Her guiding philosophy was her adherence to the thought of simply believing in herself no matter what other  people say.  This motivated her to act on her goals and she tenaciously stayed in the paths of practical choices which led her to the right direction.

Graduating as a nurse from Far Easter University and Sta. Rita were challenges she faced with bravado despite the discouraging realities of financial limitations at that time. She managed to rise above it and made it to her goal. It was not surprising for her intention was to better her life and help her siblings and her beloved mother.

She migrated to Canada in 1966 and worked as a nurse at Winnipeg General Hospital. It was in the Filipino community in Manitoba that she served as director of the Kayumanggi Filipino Association and she also became a member of the Kagumanggi  Dance Troupe. In 1968 she organized the first Miss Philippines- Manitoba to raise funds for the association.

Family life is the top of her list of priorities. She is married to Satish Kumar Vohra  from New Delhi India, who she met in Winnipeg , an electrical engineer by profession. They have two children Sanjib and Reena both professionals in their respective fields.

In 1970 she moved to Montreal and worked as assistant head nurse at the Jewish General Hospital. While working as a nurse she took post graduate courses in McGill University. Norma has always been fascinated with the dynamics of beauty pageants. Her early exposure to this was back home among her sisters and nieces. She had a natural flare for she was endowed with the stature and fashionable taste for what is essential to be a contender in activities such as beauty pageants.

It was not common knowledge among the Filipino community in Montreal   that she was one of the founding members of FCAWI and one of the organizers of Miss FCAWI. She also served as director of FAMAS and there she initiated the idea of organizing the Miss Philippines- Montreal as a fundraising activity. She helped out for the first few years in the process of the pageants. She became Mrs. Philippines- Montreal in 1997. In the same year her daughter Reena won the title Miss Philippines – Montreal and she eventually became the finalist in the Canadian Search for Miss Universe. She was the international director of the Bb. Pilipinas of the World in Toronto.

In 1998, she co-founded the first Miss Global Beauty Quest an international pageant in Montreal. 

In 2000, she accompanied Miss Global Canada as part of the Miss Millennium beauty pageant in Helsinki, Finland.  Her experienced as a international and local pageant organizer she  was named as the regional director for the Canadian Search for Miss Universe by T-era Productions.  She served as the official chaperone of Miss Canada in Puerto Rico during the 50^th anniversary of the Miss Universe pageant. She is often invited to be a judge various beauty pageants in Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver and New Jersey.

Now in her retirement years she generously gives her time to community work like being a member of Philippine Foundation of Quebec where she participates in fundraising activities.  She is still an active volunteer organizer and adviser with Miss Earth Canada and is always there as mentor and coach for aspiring candidates. In the year 2002 she was awarded one of the Most Outstanding Filipino Canadians in Toronto.

He was born in Tanawan Batangas and graduated in Samson Technical School in the Philippines.  Vic was a businessman in his early twenties. He owned a restaurant, a photo shop and videography studio in his province. It was his nature to dabble in many interesting ventures and his resourcefulness led him to many doors.

He migrated to Montreal in 1990 after he met and married his French Canadian wife Francine Dolbec. They raised a family and had three children. Life was focused on nurturing the needs of his family as well as the growing interest in his businesses. It was not an easy ride but the challenges were motivations for him and he expanded and made more opportunities for himself and for those people he met along his business and social circle.

Life made a three hundred and sixty degrees turn for Vic when he found himself in Mackensie Park alone, broke and homeless. He lost his business his family life and most of his friends. It was a long story that was played along the themes of trust, betrayal, envy, gossip and depression. The very people he trusted turned against him and he had nowhere to go but down. It was a time in his life where nothing mattered anymore, yet everything mattered if he desired to look for a better direction in life.

In those dark days, he found the answer. It was the voice within him that called him to turn to a greater power than himself. It was a time for deep reflection and repentance. He surrendered to that higher power. He became aware of his spiritual nature and the need to listen to that voice of wisdom inside him.

He was led to a new door of opportunity. His dark days became an epiphany for an invention. It was a technology, his line of profession and creativity.

He developed the idea of expanding the use of chargers. It is a diverse and multifunctional carrier that would solve the charging needs of cell phones, Bluetooth, Ipod, Blackberry, Iphone, MP3 and MP 4 , GPS and PSP.

Vic is back in orbit in his life as a businessman and inventor. He is committed to his awareness in God’s presence in his life. It is this presence that makes life more purposeful and meaningful for him. The way was opened to him when he was led to the ministry of Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy.  There was more clarity and direction in his life. He had a deeper sense of faith.

He claims with joy that his invention is funded by people who are angels sent to him by God. They are made of individuals who hardly know him and were networked through the energy of faith and trust. He believes life is all about our spiritual alliance with God.

