~ “Be bold and boast, just like the cock beside the hen,” writes the ancient Greek tragedian Aeschylus, a poet and religious thinker. He wasn’t referring to some people in particular but his plays survived time and usage many centuries after. Some phrases find their relevance now in Toronto’s Filipino community. He was as if he was writing in present-day world. How current is he who died a long time ago. The following commentary may aptly suit him.
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“For a while they managed remarkably well; only their habit of bragging was prodigious.” – Edgar Allan Poe
TORONTO – Hours of search in the internet and available archives yielded no results. The websites were of no help either. People who could give some bits of information were unreachable because of the holidays.
I keep asking myself: should I venture to inquire from the persons themselves, in this case, from Melinda Parreno Rustia and Jeff Rustia, the mother and son behind the charity called Kol Hope Foundation, and who are also the engine in the lavishly-hyped Canada Philippine Fashion Week of some months ago?
My experience tells me, however, that neither of the two would respond, or would even consider answering legitimate media questions concerning wide claims and assertions about themselves.
The first time I did it was met with indifference and an arrogance that only someone so high in the totem pole could exhibit. What followed next was a threat of being sued. That threat, which would prove to be the first, never materialized. But that was in February 2011. (Video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of_cOWXq9qI). (Full story at: http://currentsbreakingnews.blogspot.ca/2011/03/perils-of-investigative-journalism.html
As a journalist, I’m always on the lookout for “firsts”, milestones and the like by achieving individuals and institutions. I feel privileged to write about such accomplishments mainly because I personally consider them worthwhile and inspiring.
In that context, Melinda Parreno Rustia, Jeff Rustia, Kol Hope Foundation (KHF) and Canada Philippine Fashion Week (CPFW) are quite interesting subjects for an exhaustive story. Theirs could be an uplifting narrative. Or theirs could be mere boasts to beautify themselves and attract supporters. Either way, there’s always an anecdote lurking in the background.
Take Melinda Parreno Rustia. I learned from the KHF and CPFW websites that she was conferred with a “Most Beautiful Filipino in Canada Award” by IPEN (International Professional Entertainment Network) International in March 2011.
How could the mainstream media miss that, considering that most Filipino women in Toronto are generally perceive as nannies and caregivers? If she is as bandied about, that would be a big story, for that exemplifies a triumph against the odds of being a minority. That was one of the triggers for my search.
She must be one hell of a dead ringer for Venus de Milo, I mumbled to myself. What made her such a stunner, if indeed it’s true? So, from “most beautiful . . . ” which gave me lists in different categories and none about herself, I tried IPEN International to get a sense of what it is. Nothing much, except some pictures of individuals in their usual crown-sash-gown regalia.
There’s one site I stumbled upon with the tag “Beautiful Filipino Women in Toronto, Canada” but it’s a dating site that caters to foreign men on the prowl for willing victims who might take a crack at improving their personal circumstances through relationships. I don’t ever think that she’d be there even if she’s been a widow.
According to KHF and CPFW, Melinda Parreno Rustia is also “publisher and editor of iFilipino Magazine”, allegedly “Canada’s first and only Filipino magazine for achievers”. Again, I searched and searched to see how such a publication looks like and give me an idea how she edits it. No results. Must it be extinct already or just inactive? If it is, why not say so in the write-up?
As publisher, editor and reporter of three newspapers in San Diego, California, I took a proactive approach to the three hats I wore and worked hard to give justice to the positions. So I gave each my valuable time. I also have a healthy respect for colleagues in similar situations. But how can I make a fair and reasonable assessment that Rustia’s magazine is truly a first in whatever?
Melinda Parreno Rustia is quite a rarity if one believes the claim that she bested 3.4 million Asians in Canada to win the “Outstanding Asian Canadian” given in 2012 by the “Canadian Multicultural Council Asians”. What makes her outstanding? I knew of men and women who are truly worthy of recognition but they prefer anonymity and none of them make the grade. She’s one in three million then!
The two websites assert that Melinda Parreno Rustia became CEO and president in 2006 of “Peak International Limited” allegedly a “global holding company whose diversified international operations includes branding solutions, broadcast design, TV branding and advertising”.
Surprisingly, for one that declares being global, Peak International Limited has nothing in the internet to speak of. One item in Google search is from www.manta.com, which contains no relevant information about the company. It lists a Melinda Rustia as president and that’s all it has. Makes me wonder if this is just intended to make her resume look impressive.
On the other hand, her son Jeff Rustia shares the limelight with her in some capacity. He personally claims to many “firsts” and his work apparently gained some firsts too – that is, if the websites are to be believed. Lucky family, they have everything to themselves and leave the rest of us looking inferior!
For example, the CPFW website says he “is recognized in the TV industry as a leading creative executive of FRONT TV” which is “recognized as one of the first agencies in Canada to specialize in diversity”. I am lost here, sorry, as I’m unable to fathom its meaning.
It seems that Jeff Rustia is also a unifier, i.e., if the website is to be believed. It says he founded Filipino Youth of Canada (FYC), “the first umbrella organization that united all Filipino students across Canada”. I asked a couple of students if they knew him or if they belonged to FYC. Their response was “what are you talking about?” I stopped before they’d think I’m being facetious.
Another claim is that “he created Kabataan, the first Filipino Youth theatre group in Canada” and “wrote its first play”. I don’t know. My eyes are tired searching every internet posting with the word “kabataan” and Filipino youth theatre and there are none. No meaningful literature is available to find out what “kabataan” was. Could it be a preposterous statement?
He’s also credited, according to the website, with being the “first Filipino-Canadian producer and director of Channel (V), formerly MTV Asia. His “Sigaw Manila” was the “first international mtv program that promoted Philippine music, culture and entertainment”.
The very first “sigaw” I knew that reverberated around the world and led to a revolution against colonial power Spain was the “Sigaw ng Pugad Lawin” or Cry of Pugad Lawin (or Balintawak) in the Philippines. There’s no comparison, of course, but my take is the lack of material to confirm Jeff Rustia’s word.
Makes me wonder then if all these avowals of notable “achievements” are already part of ancient history. The point is that no written record or film footage exists to cross-check the claims. It’s hard to rely on Jeff Rustia’s say-so knowing his propensity to exaggerate things. I suspect the self-promotions are all part of a publicity package to market himself, his mother, his charity and his fashion show.
I heard himself once at the Philippine consulate, and the spiel he delivered there confirmed my thoughts that he’s a good salesman. I will concede his ability to convince people to believe him. Well, consulate officials took his every word. And it’s not impossible that he could sell residential lots in Mars if those would be available. (Video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr3hTF6IuYg).
Jeff Rustia plays second fiddle to his mom in running Kol Hope Foundation which was established in 2002 and named after his deceased son. Their fund-raising arm is, expectedly, claimed as “the first charitable organization that supports children born with disabilities in Canada and the Philippines”.
It isn’t a surprise that in 2011, KHF staged what it extravagantly claimed as “The Most Glamorous Filipino Ball on Earth”. Holy mackerel, the dictionary is running out of superlatives!
Incidentally, Melinda Parreno Rustia and Jeff Rustia are denying that Canada Revenue Agency “has ever investigated” KHF which recently had a benefit concert at Fairmont Royal York Hotel supposedly attended by, hold your breath, “the biggest Filipino stars in Canada”.
Please watch for the full story next. I’m having a dizzy spell now.