PPCO Ignores Elephant in the Room But Sings Praises to Itself

Volume 5, Issue No. 21

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, January 10, 2024 

~ Recounting history and mixing it with contemporary events looks good in romanticizing the past and present developments in the Filipino community in the Greater Toronto Area. It seems, however, that the elephant in the room, i.e. the current scandal involving a former president of the local press association who lied and deceived two writers in his staff and then laid the blame on the federal Department of Canadian Heritage is being intentionally ignored. 

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IGNORING A MEDIA COLLEAGUE'S SCATHING COMPLAINT 

PPCO and the Damning Exposé of Lies and Wrongdoing

Wannabe Historian Disses Critic But Sings Praises for His Club

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ 

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

"The world is full of bullshitters, liars, and triers and quitters, coulda-beens, wannabe's, thought-I-was, isn't-I-is's . . . and everybody in your business". - Aceyalone

TORONTO - A wannabe historian writing for one of the Filipino tabloids has mercifully concluded his series of articles about everything the community would rather forget for their absurdity. 

The storyteller would be pleased to know that I conscientiously keep printed copies of what he has penned, less for their importance than for the sheer delight of knowing how he evaded seeing things beyond the superficial.

Record-keeping is a habit formed in the early days of practising journalism when computer or digital file was yet to be developed. It helped me a lot during my tenure as a foreign correspondent to two international news agencies.

Stored in the garage to this day are boxes and boxes of news clippings, photos, and copies of newspapers dating back to the early 90's in California where I transitioned to community journalism.

To be clear, I do not wish to elevate this wannabe to new heights of recognition, but I thought I needed to react to his recent broadsides even though he did not identify me by name, instead alluding to, in his words, "a naughty writer".

The obvious reference to me is unmistakable since I believe I'm the only one with the courage to critique the Philippine Press Club Ontario for its many failures to function as an objective and independent media organization.

In fact, it has become a willing tool for politicians and community leaders of questionable motives, and some of its members act like their stooges.

The wannabe historian disliked my calling PPCO Philippine Praise Club Ontario. His enmity lies apparently in the word "praise" which, for people with a tribal accent and those hard of hearing, sounds "press." I deliberately spelled it "praise" to mean applaud, compliment, flatter, glorify, hail, etc. for that's what it's good at.

Of course it's undeniably a dig at the Philippine Press Club Ontario, the social club of fun-loving, selfie-obsessed denizens captivated by the prestige and weight of being called a member of the fourth estate and authenticated by an ID card that says "PRESS" in bold letters.

To be fair, there are real journalists there, but they are outnumbered by what I'd like to call "the trying hards" - those who managed to secure membership without having to prove their legitimacy as active, practising media persons.

I believe that the bar is so low that any Tom, Dick & Harry could be a member even in the absence of a media organization to vouch for them. And the result?

Well, the proliferation of social climbers preoccupied with being photographed with federal, provincial, and city authorities, and top officials of public and private organizations, and posted to social media for their glorification.

True to the mockery that I pinned on the group, the wannabe historian had nothing but praises for PPressCO, its past leaders, and its purported contributions in shaping the Filipino community.

"I believe the Philippine Press Club-Ontario (PPC-O) is more relevant today than any time in the past because of the problems in the community and the global crises," he wrote in the August 2023 issue of Atin Ito tabloid.

He continued: "While being a social club for media people was one of the aims of the group, it was governed by a strong belief in human rights and freedom of expression that covered freedom of the press but with accountability and responsibility. It is not a freedom to disseminate lies, false or malicious accusations or fabrications. It is governed by rules of ethics. . . "

Its publication in August was a good two months past the damning exposé by artist Michelle Chermaine Ramos about the lies and deception by Hermie Garcia and Mila A. Garcia, the conjugal editors of the left-leaning The Philippine Reporter, in withholding her and an intern's salaries for months, blaming the federal Department of Canadian Heritage for it, and hiding the failed scam from the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada.

(Full stories and details at: 

1. https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2023/06/lies-deceptions-by-philippine-reporter.html)

2. https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2023/10/canadian-heritage-acts-on-funding-local.html

Yet the wannabe historian, if he deserved his status as a PPressCO director, made no mention of this story that should have been consistent with his writing about the club's adherence to the principles of accountability, responsibility and ethics. Hermie Garcia was a former PPressCO president.

Would PPressCO take up the cudgels for Ms. Ramos and the intern knowing these two writers are colleagues and Hermie Garcia its former president? Is he untouchable?

(Video of Ms. Ramos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8FT2kEZfls) 

(Video of Hermie and Mila Garcia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLvaII3dtMw).

That's of particular importance to me because of his glowing tribute and repeated acknowledgment of the couple. What they did (as alleged but never challenged) was basically wrong and could be classified as classic deception by the Garcias of the ever-trusting Ms. Ramos and the intern.

