
fuel prices.
However, it said that the
plight of commuters must also
be heard, especially after the
recent fare increase.
“Magkakaroon ito ng infla-
tionary effect sa ekonomiya ng
bansa, isinasantabi muna ito
ng ahensya upang mahimay
ang mga puntong inilatag ng
transport groups sa naturang
petisyon (This would have an
inflationary effect on the coun-
try’s economy, this would be
set aside by the agency so that
the points made by transport
groups in the said petition are
parsed),” it said.
It said the petition and oth-
er policies are being studied
by the LTFRB for the welfare
of PUV drivers, operators, and
passengers.
An attendant fills the fuel tank of a jeepney at a gas station on Congressional
Road in Barangay San Manuel II, Dasmarinas City, Cavite on Oct. 11, 2022. (GIL
CALINGA/PNA)
In the petition, the three trans-
port groups are asking for a PHP1
surge charge for every passenger
of both modern and traditional
PUJs and a PHP2 surge charge
per passenger for PUBs.
It asked for the surge pricing
to be active from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m.
and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
This comes after the LTFRB
earlier approved a minimum
fare of PHP12 for traditional
PUJs and PHP14 for modern
PUJs in addition to an increase
in per kilometer charges begin-
ning Oct. 3.
It also approved fare increas-
es for PUBs, taxis, and trans-
port network vehicle services
(TNVS). ■
www.canadianinquirer.net
BY WILNARD BACELONIA
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The Commission
on Population and Develop-
ment (POPCOM) is convinced
that more medical attention
should be provided to mothers
and their babies, especially in
the latter’s first 1,000 days which
are deemed to be the most criti-
cal part by health practitioners.
POPCOM Officer-In-Charge
and Executive Director (OIC-
ED) Lolito Tacardon expressed
hope on Wednesday that the
government can go back to
providing adequate services
for health concerns other than
those that are related the coro-
navirus disease 2019, such as
maternal, infant, and child
health, now that the country is
recovering from the pandemic.
This, after the Philippine Sta-
tistics Authority (PSA) released
data that posted a notable mor-
tality rate increase in the first
six months of 2022 from 425 in
the same period last year to 468.
Tacardon said this condition
indicates an issue with accessing
appropriate, quality, and timely
services from healthcare facilities.
“It poses the challenge to im-
prove our local health system
for emergency obstetric and
newborn care, which was defi-
nitely affected during the pan-
demic,” he said.
The POPCOM official also not-
ed that although fatalities among
under five-year-old Filipino chil-
dren have drastically gone down
from 103 in 1960 to 26 in 2020,
there still remains a gap in en-
hancing the health conditions of
mothers and young kids to fur-
ther reduce child mortalities and
improve their survival rate.
“This also calls for the full and
intensified implementation of
the Universal Health Care Law,
as well as the Responsible Parent-
hood and Reproductive Health
Law, which mandate the uphold-
ing of the well-being and overall
health of Filipino moms and their
young children,” he added.
According to the PSA data,
the number of fatalities was
classified under “other direct
obstetric deaths” which the
World Health Organization cit-
ed to be resulting from obstetric
complications of the pregnant
state (pregnancy, labor, and
puerperium), and from inter-
ventions, omissions, incorrect
treatment, or from a chain of
events resulting from these. ■
4 Philippine News
Barzaga wants to reopen
probe vs. ABS-CBN
BY JOSE CIELITO
REGANIT
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – Cavite 4th Dis-
trict Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr.
has sought the reopening of
a congressional investigation
into the alleged violations com-
mitted by media company ABS-
CBN Corp.
In a statement Tuesday, he
cited the need to revisit the is-
sues raised against ABS-CBN
“to determine if the company
had corrected the legal infringe-
ments and the other violations
that led to the denial of its legis-
lative franchise in 2020.”
“These legal and constitu-
tional issues include the pos-
sible violations committed by
ABS-CBN on the constitutional
limits on foreign ownership, its
reported violations of labor and
tax laws, and other violations of
its previous franchise. We have
to find out if ABS-CBN has been
following the law or continuing
to violate or circumvent it,” said
Barzaga, vice chair of the House
of Representatives Committee
on Legislative Franchises.
The veteran lawmaker noted
that ABS-CBN had initially at-
tempted to merge with TV-5 to
ride on the legislative franchise
granted to the latter. The merg-
er was dropped when several
US invests P228-M more in
youth training, employment
BY JOYCE ANN L.
ROCAMORA
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The United
States government is investing
an additional PHP228 million
(USD3.8 million) to train un-
employed and out-of-school
Filipino youth, the US Embassy
in Manila said Tuesday.
The additional funding ex-
tends the YouthWorks PH pro-
gram for another three years, to
be completed in 2026.
This was first announced
by US Embassy Deputy Chief
of Mission Heather Variava at
lawmakers disclosed that they
planned to investigate the deal.
After this failed merger bid,
ABS-CBN inked another agree-
ment, this time with internation-
al cable channels Discovery Asia
and the Asian Food Network.
While Barzaga said he sees no
possible violation of this agree-
ment at this time, “we do not
know if there are other deals
that ABS-CBN has entered into
which need to be reviewed to find
out if they are violating the law.”
He also said a reinvestiga-
tion by Congress into ABS-CBN
could even benefit the company,
as President Ferdinand Marcos
Jr. had earlier said the media
company would be able to secure
a new franchise “once all the is-
sues against it are resolved.”
The 18th Congress denied
the application of ABS-CBN
for a new 25-year franchise on
Protests outside ABS-CBN in Quezon City. (PATRICKROQUE01/WIKIMEDIA COM-
MONS, CC BY-SA 4.0)
YouthWorks PH’s first-ever
Skills Partnerships Summit in
Taguig City on Oct. 8.
YouthWorks PH is a private
sector-driven partnership be-
tween the United States Agency
for International Development
(USAID) and the Philippine
Business for Education (PBEd).
“The US government is proud
to invest in the Filipino youth.
Together with PBEd, we are pro-
viding training opportunities
that will lead them to employ-
ment so they can provide for
themselves and contribute pos-
itively to society,” Variava said.
YouthWorks PH has so far
provided more than 13,000
the ground that the firm had,
among others, violated the con-
stitutional limits on foreign
ownership, as shown by its issu-
ance of Philippine Depositary
Receipts (PDRs) to foreigners.
The previous House Commit-
tee on Legislative Franchises
said this possibly violated the
constitutional provision against
the ownership and management
of mass media by foreigners.
The panel said questions
were also raised on the dual
citizenship of ABS-CBN’s
chairman emeritus, Eugenio
“Gabby” Lopez III; violations
of its previous franchise by op-
erating a pay-per-view channel
without prior approval from
the National Telecommunica-
tions Commission; the use of a
dummy franchise; its less than
exemplary labor practices; and
tax avoidance schemes. ■
work-based training positions
with its industry partners, lead-
ing to the placement of close
to 4,000 youth who are not in
school, employed or in training.
Initially implemented in
Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Gener-
al Santos, Greater Manila Area,
and Zamboanga, the program
has also expanded its geographic
reach to five more sites – Agusan
del Sur, Bohol, Northern Cebu,
Sarangani, and South Cotabato.
Among the YouthWorks PH
project partners are McDon-
ald’s Philippines, Amazon Web
Services, Banco de Oro Unibank
Inc., Proudcloud, and Launch-
garage. ■
www.canadianinquirer.net
PH signs Asean,
EU deals on
transportation
BY RAYMOND CARL DELA
CRUZ
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The Philippines
has joined the world’s first in-
ter-region aviation cooperation
agreement and a search and
rescue cooperation agreement
during the culmination of the
28th Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (Asean) Trans-
port Ministers Meeting on
Monday.
In a media bulletin, the De-
partment of Transportation
(DOTr) announced the sign-
ing of the Asean-European
Union (EU) Comprehensive Air
Transport Agreement (CATA)
and the Asean Agreement on
Aeronautical and Maritime
Search and Rescue (SAR) Coop-
eration, with Secretary Jaime
Bautista as the country’s repre-
sentative.
Bautista said the Asean-EU
CATA is “the world’s first
block-to-block air transport
agreement” with the goal of
reinforcing connectivity and
post-pandemic economic re-
covery of the 37-member states
of the Asean and the EU.
“The agreement will have a
profound impact in the areas of
trade and tourism for Asean and
the EU. The Asean-EU CATA
will also rebuild air connectiv-
ity between Asean and Europe
which was suddenly suspended
by the pandemic,” he said.
On the other hand, he said
the Philippines would gain “in-
formation exchange and shar-
DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista (DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION - PHILIPPINES/FACEBOOK)
OCTOBER 21, 2022 FRIDAY
ing of best practices” through
the Asean SAR agreement.
It would strengthen coop-
eration efforts in aeronautical
and maritime SAR operations,
provide various information
exchanges and sharing of best
practices in SAR, and conduct
joint SAR training and exercis-
es among Asean member states.
During the event, Bautista
also offered the Philippines’
support to other transport
initiatives such as the Annual
Priorities/Key Deliverables for
2023, the Asean Guidelines on
Airport Environmental Man-
agement System, the Guiding
Principles for the Regulation
of Application-based Mobility
Services for Passenger Trans-
port in Asean, and the Im-
plementation Framework to
Enhance Regional Container
Circulation.
Bautista emphasized the
Philippines as a “key player”
in the transportation affairs
in Southeast Asia and gave the
country’s support in develop-
ing the region’s transportation
potential.
“The Philippines is one with
the nations of the Asean and
the EU in the promotion and
adoption of various measures in
the areas of aviation safety, air
traffic management, consumer
protection, and environmental
and social matters,” he said.
The 28th Asean Transport
Ministers Meeting began on
Saturday in Bali, Indonesia, the
first such meeting held face-to-
face since the beginning of the
Covid-19 pandemic. ■
FRIDAY OCTOBER 21, 2022 5