The newspaper is now a year old and each month was interesting as we all faced the learning curve with eagerness and enthusiasm. We felt motivated in every issue that we successfully prepared and published. We felt the acceptance of the community that moved us towards a better perspective to serve the needs of our readership.

We aim to give more information that would stir the good feelings and deep sense of meaning in the lives of people. There is an abundance of stimuli and we often focus in negative information that promotes restlessness and depletes our energy.  We want to give positive feelings when people read our publication. It makes life more meaningful and hopeful.

We celebrated an anniversary that was focused on honoring the good qualities that are inherent in people. We presented individuals whose lives were lived in the spirit of perseverance, commitment, integrity, dedication, loyalty, compassion, benevolence, courage, humility, magnanimity and love.

We are honored by the presence of everyone.  It was a community gesture of unity and acceptance.

Thank you to our staff and volunteers.
We appreciate your effort, time and dynamic contributions.

Her life story revolves around service to humanity and dedication to her family. Family unity and solidarity are very important to her. Being the youngest of thirteen children of Marcelo Villanueva and Asuncion Tugade, she helped her sisters, nieces and extended families to come and work here in Canada. She is very generous and guides the young members of her family to develop their potentials and skills.

She graduated in 1977 with the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Education major in Physical Education and minor in Library Science from the National Teachers College, Manila, Philippines. After graduation, she was employed at the Lake Shore High School, Biñan, Laguna and Tondo High School, Manila.

As early as 1968, she was already involved in her barangay in the Philippines. She was president of Kabataang Barangay in San Juan, Metro Manila. She also organized the Santa Cruzan, the PABASA and Junior Legion of Mary in San Juan where she lived.

Life brought her to distant shores and that feeling of humanism and benevolence prevailed in all the paths she took. She arrived in Moncton, New Brunswick in August 1986 and after eight months she moved to Montreal, where she has lived for twenty-four years. She has always reached out  and assisted the less fortunate members of the Filipino community. She provided transportations to Filipino seniors, visiting Filipino dignitaries in Montreal and drove her kababayans to renew their passports to Ottawa. Her home is always open to stranded Filipinos, providing them food and shelter while in transition.

Besides helping others, her main focus is the interest of the youth. She organized different sports such as basketball, tennis and volleyball. She has also promoted young celebrities in Montreal. She is a fundraiser and sponsor.

Being the founder and first president of the Philbecan Association and Manileño Association, she organized Miss Philbecan, Miss Teen Philbecan, Little Miss Philbecan, Mrs. Manileño, Miss Teen Manileño, Little and Queen Manileño, Hataw Na and Sayawit. She was also a member of various organizations such as FFCAQ, FAMAS director, QACFT vice-president and director, PBSSQ, Filipino Caregivers Association, FILGA secretary and Philippine Folk Art Society Vice president for Culture. She organized garage sales for St. Kevin’s Church since year 1992 up to the present.

For her acts of kindness, benevolence and service to the Filipino community, she was recognized and awarded by the Binibining Pilipinas of the World in Toronto on September 2001 as one of the ten outstanding Filipino Canadians. She was also given awards of recognition and appreciation by the following Quebec Association of Canadian Filipino Teachers (QACFT), certificate of Appreciation award by Philippine Benevolent and Scholarship Society of Quebec (PBSSQ) and Philippine Folk Art Society of Quebec (PFASQ). Being a vice president for culture of Philippine Folk Arts Society in culture, she was given a certificate of appreciation by the society.

Being a graduate of Early Childhood Education from Vanier College, Montreal. She is the owner and founder of Villacanas Family Daycare I & II since 1993 to present. Awards and accolades are not the driving force behind the story of her life. It was a relentless energy to be of service to others. It was a feeling of compassion that brings tears in her eyes whenever she sees them in need. She has to act on it and make a difference.

Each day heroes were born and lives were saved giving the survivors a new life or a taste of death. The horrific experience made everyone value life and significantly realized that each breath meant seeing a new dawn or seeing a final end.

The survivors were waiting for food and medicine and help came from all corners of the globe. However, it was challenging to get to the people because of airport facilities and road blockages. It was human resourcefulness that played a major role to bringing the city back to the pulse of life. The locals took to the nearby villages and gathered fruits and vegetation. They started cooking their food and selling their produce. They rose from the ruins and moved on to a life born from a new day.

Funds have been pouring in from the donations all over the world and diverse ways of getting financial aid to rebuild the country were bustling from different continents and countries. Cleaning the city from its dust and rumbles were tasks that were benevolently executed by an international crew of humanitarians. Thousands of dead people were buried along the hilly lands, nameless, yet each one had a story, a life once lived.

Life’s constant is CHANGE…..

The people of Haiti are resilient. They move with total acceptance to what change is in their lives. It is well written in their history as a people. The filial feeling of family and their deep faith in God are the powerful pillars that shape them to rise from every fall. This natural disaster makes them more resourceful and stronger as a people.

