Many Filipino-Canadian organizations are good fund raisers. In fact, at the drop of a hat they could hold events..Concerts, dinner-dances or raffles and come up with thousands of dollars for their recipients, real or imagined.
Now, let’s see if we could use their expertise in the current efforts to rehabilitate earthquake-stricken Haiti.
Let’s repay the kindness of the international community when it helped us in the aftermath of typhoon Ondoy, Mayon volcano eruption and in other calamities . Now it’s our time to help Haitians get back on their feet.
They need our support. It would take decades to perhaps rebuild the impoverished country. Most importantly, it has to be rehabilitated, physically , structurally and politically or perhaps reinvented.
Before the great earthquake, Haiti was mired in great poverty, alleged widespread corruption on its bureaucracy, ills that have been deeply rooted due to its unstable political system, all as a result of long years of colonization under several foreign powers.
We have a stake in Haiti in the same way as the United States or Canada has. Some of our people or compatriots lost their lives in that killer earthquake. Among them are some members of the 150 peacekeepers already stationed there some years back.
In the years to come, many Filipinos will be working in that country as rebuilding efforts get underway requiring a lot of manpower.
A JOB WELL DONE
After six years, Philippine Consul general to Toronto Alejandro “Andy “: Mosquera winds up his stint in Toronto. Last January 30, Mosquera bid goodbye to the Filipino community with wife Teresa and kids to assume a new posting at the foreign affairs office’s legal department.
To the end, Mosquera was modest refusing to elaborate his accomplishments
In his stay here in Toronto. All he had to say was “it was a satisfying assignment to have a good relations with Filipinos here in Canada “
But we knew fully well he did more . For instance, what was never known was that he was instrumental in espousing the plight of the caregivers here in Canada or in this province of Ontario. Unknown to many, he did some backroom manoeuvres in talking with provincial and federal high officials to argue for and on behalf of Filipino workers deployed here in Canada particularly caregivers.
Also, Congen Mosquera set the example of low profile and quiet work among his staffers. More often than not, this stance has led many government critics to capitalize on and misunderstood as “inaction or foot dragging “ on several issues and crisis involving migrant Filipino workers.
A classic example was the Dulnuan case, a Filipina worker who was slain in a botched robbery attempt in Mississauga.
Relatives wanted the quick repatriation of the body to the Philippines despite the fact that the late Dulnuan was not a member of the OWWA(or Overseas Workers Welfare Administration),an agency that takes care of funding in case of death.
Two days after her death, Congen Mosquera sought the help of the main office since Dulnuan cannot be entitled to OWWA money as she was not a member. He was able to get approval and this was relayed to relatives of the slain worker.
At the same time, he was in constant touch with Toronto police making sure new developments on the case are being reported to him..
To the media, he remained tight lip on the progress of the case, only hinting that everything is being done to get the suspect. We would only later know that he had an agreement with the police to keep secret progress on the case until a favourable development comes up.
Finally, it was Mosquera too, who broke the news of the breakthrough in the case with the arrest of the suspect in the Dulnuan case.
Trumpeting his work achievements has not been a hallmark for Mosquera, we would later know. Even at the Consulate, he was not even considered a “boss “ by his staffers.
Not prone to micromanaging, consulate staff said he is an “ideal officemate” because of his laid back style of letting each and everyone do their job independently, not even paying attention whether they reported to work late.
“Wala siyang pakialam kung dumating kang late, basta gawin mo ang trabaho mo at pagsilbihan mo ang mga pumupunta sa consulate “said Rolly Mangante, one of the “pilots “of the consulate since the time of former Congen Susan O.Castrence.
And so we bid you good bye Congen Mosquera. A job well done !
******
Related to the consulate story, Consul Edna May Lazaro, who is now the OIC (officer in charge) of the consulate has reported to us that contrary to reports, a $6,000 funding was made available to the family of Leovina “Bing “ Tolentino, a Filipino who died in an accident January 20.
The late victim, it was learned, was an “undocumented “ worker who came here in 2002 on a tourist visa to attend the World Youth Day but decided to stay here to try her luck.
Consul Lazaro said she personally followed Tolentino’s case with the office of Migrant Affairs to facilitate the approval of the funding and which was later approved.
Here is another case of some people capitalizing on a tragedy (as in the case of Jocelyn Dulnuan)to pinpoint blame on some consulate officials and the Philippine government.
This negative attitude is not helping us Filipinos here abroad as it shows our prejudiced mind without seeking out first the facts. It puts us in a bad light for our lack of respect and patience.
An e-mail circulated to the community said “ the consulate has not responded to the family’s appeal to shoulder the expenses to ship out her body “.
The letter writer did not even bother to check what the consulate has been doing all along and that funding does not come like a genie in a bottle. There are what we call “:processes” in dealing with such things as funding in the same way as you would in your day to day finances. For instance, in the consulate’s case, it would first seek approval and find out where to source the money and that of course do not take only a minute or an hour considering we are 10,000 miles or so from the Philippines.
And we earnestly hope that the death of Tolentino ,like that of Dulnuan would not be another case or excuse to “raise funds “ for some “enterprising and unscrupulous individuals “with the money going somewhere else ?.
*******
EVENTS, MILESTONES; Greetings to January birthday celebrants
Arielle Soriano, youngest daughter of Ike and Blanche Soriano, Ricky Caluen of Media Monitor, Nanay Cely, mom of Cielo Javier, Nila Soriano, Kevin Obtinario.
The next Philippine Press Club of Ontario (PPCO) kapihan will move to its new venue at Kusina Lounge at corner Wilson and Bathurst St. Under the new owners, Bong and Dr. Sally Capitin. We will announce the date on February and we would probably invite and introduce the incoming Consul general of the Philippine consulate.
TRANSITION: Our condolences to the family of the late Press Secretary Cerge Remonde. Cerge, a broadcast journalist, was one of the pillars of the KBP (Kapisanan ng mga Brodkasters sa Pilipinas) before he was enlisted by Malacanang. Cerge becomes the third press secretary to die under the Arroyo administration in a span of two years. Noel Cabrera, who served President Joseph Erap Estrada and Arroyo, died 2008 of cancer while serving as ambassador to Myanmar (Burma) while Press Undersecretary Jose “Joecap” Capadocia died in a helicopter crash in Ifugao, 2008.
*******
ERRATUM: In our last column, we mistakenly mentioned Ms. Elsie Maranan as the sister of Grace Parucha, They are not related but are close friends. We regret the error and offer our apologies to both Grace and Elsie.