Get the latest News & Updates

read daily news

from Philippines,
Canada & the World
www.canadianinquirer.net
The one and only daily Filipino-Canadian live news
6 Philippine News
PBBM push to avert
water crisis impetus
for DWS creation
BY WILNARD BACELONIA
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The bill that seeks
to create the Department of
Water Services (DWS) received
a good backing from President
Ferdinand R. Marcos who has
renewed his call to create a gov-
ernment body that will manage
water resources.
Senator Grace Poe has ex-
pressed confidence over the pas-
sage of Senate Bill No. (SB) 102,
or the National Water Resource
Management Act, as “no less
than the Chief Executive has
sounded the alarm over our pre-
carious water supply situation,
especially in the urban areas.”
“This is a good impetus to get
things moving to have a Depart-
Remulla reiterates no
special treatment for son
BY BENJAMIN PULTA
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – Department of Jus-
tice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crisp-
in Remulla stood firm that all
matters arising from the indict-
ment of his son on drug charges
will go through normal channels
and will not receive preferential
treatment from his office.
Remulla told the media on
Tuesday that he has yet to talk
to his 38-year-old son, Juanito
Jose Diaz III, who was arrested
in a controlled delivery opera-
tion in Barangay Talon Dos, Las
Piñas City on October 11.
The younger Remulla was the
recipient of a parcel from a cer-
tain Benjamin Huffman of the
United States, allegedly con-
taining an estimated PHP1.3
million worth of kush or high-
grade marijuana that weighed
893.91 grams.
The DOJ chief was on official
business in Geneva, Switzer-
land when the arrest happened.
“I haven’t talked to him ac-
ment of Water Services,” Poe
said in her statement, referring
to the bill that she authored.
SB No. 102, which seeks to
create the DWS and the Wa-
ter Regulatory Commission
(WRC), was among the 30 mea-
sures approved by the Legisla-
tive-Executive Development
Advisory Council (LEDAC).
Poe said water use, manage-
ment, and sources need urgent
focus amid the supply shortage
experienced by consumers.
“We need to wake up to the
looming water crisis before
supply runs dry,” she said.
Some customers of Maynilad
Water Services Inc. have been
experiencing regular service in-
terruption since March.
The water concessionaire
covers the cities of Manila (all
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla (DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE - PHILIPPINES/FACEBOOK)
tually since the beginning. I’ve
stayed away from the case. I have
not talked to anybody. I have not
asked anybody any favor. I just
talked to a cousin of mine who
is a lawyer who has started rep-
resenting him already. That’s
everything that I have to do with
the case. I have nothing to do
with the case,” he said.
Remulla said he prefers to
have all resolutions about his
son’s case be handled by the
courts, instead of by the DOJ, to
avoid perceptions of meddling.
but portions of San Andres and
Sta. Ana); Quezon City (west of
San Juan River, West Avenue,
Edsa, Congressional, Mindanao
Avenue, northern part starting
from the Districts of Holy Spir-
it and Batasan Hills); Makati
(west of South Super Highway),
Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las
Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzue-
la, Navotas and Malabon, all in
Metro Manila; and the cities of
Cavite, Bacoor and Imus, and
the towns of Kawit, Noveleta,
and Rosario in Cavite.
The proposed DWS, Poe said,
would be the “primary policy,
planning, coordinating, imple-
menting, monitoring and ad-
ministrative entity of the execu-
tive branch of the government.”
❱❱ PAGE 15 PBBM push to
“That’s the question that was
asked of me by the lawyers who
I talked to. Sabi ko (I told them)
if there is a resolution, don’t let
it reach the DOJ. Let it be dis-
cussed in court, whatever the
case may be,” he said.
“If its an adverse case against
my son, it will not be appealed
here (DOJ). it will go straight to
the courts for trial,” he said.
Remulla said his family has
closed ranks to support each
❱❱ PAGE 11 Remulla reiterates no
www.canadianinquirer.net
Private schools
thank DepEd for
flexible learning
options
BY STEPHANIE
SEVILLANO
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The Coordinating
Council of Private Educational
Associations of the Philippines
(COCOPEA) thanked the De-
partment of Education (DepEd)
on Tuesday for providing pri-
vate schools with more flexible
options and considering chal-
lenging factors in the full tran-
sition to in-person classes.
In a statement, COCOPEA
Managing Director Joseph
Noel Estrada said this shows
the “continuing partnership”
between the government and
the private sector.
“The Coordinating Council
of Private Educational Associa-
tions of the Philippines (COCO-
PEA), expresses its gratitude to
and commends the decision of
the Department of Education
to extend the offering of blend-
ed and distance learning mo-
dalities in the private schools
after October 31, 2022,” he said.
Under DepEd Order 44, pri-
vate schools are provided with
various options including “five-
day in-person classes; blended
learning modality; and full dis-
tance learning.”
Estrada said this setup shall
be beneficial to learners as
complementary to in-person
classes.
“With this, the benefits and
innovations of these flexible
learning modalities can be max-
imized and utilized by learners
and learning institutions,” he
added.
With this, the COCOPEA
vowed to maintain strong coor-
dination with the DepEd.
“As its steadfast partner,
COCOPEA will continue to
collaborate with and assist the
Department in addressing the
various needs in our education
sector,” Estrada said.
Requests for exemption
The Alliance of Concerned
Teachers (ACT)-Philippines,
meanwhile, called on the DepEd
OCTOBER 21, 2022 FRIDAY
to disclose the number of
schools requesting an exemp-
tion for the full five-day in-per-
son classes starting Nov. 2.
The ACT said it does not seek
the failure of the full implemen-
tation of mandatory face-to-
face classes, but insisted urgent
challenges in schools needed to
be addressed first.
“We have received reports
that many schools, especially
in the National Capital Region
and other urban areas, are ap-
pealing to be exempted from
the 5-day face-to-face classes
as their facilities and human
resources simply cannot make
it happen. While we do not wish
for the push for 100% face-to-
face classes to fail, it seems that
it is where we are heading given
the government’s failure to ad-
dress our problems,” it said in a
Facebook post.
According to DO 44, all public
schools are required to imple-
ment the full five-day in-person
classes nationwide, except for
several circumstances.
“No public school shall be al-
lowed to implement purely dis-
tance learning or blended learn-
ing, except for those that are
expressly provided an exemp-
tion by the Regional Director,
those whose classes are auto-
matically canceled due to disas-
ter and calamities,” the DO said.
The DepEd earlier said that
schools in disaster-affected
areas are currently maximiz-
ing alternative delivery modes
for their classes, while school
buildings are being repaired
and temporary learning spaces
are being built.
The education department
has not disclosed the number
of schools requesting exemp-
tion, but it has been persistent
in its position that pushing for
in-person classes will be holis-
tically beneficial for learners. ■
FRIDAY OCTOBER 21, 2022
Alleged gunman in Percy Lapid slay
surrenders
BY CHRISTOPHER LLOYD
CALIWAN
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The alleged gun-
man in the killing of veteran
radio host Percival Mabasa,
more popularly known as Per-
cy Lapid, has surrendered to
authorities, Department of the
Interior and Local Government
(DILG) Secretary Benjamin Ab-
alos Jr. said on Tuesday.
“Ngayong umagang ‘to, gus-
to ko lang i-kumpirma na nasa
kustodiya na ng PNP (Phil-
ippine National Police) itong
suspek na ang pangalan ay Joel
Estorial. Siya ay of course ta-
ga-Quezon City (This morning,
I would like to confirm that the
PNP has custody of the suspect
identified as Joel Estorial, He is
of course a resident of Quezon
City),” Abalos told reporters in
a press conference at the Phil-
ippine National Police (PNP)
headquarters in Camp Crame.
Marcos, PhilSA
tackle PH space
program
BY RUTH ABBEY GITA-
CARLOS
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – President Ferdinand
R. Marcos on Tuesday presided
over a meeting with the Philippine
Space Agency (PhilSA) to discuss
the national space program.
Based on a photo uploaded
on Marcos’ official Facebook
page, PhilSA Director General
Joel Joseph Marciano Jr. was
giving the President an over-
view of the agency’s mandate
and its space program.
State-run Radio Television
Malacañang (RTVM), in a sepa-
rate Facebook post, said the meet-
ing between Marcos and PhilSA
officials was held at Malacañan
Palace’s State Dining Room.
Apart from Marciano, Science
and Technology Secretary Renato
Solidum Jr. and Department of Na-
Abalos said Estorial, 38,
a resident of Quezon City,
turned himself in to the police
on Monday “out of fear for his
personal safety” after his pho-
to was released last week and
a PHP6.5-million bounty was
placed on his head.
Estorial revealed that there
are six of them involved in the
murder of Lapid and they were
promised a sum of PHP550,000.
He also surrendered the fire-
arm he used to gun down Lapid
at about 8:30 p.m. on October 3
at the gate of BF Resort along
Aria Street, Barangay Talon 2,
Las Piñas City.
“Ang tanong ng publiko, totoo
kayang sumuko yan or he’s just
a fall guy? Hindi po, siya talaga.
Hindi niya lang inamin because
the gun itself matched the slug,
nag-match ang ballistics. ‘Yung
mga damit (na suot niya nung
nakuhanan siya ng CCTV) na
pinunit punit niya nandoon pa
rin (he presented to the police)
(The public may be asking, did he
tional Defense Officer-in-Charge
(OIC) Senior Undersecretary Jose
Faustino Jr. were also present
during the meeting, RTVM said.
Malacañang has yet to pro-
vide further details about the
meeting.
PhilSA, created by virtue of Re-
public Act (RA) 11363 or the Phil-
ippine Space Act, is responsible in
addressing all issues and activities
related to space science and tech-
nology (S&T) application.
It is an attached agency of the
Office of the President (OP) man-
dated to be the primary policy,
planning, coordinating, imple-
menting and administrative en-
tity of the Executive Branch that
will plan, develop and promote
the national space program in line
with the Philippine Space Policy.
As the national space agency,
PhilSA is tasked to safeguard
❱❱ PAGE 11 Marcos, PhilSA tackle
really surrender or he’s just a fall
guy? No, it’s really him, he didn’t
just admit it because the gun it-
self matched the slug, the ballis-
tics matched. The clothes (that
he was wearing when he was
caught on CCTV) that he tore
apart are still there (he presented
to the police),” said Abalos.
Abalos said Estorial issued an
extrajudicial confession where
he also named his cohorts iden-
tified as brothers Edmon and Is-
rael Dimaculangan and a certain
Orly, who are all still at large.
Meanwhile, the two other sus-
pects who were not identified are
“from the New Bilibid Prison”.
Abalos said police are still
identifying the mastermind of
the crime as well as the motive.
Wearing a bulletproof helmet
and vest, Estorial faced the mem-
bers of the media and apologized
to the family of the victim.
“Sana po mapatawad ako
nila. Hindi ko naman kagustu-
han yun. Nadala lang ako (I
hope they can forgive me. I had
Comelec bats anew for
law on early voting for
elderly, PWDs
BY FERDINAND PATINIO
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The Commission
on Elections (Comelec) is hop-
ing that a law allowing senior
citizens (SC) and persons with
disability (PWDs) to vote ahead
of the rest of the population
during polls will be passed soon.
“There should be a law allow-
ing the Comelec to do that. We
still have the time to do it. It is
only 2022. In two years’ time,
hopefully, we can push this. Let
us work together to push for
early voting for senior citizens
and PWDs. We should demand
that the elderly and PWDs
should vote early,” Comelec
chairperson George Erwin Gar-
cia said in a forum in Pasay City
on Tuesday.
Garcia is planning to hold the
early voting for SCs and PWDs
www.canadianinquirer.net
Philippine News
no intention. I was just carried
away),” he said.
Estorial said the order to kill
Lapid came from someone in-
side the New Bilibid Prison.
Estorial narrated that he was
with “Orly” a resident of Batan-
gas, during the incident while
the Dimaculangan brothers, on
the other hand, were on anoth-
er motorcycle.
“Kasi ‘yung ano usapan,
kung sino ang matapat doon
kay Percy po, siya ang babaril
eh nagkataon natapat sa akin,
sabi naman po kapag hindi ko
binaril, ako ang papatayin kaya
binaril ko na po si Percy (What
was discussed was whoever is
nearest to Percy, they will shoot
him. It just so happened that he
was near our team, I said if I will
not shoot him, they will kill me,
so I shot Percy),” Estorial said.
When asked by Abalos as to
who threatened him, Estorial
said: “Si Orly (It’s Orly).”
Estorial said the PHP550,000
was split six ways, with him get-
for at least seven days.
“We can always protect the
ballots. It is doable. We can do
early voting at least for one
week,” he said.
The poll body chief said this
measure will enable members
of the vulnerable sectors to cast
their votes faster and hassle-free.
Companion of two visually impaired senior citizens helps shade their ballots
inside the poll precinct at Sto. Niño Elementary School, Barangay 176, Bagong
Silang, Caloocan City on May 9, 2022. (BEN BRIONES/PNA)
7
ting PHP140,000 deposited to
his account.
Senators Ramon Revilla Jr. and
Aquilino Pimentel III exhorted
the PNP to resolve the slay case.
“Liban kasi dito kay Estorial,
may tatlo pa raw siyang kasa-
ma sa pagpatay na hindi pa na-
huhuli (Apart from Estorial,
there are still three others who
were with him during the kill-
ing and are still at large),” Re-
villa said in a statement. “In ad-
dition, there is a grave concern
over his [Estorial] revelations
that the order to kill Percy came
from inside Bilibid.”
Pimentel said the PNP must
assign its best investigators to
the case.
“It should not end there.
Initial step lang nila ito. Dapat
i-pursue natin hanggang sa ma-
huli ang (This is just the initial
step. We should pursue this
until we get the) mastermind,”
Pimentel said in an interview.
(With a report from Wilnard
Bacelonia/PNA) ■
“Everybody can vote on the
ground floor. There will be no
more long lines for PWDs and
seniors since they will not be
voting along with the majority
of the voters,” he said.
Currently, only teachers who
❱❱ PAGE 15 Comelec bats anew
8 Philippine News
Correspondent/Hosts
Joanna Belle Deala
Arianne Grace Lacanilao
Matte Laurel
Violeta Arevalo
Babes Newland
Graphic Design
Shanice Garcia
Ginno Alcantara
Arlnie Colleene Talain Singca
Account Manager
Kristopher Yong
Director/Producer
Boom Dayupay
Photographers/Videographers
Ginno Alcantara
Management
Alan Yong
For photo submissions, please email
editor@canadianinquirer.net
For General Inquiries, please email
info@canadianinquirer.net
For Sales Inquiries, please email
sales@canadianinquirer.net
or visit
‘www.canadianinquirer.net/advertise-with-us/’
Philippine Canadian Inquirer is located at
#1820-666 Burrard Street
Vancouver BC V6C 2X8 Canada
Email: info@canadianinquirer.net,
sales@canadianinquirer.net
Instagram: @pcinews_ig
Twitter: @pcinews_twt
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/pcinews
Philippine Canadian Inquirer
is published weekly every Friday.
Copies are distributed free throughout Metro
Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, and Greater Toronto.
The views and opinions expressed in the articles
(including opinions expressed in ads herein) are those
of the authors named, and are not necessarily those of
Philippine Canadian Inquirer Editorial Team.
PCI reserves the right to reject any advertising which
it considers to contain false or misleading information
or involves unfair or unethical practices. The advertiser
agrees the publisher shall not be liable for damages
arising out of error in any advertisment.
Member
Blue Ribbon to give ‘bigger role’
to lawyers in Senate inquiries
BY WILNARD BACELONIA
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – Senator Francis Tolentino,
chairperson of the Senate Blue-Ribbon
Committee, announced on Wednesday
that lawyers of respondents, witnesses,
and resource persons will finally be giv-
en a chance to participate in subsequent
committee proceedings.
Tolentino said this will be the first
time that the Philippine Senate’s
Blue-Ribbon Committee will give law-
yers a “bigger role.”
“May karapatan sila. Yung abogado
nila (They have a right. Their lawyer)
will have a role. Perhaps, not an adver-
sarial speaking role but definitely a big
role,” he said during an interview at the
Kapihan sa Manila Bay media forum.
The move, Tolentino said, is expected
to give equal rights to respondents who
are required to deliver sensitive and rel-
evant information to the committee.
“So makikita mo dito ngayon, talag-
ang pantay-pantay na to. Hindi pwedeng
sabihin na inusig sila doon, hindi sila
F2F classes to..
❰❰ 1 required to hold five-day
in-person classes except for
those affected by disasters or
calamities, or granted exemption by the
regional offices.
Private schools, meanwhile, shall in-
definitely enjoy their flexible learning
options, as the DepEd recognizes their
investment in in-person learning setup
and challenges in transitioning to pure
face-to-face classes.
Poa said in-person learning address-
es learning gaps and the mental health
needs of learners, particularly their need
to interact physically with their teachers
and classmates.
He assured parents that guidelines
against any Covid-19-related threat are in
place to ensure the safety of their children.
“Ang Covid naman po, talagang
ang position natin is hindi natin siya
binabalewala. That’s why we have the
health guidelines na nilabas po natin.
Binase kasi natin ito sa mga studies na
talagang mas makakabuti, advantageous
ang in-person classes pagdating po sa
pag-aaral ng ating mga learners (It is
our position not to ignore the threats of
Covid. That’s why we have released our
health guidelines. We based the man-
datory in-person classes on the studies,
saying in-person classes are more bene-
ficial, advantageous for the education of
our learners),” he said.
“Maglalabas tayo ng guidelines sa re-
www.canadianinquirer.net
pinagsalita, hinaharang sila, hindi sila
nabigyan ng (So, you can see now that
this will be really equal. No one can say
that they were prosecuted there, they
were not given the chance to speak, they
are being blocked, or they were not given
a) day in committee,” he said.
Tolentino also sees it as an empower-
ment to lawyers as members of the legal
profession.
He said he will make the formal de-
Senator Francis Tolentino (VOLTAIRE F. DOMINGO/SENATE PRIB VIA SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES/FACEBOOK)
gional directors kung ano ‘yung param-
eters ng pagbibigay nila ng exemption
para hindi naman po arbitrary ‘yung
pagbibigay ng exemption (We will issue
the guidelines to our regional directors
for the parameters on the exemption, so
that the granting of exemption shall not
be arbitrary),” Poa added.
The DepEd reiterated that in-person
classes still provide advantages for the
well-being of learners.
“Bagamat binigyan namin ang private
schools ng option or ipagpatuloy ‘yung
options ayon dun sa DO 34, parati nat-
ing, sinabi rin natin na baka pwedeng
tingnan ninyo, be mindful dun sa mga
studies natin na talagang iba ang advan-
tages of in-person classes (Although we
gave options to our private schools or al-
lowed them to continue options indicat-
ed in the DO 34, we always, we said they
should look into it, be mindful of the
studies saying the advantages of in-per-
son classes is different),” he said.
On Tuesday, the Coordinating Coun-
cil of Private Educational Associations
of the Philippines (COCOPEA) thanked
the DepEd for its move to maintain op-
tions for in-person, blended, and dis-
tance learning for all private schools
nationwide.
The DepEd said it is now studying to
institutionalize the blended learning
setup in the country, with its target to
address classroom shortage and other
OCTOBER 21, 2022 FRIDAY
tailed announcement of the new com-
mittee rule in the latter part of the last
hearing on the controversial Depart-
ment of Education laptops on Thursday.
During his assumption as the Senate
Blue Ribbon Committee, Tolentino also
implemented the citing of the commit-
tee findings every time an investigation
concludes which he claims to be the first
time it would be done in the 106 years of
existence of the Philippine Senate. ■
perennial problems typically incurred
during disasters.
Meanwhile, a health reform advocate
said the rule on the optional wearing of
face masks should be revisited consider-
ing the threat of Omicron subvariants.
“Kasi ‘yung kids kasi huli silang naba-
kunahan, mababa ang ating update and
nagfe-face-to-face classes sila. But ang
concern is the Executive Order No. 3,
kung optional ‘yan, that’s a problem na
baka we need to suspend that, at least for
the next two weeks and observe kasi kung
hindi natin ‘yan irere-evaluate that will
be a problem for all of us, airborne kasi
siya (Kids are the last to be vaccinated,
and it has a low update [on vaccination],
and they are doing face-to-face classes.
The concern is the Executive Order No. 3,
if that’s optional [wearing of face mask],
maybe we need to suspend that, at least
for the next two weeks, and observe be-
cause if we don’t reevaluate, that will be
a problem for all of us because it’s air-
borne),” Dr. Tony Leachon said.
Earlier, Poa said learners are still re-
quired to wear face masks inside the
classrooms or any enclosed spaces, but
may take them off in open spaces.
DO 34 requires health guidelines like
the proper wearing of face masks, hand-
washing, sanitation, ventilation, and
contact tracing to reduce risks among
learners, teachers, and non-teaching
personnel. ■
FRIDAY OCTOBER 21, 2022
Moving on from the monarchy, incrementally
BY SERGIO MARCHI
Policy Options
No need to rush, but Canada
ought to start pondering its re-
lationship with the Crown. An
easy change could be to mod-
ernize the citizenship oath.
The passing of Queen Eliz-
abeth II will no doubt herald
change – from within and ex-
ternally. Indeed, the conver-
sation about the future of the
monarchy under King Charles
has already begun in a number
of Commonwealth countries.
Let me say at the outset that I
am not a monarchist. Never have
been, never will be. It is a con-
cept, I believe, that is no longer
relevant to today’s Canada and
our diverse citizenry. Nor will it
help us forge a more prosperous
nation. However, I do salute the
70-year public service record of
the late Queen. The dedication
and stability that she brought
to her reign was truly remark-
able. She was deserving of the
outpouring of respect that came
from all corners of the globe fol-
lowing the announcement of her
death Sept. 8.
Notwithstanding her record,
I believe that Canada should
join the conversation about the
future of the monarchy.
Polls consistently have
shown it has lost considerable
support across Canada. A Pol-
lara survey in September sug-
gests only 35 per cent of respon-
dents want Canada to continue
as a constitutional monarchy,
while only 24 per cent of them
want to feature King Charles
III on our currency.
Rightly or wrongly, Charles
has always generated indiffer-
Canada News
ence among many Canadians. As
prince, he consistently was less
popular than his mom and his two
boys. Now that he has the crown,
will he be able to win over hearts?
He has giant shoes to fill, and how
he manages those expectations
will critically impact the success
or failure of his tenure.
But Charles is intelligent
enough to understand that by
the time Prince William takes
the throne, the so-called “sov-
ereign realms” around the Com-
monwealth will mostly be gone.
So, how should our country
move forward at this juncture?
I would counsel moderation
rather than revolution. After all,
Canada’s DNA is gift-wrapped
by prudence. Typically, we don’t
rush into major decisions. We
reflect, we analyze and we stew
over options until the timing
and strategy is right. Or, until the
problem goes away on its own.
In addition, reopening the
Constitution would prove most
difficult, as it always has. At
the end of his mandate, Pierre
Trudeau won his constitutional
battle, but not without fighting
most premiers and having to
go to the Supreme Court. Brian
Mulroney was not as fortunate.
Both his initiatives – the Meech
Lake and Charlottetown ac-
cords – went down in flames.
Moreover, any constitution-
al initiative would likely over-
whelm the government’s agen-
da, and divert political energies
from focusing on the bread-and-
butter issues that are weigh-
ing heavily on Canadians – the
economy, inflation, climate, en-
ergy, COVID and health care.
Yes, incremental moderation
has been our path of choice for
almost 60 years when it has
Her Majesty The Queen visit to 2 Marsham Street in November 2015. (UK HOME
OFFICE/FLICKR, CC BY 2.0)
come to dealing with our ties to
the “motherland.” It was former
prime minister Lester Pear-
