Maligayang Pasko sa inyong lahat

DECEMBER 2019 VOL. 9, NO. 12 TORONTO, CANADA

www.filipinosmakingwaves.com

Religious

PH’s Cardinal Tagle to lead Top Vatican

Office: Pope

Page 13

Christmas is love and peace reborn!

Justice for 58 Victims

Verdict Due in Philippines’

Worst Massacre

Page 3

Isko Moreno

What it really means to be Yorme,

Man of the Year

Page 5

Sports

Record 149 Gold medals lift up the

Filipino spirit

Page 15

By Riley Mendoza

The signs are all around us. Lawns, trees, windows, doors, parks, vehicles, even our bodies, are festooned with ornaments, plants and flowers associated with the single, most celebrated birthday mankind has ever known. Yes, it's Christmas, the year-ly festival celebrating Christ's birth on December 25. On this day, we go to church, then congregate with family and friends and partake of whatever meal is on the table. It's one huge bonding time with every-body.

Gifts are exchanged among children, especially in big and affluent households. But even in their indigent counterparts, the tradition of gift-giving is practiced. This is probably a throw-back to the Epiphany which tradition holds that the Three Kings offered gifts of gold, incense, and myrrh to the infant Jesus upon their arrival at the manger where He was born. Gift-giving has survived the ages. In the present time, we give and receive gifts of gold in many forms (cash, food, jewelry, expensive liquor, etc.) and representa-

(Continued on page 3)

Pope Francis celebrates Filipino Christmas tradition at the Vatican

Pope Francis receives a statue of Sto. Niño from the Filipino community in Rome after celebrating “Simbang Gabi” in St. Peter’s Basilica Dec. 15. SCREENSHOT FROM VATICAN NEWS

Maligayang Pasko sa inyong lahat

5.9M less poor Filipinos in 2018

Poverty incidence in the country posted a decline as more Filipinos were lifted out of poverty in 2018, the Philippine Statistics Au-thority (PSA) said.

National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa said based on the latest data, poverty in-cidence for 2018 stood at 16.6 percent of the popula-

(Continued on page 3) Story on Page 3

Christmas shopping in PH. PHOTO : ASHLEEPROFFIT.COM

Page 2 DECEMBER 2019

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DECEMBER 2019 Page 3

Filipinos Making WAV ES PHILIPPINE NEWS WAVES

VATICAN— On Gaudete Sunday, Pope Francis cele-brated a Filipino Christmas tradition in St. Peter’s Ba-silica — the Simbang Gabi Christmas novena.

“In the Philippines, for cen-turies, there has been a no-vena in preparation for Christmas called Simbang Gabi, ‘Mass of the night’. During nine days the Filipi-no faithful gather at dawn in their parishes for a spe-cial Eucharistic celebra-tion,” Pope Francis said Dec. 15.

“Through this celebration we want to prepare our-selves for Christmas ac-cording to the spirit of the Word of God that we have listened to, remaining con-stant until the Lord’s defin-itive coming,” he said in his homily for the Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Pope Francis invited Rome’s Filipino community to celebrate Gaudete Sun-day Mass at the Vatican in honor of the first day of the traditional novena. It is the first time that a pope has celebrated Simbang Gabi at the Vatican.

The Simbang Gabi tradition in the Philippines dates back to the 17th century. Filipinos hang a star out-side their homes, and at-tend early morning Masses

on each of the nine days before Christmas.

“In recent decades, thanks to Filipino migrants, this devotion has crossed na-tional borders and has ar-rived in many other coun-tries. Simbang-Gabi has also been celebrated in the diocese of Rome for years, and today we celebrate it together here, in St. Peter’s Basilica,” Pope Francis said.

The pope told the Filipino community gathered in St. Peter’s Basilica that they are called to be “leaven” in their parish communities in Italy, and encouraged them to share their “cultural and spiritual wealth.”

There are over 167,000 Filipinos residing in Italy, according to the Italian Ministry of Labor. Fr. Ricky Gente, chaplain for the Fili-pino community in Rome, address Pope Francis fol-lowing the Mass:

“Almost 500 years ago, Eu-ropean missionaries plant-ed the seed of faith in our beloved Philippines. We are happy and blessed be-cause after five centuries we are here in Europe and throughout the world transmitting the joy and beauty of the Gospel,” Fr. Gente said.

“Before the celebration of the last World Day of Mi-grants and Refugees, the


Pope Francis celebrates a Filipino Christmas tradition at the Vatican

Pope Francis blesses a Filipino girl as he celebrates a mass for the Filipino community on Sunday evening at St. Peter's Basilica in the

Vatican. Pope Francis expressed his appreciation to overseas Filipi-no communities for being “smugglers of faith” after presiding his first “Simbang Gabi” mass, the 9-day novena celebrated in the Philip-

pines before the Christmas day celebration (Tiziana Fabi / AFP)

tions such as electronic gadgets, garments, shoes and the like.

Gifts are things to treasure, more so if they are genu-inely given; they need not be expensive.

For me as a person, I appre-ciate the thought of being remembered. A line or two by email, a Christmas card, a brief message on a piece of paper, a red or yellow rose - any one of those would suffice to make my Christmas day.

Christmas is something I look up to not just for its religious connotations but for what it makes of people. All year round we set our-selves as slaves to money . . . except on Christmas day when we take pause. During the Christmas sea-son, we're more accepting than hostile; we're less grouchy than the fabled grumpy old man; we're more lovable and peaceful. That brings me to my point. The spirit of Christmas lies in our hearts. Christmas is not all gifts. It's not all the merry-making and fun cele-bration. Christmas is love and peace reborn! ∎

(Continued from page 1)

Verdict due in Philippines' worst political massacre

Agence France-Presse

MANILA - The alleged mas-terminds of the Philippines' worst political massacre will learn their fate Thurs-day when a Manila court issues its verdict, in a test of the justice system for a nation with a deep-seated culture of impunity.

A decade ago, 58 people, including 32 media work-ers, were slaughtered and dumped into roadside pits during an attack that was also one of the world's worst mass killings of jour-nalists.

Amid international outrage, the slaughter cast a harsh spotlight on the Philip-pines' deep-seated prob-lems of all-powerful politi-cal dynasties, easy access to guns and official impunity.

Victims' families have en-dured a trial of 101 defend-ants marred by allegations of bribery, defense delays, the murder of several wit-nesses and a fear that the still powerful accused

could be acquitted.

A guilty verdict "will be a strong signal to human rights abusers that they can't always get away with murder," researcher Carlos Conde of New York-based Human Rights Watch told AFP.