The donation was given by the foundation members, Dr. Gene Santander,  Salve Deprez, Abel Deprez Caring Tabunar,  Dr. Ed Sideco, Norma Vohra, Sioney Nieva, Valent Hughs Loyd and Val Sotero.

Dr. Gene Santander who has been a loyal supporter of the mission and is very thankful for our Filipino Mission because according to her,  since 1981 she and Alvin Veloso were very concerned about the growth of our Filipino community and the need for our own parish priest and our own church.

Father Frank Alvarez invites everyone to visit the church and be part of the community where services are there for everyone. He is very grateful that the Philippine Foundation has started this initiative and hopes it will be an opportunity for the coming forward of other organizations and individuals.

Litto Lagasca president of Binibining Pilipinas of the world has been the vehicle of opportunity for young women all over Canada and USA in the yearly competition. It opened doors of growth and development as well as friendships for the many young women who have traveled to Toronto and joined in the competition. It led them to greater ventures for personal goals and aspirations.

Samnatha East , Binibining Pilipinas of the World  2006 won 1^st runner-up in the Mutya ng Pilipinas National Pageant in Manila, Last year Kesiah Papasin, Bininbining Pilipinas of the World 2007 competed in Manila for the Tourismo Pilipina pageant , and she garnered two special awards and was one of the semi-finalist. Eliza Estrada from Vancouver is a recording artist and a Juno nominee, Riza Santos from Calgary, runner up in the Teen category won Miss Earth Canada and represented Canada in Manila for the Miss Earth Pageant.

In Montreal, Philbecan is one of the organizations that contributed many years of benevolent projects for the development of the youth.

The organization   focused in their creative talents, self-expression and self-confidence. The founder Jayjay Villanueva and president Jason Mayuga are always ready to explore new ideas and projects for the betterment of our youth and children.

Manileño a young organization has the same objectives as the Philbecan and children at their formative years are given the chance to express their creative talents.

Events such as these are only a few examples where self-esteem and personal growth become fields of motivation for our youth today. Talents and potentials are harnessed and participation become a joyful experience for them. It gives them the feeling of confidence as competitors and helps them see their limitations and capabilities.

Leaders are vested with this power and privilege to effect and affect change with the choices taken at the crossroads of big decisions.  It is a task that ripples towards progress or decline, movement or inertia, growth or deterioration.

Communities prosper because leaders step up to manage with a vision towards progress and cooperation. Their vision is bigger than the  stumbling blocks of  fear for  the unknown and uncharted course.  They lead unshaken and undaunted by the cry of oppositions. As a matter of fact, these obstacles become stepping stones that bring them closer to their vision and purpose.

In our community, we are feeling that monumental shift of leadership in all places. They are found in circles where people convene and build friendships. The shift is a progressive trek towards what is uplifting for everyone.

It is also equally evident that the followers are individuals who also have  the right and the privilege to make choices. They are spurred towards the outcome of a choice. It is action taken that would make life easier or beneficial for them or a turn off the road to a riveting journey of consequences.

These are two realities that make us all responsible individuals making conscious and responsible choices in our lives. It is our right to exercise this opportunity every moment from the mundane to the  life changing direction. It is best to reflect on this thought when you go out there to elect political leaders, community leaders and collaborative partners and finally significant partners in business and in life.

After all, it is all about the outcome, the journey, the lesson, the pursuit, the vision, the mission …it is all about LIFE.

Keeton Clarke is running for City Councilor of Darlington, borough of Cote-des-Neiges/Notre-Dame-de-Grace under the banner of Vision Montreal.

Mr. Clarke has served for almost four years as president of Union Montreal’s cultural communities commission. He has been a member of LaSalle’s cultural development committee and the intercultural committee for the borough of Cote-des-Neiges/Notre-Dame-de-Grace.

His position as president of Conseil des associations Caraibes de Montreal was highlighted by his work for the socio-economic development of Montreal’s Carribean community. He has contributed great effort in the promotion of Montreal’s diversity.

UNION MONTREAL

Helen Fotopulos is running under the banner of Union Montreal for Cote-des-Neiges district for Tremblay-Applebaum team. She has been the mayor for two terms of Plateau-Mont-Royal, where she is valued for her devotion to the needs of her municipality. Her leadership and years of experience in the public office have been outstanding and laudable with the Plateau as the seat of the initiated participatory democracy of the people for projects for their concerns. The adoption of the Plateau’s urban transportation plan, which was the first plan for Montreal transportation. She also created a set of urban planning by-laws that moved to a controlling mechanism ensuring a consistent as well as harmonious development for its heritage status. She ran for councilor in 1978 in the Cote-des-Neiges area and became the campaign organizer for Abe Limonchik. She has great projects and plans for Cote-des-Neiges and specially the projects for women.

