Pagtatapat- Marriage Proposal without popping the actual question.
             They say a woman wants to be married but she has to asked.  But do Filipino men really know how to propose? If so, why does the phrase “Pakakasalan mo ba ako?” (Will you marry me?) sounds more like a threat than a proposal? Popping the question is a totally Western concept that seems out of place within serious Filipino relationships where marriage is often a matter of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’. For Pinoys, “Pakasal na tayo!” (Let’s get married!) seem  to be the more likely proposition. Quite rightly, as proposal literally means a presentation of some plan; so asking should be out of the question. Looks like we got it,  right?

Singsing / Paghingi ng Kamay
              The Engagement Ring as dowry. A ring symbolizes such a deeper commitment that your average Pinoy will avoid this as a gift to a girlfriend early in the relationship to avoid sending the wrong signal. The engagement ring concept is likewise a Western influence, but its local adaptation is a consequence of practicality rather than colonial mentality. The giving of the ring is actually a scaled-down version of our forefather’s offering of dote /bigay-kaya (dowry) to his future wife (and her family) to signify his intentions. It is a symbolic gift for her acceptance to the asking of her hand in marriage (paghingi ng kamay).
             The most popular choice for a ‘rock’ is the diamond. But some traditional and sentimental Filipino families may insist on having their son offer a treasured family heirloom as an engagement ring to symbolize his family’s approval and her acceptance into their family. In such case, it would be best to present the ring as a highlight of the pamanhikan.

Pamanhikan
             Pamanhikan  (often awkward) meeting of two families. The blueprint of wedding plans are drawn or made known during this occasion. The pamanhikan is often hosted by the bride’s family as the groom and his folks visit them to formally ask their daughter’s hand in marriage and discuss plans for the upcoming wedding over lunch or dinner. This can be an uneasy situation if it’s the first time for both parties to meet. The soon-to-wed may feel a little awkward (nervous even) seeing and listening to their parents consult each other on matters like their wedding budget, guest list and the like.
             It is customary that the visiting family bring a gift (often, the best home-cooked specialty of the groom’s mom) for the hosts. Others may opt to hold the meeting on neutral grounds (a restaurant is a likely choice) or invite a mutual acquaintance to the gathering and help ease the awkwardness of the first meeting. Why do Pinoys bother with all the trouble? We all seek our parent’s blessings for a happy and trouble-free marriage. After all, pamanhikan is a treasured Filipino heritage which, first and foremost, avoids the embarrassing situation of having the parents see each other as strangers come wedding day.

Paninilbihan- Laboring for a family’s approval.
            Paninilbihan is said to be a long-forgotten tradition where the suitor performs some daunting chores for the bride’s family to show his worth, fortitude and responsibility. Tasks like pagsibak ng kahoy (firewood chopping) or pag-igib ng tubig (water fetching) come to mind. But this ritual is still sub-consciously practiced in these modern times, only on a much simpler scale (thank goodness!).
            As Filipino parents prefer the boyfriend to pay a visit to their daughter in their house rather than date elsewhere, he is considered as an unofficial part of the household rather than a mere guest. Thus, it comes as no surprise when family members ask simple favours from him such as driving the girlfriend’s mother to the supermarket or replacing a busted light in the kitchen. Come to think of it, future sons- or daughters-in-law are expected to run some simple errands for their would-be-in-laws if he/she seeks their approval. These little favours form part of the paninilbihanprocess still deeply imbibed in the Filipino psyche.

Pa-alam..Wedding announcements, Filipino style
            The practice of pa-alam (to inform) should not be confused with the Pilipino term ” paalam” (goodbye). Though less formal than the pamanhikan, pa-alam is another gesture appreciated by Filipino elders as a sign of respect. Basically, the practice is just a round of casual diplomatic visits and ‘courtesy calls’ to people who matter most to the couple (usually elder relatives in the province). The spouse-to-be is introduced to the people visited and informed of the impending wedding to secure their blessings. Couples may choose to do this at a family reunion while handing over the wedding invitations to save on trips. This is also the period when soon-to-wed visit their prospective ninongs orninangs (godparents/principal sponsors) for the wedding and it is customary to bring a little something for the person visited (a basket of fruits is a popular choice).
           Since the ‘major hurdle is over and done with after the pamanhikan, pa-alam should be a breeze. Couples should remain patient though as some elders may ask them to recount their love story, give a litany about married life, or ask the groom-to-be about his line of work and family background.

Dulog - Meeting a ‘father’ other than the future spouse’s
           The term “dulog” literally means “approach.” This is the time were soon-to-weds approach their parish priest for a meeting. In the past, this was done in reverence to the priest who served as a “father” to either the bride- or groom-to-be. It was once considered a necessary visit especially when the future spouse is somebody unfamiliar or from outside the parish.
             Presently, dulog (Canonical/pre-nuptial interview) is a church requirement where the parish priest discusses with the couple their duties and responsibilities as husband and wife. The interview also serves the purpose of finding any possible impediments to the impending union and determining the couple’s readiness to wed and knowledge about the doctrines of a Catholic marriage. This visit will be a good time to ask the priest whatever questions they may have related to the upcoming church wedding.

Despedida de Soltera  – A wholesome bachelorette party
            The despedida de soltera (literally, goodbye to spinsterhood) is a send-off party held close to the wedding date in honour of the bride-to-be and hosted by her family. This celebrates her family’s consent and blessings for the upcoming union. The groom and his family, the wedding entourage, close friends & relatives from both sides are all invited to meet and get to know one another before the big day. The occasion may serve as the formal introduction of the two families/clans to each other. This affair can be anything from a formal sit-down dinner to a casual get-together party.

 Alay-Itlog kay Sta. Clara – Rain, rain go away!
            Although rain showers on the wedding day itself are believed to bring bountiful blessings to a newly married couple, many still prefer a bright and sunny wedding day. But rain is something mere mortals can’t control, so what do Pinoys do? Seek God’s help through the intercession of a Saint by offering eggs. Despite its pagan origins, marrying Catholic Pinoys still troop to the monastery of Sta. Clara in Katipunan Ave. to offer eggs to the patron saint and request the cloistered nuns to pray that their wedding day be rain-free.
             Sta. Clara, eggs, rain – what’s the connection? St.Claire has long been considered a patron saint of good weather because her name in Spanish (clara) means clear, like the brightening of sky after a storm. The patroness’ link with eggs came about as her name (clara [de huevo]) is the Spanish for ‘egg white’. That became the basis why the residents of Obando, Bulacan believed in offering eggs at the base of the altar of Sta. Clara to pray for good weather. But we suggest that soon-to-weds consider other offerings (food, fruits or monetary) for even our beloved nuns know too well that an egg too many means cholesterol overload!

Kasal Kumpisal – Coming ‘clean’ before the ceremony
             This is more of a moral obligation than a tradition required by the Church of every marrying Catholic couple. A few days prior the wedding, soon-to-weds are asked to have their final confessions with a priest as single individuals since they will partake in the bread and share the wine (symbolic of the Body and Blood of Christ) during the Nuptial Mass. The confessions serve as a spiritual cleansing for the sins committed prior to the Sacrament of Marriage and a commitment & devotion to one’s lifetime partner.

Thank you.

Jayjay T. Villanueva
Publisher/Founder

Pinay’s stance on the LCP:
               Pinay has four main criticisms of the LCP.  First of all, since processing of initial work permits take at least 1-2 years for the Philippines, almost all Filipino live-in caregivers have to find new employers upon their arrival in Canada, because the original employer no longer has need of their services. Due to the indentured nature of the work permit, every time the live-in caregiver changes employer in Canada, they must restart the lengthy government process to obtain a new work permit, taking at least 3 to 6 months if the new employer has properly filed an application. The second problem lies in the fact that the caregivers are obliged to live-in with their employers.  This situation combined with the adverse impact of the gaps in employment upon their immigration status and possible permanent residency, leads to a severe restriction of mobility and renders them particularly vulnerable to employer abuse. Thirdly, there is a lack of effective regulation of the recruitment agencies.  Finally, there are restrictions on certain services, such as CSST, which prevent the live-in caregivers from having access to the support they need.  These four aspects of the LCP contribute to the inherent systemic abuse of live-in caregivers in Canada.

Services offered:
              Pinay provides workshops and education on the rights of live-in caregivers regarding labour standards and immigration policies.  Furthermore, it raises awareness about the history of the Philippines and Philippine migration.  Another vital service that Pinay has offered is that of a transition home, a place in which women working under the LCP can seek refuge.  However, due to lack of funds, the transition home was closed.  Pinay also provides opportunities for live-in caregivers to meet women in similar situations, obtain information, receive counseling, have access to a legal clinic and receive referrals to other support services.