"A not guilty verdict would be catastrophic for the cause of human rights and justice," he said, adding ac-quittal would signal to war-lords "that it's business as usual, that they can contin-ue using violence, intimida-tion and corruption to rule their communities".

Leaders of the powerful Ampatuan family, who ruled the impoverished southern province of Magu-indanao, are charged with organizing the November 23, 2009 mass killing in a bid to quash an election challenge from a rival clan.


tion or 17.6 million Filipi-nos, which is lower than the 2015 figure of 23.3 percent or 23.5 million Filipinos.

He added that the poverty incidence in the country declined as the number of poor individuals fell in most regions over three years from 2015 to 2018, except in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) where it increased.

Likewise, subsistence inci-dence or the number of Fili-pinos unable to meet their basic food needs due to in-adequate income stands at 5.2 percent or 5.5 million

Filipinos, down from 9.2 percent figure posted in 2015.

The PSA set the poverty threshold or the amount needed to sustain a family of five at P10,727 for 2018, marking an increase of 13.5 percent from the P9,452 poverty threshold set in 2015.

Meanwhile, National Eco-nomic and Development Authority (NEDA) Under-secretary Adoracion Navar-ro welcomed the release of the statistics, saying that it is indicative of government efforts in spurring econom-ic development and imple-menting poverty reduction programs.

“We are pleased that the official poverty statistics for the full year 2018 reported

by the Philippine Statistics Authority show significant progress, not just in terms of increasing overall income but also reducing inequali-ty,” Navarro said.

“Poverty incidence further dropping to 16.6 percent of the population in 2018 from 23.3 percent in 2015 tells us that we are on track in meeting our targets set under the Philippine Devel-opment Plan 2017 to 2022,” she added.

he Philippine Development Plan 2017 to 2022 is a blue-print geared at boosting economic growth and lift more Filipinos out of pov-erty, wherein one of its tar-gets is to bring down the poverty incidence from 30 percent in 2015 to 20 per-cent in 2022.

(United News PH)


5.9M less poor Fili-pinos in 2018

Christmas is love and peace reborn


Filipinos Making WAV ES CANADA ~ PHILIPPINE NEWS WAVES

CASE POINTS TO A FRAME-UP?

Prosecutors Drop Charges vs.

Businesswoman

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

"Truth is generally the best vindication against slander". - Abraham Lincoln

TORONTO - "Okay," Superi-or Court Justice A. O'Marra says in response to the mo-tion by a Crown prosecutor. With that nod, all the hu-man trafficking charges and misrepresentation against Liwayway Miranda, a.k.a. Lily Hammer, and a farm owner were dropped on Wednesday, December 11, 2019, more than a year af-ter the two were accused by immigration authorities and the Canada Border Ser-vices Agency (CBSA). "Okay," said Ms. Miranda's lawyer too, stating nothing else but to agree to the prosecutor and the judge to let go of the charges that had wrecked a promising

business venture, ruined reputations, and destroyed the life situation of hun-dreds of employees in mushroom farms in Ontar-io.

Once the judge declared his approval, Ms. Miranda and a dozen supporters and former employees exited the courtroom at 361 Uni-versity Ave., the smiles on their faces betraying their happiness in witnessing her total absolution.

The chill outside the build-ing did not matter to them; they posed for pictures, agreed to be interviewed by mainstream reporters, talked loudly among them-


Jobs for Filipinos in Canada & China: DOLE

By Ferdinand Patinio

MANILA -- The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Saturday said it is looking to deploy Filipino workers to other countries.

According to DOLE Secre-tary Silvestre Bello III, aside from China, the de-partment is also in talks with Canada.

“In Canada. In Yukon. I have communication with my counterpart and they

are willing to discuss a bi-lateral agreement,” he said in an interview.

Asked if the agreement has been signed, the DOLE chief said it is a "joint communi-que and is formal.”

As for the jobs in China, Bello added that the host country is looking for skilled workers.

"They need additional teachers with English profi-

ciency,” he said.

The DOLE Secretary added that employment opportu-nities are also available in Russia.

Bello reported this week that Germany is planning to hire some 30,000 hospital workers.

He clarified, however, that the job offers are not solely for Filipino health workers. (PNA)

Holy Father shared with me that Filipino women are ‘smugglers of the faith,’” the priest said.

“Yes, it is true, we carry with us everywhere we go the torch of faith and of the Gospel in the world, the same faith and Gospel that have been transmitted to us. This is why today, here in front of you, you find a happy and smiling people because the flame of faith continues to burn intensely in our hearts,” he added.

The Filipino community gave Pope Francis a tradi-tional Marian statue as an early birthday gift. The pope will celebrate his 83rd birthday on Dec. 17. Pope Francis responded after receiving the gift: “Be smugglers of the faith.”

“We are all invited to build together that communion in diversity that constitutes a distinctive trait of the Kingdom of God, inaugurat-ed by Jesus Christ, Son of God made man,” the pope said in his homily. “We are all called to proclaim the Gospel together, the Good News of salvation, in all lan-guages, so as to reach as many people as possible.”

“To adequately prepare ourselves for this new out-pouring of grace, the Church offers us the time of Advent, in which we are called to reawaken in our hearts the expectation and to intensify our prayer,” Francis said.

“May the Holy Child that we are preparing to worship, wrapped in poor swaddling clothes and lying in a man-ger, bless you and give you the strength to carry on your testimony with joy,” Pope Francis said.

(Courtney Mares / Catholic News Agency)


Pope Francis celebrates Filipino Christmas tradition

PRAYING FOR FAIR JUDGMENT

Lawyers representing many of the victims' fami-lies told AFP the 101 de-fendants, who have plead-ed not guilty, face up to 30 years in prison without pa-role if convicted of even one of the 58 murders.

The brazen attack was car-ried out in broad daylight on a convoy carrying an Ampatuan family rival's wife, relatives, lawyers and the journalists, who were killed in a hail of gunfire.

The murders exposed how then president Gloria Ar-royo had tolerated the Am-patuans' heavily-armed militia as a buffer against Muslim rebels in the south, home to the Catholic na-tion's large Islamic minori-ty.

Even routine court cases can take years to make it through the Philippine jus-tice system, which is noto-riously overburdened, un-

derfunded and vulnerable to pressure from the pow-erful.

This case is no exception, and victims families have long worried the Ampatu-ans, who continue to wield political power and influ-ence, could avoid convic-tions.

Ten clan members remain in jail but another is out on bail along with 10 other defendants, while the charges against eight other defendants have been dropped.

"We are hoping and pray-ing that we will get a fair

judgement," said Mary Grace Morales, whose sis-ter and husband were among 32 journalists killed.

"They (Ampatuans) have power... they have money," she told AFP. "They can pay many lawyers to handle their cases."