PARTI MONTREAL VILLE-MARIE

Francine Brodeur is running for the position of City Councilor under Equipe Loiuse O’Sullivan Parti Ville-Marie in the district of Darlington, borough of Cote-des-Neiges/Notre DAme de Grace.

Her platform is focused on a newapproach to municipal governance which means responsible actions that is chosen not after the effect of accidents before intervening, but actions taken to avoid unnecessary accidents due to irresponsibility.

MARLON QUINTOS

Has been a member of the Filipino community and was the accountant for FAMAS in 1992. He was also with the PBAM in 1990. Presently he is a Financial Consultant. His platform is focused in the living environmental conditions in the borough that he aspires to serve.

He is running as councilor for the Darlington district.

ALEX ROBLES

Mr. Robles has been a resident of Montreal for 18 years and has been an adviser for the Tagalog Association in Montreal. He is always a supporter for various events in the community.

His platform is to give opportunities for the district and borough, he aims to serve a chance to hear the potential leadership qualities from the Filipino community. That visibility is a good chance to share views in improving the needs of  the borough and district.

Raindrops made its melodious patters on the rooftops and vehicles took their positions in the crowded streets blending with voices of people and sounds of life.

But the downpour made an eerie activity from the heavens, it was relentless. It progressed to days of torrential rains that left everyone unprepared for the deluge that took the major part of metropolis and the adjoining areas inundated. It became a river of floating vehicles, humans traversing the rushing waters in all directions, rooftops of diverse materials from shanties to elaborate designs but they were roofs that housed families from the poor to those who were rich.

Typhoon Ondoy, tropical storm Ketsana, raged in with a fury that left the affected areas in Manila and its environs homeless and stranded in all corners of the land.

The downpour lasted for hours, but the misery will last many, many days. There were so  many  who perished ,  so many stranded, so many have lost so much, and so many, even if safe, are consumed by worry and fear for loved ones or the frustration that comes from wanting to help, but not knowing how.

There   are many heroic stories of people who rose to the call of saving lives and lost theirs in this colossal calamity.  The global community responded with compassion and concern. It is nature reminding us, that human activity and indifference can make an ordinary day, a day to remember and a day we realize that to be alive means to value life.

The purpose of the visit is to acquaint Ambassador Jose Brillantes of the new administration’s platform and objectives. The new leadership took in responsibilities to be the harbingers of change in the current shift in the global movement of leadership, progress, human growth and expansion.

The courtesy call under scored the clear intentions of the providential winning team Mabuhay, to step up and roll their leadership sleeves and extend their years of experiences in community service, thus effecting the needed changein attitude, energy and values.

President Aurora Osdon reckoned to the call of leading because she has been a dedicated member of the Filipino communityin the church, civic and social circles where she made marked progress in those years of noted commitment. Her desire is to usher in support and clarity of intentions for the objectives of FAMAS for the betterment of the community it serves.

Gene Santander whose professional career and community service scored to many years in her life in Montreal extended her leadership hand and decided to take that extra mile and help build a more united and purposeful community.

Debbie Resurrecion grew up in the extended nurturing care of Filipino circles and groups because her mother Emma is a devoted and dedicated member the community. Those growing years molded a strong, progressive and zesty spirit in her, directing her back on a full circle when she responded to the duty of service.

Shinette Khoury has always been a benevolent benefactor and support in all Filipino endeavors where she chose to assist. Her participation has been evident and more constant as she realized that she could do more by being an integral part of its purpose. Thus she dove into the waters of leadership and made her stand.

Gina Medina is a progressive leader whose involvement were evident in the groups of youth, children and average workers. She has that deep seate dconcern for the daily challenges in their lives and her visibility has earned her friendships that encouraged her to give her utmost in the service of the oldest organization in the Filipino community.

Ex-officio Flor Rillo marked his leadership with thehumulity of a leader, who is always more of a listener and who allows the voices of others to be heard and dignified. His open mindedness is a quality that makes growth and progress a welcome possibility.

The day was spent with the hospitality and deep bonding of leaders and a solid gesture of collaboration and cooperation with Ambassador Jose Brillantes. It was a journey taken with sound spiritual intentions in a world and time of transitory values and challenging aspirations. The trip was well worth the rugged routes the leaders traversed on the way up the leaders of FAMAS.

            Anyone can follow a path but we all know that people with leadership blaze one. Leadership can also be defined as being able to motivate and inspire others. In this way, leadership doesn’t necessarily have to come from the executive level. It is something that encourages a new direction for a group and that can come from anyone.

            Family life have leaders – they are our parents who take responsibility for growth and development as individuals with a life of purpose and meaning. Siblings have leaders that are normally vested in the eldest of the family but it can be taken over by someone whose power to stir in action becomes the chosen command.