Actions and campaigns:
             Throughout the years Pinay has fought side-by-side with other organizations to uphold the rights of Filipino nannies in the Live-in Caregivers Program (LCP), including their right to CSST, to the same minimum wage and other safe and fair work conditions that should be afforded to all workers. With other Filipino organizations across Canada and their supporters Pinay was able to stop the deportation of Melca Salvador and her Canadian-born son Richard in 2001.  Melca was not only a domestic worker but also the Vice-Chairperson of PINAY at the time.
             More recently Pinay fought side by side with other Filipino organizations under the banner of the Migrante Canada Alliance to put an end to the discriminatory second medical exam for domestic workers applying for permanent residence after fulfilling the requirements under the racist and sexist LCP.  The late Juana Tejada is a caregiver who was diagnosed with colon cancer during the evaluation of her application for permanent resident status after completing the 24 months requirement. Her application was denied using the reason that her illness will drain the Canadian medical system.  Juana Tejada won her permanent resident status in the year 2008. Unfortunately, on March 8, 2009 on International Women’s Day, Juana Tejada died.   The new law called the Juana Tejada law honours her memory by striking down the mandatory second medical examination for domestics in the LCP.
            Fighting for migrant workers’ rights and welfare in Canada is intrinsically tied to the struggle of the Filipino people for genuine peace and democracy in the Philippines.  The conditions that force Filipinos to leave in the thousand each day to work abroad is also key to ending the exploitation of Filipino migrants abroad.
            This is why you will find PINAY with other progressive Filipino organizations across Canada taking a keen interest in such issues as destructive foreign mining in the Philippines, the on-going human rights violations against Filipino progressives, US troops on Philippine soil and the chronic economic and political crisis battering Filipino families, relatives and loved ones back in the home country.

20^th anniversary with a banquet fundraiser:
           This year, PINAY celebrated its 20^th anniversary with a banquet fundraiser co-organized by the Institute for Research and Education on Race Relations (IRERR)  highlighting Pinay’s 20 years of advocacy and activism. The banquet was held on Saturday, 10 March 2012, at the Ruby Rouge Restaurant in Montréal’s Chinatown and was an overwhelming success with over 240 friends and supporters enjoying an evening which feature a nine-course meal and wonderful cultural entertainment.

Mabuhay ang PINAY!! Long live PINAY!!
To contact Pinay 514-364 9833, courriel:  pinaycan@yahoo.com

Jayjay Villanueva
Publisher / Founder

Procedure:
1. In a pot, bring water to boil, put pork and tamarind paste
2. onion, tomatoes and salt and pepper. Let it simmer until pork is halfway tender
3. Add calamansi/lemon juice, stir
4. Add taro, cover and let it simmer until tender.. add kangkong cover and turn off the heat..
5. Serve with steamed rice..

           Today’s article deals  with some of the problems resulting from recent changes to the Live-in Caregiver program examined in our previous  article, with excerpts  from a public letter written by Manuela Gruber Hersch, president of the Association of Caregiver & Nanny Agencies Canada.
        Changes in April 2010 designed to protect Live-in caregivers and a decreased quota of permanent residence applications for 2012 have many in advocates and community people concerned about the program’s future.
        The live-in caregiver program allows Canadian families to hire a caregiver from abroad to look after, for instance, young children, aging parents or disabled people in the home. The Canadian government has carved out a pathway to permanent residency that caregivers may choose to apply for after completing a certain number of hours of work within four years of entering Canada through the live-in caregiver program.
         The government has targeted allowing 8,000 to 9,300 live-in caregivers to become permanent residents in 2012. That’s down from 12,000 to 16,000 in 2011.
         Immigration Minister Jason Kenney says that the permanent residency quota is being cut due to a reduction in demand. Yet according to many employment agencies, demand for caregivers is still high.
        The perception of reduced demand has been created by changes to the program and longer processing times. Last year’s changes put much of the onus on the families hiring caregivers to pay the upfront costs of bringing them to Canada.
        Many families, for example some single parents or mothers on maternity leave, have become reluctant to pay recruitment fees, airfare, temporary health insurance, and immigration consultant fees for a caregiver from across the globe whom they have never met and with whom they have no guarantee if the relationship will work out. In some situations, caregivers accept jobs in rural areas then, upon arrival in Canada, leave to find a more appealing location.
        Some question whether asking employers to bear the large financial burden is a hidden tactic to slowly and quietly eliminate the program. To make it more fair to employer families, some nanny agencies suggest that the government should consider spreading fees out after the caregiver has arrived and it has been established that the family does in fact have care in place.
        There are 29,000 live-in caregiver program permanent residence applications in the pipeline and frustrated caregivers are waiting longer to receive their permanent residence status while they are apart from their own families. It’s a different scenario from the one Mr. Kenney promised in December 2009, when he said caregivers would now have a faster and easier path to permanent residency.
        Caregivers are also still waiting for the much advertised “blacklist of employers,” unpublished since April 2010. Missing too is the new
information packages for live-in caregivers announced in December 2009.
        To truly protect caregivers, the program needs a monitoring body to ensure that caregivers are protected and employers follow the rules. The government needs to monitor the program a lot better to guarantee that this very unique and highly complex program works for both parties.
        Caregivers are also frustrated by the increased wait for their first stage approval in principle (open work permit) from six months to at least 18 months. Citizenship and Immigration Canada call centre agents tell some caregivers that the reason it is taking so long, is that once they get their open work permit, they stop working as a caregiver, which coincides with the feeling that the government is trying to deter employer families from hiring overseas.
Cumbersome and complicated
        At the end of the day, the program provides some Canadian families a care solution for their children, elderly, or disabled loved ones. Employer families use the program due to the shortage of Canadians interested in this type of work. Yet, statistics show that 11,231 caregiver work permits applications were approved in 2008 and only 2,702 in the first half of 2011.
        Further decline in the program is anticipated as employer families are refusing to risk their money and become fed up with the very cumbersome and complicated process including the extremely long processing times. However, Canadians haven’t stopped having children. The regulations of late have put the caregiver industry into a state of flux and possible hiring employer families have simply put off the decision until more certainty as to the fairness of the program can be redefined.
        CIC has reduced targets for the program in order to focus on other immigration programs. But while the live-in caregiver program is a small part of overall immigration targets, it is disproportionately important to working Canadians and Canada’s aging population and should be exempted from target reductions. It is too vital of a program to Canadian families!
         Don’t we want both parents to contribute to Canada’s economy or does this government want moms to stay home? Dual-income families put more money into the economy and raise our national tax revenue base. Today you need two income earners just to have an average standard of living. We also know that seniors stop spending money once they move into a care facility; shouldn’t we support our seniors to remain at home as long as possible with the help of a private caregiver?
         If Mr. Kenney intends to keep the live-in caregiver program alive, he must make immediate remedies, but, most importantly, bring all parties to the table and come up with a just and equitable reform this time.
                                                                                                        News Release –
                                                   Minister Kenney announces important change for live-in caregivers
         Ottawa, December 15, 2011 — Live-in caregivers will be able to get open work permits about 18 months sooner, thanks to a processing change announced today by Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.
         “Too many live-in caregivers have completed their work obligations but must continue living in the home of their employer, waiting for their application for permanent residence to be reviewed,” said the Minister. “This is understandably frustrating. That’s why we have started issuing open work permits to live-in caregivers as soon as they have completed their obligations and submitted an application for permanent residence.”
          The Live-in Caregiver Program ( LCP ) allows Canadian families to hire workers from abroad to provide care to a child, an elderly person or an adult with disabilities when there is a demonstrated shortage of Canadians and permanent residents to fill available positions. Caregivers are obliged to work for two years, or 3,900 hours, and then become eligible to apply for permanent residence in Canada.
          Until now, live-in caregivers waited for an initial approval on their application for permanent residence before being eligible for an open work permit. An open work permit allows the caregiver to move out of their employer’s home and seek jobs in other fields, if that is their wish. As of December 11, 2011, all live-in caregivers who had met their obligations and submitted an application for permanent residence have had their files reviewed. Those who submitted an open work permit application with no missing information are being issued open work permits.

            Throughout the year young adults cannot wait for the summer months to arrive. Yet once summertime does knock at our door, many people end up sitting at home and wondering what there could possibly be to do on a hot summer day in Montreal. Well, fear not, because there are plenty of activities available for all needs and preferences.
            For instance, whether you are an adventurous and outdoorsy young adult, or more the quiet and reserved type, I suggest going to Mount Royal. There are numerous trails to follow, all of which are surrounded by many hectares of well preserved forested land. There is also a lake nearby, the Beaver lake, which is a great spot to just sit down, relax and read a book or to get inspired for drawing. Not to mention that, whether it is by day or by night, the views from the lookout points are sure to please you. In fact, you can see all of downtown Montreal and the vast scenery stretches as far as to give you a glimpse of Mount Saint-Bruno and Mount Saint-Hilaire. Now, if you are sporty and think that it is way too easy to simply walk around a mountain, think again. You can easily spice things up by challenging yourself and a few friends to a bike ride from your house, all around the mountain and back again. You are sure to get a good workout while having fun with friends and enjoying the outdoor breeze.
           On the other hand, if you are a young history buff, why not take some time to enrich your knowledge of Montreal’s past? I am pleased to inform you that there are countless historic landmarks and museums available for yo to visit within the city. For example, on Mount Royal, there is a giant cross which is said to have been erected to commemorate the cross planted by the founding father of Montreal, Paul de Chomedy de Maisonneuve. Additionally, near the Old-Port of Montreal, the Château Ramezay , circa 1800, offers a look into the evolution of life in and around Montreal from its foundation to today. They also have fully costumed guides who are willing to share their in-depth historical knowledge for free to visitors. The best part is, all of this only costs six dollars for students and the tours last at least an hour and a half.  Whether you are Catholic or not, I must say that the Saint-Joseph’s Oratory is an important historic checkpoint in Montreal. There you can learn about one of Montreal’s most important historical figures: Brother André, the man who is known for his ability to cure crippled people. Plus, a visit to the Oratory is completely free. Aside from that, there are many other museums, such as the Musée des Beaux-Arts and the Musée de Pointe-à-Callière who have permanent collections, free for you to discover.
            Now if you are more interested in taking advantage of the summer heat while listening to music, why not go to a free cultural festival or concert? You could even volunteer to clean up after a concert, which would be a great way to give back to the community in exchange for the free show.
           Similarly, you can head over to the Volunteer Bureau of Montreal and volunteer your time to help make a difference in your community. The best part is that you decide how many hours you wish to contribute and during which event. For instance, if you feel the need to help the environment, why not volunteer to clean up local parks? Just check out the Volunteer Bureau’s website under the ‘volunteer opportunities’ tab and see what’s available.
           Last but not least, if you are a fan of Japanese animation and culture, you will surely love to go to this summer’s Otakuthon at the Montreal Palais-des-Congrès in August. There you can watch anime, take part in costume contests, meet new people and check out their marketplace. Unlike some of the activities stated above, Otakuthon does have an entrance fee. However, you can become a volunteer helper and they will reimburse part of the cost for the ticket. That’s an awesome way to have the best of both worlds: Volunteering and having fun!
           All in all, no matter what your preferences are, you will find an activity in Montreal that is sure to please you. It’s just a matter of getting out there and making the most out of this summer!
Websites you should visit for more information on the activities
and events listed above:
Mount Royal
Website: http://www.lemontroyal.qc.ca/fr/connaitre-le-mont-royal/accueil.sn
Château Ramezay Website: 
http://www.chateauramezay.qc.ca/en/activities-and-animation/guided-tours/
Volunteer
Bureau of Montreal : http://cabm.net/en/opportunities
Saint-Joseph’s
Oratory:  www.saint-joseph.org
Otakuthon:http://www.otakuthon.com/