son who gave Canadians our
own flag on Feb. 15, 1965, and
“O Canada” was proclaimed as
Canada’s national anthem two
years later, almost to the day.
Initially, both measures were
met with fierce debate and hos-
tility. Today, both are symbols
of great national pride.
Much later, Pierre Trudeau
built on that record, by repa-
triating our Constitution from
Britain in April of 1982. In the
process, he also created the Ca-
nadian Charter of Rights and
Freedoms, which moved us clos-
er to his vision of a “just society.”
That brings us to his son,
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
He offered his condolences up-
onthe death of the Queen, say-
ing she was one of his “favourite
people.” Who knows? He may
have a soft spot for Charles, as
well. Trudeau strikes me as a
reluctant reformer as it relates
to the monarchy. That is why I
would encourage him to take a
www.canadianinquirer.net
page from his father’s and Les-
ter Pearson’s playbooks. Move
slowly but do move.
I would suggest that he mod-
ernize our citizenship oath.
Until her death, the oath of
allegiance (part of the citizen-
ship oath) was sworn to “Queen
Elizabeth II, her heirs and suc-
cessors…” (Now it’s to King
Charles III.) When I was minis-
ter of citizenship and immigra-
tion and attended citizenship
ceremonies, these words would
cause people’s eyes to glaze
over. They had no meaning for
them and there was no personal
connection. Plus, many of our
would-be citizens would ac-
tually proclaim “her hairs and
successors!”
It is high time to transition
our oath. Rather than paying
homage to a monarch, we should
swear allegiance and loyalty to
Canada. Period. Full stop.
As the responsible minister
back in 1995, I came within one
cabinet meeting of doing precise-
ly that. After coming up with sev-
eral superb, moving renditions,
9
drafted by some of Canada’s
most eloquent writers and poets,
then-prime minister Jean Chré-
tien asked me to “park it” at the
last minute. The rationale was
that he did not want to fight the
monarchists and the separatists
(during that year’s Quebec refer-
endum) at the same time.
I argued that reforming the
oath would help us with the
provincial battle because the
monarchy did not enjoy much
popularity with most Quebec-
ers. In the end, I did not win the
day. I always suspected, though,
that the real reason was Chré-
tien’s affection for the Queen.
He had a warm relationship
with Queen Elizabeth and I be-
lieve he was concerned about
offending her.
In politics, however, when
you park an initiative, you usu-
ally end up losing the moment.
And that’s what happened. After
the referendum, I moved on to a
new portfolio and my successor
opted for other priorities.
Now, we have an even bet-
ter window of opportunity. We
should take advantage of it and
revisit our oath and build on
previous accomplishments. For
those who believe that this rep-
resents not enough ambition
in addressing the future of our
monarchy, I would say better an
additional single, sure step than
a giant leap that goes nowhere.
Eventually, in the fullness
of time, the right circumstanc-
es for altogether severing the
umbilical cord to the monarchy
will present themselves. ■
This article first appeared
on Policy Options and is repub-
lished here under a Creative
Commons license.
10
Official 2022 Vancouver election results
CITY OF VANCOUVER
Vancouver voters have official-
ly elected a new mayor, 10 coun-
cillors, 7 Park Board commis-
sioners, and 9 school trustees.
As per section 108 of the Van-
couver Charter, the Chief Election
Officer has declared the following
candidates elected after receiv-
ing the highest number of votes
cast for the respective offices. The
names of the elected candidates,
political party and number of
votes received are as follows.
Office of the Mayor (one
elected)
SIM, Ken: 85,732
Office of Councillor (10
elected)
KIRBY-YUNG, Sarah: 72,545
Why Québec politicians must swear an oath
to the King — even if they don’t want to
BY YAN CAMPAGNOLO,
L’Université d’Ottawa/
University of Ottawa
Philippine News Agency
The leader of the Parti Québé-
cois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon,
sparked controversy by stating
that he will not swear an oath of
allegiance to King Charles, as re-
quired by the Constitution Act,
1867, before taking his seat in
the Québec National Assem-
bly. The two other elected
members of his party took the
same position.
Québec Solidaire followed,
with the 11 elected members
of their party also refusing to
swear an oath to the King.
In the wake of this contro-
versy, a number of constitu-
tional experts made comments
suggesting that it was possible
to refuse taking the oath. They
proposed various interpretations
and solutions that would, in their
view, enable the leader of the Par-
ti Québécois to sit as a Member of
the National Assembly (MNA)
without swearing allegiance to
the King. As a constitutional
scholar, I do not share this view.
An interpretation based
on 155 years of practice
The wording of section 128 of
the Constitution Act, 1867, is clear:
Every Member of a … Legis-
Canada News
DOMINATO, Lisa: 70,415
MONTAGUE, Brian: 68,618
KLASSEN, Mike: 65,586
MEISZNER, Peter: 63,275
BLIGH, Rebecca: 62,765
ZHOU, Lenny: 62,393
CARR, Adriane: 41,831
BOYLE, Christine: 38,465
FRY, Pete: 37,270
Office of the Park Board
Commissioner (seven elected)
JENSEN, Scot: 71,174
HAER, Angela Kate: 63,635
CHRISTENSEN, Laura: 63,618
HOWARD, Marie-Claire: 63,407
VIRDI, Jas: 58,709
BASTYOVANSZKY, Bren-
nan: 58,247
DIGBY, Tom: 39,243
Office of the School Trust-
ee (nine elected)
JUNG, Victoria: 69,027
lative Assembly of any Province
shall before taking his Seat there-
in take and subscribe before the
Lieutenant Governor of the Prov-
ince … the Oath of Allegiance
contained in the Fifth Schedule
to this Act (“I (Member’s name)
do swear, That I will be faithful
and bear true Allegiance to (His)
Majesty (King Charles)”).
As the Court of Appeal for On-
tario recognized in 2014 in McA-
In this context,
the verb “shall”
imposes an
obligation;...
teer v. Canada (AG), the oath of al-
legiance is “clearly constitutional.”
In this context, the verb
“shall” imposes an obligation; it
indicates that an action “must”
be taken. In other words, a per-
son cannot sit as a member of a
legislature without first swear-
ing the oath. This is a condition
for assuming the position. This
interpretation is based on 155
years of practice and prece-
dents across the country.
CHIEN, Alfred: 67,326
ZHANG, Josh: 64,370
RICHARDSON, Christopher:
64,048
FARIDKOT, Preeti: 63,807
REDDY, Jennifer: 44,534
MAH, Suzie: 42,379
CHAN-PEDLEY, Lois: 41,356
FRASER, Janet: 41,179
Capital Plan borrowing
questions
Vancouver voters had also
chosen a response for three Cap-
ital Plan borrowing questions,
which will require infrastruc-
ture funding from 2023 to 2026.
The official results are: (See
Figure 1)
Voter turnout
The final number of ballots
cast was 171,494 ballots, equating
to a voter turnout of 36.3% (out
The authorities on parliamen-
tary law are clear: since 1867, all
members of legislative assem-
blies, regardless of their political
loyalties, have at one point or
another sworn the oath of alle-
giance. A member who refuses to
do so cannot sit in the legislature
or vote. That is the consequence
of refusing to swear the oath.
Could the National Assem-
bly ignore section 128?
Some experts remarked that
St-Pierre Plamondon was duly
elected by the voters of the rid-
ing of Camille-Laurin and that,
in keeping with the principle
of democracy, the National As-
sembly should let him sit with-
out having to take the oath of
allegiance.
Moreover, they said that such
a decision by a legislative body
regarding its internal affairs
could not be challenged before
the courts owing to the doctrine
of parliamentary privilege.
Yet, for a legislative assembly
to ignore the clear wording of
section 128 would be contrary
to two other fundamental prin-
ciples: constitutionalism and
the rule of law. These principles
require state officials to follow
the Constitution and the law.
If the National Assembly had
decided to ignore section 128,
which in the end it did not, it
would have acted unconstitu-
www.canadianinquirer.net
of 472,665 registered voters).
Advance voting for this year’s
election was a record for the
City with 65,026 voters in total
over the span of five days at 22
voting places. The Election Of-
fice issued 9,623 vote by mail
packages in total, 7,217 were
returned. This is the first year
that all eligible voters were able
to vote by mail.
FIGURE 1: Capital Plan borrowing questions (CITY OF VANCOUVER)
tionally, although this decision
could potentially have been
sheltered from judicial review.
The principle of democ-
racy does not override the
written Constitution
In 1998, in the Reference re
Secession of Québec, the Su-
preme Court of Canada pointed
out that the principle of democ-
racy must be reconciled with
these two other principles. As a
result, it concluded that Québec
cannot unilaterally declare inde-
pendence, even if a clear majori-
ty of Quebeckers, in response to a
clear referendum question, voted
to secede unilaterally.
Since the secession of a prov-
ince would involve a major change
to Canada’s Constitution, it could
not occur without good-faith ne-
gotiations with the other mem-
bers of the federation, consistent
with the constitutional amend-
ment process set out in Part V of
the Constitution Act, 1982.
This advisory opinion from
the highest court therefore
shows that the principle of de-
mocracy, as important as it is,
does not give permission to dis-
regard the written provisions of
the Constitution.
Could Québec amend sec-
tion 128 unilaterally?
Other experts implied that
the National Assembly could
pass a law to amend section
OCTOBER 21, 2022 FRIDAY
For more basic statistics on
the 2022 Vancouver election,
visit our Open Data Portal. A
detailed report including an
exit survey for voters will be re-
leased in the spring of 2023.
Inauguration
Inauguration ceremonies
will take place on November
7, 2022 for City Council, Park
Board and School Board. ■
128 or Schedule V of the Con-
stitution Act, 1867, to abolish
the oath of allegiance or change
its wording to make it more ac-
ceptable to those who, like the
PQ leader, do not wish to pledge
allegiance to the King.
A duly adopted amendment to
section 128 or Schedule V would
be consistent with the principles
of constitutionalism and the
rule of law. Québec may be able
to make such an amendment
unilaterally under section 45 of
the Constitution Act, 1982, as it
would apply only in a prospec-
tive manner to its own MNAs.
However, such an amend-
ment could potentially still be
subject to the stringent pro-
cedure provided by section
41(a) of the Constitution Act,
1982. Under this provision,
any change to “the office of the
(King), the Governor General
and the Lieutenant Governor
of a province” requires the con-
sent of the Senate, the House of
Commons and the legislative
assemblies of all the provinces.
Since it is the duty of the Lieu-
tenant Governor (or their des-
ignee) to administer the oath
of allegiance to members of the
legislature, abolishing the oath
could affect their “office.” This
action would also likely under-
❱❱ PAGE 14 Why Québec politicians
FRIDAY OCTOBER 21, 2022
After four years of legal cannabis,
provinces should review their policies
BY MICHAEL J.
ARMSTRONG, Brock
University
The Conversation
Oct. 17 marks the fourth an-
niversary of Canada’s recre-
ational cannabis legalization.
When The Cannabis Act was
passed in 2018, Canada became
the second country in the world
to legalize the sale, possession
and non-medical use of canna-
bis by adults.
Now, four years on, the feder-
al government is reviewing the
law to see if it’s meeting Canadi-
ans’ needs. Morris Rosenberg,
the former deputy minister of
justice, will chair an expert pan-
el for that purpose.
Similarly, the Ontario Can-
nabis Store recently announced
a “holistic review” of its pricing.
Other provincial and territori-
al governments should follow
these examples and likewise
start looking for improvements
in their cannabis rules.
The industry’s rapid growth
During Canada’s first month
with legal recreational canna-
bis, there were only about 100
licensed stores and sales were
just $42 million.
But the industry grew quick-
ly — even the pandemic didn’t
slow it down — and Canada now
has more than 3,300 licensed
stores. Legal cannabis products
are more accessible than ever.
Legal products also became
more competitive with illegal
ones thanks to dry cannabis
prices dropping 25 per cent
since 2018. In some provinc-
es, they now start at $3.57 per
gram including taxes. Improved
cannabis product quality has
also made those products more
competitive with illegal ones.
Marcos, PhilSA tackle..
❰❰ 7 Philippine sovereign-
ty, territorial integrity,
and interest; support
and commit to the S&T devel-
opment, application and uti-
lization; and ensure access to
space and its environs.
PhilSA is also directed to create
a coherent and unified strategy
for space development and utili-
zation; ensure the Philippines’ of-
Consequently, monthly recre-
ational cannabis sales hit $395
million in July, just over half the
size of Canada’s beer sales.
However, not all is well with
industry. Producers’ profits have
suffered due to overproduction.
Meanwhile, stores in some plac-
es, like Toronto and Manitoba,
face too many competitors.
After having little informa-
tion about the health impacts
of cannabis for years, evidence
is starting to emerge. A recent
study found an increase in can-
nabis hospitalizations among
young children — all the more
reason to review cannabis rules.
The federal government’s re-
view only covers things within
its jurisdiction, like producers,
products and pardons. Since
the provinces regulate retailing
and consumption, it’s crucial
they review their rules too.
Cannabis taxes vary
Aside from health-related
issues, the provinces should
revisit their cannabis rules on
taxation. Ontario’s cannabis
excise taxes during 2021-22 to-
talled $215 million, twice that
of the year before. Profits at its
Ontario Cannabis Store whole-
ficial representation in the inter-
national space community; and
abide by various international
space treaties and principles pro-
mulgated by the United Nations.
PhilSA is asking for around
PHP756.325 million to fund its
2023 operations.
In 2023, PhilSA intends to
allot about PHP828 million for
development the Multispec-
saler, likewise doubled to $184
million. I estimate Ontario also
collected about $121 million in
sales tax, putting its combined
cannabis cash haul at around
$520 million.
This means the provincial
government received about 30
cents out of every dollar its resi-
dents spent on legal recreational
cannabis last year. The Ontario
Cannabis Store spent another
six cents on operating expenses.
By comparison, I estimate
the federal government col-
lected a relatively modest eight
cents in taxes. That left about
20 cents for retailers and 36
cents for producers. Those
businesses spent some of that
on government licences, prop-
erty taxes and income taxes.
Or consider Alberta, which
often brags about charging no
sales tax but rarely mentions
its extra 16.8 per cent cannabis
excise tax. That surcharge likely
contributed about $74 million of
the $164 million Alberta collect-
ed in cannabis taxes last year.
Governments clearly need
revenue from someplace. But
is it appropriate to extract so
much from consumers in ways
tral Unit for Land Assessment
(MULA) project, the country’s
satellite development project
that is eyed for launch in 2025.
PhilSA is also negotiating
with the Philippine Amusement
and Gaming Corporation and
the Bases Conversion and De-
velopment Authority for capital
outlay that will be used in build-
ing satellite testing facilities. ■
www.canadianinquirer.net
Canada News
that ignore the industry’s low
profitability?
Provincial agency operations
Provinces also should review
their cannabis agencies’ opera-
tions, including whether those
agencies should keep their
wholesale monopolies. The On-
tario Cannabis Store, for exam-
ple, collects wholesale markups
of about 31 per cent — even on
sales it doesn’t touch, when
producers sell directly in stores
— when just 10 per cent would
cover its operating costs.
And as monopolies, the agen-
cies become bottlenecks if they
fail. When computer troubles in
Ontario and a strike in British Co-
lumbia temporarily stopped ship-
ments from cannabis agencies
last summer, retailers lost money
because they ran out of products.
Why not let products flow direct-
ly from producers to retailers in-
stead, like Saskatchewan does?
A second issue is whether
provincial cannabis agencies
have enough stores. Québec’s
efficient cannabis agency’s re-
tail-plus-wholesale markup was
just 38 per cent, compared to
the Ontario Cannabis Store’s 74
per cent. But with fewer stores
per capita than other provinces,
its legal sales per capita were
the lowest. That left more of the
market for illegal dealers.
Lastly, provinces should con-
sider simplifying rules to help
retailers, without hurting pub-
lic policy. For example, Alberta
recently removed its require-
ment for stores to cover their
windows. Transparent glass
can make shops safer for staff
inside, and street-friendlier for
pedestrians outside.
Store locations are key
Retail density is another key
consideration. At one extreme,
some Ontario neighbourhoods
Remulla reiterates no..
❰❰ 6 other following the in-
cident.
“We are holding up
very well. My wife, my mother,
my children, my brothers and
sisters are all supportive and
I’d like to thank those people
who have sent me statement of
support -- text, and all messag-
ing platforms. I appreciate the
statement of support,” he added.
11
have too many shops. This clus-
tering occurred partly because
the province stalled licensing for
a year. The government should
make it easier for cannabis busi-
nesses to move to underserved
areas, thereby reducing the re-
tail hyperconcentration.
Conversely, some rural ar-
eas have too few customers
to support standalone shops.
Newfoundland handles that by
letting general stores sell can-
nabis. Other provinces could
consider doing the same thing.
There are also some cities,
like Mississauga, Ontario and
Richmond, B.C., that have no
legal stores because provincial
governments let local councils
opt out. While it was a smart po-
litical move for provinces to al-
low municipalities to opt out, it
might not be a wise policy move.
Learning from experience
As one of the few countries to
legalize recreational cannabis,
Canada has set an example for
others to follow. A growing num-
ber of places, including Thailand,
Malta, South Africa, Mexico and
Germany, are working to imple-
ment nationwide legalization.
Even the United States fed-
eral government recently took
a tiny step toward reforming its
conflicted cannabis law patch-
work. In the U.S., some states
have passed laws authorizing
cannabis sales, but they remain
illegal at the federal level.
These countries can learn
much from Canada’s four years
of experience. But Canada’s
provincial and territorial gov-
ernments should learn from
that experience as well by re-
viewing their rules. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
As for his resignation, Remul-
la said it is the “President’s call.”
“I will not comment anymore
on other issues there but it will
not happen. That is not my call.
It’s the President’s call. If I feel
later on that I am not anymore
effective in this position, then I
will talk to the President about
whatever has to be done in the
future,” he said. ■
12
If cities don’t want homeless encampments
they should help people, not punish them
BY PENNY GURSTEIN,
University of British Columbia
The Conversation
This summer, homeless en-
campments in cities such as
Vancouver and Los Angeles and
others were dismantled.
The reasons varied. In Van-
couver, it was fire hazard con-
cerns on Hastings Street, a major
artery in the Downtown East-
side, where the encampment had
sprung up over several blocks.
In Los Angeles, the encamp-
ment was on city-owned land
intended for other uses. There,
officials have gone even further to
curtail encampments, with the city
council approving a ban on home-
less encampments within 500 feet
of schools and daycare centres.
Encampments of those experi-
encing homelessness have become
a fixture in large cities as well as
smaller communities. It should not
be surprising that people who are
unsheltered seek out the relative
security, community and resources
encampments can provide.
Yet, the ineffective, and often
punitive, responses by various
Canada’s Saskatchewan wants to hire Filipino
health care workers
BY JOYCE ANN L.
ROCAMORA
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – Saskatchewan in
Canada wants to hire hundreds of
health care workers from the Phil-
ippines, the Canadian Embassy in
Manila announced Tuesday.
Saskatchewan, the Embassy
said, is planning to recruit, train,
incentivize and retain more
medical workers to strengthen
its health care system.
“We want to spread the word
to health care workers in the
Philippines that our province
is a place of great opportuni-
ty,” Saskatchewan’s Minister of
Health Paul Merriman said.
“We would love to welcome
into our friendly Saskatche-
wan communities health care
Canada News
levels of government are alarm-
ing. These policy failures are
most evident in the troubling
encampment evictions occur-
ring across North America.
More than 235,000 people
are estimated to be homeless in
Canada. In addition to these vis-
ibly homeless, another 450,000
to 900,000 are among the “hid-
den” homeless: those staying
with family and friends because
they have nowhere to live.
Policing not the answer
Our country has a housing cri-
sis. Homelessness results from
workers from the Philippines
who are interested in coming
to work and live here along with
their families,” he added.
Saskatchewan is the first prov-
ince in Canada to pilot an accel-
erated training and assessment
pathway for eligible nursing re-
cruits from the Philippines.
Participants would remain
in the Philippines to fulfill the
online components of the in-
tensive educational program
and final clinical and practicum
components are completed in
Saskatchewan.
Successful applicants who
commit to a return for service
agreement will have costs cov-
ered for language and education
assessments, bridging/training,
fees related to professional ex-
ams and registration, other costs
incurred while training such as
a severe shortage of affordable
housing, poverty and insuffi-
cient support services. For peo-
ple who end up homeless, it is a
tortuous and difficult route.
For many, their path to living
on the streets starts with child-
hood trauma, mental health is-
sues and substance misuse. For
others, in low paying jobs with
no savings or family support,
they can be one pay cheque away
from homelessness. Regardless
of how they end up homeless,
people deserve to be treated
with dignity and understanding.
travel for clinical placement.
In addition, costs shouldered
by the international recruits
include transportation, accom-
modation and other settlement
related costs (i.e. immigration
fees), the Embassy said.
Merriman said the Canadi-
an province offer a number of
full-time jobs and supports for
internationally trained health
care professionals in several oc-
cupations including Registered
Nurses, Licensed Practical
Nurses, Continuing Care Assis-
tants and Medical Laboratory
Assistants.
Details on health care oppor-
tunities and how to access them
are available at www.saskatche-
wan.ca/HHR.
Filipinos welcome
Saskatchewan has a large Fili-
pino community of about 33,000
www.canadianinquirer.net
Instead, shockingly, police
have been carting away belong-
ings from encampments, leav-
ing people with few options of
where to stay, other than anoth-
er street or park. Even worse,
evictions have turned violent.
Los Angeles is not the only city
that has tried to enforce bans on
people sleeping in public space
with so-called vagrancy by-laws.
When Victoria tried to enforce
city by-laws to that effect in 2005,
homeless people took the city to
court. The B.C. Supreme Court
sided with the unhoused people,
saying that it was an infringe-
ment of their rights.
A similar court decision oc-
curred in 2021 when residents
of a CRAB Park encampment in
Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside
challenged an injunction by the
Vancouver Parks Board forcing
an eviction. Elsewhere in Brit-
ish Columbia, the city of Prince
George was forced to apologize
for the trauma it caused by de-
stroying part of an encampment
even though a judge ruled that
the encampment must remain
because there is not enough ad-
equate accessible housing in the
and Tagalog is the number one for-
eign language spoken in the prov-
ince, according to the Embassy.
The Embassy said sever-
al community supports are in
place to help with settlement
while spouses could receive
assistance in securing employ-
ment in Saskatchewan within
other industries such as trades,
construction and food services.
“Our province has had much
success in welcoming Filipino
nurses and other health care
workers into our workforce and
our communities,” Minister of
Mental Health and Addictions,
Seniors and Rural and Remote
Health Everett Hindley said.
“We wish to invite the Filipi-
no people to consider building
a thriving career here in Sas-
katchewan, where you can en-
joy a great quality of life, raise
OCTOBER 21, 2022 FRIDAY
city to justify its closure.