            Nations, governments, schools, churches, organizations etc. are spawning environments for leadership.

           But it takes someone to lead, guide, conduct, steer and usher in the vision, mission, ideas, concepts, direction and destinies that mark the histories and lives of the human community and the living beings in this universe we all inhabit.

            That someone has that power and the unwavering desire to make that change and move that force and turn that energy towards a vision and mission that blazes all paths.

            The call for leadership is born in the times of urgency, in the occasion of decision making, in the advent of choice and at the edge of movement or inertia. It is determined in the depths of intentions and change.

            Corazon Cojuangco Aquino, a plain housewife and the widow of Senator Benigno Aquino the assassinated political opponent of Ferdinand Marcos   responded to the call of leadership when she became the 11^th president and the first female President of the Philippines and Asia. It was a calling that she heeded behind the peaceful movement of the People Power Revolution of February 22 to 25 1986. It was the day Ferdinand Marcos conceded and his 20 year dictatorial regime ended.

            She was a world renowned advocate of democracy, peace, women empowerment and religious piety.  Her leadership was defined with her strong faith and trust in God that she overcame several coup attempts from her opponents.

            Former President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino passed way passed away at the age of 76 last August 1, 2009. Her life mission will be recorded in the pages of our Philippine history and World history as the first woman president in Asia who rose with power and wings within the confines and sanctuary of her home to stand alone on the open arena of a shifting world order. Her leadership has blazed a historical path.

            We will wear the colors of yellow in the forms of ribbons, shirts and dresses   as memorabilia of loving remembrance of her.  

Who is Doctor Jesus P. Pelausa ?

Did anyone of you enjoy his company and shared a table with him in one or several Filipino community events and listened to his countless stories woven in cerebral fluidity and bravado?mWere you invited to his home and broke bread with his loving family and felt their unique Pelausa hospitality?

Allow me to be your storyteller and indulge me with your time as I take you into the world of a man whose life is as interesting as the chapters in the book of Philippine history. The Philippines and World War II, the infamous DEATH MARCH, a day in the  lives of countless innocent Filipinos weakened by hunger , fatigue and sickness fighting for freedom with a spirit unbroken and alive with faith in their hearts  walked the parched roads after the Fall of Bataan when General Edward P. King surrendered leaving the 66,000 helpless Filipinos in the hands of the Japanese.

The infamous DEATH MARCH started from Mariveles Bataan to Capas Tarlac , a five days and six nights  march  where most of the prisoners met their end on the waysides.  Many more would have died but the compassion of  townfolks  who witnessed the suffering risked their lives and provided food, fruits and water.

Jesus Pelausa was among the prisoners. He was   emaciated and gaunt   his energy enlivened only by his alert mind and firm faith in God’s power and miracle. He walked like a warrior and inched his way with the sharp sense of survival. Every step meant life or death for everyone but Jesus had more to expect it was his belief in miracles and their realities.

A bottle of cod liver oil manifested a few steps before him and he reached out for it.  Every day he took a teaspoon and shared it with his companions.  Eight of them survived with that elixir along the bloody trodden paths.

The summer heat was becoming unbearable and more fell to their deaths like flies on volcanic ground. Jesus moved on his eyes alert like an eagle surveying distance and ground. He noticed a vine close to the road. He made his way towards the path of vines and pulled it with his dwindling strength.  His miracle has called him once more. It was a bundle of ‘singkamas’ a summer fruit luscious with water content. He shared it once more with his companions.

In the town of Carmen Pangasinan , the prisoners were met by the populace who darted towards them with packed food of hard boiled eggs, adobo and water. Jesus partook of the fare with gratitude and concern over his fellow prisoners.

In San Fernando the cadaverous and listless prisoners   were all pushed inside boxcars for the Concentration camp at Camp O’ Donnell, Capas, Tarlac. Inside the packed boxcar Jesus gasped for breath and kept himself alive by lying facedown on a cracked floor of the train taking in air to be alive.

Jesus made it to Camp O’ Donnell where he cured himself of dysentery by drinking the tea water from boiled guava leaves which they harvested every day from the vast land in the area. At night, malaria took him to a bout of fever and chills.

But life was bigger than the shadow of death for Jesus. He was prompted to act with a sense of vision, resourcefulness and alertness. His release out of the concentration camp was directed by his devotion to a life written from a person’s sense of worth and purpose. Thus life in return guided him to the right direction. After all he firmly believed that GOD always provides for his people.

We all have stories to tell and all of them are meaningful for why we are all here. Jesus wrote his story with a sense of defined purpose well taken every step of the way towards the bigger chapters of his life. The defining moments of his life were companioning chapters   in  Philippine History .  Dr. Jesus P. Pelausa MD, FACA, CSPQ (Anaesthesioloy ) retired , was a teacher and a soldier and  lived it in outstanding levels.

