m

info@canadianinquirer.net
sales@canadianinquirer.net

facebook.com/
Philippine
CanadianInquirer CANADA’S FIRST AND ONLY NATIONWIDE FILIPINO-CANADIAN NEWSPAPER FORD TO.CA
twitter.com/
pcinewsofficial APRIL 23, 2021 www.canadianinquirer.net VOL. 8 NO. 436

CHARITY WORK

A delivery rider reads the message of the person who sent donations of goods to Ana Patricia Non (right), the woman behind the community pantry ON Maginhawa Street, Diliman, Quezon City on
Friday (April 16, 2021).
ROBERT OSWALD P. ALFILER/PNA

Justice for George 19

Floyd: Derek Chauvin’s

guilty verdicts must Heroes, villains … biology:
3 reasons comic books are
great science teachers

result in fundamental 22
changes to policing Jo Galang: Making artworks
BY TEMITOPE ORIOLA, University The guilty verdict in the trial of Derek that ‘move’ people
of Alberta Chauvin for the killing of George Floyd
The Conversation signposts a defining moment beyond European Super League:
PAGE 17 why punishing the break-
❱❱ PAGE 13 Justice for George
away 12 could backfire adly

Advanced equipment and testing available

We direct bill most insurance companies:

Square One
Sun Life Green Shield
Manulife Blue Cross
Great-West Life Claim Secure Valid only at
Located in Square One Industrial Alliance Square One
inside Pearle Vision
If you are 19 years old and under or 65 years old
905-277-3052
and older, you are covered under OHIP**

visit www.drshekari.com *Eye exams available by Independent Doctors of Optometry inside Pearle Vision.
to schedule your eye exam*
12/31/2021.
 T:5"
2 Philippine News
Duterte praises rise
of community
pantries in PH
BY AZER PARROCHA
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – President Rodrigo Dute-
rte has praised Filipinos for organizing
community pantries across the country
for food donation and other essentials to
those affected by the Covid-19 pandem-
ic, Malacañang said Tuesday.
In a virtual press briefing, Presiden-
tial Spokesperson Roque said Duterte
welcomes all initiatives helping Filipi-
nos severely affected by the health crisis.
A harmless
“Nagsalita na po tayo bilang bibig ng
Presidente, nagsalita na po ang kalihim
ng DILG [Department of the Interior
and Local Government]. Welcome po
coffee break
natin yung mga community pantries
(We have spoken as the President’s
mouthpiece, the Secretary of DILG has
spoken. We welcome community pan-
tries),” he said.
can do more
He reiterated that community pan-
tries exemplify the best of the Filipino
character in times of challenges.
T:13"
“Sa panig po ng Presidente, sa panig
harm than
po ng DILG malinaw po, ini-encourage
po natin at binibigyan puri natin ang
mga mamamayan natin na sumasapi di-
yan sa community pantries (On the side
of the President and the DILG, we are
you think. encouraging and praising citizens join-
ing the work of community pantries),”
he said. “Iyan po ay talaga naman pong
pinupuri ng ating Presidente (Our Presi-
dent really praise this initiatve).”
Some community pantries set up by
private individuals temporarily stopped
operations after the National Task Force
Wear a mask, wash your hands
and physically distance to stop
the spread of COVID-19.
Learn more at ontario.ca/covid-19
THANKFUL. Linda Brillantes of Barangay Bagong Pag Asa, Quezon City holds a plastic filled with
Paid for by the Government of Ontario vegetables she obtained from a community pantry on Matiyaga Street in Barangay Pinyahan on
Friday (April 16, 2021).
www.canadianinquirer.net
100% of Final Size
APRIL 23, 2021 FRIDAY
to End Local Communist Armed Conflict
(NTF-ELCAC), on social media, shared
posts linking them to communist rebels.
Roque said Duterte wants officials of
the government’s anti-insurgency task
force to refrain from impeding efforts
being carried out by organizers of com-
munity pantries.
“I think the President has spoken
through my office. The [DILG] has
spoken. Unless their concern is about
health protocols being observed, they
should leave these community pantries
alone,” he said.
He noted that DILG Secretary Edu-
ardo Año himself ordered police and lo-
cal government officials not to interfere
with operations of community pantries.
“Nilinaw na rin ng DILG na wala pong
basbas yung red-tagging na ‘yan (The
DILG has already clarified that red-tag-
ging does not have their blessing),”
Roque said.
Asked if Duterte would order NTF-
ELCAC officials to stop sharing posts,
Roque said their thoughts are still part
of the “free marketplace of ideas.”
“That’s part of the free marketplace
of ideas. Sa tingin ko kahit anong sabi-
hin nila basta nakikinabang ang ta-
ong-bayan diyan e maniniwala pa rin
ang mga kababayan natin sa community
pantries (I think that whatever official
say, people will still believe in communi-
ty pantries as long as they benefit from
them),” he said.
In a statement, Año said police and
LGU interference should only be limit-
❱❱ PAGE 8 Duterte praises
ROBERT OSWALD P. ALFILER/PNA
FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021 Philippine News 3