 Jayjay Villanueva
Publisher/ Founder

 Thank you,

Jayjay Villanueva
Founder/Publisher

 Amidst the ongoing wars, rebellions, battle skirmishes and acts of terrorism that continue to plague our world. There is the prevailing cry for peace- family peace, social peace, religious peace and world peace.

The following is a short treatise on how you (we) can advance the cause of peace in our communities and nations and expanding into the world.

              A great way to be motivated is to challenge yourself. Start with little goals like reading one more chapter than the one assigned; start your homework immediately once you get home from school so that you have the rest of the evening to relax; study with friends and avoid writing papers until the night before the due date.
             And finally, share your achievements with you parents. When you get a high grade on a paper or assignment, share the great news with your parents. By letting them know how well you are doing in school can only motivate you even more. All the hard work that you are putting into school right now will ultimately pay off for you and your future.

            Recently the Canadian government has implemented major changes to the rules governing temporary immigrant workers, including those in the Live-in Caregiver program.

Effective April 1st 2011
Highlights of the changes include:
1)     A more rigorous assessment of the genuineness of the job offer;
2)     A two-year prohibition from hiring temporary foreign workers for employers who have failed to meet their commitments to
         workers with respect to wages, working conditions and occupation [online list of ineligible employers]; and
3)     A limit on the length of time a temporary foreign worker may work in Canada before returning home [4 years, see exceptions].
Source: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/changes.asp#tphp%20idtphp

 1) Genuineness of the job offer
The genuineness of a job offer to a foreign worker, including a review of four factors for all work permit applications processed:
• The employer is actively engaged in the business;
• The job offer is consistent with needs of the employer;
• The employer is reasonably able to fulfill the terms of the job offer; and
• The employer has complied with federal/provincial/territorial laws regulating employment in the province/territory
   where the worker will be employed.

Additional genuineness criteria assessed by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada for the Live-In Caregiver Program:
• The caregiver will be residing in a private household in Canada and providing child care, senior home support care or care of a
   disabled person in that household;
• The employer will provide adequate accommodations in the household that are adequately furnished and private; and
• The employer has sufficient resources to pay the caregiver the wages offered
Source: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/employers.asp

2             If applicable, the employer’s history surrounding temporary foreign workers they have hired in the two years preceding the date a current work permit application was received will be assessed to determine whether the employer has reasonably respected the terms of past job offers, particularly with regard to wages, working conditions and occupation.
            If information is available about an employer’s past failure to provide substantially the same wages, working conditions and occupation as set out in previous job offers, employers will be given an opportunity to justify any discrepancies. Reasonable justifications include:
• A change in federal/provincial/territorial law or a change to a collective agreement;
• Changes the employer had to make in the workplace in response to a dramatic change in economic conditions that were not
   directed disproportionately at foreign workers;
• An error made in good faith by the employer in interpreting obligations regarding wages, working conditions or occupation, and
   the employer has provided or made sufficient efforts to provide compensation to any foreign nationals that have suffered a
   disadvantage;
• An administrative accounting error by the employer, and the employer has provided or made sufficient efforts to provide
   compensation to any foreign nationals that have suffered a disadvantage; or
• Circumstances similar to those set out above.
             Employers who have failed to meet their commitments as promised in past job offers, and who have failed to provide reasonable justification or to rectify the situation by providing appropriate compensation to the former employee may face:
• The refusal of work permit applications for any foreign national offered a job by that employer;
• Ineligibility to hire a temporary foreign worker for 2 years; and
• The employer’s name displayed on CIC’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program’s Ineligible Employers website.
           Temporary foreign workers will lose their temporary resident status if they accept a job offer from an employer who has been deemed ineligible to employ temporary foreign workers. Temporary foreign workers should consult CIC’s employer ineligibility website before entering into an agreement or extending an existing agreement with an employer who has been deemed ineligible to use the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
Source: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/employers.asp) Two-year prohibition if employer fails to meet commitments

 3) Limit to the cumulative duration of services
           The cumulative duration regulation establishes a maximum allowable cumulative duration that a temporary foreign worker can work in Canada, followed by a period of four years in which the worker would not be eligible to work in Canada.
            The objective of this provision is primarily to prevent situations in which temporary foreign workers remain in Canada for such a prolonged period that they begin to lose ties with their country of origin without gaining permanent residence in Canada.
           Employers should be aware of the total time that a foreign worker has accumulated working in Canada before hiring him or her. A job offer for a TFW who has reached, or is close to reaching, the maximum 4-year duration could result in a refusal to issue a work permit, or in the work permit not being issued for the full duration of the job offer.
           This new regulation takes effect April 1st, 2011; therefore, the earliest date a TFW could reach the maximum duration would be April 1st, 2015.  
          Work permit applications that indicate a job end-date beyond April 1, 2015 will be assessed to verify if the foreign worker is eligible to work the full period of time.

Exceptions
The four-year cumulative duration will not apply to TFWs entering under one of the following occupations:
• TFWs seeking to work in managerial (NOC 0) or professional occupational (NOC A);
• TFWs who have applied for permanent residence and have received: 
       • a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ) if applying as a Quebec Skilled Worker;
       • a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) certificate if applying as a provincial nominee;
       • an approval in principle letter if applying under the Live-in Caregiver Class;
       • a positive selection decision if applying under the Federal Skilled Worker Class;
       • a positive selection decision if applying under the Canadian Experience Class;
       • TFWs who are employed in Canada under an international agreement, such as NAFTA, the Seasonal Agricultural Worker
          Program, or another agreement;
• TFWs who are exempt from the Labour Market Opinion process, including
       • Spouses and common-law partners of international graduates participating in the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program and
          highly skilled TFWS;
       • Charitable or religious workers;
       • Entrepreneurs, intra-company transferees, researchers and academics;
       • Others for purposes of self-support (refugee claimants) or humanitarian reasons (destitute students, holders of Temporary 
          Resident Permits valid for at least six months).
All other groups (i.e. workers in NOC B, C, and D level occupations) would be subject to the cumulative duration limit of four years.

Consistency with the terms of the federal-provincial/territorial agreement
             The consistency of the job offer with the terms of any federal-provincial/territorial agreement and whether the foreign worker, their spouse or common-law partner or dependents are eligible to participate in particular pilot projects.
            Some provincial and territorial governments have entered into bilateral agreements with CIC respecting foreign workers, and some of those agreements include pilot projects aimed at improving the program’s effectiveness in that jurisdiction. Employers should review the terms of these agreements to see if there are provisions that may apply to workers that they intend to hire.
Source: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/employers.asp

          The role of women has been basically defined as the wife, nurturer, mother, teacher and caregiver. They are fundamental roles in the development of a human society that is born from the center of family life and communities. Women shape the formative beginnings of children and have given them that breath of life in order to breathe and live in a world that holds their destinies.

           The functions of those roles are simplistic from a stand point of its structured and systematic daily procedure appearing with ease as a second nature way of life for women as wives and mothers. The ability for women to multi-task and to execute their roles with responsibility and familial life and devotion is not only admirable but great leadership at the helm of family life. Women hold the lantern of life: hope, faith, trust, and unconditional love.

           The paradox of this power and essence is that women in the past are held prisoners in their homes unable to fully express their true selves. Their functions and roles were givens in human society in the past and still  resonates to the present time and age.  She is considered an inferior and holds that position as a vital player in family life but only in conditioned situations and circumstances in society.