Out of the original 197 sus-pects, 80 remain at large including 15 members of the Ampatuan clan.

Ampatuans meanwhile won 25 local seats in May's elections including Sajid Ampatuan, a defendant in the massacre case who was released on bail. ∎


Verdict due in PH’s worst massacre...

Andal Ampatuan Jr. (center) is the former mayor of Datu Unsay, Maguindanao, charged with multiple mass murder. The Supreme Court en banc approved on Tuesday the live coverage of the prom-ulgation of judgment of the Maguindanao massacre – considered as the worst election-related violence and attack on press freedom in

the Philippines. UNTV


Filipinos Making WAV ES FILIPINOS MAKING WAVES FEATURE

Real-life Heroine Lands in Forbes Asia’s ‘Heroes of Philanthropy’

Angel Locsin Isko Moreno Mayor of Manila

It has been only six months since Yorme became Manila mayor. Those wondering if he can keep up this pace of reform need to

be reminded of how far in life he has already gone. Photo by Chris Clemente

What it really means to be Yorme, Man of the Year By Peter Purisima

As the year draws to a close, we put the spotlight on Mayor Isko Moreno Doma-goso. His rise to power gives many of the poor in his city reason to dream, and his vision for Manila has won him the vote of the country’s power elite. Even the presi-dent couldn’t help but pay the guy a compliment.

It’s not easy to imagine a squatter boy with tisoy good looks scavenging the dumps, driving a pedicab, and eating “pagpag” or recooked food scraps. Asked why he is mestizo, Isko Moreno is puz-zled at the question. It never occurred to him to ask his parents. Instead, he offers this insight: poor people don’t bother with their fami-ly tree. They’re too busy finding ways to survive.

It has been only six months since Yorme became Manila mayor. Those wondering if he can keep up this pace of reform need to be reminded of how far in life he has al-ready gone. As a boy his fa-ther would remind him that those who lie in bed all day staring at the ceiling will wake up to the same four corners of the room. It was a metaphor for hard work. Like the scavenger boy that he was, Isko grabbed at any-

thing useful, seizing every opportunity that came his way. Showbiz and politics were never an ambition. They came by accident, one leading to the other. If you’re gwapo, you can be an artista. If you’re an artista, you can be in politics.

His 18 years in City Hall — half as councillor and the other half as vice mayor — were uneventful. But they had given him ambition. He went for courses at the UP College of Public Admin-istration, the National Uni-versity of Singapore, Har-vard, Oxford. The school of hard knocks combined with some of the best learning institutions in the world. “I’m a sponge,” he says. Gov-ernments cannot make you rich, he says, “but it can make your life better.” It’s a philosophy that now guides him in trying to make Ma-nila, in urban planning par-lance, a “liveable city”. If he succeeds, Manila’s story will mirror the story of his life.

Yorme is almost too good to be true. His clean-up was not attended by scuffles and drama from street vendors; the dole-outs of past mayors have been replaced by insti-tutional allowances for stu-dents and seniors; tacky and monogrammed projects have been replaced by a gen-

uine effort to restore the luster of old Manila. “We don’t need to build anymore. We already have a lot. We only need to preserve.” A mayor with a sense of histo-ry and a practical apprecia-tion of the idea that conser-vation brings in people and that in turn brings in money.

He is a politician who is both low brow and high brow. He speaks jeproks, and when in the company of business-men and diplomats, speaks English with the unaffected diction of an educated Filipi-no. (Even his F and P prob-lem is charming). Facebook Live has given him the tool to bypass traditional media and talk directly to the peo-ple. Commenting largely on Yorme’s communication style, President Duterte said, “mas mahusay kesa akin.” (He’s better than me).

The dinner society talked about for weeks—and which spawned another dinner, this time hosted by shipping heiress Doris Ho

Duterte should be envious. The president has mastered the art of “masa” seduction, but he remains outrageous and offensive to polite socie-ty. Not Yorme. His humor is not dark, but equally crass and appealing to the masa.


MANILA -- Actress Angel Locsin made it to Forbes Asia’s latest Heroes of Phi-lanthropy list, which was released recently.

For this year, Forbes recog-nized 30 notable philan-thropists "committed to solving some of the most pressing issues facing the Asia-Pacific."

The Kapamilya actress, who is active in doing char-ity work, was recognized for her efforts in giving out aid to the victims of vio-lence and natural disasters.

Forbes noted that after earthquakes hit Mindanao in October, Locsin donated P1 million and distributed "truckloads of relief sup-plies to affected residents."

It also pointed out that dur-ing the 2017 battle be-tween the military and Is-lamist rebels in Marawi, she joined the Rural Mis-sionaries of the Philippines, "donating and distributing food packets and school supplies to tens of thou-sands of displaced victims."

In September, she directly donated the money she would've used to buy a gown for the annual ABS-CBN Ball to Bantay Bata.

"Over the past decade, Loc-sin has donated as much as P15 million to causes such as educational scholarships for students, supporting the economic and political rights of indigenous people, and ending violence against

women and children," Forbes said, noting that she also inspired many of her millions of social media followers to give back.

“It’s like taking little steps towards substantive, holis-tic change for the future of the next generations,” the magazine quoted Locsin as saying. “The only motiva-tion we need is being part of humanity.”

Angel Locsin once por-trayed the Filipina super-hero "Darna" for a TV se-ries, later on saying that one doesn't need a costume to be a hero. She would vis-it communities and distrib-ute aid in plain clothes and without media coverage

Aside from Locsin, also part of the 13th annual Heroes of Philanthropy list are Fili-pino businessman Hans Sy, Indian business tycoon Azim Premji, Australian billionaire Judith Neilson and Chinese tycoon Jack

Ma. - ABS-CBN News

Angel Locsin (Instagram)

to Facebook.”

“The only defense journalists have is to shine the light,” she said in a Princeton “She Roars” podcast. “And part of what’s keeping us safe is be-cause of the coverage that

international news groups are giving what’s happening in the Philippines, both the drug war, the information war and the attacks against Rappler.”

Princeton’s Baccalaureate service focuses on members of the senior class. It in-cludes prayers and readings from various religions and philosophical traditions. The earliest recorded Baccalau-

reate address — titled “Religion and the Public Spirit” — was delivered by University President Samuel Davies to the 11 members of the graduating class of 1760.