I find it ironic that the wannabe took note of the community's failings in this wise: " . . . we don't trust each other with money. We would rather trust the banks and other people than our own. That is our greatest weakness as a people". 

Well-spoken, isn't it? (Copyright 2024. All Rights Reserved).

Pasay City and Memories of Yesteryears

Volume 5, Issue No. 20

/ 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 Monday, January 8, 2024 

~ The old city on the banks of Manila Bay has lost much of its charm owing to urban growth that saw much of the waterfront being reclaimed, essentially creating a new city within the political and geographical boundaries of Pasay City. Ms. Clang Garcia, book author and gourmet, who was visiting Toronto weeks ago, and this reporter, had pleasant memories about the locality we discovered in the course of an interview is the same area we both grew up in. 

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INTERVIEW WITH MS. CLANG GARCIA

Conversation Turns Into a Trip Down Memory Lane 

The Book Author and Gourmet Was in Toronto for a Brief Visit

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ 

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

"There are events in one's life which, no matter how remote, never fade from memory". - Jim Corbett

TORONTO - Leafing through the glossy pages of Ms. Clang Garcia's Philippine Food Holidays is like taking a grand vacation with the diverse food there for the taking plus an overview of the whole spectrum of the changing landscapes one can only find in the 7,100 islands comprising the country.

She gifted me with a copy of her book, autographed and wax-sealed for authenticity, during an hour-long interview that swirled into a conversation much like between friends who had long lost contact with each other.

Over lunch of crispy pata, daing na bangus, and pinakbet at Casa Manila restaurant on Dec. 29, the question-and-answer inevitably veered towards matters of peculiar interest to us, perhaps an indication that we're at ease with each other. (Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHxFoFEc16o).

Halfway through the hour when the dishes were being served, Clang disclosed that she was born and raised in Pasay City. The mere mention of the locality rang a bell for, at that very moment, it took me back to the same place.

"Where in Pasay?" I asked without telling her that I knew the city like the palm of my hand. "Along F.B. Harrison St., actually on Villaruel St.," she said. It was an OMG moment. To hear her saying that immediately established a connection.

The length of that major road artery starting from the west-east Vito Cruz St. (now renamed Pablo Ocampo St.) that bordered the City of Manila up to Libertad St. to the south was kind of a playing field for me and childhood friends.

My reminiscing the olden days surprised Clang. I knew all the streets within a one-kilometer radius of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish Church, our church, where, Clang remembers, Ninoy and Cory Aquino were wed in October 1954.

From where my parents had relocated to Pasay City in the 50's from Naic, Cavite was just a block from Clang's. Our street, Perla, was at that time the choice housing spot for many province mates hoping to find gainful employment in Manila.

Ours was no different. My father had wanted us six siblings to study and pursue our ambitions. His earnings from his day job as cochero, and fisherman at night were not enough to support us.

Luck smiled on him later. His sturdy built fitted well with the job he had applied for - as machinist, a pressman - at The Manila Chronicle in Intramuros, Manila.

My brothers, sisters, and I, all grew up in Pasay City. As did Clang, she said, and began telling her story that somehow tied us to a locale common to both of us.

In grade school I went to Andres Bonifacio Elementary School on Leveriza and David streets, I told Clang, ang again she was surprised to know, for it's the same school she went to.

Her grandpa, she confided, had always gone to Perla St. to buy processed meat like corned beef and hotdogs because he felt they tasted much better than those available in the market.

I explained why because I knew why. The person who had been doing that - years older but still was a contemporary - used to work at Pure Foods Corp. Apparently, his children and grandchildren had inherited the knowledge and have created a home-based business of meat processing.

The Pasay of today is so much different from the Pasay I knew growing up. Buendia Ave., for example, had been renamed Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. and extended from its terminus at Taft Ave. to connect with Roxas Blvd. (formerly Dewey Blvd).

The shores of Manila Bay had been significantly reduced, erasing any trace of what once was our recreation area along the length of Dewey Blvd. 

On reclaimed land now stands practically a new city within the city where one finds the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Philippine International Convention Center, the Folks Arts Center, the Film Center, the Senate of the Philippines, the Mall of Asia, and other landmarks.

Talking with Clang was a fresh peek into over half-a-century of personal history and urban growth. I wonder if the horse-drawn kalesa still ply the streets from the public market on Libertad to home.

The only other person who shared a similar experience with me is the popular songwriter and singer Mon Torralba (remember his Hotdog band hit Pers Lab?) who, before his musical talent was bared to the world, resided in Pasay City at a street named Valhalla.