I’ll send my gray ships if you drill for oil,

Duterte tells China
BY AZER PARROCHA
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – Despite his desire to re-
main friends with China, President Ro-
drigo Duterte on Monday said he will
send “gray ships” to the West Philippine
Sea (WPS) should China start drilling
for oil in the disputed territory.
In a pre-recorded public address,
Duterte said he will state the Philip-
pines’ territorial claim by sending navy
ships in the disputed waters.
“I am addressing myself to the Chi-
nese government, we want to remain
friends, we want to share whatever it is.
Sinabi ko naman sa inyo sa (I told you)
Chinese government, I’m not so much
interested now in fishing. I don’t think
there’s enough fish really to quarrel
about. But when we start to mine, when
we start to get whatever it is in the bow-
els of the China sea sa ating oil, diyan na
ako (in our oil, that’s when I will act).
Then by that time I will send my ships
there,” he said.
Amid criticism over his supposed si-
lence on Chinese vessels in the contest-
ed sea, Duterte said he would not allow
China to dig for oil and other resources
there.
“I will send my gray ships there to
state a claim. ‘Yan masiguro ninyo. Pag
kinuha na yung oil, kung anong mga
nickel diyan, mga precious stones (That
Meanwhile, he also blamed the previ-
ous administration for allowing China
to take control of the Scarborough (Pa-
natag) Shoal.
He said that if a standoff between the
Philippines and China were to happen
again, he would make sure to order the
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to “stay
put” and not withdraw its vessels as his
predecessor did.
“In a situation like that, if repeated in
my administration, I think there is going
to be a…talagang hindi ako aalis. Kung
may barko ako diyan ngayon, yung coast
guard ko nandiyan, hindi din ako mag-
alis (I won’t leave. If there is a ship there
now, the coast guard is there, I will not
leave),” he said.
During the talk to the people, Defense
Secretary Delfin Lorenzana informed
the President that the PCG ships con-
duct regular patrol to protect the Filipi-
no fishermen in the WPS.
“Mr. President, wala naman balakid
sa pagpunta natin doon, kahit nga yun
Navy ships natin doon sa Pagasa Island,
nagpapatrol din. (there is no hindrance
in going there, even our Navy ships are
also conducting patrol in the Pagasa Is-
land). Our ships can regularly go there,”
Lorenzana told Duterte
China seized control of the Scarbor-
ough Shoal in a controversial standoff
wherein China blocked the access of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte
Filipino fishermen in the area in 2012 KING RODRIGUEZ/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