Seating in the chapel is lim-ited to members of the sen-ior class and the faculty pro-cession. Seniors receive two tickets to a simulcast site for family and guests. ∎


Maria Ressa named Baccalaureate ...

https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/spotlight/05/15/19/the-humble-beginnings-and-great-ambition-of-isko-moreno

https://www.facebook.com/iskomorenodomagoso/

https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/spotlight/08/19/19/what-happened-at-doris-hos-dinner-for-mayor-isko-and-the-countrys-next-gen-taipans

https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/09/14/19/why-angel-locsin-skipped-abs-cbn-ball


Filipinos Making WAV ES FILIPINOS MAKING WAVES FEATURE

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Waves News is published monthly by Mentor Productions and distributed free in the Greater Toronto Area and vicinities. Editorial or advertising inquiries may be sent directly to [email protected]. Articles are copyrighted by their authors. Any re-posting or re-publication online or in print is prohibited without the written permission by Waves News and its editors. While submissions are welcome, the editors reserve the right to refuse and/or edit unsolicited materials. Any publication included in this newspaper and/or opinions expressed therein do not necessarily reflect the views of WAVES News and its publishers, but remain solely those of the author(s).

selves recalling how the cases impacted them and their families in many ways.

Then they walked to the nearest coffee shop, and a little later, to a Korean res-taurant where they had lunch. The conversations were interminable.

The Crown's move to with-draw was the clearest indi-cation it had no proof to try Ms. Miranda, owner of A&L Hammer Workforce Man-agement, on charges she

had engaged in illegal re-cruitment of workers.

Similarly, charges were also dropped against Laxman Marsonia, owner of Sharon Mushroom Farm, where six Filipinos recruited by Ms. Hammer worked as mush-room pickers.

The six workers were the

sole source of information against Ms. Miranda and the

farm owner. The six execut-ed testimonies before an unlicensed paralegal who

compiled them in a binder and sent to CBSA. It was the information in the binder that became the basis for

CBSA to file the charges. ∎


Prosecutors drop charges versus...

Journalist and Princeton graduate Maria Ressa named Baccalaureate speaker Maria Ressa, a 1986 Prince-ton graduate and CEO and executive editor of the Phil-ippines-based online news organization Rappler.com, has been selected as the speaker for the University’s 2020 Baccalaureate ceremo-ny.

Baccalaureate, an end-of-year interfaith service that is one of Princeton’s oldest traditions, is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, May 31.

The speaker was selected by the Committee on Honorary Degrees and approved by the Board of Trustees. The letter of invitation to Ressa noted, “Your record of civic leadership makes you a su-perb role model for our stu-dents, and throughout your career you have demon-strated values of humanity, community engagement and social responsibility that we hope our students will ex-emplify in their lives.”

“I am very excited that Maria Ressa ’86 will serve as the Baccalaureate speaker to the Great Class of 2020,” said Juston Forte, president of the senior class. “In her work as an accomplished journalist and executive edi-tor of Rappler.com, Maria Ressa continuously fights against disinformation and fake news. Ressa’s work to share the truth and raise awareness of unjust situa-tions despite its conse-quences embodies Prince-ton’s informal motto, ‘Princeton in the nation’s

service and the service of humanity,’ by showing a dedication to humanity and an extraordinary level of social responsibility. I am confident Maria Ressa will impart wisdom and inspire the Class of 2020 as we con-tinue to grapple with injus-tice in our lives and in our future journeys beyond the gates of Princeton.”

Ressa, who earned her de-gree in English, has been a journalist in Asia for more than 30 years. In 2012, she co-founded Rappler.com, now one of the leading online news organizations in the Philippines. Previously, Ressa was CNN’s bureau chief in Manila and Jakarta.

Rappler’s reporting on the authoritarian administration of President Rodrigo Duter-te has spurred repeated in-timidation tactics by the Fili-pino government to discred-it Ressa and the media out-let.

During a visit to the Univer-sity in April, Ressa said that

she has posted bail eight times and been arrested twice. “I tweeted from the back of the police car,” she said to journalism students and others.

Ressa has been honored around the world for her work in fighting disinfor-mation, fake news and at-tempts to silence the free press. In 2018, she was named TIME magazine’s “Person of the Year” and won the prestigious Golden Pen of Freedom Award from the World Association of Newspapers and News Pub-lishers. She also received the 2018 Gwen Ifill Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists. This year, Prospect magazine selected her as one of the world’s top 50 thinkers.

Ressa is the author of two books, “Seeds of Terror: An Eyewitness Account of al-Qaeda’s Newest Center of Operations in Southeast Asia,” and “From Bin Laden


Maria Ressa (Photo by Denise Applewhite, Office of Communications)

“Ginto!” he exclaimed in one of his seminal FB lives when he saw that lump of turd at the Bonifacio shrine. Yet he seems comfortable in the company of tycoons as illus-trated in that now famous dinner thrown by Kuya Kim.

The president has mastered the art of “masa” seduction, but he remains outrageous and offensive to polite soci-ety. Not Yorme. His humor is not dark, but equally crass and appealing to the masa.

More significantly, he is a “trapo.” He has embraced traditional politics as a way to get things done. He knows that compromise and negoti-ation are part of it. There is none of the textbook ideal-ism that doomed reform-minded politicians like Gov-ernor Grace Padaca of Isa-bela and governor Among Ed Panlilio of Pampanga. In 2016, Mayor Isko ran for senator under Grace Poe, lost, and was appointed un-dersecretary for social wel-fare by President Duterte. He will give out a fist bump for photo-op’s sake but remains appealing to both sides of the DDS-Dilawan divide. Who knows what deals he made with businessmen and local pols to win the mayorship. That machinery now makes it possible for him to clean up the streets, control the budget, and push on with his

grand plans. The father of traditional politics, Manuel Quezon, would have been proud.

He knows that compromise and negotiation are part of the game. Quezon would be proud.

Duterte says he, Senator Bong Go, and Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano are the brightest stars in Philippine politics. He did add that they may be shining brightly to-day but will be gone and for-gotten tomorrow. The future of Manila’s political star seems to be brighter. But he may be torn between seeing Manila through its revival and taking his ambition to the next level. All politicians, he says, think of the presi-dency, consciously or sub-consciously.

He will give out a fist bump for photo-op’s sake but re-mains appealing to both sides of the DDS-Dilawan divide.

Yorme knows his history: once upon a time, the mayor of Manila was second to the president in power and pres-tige. That was during the time of Mayor Arsenio Lac-son. But he also knows that things have moved on. A mayor from down south al-ready sits in Malacan ang. The game keeps changing. Yorme’s chief of staff, Cesar Chavez, believes anyone as-piring for president has a limited window of oppor-tunity. The scavenger in Yorme will be ready to seize the opportunity that falls his way ∎


Isko: What it really means to be Yorme

https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/movies/06/03/19/review-quezons-game-finds-its-way-to-the-heart-of-the-truth-through-make-believe

https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/movies/06/03/19/review-quezons-game-finds-its-way-to-the-heart-of-the-truth-through-make-believe


Filipinos Making WAV ES COMMUNITY

MP SALMA ZAHID,, Scarborough Centre MP JOHN McKAY, Scarborough-Guildwood MP MICHAEL LEVITT, York Centre

Swearing-In Ceremonies for re-elected Liberal MPs in Ottawa

HON. MARCO MENDICINO, the new Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. with the Taste of Manila festival founder, Rolly Mangante. Marco is also the re-elected MP for Eglinton-Lawrence.


