Filipino Web Magazine : August 2024

Wednesday, 21 August 2024

Taste of Manila Fences Off Joints That Refuse to Dole Out Money

Volume 6, Issue No. 7

OPINION/COMMENTARY

/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /

. . . . . A community service of Romar Media Canada, 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 Wednesday, August 21, 2024

~ It's hard to believe that organizers of the recently-concluded Taste of Manila (ToM) festival would dive into the gutter for a few bucks while saying at the same time that they're for "inclusivity and diversity." The buzzwords sounded pleasant to the ear, but they're not true. One salon owner decried the shakedown he experienced when the ToM people installed a tall steel fence blocking passage to five establishments that apparently refused to shell out some cash demanded by unidentified festival officials.

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TEAMWORK BY TASTE OF MANILA ORGANIZERS

Fence Erected to Punish Recalcitrant Vendors

Filipino Salon Owner Reveals Shakedown

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

"Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely." - Lord Acton

TORONTO - Call it what you may - a shakedown, a hustle, extortion, a rip-off - and the "artists" (really? or simply con artists) in the Society of Philippine Artists, Recreation and Community (SPARC) had made good the threat to punish recalcitrant merchants.

That threat, aired a few years ago, physically materialized on Saturday, Aug. 17 and stayed through Sunday, Aug. 18 during the Taste of Manila (ToM) street festival in the form of a tall steel fence erected in front of several establishments facing the festival area.

Obviously, ToM organizers had failed to get compliance so they had to exact revenge by putting up the 13-14 ft. high barrier, which effectively barred customers from visiting the stores at a time when pedestrian traffic was highest at a portion of the north-south Bathurst St. temporarily converted into a huge shopping zone, entertainment centre, and alfresco eateries.

Years prior to ToM's recent staging under SPARC, ToM's so-called founder Rolly Mangante aka kabise, a retired driver at the Philippine Consulate, had wandered around the commercial hub popularly named Little Manila soliciting monetary support from storeowners.

(Related video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcZa99xeGW0).

From its first edition in August 2014 through the 2019 coronavirus pandemic, ToM had chalked up unprecedented successes as a street fair. The number of attendees rose each year even as some vendors complained about not earning enough to have a profit as most of the revenues went to ToM for payment of stalls.

That phenomenon had impacted Mangante so much that he practically forgot his background as a chauffeur. He relished being jokingly called "amba" for ambassador and "congen" for consul general.

Moreover, for one who was simply a car operator, he felt so powerful that he could summon federal, provincial and local politicians of all stripes to attend ToM, thus recasting the festival as a political forum, and boosting his reputation as a community organizer.

Once Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the rest of his Liberal caucus referred to him as "Tito Rolly" he sensed he was made, his head swelled bigger than the biggest watermelons on sale at No Frills or Food Basics.

He probably didn't realize that "tito" (or tio or tiyo) in Spanish and Tagalog is a deferential meaning "uncle" spoken to show respect for an elder. The feminine equivalent is "tita" (or tia or tiya) to mean auntie or aunt. Still, he felt close to wielders of power.

Some vendors interviewed for this story claimed he had forewarned them about the possibility of being shut out of the shopping area that Bathurst St. would be converted into once the festival gets going.

Mangante's entreaties had been repeatedly refused and for a good and logical reason: shop owners had been onsite for many years, and they didn't have to set up a booth and pay ToM to sell their wares.

It didn't sound acceptable. And so, in the middle of the night when nobody was looking, a 13-foot high fence was erected in front of five business establishments some 150 meters away from where the ToM stage was set up at the junction of Bathurst St. and Wilson Ave.

Of the many store fronts in the festival venue, a whole structure occupied by five establishments was blocked off, hindering passage to and from the businesses.

Customers had to walk up to the ends of the fence just to go in and exit, effectively obstructing access that could be difficult and painful for customers with physical disabilities.

"The theme for this year's celebration," according to SPARC, "is 'A Festival for Everyone,' emphasizing inclusivity and diversity. This means that every nationality is not only welcome but encouraged to participate . . . "

Evidently, it's an empty blurb, devoid of meaning. Coming from SPARC, it's not surprising though.

For months before staging ToM, its house propagandist using the pseudonym Marites Tolits (in reality, it's Rosemarie Ami-Seaborn alias Rose Ami alias Rose To) had been posting unreliable and exaggerated messages to draw attention to ToM.

Well, she might have succeeded in winning sponsors and attracting more vendors, boosting the potential to earn money from what is essentially a cash cow that is ToM.

Greed, not community service, is at the heart of many community events. Mangante's ToM by SPARC is no exception. It likes to reap the bounties but care less about promises to do something for the community.

ToM was not Mangante's idea, not at all. He stole it from the Philippine Consulate where he worked for years as a driver. Undeterred and emboldened, he and his loyal acolytes even went to the extent of stealing video footages from my YouTube channel to promote himself, his wife, their close friends, and ToM, in that order.