As your storyteller, I was there listening to Dr. Jesus P. Pelausa, the storyteller of his life his alert mind weaving every sentence with clarity and enthusiasm for the choices he made along the milestones of his life.
His wife Natalie a retired high school teacher and well respected community leader was right beside him in the dining table paraphrasing my questions to her husband when he failed to hear me.
Ermelinda their daughter a medical doctor in Paediatrics –Neonatology would remind him of a time in his life when events were succinct but hazy to Dr. Jesus Pelausa when I posed a question.
Ermelinda was on her way to visit Edilberto her brother who is a MD, FRCS-ENT Surgeon and MC in Otolaryngoloy in Suffolk Virginia, the day I came by to conduct this newspaper interview.
The Pelausa family is a traditional Filipino family whose community spirit is felt with a warmth of hospitality and deep faith in God and his loving protection.
I closed my journal and as a final question I asked the couple a candid question.
“What is your favorite song?
“Love Story “, Dr. Pelausa uttered in a dash.
“It is Sunrise Sunset. Natalie chimed in with certainty.
And as my romantic mind concluded: This is a couple with a love story that is lived from sunrise to sunset.

Father John Michael Lyng the parish priest at the St. Kevin’s church  is of Irish descent. His last name is a homonym of a Chinese last name. His   mother’s last name Larocque   is very French yet his mother did not speak a word of French.  She was born and raised in Perk, Ontario. His father was a school principal an educator. He is the youngest in the family of four brothers and one sister. He grew up in the Villeray district in Montreal.

He has celebrated 37 years as a priest and will be turning 65 years old on September 17, 2009. He moved to the St. Kevin parish community five years ago and enjoys his spiritual   service  and ministering with a joyful attitude.

Q and A

EB: What can you say about your Filipino parishioners?

Fr. Lyng: It is very interesting to know the Filipinos who make up a big percentage of our parishioners. I found it challenging at first to understand them because their English was a combination of two languages which I finally understand now. They spoke Tag-lish a combination of English and Tagalog.

EB: How would you define a Filipino?

Fr. Lyng: The Filipinos look alike that was how I saw them in the beginning.

EB: And how do you see them now?

Fr. Lyng: Now I can say that they are very different from in each other.

EB: In what distinct ways are they different?

Fr. Lyng: Language or the regions, educational,   and cultural backgrounds are so unique. Because when I share a certain dynamics with someone from a different region and orientation I encounter a different reaction from another person from another regional orientation. What is good to one is not actually good to the other.

EB: How did you manage to understand the differences?

Fr. Lyng: With the Filipino community it is a learning experience with them. I had a chance to visit the Philippines and had the opportunity to understand the values and way of life over there. Now I can see and understand the way they live here.

EB: In what specific ways?

Fr. Lyng: I saw how closely knitted families can live with parents, grandparents, children and relations under one roof. Now I can see how Filipinas can live together in a small apartment and accept the limitations.

EB: What Filipino qualities to your mind are admirable?

Fr. Lyng: The Filipinos are hard working and industrious people. They work in two or three jobs and help their family. They are very hospitable. This is a funny experience I had in the Philippines. I visited a woman in a province and she was very kind and humble. I  was surprise to see a chicken walking around and finally it decided to join me on the table. I never saw one like that….I see chicken frozen packed in the super market.

EB: What are your insights about the Filipino in terms of its personal weakness?

Fr. Lyng: They have a strong sense of guilt and shame. They often need to explain themselves.  They also give too much attention to ‘gossip‘ among each other.

EB: As a people what can you say?

Fr. Lyng: They have strong family ties, very gentle, hospitable and hard working.

EB: You are soon celebrating your 65 th b-day what can you say about that in terms of your vocation.

Fr. Lyng: Being in this parish has given me the opportunity to have a renewal of my priesthood.  I am grateful to serve the community of new immigrants and learn from them. It is a feeling of gratitude.
Father John Michael Lyng is ministering across cultures with a sense of renewal and an open mind. A heart that is open  to understand different people from all walks of orientation, language, culture, attitude and values. Whose diversity is bonded in the crux of the spirit of love and  compassion.

We were introduced in the world of reading at an early age of our development and it stays with us in different forms throughout our life.

School is where our acquaintance with books and learning begin. Books become our companion a form of solace as well as a pathway towards knowledge, and our quest for meaning and purpose as human beings.

It is important that we develop the right reading habit from childhood. That is the reason why bedtime stories are memorable experiences for our children.  It is a world of language and colorful tools that make the world of imagination fertile and expansive. It allows the mind to soar to a world of ideas and shared realities that makes creation a manifested presence.

Make it a point to encourage your children to read and parents have to be participating guides to them.