Filipinos Making WAV ES MILESTONES

NYPAA Celebrates 20th Anniversary

The North York Pinoy Athletic Association (NYPAA) recently held a Dinner-Dance to celebrate its mile-stone 20th anniversary. MP Salma Zahid (center), author of Motion 155 designating June as Filipino Heritage Month in Canada,, graced the event and inducted the new set of officers. : Renato Columbano, Marc Victoria, Victor Montero, Bob San Juan, Irvin Gahite, Roger Tarca, Ed Sotto, Patrick Memita, Jong Lee, Celeste Vega, Melanie Corpuz, Cheche Lee, Brendalete Agocillo, MP Salma Zahid, Vilma Tahsin, Sharonne Salanguit, Vivian Musni, & Marites Tendenilla

Nicole observes as hubby Ed Joaquin hold their first baby, Elo Aza-riah, being baptized Dec. 8 inside St. Patrick’s Church in Markham.

Aida Guerra’s Retirement/Birthday Party

It’s a double celebration for Aida Guerra , a native of Ibaan, Batangas. She is surrounded by her family in photo (back) Victoria, John, Ralph, Jerry; (front) Fe, celebrant Aida, Migs (sitting on floor), Gab, Jenneth, Bert, Ryce, Annie

Dec 12: Frances Quelly Dec 16: Resty Dellosa

Nov 29: J.Martin Castro Nov 29: Gerrie Datu

Dec 4: TinTin Dec 8: Martha Joy

Danilo Baluyot (center) treats the newest members of The Design Proposal team to a sumptuous dinner at the Republika restaurant, bar and grill. Teresa Torralba (L) will be the Business Development Manager for Toronto and Terri Barker is Operations Manager for Toronto. The Design Proposal is an international interior design con-sulting company. WAVES PHOTO

Baptism of Elo Azariah Joaquin

It was karaoke fun night for birthday celebrants Rafael Nebres and Suzy Llanera. The Bicol Canada

Community Association officers and members, led by Earl Francis Dacara, attended the celebration..

WAVES PHOTO

The Design Proposal team at Republika


Filipinos Making WAV ES SAVE THE DATES

August 15 & 16, 2020



Canada’s new Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, the Hon. Marco Mendicino, gets a congratulatory hug from Waves publisher, Teresa Torralba. Photo was taken at the Team Mendicino Volunteer Appreciation party held on December 8 at Bistro’s Bar & Grill in North York.

Team Mendicino Volunteer Appreciation Party

Bangko Sentral launches new P20 coin, enhanced P5

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas unveils newly minted 20-peso with New Generation Coins (NGC) at the Executive Business Center at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, (BSP) in Manila on December 17, 2019. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

MANILA – The Bangko Sen-tral ng Pilipinas on Tues-day launched the P20 coin which would replace the banknote form of the cur-rency. . It will go into cir-culation by Q1 2020.

The P20 coin retains the image of former President Manuel L. Quezon on the front side, and the BSP logo and the Malacan ang Palace on the flip side.

It also showcases the na-tive flora called Nilad, be-lieved to be the inspiration behind the Philippine capi-tal's name Manila, the BSP

said.

Replacing the P20 bill with a coin is "more cost-effective" since it will have a longer circulation life, the BSP said. It costs P2 to pro-duce a P20 bill, which lasts for 6 months, while it costs P10 to make a P20 coin that could last for 10 years, BSP Gov. Benjamin Diokno said.

The P20 coin is also the most used denomination for payments in the coun-try, the BSP said. The coin will co-exist as a legal ten-

der along with the bank-note, which will be re-moved from circulation through natural attrition, it said.

An enhanced P5 coin was also introduced featuring nine-sides to make it more distinct from other coins.

(Bruce Rodriguez, ABS-CBN News)






Filipinos Making WAV ES National Shrine of our Mother of Perpetual Help

St. Patrick’s Catholic Church

131 McCaul St, Toronto

(416) 598-3269

WEEKLY WEDNESDAY MASS & DEVOTIONS: 7:30 am * 9:30am * 12 noon, * 2:30pm * 5:05pm * 7:00pm

Even the WAVES obey Him...

Religious Inspirations

Pope names Cardinal Tagle as Leader of Top Vatican Office

VATICAN CITY — In a move that may signal Pope Francis' plan for the reform of the Roman Curia is close to completion, the pope has named Philippine Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Ma-nila prefect of the Congre-gation for the Evangeliza-tion of Peoples.

The 62-year-old cardinal succeeds Cardinal Fernan-do Filoni, 73, who since 2011 had led the Vatican office overseeing the church's vast mission terri-tories.

Announcing Tagle's ap-pointment Dec. 8, the Vati-can also announced that Filoni would become grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

Tagle is set to take up his new Vatican post early in 2020. The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peo-ples, often referred to as Propaganda Fide, is set to become part of a mega-Dicastery for Evangeliza-tion, at least according to a draft of the apostolic con-stitution on the Curia, "Praedicate Evangeli-um" ("Preach the Gospel").

According to the draft, dis-tributed for comment in the spring, the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization will be combined, becoming the first of the dicasteries. Cur-rently, the first is the Con-gregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

The new office would have two sections, one focused on the "first evangeliza-tion" and support for churches in the lands of

more recent evangelization — the traditional mission territories — and one fo-cused on evangelization, catechesis and the for-mation of missionary disci-ples in traditionally Chris-tian lands.

Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the nuncio to the Philip-pines, spoke at the end of a Mass celebrated by Tagle Dec. 9 in the Manila cathe-dral. He said the cardinal smiled through his homily, "but I know his heart is broken" at the thought of leaving. And even though Filipino Catholics are sad to lose the cardinal, he said, they must give him to the global church.

Tagle, he said, is "the best gift we have to give to the universal church." And he had everyone in the packed cathedral stand, extend their right arm and pray for God's blessing on the cardi-nal.

Mission, evangelization and dialogue have been recur-rent themes in Tagle's teaching, preaching and public speaking.

At the 2012 Synod of Bish-ops on new evangelization, then-Archbishop Tagle em-phasized the importance when evangelizing of imi-tating Jesus' humility and demonstrating real love and concern for all people, particularly "those neglect-ed and despised by the world."

