Filipino Web Magazine

Saturday, 22 August 2026

Taste of Manila Makes Outlandish Claim

Volume 8, Issue No. 9

OPINION/COMMENTARY

/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /

. . . . . A community service of The Filipino Web Channel (TheFilipinoWebChannel@gmail. com) and the Philippine Village Voice (PhilVoiceNews@gmail.com) for the information and understanding of Filipinos and the diverse communities in North America . . . .

Our latest as of Saturday, August 22, 2026

~ It must be part of the social media hype to market the street festival to another venue outside city limits of Toronto. The claim has been posted that Taste of Manila has generated more than half-a-million attendees last week in so constricted a place as Little Manila in North York. Police authorities would not venture an estimate. Without proof, however, organizers said 600,000 people came. Really?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

ANOTHER EXAGGERATION?

ToM Street Festival's

Outlandish Claim

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

“There are some people so addicted to exaggeration that they can't tell the truth without lying.” — Josh Billings

TORONTO - In their usual exaggerated way, organizers of the recently-concluded Taste of Manila (ToM) festival make the outlandish claim that 600,000 people attended the event in the unofficial Little Manila neighbourhood.

It's hard to imagine how that huge number of people could fit into a four-lane, seven-hundred meter stretch (from Wilson Ave.) of Bathurst St., the north-south arterial road in North York, without raising public safety concerns.

This year, as in the past two years, the so-called Society of Philippine (scam?) Artists, Recreation and Community (SPARC) has been consistently contending rising numbers without offering proof of how they reached that conclusion.

Absent that, the statistics appear to have been extrapolated, meaning conjectural, possibly to lull supporters into believing the money they poured in was worth spending.

When asked, Toronto Police could not provide an estimate of how big the crowd was. "We don't have a crowd estimate for this event," a spokesman says.

He suggested to inquire from organizers. I responded by saying people there tended to inflate everything to please sponsors, partners, and vendors.

Explains the spokesman: "Crowds at an event like a street festival are extremely difficult to accurately provide as the crowds are fluid and people are coming and going during the entire event."

On the other hand, he says, "a crowd at an event which is stationary, such as a concert or demonstration, is easier to estimate using drones and other methods."

So how did SPARC, the group hired by so-called ToM founder Rolly Mangante to stage the festival, come up with such huge number in an area constricted by houses, onsite stores, restaurants, booths, and entertainment platforms?

The biggest establishment there is the No Frills supermarket, which sits next to TD Bank, a popular retailer visited by hundreds if not thousands of shoppers everyday of the week. Did SPARC count them too?

One of only three members comprising SPARC - none of which is an artist in the sense of "a person skilled in any of the arts" as opposed to a scam artist or "a person who is very good at something" - is a notorious troll with three names.

https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2023/07/will-taste-of-manila-festival-push.html

Saturday, 15 August 2026

Atin Ito Newspaper - a Rarity in Filipino Community Journalism

Volume 8, Issue No. 8

OPINION/COMMENTARY

/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /

Our latest as of Saturday, August 15, 2026

~ Its staying power makes the newspaper Atin Ito a rarity in Filipino community journalism in Canada, specifically in the Greater Toronto Area where it is dominant. The periodical commemorates its fifth decade of service on October 3, a true milestone of achievement, a testament to its ability to survive challenges and pursue goals. "Now marking our 51st year of continuous publication," its August 2026 masthead proclaims. The monthly tabloid has been echoing our voice, if not the voice of the Filipino community in Canada, speaking for us where elected leaders fail.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

GOLDEN YEARS OF SERVICE

At 50 Years, Atin Ito Is a Rarity

in Community Journalism

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

“A newspaper is a mirror reflecting the public, a mirror more or less defective, but still a mirror.” — Arthur Brisbane

TORONTO - A feat by itself, unto itself, for the community.

Indeed, by faithfully chronicling events here and in the homeland, Atin Ito newspaper is fulfilling a responsibility essential for the understanding of people and events in the community.

It's an unenviable task, inherent in every periodical, no other Filipino paper of note could match. For that alone, our (as implied in its name) newspaper should be celebrated.

Even in man-years, 50 is not just a number to be counted; rather it's a watershed moment that distinguishes the person, and in this instance, Atin Ito, from the rest of the media rat pack.