you can be sure of. If you start digging for
oil, nickel there, precious stones). That
would be the time because that is the
time that we should act on it,” he added.
He said should China start drilling for
oil, the Philippines would also start do-
ing the same.
“Pag mag-umpisa na sila mag drill ng
oil diyan, sabihin ko talaga sa China (If
they start drilling for oil there, I’ll tell
China), ‘Is that part of our agreement?
Because if it is not part of our agreement,
I’m going to also drill my oil there. If you
own it, I own it,” he said.
Recalling a conversation with Chinese
President Xi Jinping in 2017, Duterte
said Xi himself vowed that China will not
extract oil from the disputed sea.
“Noon ko pa sinabi ‘yan, yung pagkat-
apos nung nag-usap kami ni President
Xi Jinping na sinabi ko na I will get my
oil also. Sabi niya (I said that a long time
ago, after I spoke with President Xi Jin-
ping, I said I will get my oil also. He said),
‘Please don’t, we just leave it that way in
the meantime’,” he added.
He said his Cabinet members were
there to serve as “living witnesses” that
he did something to assert the country’s
claim over the WPS.
Stay put in the event of a standoff
prompting Manila to bring the case be-
fore the international arbitration.
On July 12, 2016, the Philippines won
the arbitration case it lodged against
China after the Permanent Court of Ar-
bitration in The Hague, Netherlands in-
validated Beijing’s nine-dash line claim
over the contested waters. China refused
to acknowledge the arbitral ruling.
Duterte has opted to pursue a bilat-
eral approach to address the maritime
row with China since he assumed office
in 2016.
‘Only by force’
He admitted that there is no way that
the country can reclaim the WPS with-
out any bloodshed.
“The issue of the West Philippine Sea
remains to be a question forever until
such time that you know, we can take it
back. Ang akin ‘yan is walang iba, giyera
lang (For me, the only way is by war),” he
said.
Duterte warned that promoting a war
against China would have serious conse-
quences.
“If we promote a war against China
and America, medyo siguro madalian,
pero (we might be able to speed it up
but) what at cost to us? ‘Yan talaga ang
problema (That’s really the problem).
But we can retake it only by force. There
is no way that we can get back the Phil-
ippine Sea without any bloodshed,” he
added.
If military officials no longer support
his decisions concerning the WPS, Dute-
rte said he is willing to step down.
“If I cannot have the cooperation of
the Armed Forces, then there’s no point
in working for this government,” he said.
Rumors that a group of retired and
active military officers have withdrawn
support for Duterte over his silence on
Chinese vessels in the WPS have circu-
lated over social media.
Defense Secretary Deflin Lorenzana
dismissed them as “irresponsible pro-
paganda” while Armed Forces of the
Philippines Chief Gen. Cirilito Sobeja-
na urged the public to spare his agency
from partisan politics.
‘Tell me what to do’
Duterte dared retired Supreme Court
Justice Antonio Carpio to provide solu-
tions to the sea dispute that are not be-
ing undertaken by government.
“Sige, tell me what to do except yung
papel papel ninyo ( just papers). Just to
create a well, whatever it is. Maraming
daldal, wala ka naman talagang maga-
wa (You talk too much but haven’t done
anything),” he said.
He mocked Carpio for being a “dream-
er”, insisting that it was impossible for
China to accept the arbitral ruling that
invalidates their nine-dash line claim
over the contested waters.
“I’d ask you a question, if the United
Nations would ask China to surrender
because of the award given to us, ibibigay
ba ng China ‘yan? Andun yung problema
(China would give it to us? That’s the
problem). Can the United Nations com-
pel China? And do you think China will
just give it freely because of the United
Nations demand?” he said. “I’ll give you
100 years, you can never get something
there miski isang basong tubig sa China
ngayon (even one glass of water from
China now).”
He reminded Carpio that China start-
ed the “construction occupation” during
the administration of former President
Benigno Aquino III.
“The construction occupation of WPS
was completed by the singular act of
China not retreating,” Duterte said, re-
ferring to the Scarborough Shoal stand-
off in 2012. ■

www.canadianinquirer.net
4 Philippine News APRIL 23, 2021 FRIDAY

PRRD says SOLUTIONS IMMIGRATION CONSULTING INC.

EXPERT ASSISTANCE - ALL CANADIAN IMMIGRATION MATTERS

there’s a limit to
PH-China CARI GOMBINSKY SOL GOMBINSKY ANNABELLE MIGALBIN

friendship: Palace
Owner/Licensed Consultant President and Licensed Consultant Immigration Services Manager
R411207 ICCRC ID: R411199 SERVICE IN PILIPINO
carig@immsol.com Immigration Specialist Since 1967 annabellem@immsol.com
Former manager, 647-765-1580
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
sollyg@immsol.com 416-661-6376

