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.

First of all, let us ask ourselves. Where does the very root of all our problems lie? I am not a political analyst but it does not take an analyst to decipher where the root of our maladies lie. It is deeply drenched in filthy souls of the leaders of our so-called democratic government. Many a night I ponder and wonder, why can’t our society be like those small countries in Europe? So solemn, so free of crime, peacefully co-existing with each other. If my knowledge of current news proves me right, those countries are so crime-free that we can even reckon that they don’t exist anymore, kind of like a haven.

The catch is this, aren’t their governments the same like ours? They’re not communists, they’re not socialists. They are people led by their fellow people. Indeed in those countries, Abraham Lincoln’s immortal line proves to be true; the government is of the people, by the people, for the people.

But again, the question. Why are we like this? Is it because our country is marred by poverty, by desperation? Yes, without a doubt. But then again, history has taught us that nations rise and fall, empires surge and plunge. A number of nations have sunk and rose in the past century alone… And in all those cases, the leaders of both the glorious and the damned nations played the most significant part.

Leaders, yes, leaders. What do we look for in our leaders? The first quality the everyman looks for in a leader is intelligence and the ability to govern. Next is intelligence. But keenly pondering, virtually all politicians have those qualities, except of course for a few dumb ones who rely on their charisma only. Shame on them.

Yet there are some qualities which are always overlooked when people are made to choose amongst the aspiring leaders. Boldness, the resistance to temptation, and the might to crush all unruly opposition.

And that one quality we always, always, always fail to take into consideration – morality.

Law is extracted from ethics and ethics, from morals.

Definitely we do not want a leader who is morally upright but is weak, and the same goes for a leader who is bold but heartless.

But when will we have the leader who is brave, morally upright, and not to be subject to temptation brought about by the magnitude of power?

Ah, that remains to be seen, if it is still to be seen. And if our sheer hunch is to be listened to, morality is a forgotten word among most of our leaders.

I am strongly convinced that the few years after next year’s election shall determine the fate of our country.

I think that the leader who will deliver us from doom shall be born after a revolution. Regardless of the kind of revolution.

We have grown sick and tired of EDSA. It would be more effective, methinks, if an uprising reminiscent of the Bolshevik one would occur. I am not an activist. These are just the things running through my mind right now brought about by the culmination of the countless chaos haunting our poor country.

We need a revolution.

Dear Ate V.,
           I have a friend who seems to have trouble expressing their feelings. When we are out friends it often puts a damper on our activities. How do we show that we care and not “rain on the parade”?
          First and foremost, understand your friend. Analyze the situation before approaching them: How long have you noticed this kind of behaviour? Do you notice this every time you are out together or on occasions? Can you find a pattern in their behaviour? Some people have trouble expressing their feelings because they are unsure how their friends might react to them; self conscious of how the expression of their feelings could affect the people involved. Your friend might even be intimidated to be open about their feelings. The obvious way to get them to be open is to simply ask them the “What’s wrong ?” question. But, before you do so, think back and see if maybe you have done something wrong to your friend that might have caused them to behave this way. Maybe they are trying to relay a message but not sure how to do it because they are afraid to hurt someone. They might think you don’t notice that something is wrong. And be sure to approach them in a non-condescending fashion. But also, do not under estimate your friend. He or she may know you are on to them. Either way, be prepared to hear what they have to say – it could involve you. Be understanding as much as possible, especially if you are familiar with their personality and how sensitive they may be.

When you have a plan to go to the Philippines or just about anywhere else during the Holiday season such as December, it is advisable to book early so that you will have a choice of the dates you wish to travel, both outgoing and returning. A lot of people will make reservations during January & February 2010 for next years holiday season, and even if the fares are somewhat high during this peak season of travel, by the end of March you will find seats are scarce on the dates you wish to travel.  Another peak season is June, July, and August – which is the time that families can travel, as children are on their summer vacation from school. The impossible can usually be done right away, but miracles may take a little while longer. Try not to get caught in the situation where you are asking your travel agent on December 1^st to find seats for Dec 19^th or 20^th – which this year will be the busiest dates of the year for the airline carriers.

Reserving in advance has its good points and bad points, as with most things in life. Booking in advance can get you the dates and flights of your choice, with as little as a 25% down payment of the airline fare. The balance can be paid either within 30 days at no additional charge, or over the next months on a payment plan, and with a reducing balance and interest rate that is only approx half of the usual credit card rates, the finance therefore does not become a major factor in your purchase.  Should you find it necessary to cancel your plans however, you will loose the 25% deposit that you have paid towards your ticket. If you do not need to cancel entirely, but wish to change the travel dates at a later time, there will be a change penalty – so while it is wise on the one hand to book in advance and secure your reservations, do not do this unless you are certain that you will be able to make your trip on the dates chosen, or regretfully, penalties will apply.