Here are a few tips that can help you achieve this goal:
○ make it a habit to read to your child everyday, whether she is  one year old or twelve.
○ take turns in reading chapters
○ take a trip to your library and get your child a library card.
○ be sensitive and aware of your child’s interest and encourage her/ him.
○ provide the area at home where it is cozy and where lighting is excellent for that activity.
○ discuss the book with them
○ talk to your child’s teacher and get suggestions from her.
○ If your child is reluctant to read get books with simple vocabulary but interesting content.
○ appreciate their effort and be part of their creative flow.

Reading is a dynamic activity that keeps the mind nourished and healthy.

From May 1^st to June 6, 2009 the city of Montreal was wrapped around the colors of spring and the energy of the Festival Acces Asie‘s  celebration of Asian Heritage month. The Festival was a response to a need for a visibility of Asian presence in the Quebec cultural milieu.  The Asian Heritage Month was officially declared by the City of Montreal in May 2004.

Janet Lumb a dynamic and effervescent personality is the director and the driving force behind Acces Asie.

 The roots of the organization goes way back to 14 years ago when Beranrd Nguyen started a festival promoting artist of Asian decent. He met Janet and a shared vision was conceived. The journey continued with Janet’s leadership and her total admirable loyalty to its goals.  That in   2002 she was awarded the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award for her dedication to the community through the festival.

 The vision of Acces Asie are to provide an environment conducive to the promotion of the history, culture and art of Canadians of Asian origin and to facilitate the expression of the diversity and exchange of   culture richness towards the mainstream of Canadian society.

This year’s May festival pays tribute to the Tibetan community with events that showcased the rich culture in exile. The program and presentations through photographs, songs, music, dance, culinary arts, documentary films and lectures became a gateway to this nation’s diverse culture.

The festival VIVA CONFUSION , a unique stage presentation and a documentary film featuring world renowned Indian actor and psychiatrist Dr. Mohan Agashe, sought out remedies to a certain affliction called’ cultural confusion ‘.  Cecil Cristobal a Filipina Canadian actress shared the stage with Dr. Mohan Agashe with her laudable acting abilities.

Festival Acces Asie office staff members: Khosro Barahmandi a genial  visual artist is the general manager, Emile Hudon , coordinator and Malorie Hubert assistant media relations will welcome you all in their cozy office were the spirit of cultural diversity warms the place for everyone.

By: Elenita Belgica 

           The word community can be very misleading if we define it as a location or a distinct space in our geography. But it is more succinct when we describe it as a group of people sharing common goals and sentiments.

           At the very core, a community is a breathing organism populated by people who seek each other out for the sole purpose of working together towards a common mission.

          The beauty of community bonding is that most of the members get together because of a shared interest emanating from the community’s objectives. But they are totally different from each other. That is where both the challenge and beauty of community building come to play.

          The diversity of interest, values, origins, background and points of views are fertile grounds where communication and expansive thinking can be explored. They are the dynamic process where great action are undertaken through the open exchange of thoughts and ideas. These are the colorful fabric that are tightly woven into a massive tapestry of human development and evolution.

           The challenges and learning curves within the growing pains of community life are marked by dialogues, disputes, factions, inertia and impulsive actions. They are also necessary in clearing and pasturing of paths towards the pursuit of its objectives.

            When we are building communities we must not lose sight of our common objectives for they are the very reasons why we are together. Personal differences are manifestations of our diversity as a people. After all a sense of community is conceived in the womb of diversity.

 By: Elenita Belgica

Father Francisco Alvarez PME (Father’s of Foreign Mission of Quebec) is the parish priest and chairman of the Filipino Catholic Mission of Montreal on St. Laurent Blvd. He was born in Baybay, Leyte and grew up in Davao City where his vocation as a priest came with a distinct calling as early as his first communion rites in his childhood. It was like a flowing chapter in a well written and edited book for Providence had provided specific religious personalities along his path, paving the way to his vocation like the smooth and placid summer waves in tranquil waters.

He was installed in the church in Montreal last September 8, 1996 after his reflection led him to a decision to leave his post in Hong Kong in favor of Montreal. His leadership in a growing mobile parish at Notre- Dame de Neiges that moved on to St. Denis were marked with a quest to venture into securing a church for the Filipino community. It was a desire shared with enthusiasm by the parishioners who devoted time, effort, skills and talents in the formation and stability of a growing Filipino church community with Father Alvarez.  

The process of that project did not come as a paved road in a rose garden. In the contrary, it came with thorns that challenged the way towards the fragrance of the aspired rose garden. However, the vision was clear from a distance and with guided negotiation, calculated risk, fundraising activities and prayers, the church became a reality.