BY RUTH ABBEY GITA-CARLOS tested waters, while the planned joint

www.immsol.com
Philippine News Agency exploration in WPS is seen as a fair deal 1183 Finch Avenue West Suite 508, Toronto M3J 2G2
between the Philippines and China amid IN CANADA SERVICES OUT OF CANADA SERVICES
the maritime dispute. • Family Class • Permanent Residence
MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte Maintaining ‘status quo’ • Extensions/Change of Status • Canadian Experience Class
has made it clear that there is a “limit” to The Philippines, through the Depart- • Permanent Residence • Federal Skilled Worker
• Hearings and Appeals • Skilled Trade Programs
the Philippines’ friendship with China, ment of Foreign Affairs, has repeated- • Humanitarian and Compassionate • Visitors Visa
especially when Beijing starts asserting ly filed diplomatic notes against China • Caregiver Programs • Business
a claim over oil and gas deposits in the over the prolonged presence of Chinese • Citizenship Applications • Family Class
• Work Permits *Student Permits
disputed West Philippine Sea (WPS), vessels in WPS.
Malacañang said on Tuesday. On April 14, the DFA lodged a diplo-
“I think he just made it very clear na matic note that counts as the daily pro-
may limit at may hangganan ang pagka- test so long as there are Chinese boats in
kaibigan,” Presidential Spokesperson and around Julian Felipe Reef in WPS,
Pinoys told to adjust
Harry Roque said in a virtual press con- and another diplomatic protest on the
ference. dispersal of Chinese ships to other parts
“Pagdating nga sa mga scarce resourc- of Philippine maritime zones.
travel plans as HK bans
es kagaya ng langis at natural gas eh China’s presence in WPS came de-
paninindigan ni Presidente ito (When spite the Philippines’ 2016 historic win
it comes to scarce against Beijing’s
flights from PH
resources like oil sweeping claims to BY JOYCE ANN L. ROCAMORA is a common mutation in most emerg-
and natural gas, the nearly the entire Philippine News Agency ing variants of SARS-CoV-2, includ-
President will fight contested sea. ing those first reported in South Africa
for it).” On July 12, 2016, (20H/501Y.V2 or B.1.351), the United
Roque issued the the Permanent MANILA – All passenger flights from Kingdom (B.1.1.7.), and Brazil (P.1).
statement a day af- he just made it very Court of Arbitration the Philippines are temporarily prohibit- Aside from the Philippines, flights
ter Duterte warned in The Hague, Neth- ed from landing in Hong Kong for 14 days, from India and Pakistan were also sus-
China that he would clear na may limit at erlands invalidated beginning April 20, after local authorities pended for the same period.
send gray ships to may hangganan ang China’s nine-dash designated the country as an “extremely “All persons who have stayed in Group
WPS, should it start line, a geographical high-risk place”, the Philippine Consul- A (extremely high-risk) specified places
drilling for oil in the pagkakaibigan, marker Beijing in- ate General in Hong Kong said. for more than two hours during the rel-
contested waters. voked to assert its In a statement dated April 19, the Philip- evant period (the day of boarding for/
Duterte said ex- extensive claims in pine Consulate General in Hong Kong ad- arrival at Hong Kong or during the 21
ploiting oil and min- the strategic waters. vised the public to adjust their travel plans. days before that day) will not be allowed
eral resources in the Roque, however, It also urged the Filipino community to board for Hong Kong,” the Hong Kong
disputed sea is not said the Philippines in Hong Kong to postpone or cancel their government said.
part of the Philip- would maintain the non-essential trips to the Philippines. For emergencies, the Filipino communi-
pines’ agreement with China. “status quo” in WPS. The designation and two-week entry ty is encouraged to contact the Consulate at
His latest warning came amid the “Kaya nga po status quo tayo ngayon ban came as Hong Kong recorded two 9155-4023 or 5529-1880 (Philippine Over-
presence of Chinese vessels in the Julian dahil hindi naman natin mababawi iyan coronavirus disease 2019 cases with seas Labor Office), or 6345-9324 (Overseas
Felipe Reef in the WPS. kung wala tayong lakas para bawiin kung N501Y mutant virus strain. The N501Y Workers Welfare Administration). ■
Roque, nevertheless, said the Philip- ano ang atin ‘no (It’s status quo because
pines is still in talks with China for the we won’t be able to retrieve it if we do
crafting of the final and binding Code of not have the power to retrieve what’s
Conduct (COC) in WPS and the possible ours),” he said.
joint exploration of oil and gas fields in Roque said the government could not
the disputed waters. enforce the 2016 arbitral ruling because
He said the Duterte government is op- that is the “reality in international law.”
timistic that the negotiations would bear “Ang one different feature of interna-
fruit since the two nations are friends. tional law is wala tayong enforcement
“Wala pa pong napipirmahan (We have mechanism lalung-lalo na sa mga arbi-
not signed anything yet),” Roque said. tral tribunal awards (The one different
“‘Yun po ‘yung posibleng mga kasunduan feature of international law is we do
na inaasahan nating magbubunga dahil not have an enforcement mechanism,
nga dito sa malapit na relasyon natin sa especially in arbitral tribunal awards),”
Tsina (Those are the deals that we are ex- he said. “The enforcement mechanism
pecting to bear fruit because of our close is based solely on the fact that no coun-
relations with China).” try would want to admit that they are in
The COC in WPS aims to promote breach of their obligations under inter-
peace and stability in the highly-con- national law.” ■
FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021 5