            Today we are witnessing a shift in women’s roles, functions and partnerships in the world. Women today after one hundred years have taken flight and have flown off cliffs and ridges and have crossed oceans to find their voices. They have expressed themselves with the intention to be leaders in the ascension of a changing world. They are standing tall beside men and see each other on an eye level understanding that they are partners and creators of a world that desires only good for its existence and purpose.

 His state was divine,
Yet he did not cling
To his equality with God
But emptied himself
To assume the condition of slave,
And became as we are;
And being as we are,
He was humble yet,
Even to accepting death,
Death on a cross.
But God raised him high
And gave him the name
Which is above all other names
So that all beings
In the heavens, on earth and in the underworld,
Should bend the knee at the name of Jesus
And that every tongue should acclaim
Jesus Christ as Lord,
To the Glory of God the Father.
(Ph 2:6-11)

Tips on Videotaping Meetings.

             First thing you have to determine is will it be stationary or manned camera. If is a stationary, you should have a decent tripod to mount the video camera. Then you look for a location where the camera can capture the whole assemble or members. The location must be free from traffic from people who might trip from your tripod or cables. It also has to be closer so you can pick-up the voices of the members during the session.  For power, the ideal is use an AC adaptor connected to the wall. You don’t want to run out of power because your battery died on you.
             If it is manned, a tripod is better because you can pan smoothly on the speakers and play around the zoom button if needed. Battery is ideal because you might decide to move to a different angle and location. You should have extra fully charged batteries. Once the warning light goes on, change the battery right away and don’t wait until the battery dies to make sure there is a continuity of the scene.
              Check your camera’s audio. Do sound checks and make sure the volume is up. Avoid placing your camera near a fan, air conditioner or any source of a humming sound. It will be the most annoying sound in your movie. Also clean your lenses because even a fingerprint will distort some images along the way. It is also advisable to mark the beginning of the tape by standing in front of the camera stating the tile of the meeting, the date and time, just like filming movies using the clapper board. Make sure that you have enough tapes or disc or memory cards to capture the length of the session.  Finally when you have ejected the tape, make sure you set the safety tab to avoid accidental erasures and label the tape immediately.

WHAT TO DO WITH THE TAPES?

               It all depends on your organization. Some save those tapes until the next general election. Others who have the time and because they would like to recycle the tapes especially memory cards or rewritable discs, they can transfer it to their old VHS tape or DVD recorder. VHS tapes are cheap and have 6-8 hours recording time. Same thing applies to DVD-rewritable discs. DVD discs are also cheap these days. It has a better life span and quality. Another alternative way is if you have software like iMovie, Videomaker or any software that captures video. You can also save it to your external hard drive. Hard drives are not expensive; in fact you can buy 1Tb for only $100. An hour of video files is about 13.5G therefore you can have 90 hrs of footage.
              Looking back to the tapes we recorded during our KAPEHAN days of 1985 brings fond memories of our past leaders and present and those who passed away. I remember during one of our sessions at Felix Salazaar’s residence, we were interrupted by the news in the Philippines that General Ramos and Juan Ponce Enrile announced their support to Corazon Aquino and the People Power in EDSA. The breaking news echoed to us and our reaction was jubilant as if we were in EDSA ourselves. All of this was videotaped.  It was just like watching the history channel and the only difference is you were there, you were part of it and it is your history and it is.

PRIORITIES OCCUPATIONS LIST
On June 26, 2010, the Minister of Immigration released a new Priorities Occupation List (POL), which limited list of professions intended to be fast-tracked or “put in the front of the line” due to a high demand for these occupations in Canada. Candidates, who fall under this list, are eligible to receive their permanent residence visas for Canada within a time frame of 6 to 12 months.

 The goal of this action plan was to serves three purposes:
1. To meet the high demand of certain skilled professions in Canada;
2. To reduce the current immigration backlog; and
3. To process immigrant applications within six months to twelve months, whereas, processing times for           
     immigrant applications under the old system takes several years.

 Only 1000 slots are open annually starting June 26, 2010 and some professions have already reached the quota of 1000 slots.

 Remaining Slots Open Under Priorities Occupation List
Restaurant Managers                                              600
Insurance Adjusters / Claims Examiners       850
Architects                                                                    650
Physicians                                                                    600
Dentists                                                                         500
Pharmacists                                                                400
Physiotherapists                                                       800
Radiologists                                                                900
Dental Hygienists                                                     940
Licensed Practical Nurses                                    920
Psychologists                                                            890
Social Workers                                                         700
Chefs                                                                             920
Cooks                                                                           850
Carpentry Supervisors                                        900
Mechanic Trade Supervisors                            800
Electricians                                                              900
Plumbers                                                                  930
Welders                                                                     940

These figures are approximate.

 QUALIFICATIONS
The qualifications to be a skilled worker applicant to Canada are:
1. Minimal completion of a Bachelor’s Degree;
2. Successful completion of the IELTS (English) exam; and
3. At least one year of full-time professional work experience in any of these high demand professions.

APPLY TODAY!
Limited space is available for each profession, and once a profession reaches 1000 applications, no further application will be accepted under that profession until another 1000 slots open on June 27, 2011. Some professions might be added, others will remain, and some professions are expected to be removed from the Priorities Occupations List on June 27, 2011, so the best time to apply is now.

NEED MORE INFO?
For information on any immigration matter, please call the writer, Mr. Don Collantes, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at (416) 733-3605. You may also email your resume for immediate assessment to chitoc@cwss-canada.com .

The above article is only general information and is unintended to act as a legal document. The writer is a Certificate Canadian Immigration Consultant (CCIC) by the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC), which is a professional regulatory board immigration consultants as recognized by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), a Department of Government Canada. The writer is also the Chief Operating Officer of CWSS Canada USA Immigration Services Inc., which is a multinational corporation that provides immigration services to Canada, with the Head Office located at 66E Finch Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario, M2N 2H4, Canada. Toll Free No: 1 877-882-6888 Email Address: chitoc@cwss-canada.com

Marinate the chicken with vinegar, salt and minced onion for 10 minutes.
Remove the chicken and dry.
In oil, half fry the chicken (set aside).
In 3 Tbsp oil, sautée the garlic, onion and tomato sauce, then put the fried chicken.
Add the water.
Let stand there for 30 minutes in low heat.
Put the potatoes and onions until the potatoes are done.  Season with salt and pepper.

            The people who attended the dinner were Father Frank Alvarez and Bernadette Jalea of the Filipino Catholic Mission, Doctor Ed Sideco, Mryna Francisco past president of Novo Ecijano, Flor Rillo past president of Famas and his wife Rose, Nelson Alvaro Knights of Colombus at St. Malachia church, Dolly Villarino of People Helping People, Fred Villarino past officer of Kalihukang Bisaya, Mary Dufresne secretary of Kalihukang Bisaya, Nida Quirapas of the Ilocano Organization, Grace Yip President of Filpino Canadian Trade and Commerce and member Liza Lanuza, Riza Esmeralda past president Philippine Folk Art Society and officer of Federation of Filipino Canadian Association of Quebec and Bicol Association, Darnell de Guzman of IKEO, his wife Fredahlia and Mike all members of Mely’s family, Narcing Sarmiento,  Amy and Michel Bensmihen,  Romy Merjudo of Philippine Embassy in Ottawa and Cheng.

             The dynamics of the evening revolved around pleasantries as the Ambassador made his usual rounds of engaging every cluster or group into animated conversation and his sincere concern over their interests or their challenges. The crowd mingled with a feeling of camaraderie enjoying the sumptuous menu elegantly served with taste and a touch of glass from the generous heart of Mely de Guzman. The ceremonial part of the evening was the final words of gratitude expressed by everyone leaving a few teary eyed and the Ambassador reflective and somber over his feelings of departure from a place he treasured.

              The tenure of Ambassador Jose Brillantes was a call of duty but how he lived that calling in Canada among the Filipino communities in the different provinces were etched in colorful moments of posterity. The community in Montreal will always remember him as that diplomat who was approachable, flexible, kindred, familial and totally concern over  the interests and well-being of his fellow humans. He was a face in a crowd as well as a face of position and authority but he is a man with a soul and a heart that feels his purpose and his Filipino values. He is valued and remembered as a kindred spirit.

          Everything is easier when you understand with what exactly you’re dealing with. To recognize procrastination reasons and to comprehend the justifications of your actions can help you take your behaviours under control. What is procrastination? It’s basically a habit of putting off something you were supposed to be doing. It can bring negative effects on your academic opportunities, your career, your relationships, your pride and more. Procrastination can result in stress, a sense of guilt, consequential loss of personal productivity, social disapproval and, done chronically, an underlying psychological disorder.

          Here are causes of procrastination (source from Yuen Burka, Richard L. Strub and James R. Evans):
The psychological causes of procrastination vary greatly, but generally surround issues of anxiety, low sense of self-worth, and a self-defeating mentality. Procrastinators are also thought to have a lower-than-normal level of conscientiousness, more based on the “dreams and wishes” of perfection or achievement in contrast to a realistic appreciation of their obligations and potential.
Research on the physiological roots of procrastination mostly surrounds the role of the prefrontal cortex. This area of the brain is responsible for executive brain functions such as planning, impulse control, attention, and acts as a filter by decreasing distracting stimuli from other brain regions. Damage or low activation in this area can reduce an individual’s ability to filter out distracting stimuli, ultimately resulting in poorer organization, a loss of attention and increased procrastination. This is similar to the prefrontal lobe’s role in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), where under activation is common.