To write about the details would be mote and academic for the purpose of my visit with Father Alvarez and to pay my due respect to our Filipino church in a borough away from the center where majority of Filipinos reside. I felt so flawed to be one of those few who made tons of excuses to attend my Sunday masses there using as a trite reason “it is too far”. It dwarfed me when I realized that most of the Filipino church goers where from the West Island and other boroughs in Montreal. 

The Filipino Catholic Mission of Montreal and the church in St. Laurent Blvd. is a gift to us Filipinos. Why do we call it a gift? Because there are only three churches that were given to us Filipinos to own abroad. The first one is in Rome and the second in Texas and the third one is in Montreal. It is our home, a haven where we are invited to enjoy the rites and rituals with no parishioner limitation or guidelines. Many of us have our parishes and that is excellent. But it would be a joy to visit our very own church and bond with others in a tradition of unity and community.

What struck me with awe and admiration was the “bayanihan” spirit that defines us and distinctly separates us from other cultures; a quality that springs from the heart of selfless and loving groups of people. The Filipinos in the Filipino Mission gave their all to fix, move, renovate, decorate and prepare the church for everyone. It has become a haven where hearts meet, spirits bond and people hold hands in prayer and loving communion.

The gift is there for all of us; Let us enjoy it, embrace it and make time to join each other.  

The birth of a new newspaper is a positive sign of growth and change. It ushers in the awareness that needs are expected to be met, and purpose a resolute vehicle towards progress and process in human growth and societal evolution.

The world has shifted to a new pace and rhythm. We have to march to the beat of that calling to make a change in our values. New directions have to be plotted for life to have new meaning and depth.

Montreal Pinoy Post is a visionary spark to make a difference in the lives of people from the vantage point of print media. Our objectives is a troika: inform, educate, and entertain.

The newspaper’s sections or categories are doors that open wide to new ideas, thoughts, dynamic actions and movements lived in the daily flow of life. It gives everyone an opportunity to feel empowered by what they have shared or what they have learned or gained from the contents.

It wants the readers to have an easy read, a lightness of feeling as they peruse through the pages. Each section becomes a feel good moment. When you put the paper down, you are charged by action towards what inspired you to change or to foster new thoughts towards positive resolutions. But what matters is you laugh at the humor of life.

The newspaper is an ongoing invitation to link and network in a global community where contributors come from diverse cultures, and different parts of the world. It affords everyone the opportunity for expression and identification. We have young and mature writers with dynamic ideas they wish to share .

The birth of Montreal Pinoy Post, your new paper on the block is an occasion that merits a celebration. Birth is new life and growth.

My trip to the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa in the month of February was to inform Ambassador Brillantes of the publication of a new independent Filipino newspaper in Montreal. It was also an opportunity for us to hear his views and thoughts about pertinent issues in this era of change and movement.

Our first interesting topic was the impact of President Barack Obama in the lives of Americans and the global community as a whole. “The world has changed and we must change with it,” a political byword or cliché, as the Ambassador called it, was a line that President Obama utilized throughout his campaign. This  byword  took a life of its own in the minds of the Americans and the world. What was remarkable,   he said,  was that President Obama acted and moved with  awareness   effecting  change in a short span of time since his inauguration.

His first foreign trip was to visit Canada.  It was a gesture of appreciation to a next door neighbor that  shared singular views in the process of global growth and expansion. It was evident that President Obama gave Prime Minister Harper assurance that they both would agree to see issues from the vantage points of harmony and respect.

The Ambassador was moved by the stimulus package which   President Obama signed as  a  bill on Feb. 17, 2009, and with it,  the “Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation” a.k.a. lump sum payment worth $198 million. That was a distinct indication of  President Obama’s sentiments towards people who are less fortunate or who have been diminished in the rising tide of materialism .

I wanted to know how the economic situation globally would affect our skilled migrant workers and caregivers. It was encouraging to know that despite layoffs from various companies,  our Filipino workers continue to enter  Canada  in big statistical records . They have been recorded as the top of the list in the influx of immigration numbers over Chinese and Indians.

The Ambassador supported that information by stating  the presence  of  five  new Labor officers from  the Philippines here in Canada. Their task is  specifically assigned to handle those papers.

As a final topic we were informed that the ‘ Consular Outreach to Montreal ‘ February 28 at the Famas Philippine Center , 4708 Van Horne will be ready to serve the community for the now machine readable passports.
Other services such as notarial and legal papers, Balikbayan stamp services, passport amendments, travel documents , dual citizenship, report of death, birth, marriage, visa , and  mortuary certificate application  will be given to the community on that day or subsequent schedules within the year.

In closing the Ambassador’s  encouraging words in reference to Montreal  Pinoy Post , the new Filipino publication were as follows: ‘ If there is a need to be met , a vacuum to be filled or a purpose to be achieved,  then these are things to be considered in the publication of a new newspaper.’