www.canadianinquirer.net
 6 Philippine News
US ready to 20M Sputnik V doses
help in securing expected within the
PH exclusive year: PH envoy
zones: envoy
BY JOYCE ANN L.
ROCAMORA
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The United States
government is “obviously wait-
ing” for Manila to call if it needs
assistance in removing foreign
vessels staying unauthorized in
the country’s exclusive econom-
ic zone (EEZ), Philippine Am-
bassador to the US Jose Manuel
Romualdez said Tuesday.
“So we were working round
the clock, so to speak, in terms
of being able to navigate or mak-
ing sure that there’s the free-
dom of the sea and that Code of
Conduct that we are pushing,”
he said in a pre-taped briefing
with Presidential Spokesper-
son Harry Roque.
“At the same time, the United
States is obviously waiting for us
to call them if we need their as-
sistance in removing or asking
the vessels that are parked in
our area of responsibility or eco-
nomic zone. And both our Phil-
ippine Navy and the US Navy are
working on this,” he added.
The envoy issued the state-
ment when asked if there were
any commitments from the US
side in securing the West Phil-
ippine Sea.
Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea
PRESIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS (GOVERNMENT OF THE PHILIPPINES)/FACEBOOK
Romualdez said both the
Pentagon and the Armed Forc-
es of the Philippines are com-
municating on the matter.
“(Defense) Secretary (Delfin)
Lorenzana had a recent tele-
phone conversation with Secre-
tary (of Defense Lloyd Austin)
in the United States. Both are
obviously working together and
the United States has just re-
cently sent their USS Theodore
Roosevelt and they had an op-
eration there at the West Phil-
ippine Sea,” he said.
The Philippine government,
through the Department of
Foreign Affairs, earlier issued a
barrage of diplomatic protests
against the continued presence
of Chinese vessels in the Julian
Felipe Reef and several areas
within the country’s EEZ.
In a public address on Mon-
day, President Rodrigo Duterte
warned China that he will send
“gray ships” to the West Philip-
pine Sea should it start drilling
for oil in the disputed waters.
The Philippines appreciates
the statements of support from
its international partners who
share common adherence to
rules-based order consistent
with international law, accord-
ing to the National Task Force-
West Philippine Sea. ■
BY JOYCE ANN L.
ROCAMORA
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The Philippines
is expected to receive about 20
million doses of coronavirus
vaccines developed by Russia’s
Gamaleya Research Institute
within 2021, Philippine Ambas-
sador in Moscow Carlos Sorreta
said Tuesday.
In the next few days, Sorreta
said the first 20,000 vials will
be delivered followed by at least
half a million doses before the
end of April or early May 2021.
“Over the next few months,
we’re going seven figures or
about 20 million doses before
the end of the year,” he said in a
virtual briefing.
While the demand for Sput-
nik V vaccines outside Russia
is “very high”, Sorreta is opti-
mistic Gamaleya would be able
to deliver the number of doses
that the Philippines needs.
He said the Philippine Em-
bassy in Moscow is also moni-
Over 1.3M Filipinos
vaccinated against Covid-19
BY FILANE MIKEE
CERVANTES
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – A total of 1,353,107
Filipinos have been vaccinated
since the government started
rolling out its coronavirus dis-
ease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine
program in March, according
to National Task Force Against
Covid-19 Chief Implementer
Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on
Wednesday.
During a House joint panel
hearing on the status of the im-
plementation of the Covid-19
vaccination program, Galvez
said a total of 1,562,563 vac-
cines were already adminis-
tered to Filipinos as of April 20.
Of the total, 132,948 are se-
nior citizens, 180,315 are per-
www.canadianinquirer.net
toring the vaccine production
and has been engaging with dif-
ferent firms tapped to produce
the shots in Russia.
“The production, from our
indication, will meet the very
high demand. They’re also
looking at supplying western
Europe, which also has made
potentially large demand but
overall, I think we’re pretty
much safe and our vaccine re-
quirements. Of course, we have
sons with comorbidities, and
989,703 are healthcare workers.