Dismantling encampments
has a dire impact on people’s
lives. It severs social relation-
ships, causes stress, and in-
creases fear and distrust of
authorities. It dehumanizes un-
housed populations even more.
Long-term solutions needed
It is clear that dismantling
encampments is not the an-
swer. Some people, even if they
have been provided with shel-
ter, will opt for encampments.
In other cases, which occurred
in Vancouver this summer,
there was no shelters or other
housing available. And in pre-
vious encampment evictions,
some residents were offered
substandard SRO housing, the
same kind of housing some
were fleeing when they opted
for living on the streets.
By-laws and practices which
target activities like sleeping
on streets, parks or in cars and
panhandling criminalize indi-
viduals. And the consequences
of criminalizing homelessness
disproportionately falls on ra-
❱❱ PAGE 16 If cities don’t want
a family and be part of a strong
and supportive community.”
Saskatchewan is also cur-
rently negotiating a Memoran-
dum of Understanding (MOU)
with the Philippines on the
recruitment of Filipino health
care professionals.
The MOU would focus on eth-
ical recruitment and transparen-
cy in labor force development.
The Embassy shared that
provincial government officials
would also lead a health-care
recruitment mission to the
Philippines before the end of
2022 to promote available work
opportunities.
This would include a recruit-
ment and/or hiring event for
prospective candidates and a wel-
come event for candidates with
offers of employment or approved
immigration applications. ■
FRIDAY OCTOBER 21, 2022
The United States is gearing up for midterm
elections. What are they and what’s at stake?
BY DAVID SMITH, University
of Sydney
The Conversation
Midterm elections in the
United States elect the House
of Representatives, a third of
the Senate, and thousands of
state legislative and executive
offices. For all their magnitude
and importance, these elec-
tions attract far less attention
than presidential elections and
have much lower turnout.
But the November 8 2022
midterms, taking place in one
of the most closely divided Con-
gresses in history, could have
far-reaching consequences.
What could happen in the
elections?
Democrats currently hold the
House of Representatives by
a margin of just 10 seats out of
435. This is the narrowest House
majority since 1955. They have
no majority at all in the Senate,
which is split 50-50, relying on
the tie-breaking vote of Vice
President Kamala Harris.
This makes it historically un-
likely that the Democrats will
hold on to the House. Since the
Civil War, the president’s party
has lost seats at every midterm
election except for 1934 (the
Great Depression), 1998 (Bill
Clinton’s impeachment) and
2002 (the first election after
the September 11 terrorist at-
tacks). Republicans only need
to gain five seats to take the
House. This outcome is widely
expected but far from certain,
and Democrats can take some
comfort from some encourag-
ing results in special elections
earlier in the year.
The Senate could be more
favourable to Democrats, de-
spite Republicans needing just
one seat to flip it. Because only
a third of Senate seats are con-
tested at each election, one
party often needs to defend far
more of its seats than the other.
This year Republicans are de-
fending 20 seats compared to
World News
the Democrats’ 14, and a lot of
these races are extremely close.
Under these circumstances,
some forecasts slightly favour
Democrats to retain control of
the Senate. But given the tight-
ness of key races, it could well
come down to contingencies
that are hard to predict.
What are the main issues
for voters?
Each party wants voters to
focus on different sets of is-
sues. For Republicans, the job
is straightforward. Voters of-
ten treat midterm elections as
a referendum on the president,
even though the president is
not on the ballot. While Biden’s
approval ratings have recovered
somewhat this year, they are still
in the low 40s, a historically bad
sign for the president’s party.
Inflation has dominated eco-
nomic news for the last year and
now there is talk of a recession.
Republicans have harnessed
increasing disquiet over crime,
asylum seekers at the southern
border and pandemic school
closures. With such advanta-
geous conditions for Republi-
cans, commentators as recently
as June were predicting a “red
wave” election that would wipe
out Democrats in both houses.
But developments over the
American summer shifted the
focus away from these problems.
In June, the Supreme Court
overturned Roe v Wade, the al-
most 50-year-old ruling protect-
ing abortion rights across the
United States. Republican leg-
islators in some states quickly
enacted new laws restricting or
banning abortion, while Demo-
crats initiated legislation in oth-
er states to protect rights that
many had taken for granted.
There was little doubt that po-
litically, the abortion issue helped
Democrats as Republicans staked
out increasingly extreme posi-
tions. A ballot initiative in Kansas,
usually seen as a reliably “red”
state, saw 59% of the population
vote to keep the state’s constitu-
tional protection for abortion.
The Supreme Court’s deci-
sion reflected the conservative
super-majority installed by for-
mer President Donald Trump,
and brightened the spotlight
Democrats were already shin-
ing on the former president.
The House Select Committee’s
hearings into the January 6 ri-
ots, which are continuing, had a
peak of just over 20 million TV
viewers in June. They were pre-
sented with graphic and moving
evidence of Trump’s culpability
in the violence.
In August, an NBC News poll
found 21% of Americans rated
“threats to democracy” as the
most important issue in the
midterm elections, compared
to 16% saying cost of living is-
sues and 14% saying jobs and
the economy.
It is hard to maintain the kind
of attention these issues got
over the summer. More recent
polling suggests that economic
issues have once again become
the central focus of attention,
which will hurt Democrats. Re-
publican candidates have quiet-
ly toned down their opposition
to abortion and removed en-
dorsements from Trump from
their campaign websites.
The US Capitol building in Washington, DC. (MARK FISCHER/FLICKR, CC BY-SA 2.0)
www.canadianinquirer.net
The impact of midterm
elections
Biden has found it hard
enough to advance a legislative
agenda even with unified Dem-
ocratic control of Congress. If
Democrats lose either house, it
will make almost any further ma-
jor legislation essentially impos-
sible because of the veto power of
both houses and the president.
If Republicans win the House
of Representatives, they will
quickly put an end to the House
Select Committee investi-
gating the January 6 riot. As
Democrats move to subpoena
Trump himself as part of that
investigation, Republicans are
planning retaliatory investi-
gations and subpoenas. Kevin
McCarthy, the likely speaker of
a Republican controlled House,
has already threatened that the
House would investigate At-
torney-General Merrick Gar-
land over the August FBI raid
on Trump’s Mar-A-Lago resi-
dence. Numerous Republicans
have said they should impeach
Biden. The president will also
be concerned that a majority
Republican House might re-
duce military aid to Ukraine.
If Republicans win the Sen-
13
ate, Biden will face a lot of prob-
lems making appointments
that need to be confirmed by
the Senate. In particular, he
will probably lose any chance of
making another appointment
to the Supreme Court. The last
time a Republican-majority
Senate confirmed a Democrat-
ic President’s Supreme Court
nominee was in 1895.
But the most significant
consequences could be for the
next presidential election in
2024. Trump has continued to
claim that the 2020 election
was fraudulently “stolen” from
him, and hundreds of Republi-
can candidates across the 2022
midterms have echoed these
claims. This was how many
of them secured Trump’s en-
dorsement, and their nomina-
tions. Some of these candidates
are seeking statewide positions
that could give them immense
influence over the 2024 elec-
tions, especially the offices of
governor and secretary of state,
which have ultimate responsi-
bility for certifying election re-
sults in most states.
Much to Trump’s chagrin, no
governor or secretary of state
refused to certify the 2020 elec-
tion results, despite the pres-
sure he applied to them. But this
year’s Republican candidates in
key swing states include Penn-
sylvania’s Doug Mastriano, who
attended Trump’s January 6
rally and supported efforts to
overturn the state’s election
results in 2020, Arizona’s Kari
Lake, who has said she would
not have certified her state’s
2020 result, and Nevada’s Jim
Marchant, who plans to lead a
coalition of “America first sec-
retary of state candidates” to
get Trump elected in 2024.
Even state legislative races in
the 2022 midterms could have
huge implications for the 2024
elections. The Supreme Court
will soon hear a case that could
dramatically expand the power
❱❱ PAGE 25 The United States is
 14
How will China interact with the world over
the next 5 years? Xi’s new speech holds clues
BY YU TAO, The University of
Western Australia
The Conversation
The 20th National Congress
of the Communist Party of Chi-
na, currently underway in Bei-
jing, is China’s most significant
political event in half a decade.
Like the pre-election leaders’
debates in Western democracies,
the party congress, held once
every five years, provides valu-
able opportunities for us to learn
more about the country’s politi-
cal leaders and their policies.
It’s unlikely any heated po-
litical debate will occur during
the congress, as most political
arrangements are made behind
the scenes beforehand. Howev-
er, the general secretary’s re-
port to the party congress often
sets the tone of what China’s
leadership will prioritise in the
coming years.
Over the weekend, President
Xi Jinping delivered a speech
to the congress. In over 104
minutes, Xi summarised the
“great achievements” of his
first decade as China’s top lead-
er and coined the phrase “Chi-
nese-style modernisation”. He
laid out his vision for China for
the next five years and beyond,
signalling how the country will
engage with the world.
Continuity is key
Five years ago, Xi’s report to
the previous party congress in-
dicated China would become a
more assertive shaper of inter-
national orders.
Many foreign policy narra-
tives in this year’s report are
similar or identical to those in
his 2017 report. This includes
Why Québec politicians..
❰❰ 10 mine the symbol the
King represents in the
Canadian constitu-
tional order.
In any case, contrary to the
PQ leader’s suggestion, the Na-
tional Assembly could not sim-
ply adopt a motion exempting its
members from the obligation to
swear an oath to the King in or-
der to escape the requirements
of the Constitution Act, 1867.
An oath to the King is an oath
to our system of government
World News
People’s Republic of China President Xi Jinping (PCOO)
key phrases such as “upholding
world peace”, “promoting com-
mon development”, and “work-
ing to build a community with a
shared future for humankind”.
The continuity in Xi’s narra-
tives indicates China is unlikely
to embrace rapid foreign policy
changes in the foreseeable future.
Keeping the existing foreign poli-
cy narratives may also be a delib-
erate choice. After all, Xi is widely
expected to secure a historic third
term as China’s top leader, so his
policies will likely stay.
According to Xi, China will
“remain firm in pursuing an
independent foreign policy of
peace”. Xi also pledges “China
will never seek hegemony or
engage in expansion”.
However, Xi stresses that
China won’t compromise on
issues over Taiwan. Following
the established party line on
Taiwan, Xi reiterated in his re-
port that “resolving the Taiwan
issue is the Chinese people’s
own business, and it up to the
Chinese people to decide”.
Xi voiced the support for “a
peaceful reunification” with
It is important to remember
that King Charles, in his role as
King of Canada — a different role
from that of King of the Unit-
ed Kingdom — personifies the
Canadian state. Furthermore,
because the Canadian Crown is
divisible, the monarch also per-
sonifies the Québec state.
An oath to the King is not an
oath to the person who wears
the crown at a given time; rath-
er, it is an oath to an institution
that symbolizes our system of
“the greatest sincerity and ut-
most effort”. But he also said
China will “never promise to
renounce use of force”.
It would be naive to assume
the lack of new keywords in Xi’s
foreign policy narratives means
China will return to being a
“quiet achiever” in the interna-
tional arena. On the contrary,
given China’s mighty economic,
military, and technological ca-
pacities, the country has already
become an essential shaper of
international orders, whether
its diplomats act as “wolf war-
riors” or keep a low profile.
Though not directly con-
frontational, Xi’s report signals
China does not adhere to the
“rules-based international or-
der” advocated by the United
States and its Western allies.
Instead, according to Xi, China
will “promote the democratisa-
tion of international relations”.
Ambiguity
One of the few noticeable new
foreign policy phrases in Xi’s re-
port is that China will “decide
its position and policy on issues
based on their own merits”.
government, a democratic con-
stitutional monarchy. An oath
to the King is therefore an oath
to our system of government
and homeland, not an oath to a
foreign monarch.
In the same vein, the Court
of Appeal for Ontario ruled in
McAteer that an individual can-
not, for reasons of conscience
and personal belief, refuse to
swear the oath of allegiance
required by section 24 of the
Citizenship Act to become a Ca-
www.canadianinquirer.net
China’s foreign minister and
ministry spokespersons have fre-
quently used this phrase to justify
the country’s position of refrain-
ing from condemning Russia for
its invasion of Ukraine.
Including this phrase in Xi’s
report indicates China is likely to
keep its ambiguous position on
the war in Ukraine. It won’t fol-
low the West in cutting ties with
Russia, nor will it explicitly sup-
port Russia’s military operations.
Introducing this new phrase
also gives China’s foreign pol-
icymakers more space to ma-
noeuvre in complicated issues
in the future.
National security an es-
sential focus
According to a Reuters count
based on the not-yet-published
full written report, which is
much longer than Xi’s speech,
the terms “security” and “safe-
ty” appear 89 times.
Compared with Xi’s report
five years ago, the frequency of
these two words increased by
over 60%.
A whole chapter of Xi’s report is
devoted to national security. The
report calls for “a holistic approach
to national security”, which in-
volves coordinating China’s “ex-
ternal and internal security”.
His report also indicates Chi-
na will not only look after its
own security, but also work on
“common security”, primarily
through the “Global Security
Initiative” raised by Xi in April
2022. This initiative, though
still lacking in details, stresses
that any state shouldn’t pursue
its own security in the expanse
of other states’ security.
It will likely become China’s
new foreign policy framework
nadian citizen. It would make
little sense that an elected of-
ficial seeking to become part
of the state could be exempted
from this requirement, espe-
cially since it is imposed by the
Constitution, the king of all le-
gal rules and norms.
Of course, some individuals,
such as St-Pierre Plamondon,
oppose the monarchical aspect
of our country, which many feel
is anachronistic. Canada may
one day renounce the monarchy
OCTOBER 21, 2022 FRIDAY
to take on the US’s Indo-Pacific
Strategy, which China believes
“aims to contain China and at-
tempts to make Asia-Pacific coun-
tries ‘pawns’ of US hegemony”.
Xi’s report also explicitly
states China will protect the “le-
gitimate rights and interests” of
its “overseas citizens and legal
persons”. Linking this with the
report’s emphasis on securing
China’s industrial chains and
supply chains, it’s expected
China will make more efforts to
extend its protection over state-
owned and private entities be-
yond its physical borders.
Engaging via ‘development’
As the country was hit hard
by COVID in mid-2020, many
observers speculated China
would gradually cut its eco-
nomic ties with the external
market and seek to be economi-
cally self-reliant.
Xi’s report, however, reit-
erates that China will keep its
door open. Echoing Xi’s report,
Zhao Chenxin, deputy direc-
tor of China’s macroeconomic
management agency the Na-
tional Development and Re-
form Commission, clarified
that China isn’t seeking to be-
come a self-sufficient economy.
According to Xi’s report, Chi-
na also intends to “create new
opportunities for the world
with its own development”.
As China’s development-driv-
en international engagement
continues, the Belt-and-Road
Initiative is likely to remain a
significant policy platform for
China’s foreign relations. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
and become a republic, as sever-
al other Western democracies
have done. However, until then,
the principles of constitutional-
ism and the rule of law require
elected officials to uphold the
Constitution — Canada’s su-
preme law — and the system of
democratic constitutional mon-
archy it establishes. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 21, 2022
Could tensions between Greece and Turkey
lead to a second European war?
BY YASAR BUKAN, Toronto
Metropolitan University
The Conversation
Tensions are flaring between
Turkey and Greece over the
militarization of the eastern
Aegean islands and a host of
other issues.
Considering Russia’s military
expansion across the region, it
would be strategically wise for the
two NATO members to de-esca-
late and improve relations based
on mutual trust and respect.
In a recent speech, Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdo-
gan threatened to invade Greek
territories in retaliation for
alleged hostile action against
Turkish jets by Greece.
This isn’t the first time the
Greek army harassed Turkish
jets and ships, nor the first time
Erdogan has made inflammato-
ry remarks.
Stirring up nationalism?
Both Greece’s Prime Minis-
ter Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Er-
dogan are facing tough upcom-
ing general elections. Rallying
national sentiments could help
them secure a win.
But the sources of these
mounting tensions go beyond
electoral calculations. Turkey
and Greece have unresolved his-
torical issues as well as a set of
post-Second World War disputes
that still fester. These include
the status of Cyprus, access to
hydrocarbon resources in the
east Mediterranean Sea, the ae-
rial and maritime boundaries of
the Aegean islands and the mili-
tarization of these islands.
Assertive policies by both
Ankara and Athens in the last
decade have exacerbated the
PBBM push to..
❰❰ 6 The independent
and quasi-judicial body
WRC will set the policy
for supply, sewerage, and septage
management; issue licenses; set,
review and approve rates; review
and suspend contracts; initiate
investigations on erring officials
through its quasi-judicial nature;
and ensure that the welfare of
consumers is prioritized.
“Traditionally regarded as
a free right, water is underval-
two countries’ already tumul-
tuous relationship.
During the early phase of the
Arab uprisings, Turkey backed
the Muslim Brotherhood to ex-
pand its regional sphere of influ-
ence. The strategy did not pan
out, however. Former Egyptian
president Muhammed Morsi, a
former Brotherhood leader, was
deposed in a coup by the secular
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
The strategy damaged Tur-
key’s relations with leading
Arab states for what they per-
ceived to be interference in
their internal affairs.
Turkey also prematurely in-
volved itself in a great power
competition by playing Russia
against the United States, rath-
er than aligning with the U.S. as
it traditionally did.
Participating in both the Rus-
sia-sponsored Astana talks and
the U.S.-backed Geneva process
on the Syrian civil war was a
reflection of an emerging inde-
pendent Turkish foreign policy.
This balancing act worked in
Turkey’s favour at the height of
the war, allowing it to become a
deal-maker on a number of re-
gional issues.
Turkish miscalculations
But the misreading of these
short-term volatile dynamics as
long-term strategic opportuni-
ties by Turkish policy-makers
adversely affected its relations
with both the Americans and
the Europeans.
Policy decisions such as the
government’s use of the refu-
gee crisis as a bargaining chip
in its negotiations with Europe
and the acquisition of the S-400
Russian air-defense system af-
ter the U.S. pulled its Patriot
batteries from Turkey were the
ued, wasted, and being depleted
too fast. The situation calls for
a thirsty solution that we hope
our bill can offer,” Poe added.
During the recent LEDAC
meeting, President Marcos said
the problem in the country’s
water supply needs an urgent
solution.
“The problem is too large
that we need to have a team of
experts directing the 20 differ-
ent concerned agencies under
result of these misreadings.
The discord between Turkey
and the U.S. led Washington to
seek other regional partners.
That’s when Greek and Ameri-
can interests converged. Greece
needed foreign investment to
revive its economy, and the U.S.
needed stable territories to po-
sition its military to watch over
the Middle East, North Africa,
Russia and the Balkans.
During a visit to the White
House in 2017, Alexis Tspiras, the
then Greek prime minister, and
Donald Trump made a US$2.4
billion deal to upgrade Greece’s
F-16 fighters and increase Amer-
ican investment in the country.
This deal indicated shifting U.S.
strategies in the region.
The pace of these military
relations accelerated once the
centre-right Mitsotakis won
the 2019 elections. An upgrad-
ed Mutual Defense Coopera-
tion Agreement was signed two
years later, allowing the U.S.
military to operate and train on
four military bases, including
one in Alexandroupoli.
one roof to ensure that they
would manage our water re-
sources efficiently,” he said.
The country is currently re-
lying on the National Water
Resources Board (NWRB), the
government agency tasked to
manage and regulate all local
water resources and services.
NWRB integrates and coordi-
nates all water-related activities
that have social, environmental,
and economic impacts. ■
www.canadianinquirer.net
World News
The agreement was con-
demned by the Greek left. The
opposition party SYRIZA vot-
ed against its ratification and
accused Mitsotakis of reducing
Greece to “a U.S. satellite.”
Turkey hemmed in
Currently, Turkey is sur-
rounded by Russia from the
south and north, and by Greece
— and by extension, the U.S.
— from the west. It is left with
little room to manoeuvre. Its
ambitions to become a regional
powerhouse are stunted for the
foreseeable future.
In view of this geopolitical
reality, Turkey understandably
shares close relations with Rus-
sia. To balance and reduce its
dependence on Moscow — par-
ticularly Russian natural gas
and issues concerning Syria and
the Black Sea — it needs to re-
store and improve its relations
with the Arab world, the EU, the
U.S. and Greece.
Greece, meanwhile, is em-
boldened. With an American
military presence, it is upend-
ing Turkey strategically, partic-
Comelec bats anew..
❰❰ 7 serve as poll workers,
media members, and
uniformed person-
nel are allowed for early voting
under the local absentee voting
(LAV).
“If we allow media, the PNP
(Philippine National Police),
teachers, the AFP (Armed Forc-
es of the Philippines). Why
can’t we allow PWDs and senior
colleagues to vote early, even
for just a week,” he added.
15
ularly after the recent U.S. deci-
sion to lift the arms embargo on
the Republic of Cyprus. The lift
lessens the burden on Greece
as the military guarantor of Cy-
prus, and strengthens its posi-
tion against Turkey in the east
Mediterranean Sea, where the
Turks have been conducting
oil and gas exploration despite
strong Greek opposition.
But there are repercussions
to these developments. Greek
territorial waters are now a tar-
get of global and regional an-
ti-American forces.
Looking ahead
Tensions between Greece
and Turkey are not new, but
the future cannot be built on
the grievances of the past. For
greater regional stability, dis-
putes cannot be left unresolved
indefinitely.
The militarization of the Ae-
gean islands and limiting the
eastern Mediterranean Sea to
an already surrounded Turkey
will surely worsen relations.
Turkey’s assertive policies in
the last decade caused many
unanticipated quandaries for
the country, and similar policies
may bear comparable conse-
quences for Greece in the future.
With elections fast approach-
ing, tensions and hyper-nation-
alistic rhetoric are heightened
in both nations. With Turkey
encircled and Greece growing
assertive, it would be prudent
for both to maintain close dia-
logue, focus on common inter-
ests and develop mutual trust
in a region already engulfed by
a series of ongoing conflicts. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
In past elections, the Comelec
has established Emergency Ac-
cessible Polling Places (EAPPs)
in all voting centers nationwide
for Election Day.
The EAPPs are specifically
intended for PWDs and senior
citizens and are located on the
ground floor of polling centers
for easy access. ■
16 World News OCTOBER 21, 2022 FRIDAY