So greed finally reared its ugly head this past weekend. Those who rebuffed ToM reaped the whirlwind in the shape and strength of steel installed in front of their establishments.

Business owner Jonathan Mayor Pecpec decried what ToM and SPARC did to his business and to the rest of his neighbours. His friends wondered why ToM and SPARC tried to cripple his business for some small cash. It was petty and senseless.

(Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btf2yoU4AaE)

Saturday, 10 August 2024

Left-Leaning Filipino Tabloid Tumbles, Struggles to Survive

Volume 6, Issue No. 6

OPINION/COMMENTARY

/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /

Our latest as of Saturday, August 10, 2024

~ The pages of the once robust "twice a month" tabloid have dwindled and thinned, its articles reliant on press releases rather than staff, and its writers listed for decorative purposes than for reporting skills. Since 2023, The Philippine Reporter is struggling to survive the apparent loss of credibility, and consequently, the bread-and-butter advertising support, following a stunning exposé by a staffer its editors had almost succeeded in defrauding of her, and an intern's, hard-earned money. The bleak situation TPR is now in is evident in its frequency - from fortnightly to monthly.

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SPOTLIGHT ON THE PHILIPPINE REPORTER

Tabloid Tumbles from 'Twice a Month' to Monthly

The Deception by Its Editors Is Now Taking a Toll

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

"There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact." - Arthur Conan Doyle

TORONTO - The adjective "disingenuous" comes to mind when for the first time in months, my attention was called to the left's favorite propaganda sheet, The Philippine Reporter (TPR), which appears to be in the throes of being an unlamented vestige of the past.

As anyone who reads it (like myself, occasionally) knows, the tabloid is owned, edited, and managed by the couple Hermie Garcia and Mila A. Garcia, they who survived imprisonment and torture during the martial law years in the Philippines, not for being provincial journalists, but for rebellion.

FEATURE: 'Spirits of Sacrifice Nurturing Nations' by Michelle Chermaine ...

TPR comes out two times a month, its thinning pages virtually resemble a skeleton of what supposedly was a robust 35 years of publication. That was before Ms. Ramos' bombshell, however.

Perhaps the Garcias are not done with their deception. Starting in May, for example, TPR rolled out its issue that said "twice a month" in its masthead along with the grammatically erroneous slogan "News that matter to Filipino Canadians."

That edition was designated as "Volume 36 No. 4". The following month, in June, TPR came out again with "Volume 36 No. 5". It's obvious that the "twice a month" claim is a lie because the truth is right there. TPR, in fact, is a monthly from that time on.

Well, the Garcias sort of admitted it. So in TPR's July issue, they junked "twice a month" without saying anything about why they did. That edition is denoted "Volume 36 No. 6". So, from volume 36, numbers 4, 5, and 6, the paper has become a monthly.

Is TPR's shameful decline already happening? The only reason I could think of for this depressing development is the exposé by Ms. Ramos who bravely chronicled and reported the deception and fraudulent scheme she and the intern had experienced working with the Garcias.

Their trust had been abused and their naiveté exploited while the Garcias also made fools of top officials of the NEPMCC and Canadian Heritage whom they used to pull off their shady ruse.

NEPMCC is the implementing arm of the Local Journalism Initiative, a media project funded by Canadian Heritage to reach underserved communities. TPR was among NEPMCC members that received substantial grant money (meaning taxpayers' money) to hire reporters and, in this case, Ms. Ramos and the intern.

The assist being extended by their friends at NEPMCC to prop up TPR is questionable though not quite helpful. The loss of credibility is hard to surmount, particularly if it involved stiffing two of its own writers.

The NEPMCC has ignored requests for comment on Ms. Ramos' complaint. Canadian Heritage also did not address questions emailed to officials months ago.

I believe they decided to just stay quiet because of the humiliation the Garcias brought to the association and to the federal agency. Responding to questions would be tantamount to acknowledging loopholes in disbursing funds, which the Garcias exploited, and, therefore, affirming the validity of Ms. Ramos' complaint.

In the months since this website reported the exposé, the number of readers of the five articles I've written about TPR and the Garcias has shot up to unprecedented highs.

Some readers have expressed shock and outrage that some Filipinos would be in the business of conning their own kind because they could get away with it.

Sunday, 4 August 2024

Brampton: Unlicensed Raffles Constitute Illegal Gaming

Volume 6, Issue No. 5

OPINION/COMMENTARY

/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /

Our latest as of Sunday, August 4, 2024

~ Filipino seniors were told they could lodge their complaint against Fiesta Extravaganza in Brampton for raising money through the sale of raffle tickets to the regional police or the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario because the city has no jurisdiction over gaming. "Unlicensed raffles . . . constitute illegal gaming," an official said.