The number also takes into
account the more than 200,000
healthcare workers who have al-
ready received their second doses.
Galvez, also the country’s
vaccine czar, said the Philip-
pines is not left behind in the
vaccination rollout program in
comparison to its neighboring
countries.
He noted that despite
the “very limited” supply of
Covid-19 vaccine shots, the
Philippines ranked 4th among
Southeast Asian (SEA) coun-
tries in the vaccine rollout in
terms of the number of doses
administered to individuals.
“Di po tayo nangungulelat
(We did not perform badly).
Nasa upper third po tayo sa
vaccination program (We are
APRIL 23, 2021 FRIDAY
to manage our expectations,
there could be problems with
production, many things could
come up,” he said.
Meanwhile, he explained that
the initial 20,000 will be used to
“fine-tune logistics on our end”.
According to Russian News
Agency TASS, Sputnik V may be
stored at two to eight degrees
centigrade for two months but
developers are hoping to extend
this for up to six months. ■
in the upper third [parts of the
ranking] of the vaccination pro-
gram} even though our supply
is very limited during this first
quarter and second quarter,”
Galvez said.
The top three countries lead-
ing the SEA rollout are Indone-
sia with more than 17 million,
Singapore with over 2.2 million,
and Myanmar with 1.74 million.
Galvez has earlier assured
that more than 2 million
Covid-19 vaccine doses are ex-
pected to arrive in the country
this month, 4 million doses by
May, and 7 to 8 million doses by
June.
The Philippines aims to
secure 148 million doses of
Covid-19 vaccines from several
companies to inoculate an ini-
tial 50 to 70 million Filipinos
this year. ■
FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021
Duterte bats for ‘complete’ abolition
of Kafala system
BY RUTH ABBEY GITA-
CARLOS
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – President Rodri-
go Duterte on Tuesday called
for the “complete” abolition
of the controversial Kafala
scheme, a sponsorship system
that monitors and restricts the
migrant laborers’ movement.
In a taped video message
aired during the virtual forum
on labor mobility and human
rights, Duterte said the Kafala
system is “unjust” and “exploit-
ative” as it places thousands of
migrant workers “in the most
vulnerable situation, unseen,
unheard and unable to defend
their dignity as a human being.”
“We cannot justify the denial
of basic human rights and the
fundamental freedoms of every
individual regardless of status.
That is why the Philippine gov-
ernment strongly called for a
complete abolition of a kafala
US issues travel warning
to PH due to Covid-19
BY JOYCE ANN L.
ROCAMORA
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The United States
government advised its citizens
on Wednesday to avoid all trav-
el to the Philippines due to the
“very high level of Covid-19”.
“Do not travel to the Phil-
ippines due to Coivd-19. Ad-
ditionally, exercise increased
caution due to crime, terrorism,
civil unrest, and kidnapping,”
the State Department said in a
travel advisory dated April 20.
The US Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC)
raised to Level 4 its Covid-19
notice for the Philippines, the
highest in its Covid-19 warnings.
“Because of the current
situation in the Philippines
even fully vaccinated travelers
may be at risk for getting and
spreading Covid-19 variants
and should avoid all travel to
the Philippines,” the CDC said
on its website.
system sooner rather than lat-
er,” Duterte said.
Kafala originated from the
Arabic word which means
“sponsorship.”
The Kafala Scheme is a
mechanism in the Gulf nations
used to monitor migrant work-
ers, usually unskilled workers
through a sponsor, including
household service workers,
construction workers, and ser-
vice industry workers.
Under the system, the spon-
sor is usually the employer who
is responsible for the immigra-
tion status and visa of the mi-
grant worker.
Workers cannot leave with-
out their employers’ consent,
making them vulnerable to
abuse.
Duterte said the “unjust”
Kafala system must be disman-
tled in order to end inequities
and suffering “once and for all.”
“We are all familiar with the
very painful stories of abuse
from inhumane working condi-
“If you must travel to the
Philippines, get fully vaccinat-
ed before travel. All travelers
should wear a mask, stay 6 feet
from others, avoid crowds, and
wash their hands,” it advised.
The State Department earli-