Iran backs proposal on If cities don’t want..

❰❰ 12 cialized people. Mar- solution. Encampments can be

nuclear weapons convention

IRNA
Philippine News Agency
NEW YORK – Iran support-
ed the Non-Alignment Move-
ment’s (NAM) proposal on a
comprehensive nuclear weap-
ons convention.
In a United Nations Gen-
eral Assembly meeting on
Monday, Heydar-Ali Balou-
ji, a diplomat in Iran’s per-
manent mission in the UN,
said the repeated failures of
revision in the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nucle-
ar Weapons (NPT) showed
that there was no vision for
complete elimination of nu-
clear arms.
Nuclear disarmament
has been on the interna-
tional agenda since 1946
when the General Assem-
bly adopted its first resolu-
tion calling for the elimination
of nuclear weapons and since
the NPT entered into force in
1970, Balouji said.
He, however, said the nucle-
ar-weapon states undertook
a legal obligation to negotiate
to cease the nuclear arms race
and disarm. “But the nuclear
arsenals have exceeded 13,000
weapons, with the number and
quality of these devastating
We strongly support
the NAM proposal
to commence
negotiations on a
comprehensive nuclear
weapons convention...
weapons set to increase in the
coming years.”
The US and the UK, in par-
ticular, are in front of this haste
and all nuclear-weapon states
are actively modernizing their
nuclear arsenals and delivery
systems, but none are engaged
in disarmament negotiations,
Balouji said.
The Iranian diplomat added
that the irrelevant plans pro-
posed by the US or other
NWSs would not lead to
nuclear disarmament and
that disarmament needed
political will and develop-
ing a time-bound updated
disarmament action plan.
“We strongly support the
NAM proposal to commence
negotiations on a compre-
hensive nuclear weapons
convention on the total elim-
ination of nuclear weapons
in the Conference on Disar-
mament,” Balouji said.
He also highlighted the
regional aspect of disarma-
ment failure and Israel’s de-
fying the international calls to
accede to the NPT as a non-nu-
clear weapon party without any
precondition. ■
ginalized communities
often face discrimina-
tion in accessing housing and
other services which is com-
pounded if they have a criminal
record due to homelessness.
Ten per cent of the off-reserve
First Nation and Inuit popula-
tions have experienced home-
lessness in Canada. In 2020, the
last year that a homeless count
was conducted in Vancouver, 39
per cent of the city’s homeless
population was Indigenous even
though they comprise two per
cent of the total population.
People who identified as Black,
Hispanic and Arab were also sig-
nificantly over-represented com-
pared to their percentage of the
general population.
As the federal Housing Ad-
vocate Marie-Josée Houle said
in a September visit to Vancou-
ver’s homeless encampments,
“the housing system has failed
everyone there.” Homeless en-
campments have become a last
resort because of lack of better
housing alternatives. The shel-
ter system is overcrowded and
too restrictive for many people.
But sanctioning encamp-
ments should not be the only
unsafe and dangerous places,
and provide little opportunity for
moving out of homelessness. We
need a holistic approach to end-
ing homelessness that addresses
the reasons for homelessness.
For those who fall into home-
lessness out of economic neces-
sity we need more plentiful af-
fordable rental housing, rental
assistance and stronger rent
controls to ensure that rent-
ers’ rights are upheld. For those
struggling with multiple health
and substance issues, we need
more supportive housing.
For Indigenous people ex-
periencing homelessness we
need more, better funded, and
culturally appropriate housing
and services. For those ending
up in encampments we need
to ensure, at the very least, that
their rights are upheld.
Homeless encampments are
not going to go away any time
soon. The federal government
has already declared housing to
be a human right. We must work
to end homelessness now. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.

The 2022 Ford EV Hybrids have the features and finesse to confidently drive you to what’s next.

Discover Ford’s Electrified Family.

Escape the guesswork of gas prices. Fill up for less with our Hybrid 2022 Maverick, 2022 Escape SE Hybrid,
2022 Escape SE Plug In Hybrid, 2022 F-150 Limited, 2022 Explorer Limited, 2022 Mustang MACH-E,
2022 F-150 Lightning and 2022 E-Transit.
Now’s your chance to discover Ford’s Electrified Family, at your nearest Toronto Area Ford Dealer.

Visit us at FORDtoronto.ca, or in store today.

www.canadianinquirer.net
FRIDAY OCTOBER 21, 2022 17

www.canadianinquirer.net
18
Entertainment
ABS-CBN Film Restoration brings restored
Filipino classics to Netflix
ABS-CBN
Featuring ‘Oro, Plata, Mata,’
‘Himala,’ ‘One More Chance,’
‘Dubai,’ and more
ABS-CBN Film Restoration
continuously makes Filipino
cinematic classics accessible
through various platforms for to-
day’s audiences as it brings forth
some of its digitally restored
and remastered titles streaming
on-demand via Netflix.
Up until the end of 2022,
ABS-CBN Film Restoration
and its Sagip Pelikula initiative
will introduce an array of re-
stored Pinoy films of all genres
on Netflix—from drama, ro-
mance, comedy, and horror.
The first title introduced is
the digitally restored version
of the revered 1982 war-dra-
ma classic “Oro, Plata, Mata”
Jeepney TV to name the Asian artists
ultimate fan fave programs collaborate for
and stars this October 22 mental wellness
ABS-CBN
EP “My Safe Place”
Kapamilya celebrities to grace
Jeepney TV’s 10th anniversary
celebration
Which Kapamilya shows and
artists have emerged as ulti-
mate fan favorites? Find out in
the awards night of the inau-
gural Jeepney TV Fan Favorite
Awards happening this Satur-
day (October 22) at 9 pm.
In celebration of Jeepney TV’s
10th anniversary, the JTV Fan
Favorite Awards was launched
to recognize remarkable per-
sonalities and honor classic
ABS-CBN shows that aired on
the throwback cable channel.
Robi Domingo and Kaila Es-
trada will serve as hosts of the
directed by Peque Gallaga and
written by Jose Javier Reyes,
starring Sandy Andolong, Liza
Lorena, Ronnie Lazaro, Joel
Torre, and late Cherie Gil.
More award-winning Filipi-
no classics will make their way
to the on-demand streaming
platform, among them are Nora
Aunor’s cinematic masterpiece
“Himala” and one of Dolphy’s
iconic films of all time, “Marko-
va: Comfort Gay.”
Viewers can also watch the
restored versions of Star Cin-
ema’s all-time romantic hits,
such as “One More Chance,”
“Now That I Have You,”
“Dubai,” and “Hihintayin Kita
Sa Langit.”
Comedy fans are also in for
a treat with “Ang Cute Ng Ina
Mo!” and the Judy Ann San-
tos-Ryan Agoncillo starrer
“Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo,” while
awards night.
KD Estrada and Alexa Ilacad
are set to deliver an exciting per-
formance while Dimples Roma-
na, JC De Vera, Enchong Dee,
Jhai Ho, Gerald Anderson, Jolina
Magdangal, Shaina Magdayao,
Angel Aquino, and Charo Santos
will grace the event as presenters.
Iconic shows from 1992 to
2001 like “Mara Clara (1992)”
and Esperanza,” from 2002 to
2011 such as “100 Days to Heav-
en” and “May Bukas Pa,” and
from 2012 to 2021 like “FPJ’s
Ang Probinsyano” and “Be Care-
ful With My Heart” are all vying
for the Fave Teleserye award.
Meanwhile, Coco Martin,
Daniel Padilla, Joshua Garcia,
Angel Locsin, Janella Salvador,
Kathryn Bernardo, and other
(ABS-CBN)
thrill-seekers can watch the
digitally restored horror block-
buster “Feng Shui.”
Today’s audiences can watch
all these remastered classics
from ABS-CBN Film Resto-
big Kapamilya names are nom-
inated for Fave Lead Actor and
Actress awards.
Fans are also looking forward
to finding out which pairing will
be hailed as the All-Time Favor-
ite Love Team among contend-
ers Kathryn and Daniel, Jodi
Sta. Maria and Richard Yap,
Dawn Zulueta and Richard Go-
mez, and other nominees.
The Fave Kontrabida, Fave
Talk Show Host, Fave Gag Show,
and other category winners will
also be named based on fan
votes submitted thru JoinNow,
Jeepney TV Fans Facebook
Group, and TikTok.
Catch the livestream of JTV
Fan Favorite Awards on Satur-
❱❱ PAGE 25 Jeepney TV to
www.canadianinquirer.net
ration on-demand via Netflix
for subscribers in the Philip-
pines and the rest of Southeast
Asian territories.
Also, Pinoy viewers can con-
tinue watching these restored
ABS-CBN
Feat. Filipino acts Trisha
Denise and LU.ME and Singa-
porean artists KIRI, kotoji, and
Marian Carmel
ABS-CBN’s Star Pop music
label and Singapore-based cre-
ative production house AOR
Global have released the ex-
tended play (EP) called “My
Safe Place,” a cross-cultural
collaboration that seeks to
promote mental well-being
through music.
“My Safe Place” features six
tracks from Filipino acts Trisha
Denise and LU.ME. and Singa-
OCTOBER 21, 2022 FRIDAY
films on KTX.ph with special
pre-show interviews before ev-
ery screening.
Now in its eleventh year since
digitally restoring its first title,
Sagip Pelikula continues to re-
master films from directors and
writers of note for today’s view-
ers to appreciate. These efforts
have earned multiple recogni-
tions from award-giving bod-
ies worldwide, including the
prestigious Gold Quill Award
given by the International As-
sociation of Business Com-
municators (IABC), Gawad
Pedro Bucaneg from Unyon ng
mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas
(UMPIL), and most recently
the Gawad PASADO sa Pagsis-
inop ng mga De Kalibreng Peli-
kula distinction from the 23rd
Gawad PASADO organized by
Pampelikulang Samahan ng
mga Dalubguro (PASADO) ■
porean artists KIRI, kotoji, and
Marian Carmel. The project
was co-produced by ABS-CBN
Music creative director Jona-
than Manalo and Star Pop label
head Rox Santos.
Singer-songwriter Trisha De-
nise wrote and performed the
song “Cracks,” which talks about
embracing one’s imperfections.
“We think that our pain and
hardship make us undeserving
of love but those things brought
us to a better version of our-
selves. Kahit na may ‘cracks’
tayo, let’s just enjoy the journey,”
encouraged Trisha
❱❱ PAGE 21 Asian artists collaborate
FRIDAY OCTOBER 21, 2022
From Thailand to the Mekong Region,
Netflix and Purin Pictures Expand Reach
of Second Short Film Camp
NETFLIX
Twelve teams of directors and
producers from Thailand, Cam-
bodia, Laos and Myanmar have
been selected to take part in a
ten-day filmmaking workshop
this December. This is the sec-
ond year running that Netflix is a
major sponsor of the Short Film
Camp led by Purin Pictures .
Mentored by professional
filmmakers, the 24 participants
will hone their writing, produc-
ing and directing skills in a du-
al-track program for producers
and directors. The intensive
workshop culminates in a live
pitch of their short film proj-
ects, where four winners will
receive funding and post-pro-
duction support to produce
their short films. The workshop
GMA raises PH flag in global awards scene
GMA NETWORK INC.
GMA Network continues to
raise the Philippine flag on the
global stage as it reaps honors
from prestigious international
award-giving bodies.
Just this October 8, GMA
Public Affairs’ “The Atom
Araullo Specials” won Best
Asian Documentary in the 4th
Asia Contents Awards (ACA) at
the Busan International Film
Festival (BIFF) Theater in Bu-
san, South Korea.
“The Atom Araullo Specials”’
“Munting Bisig (Young Arms),”
which was the only Philippine
entry shortlisted in the said fes-
tival, bested other Asian shows
aims to give an opportunity to
filmmakers from less developed
countries in Asia Pacific.
“We’re excited to gather
some of the most promising
young directors and producers
in the region for this short film
camp, where they can be taught
by professionals and further de-
velop their skills,” said Aditya
Assarat, one of the co-founders
of Purin Pictures.
“Many of them are going to
be movers and shakers in the
industry, and this workshop
will hopefully be another step
towards leveling the playing
field for aspiring filmmakers
and raising story-telling stan-
dards in our region.”
Of the 12 pairs of direc-
tors and producers, six teams
are from Thailand, four from
Myanmar, two from Cambodia,
produced by Netflix, Asian Boss
(YouTube), and TV Asahi Pro-
duction (YouTube).
This is the second interna-
tional award that “The Atom
Araullo Specials” won this year.
Last April, the same episode
gave the Philippines a Gold
World Medal at the prestigious
2022 New York Festivals TV &
Film Awards. The documentary
delved into the plight of chil-
dren working amid the global
pandemic to help their families
survive even if they were ex-
posed to the COVID-19 virus.
GMA Network likewise led the
Philippines’ National Winners
in the News and Current Affairs
categories at this year’s Asian
Academy Creative Awards.
and one from Laos. Their films
cover a gamut of topics includ-
ing family drama, LGBTQ, po-
litical repression and the de-
construction of identity.
“Lack of access to grants
and mentorship is something
that we hope can be overcome
through workshops like this
(NETFLIX)
Besting other nominees to
win as ‘Best Newscast” is 24
Oras Weekend. The Kapuso
weekend news program an-
chored by Pia Arcangel and
Ivan Mayrina is also the coun-
try’s representative for the Best
Single News Story category.
The Asian Academy Creative
Awards lauded Jonathan An-
dal’s report on Typhoon Odette.
The Atom Araullo Specials
continues its winning streak,
taking home the “Best Docu-
mentary” honor for the docu-
mentary “Mata sa Dilim.”
Atom is also the Philippine rep-
resentative for the “Best News or
Current Affairs Presenter/An-
chor” category for GTV’s flagship
newscast State of the Nation.
Entertainment
which aim to support filmmak-
ers who may not get the chance
to develop their storytelling
skills,” said Amy Sawitta Lefe-
vre, Head of External Affairs
(APAC) at Netflix.
“Supporting local creators
builds opportunities for un-
derrepresented filmmakers in
Meanwhile, the country’s
pioneering wildlife, travel, and
conservation program Born to
be Wild was named “Best Nat-
ural History/Wildlife Show”
for its “Primer Planet” episode.
This is another milestone for
the show hosted by Doc Ferds
Recio and Doc Nielsen Dona-
to, which will be celebrating its
15th anniversary this year.
Fresh from its highly successful
season finale, Lolong is set to com-
pete on the international stage as
well. 2022’s Most Watched Phil-
ippine TV show was hailed as the
national winner in the “Best Visu-
al/Special Effects” category.
Rounding up the list of Ka-
puso winners is the award-win-
ning infotainment show iBilib,
19
Southeast Asia and beyond so
that they get to tell the stories
that they may not have been
able to tell.”
The three winning teams
from last year’s workshop re-
ceived funding to make the fol-
lowing films:
• My Bee’s Knees , directed
by Tinshine Mont, produced by
Christine Flemming
• Blazed Away , directed by
Supamart Boonnil, produced
by Ratthathammanoon Supa-
pootorn
• Dear You , directed by Mu-
endaw Kamontum, produced
by Kataporn Sae-ieb
This year’s Short Film Camp
will take place from December
2 to 12 at the Thailand Creative
and Design Center (TCDC) in
Bangkok, Thailand. ■
which took home the National
Award for “Best Infotainment.”
iBilib is hosted by Chris Tiu.
As National Winners, they
will represent the Philippines
in the Grand Awards and Gala
Finals this December. The
awarding will be held in Singa-
pore as part of the Singapore
Media Festival.
Considered Asia Pacific’s
“most prestigious awards for
creative excellence,” the Asian
Academy Creative Awards
gathers the best of the best from
16 nations representing the re-
gion’s content industry.
Viewers abroad can catch
these award-winning shows on
GMA’s flagship international
channel, GMA Pinoy TV. ■
20
Universities can foster more deliberative de-
mocracy — starting by empowering students
BY SIMON PEK, University
of Victoria, JEFFREY
KENNEDY, Queen Mary
University of London
The Conversation
As universities roar back to
life with renewed expectations,
students head to institutions
that will shape their lives both
now and in the future.
At university, students are
presented with various opportu-
nities to participate in the gov-
ernance of these communities.
They may be asked to answer
surveys, vote or — if they are con-
fident enough — run for elected
positions in a student union or as
a class representative.
As researchers interested in
exploring novel approaches to
practising democracy in orga-
nizations, we see this type of
participation as crucial.
It can enable diverse groups
of students to interact, tackle
important issues, hold univer-
sities accountable and develop
their capacities to be confident,
engaged and thoughtful partici-
pants in civic life.
Pressing aspirations
These aspirations are all the
more pressing in light of de-
mocracy’s current challenges —
like low voter turnout, distrust
and polarization.
Universities have a role in
revitalizing democracy. Yet,
despite the merits of contem-
porary approaches to student
participation in university gov-
ernance, these tend to face ma-
jor deficiencies.
We argue that universities
should look to democratic in-
novations seen with initiatives
like Climate Assembly UK.
Looking to democratic in-
novations
Climate Assembly UK was
initiated by a group of select
committees of the United King-
dom’s House of Commons. Or-
ganizers selected the 108 mem-
bers — made up of everyday
citizens — through a democrat-
ic lottery.
Lifestyle
The use of a lottery brought
together a diverse group of
voices, representative of the
demographic profile of the U.K.,
and distributed opportunities
for civic engagement more eq-
uitably across the population.
Over six weekends, these
citizens heard from a range of
experts and stakeholders and
deliberated together with the
support of independent facil-
itators. They developed and
presented recommendations
spanning topics including con-
sumption, travel and green-
house gas removals.
Climate Assembly UK is just
one example of a deliberative
“mini-public,” whose use has
been proliferating globally.
They’ve been used to tackle
issues like transportation plan-
ning, child care, democratic ex-
pression and the impact of digital
technologies and genetic testing.
Problems go beyond head-
lines
In the world of university
student politics, recent years
in Canada saw reporting about
spending scandals, disqualified
candidates, threatened sanc-
tions over polarizing decisions
and the wholesale replacement
of a student federation over
misconduct allegations.
Reporting about these chal-
lenges also makes headlines in
the United States and the U.K.
Our recent research finds
such headlines are symptomat-
ic of wider problems.
Shortcomings are less about
people and more about the
approaches used to involve
them. Traditional approaches
ultimately fail to foster univer-
sities’ capacity to have inclu-
sive and thoughtful discussion
shape decision-making — their
“deliberative capacity.” After
all, in any democracy, people
expect more than simply stay-
ing out of scandal.
Limitations of surveys,
voting, running for office
While surveys are easy to
administer, they limit student
voice to top-of-the-head re-
sponses. They provide informa-
tion isolated from background
context and collect views un-
evenly across demographics.
Like voting — which regu-
larly suffers from poor turnout
— surveys also offer limited op-
portunity for students to de-
velop civic skills and capacities
like critical thinking and com-
munication.
For those few students ready
to overcome barriers to run-
ning for, and winning, elected
roles, more intensive experi-
ences await. But these experi-
ences are often in unsupported
environments that foster con-
flictual or self-interested ap-
proaches to shared concerns.
Yet another question is the
extent to which these elected
students reflect the diversity of
the student body.
More deliberative student
influence
Some universities are be-
ginning to experiment with
mini-publics. Our own univer-
sities experimented with a “Stu-
dents’ Jury” on pandemic learn-
ing and a “Students’ Dialogue” on
youth participation in democra-
cy and civil political discourse.
The London School of Eco-
nomics’ Students’ Union recent-
www.canadianinquirer.net
ly used this approach to redesign
its democratic structures.
Our research concludes that,
if done well, the key features of
mini-publics provide a compel-
ling means of more inclusive,
deliberative student influence
and should be used much more
broadly.
A student mini-public could
be commissioned by either uni-
versity or student union lead-
ership. The gathering size can
be tailored — from a jury of 12
students to an assembly of 150.
Mini-publics can be purpose-
fully combined with existing
opportunities like representa-
tion on boards of directors to
maximize impact.
Through mini-publics, stu-
dents could address a wide
range of important and poten-
tially controversial issues that
university communities can act
on, like universities’ strategies
for tackling climate change or
campus free speech or student
housing.
Tackling a student housing
strategy
A university seeking to
co-develop its student housing
strategy might convene a stu-
dent mini-public of 36 students
to tackle the issue.
OCTOBER 21, 2022 FRIDAY
Using a democratic lottery
would ensure the mini-public re-
flects the diversity of the student
body based on characteristics
like gender, academic year, race,
international versus domestic
enrolment status, income and
current housing situation.
Students would access bal-
anced and comprehensive
briefing materials on topics like
the university’s current land
use policies, environmental
strategies and finances. They
would learn from experts like
urban planners and research-
ers, as well as stakeholders like
residence services staff, local
developers and other students.
Their recommendations
would be shared not only with
relevant decision-makers, but
also the broader student body
to help inform conversations in
the student newspaper or social
media, in dining halls or in the
student pub.
Such an approach would give
every student an equal chance
to contribute and develop, help
guard against the distortions
of the self-selecting “usual sus-
pects,” and facilitate a student
voice that reflects the diversity
of backgrounds, personalities
and needs in the student body.
Thoughtful, representa-
tive decisions
Built-in learning, facilitation
and deliberation means that
decisions are informed and
shaped by others’ perspectives.
This not only means more
thoughtful and representative
decisions, but a greater diversity
of students accessing meaning-
ful, deliberative civic education.
While there is still a lot to
learn about incorporating stu-
dent mini-publics, they are an
exciting and realistic prospect.
It’s crucial universities take
innovative steps to foster more
inclusive, deliberative ap-
proaches while educating for the
kind of democracy we want. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 21, 2022
Are ‘core memories’ real?
The science behind 5 common myths
BY PENNY VAN BERGEN,
University of Wollongong,
CELIA HARRIS, Western
Sydney University
The Conversation
What are your core memories
from childhood? Can you lock
in a core memory by choice?
What do your core memories
say about you?
The notion of “core memo-
ries” has become well known
in popular culture. First seen
in the 2015 movie Inside Out,
core memories are thought to
be your five or so most import-
ant memories. The idea is that
some specific events are so im-
portant, experiencing them in-
stantly shapes your personality,
behaviours and sense of self.
Thousands of TikTok us-
ers have made “core memory”
posts about salient memories
(often from childhood), with
more than 880 million views
worldwide. Typically these
posts have a strong element of
nostalgia and focus on small
moments: watching Saturday
morning cartoons, holding
hands with a schoolyard crush,
or splashing through the rain.
So, do core memories actual-
ly exist? While we do use mem-
ories to construct a sense of
self, and these memories sup-
port our psychological wellbe-
ing, memory science suggests
the notion of a “core memory”
is faulty in five key ways.
1: We don’t have just five
core memories
Autobiographical memories
(memories about our selves and
our lives) are kept in our long-
term memory. This is an enor-
mous memory store with no
known limits on size or capacity.
For this reason, we are not
Asian artists collaborate..
❰❰ 18 Up-and-coming
soul-pop artist and
kumu streamer LU.ME
sang the song “Surrender” for
the timely EP. “Sometimes
we feel na mag-isa lang tayo sa
mundo but hindi ganun yun. We
are all loved,” LU.ME said. “Sur-
rendering is not a sign of weak-
ness but a sign of strength.”
KIRI, an independent singer
limited to just five (or 50) im-
portant life memories. And dif-
ferent memories might be rele-
vant to us in different contexts,
meaning we might bring to
mind a different set of self-de-
fining memories on different
occasions.
2: Core memories don’t
drive our personality
While our memory is critical-
ly important to us, individual
memories do not drive our per-
sonality.
Psychologists and cognitive
scientists often talk about auto-
biographical memory as having
(at least) three key functions.
According to the self function,
we know who we are because of
our past experiences. Accord-
ing to the social function, tell-
ing memory stories helps us to
socialise and bond with others.
Finally, according to the direc-
tive function, our memories
help us learn lessons from the
past and solve problems into
the future.
Some salient memories may
be particularly important for
our identity. For example, win-
ning the state volleyball cham-
pionship may be critical for how
we view ourselves as an athlete.
Underlying personality traits,
however, are relatively stable.
3: Our childhood memories
are not always our strongest
Contrary to popular media
portrayals, our most salient
autobiographical memories
are not always from our child-
hoods. Indeed, we tend to have
relatively poor memories from
our early years. Although our
earliest memories often date
from three or four years of age,
the number of events we re-
member remains low across the
primary school years.
In contrast, most of our salient
and advocate for destigmatizing
mental illnesses and trauma,
performed the soothing track
“Get Well Soon.” “I was excited
to sing the song because it’s all
the things I need. It’s like a re-
minder to yourself that things
will get better,” she said.
A multi-instrumentalist who
composes, writes, and co-pro-
duces her works, kotoji penned
and important memories tend to
cluster in our early adulthood.
This phenomenon is known as a
“reminiscence bump”.
One explanation for this find-
ing is that our earliest childhood
memories are often mundane.
What interested us as a child
may not be as interesting as an
adult, and vice versa. Instead,
our most formative experiences
happen in late adolescence and
early adulthood as our sense of
self stabilises.
Of course, we do often devel-
op nostalgia for our earlier lives:
a bittersweet longing for the
past. The core memory trend
likely picks up on this nostalgia.
4: We can’t predict what
will become a core memory
Across social media, “new core
memory” has become shorthand
for highlighting an exciting new
experience as soon as it occurs.
These expeinclude snowfights,
hugs, holidays, and more.
Although we do remember
and sang the song “Survive,” an
ambient dream-pop track in-
spired by the experiences of her
friends. She narrated, “When I
was working on this song, I was
thinking about my friends who
were struggling. I wanted to
send a word of encouragement
to them despite all of the bad
things that are going on.”
Singer-songwriter Marian
www.canadianinquirer.net
Lifestyle
emotional events more easily
than neutral events, we don’t
get to choose our memories.
This means it isn’t possible to
predict what events we will re-
call later and what we will for-
get – our memories can take us
by surprise!
The events that become im-
portant to us over the long term
might be ones that seemed en-
tirely ordinary at the time, and
different memories may come
to have different meaning at
different stages of our lives.
Even for highly salient
events, we are likely to forget
many of the details we thought
important at the time.
5: Core memories are no
more accurate than others
Core memories are some-
times portrayed as literal snap-
shots of the past, like pressing
play on a camcorder and watch-
ing the event unfold.
Similar arguments have pre-
viously been made about so-
Carmel, who was born in the
Philippines and raised in Sin-
gapore, relayed her personal
struggles that led her to wel-
come the chance to sing the
track “Wish That I Could Tell
Me.” She shared, “In essence,
these are the things that I want
to tell myself. It’s a letter to my
19-year-old self who just found
out that she is suffering from
21
called “flashbulb memories”.
These are the highly vivid mem-
ories that form when learning
about dramatic events for the
first time (such as the Septem-
ber 11 attacks or the death of
Princess Diana).
In reality, every memory we
have is prone to change, forget-
ting, and errors in minor details
– even when it refers to an im-
portant event.
This capacity for error is be-
cause of the way memory works.
When we encode a memory, we
typically recall the broad gist of
the event and some detail.
When we retrieve the event,
we reconstruct it. This means
piecing back together the gist
and the fragments of detail as
best we can, and filling in the
gaps for any detail we might
have forgotten.
Every time we recall the
event, we have the potential to
change details, introduce new
emotion, and to reinterpret an
event’s meaning. Consider the
joyful memory one might have
after becoming engaged to a be-
loved partner. If that relation-
ship were to fail, the reconstruc-
tive memory process allows new
negative emotions to be intro-
duced into the memory itself.
What core memories get
right
While “core memory” is a
made-up term, the core mem-
ory trend is helpful in showing
how valuable our memories are.
Memory allows us a window
to our former lives: rich with
emotion and tied to identity. By
reminiscing about our experi-
ences with others, we also share
parts of ourselves. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
panic disorder.”
Aside from the solo tracks, the
EP also features the uplifting
pop rock track “My Safe Place,”
which was performed by all five
artists. The song is about finding
a space that gives comfort and
allows oneself to feel safe.
Stream the “My Safe Place”
EP, now available on various
digital streaming platforms. ■
22
PH bags 11 medals in Asian SEA Games
pencak silat tourney qualifying nat’l
BY JEAN MALANUM
Philippine News Agency dancesports
MANILA – The Philippines
tourney set
captured 11 medals, including
one gold courtesy of Abad broth-
Oct. 29-30
ers -- Alfau Jan and Almohaidib
in the 6th Asian Pencak Silat
Championships at the Sher-i
Kashmir Indoor Stadium in Sri-
nagar, India from Oct. 14 to 16.
Alfau Jan and his younger
brother Almohaidib came out
with an impressive perfor-
mance in the men’s double ar-
tistic (Seni Ganda Putra) cate-
gory to win the country’s lone
gold medal. Alfau Jan also won
bronze in the solo artistic event.
Team Philippines also pock-
eted two silver medals won by
Edmar Tacuel in the men’s solo
artistic (Seni Tunggal Putra)
and the women’s trio artistic
(Seni Regu Putri) team of Jessa
Dela Cruz, Ziara Mari Oquindo
and Franchette Anne Tolentino.
On Sunday, the Filipino players
ended their campaign with sev-
4 Pinoys to compete in Asian
squash tourney in SoKor
BY JEAN MALANUM
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The Philippine
Squash Academy is planning to
send four players to the Asian
Team Championships set from
Oct. 31 to Nov. 4 in Cheongju,
South Korea.
The team is composed of
Robert Andrew Garcia, Rey-
mark Begornia, David William
Pelino, Jonathan Reyes, and
coach Edgar Balleber.
“The goal is to improve our
ranking among the teams in Asia
and at the same time, the tour-
nament is a good opportunity
for us to play against high-cali-
ber athletes. Many Asian coun-
Sports
en more bronze medals courtesy
of Jaciren Abad (men’s Class C),
Mark James Lacao (men’s Class
D), Ian Christopher Calo (men’s
Class E), Alvin Campos (men’s
Class E), Joash Mariño Cantoria
(men’s Class G), Angeline Viriña
(women’s Class A) and Ziara Mari
Oquindo (women’s Class B) in the
Tanding (sparring) category.
The team, led by Philsilat
Sports Association Secretary
General Inier Candor, will ar-
rive in Manila on Tuesday.
tries are the world’s top 20,” the
world No. 165 Garcia said in an
interview on Sunday.
The Philippines finished
ninth while Malaysia was
crowned champion when it
hosted the 2021 edition. India
was second followed by Hong
Kong, Japan, Pakistan, South
Korea, Iran and Iraq. Sri Lan-
ka placed 10th while Singapore
and Indonesia were 11th and
12th, respectively.
Garcia went to Australia on
Aug. 14 to compete in five tour-
naments - - Costa North Coast
Open in Coffs Harbour City,
Alto Group Pennant Hills Open
in Sydney, Volkswagen Open in
Bega, New South Wales, Tasma-
nian Open and Eastside Open in
“I couldn’t be prouder! Team
silat is improving every time
they compete. I am thankful for
the support of the Philippine
Sports Commission,” Philsilat
Sports Association president
Princess Jacel Kiram said in an
interview on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Philippines
will host the second edition of
the International Pencak Silat
Federation World Beach Games
scheduled from Dec. 6 to 12 on
Mactan Island, Cebu. ■
Hobart City.
“I learned a lot from these
tournaments. I know I still have
to work on my game to become
a better player,” said Garcia, a
quarterfinalist in Sydney.
He reached the quarterfinal of
the Dynam Cup SQ-Cube Open
in Yokohama, Japan last May.
Garcia pocketed two medals
at the 2019 Manila SEA Games,
a silver in the men’s singles and
a gold in the mixed team with
Begornia, Pelino, Jemyca Arib-
ado and Yvonne Alyssa Dalida.
Begornia won the men’s sin-
gles gold medal at the 5th SEA
Cup in 2019 while Reyes was a
quarterfinalist at the 6th CMS
Borneo Junior Open in Sar-
awak, Malaysia last month. ■
www.canadianinquirer.net
BY JEAN MALANUM
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The Philippine
Dancesport Federation (PDSF)
will hold a national tournament
on Oct. 29-30 at the PhilSports
Multi-Purpose Arena (formerly
ULTRA) in Pasig City.
The event also features a per-
formance by World Dancesport
Federation top amateur couple
Andrey Gusev and Vera Bond-
areva from Russia.
Coach German Enriquez said
the competition will serve as
qualifying for the 2023 Cambo-
dia Southeast Asian Games.
“The tournament is open to
all amateur dancers nationwide.
Members of our national team
are joining, too because we will
use the competition to select
those who will represent the
country in Cambodia,” Enriquez
said in an interview on Sunday.
The Philippines had a suc-
cessful campaign in Vietnam
last May, winning five gold
medals, five silver medals and
two bronze medals to defend
the title it won in the 2019 edi-
tion at the Royce Hotel and
OCTOBER 21, 2022 FRIDAY
Casino in Clark Freeport Zone,
Pampanga.
“We are optimistic of defend-
ing our title in Cambodia next
year. Our athletes didn’t rest
from training after the Vietnam
SEA Games and they will con-
tinue to train. In dancesport,
you only stop training when
you retire,” Enriquez said.
Enriquez started coaching
the team in 2019 following his
retirement as athlete. He was
a national champion from 2011
until 2017, the year he won the
silver medal in Standard – Vi-
ennese Waltz at the Asian In-
door Games in Ashgabat, Turk-
menistan.
The medalists in Vietnam
were Sean Mischa Aranar and
Ana Leonila Nualla (3 golds -
Standard Viennese Waltz,Tan-
go and All Five Dances); Mark
Jayson Gayon and Mary Joy
Renigen (1 gold- Standard Slow
Foxtrot, 2 silvers - Quickstep and
Waltz; Michael Angelo Marquez
and Stephanie Sabalo (1 gold -
Latin Chacha, 2 silvers - Jive and
All Five Dances); and Wilbert
Aunzo and Pearl Marie Caneda
(1 silver - Samba and 2 bronzes -
Rumba and Paso Doble). ■
FRIDAY OCTOBER 21, 2022 23