Fifty years of resilience ought to be marked, not because the clock says so, but because of the enduring human qualities behind such passage of time.

Half a century of being there, in good and bad times, keeping us abreast of developments here and in the homeland, tracking how we manage to survive and thrive, and to many, triumph over our own adversity - that in a nutshell is Atin Ito.

Whatever its viewpoints on issues here in Canada and in the Philippines, I feel an immense pride in seeing and knowing one Filipino community newspaper has been in the vanguard advancing causes impacting Filipinos.

One example is the controversy Atin Ito had ignited and which resulted in drastic changes in processing and hiring of caregivers. That's a remarkable achievement for a community newspaper. (Related story:

https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2019/08/eddie-lee-non-journalist-publishing.html).

I'd reported for Manila newspapers for years prior to nearly two decades working as a foreign correspondent, but the feeling of belonging, of being part of a small community interacting, and at times dissenting, with the mainstream through the practice of journalism is something to be commemorated.

Because that exactly was Atin Ito in its formative years, has been in the thick of it 50 years hence, and in the next 50.

I learn all these in reviewing its early issues compiled in a binder that Eddie Lee had shown me during an informal lunch meeting with friends.

Fifty years past, the paper has stood strong in its commitment to serve despite the idiocy by a competing tabloid minimizing its existence. That tabloid's publisher falsely claimed in a Facebook post last month, and I quote: "Balita is now the only newspaper in the community, out of 24 before the pandemic and after, Balita was the only one left . . . " I for one take issue with that because it's a lie.

Half-a-century of experience is an accomplishment to crow about, not an event to be disparaged by stupidity and ignorance.

Come this October, the tabloid that morphed from a mimeographed newsletter to a reliable, full colour periodical that proudly declares "this is ours" - or in the Tagalog vernacular Atin Ito - marks five decades of service to the Filipino community.

By age, Atin Ito is the oldest Filipino newspaper in Canada, bar none. That it stayed afloat for those long years speaks well of the persistent endeavour that has animated its founders and owners, Eddie Lee and Marita R. Lee.

Monday, 10 August 2026

Taste of Manila, the Cash Cow of a Family, Is for Sale

Volume 8, Issue No. 7

OPINION/COMMENTARY

/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /

. . . . . A community service of The Filipino Web Channel (TheFilipinoWebChannel@gmail.com) and the Philippine Village Voice (PhilVoiceNews@aol.com) for the information and understanding of Filipinos and the diverse communities in North America . . . .

Our latest as of Monday, August 10, 2026

~ Beneath the boisterous celebration typical of street festivals, the Taste of Manila (ToM) has a dark side not many people notice. Its officials betrayed colleagues that triggered a $1.5-million lawsuit. They stole photos and video footages and manipulated them to raise the profiles of family and friends. They also tried to extort money from uncooperative vendors. Amidst this backdrop, reports say ToM is up for grabs. And this month, ToM is up and running again. What's the deal now?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

IS TASTE OF MANILA, THE CASH COW, FOR SALE?

Wrongdoings Cast a Shadow

on 2026 ToM Street Festival

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

"It is more shameful to distrust our friends than to be deceived by them." - Confucius

TORONTO - Sometime this month, the Taste of Manila (ToM) festival is staged again. Beneath its rosy outlook lurks a string of wrongdoings on the margins of criminal activity.

Outright stealing, explicit extortion, literal betrayals, and accounts of alleged scams by its top officials are shielded to favour a wholesome presentation for unmindful patrons.

Now comes this unconfirmed report that ToM is being sold at a whopping $800,000. Sources claimed officials are shopping for buyers.

One reason bandied about is its self-declared founder, the former driver Rolly Mangante, wants to liquefy his "asset" while the festival still enjoys public support and then retire in comfort.

It could not be determined if the purported sale is linked to a $1.5-million lawsuit filed in 2023 by International Entertainment Company (IEC) against Mangante and Society of Philippine Artists, Recreation and Community (SPARC), his current agent.

Whether this suit, titled CV-22-00691063 at the Superior Court of Justice, has been settled or not remains vague. Neither party would clarify its status.

In December 2022, IEC announced the lawsuit after Mangante contracted SPARC to run ToM for the next three years starting in 2024 despite an existing contract between IEC and Mangante.

