Filipino Web Magazine

Friday, 13 March 2026

Poem Sets Off Memories of Years Ago

Volume 7, Issue No. 43

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 Friday, March 13, 2026

~ Reading is a delightfully rewarding experience passing time especially when one encounters passages that one feels speak out for himself. While immersed in the 2022 poetry book "the tears that taught me" by Morgan Richard Olivier, I came across verses I believe described an unpleasant situation of years ago.

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

'THE TEARS THAT TAUGHT ME'

Poem Sets Off Memories

of Hostility and Mockery

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

“Everyone laughs in the beginning.

They mock your efforts,

discredit your development,

and aim to distract you.

Let's see who keeps that energy in the end."

― Morgan Richard Olivier,

from her 2022 poetry book "the tears that taught me"

TORONTO - Writing this commentary does not mean reviving depraved instances in the early days of a journalism journey in Canada that began in January 2010.

I was engrossed in Morgan Richard Olivier's 2022 book of poems this week when a flood of memories crept back. One particular passage set me off, the one I quote here at the top.

Certainly it was there for our reading pleasure. But the vividness of her verses mirrors my situation at the time I was trying to resume a public service journalism I had begun in California in the mid-1990s.

I am struck by this poem for its simplicity in speaking about challenges anyone could face in pursuit of an idea. As a journalist, my goal is public-interest reporting, which includes ferreting out wrongdoing.

Pursuing that self-imposed mission is not without difficulty. In my experience, for example, I had to endure the scorn, the endless mockery, the physical and legal threats hurled at me for doing what I believe would benefit the community. It's a passion for service writ large.

"FOB (fresh off the boat)" I was called, not as an endearment but to ridicule me as an inexperienced wannabe in Toronto. That put-down came from a lawyer who, aside from having the morals of a dog in heat, passed himself off as "retired" but is actually disbarred for his financial and adulterous misadventures.

Then followed snide remarks such as "whorenalist" and "churnalist" from cohorts that consisted of fake journalists and a petty thief disguised as a "playwright."

All these invectives were lumped one after another and saw print in a left-leaning rag sheet whose corrupt publishers are reputed in some uninformed quarters as folk heroes. No, no, no, they're not! In truth, they're faux heroes.

When I settled in Toronto, only one dear friend knew my background as a foreign correspondent. That person was the late Tenny Soriano who himself had stints with the foreign press corps in Manila. (Related videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN7EkMlNLgQ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5Wuqttvm9Y).

At that time I noticed that most of the people in local newspaper publishing, except perhaps the departed Ruben Cusipag, were not familiar with such newspapers as the Asahi Shimbun in Japan and wire agencies like dpa (Deutsche Presse-Agentur), the German news agency headquartered in Hamburg, Germany.

I mention the two news organizations because I worked with them for a stretch of time. Before I joined Asahi and dpa, I struggled for stability even as I worked as a stringer for other foreign news agencies.

When I moved to the United States after an exhausting coverage of the Philippines from the tail end of Ferdinand E. Marcos' term to his overthrow in February 1986, to Corazon C. Aquino's assumption of the presidency (1986-1992) through people power revolution, to the first year of her successor General Fidel V, Ramos in 1993, I believed I'm sufficiently knowledgeable to engage in all aspects of journalism and its genre.

Filipino community newspapers in San Diego, California, and their owners and writers were not quite knowledgeable about news agencies except for the Associated Press and United Press International.

That same situation was palpable in Toronto's Filipino community. The dozen or so tabloids I familiarized myself with from 2010 to when the COVID pandemic struck in 2019, were eerily striking. It only meant the local tabloids had not gone outside their geographic scope.

I don't blame anybody. As the proverb says: "ignorance is bliss," meaning not knowing is better than knowing and worrying.

So those people who threw their offensive epithets at me for no reason could be disregarded, not forgiven, even if they are manifestly ignorant.