We’re Recruiting in Metro Vancouver!

Are you looking for a new or second income?
Are you able to provide care to adults in your own home?

If you answered yes to these questions and you are interested in a great opportunity,
call Laura at:

(236) 333-2682
or email
careathome@plea.bc.ca
PCI_print_10x12.indd 1 10/4/2022 11:00:07 AM

www.canadianinquirer.net
24
Energy crisis: how to help small businesses
survive and become more sustainable
BY MONOMITA NANDY,
Brunel University London,
SUMAN LODH, Middlesex
University
The Conversation
The number of companies
in financial distress has spiked
in parts of the UK to the high-
est level since the 2007-8 glob-
al financial crisis laid waste to
the global economy. The latest
government figures show that
in August more than one in ten
UK businesses reported a mod-
erate-to-severe risk of insol-
vency (being unable to pay the
bills). Nearly a quarter of these
companies say energy prices
are their main concern.
Average annual energy bills
can start at £3,000, rising to as
much as £5,000 for small busi-
nesses in some parts of the UK.
And more companies – partic-
ularly smaller organisations
– are becoming worried about
the impact of energy costs on
business growth.
In this environment, around
53% of the UK’s small and me-
dium sized enterprises (SMEs
or private firms with less than
250 employees) are expected to
collapse or reduce their activ-
ities, according to the Federa-
tion of Small Business.
To address the very real
threat of rising energy costs, in
September the UK government
introduced its energy bill re-
Int’l card network exec eyes virtual credit
cards in PH
BY JOANN VILLANUEVA
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – An executive of
Union Pay International (Union-
Pay) Southeast Asia said issuance
of the virtual cards among credit
card providers is a boost amid
Business
lief scheme for non-household
consumers, including SMEs.
For the next six months, the
scheme will support businesses
whose current gas and electrici-
ty prices have increased signifi-
cantly because of the recent rise
in the global energy prices.
But the scheme might not be
enough to help all companies
with their energy costs, espe-
cially since it will only run for six
months initially. Further, it could
damage efforts to transition to a
more sustainable economy.
SMEs comprise 99% of the
country’s business environ-
ment and generate around
60% of its commercial waste
as well as more than 43% of its
digitalization push for financial
transactions in the Philippines.
During the virtual 42nd anni-
versary celebration of the Cred-
it Card Association of the Phil-
ippines (CCAP) on Monday,
UPI Southeast Asia assistant
general manager David Chong
said the utilization of mobile
industrial pollution. As such,
responsible behaviour by these
businesses towards the envi-
ronment is crucial.
But recent research shows
the UK government’s green fi-
nance policy will mostly benefit
large infrastructure projects.
This includes the new low car-
bon sector jobs touted during
COP 26 in Glasgow last year and
the government’s plan to create
a green industrial revolution by
boosting offshore wind capaci-
ty, among other initiatives.
Given their prevalence on the
UK business scene, efforts to
maintain the growth of the SMEs
must happen alongside support
for sustainable green business
payments increases along with
smart phone usage penetration
in the country.
Chong said credit card issuers
thus “can consider issuing vir-
tual cards that allow online pur-
chase and also the contactless
payment as well as the QR (quick
response) code payment.”
www.canadianinquirer.net
models to meet government net
zero targets. And this must form
part of any discussion of the cur-
rent energy crisis.
Our research into busi-
ness recovery following the
COVID-19 pandemic showed
that relatively small steps can
form part of a recovery model
for smaller businesses during
difficult times for the economy.
Based on this research, here are
three ways to protect smaller
businesses in the current eco-
nomic downturn.
1. Consumers: shop local
Local businesses – on and
offline – benefit from our sup-
port, as do their surrounding
communities. The local econo-
my retains 63p out of every £1
spent with an SME, compared
to 40p from larger businesses.
Those bigger firms can also re-
duce their carbon footprint and
logistics challenges by sourcing
from nearby small companies.
The higher revenues generated
from this extra business could
be used by SMEs to invest in
green energy sources to meet
their sustainability goals.
2. Other businesses: time-
ly payments
Late payments can have a big
impact on a company’s financ-
es, especially when you consid-
er that 77% of SMEs are part of
the supply chain of bigger busi-
nesses. However, even with the
existence of a prompt payment
code designed to stop invoicing
“These will significantly re-
duce the issuance cost of issu-
ing credit cards, not to mention
the much faster speed of de-
ployment,” he said.
He added the number of
credit cards issued in the coun-
try remains low compared to
the total population, a similar
OCTOBER 21, 2022 FRIDAY
delays, £23.4 billion of late pay-
ments were owed to firms at the
start of this year.
The UK’s small business
commissioner must be em-
powered to require timely pay-
ments to help smaller business-
es survive. The government is
currently reviewing the results
of a consultation on this issue.
This will ensure SMEs are fi-
nancially secure enough to in-
vest in their own businesses, for
example by switching to green
energy sources.
3. Government: incentives
and support
Many SMEs use rented
premises. So, reducing the use
of fossil fuels for heating and
power means convincing land-
lords to install renewable ener-
gy sources such as solar panels,
as well as smart meters and oth-
er green technology. More gov-
ernment incentives for land-
lords could ensure they work
with SMEs to secure greener,
cheaper and more sustainable
energy sources.
And for SMEs that do own
premises, the government
could introduce green incen-
tives via commercial property
tax reductions. A government
taskforce could also assist
SMEs in reducing and manag-
ing fossil fuel consumption, as
well as explaining things like
how a VAT-registered firm can
❱❱ PAGE 26 Energy crisis: how
picture with Indonesia but a
contrast with Singapore.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipi-
nas (BSP) aims to increase dig-
ital financial transactions to at
least half of the total retail pay-
ment transactions by end-2023.
❱❱ PAGE 30 Int’l card network
FRIDAY OCTOBER 21, 2022
How the costs of disasters like Hurricane Ian
are calculated – and why it takes so long to
add them up
BY ADAM ROSE, University
of Southern California
The Conversation
The U.S. experienced 15 disas-
ters in the first nine months of 2022
that each caused at least US$1
billion in damage. Hurricane Ian
is taking the largest toll of these
disasters by far – but the extent of
the damage could take years to cal-
culate with any precision.
The Conversation U.S. asked
Adam Rose, a senior research
fellow at the Center for Risk and
Economic Analysis of Threats
and Emergencies at the Univer-
sity of Southern California, to
explain how experts make these
estimates and what could be done
to make disasters less costly.
What did Ian cost?
Preliminary property dam-
age estimates for Ian so far
range from $42 billion to as
much as $258 billion, with some
landing in the middle.
If the higher end of the esti-
mates proves more accurate, that
alone would make Ian the costli-
est natural disaster in U.S. history.
However, property damage is
only one aspect of disaster costs.
Another, which is often ne-
glected, is business interruption
– the decrease in economic ac-
tivity measured either in terms
of lost revenue or a combination
of lost wages and profits.
Business interruption begins
when the disaster strikes and
continues until the economy
has recovered. In this case, it
is likely to take several years,
as happened after Katrina
wreaked destruction on Loui-
siana, Alabama and Mississippi
in 2005.
Of course, these costs do not
count lives lost or human misery,
such as the number of people left
without power or clean water.
The United States is..
❰❰ 13 of state legislatures
in elections. It could
remove the ability of
state courts to review electoral
boundaries and electoral rules
set by legislatures, even if those
conflict with state constitu-
Who makes these estimates
and how are they made?
The earliest estimates of a
disaster’s cost are often made
within a few days, but they sub-
sequently get refined as more
data becomes available.
Insurance companies and
insurance trade associations
typically make the first esti-
mates, which focus on proper-
ty damage. Insurers base these
estimates on losses covered by
insurance and then extrapo-
late those calculations to also
include losses related to nonin-
sured property.
These initial estimates often
omit damaged infrastructure,
such as roads, bridges and util-
ities. One way that analysts can
also estimate those losses is by
studying and refining data col-
lected by satellites and reconnais-
sance airplanes through a process
called “Earth observation.”
Property damage can readily
be translated into initial esti-
mates of direct losses of econom-
ic activity, including the effects
on employment and gross do-
mestic product, using the Federal
Emergency Management Agen-
cy’s loss estimation tool. The
tool, known as Hazus, combines
data related to wind speed, flood
height and the size of the region
affected. However, an accurate
estimate of total losses must con-
sider three more factors.
The first pertains to the mul-
tiplier effects that reverberate
through supply chains. For ex-
ample, earthquakes in Taiwan
have in the past damaged semi-
conductor factories, disrupting
the production of electronics in
the U.S. and elsewhere.
The second is how quickly and
efficiently businesses get back on
their feet after a disaster by rely-
ing on strategies such as relocat-
ing or consuming less water and
tions. Republicans currently
have unified legislative control
over states that account for
307 out of 538 electoral college
votes, a number which could ex-
pand or shrink this election.
These mid-terms show that
power. Disaster recovery experts
refer to this way of reducing the
risks associated with a disaster’s
aftermath as “resilience.”
The third has to do with what
happens to people who live in
disaster zones. If they flee the
area on their own or after being
forced to do so by government
evacuation orders, the local
economy loses its labor base
and demand for goods and ser-
vices in the area declines.
I led a team that developed
software that quickly makes
these estimates – the Econom-
ic Consequence Analysis Tool.
Known as E-CAT, it can provide
almost immediate estimates
of losses from hurricane-relat-
ed flooding and other disasters
once some basic information
on the initial size of the disaster
and rough estimates of the ex-
tent of resilience and behavioral
responses become available. It
can be used by non-experts and
requires much less data than the
government’s Hazus system.
Precise estimates of the cost of
a given disaster can only be deter-
mined after a careful case study,
which takes months or years to
complete. That is why there’s no
Downed trees and power lines in Bartow, FL following Hurricane Ian. (STATE
FARM/FLICKR, CC BY 2.0)
no election in America is a dis-
crete contest. State elections
shape national elections. The
institutional power that this
year’s elections confer has major
consequences for future elec-
tions. Although neither Biden
www.canadianinquirer.net
Business
reliable estimate yet for Ian.
Who bears the greatest costs
of damage from big disasters?
A National Academies of
Science, Engineering and Med-
icine committee on which I
served issued a report noting
that low-income people and
communities of color bear a
disproportionate amount of di-
saster losses.
They are more prone to live
in floodplains where property
values are lower, are less able to
afford to build homes that can
withstand water and wind dam-
age, and have less access to cred-
it for rebuilding. They also have
less political power in the over-
all decision-making process to
prevent and cope with disasters.
Hurricanes, as well as sea-lev-
el rise, represent some ex-
ceptions to this pattern. Very
wealthy people with beachfront
property are disproportionate-
ly affected by hurricanes, and
many of the homes that collapse
into the ocean belong to the rich.
Can massive losses from
hurricanes be avoided?
At this point, preventing loss-
es from hurricanes is probably
impossible, as it would require
nor Trump are on the ballot
this year, they will be in voters’
minds as they go to the polls. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
25
turning back the clock 50 years.
The U.S. would have benefit-
ed from better land-use plan-
ning in the mid-20th century.
And it would have also helped if
Americans had started decades
ago to take action to mitigate
climate change in the first place
by reducing greenhouse gas
emissions and slowing the pace
of deforestation.
What could make future
disasters less costly?
Natural disasters occur due
to a combination of physical
events, like hurricanes and
earthquakes, and the vulnera-
bility of homes, businesses and
all the structures people rely
on. Storms are getting stronger
and human settlement systems
are expanding, thereby increas-
ing their vulnerability.
More people are moving clos-
er to the coastlines as others
who lost homes in disasters are
rebuilding in floodplains – per-
petuating losses.
In 2005, I led a report to
Congress known as the Natural
Hazard Mitigation Saves study,
for which our team examined
10 years of FEMA Hazard Mit-
igation Assistance Grants. This
money flows to state and local
governments, Indian tribal or-
ganizations and nonprofits for
projects designed to rebuild
and lower the risk of future
property damage and business
interruption losses after a pres-
idential disaster declaration.
We found that one of the
most effective tactics to reduce
disaster losses was to buy out
properties from homeowners
residing in flood-prone areas to
eliminate the need to help them
rebuild again and again.■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
Jeepney TV to..
❰❰ 18 day (October 22), 9
pm via Jeepney TV’s
Facebook, Tiktok, and
YouTube.
Jeepney TV is available on
SKY Cable ch. 9, Cignal ch. 44,
GSat ch. 55, and SatLite ch. 37. ■
 26
3 ways app developers keep kids glued to the
screen – and what to do about it
BY SUMUDU
MALLAWAARACHCHI,
Deakin University, SHARON
HORWOOD, Deakin
University
The Conversation
From learning numbers to
learning how to brush your
teeth, it seems there’s a kids’
app for everything.
Recent US statistics indicate
more than half of toddlers and
three-quarters of preschoolers
regularly access mobile apps. So
it’s no surprise there has been an
explosion of options within the
app market to keep kids engaged.
These apps certainly offer
some fun interactive experi-
ences, not to mention good
educational content in many
cases. They’re also very good at
keeping young minds engaged.
So what’s the catch?
You just read it: they are very
good at keeping young minds
engaged – so much that kids
can struggle to put their devices
down. If you’ve ever wondered
why it’s so hard to tear your
child from their device, read on.
What is persuasive design?
Although there are national
recommendations to help guide
parents through the minefield of
kids’ screen time, there is a huge-
ly under-acknowledged piece of
this puzzle – and that’s the way
the technology itself is designed.
Persuasive design refers to
strategies that grab and hold
our attention. It’s something
both kids and adults experience
(usually unknowingly) while
scrolling through social media
or fighting the urge to play an-
Energy crisis: how..
❰❰ 24 reclaim energy costs
under such a scheme.
Any support from
government should also be tai-
lored. Using a single initiative to
support all SMEs assumes every
company is experiencing the en-
ergy crisis in the same way. A traf-
Technology
other round of Candy Crush.
If persuasive design can influ-
ence the screen-use behaviours
of adults – who have supposedly
developed regulatory skills and
self-control – then toddlers and
kids don’t stand a chance. This
aspect of the screen-time de-
bate is rarely scrutinised with
the seriousness it deserves.
To find out just how persua-
sive kids’ apps can be, we applied
a well-established model of per-
suasive design to 132 of the most
popular early childhood apps
downloaded by Australian fam-
ilies via the Android and iOS
app stores. We found three main
ways persuasive design features
keep kids coming back.
1. Motivation
A key concept in persuasive
design is to tap into kids’ emo-
tions to ensure they stay moti-
vated to engage with the app.
This is done by:
• offering pleasure through
rewards. Kids are still develop-
ing their ability to delay grat-
ification. They’re more likely
to seek an immediate reward
of lower value than wait for a
reward of higher value. In the
context of apps, they’re likely
to be motivated by instant re-
wards that bring happiness or
excitement. The apps we tested
offered many more instant re-
wards (such as sparkles, cheers,
fireworks, virtual toys and
stickers) than delayed rewards.
• provoking empathy. Just
as adults seek positive feed-
back through “likes” on social
media, kids love receiving so-
cial feedback from characters
they admire (think Hello Kitty,
or Bluey). Kids often attribute
fic light system could help to flag
the most vulnerable companies.
These “red light” firms would get
more short-term government
support to survive the energy
crisis than those in the amber or
green groups, for example.
Energy suppliers could also
human feelings and intentions
to fictional characters and can
form emotional ties with them.
While this can help foster a
positive learning experience, it
can also be exploited for com-
mercial purposes. For instance,
character empathy is at play
when Hello Kitty looks sadly at
a shiny locked box of food that
can only be opened in the paid
version of the app.
2. Ability
No one wants to play a game
that’s too difficult to win. Ability
features provide kids with con-
tinuous instructions to reduce
the likelihood of disengagement.
One way to increase a child’s
sense of mastery is repetition.
Many early childhood apps in-
clude rote learning, such as mak-
ing the same cookie over and
over with the Cookie Monster.
By including tasks that are quick
to learn and repeating them, app
designers are likely trying to tap
into childrens’ growing sense
of autonomy by helping them
use the traffic light system to
modify their business models to
support SMEs. For example, sup-
pliers could maintain contracts
with red light companies that
fail to pay bills if they know the
government has promised addi-
tional financial support for these
www.canadianinquirer.net
“win” on their own.
So what’s the problem with
that? While repetition is great
for learning (especially for de-
veloping minds), the removal of
any requirement for help from a
parent can encourage more soli-
tary use of apps. It can also make
it harder for parents to engage in
social play with their child.
3. Prompts
Commercial prompts were
the most common trigger we
found in early childhood apps,
especially free apps. They have
one main purpose: to bring in
revenue.
Prompts include pop-up ad-
vertisements, offers to double
or triple rewards in exchange
for watching an ad, or prompt-
ing the user to make in-app
purchases. While adults might
be able to see prompts for what
they are, kids are much less
likely to understand the under-
lying commercial intent.
So what can be done?
There’s no doubt some of
businesses. Suppliers could even
consider cutting upfront charges
for such companies.
This kind of business recov-
ery model will help smaller
firms to not only survive the
energy crisis, but also to tran-
sition to greener sources of
OCTOBER 21, 2022 FRIDAY
these features in moderation
help maintain a basic level of app
engagement. But our research
makes it clear a lot of persuasive
design features simply exist to
serve business models.
We need to have more con-
versations about ethical design
that doesn’t capitalise on chil-
dren’s developmental vulnera-
bilities. This includes holding
app developers accountable.
The early-childhood app mar-
ket is vast. Parents often won’t
have enough information on
how to navigate it, nor enough
time to assess each app before
downloading it for their child.
However, there are a few ways
parents can get an upper hand:
• talk to your child after
they’ve played with an app. Ask
questions like “what did you
learn?”, or “what did you enjoy
the most?”.
• play the app with your child
and decide if it’s worth keeping.
Are they getting smothered by
rewards? Are there many dis-
tracting prompts? Is it too repeti-
tive to be genuinely educational?
• look for the “teacher-ap-
proved” indicator (on Play
Store) when considering an
app, or check reviews from
trusted sources such as Chil-
dren and Media Australia and
Common Sense Media before
downloading.
Ideally your child should be
leading the play, actively prob-
lem-solving, and should be able
to end their time on an app rel-
atively easily. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
heating and electricity, creating
more sustainable growth mod-
els across this vital sector. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 21, 2022
Companies are increasingly tracking eye
movements — but is it ethical?
BY PATRICK LECOMTE,
Université du Québec à
Montréal (UQAM)
The Conversation
When Facebook reinvent-
ed itself into Meta in October
2021, it was widely reported
that Meta would be focusing on
virtual reality (VR) by being at
the forefront of the metaverse.
But Meta has not given up on
the world of bricks and mortar
yet, as reflected by the compa-
ny’s massive investment in aug-
mented reality (AR) glasses.
My research considers smart
real estate and human-comput-
er interactions in smart envi-
ronments.
Meta is only one among
many companies betting that
the future of physical space
will involve merging with dig-
ital space, resulting in an aug-
mentation of our reality. Apple,
Google, Snap, Microsoft and a
string of other tech companies
are working on AR wearables:
AR glasses, smart contact lens-
es and AR headsets.
Insight into the subconcious
As part of its Reality Labs,
Meta spearheads Project Aria,
which drives the pilot develop-
ment of AR glasses under the
The Right Stuff: the new conservative dating
app which has unsurprisingly,
failed to attract women
BY LISA PORTOLAN,
Western Sydney University
The Conversation
The Right Stuff is a new con-
servative dating app, recently
launched in the US. Not yet
available in Australia, the app
was apparently created “for
conservatives to connect in au-
thentic and meaningful ways.”
It offers to bring people to-
gether with shared values and
similar passions, ensuring us-
ers “view profiles without pro-
nouns” and are able to “connect
umbrella of a research experi-
ment undertaken with academic
partners. The company promis-
es that users will be able to use
AR glasses to switch on a lamp
by simply staring at it and being
able to find their keys quickly.
However, there is one dimen-
sion of AR wearables that de-
velopers of such devices tend to
downplay or ignore altogether:
it is eye tracking and what in-
formation related to the way we
interact with the world through
our gazes and eye movements
are captured and analyzed.
Psychologists have long
identified that eye movements
are unfiltered signals, giving
Companies are investing in products that track and analyse eye movements.
with people who aren’t offend-
ed by everything”.
As you might anticipate, the
app has drawn immediate, and
controversial attention, for a va-
riety of reasons. Firstly, and im-
portantly, there appears to be an
absence of female-users. Prob-
lematic, given the app only caters
for an heterosexual audience.
Secondly, the app was
co-founded by former Trump
aide John McEntee. Ryann
McEnany, the sister of the for-
mer White House press secre-
tary Kayleigh McEnany, is the
app’s spokesperson. Finally,
insight into humans’ subcon-
scious cognition.