At any time during the year that you have purchased a ticket, you can make changes by paying the applicable penalty. In most cases, this is a relatively minor but annoying administration fee charged for the cancellation and re-issue of new tickets, and the work involved arranging and obtaining them. However, there are times that these change fees can be a little more costly.  If you have purchased a “Seat Sale” ticket, for example, and now you wish to change your date to a time outside of the designated seat sale dates of travel – you will be faced with not only the change fee, but in addition the increase in the fare between the seat sale price versus the regular price. This can start to be a significant difference.  The same applies on regular fare price tickets, where the “season” changes as a result of your new travel date.  In this case again, there will be change penalties, plus the amount of the fare increase relative to the season change. Again, it is always advisable to be quite certain you will be able to accomplish your original travel plans when making an airline ticket purchase – but should you require changes either on the departure or return, they can be arranged either through your agent, or through the airline directly, but always be aware that change penalties will apply and can be a simple administration fee, or up to a significant change in the airfare.

Another way to proceed, especially if you are not sure of or not fixed on your dates, is to make your trip plan with a more flexible date range for travel – and start making regular monthly payments in advance of the travel.  Your money is safe because as we have advised you in previous columns, a licensed travel agent must keep your money in a bonded Trust Account, where legally it remains your property until such time as you have received your airline or other travel documents. Then, you can keep your eye on the number of seats available on the dates you wish to travel, and then make your purchase when the seats available becomes a little too close to you’re your comfort zone. In the meantime, your payments are accumulating, and before you know it you will have at least the 25% deposit required when you decide to purchase, and maybe even 50% or 75% towards the total amount leaving only a reasonable balance to clear.  We can tell you that this procedure of “Pay Now – Fly Later” is considerably less expensive than “Fly Now – Pay Later” – which is available, but an expensive procedure which should only be used in the case of an absolute emergency.
Happy Holidays

          Dieu a tant aimé le monde qu’il a donné son Fils unique; sûrs de son amour, présentons-lui nos prières. Aujourd’hui, un enfant nous est né, que l’Église ne cesse d’en proclamer la Bonne Nouvelle à tous les hommes.  Aujourd’hui, le Verbe s’est fait chair, que la paix qu’il apporte touche les victimes de la guerre et de l’oppression, des femmes maltraitées et des démunis. Aujourd’hui nous est né un  Sauveur, que la joie du salut illumine toutes les familles de la terre.
          Aujourd’hui, la vie s’est manifestée, que la joie de savoir que Dieu est avec nous fasse de notre communauté un foyer de vie. Aujourd’hui prions en particulier à tous les membres de  nos familles aux Philippines, que l’on soit un jour réunis ensemble .
          Dieu qui , en Jésus, est venu sauver tous les hommes, écoute nos prières et donne-nous la joie d’être exaucés. Amen

Joyeux Noël avec tous ainsi qu’à vos familles.
Feliz Navidad
Maligayang  Pasko

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.

Jayjay Villanueva
Publisher/Owner        

Before cashing out our savings, make sure you know what you’re buying because there is always the rule of thumb when you purchase items especially electronic products. “You get for what you pay”

The facts are:
- HD television set prices are going down;
- HD television are expensive to repair;

Here are some important specification to look for:

Resolution: Almost all sets 40 inches or larger have 1080p resolution, which is 1920 by 1080 pixels. The 1080p resolution will give you the maximum detail available for almost all HD content. For some smaller HDTV sizes, 1366 by 768 pixels is often a lower-cost choice. A 720p set has to scale 1080p images down to match its native resolution, and this interpolation may introduce imaging artifacts and the image may not appear quite as sharp or have the depth of the picture on a 1080p set.

While 720p models are available in many sizes as a lower-cost option, they remain prevalent in the 40-inches-or-smaller category. All else being equal, I recommend that you pick a 1080p model, which will better match much of the content you can now get from broadcast, streaming, and satellite services, and will match the native resolution of a Blu-ray Disc player.

Contrast: This spec refers to the difference between the darkest images and the lightest images that a screen can produce; in general, it is determined by how dark the blacks are. Contrast is probably the most important factor in determining image quality after resolution. If the blacks are gray and the contrast is lower, the whole image can look washed out. If the blacks are deep and strong, however, the image will look sharper and the colors will pop.

Example are smaller LCDs which has a contrast ration of 800:1 will not match the one with 8000:1 ratio.

Unfortunately, manufacturers' methods for measuring and specifying contrast are almost useless for helping you predict how the screen will look. Manufacturers use full-screen measurements, all black and all white, in a darkened room. An all-black or all-white screen is not what people watch, and in computer terms it conveys precisely zero bits of information. When you have actual content on the screen, you get internal reflections, ambient lighting effects, and other optical crosstalk that results in the light from one section of an image affecting the light levels of another.

Video connections: You have to get the image from your disc player or set-top box into the TV set, and to do so you need to use a video connection. Only three connectors (HDMI, component video, and VGA) can deliver

HD-resolution images, and of those, only HDMI is capable of providing full 1080p HD over an HDCP-protected connection.