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FILIPINO SENIORS' COMPLAINT IN BRAMPTON

Unlicensed Raffles Are Illegal Gaming

Police, Ontario Could Probe Claim Against Festival

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

"Fraud and falsehood only dread examination. Truth invites it." - Samuel Johnson

TORONTO - Following a recent complaint by Filipino seniors, an official of the City of Brampton clarified that it has no jurisdiction over unlicensed raffles, but the parties could still bring the case to provincial gaming authorities and the regional police which investigate such matters.

The 143-member Filipino Seniors of Mississauga (FSM) had asked top city officials "to protect public interest" after allegations surfaced that Fiesta Extravaganza (FE) in Brampton had engaged in "illegal" fundraising through the sale of raffle tickets during its festival there on the weekend of July 13-14.

FSM president Rene Sevilla has described it as "a raffle that should not have been started at all in the first place without first obtaining a permit and license to do so."

His contention that the raffle was carried out without a permit and a license was not denied by Von Canton, the boastful president of FE.

In fact, in an email responding to questions from this reporter, he admitted to the screwup, or to "some oversight" as he called it.

"We acknowledge there was some oversight in obtaining a raffle permit," he stated.

"Our intent was not to launch a large fundraising effort, as the raffle was only promoted internally within our organization," he added.

Meanwhile, Shawnica Hans, a program manager at the City of Brampton, clarified last week that "Unlicensed raffles are contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada and, as such, constitute illegal gaming."

She stressed: "In Ontario, illegal gaming is investigated by the police or the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO)."

"If you wish to pursue this matter further," Hans told FSM, "you are welcome to reach out to either of the noted organizations. Peel Regional Police can be reached at 905.453.3311 and the AGCO can be reached at 416.326.8700."

FE had initiated selling raffle tickets at $2 apiece with the potential of winning a grand prize of $1,500; $750 second prize; and $250 third prize.

Canton's explanation that the raffle "was only promoted internally" contradicted his earlier statement, which said, "We relied on our patrons and supporters to raise funds . . . "

He then probably realized his blunder in admitting soliciting funds from outside his organization and promptly corrected it, stressing that "We only sell to friends, families and members. No sponsors and major supporters involved."

Canton's flip-flopping, which he attributed to a "typo," served only to heighten suspicion among those who patronized his festival. Some quarters believed the amount raised from the raffle tickets could be bigger than what he acknowledged.

According to knowledgeable sources, the reason Canton changed his tune - from relying on "patrons and supporters" to limiting the fundraising "to friends, families and members" - is to justify the $972 net proceeds FE made and shut anymore inquiries.

Based on the information provided by the City of Brampton, it's not immediately clear if FSM would pursue the case against FE and the people behind the festival with the police and gaming authorities.

Canton had sought to dispel doubts about FE in the wake of FSM's complaint by posting a list of nine names he called "winners" in the raffle. He refused to give contact emails or phone numbers, citing privacy concerns.

He posted the list on Facebook on Tuesday, July 23 at 12:36 p.m., or eight days after the event. He embedded the post in reply to my questions dated Monday, July 22 at 7:35 p.m.

In other words, it took him all of 19 hours to respond to the queries, and nearly two hours more before he stated in an email that, and I quote, "The allegation that there were no winners is incorrect."

He added: "While it's easy to make such claims, proving them is another matter. All winners have been contacted and notified, and almost all of them have already received their prizes."

He then provided an update on the distribution of proceeds, as follows:

Raffle Proceeds Breakdown:

Total Ticket Sales (Gross): $4,044
Cash Prizes: $2,500
Net Proceeds: $1,544

Sales from the Seniors Group:

Total Sales: $2,860
Commission (20%): $572
This commission will be transferred to their organization this week as part of our agreement for their efforts.

Summary:

Net Proceeds After Commission: $972
These funds will be directed to the event organizer to support the celebration.

Canton was obviously defensive in his reply. Actually, the complaint did not question whether there were winners or none. The focus was in the conduct of the raffle.

Says the complaint: "If the sale of these raffle tickets was done irregularly, that is, without authorization or license from the proper authorities, the issue and the big question that comes to mind, who has the legal right to the proceeds of the sales of the raffle tickets?"

Did the complaint force Canton to come up with the raffle "winners" knowing it's a big issue that could potentially damage his brand and reputation and further trigger a media investigation?

My initial article (https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2024/07/the-raffle-ticket-fiasco-by-fiesta.html) had gone viral within hours of its publication on Thursday, July 25.

Readers in Ottawa and Montreal told me they were "shocked" to learn about the complaint by Filipino seniors against Canton's fiesta extravaganza.

"That has been going on since 2018," they said of the raffle scheme. The unsolicited statement, while still unverified and unsupported up to this writing, was repeated at least several times by four different individuals.

On the basis of the complaint, I had ventured the opinion that the raffle appeared to be a rip-off and that there was possible wrong-doing.

Canton rejected the characterization, saying "the terms 'rip-off,' 'victimized,' and 'wrong-doing' do not apply to our organization's values and integrity."