Understanding attention
Eye tracking in the context
of AR devices has received
much interest from Big Tech.
Eye tracking was originally de-
signed as a methodology to help
researchers understand and
record visual attention in a re-
search lab environment as far
back as the 19th century.
It has been customarily applied
to cognitive psychology, market-
ing research and, more recently,
human-computer interactions
where it can facilitate the life of
patients with disabilities.
Modern eye trackers gener-
the app is financially backed by
right-wing billionaire and Pay-
Pal co-founder Peter Thiel.
The ads for the app have
also attracted a level of deri-
sion from audiences. Featuring
an all-female cast, women are
asked “What they’re looking for
in a man?”
They respond they are look-
ing for an “alpha male vibe”, an
independent man, a man who is
family-orientated.
When women in the video
were asked what their “biggest
red flag” in their potential part-
ners was. They all replied they
www.canadianinquirer.net
Technology
ally use a method known as cor-
neal reflection, where a near-in-
frared light is used to illuminate
the eyes, causing a reflection
that is detected by a high reso-
lution camera. Advanced image
programming then identifies
the point of gaze and the stim-
uli, making it possible to draw a
heat map of where a person was
looking in a given environment.
In addition, data captured in-
clude pupil position, blinking
patterns and eye movements.
In recent years, the range of eye
tracking applications has consid-
erably broadened, from driver
monitoring systems, attention
management in education, health
care for the elderly, e-commerce
website design and even video
games as a tool to build “emotion-
al journeys” for players.
However, these applications
are usually carried out as part
of product development or re-
search projects, not as inbuilt
features in devices aimed at the
consumer market.
Privacy is not enough
Indeed, embedding eye
trackers in consumer-driven
AR devices is taking what was
originally a scientific method-
ology into the real world. De-
veloping AR wearables with eye
tracking possibilities for the
couldn’t be with a Democrat.
Politics and dating apps
This isn’t the first dating app
to intersect tech, dating, inti-
macy and politics.
In 2016, Bumble launched its
political digital “bumper stick-
ers”, which featured Hillary
Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Ted
Cruz and, of course, Trump.
These were later updated, re-
placed by iterations reflecting
the political times.
In America, the app current-
ly allows you to share whether
or not you have voted in the
mid-term elections. Whitey
27
mass market epitomizes the
unrelenting appropriation of
humans’ most intimate living
spaces by technology.
It is easy to brush aside the
issue by claiming that eye track-
ing is necessary for users to get
the full benefit of AR. For exam-
ple, Project Aria’s developers
explain that for AR glasses to
work, “they need to have a good
sense of where you are, what
you’re looking at, and what ac-
tion you might want to take.”
To preempt users’ concerns,
Meta’s ethicists insist on priva-
cy. However, focusing on data
transparency and advanced re-
search to anonymize eye track-
ing data will not prevent eye
trackers from monitoring us-
ers’interactions with the outside
world at levels of consciousness
we are not even aware of.
Augmented reality is big
business with an unparalleled
ability to monetize our very be-
ing in the built environment.
Meta has reportedly invest-
ed billions of dollars in what
it calls the “holy grail” of fully
fledged AR glasses for all.
Undoubtedly, with AR wear-
ables, what drives its imple-
mentation is the potential for
❱❱ PAGE 30 Companies are
Wolfe Herd, creator and CEO of
Bumble, has said:
Political views are more than
just current topics, sometimes
entire value sets can be tied to
political views. It tells you a lot
about a person.
In 2020, OkCupid launched
its “Voters Make Better Lov-
ers” campaign in advance of the
presidential election.
In a press release, the com-
pany said “practising your right
to vote is the biggest turn-on to
OkCupid singles today”.
❱❱ PAGE 30 The Right Stuff:
28
‘Philippine Experience’ project to draw
more tourists starts soon
BY JOYCE ANN L.
ROCAMORA
Philippine News Agency
MANILA -- A tourism project
that would highlight the Philip-
pines’ heritage and culture to
increase travel among Filipinos
and foreign visitors is set to be
launched soon.
The program called the Phil-
ippine Experience would in-
volve the development of cara-
vans featuring culture, heritage,
and arts unique to each region.
Tourism Secretary Christi-
na Frasco said it would draw
inspiration from Suroy-Suroy
Sugbo, a Cebuano initiative that
sought to promote Cebu towns
and cities’ products and give
tourists a chance to discover
underrated destinations.
Giving industry stakeholders
a glimpse of the program, Tour-
ism directors from the Cordil-
leras down to Mindanao show-
cased the colors, festivals and
“living traditions” that could be
experienced in their regions.
“Our goal is to equalize oppor-
Siargao a priority for tourism dev’t: DOT chief
Philippine News Agency
SIARGAO ISLAND – Depart-
ment of Tourism (DOT) Secre-
tary Christina Frasco formally
lauded the start of tourism re-
covery of Siargao Island during
the opening ceremony of the
26th Siargao International
Surfing Cup over the weekend.
“The resumption of this In-
ternational Surfing Cup is not
only a celebration of the fact
that you have been able to put
this up for 26 years, but also
because you have been able to
stage this notwithstanding ev-
erything that has come to pass…
Truly, this international surf-
ing cup is a celebration of the
strength of spirit of the people
Travel
Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco at the Philippine Tourism Industry Conver-
gence Reception in Pasay City. (DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM - PHILIPPINES/FACEBOOK)
tunities across the regions and
support the preservation of the
country’s cultural heritage and
artistic resources,” Frasco said
during the Philippine Tourism
Industry Convergence Recep-
tion at SMX Convention Center
in Pasay City on Monday.
“Through these experiential
travel modules, we hope to intro-
duce the very essence of our na-
tion more deeply to our tourists
and instill a sense of pride and
patriotism among the Filipino
people through greater apprecia-
tion of our country’s inheritance
of Siargao,” Frasco said in her
keynote address on Oct. 15.
“The message of the Marcos
Administration is that tourism is
a priority. And with that, Siargao
is a priority. In the next few years,
your island will continue to flour-
ish in partnership with the na-
tional government,” she added.
She bared that the agency has
identified infrastructure and
gateway access as key solutions
to destinations such as Siargao,
saying the national government
is ready to help Siargao recover.
A tourism-first island, Siargao
welcomed 14,404 tourists, with
the bulk coming from domestic
tourists, at 12,870 and 1,534 for-
eign guests for the first semester
of the year, according to the Pro-
vincial Tourism Office.
and legacy,” she added.
The Philippine Experience is
part of the list of programs that
DOT is implementing in the
coming months to help the sec-
tor recover from the effects of
the pandemic and position the
Philippines as a primary tour-
ism destination in Asia.
Prioritizing Mindanao
Frasco said the DOT would
also strengthen promotions
and prioritize the opening of
Mindanao tourism to equally
distribute its benefits.
“We’ve already started by
Among the lineup of side ac-
tivities of the World Surf League
(WSL)-sanctioned competition
are surfing masterclasses, com-
munal yoga, salsa, arts and cul-
tural show, bazaar, beachside
bonfire, sound sessions, beach
cleanup drive and a free concert.
Also present during the open-
ing ceremonies of the week-long
festival are Rep. Fransico Jose
“Bingo” Matugas of the First
District of Surigao del Norte,
Deputy Speaker Duke Fras-
co, Cebu Fifth District Board
Member Michael “Mike” Villa-
mor, Toni Grace “TG” Villamor,
19th Congress Majority Leader
Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe,
General Luna Mayor Sol Matu-
gas, Vice Mayor Romina Sajul-
ga, WSL Tournament Director
www.canadianinquirer.net
groundbreaking in Mindanao
the tourist areas in Bukidnon,
specifically in Manolo Fortich,
also in Samal Island in Davao
del Norte,” she told reporters.
“In keeping with our com-
mitment to equalize tourism
product development and pro-
motion, we shall put spotlight
on destinations and regions
that were not previously pro-
moted,” she noted.
The DOT, Frasco said, is co-
ordinating with the Depart-
ment of National Defense and
the Department of the Interior
and Local Government to fully
ensure the security of travelers
coming to the southern area.
She said the agency is also
working with local government
units to include “barangay tan-
ods” as additional peace auxilia-
ry forces to secure a destination.
These initiatives are in line
with the direction President Fer-
dinand Marcos Jr. has set to “re-
introduce the country’s beauty
to the world” and make tourism
a major pillar of economic recov-
ery for the Philippines.
“As we move forward, we
Gerry Degan, William Vincent
“Vinny” Marcos, lawyer Lalo
Matugas, former Mayor Cecilia
“Yayang” Rusilion, DOT Un-
dersecretary Shahlimar Hofer
Tamano, and DOT 13 Regional
OCTOBER 21, 2022 FRIDAY
at the DOT remain steadfast
in reaching our objectives to
concretize the vision of Presi-
dent Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in
making tourism a major pillar
of economic recovery for the
Philippines. We are just at the
beginning of our journey and I
assure you that the best days of
the tourism industry are yet to
come,” Frasco said.
She encouraged tourism
stakeholders to help the gov-
ernment as DOT continues to
develop tourism products and
improve the overall tourist ex-
perience.
She also announced the re-
vival of the Philippine Tour-
ism Awards to recognize tour-
ism-related establishments
that have innovatively and
creatively projected Philippine
culture and the Filipino brand.
Over 600 people attended the
reception, including ranking of-
ficials and executives from the
tourism industry.
Marcos, Vice President Sara Z.
Duterte together with First Lady
Liza and Ilocos Norte Rep. San-
dro Marcos graced the event. ■
Director Nelia Arina.
Frasco also presented a P1
million peso check to the Mu-
nicipality of General Luna as a
❱❱ PAGE 30 Siargao a priority
FRIDAY OCTOBER 21, 2022
Global warming puts Arabica coffee at risk,
and we’re barrelling towards a crucial threshold
BY JARROD KATH,
University of Southern
Queensland, SCOTT POWER,
University of Southern
Queensland
The Conversation
Coffee may be a major casual-
ty of a hotter planet. Even if cur-
rently declared commitments
to reduce emissions are met,
our new research suggests cof-
fee production will still rapidly
decline in countries accounting
for 75% of the world’s Arabica
coffee supply.
Arabica coffee (Coffea ara-
bica) is one of two main plant
species we harvest coffee beans
from. The plant evolved in the
high-altitude tropics of Ethi-
opia, and is hypersensitive to
changes in the climate.
Our research shows there are
global warming thresholds be-
yond which Arabica coffee pro-
duction plummets. This isn’t just
bad news for coffee lovers – coffee
Restaurants Have A Lot On Their Plate;
Restaurants Canada brings its policy wish
list to parliament hill
RESTAURANTS CANADA
Today, Restaurants Canada is
launching “Restaurants Have A
Lot On Their Plate”, a national
campaign aimed at government
stakeholders, with the hopes of
driving awareness of key policy
recommendations needed to
revive the foodservice sector
post-pandemic. The campaign
highlights the three largest
challenges facing the industry
today as it looks to recover from
COVID-19 – mass labour short-
ages, debt, inflation & supply
shortages.
Restaurants and the many
Food
is a multi-billion dollar industry
supporting millions of farmers,
most in developing countries.
If we manage to keep global
warming below 2℃ this centu-
ry, then producers responsible
for most global Arabica supply
will have more time to adapt. If
we don’t, we could see crashes
in Arabica productivity, inter-
ruptions to supply, and price
hikes on our daily cup.
Where our coffee comes from
Most of our Arabica is grown
in the tropics, throughout Lat-
in America, Central and East
Africa and parts of Asia. Brazil,
Colombia and Ethiopia are the
world’s top three producers of
Arabica, and the crop has cru-
cial social and economic impor-
tance elsewhere, too.
Millions of farmers, mostly in
the developing world, depend
on productive Arabica for their
livelihood. If coffee productivi-
ty declines, the economic con-
sequences for farmers, some of
which do not earn a living in-
small and medium-sized busi-
nesses that make up the Ca-
nadian foodservice sector are
the backbones of our society;
employing thousands, feeding
millions, and nourishing com-
munities by serving as a place
for people to gather, celebrate,
laugh and share.
The restaurant industry is the
fourth-largest private-sector
employer, directly employing
more than one million Canadi-
ans, keeping 98,000 business-
es alive, and feeding Canada’s
economic recovery. The food-
service industry indirectly sup-
ports another 290,000+ jobs in
related industries, with $32 bil-
come as it is, are dire.
Arabica coffee is typically
most productive in cool high
elevation tropical areas with a
local annual temperature of 18-
23℃. Higher temperatures and
drier conditions invariably lead
to declines in yield.
Last year, for example, one of
the worst droughts in Brazil’s
history saw coffee production
there drop by around one-third,
with global coffee prices spiking
Arabica and Robusta are the two main species of plants we source coffee beans from.
lion in food and beverage prod-
ucts purchased every year.
“Right now Canada’s foodser-
vice industry is at a crossroads.
Without support from our gov-
ernment we are at risk of losing
one of the most valued sectors,”
said Christian Buhagiar, Pres-
ident & CEO, of Restaurants
Canada. “This campaign is
about more than driving aware-
ness it is about creating change.
Today we ask decision makers
to listen and bring forth what’s
needed to build this industry
back up to the economic pillar
it once was”.
Government support is more
critical than ever in ensuring
www.canadianinquirer.net
as a result.
What we found
Previous research has focused
on how changes in temperature
and rainfall affect coffee yields.
While important, temperature
and rainfall aren’t the best indi-
cators of global Arabica coffee
productivity. Instead, we found
that it’s more effective to mea-
sure how dry and hot the air is,
which we can do using “Vapour
Pressure Deficit”.
the foodservice industry can
transition into this post-pan-
demic environment. The fol-
lowing recommendations are
just some of what Restaurants
Canada hopes to achieve to
shift its sector from surviving
to thriving:
• Improve and streamline
the process for immigrants
who want to become residents,
reduce application processing
times, and make sure families
of immigrants and/or new Ca-
nadians can join them;
• Create a new stream within
the Temporary Foreign Worker
Program for the food sector
• Enlist a holistic approach
29
Vapour pressure deficit tells
us how much water gets sucked
out of a plant. Think of when
you walk outside on a hot, dry
day and your lips dry and crack
– the moisture is being sucked
out of you because outside, the
vapour pressure deficit is high.
It’s the same for plants.
We built scientific models
based on climate data that was
linked to decades of coffee pro-
ductivity data across the most
important Arabica producing
countries. We found once va-
pour pressure deficit gets to a
critical point, then Arabica cof-
fee yields fall sharply.
This critical point, we found,
is 0.82 kilopascals (a unit of
pressure, calculated from tem-
perature and humidity). After
this point, Arabica yields start
falling fast – a loss of around
400 kilograms per hectare,
which is 50% lower than the
long-term global average.
❱❱ PAGE 30 Global warming puts
to ensure plastics targets are
attainable
• Implement a cap on credit/
debit card interchange fees and
the removal of merchant fees
from the tax portion of restau-
rant bills;
• Consider greater CEBA /
HASCAP and BCAP loan for-
giveness.
Restaurants are more than
just a place to eat, they are es-
sential to our communities and
critical to our country’s recovery.
Let’s not add more to their plate.
For more details on the #On-
TheirPlate campaign, visit On-
TheirPlate.ca. ■
 30
Int’l card network..
❰❰ 24 During the same
event, BSP Deputy
Governor Chuchi Fon-
acier said credit card financial
has recovered after getting a hit
at the onset of the pandemic,
citing the double-digit growth in
credit card billings and receiv-
ables as of the first half of this
year.
Fonacier said credit card bill-
ings rose by 41.4 percent year-
on-year in June this year, high-
The Right Stuff:..
❰❰ 27 Shared values
Speaking to the
Slow Love podcast
in 2020, OkCupid’s then chief
marketing officer, Melissa Ho-
bley, said users on the app were
increasingly making match-de-
cisions based on shared values,
with political inclinations and
climate philosophies ranking
highly in the mix.
In my research into dating
apps and intimacy, I have found
women would quickly ghost
matches who made racist, sexist
or overly sexualised statements
in chat or on their profile.
User reviews and media re-
ports have overwhelmingly in-
dicated a lack of women on The
Right Stuff. (This has not yet
Siargao a priority..
❰❰ 28 manifestation of the
support of the nation-
al government to the
international surfing competi-
tion of Siargao.
For non-surfers, the World
Travel Award (WTA) 2022
World’s Leading Island Des-
tination nominee, recently,
reoffered a wide array of na-
ture-based and sun and beach
tourism activities at the Mag-
pupungko Tidal Wave Pool
Global warming puts..
❰❰ 29 Vapour pressure
deficit thresholds
have already been ex-
ceeded in Kenya, Mexico and
Tanzania.
Unabated global warming
will see the world’s coffee pro-
ducing powerhouses at risk. If
global warming temperatures
increase from 2℃ to 3℃, then
Peru, Honduras, Venezuela,
Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Colombia
and Brazil - together account-
er than the 29.5 percent during
the same period in 2021.
Credit card receivables also
increased by 23.7 percent year-
on-year during the same period,
a reversal from the 2.2 percent
contraction a year ago.
“With demand for digital fi-
nancial products increasing,
there is still a lot of scope for
growth in the credit card indus-
try,” she said.
Fonacier said the credit card
been corroborated by the Right
Stuff spokespeople.)
Take this user complaint for
example:
These days, it’s hard to find
a woman who values my patri-
otism. My faith. And so after
being ghosted by every match
on Tinder, I decided to give
this app a try. […] But the weird
thing was, I couldn’t find any
women on it. I don’t know, may-
be the app is bugged?
Dating apps are not merely a
platform for personal relation-
ships. As Lik Sam Chan, assis-
tant professor at the Chinese
University of Hong Kong, ex-
plores in his research, apps are
an emerging arena for gender
and politics. These spaces can
in Pilar; tri-island hopping of
Daku, Guyam, and Naked Is-
land in General Luna; Sugba La-
goon in Del Carmen; Sohoton
Cove in Socorro; and Coconut
Mountain View in Dapa.
Siargao was recently ap-
plauded as Condé Nast Travel-
er’s Best Island in Asia in 2021
and was included among Time
Magazine’s list of “The World’s
100 Greatest Places of 2021”. ■
ing for 81% of global supply - are
much more likely to pass the va-
pour pressure deficit threshold.
What can we do about it?
While there are ways farm-
ers and the coffee industry can
adapt, the viability of applying
these on a global scale is highly
uncertain.
For example, irrigating cof-
fee crops could be an option,
but this costs money – money
many coffee farmers in develop-
industry has supported the cen-
tral bank’s program to extend
temporary relief measures to
consumers during the pandemic
through keeping finance charges
in line with the BSP’s ceiling, as
well as allowed the restricting of
credit card receivables.
As of end-July 2022, she said
56.3 percent of restructured
consumers loans, amounting
to around PHP6 billion, were
credit card receivables.
provide opportunities for wom-
en’s empowerment and men’s
performances of masculinity.
Similarly, Australian aca-
demic Martin Nakata argues
online spaces – such as dat-
ing apps – can be understood
as digitally mediated “sites of
struggle over the meaning of
[our] experience”.
Dating apps constitute rela-
tively new sites of culturally and
politically mediated encounter.
They are emerging as the new
digital interface for gender and
political negotiation.
Certainly, the launch of the
Right Stuff tends to suggest
the importance of political ori-
entation for women looking
to date – and reveals that right
Companies are..
❰❰ 27 monetization through
targeted advertising.
Evading responsi-
bility
Companies developing
eye-tracking products tend to
dodge responsibility by asking
for self-regulation of the na-
scent AR industry.
My research on the imple-
mentation of pervasive technol-
ogies in the built environment
shows that in the context of
ing countries don’t have. What’s
more, it may not always be ef-
fective as high vapour pressure
deficits can still inflict damage,
even in well-watered conditions.
Another option could be
switching to other coffee spe-
cies. But again, this is fraught.
For example, robusta coffee
(Coffea canephora) – the oth-
er main species of produc-
tion coffee – is also sensitive
to temperature rises. Others,
www.canadianinquirer.net
“Moving forward, the BSP will
remain steadfast in our commit-
ment of providing an enabling
regulatory environment to en-
sure the continued safety and
soundness of the financial sys-
tem and protection of financial
consumers,” she added.
Meanwhile, CCAP chairman
Rolando Ebreo dubbed Repub-
lic Act (RA) no. 11934, or the
SIM card Registration Act, as
a “major step in removing the
wing values are indeed viewed
as “the wrong stuff” for many
American women. ■
utilitarian trade-offs imposed
by embedded technologies on
users in smart environments,
self-regulation does not work.
Whether users prefer to get
satisfaction from AR at the ex-
pense of their freedom, or to be
free at the expense of their sat-
isfaction, is the key question.
The use of eye-tracking tech-
nology should be strictly con-
trolled by external regulators.
Users should always have the
such as Coffea stenophylla and
Coffea liberica could be tested,
but their production viability
at large scales under climate
change is unknown.
There is only so much adapt-
ing we can do. Our research
provides further impetus, if we
needed any, to cut net global
greenhouse gas emissions.
Limiting global warming in
accordance with the Paris Agree-
ment is our best option to ensure
OCTOBER 21, 2022 FRIDAY
impediments towards digita-
lization, of pinpointing where
the problem really lies.”
“With the SIM registration
law, we are set, as a nation, to
combat that malice and to once
again add a layer of protec-
tion for our Filipino consum-
ers. It will help mitigate, if not
prevent, scam messages that
contain links used to lure the
victims into giving out their in-
formation,” he said.■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
legally defined right and ability
to make informed choices about
opting into eye-tracking when-
ever they use wearables in both
augmented and virtual realities.
That is absolutely crucial to
make sure that immersive tech-
nology does not lead to a most
dystopian future. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
we can all keep enjoying coffee.
More importantly, keeping glob-
al warming below 2℃ is the best
way to ensure the millions of vul-
nerable farmers who grow coffee
globally have a livelihood that
supports them and their families
well into the future. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
 OCTOBER
JULY 21, 2022
17, 2020 cx328
1