HDMI: This is a digital connection, so it delivers the image data exactly as the player or set-top box sends it. HDMI can also carry sound (eliminating the need for extra cables) and it may let you control more than one device with a single click of the remote. The newest version of HDMI is 1.4, which adds more features such as the ability to carry a network connection, but it is not yet available on many devices. HDMI is definitely the connection of choice, as it gives you the most accurate transfer of the image data, and it also supports the HDCP copy-protection features that can help guarantee that you get the best-quality image from your source. One note: Making HDMI cables doesn't involve a lot of magic; a $12 cable bought on the Internet is likely to perform just as well as a $120 cable purchased in some stores. Try a cheap cable first, and if it works, you're done. If it doesn't, you can then try a more expensive cable to see if it solves the problem.

Component video: This connection relies on three separate RCA connectors, marked red, green, and blue. An analog connection, it can handle 1080p signals, but it cannot carry the HDCP copy-protection signal required for some devices. In theory, it may not be as good as a digital connection (especially over a long distance) but you're not likely to notice the difference.

S-Video: This is a round DIN connector that offers slightly better quality than composite video connections do.

Composite video: This is a single RCA plug, typically yellow. Cables with this plug often also have the standard red and white RCA plugs for stereo audio channels.

How many connections do you need? Most HDTVs today offer at least three HDMI connectors, while many provide four, and some have even more. Get as many HDMI connections as you can; doing so will allow you the most flexibility in attaching devices. For instance, you'll probably want to connect a set-top DVR, a Blu-ray player, a camcorder, or other gadgets. If possible, use HDMI for your high-definition connections, and try to buy an HDTV that has one more connector than you currently need, to allow for the future expansion of your home entertainment system.

If you have too few HDMI ports on your set, you can always add a switch that will multiply how many devices you can connect to a single input on your HDTV; It cost around $99 dollars but this device adds a level of complexity and one more remote control to track.

So there you go, a lot of specifications to know but it is worth it.

Christmas in our country is characterized as being one of the longest and the merriest. It’s very well known for having sleepless nights and continuous celebrations.  Because there are many Catholics, it’s probably even the most important holiday since it celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas begins at around December 16 in which Filipinos attend early morning masses and it ends on the first Sunday of January (Feast of The Three Kings).

After the last mass of Simbang Gabi which is on midnight on December 24, Filipino families prepare for Noche Buena (a Christmas Eve feast). The Noche Buena is an open house celebration, therefore families come and go and greet each other “Maligayang Pasko!” In their houses, there is food in abundance. The most popular dishes are: lechon, pancit, barbeque, rice, etc. Christmas is all about spending valuable time with your family. At home, lola is always the center of a family Christmas gathering, she’s somewhat like the chief. The children would form a line in front of her and she would give out gifts or coins. The older the child, the more coins he or she receives.

Also, from what I know, many people are excited to go to the Philippines on the holidays because of the busy and exciting things that are happening on the streets, such as the fireworks. The roads are well lit and full of activities and little kids are roaming around having fun. Sometimes, there are even talent shows. Speaking of festivities on the streets, many people, usually in provinces and in schools, celebrate the Panunuluyan.  The Panunuluyan is a street pageant in which they reenact Mary and Joseph’s search for lodging.

Finally, on December 25, Filipinos attend the Misa de Aquinaldo, a mass that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Like I said before, this is a family holiday. That said, they would go visit distant relatives to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, have Christmas lunches and exchange gifts.

That’s how the holidays are spent in the Philippines. I, myself, hope to travel over there one day to experience the liveliness of it all.

Christmas means two things: Going to church and spending time with family. The most important, of course, is going to Church. I have always believed since childhood days that Christmas time is a celebration of Jesus’ birth; He is the main celebrant of this day, not us. The preparation for the big day spreads out in four weeks during the season of Advent. The whole Church is preparing and I can really feel it. The little kids are practicing their Christmas play, the choir is singing Christmas songs, and red, silver and gold decorations everywhere. Each week builds up my anticipation for Christmas as I reflect on its essential meaning.

The equally important part of Christmas is my family.  As long as I can remember, I have always spent my Christmas with them… The joy and spirit continue as we gather after mass and eat dinner together. The party goes on, it is loud and fun – the adults sing karaoke and dance while I stay up and do cool stuff with my cousins and we wait… At exactly midnight, we all assemble again and even more loudly pass all the gifts. These are happy and joyful times that define my Christmas celebrations.

It obviously gets you thinking about the people that don’t have anybody or anything at this time of the year – the people living on the streets and those in underdeveloped countries. Christmas is a time for giving and warming up hearts, not only to the people that you love but also to those who need it. We can all share something because we received so much. There are many different ways – helping food drives, volunteer in nursing homes, or simply a smile to a person on the street. One kind gesture can brighten up someone else’s day.

Christmas Season … It fills up everybody with this feeling of expectation and joy. However, for me, it isn’t just the flashing lights or the happy songs that determine the vibe. It is the people around me, the warmth and happiness that cheer me up to endure the cold December weather. How I wish this Christmas spirit would last all-year round.