            Finally, how do we avoid this bad habit in academic matters? Here are a few tips! Note down the deadline and make your own little countdown, it’ll motivate you to work before it comes down to “1 day left!” Think in advance. Imagine how much you would have to work in the end if you don’t start the work when you have to. Try calculating the quantity of time it will take you to complete your task and remind yourself of this amount of time every morning. Reward yourself whenever you feel you’re doing the right thing, having an encouragement can make all the difference. Like William James says, “Nothing is as fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.”

            “People Power” presented by Teesri Duniya Theatre, in October, put on an emotionally commanding show that took the audience into a time warp back to the Aquino-Marcos elections in 1986. The event was more of a backdrop for the characters that represented the very people that put there lives on the line for such an important cause, not just for themselves, but for the entire country.

             People Power is an important part of the history of the Philippines and how the events have shaped and united a country.  It is important to remind those that have lived through the event as well as awaken those who did not experience at all. The play took place in a very small venue, with the characters interacting with the audience that you could believe you were witnessing People Power happening right in front of you. And the emotions felt were inescapable, especially the heart wrenching tears that had to be expressed for the characters.

             The discussion panel following the play brought up important key words: education, responsibility and communication – the play was a history lesson about our country’s past; our responsibility to harness this important event and communicate it to the rest of our community.

              I encourage our young generation of today and tomorrow to discover what it means to be Filipino. The young generation must be educated and be proud to share it with others. Communicate the beauty, the struggle, the diversity of the Philippines. Continue the tradition before it dissipates. There are already Canadian born Filipinos that have shown signs of disconnection from our culture. We must take responsibility.

            We need advocates like the Carlos Bulosan Theatre and its entire team of “People Power” to tell stories of our country. They are not just learning about it for themselves but want to share it with others. We must support these efforts and give them an audience. Empower our Filipino youth. Plays like “People Power” do not come through Montreal very often, and when they do, we must all unite as a community to show support.

           Canada’s live-in caregiver program (LCP) aims at bringing qualified temporary workers to Canada to provide in-home childcare, senior home support care or care for the disabled. Pending certain conditions, the LCP then allows these workers to apply for permanent residence from within the country.

           On April 1^st 2010, several minor and substantive changes have been made to the program. These not only make it easier to obtain a permanent residence through the program but also aim at improving the caregivers work conditions.

           The present article aims at underlining the changes that have touched the issue of permanent residence. Two major improvements have been made.

           The first major change to the program removes the requirement for a second medical examination when the applicant applies for permanent residence in Canada. The program used to make two medical examinations necessary: one at the time the live-in caregiver applied for a temporary work permit and another when he or she applies for permanent residence. Currently, only the first examination is mandatory.

           The second substantial change to the program focuses on the actual requirements for obtaining permanent residence in Canada through the LCP. Applicants were once required to work for two years within the first three years in the program in order to apply for permanent residence. With the latest amendments to the program, applicants now have two ways of fulfilling the work requirement, thus facilitating their eligibility. The applicant must either complete:

• Within 48 months of their arrival in Canada, 24 months of authorized full-time employment as a live-in caregiver; OR

• Within 48 months of their arrival in Canada, 3,900 hours (within a minimum of 22 months which may include a maximum of 390 
    hours of overtime) of authorized full-time employment.
             This second option is new to the program. For the first time ever, overtime hours may now be factored into the employment requirement.
            The present improvements to the LCP are effective as of April 1^st 2010. Although these changes are an improvement over the previous requirements, there are still significant problems and obstacles facing live-in caregiver trying to obtain their permanent residence, which have not been dealt with, and which will be discussed in a future article.

1. Canada, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/caregiver/index.asp
2. Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, “Live-in Caregiver Program” (November 2010)
     http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/workplaceskills/foreign_workers/lcpdir/lcpone.shtml
3. The present article was written with the assistance of law student Eric Stachecki

             The materialistic and consumerism of our day and age have made us all focus on the brand and price of popular items in the market and how they will make our children, family and friends very happy. What if our purchased gifts might not come up to the standards or the right objects of their desires, then it makes us the giver, very disappointed. That becomes a stressor and it can ignite conflict in the family when budget and long hours of shopping disrupt family schedule.

            I would like to offer a few practical solutions to your Christmas preparation and gift giving rituals. These are simple ways of showing our generosity and be part of the spirit of giving on Christmas.

            They are new ways of making new changes in our Christmas celebration in the area of gift giving.
1. Work within a practical budget.
2. Try giving a gift basket for families; it brings you to one gift for everyone.
3. Pool your money together to get an item for your parents.
4. The parents can do the same their children.
5. For community and other groups limit the cost between $ 5.00 to $ 10.00.
6. Potluck for Christmas parties.
7. Buy brand name items from sale and discounted prices
8. Do not impress and get distress after the day is over.
9. Keep your gifts simple and useful.
10. Enjoy the process of shopping with practical strategies.

              I hope you all enjoy your Christmas Holidays and remember that the spirit of giving is all about the feelings of gratitude, bonding and the love we all give to one another.
                                                   Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!!!!!
God Bless.
Jayjay T. Villanueva
Founder/Publisher

           Thousands of nurses and doctors from the Philippines have chosen to work in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Qatar primarily since they receive a substantially higher salary than practicing in the Philippines, and secondarily since they do not encounter too many living expenses as their accommodations and often meals are provided by their employers, their airfare is covered by their employer and they usually receive an annual vacation leave, and they can potentially bring their spouses and young children to live with them in the Middle East.

           Although these benefits seems very appealing, Filipino nurses and doctors are often seen and treated as workers and not as professionals, and need to adapt to the Muslim culture. Also, once Filipino children turn the age of 18, they are required to return permanently to the Philippines, thereby, forcing families to separate. On the other hand, Canada offers immigrant status upon arrival to nurses, doctors and their spouses and children. After three years of residency in Canada, these nurses, doctors and their immediate family members have the privilege of acquiring Canadian citizenship status. And, also importantly, nurses and doctors in Canada earn substantially higher than contract workers in the Middle East.
CANADA VS. USA

            Most Filipinos have always seen USA as the top destination choice. Nurses are open to apply for working visas and permanent residence visas to USA. Although doctors may be restricted from applying for USA, hundreds of doctors in the Philippines with many years of resident and independent experience have even went back to university to complete a Bachelor’s degree in nursing in order to be eligible to apply for work in USA. With the US economy in somewhat of a turmoil, thousands of nurses with pending applications for USA have had their applications pending for several years now without any news on exactly how long their applications may still take to process.

            Canada, on the other hand, is in need of more nurses and doctors and is now fast-tracking their permanent residence applications within a six to twelve month period. Canada is now seen as the top destination choice for nurses and doctors.

                                                                   Other Professions in High Demand in Canada

- Financial Managers                                                                          – Information Systems Managers
– Health Care Managers                                                                     - Restaurant Managers
– Accommodation Service Managers                                          – Construction Managers
– Accountants                                                                                        - Geologists
– Specialist Physicians                                                                        – General Practitioners and Physicians
– Occupational Therapists                                                                 – Physiotherapists
– Head Nurses                                                                                         – Registered Nurses
– Medical Radiation Technologists                                                - Licensed Practical Nurses
– University Professors                                                                      - College Instructors
– Chefs                                                                                                        - Cooks
– Supervisors, Pipefitting Trades                                                    – Supervisors, Carpentry Trades
– Supervisors, Construction Equipment Crews                        – Electricians
– Industrial Electricians                                                                     – Plumbers
– Pipefitters                                                                                              - Welders

APPLY TODAY!

            To take advantage of this opportunity and start your fast-tracked immigrant application for Canada, or for any other immigration matter, please call the writer, Mr. Don Collantes, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at toll free 1-877-882-6888. You may also email your resume for immediate assessment to chitoc@cwss-canada.com .

           The above article is only general information and is unintended to act as a legal document. The writer is a Certificate Canadian Immigration Consultant (CCIC) by the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC), which is a professional regulatory board of immigration consultants as recognized by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), a Department of Government Canada. The writer is also the Chief Operating Officer of CWSS Canada USA Immigration Services Inc., which is a multinational corporation that provides immigration services to Canada, with the Head Office located at 66E Finch Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario, M2N 2H4, Canada. Telephone (416) 733-3605 Email Address: chitoc@cwss-canada.com

          Although, what is love exactly? Love is a short and such a simple word. It isn’t hard to pronounce, but somehow its definitions has its deepest complications.”God is love”, they say. But, to go in quite a fewer details, love is the meaning of showing your affection or attraction to someone or something. It is to show and share your emotions to another and making the other feel the same way as you do. In love, you care, you help, you support, you comfort, you give and you share. Once those actions have been made towards someone, then that would be called love.

          But, be aware! Once love is shared by two or more, it can subject to minor or major consequences and problems. There will be times when you will be situated in two different choices and you will have to pick only one. Love, in return, generally gives you happiness and also sadness.

           Now, getting back to the topic, everyone wants to be loved. That is for sure. Most of you out there would want your families and friends or girlfriend/boyfriend to love you. You would want them to make you happy, make you feel special, care for you and, most of all, you would want their affection! It is, literally, impossible that no one would want love.