Being humble also means recognizing when the church does not have all the answers, and therefore being willing to remain si-lent, he said, adding that "a church at home with si-


Pope Francis greets Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila, Philippines, at the sign of peace while celebrating Mass at the city's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Jan. 16, 2015. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Greetings have been arriving from around the world this 17th December as

the Pope celebrates his 83rd birthday.

Pope Francis on Tuesday is marking his 83rd Birthday. It was only last Friday that the Pope celebrated the 50th anniversary of his or-dination to the priesthood.

On the occasion of his birthday, the Pope has been receiving messages of con-gratulations from all over the world.

In a greeting to Pope Fran-cis, the President of Italy, Sergio Matterella said he was particularly pleased to send the “most sincere and affectionate wishes” on this 83rd Birthday.

In his message, the Presi-dent said the Pope’s inces-sant pastoral activity was “the crowning achievement of fifty years of generous priestly service”. He added that, the Pontiff’s voice was

one that “continues to urge peoples and nations to overcome divisions, to pre-serve peace, to engage in dialogue..."

In a message from the As-sociation of Italian Chris-tian Workers (ACLI), the President of the Rome branch, Lidia Borzi thanked the Pope “for having en-lightened our gaze, helping us to focus on the need to meet and sustain frailties.”

A special greeting also came all the way from Ire-land and was posted on the website of the Irish Bishops Conference. It was from Eliza Long aged 8 from Co Meath. Eliza who is prepar-ing for her first Holy Com-munion thanked the Pope “for his prayers for all the children across the world. She also assured him that

“she is praying for him too.”

Last year, the Pope chose to celebrate his birthday by throwing a small party for himself and a group of chil-dren who were receiving medical care from the “Santa Marta” Paediatric Dispensary inside the Vati-can. The children surprised him with a huge cake and the Pope thanked them, expressing how glad he was to be with them.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born in Buenos Aires on December 17, 1936, the son of Italian immigrants. In 1958 he joined the Jesuit Order. In 1998 he was ap-pointed Archbishop of Bue-nos Aires by Pope John Paul II. Since his election on 13 March 2013 Pope Fran-cis has been the 266th Bishop of Rome.

Happy

Birthday

Pope Francis

Vatican News


Filipinos Making WAV ES COMMUNITY

lence will make the voice-less believe they are not alone."

It was during the 2012 syn-od, at the age of 55, that he was informed he would be made a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI. The Novem-ber consistory to create six cardinals, including Tagle, was the last before Pope Benedict resigned three months later.

Born in Manila June 21, 1957, he was raised in Imus and went to a grade school and high school run by the Augustinians in Paranaque City. In 1973 he entered the seminary and began uni-versity studies at the Jesuit-run Ateneo de Manila Uni-versity and San Jose Semi-nary in Manila.

Ordained to the priesthood in 1982 for the Diocese of Imus, he was sent to the United States for further studies, earning a doctorate in theology from The Cath-olic University of America.

In 1997, St. John Paul II named him to a five-year term on the International Theological Commission, the group of theologians who study specific ques-tions at the behest of the Congregation for the Doc-trine of the Faith. During his term, the president of the commission was Cardi-nal Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict.

In 2001, he was ordained a bishop and installed as bishop of Imus and, 10 years later, he was installed as archbishop of Manila.

He served as an expert at the special Synod of Bish-ops on Asia in 1998 and, as a bishop, was a member of the synods in 2008 on the Bible, 2012 on evangeliza-tion and 2018 on young people. Francis chose him as one of the presidents delegate of the 2014 and 2015 synod assemblies on the family.

In 2015, Tagle was elected president of Caritas Inter-nationalis, the global con-federation of national Cath-olic charities; he was re-elected to the position in May. And, in late 2014, he was elected to a six-year term as president of the Catholic Biblical Federa-tion. (Cindy Wooden/Catholic News Service)


Pope names Cardi-nal Tagle leader...


Filipinos Making WAV ES LIFESTYLE

ENTERTAINMENT

Philippines ranks 4th most sleepless country in the world

- The Philippines was ranked as the 4th most sleepless country in the world based on the survey conducted by Sleep Cycle

- The result shows that Filipinos’ average hours of sleep ranges from 6 hours and 30 minutes to 6 hours and 45 minutes per day

- It is way lesser than the recommendation of The American National Sleep Founda-tion which is seven to nine hours of sleep a day

By Jean Trinidad

The Philippines landed as one of the most sleepless country in the world.

Based on the survey con-ducted by Sleep Cycle, an application that monitors people’s hours of sleep, Fili-pinos are spending insuffi-cient amount of shut-eye with an average hours of sleep ranging from 6 hours and 30 minutes to 6 hours and 45 minutes per day.

This is way lesser than the recommended span of The American National Sleep Foundation for adults which is between seven and nine hours a day. This is alaarming, fellows!

Sleep deeprivation, if not given any attention, may actually put one’s mental

and physical health at risk.

Among the conditions that may arise if this practice is not rectified are short-term and long-term memory problems, mood swings, anxiety and depression, inability to focus, weight gain, and others.

A natural sleep expert gave recommendations to help those who are experiencing trouble sleeping.

“If there’s some feature of your bedroom that’s dis-rupting your sleep, change it,” said Dr. Catherine Dar-ley. She further suggested that we should invest in a comfortable bed and linens and put blackout shades on the windows. Moreover, we should remove any pro-jects, clutter or visible LEDs

and make our bedroom a pleasant, relaxing place that restores us thoroughly.

She added, “It’s incredible how improvements in sleep can improve other areas of people’s lives – everything from more enjoyable rela-tionships with loved ones to improved concentration at work and an increased sense of calm.”

Perhaps we should start re-evaluating our sleep habits and find time to restore our well-being. It’s our own personal health, remem-ber?

Meanwhile, the leading countries with the most insufficient amount of sleep based on the survey were Japan, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia. ∎

RICHMOND, British Colum-bia - While other kids are busy asking for gifts this Christmas, 5-year old Estella Ban ez is doing something else.

She’s selling handmade ear-rings, necklaces and brace-lets to help a local charity.

“I like OMB, it stands for Oh My Bling,” said Ban ez.

Ban ez worked on her beads after school in the past months and made 300 pairs of earrings, 40 bracelets and 50 necklaces for sale.

They were showcased at a recent fashion show and launch party where proceeds go to the Richmond Christ-mas Fund that help local families in need.

“Toys, gift cards, baskets… it’s really tough when every-body seems to be happy dur-ing holidays with families and a lot of them don't have support or financial means to do so,” said Kaye Ban ez, Estella's mom.

The kindergartener started the project last year in honor of her lola who passed away.