The infighting is one of the consequential episodes in the life of ToM. It demonstrates betrayal, and the length Mangante would go to better his standing in the community.

(Related videos:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGVqgszwyYA starting at 4:11 mark).

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4ap92btLM8

Prior to ToM fest in 2023, IEC and ToM agreed to collaborate in the matter of marketing and booth sales. That agreement, however, made no mention of the $1.5-million lawsuit. Whether it is part of a settlement is not clear, either.

One extraordinary incident that upset patrons was the installation in August 2024 of a steel fence blocking access to stores and vendors who refused to pay toll to ToM.

Organizers billed it as a "donation" to disguise a shakedown, a real attempt to extort money, from onsite vendors along Bathurst St., a few meters from the main stage for the ToM program. (Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btf2yoU4AaE).

Saturday, 8 August 2026

Filipino Patriotism Surges in Toronto Due to Alex Eala

Volume 8, Issue No. 6

OPINION/COMMENTARY

/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /

Our latest as of Saturday, August 8, 2026

~ Alexandra "Alex" Eala's visit to Toronto, Canada's largest city, to compete in the Canadian Open is indistinguishable from a family homecoming where the entire clan turns up to greet and shower its hospitality. The genuine show of affection is something unprecedented in the Filipino community. Alex is practically a unifying force, not through politics, but through a sport she grew up with.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

TENNIS IS HER DRIVING FORCE

Alex Eala Sparks Massive Show of Filipino Patriotism in Toronto

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

"Men love their country, not because it is great, but because it is their own." - Seneca the Younger

TORONTO - Filipinos found a way to show their passion in a show of massive support for Alexandra "Alex" Eala, the tennis superstar who captivated a global audience through humility in victory.

For the 21-year-old Metro Manila-born athlete to achieve so many firsts at such a young age in a sport not as popular as basketball and boxing in the homeland defies rationalization.

The "Eala-mania" phenomenon that she triggered and rocked the tennis world is at best patriotism in the flesh. Alex showed it, not only by wrapping herself in the Philippine flag but in carrying the weight of the country she's representing.

Her actions and spoken words reflect an unmistakable love of country and what it all means - in the culture, in food, in history, in human relations.

She proudly showed the world what a Filipino is through the flower (sampaguita), the proverb (kapag lumago, hindi hihinto), the food (chicken adobo), the fruit (banana), and the garment (terno or Maria Clara gown for formal occasions).

No athlete has shown this much respect for her heritage. That she speaks Tagalog, English and Spanish all the more affirms a distinct Filipino identity shaped by historical antecedents. (Related video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HYXSChTpsE).

Alex Eala is a microcosm of the Philippines' rise from colonization by Spain and the United States who triumphed over adversity. Tennis is simply her medium to evoke those attributes.

In Toronto, she's afforded the chance to revitalize her play, winning back the Filipino diaspora that has been absorbed into the mainstream, to take a look again at their modest beginnings in the homeland.

Outside of the traditional community, people wonder how Filipinos could summon a huge following in so little time from within their own backyard. Well, the answer is in Alex Eala herself, not in the tennis.

Tennis is the instrument, the driving force, that permits them to spend time, money, and celebrate one of their own in the most visible manner possible. In this sense, she is a unifying force.

Alex Eala is correct in saying she feels very much at home whenever she competes because of the presence of hundreds of Filipinos cheering for her. Toronto is not an exception, though she has no relatives here.

"It's my first time here in Toronto, and this was such a memorable match. There were so many Filipinos in the crowd, and so many flags. I am eternally grateful," she says during a post-match press conference.

"Eala's popularity," according to CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corp.) "has been driven by a massive Filipino diaspora, but also the vitality of her dramatic wins and charismatic interviews."

"I feel so much love . . . To be Filipino is something I take so much pride in . . . I'm so grateful that they made me feel like I'm home," she says.

Tuesday, 4 August 2026

Is Tess Cusipag Lying Again Through Her Teeth?