           However, many of us out there want a relationship. The question is… Why do we want a relationship? Because we want a partner. A partner who would love us back as we also do. We want someone to be there for us and live life differently as the way we live it with others. This means that, if we were in a relationship, we would do things specially and create unique bonds with our partner. That is one of the apotheosis of love. Personally, I find that relationships are profound to experiencing and obtaining the love and sensations in the world.

            After all, every single thing around us is made out of love. Everything comes from love. Every action comes from love. Now, would you want someone to treat you nicely with respect? I’m quite sure you do. Well, just for wanting that, it means that you want love. Because a good deed or action towards somebody is simply love. So, even without noticing, we human beings desire one so called love! But remember this… “Love desires you as you desire it”.

             July 3, 2011 will mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Richler, a Montrealer who was considered a beacon of light among Canadian authors of his generation. Moredcai Richler’s work represented a remarkable testimony to the immigrant experience, particularly the Jewish immigrant experience, in Montreal during the 1930s and 1940s and beyond.

            Ten years after his death his work continues to inspire an international readership in the millions. Many Montrealers recognize their history or that of their families in Richler’s work.

           To recognize Richler’s standing as one of Canada’s pre-eminent novelists, and as a political journalist and screenwriter, Mr. Applebaum and I have asked the City to find an appropriate gesture to recognize Richler’s contributions. We further asked community organizations and citizens to support our efforts by signing the petition.

           We intend to present the petition at the December 15 City Council meeting. Mordecai Richler’s awards during his active career were many. He won the Governor General’s prize for literature on 1968 and 1971, the Giller Prize in 1997, the Screenwriters Guild of America Award in 1974 and the Ruth Schwartz Children’s Book Award in 1976. His book “Solomon Gursky was Here” won the Commonwealth Writers Prize in 1990.

           Richler’s novel “The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz” became a popular film that launched the career of Richard Dreyfus as a major Hollywood actor. If the buzz around the recent screenings are correct, “Barney’s Version”, the movie to debut in December, based on Richler’s work of the same name, should do extremely well at the box office.

           While to date, some 100 persons in the Filipino community in Cote des Neiges – Notre Dame de Grace have signed the paper version of the petition, it is even easier to sign the on-line edition.

           May I urge all to go on line to http://www.gopetition.com/petition/40303.html and sign.

           It takes but a few moments but will be of great use to the specialists of the City’s Place Names Commission which will ultimately look at this request.
STM – Simply The Best

          Many Pinoy Post readers are aware that the Société de transport de Montreal (STM) of which I am the Vice President, was nominated for the American Public Transit Association’s (APTA) prestigious prize as Best Transit Agency in North America.

          On October 5, the STM won this prize, beating out 1500 other agencies. William Millar, APTA’s President, was here in Montreal on October 27 to present the award.

          This good news did not happen all by itself but is the result of hard work and commitment. Mayor Gerald Tremblay promised to make public transit a priority and indeed the Union Montreal administration has done just that.

         Over the past four years alone, bus service has been increased 13%, metro service 17%, and overall ridership has soared 8%, hitting record levels that eclipse even those recorded during the 1940s, the “golden age” of public transit.

         The STM is quickly replacing older and less reliable vehicles. New larger articulated buses are on the road. Studies are beginning on adding trolleybuses and the strategic plan proposes a big boost in ridership every year right up to 2020. New measures such as adding real time passenger information, preferential measures allowing buses priority through busy intersections, more bus lanes, etc will help meet the ridership goals.

         Still there is a debate needed as to how to finance transit. The STM wants to keep our fares affordable and the City does not want to put too much pressure on the property tax. New sources of revenue are needed to assure the long term success of transit.

            Ultimately, my thought diverged to the Philippines, a tropical paradise. No more dangerous icy sidewalks to fall on, no more freezing hands when walking home, no more giant trucks to watch out for and, above all, it would still be sunny at 4pm! I cheered myself up by thinking of the up sides of living in a winter wonderland: snow days, tobogganing, hot chocolate, all the typical “Canadian stuff”. Honestly, it didn’t help. The treacherous snowstorm made it hard to believe there was anything good about this cold season.

             For all the newcomers, please be prepared (of course, this isn’t Alaska, but sometimes it can get very close).   Hat, scarf and a pair of gloves are very useful. Don’t get fooled by the teenagers only wearing a thin sweater and running shoes. Deep inside, they’re freezing. I have to admit being part of the group that always underestimates (or overestimates) the temperature. It’s better to be a Bonhomme Michelin and be warm, than a cool kid and die of hypothermia. I sound like my mother and I probably won’t take my own advice but “au pire” there’s only four months of winter…

             On the bright side, winter is a pretty season. Everything has a magical glow. The rooftops, the sidewalks, the trees, the cars, everything is covered in snow! If we forget the frustrations of cleaning up snow and take a second to just sit back and watch, we will see that it’s such beautiful scenery: a thin layer of snow on the streets, icicles on the rooftops, snowflakes in the air. The city is at its best at the start of the winter, when the snow is still fresh and white. I think anybody is in awe at the first snowfalls. Even a snowstorm can be pretty. Thousands of snowflakes raging outside can sometimes give me an overpowering feeling. Humans control so many things on earth, and yet a simple meteorological phenomenon changes our day and lifestyles.

             To all who can’t see the bright side, do not despair. You can tell yourselves that spring is only a few months away. We will make it through the storm!

         The two words thy peace are the most significant part of this request of Saint Francis. When you think God, think peace. That occurs when we are in conscious contact with God. Connecting with your highest spiritual essence is the same as living in the peace that we refer to God.

           And what is this peace? It is the expression of the universal creative intelligence, which winds its way in and through everything. It is the perfection of creation. This is what the term ‘’thy peace’’ means to me. It’s something I am always connected to, since there is no place that it does not exist. I lose peace when I allow my thoughts to entertain the illusions of problems.

          ‘’Thy peace’’ is the essence of our universe. It is God at work, at play, and everywhere in between .Its is infinite love. ‘’Thy peace’’ becomes what you are an instrument of, as Saint Francis requests in this opening life of prayer. When followed, it provides you with a spiritual solution to every problem.

            We should avoid loud and aggressive persons. They are vexations to the spirit. And they keep you away from your peace. When others don’t come to you in peace, they can only reach the outer protective coverings. You choose to process events, not the events themselves that determine your level of peace.

            You can become an instrument of peace in any given moment of your life by deciding that you are not going to use your mind for anything other than peaceful thoughts. When you are an instrument of thy peace, you are not seeking anything, you are  peace provider .You do not seek peace by looking into the lives of others and wishing that they would change so that you could become more peaceful. Rather, you bring your own sense of calm to everyone you encounter.
            You have the freedom to choose a peaceful thought, or to quietly remove yourself from the immediate scene. How you do this? Memorize this line of the prayer and silently repeat it: Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.

SUGGESTIONS FOR BECOMING AN INSTRUMENT OF THY PEACE

            Give yourself a specific period of time each day to be alone and undisturbed. Take a brisk walk, or lock your bedroom so you can sit quietly, or leave the frantic pace of your office to go somewhere else to be alone and remind yourself that you are making conscious contact with God. The well-known phrase, let go and let God, is as well a useful. Say to yourself, ‘’I am letting go and letting God.’’ By giving yourself only a few moments of alone time which I call God-time, you become an instrument of peace if only for those moments. Your return to the noisy world will now be with a new partner, God, which is really ‘’thy peace’’. Gradually, with this exercise, you will find yourself becoming a regular instrument of peace in all your waking moments.

           Make meditation a part of your daily life.   I hear everyday in our community ‘’I am busy’’ ‘’ I was busy’’. I have too much in my mind .But I am certain that you have your own versions of why you can’t find the time or the way to meditate .These excuses are nothing more than your fear of coming to know God and therefore taming your demanding ego. In meditation you go to the silence. And when you practice meditation regularly  it is like lifting the weight of your problems off  your  shoulders for those moments and a feeling of having your soul  nourished  so that you now approach everyone  and everything with the accompaniment of thy peace . Saint Francis told his devotees. ‘’What is it that stands higher than words? Action. What is it that stands higher that action? Silence.’’

           Your peace is between you and God .Period. It is not between you and anyone else, or any set of circumstances, as difficult as that is to accept sometimes .You must come to the point where you bring your peace to everyone and everything, rather than attempting to secure it from outer experiences.

            Practice thinking peace.  How often do you clutter your mind with thoughts of none peace? How terrible world you say many times a day? How violent we have all become? How racist we are? All these thoughts and their expression are indications that you have become trapped in a nonepeaceful mind and, therefore a none peaceful world. Use your mind to think peace, because peace is the happy and natural in your mind and not our disgrace.

           Become a peacemaker.  Each day you are provided many opportunities to practice peacemaking .Saint Francis wrote,’’ For it is in giving that we receive.’’ By giving peace you will receive peace, and after you are in peace, your problems are dissolved.

           Make peace with yourself. You cannot give away what you don’t have. If you are not at peace with yourself you cannot give peace away. If you don’t give peace away, you will never become an instrument of peace. Make the decision to forgive yourself for all your weaknesses and failures, to let go of your self-destructive guilt over past mistakes .When you make peace with yourself you take a hard look at everything you have ever done and you remind yourself that you needed all of those experiences in order to provide you with the energy to propel   yourself to a higher spiritual frequency.