She donated $200 then and wanted to give bigger this year.

Friends and family came to support the project.

"It’s important to give back whenever we can," said Chantal Wu.

Many of them were inspired by the little girl who wanted to bring cheer to the commu-nity.

(Marieton Pacheco, ABS-CBN

News)

Young Filipino-Canadian sells hand-made jewelry to help local charity

Critically acclaimed during its multi-award-winning festival run and successful May 2019 theatrical release in the Philip-pines, Quezon’s Game will begin its U.S./Canadian the-atrical rollout Jan. 24. A true story of Holocaust her-oism during World War II in the Philippines by Filipino President Manuel L. Quezon—who rescued as many perse-cuted Jews as Oskar Schindler at a time when most countries were turning their backs—the release of Quezon’s Game also marks the landmark 75th an-niversary on Jan. 27 of the liberation of Auschwitz, the Nazi’s most-notorious concen-tration camp. Once forgotten to history, the incredible tale of what just one man can ac-complish when defeat isn’t an option … a miraculous feat of human triumph. A Star Cinema/ABS-CBN Film Productions production in association with iWant and Kinetek, Quezon’s Game is the feature film directorial debut of Matthew Rosen (also serving as cinematogra-pher) who has directed televi-sion, music videos and more than 700 commercials over 25

years, winning more than 50 international awards. Rosen—a British national residing in the Philippines since 1986—and his Filipino wife, Lorena “Lori” Rosen, who co-produced the film, heard the little-known story of the film from members of the Jewish Association of the Philippines in 2009 and instantly realized they needed to retell this ex-traordinary and moving story on the big screen. Comments the director, “I am a Jew who grew up in Eng-land and have experienced bigotry, but after 37 years in the Philippines, to this day, I have never come across preju-dice, dislike or distrust be-cause I am White or Jewish. I’m pinoy at heart and this was truly a passion project for me. The story behind Quezon’s Game remains a reflection of the Filipino people today, a warm and welcoming culture. “In a time of war, when the rest of the world was in des-pair and apathetic,” Rosen continues, “the Filipino peo-ple—who were suffering their own hardships—shed a light on justice and morality to lead others. Quezon fought a lonely

battle for what was right up until his untimely death. The message of this amazing story, which was largely forgotten, is more important than ever to in today’s growing climate of intolerance—and my wife, Lori, and I wanted to tell it. It’s my ‘thank you’ to the Philip-pines.” In Quezon’s Game … As WWII loomed and the 1930s drew to a close, desper-ate Jewish refugees seeking to flee German/Austrian ghettos and the escalating atrocities of the Nazi regime found little help from countries around the world. More than 10,000 miles away, over weekend poker games at

the Malacanan g Palace, promi-nent Jewish businessman, two-for-a-nickel cigar maker Alex Frieder (Billy Ray Gallion), implored his friend “Manny,” Filipino President Manuel L. Quezon (Raymond Bag-atsing), to assist him in estab-lishing asylum for refugees in the tropical, island country. Also helping devise the dra-matic rescue plan was Ameri-can diplomat Paul V. McNutt (James Paolelli), who labored to overcome oppressive U.S. objections to the plan, imperil-ing his own political career and presidential aspirations. Willing to risk it all, it was a moral obligation the Filipino leader was determined to ful-fill … despite astronomical

obstacles, the Philippines struggling, U.S.-reliant econo-my and his own gravely failing health due to a relapse of tu-berculosis. Instrumental as well was an ambitious, young U.S. Army Colonel, future president Dwight D. Eisenhower (David Bianco), then chief aide to General Douglas MacArthur, serving in the Philippines, a U.S. territory at a time when Filipinos (even diplomats and officials), like African-Americans, were required to use “Colored” bathrooms at the White House. Although Quezon’s intent to rescue 10,000 Jews was ab-ruptly curtailed by the Dec. 8, 1941 invasion and three-year occupation of his country by the Japanese, he, his wife, Au-rora (Rachel Alejandro), and daughter, Baby (Kate Alejan-drino), succeeded against all odds to welcome more than 1,200 refugees, initially hous-ing them on his own family’s property, Marikina estate. Yet in his final days in 1944, as president in U.S. exile, he re-gretfully turned to Aurora and asked, “Could I have done more?”∎

Critically Acclaimed Winner of 25 Awards at International Film Festivals

Quezon’s Game in U.S./Canadian Theaters Jan. 24th


Filipinos Making WAV ES SPORTS

PH’s record 149 golds lift ‘spirit of the nation’: PSC chief

By Jelly Musico

MANILA – As the 2019 South-east Asian Games finally came to a close on Wednesday, Phil-ippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William Ramirez lauded the Filipino athletes for their hard work and determination to regain the Games supremacy.

Ramirez made the remark af-ter the Philippines pulled out its best performance in the 30th SEA Games, garnering a record 149 golds, 117 silvers and 121 bronzes in 530 events of the 56 sports played throughout the 10-day compe-titions of the 11-nation bienni-al multi-sports meet.

“Our athletes gave their all and they deserve all the respect and care that we can give them, as kababayans (countrymen) and as a nation. You all made us proud. Sala-mat sa inyong sakripisyo, tiyaga at pagpupursigi (Thank you for your sacrifices, pa-tience and determination),” the PSC chief said. “All your hard work and achievement produced more than just medals. It lifted the spirit of a nation hungry for inspiration and hope. It awak-

ened the spirit of patriotism in each of us,” he added.

Meanwhile, Philippine Olym-pic Committee (POC) presi-dent Abraham “Bambol” To-lentino said the Philippines’ second overall title showed that the Filipino athletes can give their best “with proper support and encouragement”.

“I am proud that they proved that my faith in them was well-placed. But this is just the beginning. I see better things ahead for Philippine sports,” Tolentino said in separate

statement.

He said the POC will partner with both government and private sectors to ensure that the country’s sustainable sports programs.

During the closing ceremony at the newly-built New Clark City Athletics Stadium, Ramirez and Tolentino joined Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Philippine Southeast Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) chair-man Alan Peter Cayetano in hoisting the overall champion-

ship trophy to the delight the huge crowd and applause from athletes of the 11 partici-pating countries.

Medialdea then officially de-clared the 30th edition of the SEA Games closed as the Phil-ippine sports officials handed the Games flag to their coun-terparts from Vietnam which will host the 2021 biennial meet.

Cayetano congratulated all the athletes including the Filipino athletes who duplicated the Philippines’ first overall title

in 2005 with 112 golds, 85 silvers and 93 bronzes.

Arnis and dancesports started the Philippines’ campaign on the high note right from the opening day of competition, taking early lead in the medal standing and was never chal-lenged as wushu, taekwondo, athletics, obstacle course race and skateboarding delivered the wins that sustained the host country’s drive for overall title.