CANADA

PINOY EXPRESS DELIVERY

TRUCK OR CARGO AVAILABLE FOR RENT WITH A DRIVER.
Driver will help: Load-Pack-Unload

Perfect for: *Furniture Pick-up *Online Purchases

Room * Bachelor * 1-2 Bedroom
No More Hassle and Headache of going out to Rent.
Just pick up the phone and will show up at your door.
Let your Kababayan help you!!! We Speak your language
Maraming Salamat

Call: (416) 841-0244 for more details.

Leave a Message and we will call you back.

Electronic Technicians Needed

Experience in Low Voltag
Electrical System
installation and Servicin
Computers with Networking
Email resume to suda@alarmboss.com
Call 416-432-1902

CHRISTMAS SIGNING BONUS!!! TIN TIN DIM SUM Spectrum Health

re Ca
is Hiri
Do you have: Personal Support
W orkers
Cleaning, sweeping and moping experience (Outside Retail)
Experience in using a power washer & leaf blower
Enjoy Working Outdoors
Proudly serving fresh
and not frozen dim sum allday who w ant more!
Good time management skills and can work unsupervised
Have your own transportation $10.99 only More hou
rs
Iron Platter Style (w ith rice & veg in soup)
Competitive Pay Rates Tonkatsu Com bo (Chicken or Pork)
Spicy Ram en Pot
$500 Signing Bonus
Pay Via Direct Deposit

6455 Macleod Trail SW, Unit 192A, Calgary, AB T2H 0K9

(Located inside Chinook Mall)
Please email your resume to S ec uredG ro u p
info@securedsecuirty.com or fax 604-239-0251 securedsecurity.com
(403) 253-7742 Learn mo
re atw w w.spectrumhealth
care.com

www.canadianinquirer.net
32 OCTOBER 21, 2022 FRIDAY

Contact Your Toronto Area Dealer

FIND OUT MORE AT FORDTO.CA

Vehicle(s) may be shown with optional equipment. Dealer may sell or lease for less. Limited time offers. Offers only valid at participating dealers. Retail offers may be cancelled or changed at any time without notice. See your Ford Dealer for complete details or call the Ford Customer
Relationship Centre at 1-800-565-3673. For factory orders, a customer may either take advantage of eligible raincheckable Ford retail customer promotional incentives/offers available at the time of vehicle factory order or time of vehicle delivery, but not both or combinations thereof. Retail offers
not combinable with any CPA/GPC or Daily Rental incentives, the Commercial Upfit Program or the Commercial Fleet Incentive Program (CFIP). ©2022 Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited. All rights reserved.

www.canadianinquirer.net