            Get back to nature. Go for a walk in nature, a park or a beach. Away from the fast-paced world of high technology, cell phones, noises, email. And mostly a crowded world, nature beckons you. Listen to the sounds of birds and bugs, and the wind. Just walk among the trees and flowers and quiet mind.

Nature gives you peace because you are in the energy of God.

PRAYER of Saint Francis of Assisi
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy;

            PAMANA had already travelled as a group to the Philippines in 2008, but this was the first time we would be participating at international festivals, sharing the stage with much older and much more experienced groups from around the world. Although we had prepared for moment many months in advance, the leaders’ were quietly having anxiety attacks, because PAMANA’s reputation and future credibility was hanging in the balance. We had three weeks to travel between three countries and perform in numerous venues from audiences as small as a couple of hundred to as large as 6000.

            Right after our 8-hour direct flight from Montreal to Vienna, Austria, we were greeted by our first tour guide Renata and immediately bussed to our first destination and home for the first four days of the tour: Straznice, Czech Republic. Straznice is a very small town and eerily deserted during the day as we made our first walking tour. In the evening, we had a reception with the mayor of Straznice, President of the festival, and the groups from Easter Island, Mexico and Romania. Then we spent the following three days eating delicious food, meeting the friendly locals and performing for crowds in outdoor amphitheatres where no seat was left unattended.

            Notably, our best performance in Straznice and possibly of the entire tour, was our Muslim suite. While on stage we could sense the audience’s astonishment as they followed the dancers’ feet through the bamboos during Singkil. As soon as the Singkil prince snapped his sword on his shield ending the entire performance, the audience jumped onto their feet and an uproar of applause filled the amphitheatre. Even once the performance was over and we  headed back to our dorms, locals who watched our performance, continued to cheer us on, shake our hands and take a few pictures. We appeared to be celebrities!

            Before we moved on to our next destination of our tour, many of our female dancers became sick. The 6-hour bus ride to Maribor, Slovenia was filled with uncomfortable coughs and noses blowing into tissues. When we arrived in Maribor, we drove by the mall called Europark, which excited the entire group and who could not wait to feed the shopping bug. We also drove by the central stage of the festival which floats on the Drava River.

           We finally arrived at our new home for the next week and we were greeted by our tall, handsome and humourous tour guide George and his partner Urshka. Our schedule for the week was quite hectic: performing in parades, towns outside of Maribor, and three times on the central stage.  We shared the hectic schedule with several over groups from New Zealand, Indonesia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Hungary.

            In Maribor, every night was a party at our dorm. Each group was assigned an evening for animation and to teach everyone a cultural dance or game from their country of origin. PAMANA taught Tinikling and played “Hep Hep Hooray” which caused a laughing riot with the players and members of the crowd. And after the animation, a mini club was set-up with its own DJ and played music for all the night crawlers, sometimes until five in the morning.  This was a great way for the all the groups to make new friends. We bonded very well with the New Zealand group, simply because they spoke English.

             As the week move forward, the coughs and leaky noses continued to spread throughout the group, this time affecting the chaperones. Our dancers were slowly dropping like flies and unable to perform because of injuries, exhaustion or dancers were too sick to perform. But we made it through the week and successfully performed.

              Leaving Maribor was difficult for many members of the group, including some of the chaperones. It was difficult to separate ourselves, especially from our tour guides who have made our stay very enjoyable. George even had to fight back his tears as we gave him a group hug and waved good-bye from the bus as it pulled away.

             Karlovac, Croatia was a smaller town than Maribor but bigger than Straznice. Most of us had fallen asleep on the bus and woke up in Karlovac to find the festival’s poster plastered all over the city with a picture of a PAMANA dancer. We were welcomed by Kresimir, our bald but muscular tour guide.  He showed to our new rooms of on the third floor, with no elevators. We had to carry more than 60 luggages up three flights of stairs.  Once we settled in, we were off to rehearsals for the opening ceremony.

              At the opening ceremony, the atmosphere and audience cheers felt like the Olympics.  Once our group’s name was called, the audience joyously applauded and waved at us. We waved back with our Canada and Philippines flag. Along for the ride were groups from Russia, Italy, France and our same friends from New Zealand.

              Our schedule for this festival was too good to be true in comparison to Maribor – we had two free days and all the performances or parades took place in the evening. With so much free time, Karlovac was left for us to discover. A few of us even made some great friends to whom we are still in touch with today.  We were also lucky to visit and tour Zagreb, Croatia’s capital, for a few hours. Our free afternoons allowed us to visit restaurants and bakeries and get a good taste of local foods like pizza, gelatos and crepes.

             After an easy seven days, our days in Karlovac were already over and our European tour as representatives of Canada and the Philippines had come to an end. But before it was time for us to jump on the Montreal bound flight. We still had an extra three days to be tourists.  So before it was back to our daily lives, we spent the next two days in Budapest, Hungary and one day in Vienna.  Then time flew by so fast. It was already July 15 and it was time for us head back home. By the end of the trip, everyone in the group had fallen sick and carried the cough onto the plane.  Everyone pretty much coughed their way back to Canada.

              It was great to be return home and see our PAMANA family that we had left behind, but many of us were on such a high from the entire trip that we could not help but want to jump back on the plane. We couldn’t believe that we had actually finished PAMANA’s first tour and already thinking ahead for the next one in 2012. Our young dancers has now became more united because of a common accomplishment to be proud of. Now that we have returned from Europe, our members have turned over a new leaf, gaining confidence, initiative, motivation and pride for PAMANA and for all that it stands for.

           The bakery serves pastries like turon or fried sweet banana, bibingka, glutenous rice, pandesal or Filipino bun to name a few. Take home or take out is the common request from the regulars as well as the curious and satisfied customers.

             The owners Alex and Nely Sy ended up in this busy section of the city because Alex decided to give his industrious wife her own place to cook and serve her interesting menu to a bigger crowd of people. It also gave him the space to enjoy a cozy evening after a long day at work without the boxes and brown bags of home orders all over their house from Nely’s home business.

             Effectually Alex had to participate in the business from the kitchen of Bahay Kubo where he wore the apron and left his job to help Nely. The success of the business kept their hands full with the brisk orders and milling crowd all day long.

             Nely migrated in 1981.  In 1988, she got married and lived in Montreal. But they moved to Ottawa in 1989 until 1995 they finally decided to go back to Montreal. They have two children Mark Justin born February 1988 and Christine who was born in October 1996.

            Alex was a design engineer in Kone Wood, then NLK Consultants Inc as Material handling specialist, followed by BMH Wood Technology as a Project Engineer. Then he became a self-employed owner of ANSY Engineering and finally owner of Bahay Kubo.

            Alex believes in hard work and commitment to a life of responsibility and sound ethical values. He has great respect and gratitude to the devotion of his mother in raising her children.  He was motivated by the unconditional love of his parents. It spurred him to seek higher goals to improve his life and to provide the best for his family.

           Nely, on the other hand turned her cooking interest into a hobby. It was a passion that she pursued with dedication.  Alex supported her and made it a family business. Together they created a landmark in the city where community bonding among the Filipino community and other communities are experienced around food and friendship.

           The safety of our children at the end of the day and after school is a priority. We have to ensure their security at home. Proper instructions must be imparted to them. Food preparation has to be set for their convenience and well –being. The use of electrical appliances and other home devices must be well explained and understood.

            Basic instructions on 911, phone numbers and addresses of family members, relatives, close friends must be accessible to your children.

            These are simple reminders to our readers. It is a gesture of concern. The activity of life can bring us in all directions and we can overlook certain things. We make it a point in our paper to give special attention to what is important in the lives of the people in our community. We are here to serve you.
Enjoy the fall season and the new school year.

Thank you.

Jayjay T. Villanueva
Founder/Publisher

             Nations with high ratio of literacy can better achieve higher goals in the global market. They grow and develop with change and compete with advancement and inventions. They initiate training and development in their technical fields of business and educational programs. They are progressive and prepared to face the rapid movement of change. In today’s knowledge economy, the more people know, the better the chances that organizations become effective and efficient.

              In the USA and Canada the quality of education is progressing with the stepping up of educational institutions that offer vocational and training programs apart from their normal credit programs. Many schools are offering online education in order to meet the needs of the working students, mature students and even retirees.  Working people need these degrees to update their knowledge and improve their skills.  It gives them the opportunity to get better jobs.

               Even professionals like doctors and dentists are required to follow mandatory lifelong learning. It is vital to their profession so they can keep up with new information from research and development in the medical field. They have to learn new techniques of practice and perfect the old ways. Patient care and management is essential learning for people in the medical field.

               Distant learning is another way to get education and self-improvement. People who cannot travel to attend a class can enjoy studying from their homes. They learn at their own pace and time. It is an ideal way to focus and enjoy learning.

               Keeping the importance of education in mind; families must   make it a priority to instill the value of education.  It is in the home where respect for knowledge is instilled in a child’s mind. It is lived in the structure and discipline of good manners, sound values and development of the thinking process from what they are taught to what they learn in formal education.

               The importance of education cannot be neglected by any nation. It is the responsibility of nations to provide a strong and good system of education to its people. A literate country can be self sustaining and progressive. Therefore in today’s world education becomes the bloodline of economies and the bread and butter of people.