Clang also remembers walking from home to the Rizal City Bakery at F.B. Harrison and Perla St. to buy a bag of hot pandesal. It had been gone a long time ago. In those days when privacy was not much of an issue, my friends and I would slip into the working area and watch bakers cut up slices of dough that would become pandesal.

The Chinese restaurant at the next corner of San Juan St. and Harrison was the family's favorite for pancit. In good times when money was available, we would take a jeepney ride to Libertad for the more luxuriant, and expensive, pancit at Harlem restaurant.

The Commonwealth President Manuel Quezon (Related video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8FT2kEZfls) had a mansion on Roberts St., which is not far from either Perla or Villaruel. A kilometer away to the north at Salud St. was the residence of Senate President Eulogio "Amang" Rodriguez.

The length and breadth of Dewey Blvd. from Vito Cruz to Libertad streets, at least, had served as a playground. My childhood friends usually rented bicycles to roam the area. Quezon's abandoned mansion had been a big mystery to us. We thought it was ghostly.

One event etched in my mind was seeing US President Dwight Eisenhower in a motorcade along Dewey Blvd. in Pasay on his way to Malacanang from the airport in 1960.

All these memories came back during the interview with Clang. Because she also knew the places, it was not difficult to share stories from yesteryears. (Copyright 2024. All Rights Reserved).

Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Year to All

Within days believers in the faith will celebrate Christmas. The day, as they say, is just around the corner. It's true, Christmas day is on Monday, the 25th of December. 

In observance of that day, we take pause from everything. For our part here at Romar Media Canada, we like to share these thoughts from Buddha ("Awakened One" or "Enlightened One"):

“Live in joy, in love,
even among those who hate.

Live in joy, in health,
even among the afflicted.

Live in joy, in peace,
even among the troubled.

Look within, be still.
Free from fear and attachment,
know the sweet joy of the way.”

To the millions of viewers, subscribers, supporters, friends, and family, Merry Christmas 2023! The promise of a wonderful and fruitful New Year is upon us! Thank you all. 

Romy Márquez

Editor

Issues Affecting the Ethnic Press and a Member Go Unaddressed

Volume 5, Issue No. 19

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 Tuesday, December 19, 2023 

~ The year 2023 will soon fade into oblivion, bringing with it the tumultuous events of national and international import. On the community level though, issues that directly impact us remain unacted and uncommented while the parties to the problem are enabled arrogantly. Hopefully, shining a light, again, on misdeeds by people familiar to us would help thwart the commission of such wrongs.

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INJUSTICE BY INACTION

Why Did a Local Tabloid Hold Money for Writers' Salaries for Months When There's Lots of It on Their Hands? 

Uncovering Hermie Garcia's Lies and Deceptions

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ 

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

"The smallest evil, if neglected, will reach the greatest proportions".  - Graffiti in Pompeii attributed to Pliny the Younger

TORONTO - For the months before and after a complaint against the editors of a Filipino tabloid was brought to the attention of the authorities, the top official of the ethnic press club continued to harp on the availability of federal money to fund the government's information outreach to underserved villages, particularly in the Greater Toronto Area where the bulk of community periodicals circulate.

For January, February, March, April, May, June, and July last year (2022), Thomas Saras, president and chief executive officer of the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada (NEPMCC), religiously reported on the status of the Local Journalism Initiative (LJI), the project it was implementing on behalf of the Department of Canadian Heritage (or Canadian Heritage).

"The LJI budget has been increased for the current year and for the next business year," minutes of his sessions with members posted in the NEPMCC website quoted him as saying again and again through those seven monthly meetings via Zoom.

"Current" appeared to indicate 2022, and "next business year" was a look into the near future, 2023 to be exact, that guaranteed funding.

Saras did not quantify the yearly allocation from Canadian Heritage, neither the percentage increase, nor the reason for the raise. What was clear was that there's money waiting to be tapped by media members of NEPMCC wanting and qualified to join the LJI.

The LJI, explained Saras, "supports the creation of original civic journalism that covers the diverse needs of underserved communities across Canada".

He continued: "Funding is available to eligible Canadian media organizations to hire an unemployed journalist or pay freelance journalists to produce civic journalism for underserved communities".

One of the LJI participants was the left-leaning The Philippine Reporter (TPR), the fortnightly tabloid owned and edited by Hermie Garcia and wife Mila A. Garcia who, in their younger years, were both incarcerated by the martial law regime of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. for alleged subversion through the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines.

In his Notebook column of January 10, 2014, Hermie Garcia wrote that he and wife, in his own words, "were arrested on trumped-up charges and thrown in jail. The charges, however, were summarily dismissed for lack of evidence. We we were released after a month and a half . . ."

His claim of spending "a month and a half" in prison contradicted TPR writer Jennilee Austria's September 2019 account which stated that "after a long campaign, Hermie was released, completing 6 1/2 years without conviction".