Vietnam, led by the Games’ best female athlete Thi Anh Vien Nguyen, rallied in the final three days of action to take second with 98 golds on top of 85 silvers and 105 bronzes while Thailand, seven-time overall champion, set-tled for third spot with 92 gold, 103 silver and 123 bronze medals.

Indonesia, which ruled the meet 10 times, failed to get the second-place target and went home with 72-84-111 medal tally followed by Malaysia and Singapore with 55-58-71 and 53-46-68 medal output, re-spectively.

Timor Leste was the only na-tion which failed to win gold while Myanmar and Cambodia have four each and Brunei



Filipinos Making WAV ES CHRISTMAS IN THE COMMUNITY

The Featinians of Greater Toronto

Christmas Luncheon

Led by The Featineans Association of Toronto current president, Ed Baruela, the alumni association conducted its end-of-year salo-salo on December 8 at a buffet restau-rant in Scarborough. The holiday gathering is a means of strengthening and enhancing the

bonds of friendship, cooperation and understanding among the membership and their immediate families.

Gloria Mendoza’s Christmas Treat for Extendicare Staff

Toronto Maharlika Lions Club Christmas Party

WELCOME TO JAN-PRO Commercial Cleaning company

NEWS BACK HOME

Duterte welcomes LGBT group in Malacañang

MANILA—President Rodri-go Duterte welcomed the officers and members of the LGBT Pilipinas Inc. in Malacan ang on Tuesday for their first Lesbian Gay Bi-sexual Transgender (LGBT) Reception.

In his message, the Presi-dent expressed his support for the community, saying that everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or preference, has the right to be recognized by socie-ty.

He also emphasized that the dignity of all human beings must be protected.

Duterte also shared with the group that he recently signed the executive order institutionalizing the Diver-sity and Inclusion Program, creating an inter-agency committee on diversity and inclusion and for other pur-poses.

Last September, the presi-dent vowed to certify as urgent a law against dis-crimination much like the

city ordinance in Davao City.

Pending in the Senate is the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression (SOGIE) Equality bill, which was debated following the temporary detention of transgender woman, Gretchen Diez, who at-tempted to use a female toilet at a Quezon City mall last August.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, au-thor of the SOGIE Bill, has asserted that the bill re-mains the "best policy tool" to protect members of the LGBT community from dis-crimination.

On the other hand, Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III previously op-posed some provisions of the measure, saying it could lead to the end of re-ligious and academic free-doms.

The SOGIE Bill seeks to protect the LGBT commu-nity from hate crimes and prejudice. - ABS-CBN News

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte greets a member of the LGBT Pilipi-

nas, Inc. during the thanksgiving gathering he hosted at the Malaca-

ñan Palace on December 17 ,2019. KARL NORMAN ALONZO/

PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

An Open House and Christmas party for franchisees, staff and clients was hosted by Jan-Pro's president and CEO, Colin Bates (far right) at their Toronto head office at 1050 McNicoll Ave in Scarborough. Jan-Pro is a commercial cleaning franchise company that ensures value for your money where all owner operators and cleaning crews are trained to deliver high-quality janitorial services at all times. Your five-star JAN-PRO operations team are: Iesah Lawson, Claude Periera, Carlos Nino, Hendra Oey and Thea Bistoguey. WAVES PHOTO



Mon Torralba

MUSIC STAND

(Waves of our Lives)

www.pinoyradio.com

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Watch TV host

Joel Recla with his guests

Host: KUYA NESTOR

Sundays 8:30 pm - 9:00pm

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“True musicians can’t quit music, because you can’t quit who you are. And being a musician is

who you are, not just something you do.”

“Life doesn’t happen to you,

it happens for you”

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OPM PRIMETIME LIVE AT LEE’S PALACE

An event produced by Filipino TV that aims to showcase local Filipino-Canadian artists in promoting Original Pilipino Music.

with two and Laos has one gold.

Nguyen bagged her third best female athlete award after fishing out six golds and two silvers while another swimmer Zheng Wen cornered the best male athlete honor for also win-ning six golds and two silvers for Sin-gapore which ruled the swimming with 23 golds, 10 silvers and 4 bronz-es.

Filipino surfer Roger Casugay was giv-en “Fair Play Athlete” citation for res-cuing an Indonesian competitor, Arip Nurhidayat who broke his ankle leash and was swept by giant waves during the preliminaries.

Casugay, who eventually won the gold medal, earned praises from netizens as well as from no less than Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

President Rodrigo Duterte also met with Casugay and fellow local surfers in Malacan ang on Tuesday, according to the photos released by the Palace to the media on Wednesday.

The top local athletes lived up to ex-pectations with world gymnast cham-pion Carlos Yulo snatching two golds and five silvers while Olympian weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz pulled out a golden performance.

Tokyo Olympic-bound EJ Obiena joined the 31 athletes who came out with record-breaking performances as the son of former national athlete Em-erson won the pole vault gold.

James Deiparine awarded the Philip-pines its first gold medal in swimming in 10 years after ruling the 100-meter breaststroke in record fashion. Unfor-tunately, it was the only swimming gold for the host country.

Asian skateboarding gold medalist Margielyn Didal won not one but two golds. (PNA)


PH Record 149 Gold

Lift Spirit of the Nation

“OPM PRIMETIME” is one of the newest event poduction of Filipino TV that will highlight the talents and music of local Filipino-Canadian artists. This will be a quarterly event that will take place at the iconic entertain-ment and concert venue, Lee’s Palace. This venue is now a landmark for great bands and musicians holding full house live performances.

The concert hall is located at 529 Bloor Street West. The venue can ac-commodate over 500 guests. Big name musicians and bands have per-formed historical concerts in the place, such as Nirvana, Oasis, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and many more.

Filipino TV has decided to take the opportunity and provide full support to our local Filipino-Canadian artists by giving hem the chance to perform on stage of the famous Lee’s Palace. A number of local artists have been selected and are already lined up. The door price will cost $10 and will strictly only allow 19-year-olds and up to come inside. The collected Ticket sales will go directly to the artists as our way of giving back.

OPM PRIMETIME is set to start on January 18, 2020. Further details will be out soon.

Contact: Nathan de Peralta

[email protected] 120 Amber Street, Markham ON M9M 3B5

1 416 736-7577 x346

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

mailto:[email protected]



Happy Birthday

Dec 9: RILEY CASTRO Dec 4: Damian Mendoza

Christmas at Extendicare Rouge Valley

Lola Gloria is shown with Shawn, one of the caring staff of Extend-icare during the Christmas luncheon hosted by Lola.. WAVES PHOTO



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