            If an effort to simplify and provide straightforward counsel, here is a list of what we think are the most critical components of decision making by any self-aware manager:
            If you’re a line manger, you’ll find yourself spending from 75% to 95% of your time with people or dealing with people problems- like it or not. Many times, people problems will be mixed with technical questions. Don’t be frustrated by all this talking and listening.

           The essence of managerial skill is to “keep moving” learn to tolerate short, but frequent interactions, to tolerate not finishing a subject, to tolerate having to go back to individuals again and again. People problems are rarely solved forever. Objective: Keep them within limits. Keep making contacts. Easy give-and-take is the only guarantee of reasonably good interpersonal relationships. You can’t have that without constant listening and talking.

            Find good people, and support them with backup and encouragement. The right person, well motivated, will perform significantly better than the average person.
            Satisfaction with earnings is almost entirely related to what other relevant people are earning. Comparison, not absolute amounts, count.

            Job relationships are more predictable and less upsetting than many family or community relations. 

            Earning one’s way and having a job are the sources of great personal satisfaction. Grousing is not a measure of discontent. Often the most committed are the most critical, and the least committed are often the most indifferent.
            Boundaries are the most important elements of a job. How does performance fit into the needs of other jobs? In selecting and appraising people, consider their capacity for relating to the other

people upon whom their jobs impinge. Technical knowledge is secondary.

           Organization productivity results, not from speed and sweat, but from jobs smoothly intermeshed one with the other, a minimum of argument over who should do what and how. Continuity and regularity comprise the only reliable   source of cost saving.

           You and your subordinates will almost never see a problem the same way. Your experiences and perspectives are different. Stop before you delegate or discipline. Find out by good interviewing how the other person perceives an issue before you do anything about it.

          Before you get progress or agreement on an issue involving another person, there must be agreement that there is a problem. Spend your time getting agreement on the nature of the problem. Explore solutions together. A solution that needs conflicting needs.

          Feedback on performance and positive encouragement are the sources of improved motivation. Ignorance of results and / or a climate of criticism are the two most common sources of apathy and lack of motivation.

            Homeowners should be aware that a new property evaluation roll will be issued this September. The roll will be used for the next three years to determine municipal taxes. In the province of Quebec, municipalities charge a rate determined by their City Councils for each $100 of property evaluation. The evaluation is determined by the Evaluation Service of the Montreal Agglomeration.

            To assure fairness, the roll has to accurately reflect what a property would fetch on the real estate market on July 1 of the year before the roll is issued. The Evaluation Service compares each property with similar properties in the same neighbourhood and analyzes the price of properties sold in that neighbourhood to set what it believes is a fair and accurate evaluation.

            The roll that will be tabled will be used as the benchmark for 2011, 2012 and 2013 unless the Government of Quebec decides to change the rules by legislation. (That is what happened when the last roll was table in 2006. The Government extended the validity period to four years, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.)

            Taxpayers may contest their evaluations but can do so only until April 30 of the year following the tabling. Those who do not contest forfeit their rights to contest unless there is some truly exceptional reason.

            That being the case, please take the time to assure that your property is correctly evaluated. You should receive notice by mail by late October with instructions on how to proceed. You should also be able to consult your evaluation at the Borough’s Acces Montreal office at 5160 Decarie and if necessary obtain the forms needed to file a contestation.

             When your case is heard, you will need solid proof that your evaluation is incorrect. Evidence from real estate agencies and professional evaluators are important in helping prove that the evaluation may be inexact.

             Tenants too have an interest in assuring that a property is properly assessed. An evaluation that is too high may see taxes on that property rise. If it is a rental property, the owner may pass on part of the tax increase to his/her tenants.
Borough Posts Great Financial Results

             Attendees at the recent Cote des Neiges – Notre Dame de Grace Borough Council meeting were delighted to learn from the Borough’s annual report that good fiscal management by the Union Montreal team had seen the Borough close 2009 with a $3 million surplus.

             This was accomplished while the Borough improved services, cut costs, moved forward on the delivery of new sports and library facilities (ahead of schedule and below projected cost!) and continue to financially support the Borough’s multicultural diversity.

             In typical prudent fashion, Borough Mayor Michael Applebaum indicated that the Union Montreal team would not squander these funds but rather use the money wisely. Much of the surplus will go to the snow reserve to assure the security of the population even under a worst case scenario and much of the remainder will be allocated to emergency sidewalk, road and water work. Indeed the Borough Council has just authorized an additional $250,000 in sidewalk reconstruction to be carried out in September.

             Both Mayor Applebaum and I explained that there will be no change of course in 2010. New three year snow removal contracts were voted that were brought in at a lower price than the previous contracts. Our major priority continues to be the redevelopment of the north part of Snowdon where the former industrial area will be transformed into housing for families and seniors. As part of this project, we continue to work for the redevelopment of the Blue Bonnets raceway site which we hope to see converted to housing as well. Union Montreal sees the north of Snowdon both as a hedge against urban sprawl and also a way to offer affordable housing for our young families and seniors right here in our own neighbourhood.

             All in all, the 2009 financial report is good news for Cote des Neiges – Notre Dame de Grace residents and confirms the wisdom of the voters’ decision to re-elect Union Montreal as the majority in the Borough and at City Council.

          Federal Skilled Worker Class is a type of application eligible for permanent residence status in Canada. Candidates are assessed on a point system, which specifically targets educational attainment, proficiency in English and work experience.

PRIORITIES OCCUPATIONS LIST

            On June 26, 2010, the Minister of Immigration released a new Priorities Occupation List (POL), which lists 29 specific professions intended to be fast-tracked or “put in the front of the line” due to a high demand for these occupations in Canada. Candidates, who fall under this list, are eligible to receive their permanent residence visas for Canada within a time frame of 6 to 12 months.

The goal of this action plan was to serves three purposes:
1) To meet the high demand of certain skilled professions in Canada;

2) To reduce the current immigration backlog; and

3) To process immigrant applications within six months to twelve months, whereas, processing times for immigrant applications  
      under the old system takes several years.
Current Priorities Occupation List
– Restaurant Managers                                                                    – Psychologists
– Primary Production Managers                                                -  Social Workers
– Occupations in Business Services to Mgmt                         – Chefs
– Insurance Adjusters and Claims Examiners                       – Cook
– Biologists                                                                                           – Supervisors, Carpentry Trades
– Architects                                                                                         - Supervisors, Mechanic Trades
– Specialist Physicians                                                                    – Electricians
– Practitioners and Physicians                                                     – Industrial Electricians
– Dentists                                                                                              - Plumbers
– Pharmacists                                                                                      – Welders
– Physiotherapists                                                                            - Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics
– Registered Nurses                                                                          – Pipefitters
– Medical Radiation Technologists                                            – Crane Operators
– Dental Hygienists                                                                           - Drillers and Blasters
– Licensed Practical Nurses                                                          – Supervisors, Oil and Gas
– Drilling

QUALIFICATIONS

The qualifications to be a skilled worker applicant to Canada are:

1. Minimal completion of a Bachelor’s Degree;

2. Successful completion of the IELTS (English) exam; and

3. At least one year of full-time professional work experience in any of these 38 high demand professions.

QUOTA

          There is an annual quota of 1000 candidates per profession starting on June 26, 2010. All prospective candidates, who fall under this list and who have completed the IELTS exam are strongly encouraged to apply immediately.
NEED MORE INFO?
           For information on any immigration matter, please call the writer, Mr. Don Collantes, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at (416) 733-3605. You may also email your resume for immediate assessment to chitoc@cwss-canada.com .
           The above article is only general information and is unintended to act as a legal document. The writer is a Certificate Canadian Immigration Consultant (CCIC) by the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC), which is a professional regulatory board immigration consultants as recognized by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), a Department of Government Canada. The writer is also the Chief Operating Officer of CWSS Canada USA Immigration Services Inc., which is a multinational corporation that provides immigration services to Canada, with the Head Office located at 66E Finch Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario, M2N 2H4, Canada. Toll Free No: 1 877-882-6888 Email Address: chitoc@cwss-canada.com

        People Power known as the EDSA Revolution or Yellow Ribbon Revolution in 1986 was a non-violent and prayerful revolution in the Philippines. It was a nation’s struggle to depose and end the dictatorial regime of President Ferdinand Marcos.

            People Power is a Carlos Bulosan Theater Production written and performed by the CBT collective. It is directed by Nina Lee Aquino a recipient of the John Hirsch Prize 2008 from Toronto.

            Teesri Duniya Theater team namely, Rahul Varma the artistic director and co- founder of Teesri Duniya believes that a true artist must be someone who steps away from convention. He must be self –directed and confident to ask questions. He must speak, create and act in the artist way.

           The objective of the theater group to bring the message to all communities and open doors for all artists to come in and share in the dynamic process.

           Emilee Veluz is a RAPT (Rapid Action Performance Troupe) team leader at Teesri Duniya. She made her debut appearance at FAMAS / Talk and Dailogue about the Philippines / last June and at the Pista sa Nayon last July. She played the role of Twinkle in Teesri’s production of Miss Orient( ed ) where she was nominated second best local Actress 2005.  She is the first Filipina professional stage actress in Montreal.

             Linda Levesque is the general manger of the theater and is a graduate of University of Regina and began her career with CBC Radio. People Power presentation is on September 16-October 2-10 at Studio Hydro-Quebec Le

Monumnet National, 1182 Blvd. Saint Laurent. Box Office: 514-871-2224

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.