Tuesday, 3 March 2026

Cautionary Tales from the US-Israel War on Iran

Volume 7, Issue No. 42

OPINION/COMMENTARY

/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /

Our latest as of Tuesday, March 3, 2026

~ The layman's view of how the war in the Middle East between the joint US-Israel forces against Iran could impact the Philippines is out there for everyone to see. Not that it would spread to the Philippines, no. When Iran retaliated against the US and Israel, it simultaneously attacked seven other countries in the region hosting US military bases. Let that cautionary tale sink in. Currently, the Philippines hosts US bases that are potential targets should there be a major confrontation between the US, against China, North Korea and Russia.

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

DONALD TRUMP'S WAR VS. IRAN

The Unimaginable Consequences

of Hosting US Military Bases

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

“Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime.” ― Ernest Hemingway

TORONTO - The joint attack by the United States and Israel on Iran and Iran's retaliatory bombings this past weekend are cautionary tales the Philippines, our homeland, could learn from.

When the fog of war initially cleared, Iran's supreme leader and several high-ranking Iranian officials were declared dead. In Tel Aviv, Israel's economic and technological centre, the first casualty of Iran's counter attack was a Filipino caregiver. (Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9YJyDehHCY).

Multiple news outlets have reported that Iran also launched bombing raids on seven countries which host American military bases in the region, including Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar and United Arab Emirates.

The implication of such attacks for the Philippines is clear. Bases are magnets for military intervention by countries in conflict with the US, such as China, North Korea and Russia.

It's a policy of the US to fight its wars outside the continental US, thus it maintains about 750 military bases worldwide, according to a current listing. Unverified data claims that "Japan hosts the highest number of US military bases with 14 installations, followed by the Philippines and South Korea."

Currently the Philippines allows US forces to operate in nine locations throughout its length and breadth under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the US.

EDCA, the government explains, is not a permanent foreign base: the Philippines owns and controls all sites under Philippine law (10-year term, renewable by mutual consent).

However, while the Philippines permits the US to build facilities and pre-position defense equipment, aircraft, and vessels on the sites, EDCA rules out permanent basing in the country.

In March 2016, US military presence was limited to only five locations, namely: Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, Cesar Basa Air Base in Pampanga, Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, and Lumbia Airport in Cagayan de Oro.

The locations were expanded with the addition of four more sites in February 2023, and this includes Naval Station Narciso del Rosario in Balabac Island, Palawan; Camp Melchor F. de la Cruz in Gamu, Isabela; Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo, Cagayan; Naval Base Camilo Osias in Santa Ana, Cagayan.

Because of these bases, the Philippines is a potential target of nuclear attacks. There are fears that recent encounters between Filipino fishermen and Chinese coastguard in the disputed South China Sea could escalate.

For its defense, the Philippines relies heavily on the US. In exchange for that protection under the so-called Mutual Defense Treaty, the US could practically do anything.

In the event of a confrontation between the US and and its enemies, the Philippines is like a sitting duck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea. (Copyright 2026. All Rights Reserved).

Wednesday, 25 February 2026

Dr. Eileen de Villa: COVID Czar and Community Lifesaver

Volume 7, Issue No. 41

OPINION/COMMENTARY

/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /

Our latest as of Wednesday, February 25, 2026

~ Not much is said about the contribution of one outstanding Filipino doctor - Dr. Eileen de Villa - in containing the spread of coronavirus in Toronto, Canada's largest city, from the time of its discovery in late 2019 to May 2023 when the World Health Organization declared an end to international concern. A lawsuit against the province, the city and health authorities prompts this essay based on personal experience as a Toronto resident and journalist. Even as skeptics were spreading disinformation about vaccines, most of us, at the very least, should be grateful for this physician's concern for our health and safety. It's no exaggeration to say that because of her, many Torontonians survived the pandemic. At that time, she was the City's COVID Czar and continues to be the community's lifesaver.

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

DR. EILEEN DE VILLA

A Physician's Concern Saved

the Community from COVID

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

“We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” ― John F. Kennedy

TORONTO - An ongoing trial of a business owner who defied COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 has one of four respondents Dr. Eileen de Villa in her capacity as Toronto's Medical Officer of Health.