Volume 8, Issue No. 5

OPINION/COMMENTARY

/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /

Our latest as of Tuesday, August 4, 2026

~ The facts speak for themselves. But for the publisher of Balita tabloid, her version of facts is entirely different. And here we are, confronted again by the prospect of another lawsuit because she openly disregards the truth and spins the story to suit her dubious standing.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

She Claims Paying a Total

of $1.5-Million in Damages

BUT THE CHEQUES TELL A DIFFERENT STORY

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

"I don't think you're going to pull the wool over anyone's eyes with all this macrame talk." - FayJay

TORONTO - The three-time loser and once imprisoned publisher of Balita, Teresita "Tess" Cusipag, has potentially opened herself, again, to another defamation lawsuit with a recent posting on Facebook.

" . . . Because I was the one with the money, the lawsuits payoff was shouldered by me alone. Almost 1.5M," she says. Those words are loaded with lies, e.g. "shouldered by me alone" and "Almost 1.5M".

For context, approximately one-and-a-half-million dollars or almost $1.5 million was the figure I used in my previous articles.

It represents the sum total of all the damages and costs of the three lawsuits she lost, including the latest one initiated by businesswoman Liwayway Miranda. In each of the suits, Ms. Cusipag was ordered by the courts to pay nearly half-a-million dollars to the plaintiffs.

The barefaced lie that serves to strengthen her "millionaire" status is the claim that she alone "shouldered" paying the aggregated amount.

One of her sons had written three cheques, with his name, address, and bank account imprinted on them, for damages, costs and interest totalling $414,714.86 incurred in another defamation suit.

Those three cheques by and from her son belie her declaration, meaning she did not actually pay the entire $1.5 million by herself.

But the equally significant part of her statement is the amount - $1.5-million - which implies she has already complied with the decision of Superior Court Judge R. Lee Akazaki and upheld by a panel of three justices of the Court of Appeal for Ontario to compensate Ms. Miranda.

That false assertion puts Ms. Miranda in a bind. For one, her lawyers who are also waiting to be paid would now cast aspersions on her because she insists not a dime has been remitted to her.

And here contradicting that is Ms. Cusipag publicly saying she's already paid a total of $1.5 million. Without her realizing it, she basically calls Ms. Miranda a liar.

If Ms. Cusipag's intent is to reclaim her sagging reputation as a "millionaire," then she flatly fails, and places herself in a vulnerable position.

Based on my own experience as a reporter for Balita for seven years, obfuscating the truth seemed to be one of the hallmarks of her influence as publisher and so-called editor of the tabloid.

While there, I had tried so hard to wean away the paper's editorial outlook from the kind of reporting that bordered on gossip and rumor-mongering.

Contrary to a wild statement she posted on Facebook attacking my person but deleted promptly, I owe Balita nothing. I owe Ms. Cusipag nothing.

On the other hand, it's Ms. Cusipag and Balita who owed me everything for the years I worked there as a reporter (with the fancy but meaningless title of associate editor) and columnist upon invitation by founder Ruben Cusipag.

If not for Canada Revenue Agency which conducted an audit, I would not have known that my tenure constituted employment which entitled me to pecuniary benefits that Ms. Cusipag hid and denied.

To this day, she would not admit to any wrongdoing even at that time she was sentenced to 21 days in prison for criminal contempt resulting from her attack on a judge of the Ontario Superior Court. She cried crocodile tears and led away. (Related video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9ykwazA-WE).

Her recent post declares, and I quote: "People all know that the law cases were not to my wrongdoings but for somebody whom I trusted to help but instead put us in a lot of trouble."

Out of respect for the late Ruben Cusipag who I considered a colleague, I am not to be lured by her into reacting to what he did and did not during his lifetime. Let me just say he was a journalist in the truest sense of the word.

His widow is a far cry from him. Her sense of values swings from people who applaud to people who admonish. I belong to the latter category because my own principles as a person and journalist do not tolerate wrongdoing by friend or foe.

If some people perceived me as waging personal battles they are wrong. Ideally, investigative journalism does not distinguish between a buddy and an adversary. It's the act, the misdeed, that's being uncovered, and why, by the person committing it.

When she is exposed, Ms. Cusipag's usual reaction is to launch into unproven personal attacks. That is borne out by five defamation lawsuits she, Balita and I (in some cases) had faced and lost.

The first two suits that also involved me had prevailed, much of it because of her poor choice of lawyers. The third by Ms. Miranda also succeeded for basically the same reason. (Copyright 2026. All Rights Reserved.)