Vol. XXX, No. 2 February 2012 http://www.filipinostar.org Montrealers urged to support “Impacting Young Lives for a Better Tomorrow” project (Reported by Z. F. Kharroubi) The second consultative meeting of the Friendship and Fellowship Filipino Youth Center located on 3737 Van Horne, formerly called the Pomerantz House, a 2-storey building that used to be a Hebrew School was held. on Saturday, February 4, 2012 which was attended by students from Ecole Lavoie, their parents and volunteers Pastor Orlan Racacho, and his wife, Lucy, a retired registered nurse, not See Page 3 - Arroyo pleads not guilty to only made the big step of acquiring electoral fraud the building but also serve as the prime movers behind a formidable project that will undoubtedly make a change in many people’s lives. The Center was inaugurated last Pastor Orland Racacho is flanked by youth volunteers and the Star editor who visited the November 13, 2011 with the presence Friendship & Fellowship Center on February 4,2 012. Ms. Manon-og and other community of the Borough Mayor Michael leaders had already gone when this photo was taken. Applebaum. The Youth Center will community; 2) To provide guidance To help the new immigrants integrate provide services that will focus on the and conselling for career into the mainstream of Canadian following objectives: opportunities; 3) To promote genuine 1) To promote mental health camaraderie among Filipino youth See Page 4 Youth Center See Page 3 - Ash Wednesday Ritual among the Filipino youth in our especially among the new arrivals; 4) Aquino puts on hold ‘very good’ news on economy heated verbal skirmishes with Chief Organization, a group made up of Justice Renato Corona, President Japanese businessmen. Benigno Aquino III on Sunday He said the survey concerned promised Filipinos “very good” news competitiveness and “how easy it is to about the country’s economy in the do business” in certain countries. He Parliamentary Secretary Deepak Obhrai is next few days. said the Philippines fared very well in greeted by Philippine President Benigno 14 of 15 categories listed in the survey. Aquino at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Academy for Aviation Training in the For now, all the President would say “There is only one category where Cebu Freeport. Canadian Ambassador C. was that it concerned Philippine we really have to work a little more,” he said, declining to elaborate. He said he Thornley is also in the photo. competitiveness in comparison with See Pages 4-5 other economies. would also have a piece of good news “In the next few days, I will give you about the Philippine Economic Zone news that is very good concerning the Authority, a government agency that economic sector,” Mr. Aquino said in a extends assistance to export-oriented speech on the capitol grounds here industries. during a visit to attend the 33rd Protecting environment founding anniversary of Aurora Not all the good news is about the province. economy. BALER, AURORA, FEBRUARY He said he received the news two Environmentalists on Sunday said 21, 2012 (INQUIRER) By Christine O. days ago and it had to do with a survey that when it came to environmental Avendaño, Kristine L. Alave - Taking a done by the Japan External Trade See Page 4 Good news economy SWIS (Seniors of the West Island) is born brief pause from his increasingly By Fely Rosales-Carino - See Page 8 www.filipinostar.org 2 The North American Filipino Star February 2012 Editorial Letter to the Editor Building a center of action for Harper Sets his Sights on Our So why is Harper doing this? Because Pensions fundamentally, Stephen Harper youth empowerment is a challenge believes that the government should It seems all but certain that Stephen have no hand in helping seniors in parenting skills. He believes that all The inauguration and opening Harper is set to hike the qualifying age their retirement, and no hand in parents want to have children who are of the Friendship and Fellowship for the Old Age Security (OAS) from helping Canadians plan for their going to be successful but there are Filipino Youth Center recently in our 65 to 67. For our most vulnerable retirement. He’s still the same guy times when they do not know what to community is a sign that something seniors, that means they will go who said the Canada Pension Plan do. In this case, it is our responsibility good will happen and help to find without $30,000 of much needed should be scrapped back in 1998. as a community to extend a helping solutions to common problems faced support for two additional years. For Government involvement in the hand. By means of workshops or by families from disadvantaged you, it may mean significantly altering financial security of Canadians stands seminars, we may be able to economic groups. We have an your plans for retirement. counter to Harper’s ideology. increasing population, all communicate and impart knowledge that will enable parents to acquire the concentrated in Cote des Neiges. But And you are not alone. Over the next As Conservatives choose to take skills they need to help their children. the majority of people settling down 10 years, more than 4 million benefits away from seniors, Liberals It has been cited and written in here are mostly low wage earners. In Canadians will be turning 65. Unless will continue to fight for balanced some journals and books about an order to meet their personal needs you are set to retire with an annual pension reforms that will ensure important principle of childhood and that of their families, most of them pension of over $112,000, Harper is Canadians financial security in their development. All children live by the have to find a second and third jobs telling you to rethink your plans. retirement. Liberals will fight for a for the extra income that they need. example they see around them. The voluntary supplemental Canada debate as to which one is stronger - Consequently, their busy schedules Harper is blaming the baby-boomers. Pension Plan that will provide a low- heredity or environment - has not been become conducive to having But as the retirement wave peaks in cost, high-return, universal option that completely settled by empirical delinquent teenagers who are usually 2031, the increase spending on the Canadians can rely on. studies but it would appear that both found wandering around with the OAS will only increase by 0.7% of play crucial roles in a child’s life. We wrong company. This is one of the Canada’s overall economy. Hon. Judy Sgro, MP reasons why Pastor Orlan Racacho cannot do anything about heredity or Liberal Party Critic for Seniors and and his wife have found themselves the genes that one has but we can all Pensions involved in building a youth center do something about the environment. where these young people can find a Whether we like it or not, we are living Students protest against tuition fee hike place to gather and engage in more in the same planet, in the same wholesome activities than loiter neighborhood. We all breathe the around the Metro stations. same air, eat food from the same Managing and operating a source. If one of these things is youth center such as this is definitely a contaminated, we all suffer the same big challenge which will require the fate. In other words, we are all support of the whole community. The interconnected both physically, Borough Mayor Michael Applebaum emotionally, and spiritually. may be one of the sources of support With a Youth Center in our but what seems to be more important midst, there is no more reason to think is the support of every community that the Filipino community cannot be leader. It goes without saying that the united for a common goal. There is no whole is only as strong as its parts. more reason to work in isolation, nor Pastor Racacho has been calling for to waste time in endless rumors and more volunteers in implementing the political games. We have no time to activities as he envisioned but he also waste. A big job is waiting to be done, The Canadian Press Montreal, arms and taunting the officers, were welcomes other people’s input as to and we all can use our energy in February 23, 2012 - Student pepper-sprayed or shoved away. how we can make this Center fulfill its finding a way to help others. By doing demonstrators temporarily blocked The incident at the bridge mission - to make our young people so, we will surely forget all our past access to a Montreal bridge amid involved a small crowd of students and our leaders of tomorrow. As he conflicts and be motivated to work protests over tuition-fee hikes it came after a far larger, more orderly pointed out, we will not be here forever together. But this all depends on Thursday, triggering a brief showdown protest throughout the afternoon. and we must prepare our youth to take each and everyone’s willingness to with riot police. A much bigger group over. The question is - how do we accept and recognize what is more valuable and important in life. The shutdown of Jacques comprising thousands of students had prepare them to have leadership Cartier Bridge, a key access point to been marching peacefully through the skills? Filipinos in Montreal have organized hundreds of associations. Montreal, compelled riot police to move downtown streets while police kept It is common knowledge that in and clear the area to avoid a monster their distance.