Daughter of two prominent Filipino physicians, she's well known in the Filipino community like her parents for their active involvement in community affairs. Her mom is cardiologist Dr. Maria Antonina "Nenette" de Villa, and her late dad, Dr. Guillermo "Jun" de Villa, was an obstetrician/gynecologist.

In May 2024, a year after conquering COVID-19, Dr. Eileen announced she would resign her position effective Dec. 31, 2024, to devote time to her family. In an interview with this reporter the following month, she responded to critics of her decision to control the spread of COVID-19 at the height of the pandemic. (Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gicm7LdB8xI).

"The kinds of things . . . undertaken were always done with the best interests of the people of Toronto, thinking about their health and what would improve it and protect it the most," she explained then.

The litigation initiated by Adam Skelly, owner of Adamson barbecue in Etobicoke, revolves around constitutional issues that the province of Ontario, the City of Toronto, the City's Board of Health, and Dr. de Villa allegedly violated. It continues this week at the Superior Court of Ontario on University Ave.

Setting aside the politics, the legalities and the pros and cons of the lawsuit, I'd say that the health protocols Dr. de Villa had instituted and managed in the city helped a lot of people, myself included, in overcoming COVID-19.

Until now, questions were raised against the effectiveness of the vaccines and whether they were necessary in the face of rising number of cases and deaths attributed to COVID-19.

Despite some skepticism, vaccination "remains the most effective intervention for preventing severe outcomes of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death," according to Public Health Ontario.

Because I believe in science, I had no qualms getting vaccinated with either Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. In fact, I was one of the early residents who had to queue for hours to get my first vaccine in 2019.

Millions of Canadians have survived the COVID-19 pandemic due to availability of newly-developed vaccines and the unrelenting recommendation by health authorities to be immunized against the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) coronavirus.

As of April 2024, with a population of 38.39 million, Canada registered 4,946,090 cases of COVID-19 out of which 59,034 died, and 4,881,312 recovered. City-wide statistics for Toronto were not available as of this writing.

Compared that with the US (population: 334.8 million) where opposition to vaccines was robust, there were 111.82 million cases, 1.219 million deaths, and 109,814,428 recovered.

As a Toronto resident, I followed strictly the health bulletins coming out of Toronto Public Health Office, the largest public health agency in Canada which Dr. de Villa headed from 2017 to 2024 and had 2,486 employees operating under a $344,596,400 budget.

To me her edict was an expression of love, care, and concern for a family bigger than hers. Never for a moment did I doubt her sincerity in making sure everyone stayed healthy.

Knowing she's a medical professional and not a politician, a mother, and a Filipino was very comforting. That much trust and confidence I had, still have, for her, which I feel were enough to get one by, especially in moments of crises like the pandemic. That last description tells a lot because every Filipino equates to family values that put a premium on love and care.

I can't thank Dr. de Villa enough for her compelling advisories. And that gratitude is shared by family and friends who benefitted from her guidance and stayed healthy throughout the pandemic and beyond.

The lawsuit currently in litigation has prompted me to revisit Dr. de Villa's activities, primarily as the City's Medical Officer of Health, and as a member of the Filipino community. (Related video: Toronto Officials Urge Residents to Get Vaccinated). She's very much supportive of the arts. (Related video: Six-Day Art Show by Filipino Artists at Toronto City Hall).

Six-Day Art Show by Filipino Artists at Toronto City Hall

Her dad was instrumental in organizing the non-profit Filipino Centre Toronto (FCT) in 2000 and became its first chairman. Her mom is very much involved too. Yet their role in FCT has not been accorded the respect it deserves. It escapes me why there's not even a bio sketch of Dr. Guillermo "Jun" de Villa, Dr. Eileen's father, in the FCT website.

Instead, we see a bunch of what may be called "Johnny-come-latelyis" or what the dictionary says are "what you'd call someone who shows up late and then acts as if they're expert on whatever situation is at hand." Just to be clear, I don't mean to disrespect the three individuals FCT pays tribute to. And also, I don't mean this to be a brief against its current officials either.

However, it's a pity how FCT has devolved in recent years once it got millions of dollars from the sale of its old building. To get an idea why that is, just watch the videos below and read the articles listed here.