Who's telling the truth? Is it Hermie Garcia now proven to obfuscate the truth related to LJI? Or is it Jennilee Austria who presumably relied on her research about her bosses?

The multi-talented artist Michelle Chermaine Ramos (Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8FT2kEZfls) was one of the paper's staff writers, and in addition to her regular workload, she also covered events and wrote articles as LJI reporter starting in April 2022 up until she quit middle of this year upon discovering the lies and deception being foisted on her and on another writer, an intern, by Hermie Garcia. 

Prior to that unearthing, she felt a compassion for what seemed to her were financial troubles affecting the tabloid, more or less because of the coronavirus pandemic. "I felt really bad for TPR assuming that they couldn't afford to pay me in full at that time," she said. "I thought nothing of it since I fully trusted Tito Hermie".

Her discovery of his prevarications was fortuitous. She merely wanted to know why her salary as LJI reporter was being delayed for months, for which Hermie Garcia laid blame on what he referred to as a "grant guy" in Canadian Heritage who purportedly released the money in trickles.

When asked, Saras' daughter, Maria Voutsinas, NEPMCC managing director and board member, told Ms. Ramos that the NEPMCC had already handed a lump sum payment to TPR for LJI salaries, and that the so-called "grant guy" withholding the money never existed.

These lies and deceptions became the basis of Ms. Ramos' complaint against TPR and the Garcia couple forwarded to NEPMCC and Canadian Heritage. 

None of the entities that received the complaint responded to repeated requests for comment and/or clarification from this reporter.

Well, regardless of how they pretend to ignore the scathing complaint against the tabloid and its editors, the number of readers tracking their stories continues to rise. 

As the writer of the articles, I'm impressed by how readers appear to welcome every bit of facts in every story, actually information they're just learning and never got from other periodicals.

From dozens to hundreds, readers chewed on the six articles** appearing on the Filipino Web Magazine.

**The articles are here:

1. https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2023/06/lies-deceptions-by-philippine-reporter.html

2. https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2023/05/hermie-and-mila-garcia-freedom-fighters.html

3. https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2023/06/reputation-of-ethnic-media-takes-hit-in.html

4. https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2023/09/a-black-propagandist-in-our-midst.html

5. https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2023/09/did-rare-book-library-make-mistake-in.html

6. https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2023/10/canadian-heritage-acts-on-funding-local.html

The manipulation of information, the lies, and their obvious refusal to answer questions is uncharacteristic of media. Even more disconcerting is the silence of top officials of NEPMCC and Canadian Heritage, which reminds me of this quotation from Marcus Aurelius: "You can also commit injustice by doing nothing".

Just to give readers some background, I've attached here a copy of my email to Hermie Garcia and Mila Garcia, copy furnished NEPMCC, dated June 2, 2023:

Good morning Mr. Hermie Garcia and Mrs. Mila Garcia,

I hope you're both doing well.

The reason for this email is to get your reaction/comment on a complaint (of which I have a copy) alleging your mishandling of disbursed funds intended for reporters writing under the Local Journalism Initiative.

As we know, monies allocated by the Department of Canadian Heritage through LJI and administered by the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada for distribution to ethnic media participants are sourced from taxpayers like myself. 

My concern at the moment is why you (as alleged) have repeatedly and deliberately engaged in deception and outright lies to at least two reporters who you (again as alleged) misled, withholding their rightful salaries, and blaming a non-existent person for undue delays that you concocted yourself.

Not only that. You seemed to have concealed information from Mr. Thomas Saras and his daughter, apparently out of fear of being taken off the LJI program. 

I'm dumbfounded that you and your wife were even cited by Mr. Saras and given certificates of award when it's now become obvious that you failed to live up to NEPMCC's high journalism standards. Is this not an abomination?

By any language what you did (according to the allegations) was fraudulent. Did you try to scam your own reporters, trade your supposedly high journalism ethics, and your standing for some money? My understanding is your paper received anywhere from $30,000 to $40,000. Which one is it? Is it true that you kept some of the amount? I'd appreciate it if you would explain.

It is very important that you shed some light on these accusations that have already reached high officials in the Department of Canadian Heritage.

The stakes are high. As a Filipino journalist and former foreign correspondent with an international reputation to protect, I would not want to be lumped among the corrupt journalists that are dime a dozen in the homeland and here in Toronto. 

The story I'm writing concerns you, your paper, the NEPMCC, Mr. Saras, and Canadian Heritage. Having said that, my story will be published after next week - with or without your comment - to give you, Canadian Heritage, and NEPMCC officials time to respond.

Thanks and regards,

Romy Marquez

Editor, 

The Filipino Web Channel

Filipino Web Magazine

(Copyright 2023. All Rights Reserved).