er said it would update its travel
advisories to reflect the CDC’s
science-based health notices,
which will result in a significant
increase in the number of coun-
tries at “Level 4: Do Not Travel”
to approximately 80 percent of
countries worldwide.
“This does not imply a reas-
tions to nonpayment of wages,
from restriction of movements
to denial of healthcare from
sexual exploitation to outright
murder,” he said.
Duterte also acknowledged
that the coronavirus disease
2019 (Covid-19) pandemic has
put migrant workers under the
Kafala system in a “more pre-
carious position.”
“As the world went into lock-
downs, many were driven into
destitution with no job, no so-
cial safety nets and no mon-
ey to send back home. These
cannot go on. We must address
the structural inequalities and
push migrant workers to the
grim reality,” he said, adding
that the Covid-19 pandemic re-
sponse must be “inclusive with
no room for any kind of dis-
crimination.”
The DFA held the virtual fo-
rum in cooperation with Saudi
Arabia’s Ministry of Human
Resources and Social Devel-
opment and the International
sessment of the current health
situation in a given country, but
rather reflects an adjustment in
the State Department’s Travel
Advisory system to rely more
on CDC’s existing epidemiolog-
ical assessments,” it said.
Latest Covid-19 data as of
April 20 show that there are a
total of 7,379 new infections,
bringing the country’s active
cases to 127,006.
New recoveries of 21,664
were recorded and 93 new
deaths. The total number of ca-
sualties is now at 16,141. ■
ROBERT OSWALD ALFILER/PNA
www.canadianinquirer.net
Philippine News
Pres. Rodrigo Duterte
Organization for Migration to
discuss the Global Compact
for Safe, Orderly and Regular
Migration (GCM) - a primary
process of the United Nations
(UN) to protect Filipino mi-
grant workers against all forms
of abuse and exploitation.
The webinar was also con-
ducted to highlight the recent
positive developments in the
Middle East that addresses the
negative effects of the Kafala
system.
Community
pantries should be
free from
harassment: DOJ
BY BENJAMIN PULTA
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – Unless there is
a reason to believe that a com-
munity pantry is committing
violations, the presence of law
enforcers is unnecessary.
Department of Justice (DOJ)
Secretary Menardo Guevarra
said on Tuesday that persons
“voluntarily doing an act of
kindness and compassion to-
ward their neighbors should be
left alone”.
“It is not proper for law en-
forcement agents to interrogate
them unless there is reason to
believe that they are violat-
ing any law, ordinance, rule, or
regulation,” he said. “Even the
presence of lawyers at the sites,
7
KING RODRIGUEZ/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
Duterte said he welcomes
the reform initiatives of Saudi
Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and, of
course, Bahrain that would im-
prove the working conditions of
Filipino migrant workers.
“Certainly, the Philippine
government assumes its part
for the responsibility in ensur-
ing that our people live in safety
and dignity wherever they may
be. As I have said before the Fil-
ipino is not a slave to anyone,
anywhere,” he said. ■
in my opinion, is unnecessary.”
The DOJ chief added that or-
ganizers of community pantries
have no legal duty or are under
any compulsion to fill out any
forms.
“Those are not considered
businesses or illegal activities,”
he added.
Guevarra would not com-
ment yet on reported cursory
inspections and investigations
of community pantry organiz-
ers, who decry alleged red-tag-
ging.
“I cannot answer as it may
prejudge an actual case that
may come before the DOJ,” he
said. ■
8 Philippine News APRIL 23, 2021 FRIDAY

Duterte sticks to temporary

Correspondent/Hosts
Bea Kirstein T. Manalaysay
Joanna Belle Deala
Kathleen Mae Guerrero
Arianne Grace Lacanilao
Violeta Arevelo
Babes Newland
Matte Laurel
Graphic Design
Shanice Garcia
Ginno Alcantara
Arlnie Colleene Talain Singca
Account Manager
Kristopher Yong
Director/Producer
Boom Dayupay
Photographers/Videographers
Ginno Alcantara
Hannah Dela Cruz
Operations and Admin
Victoria Yong
Amelia Insigne
Management
Alan Yong
For photo submissions, please email
editor@canadianinquirer.net
For General Inquiries, please email
info@canadianinquirer.net
For Sales Inquiries, please email
sales@canadianinquirer.net
or visit
‘www.canadianinquirer.net/advertise-with-us/’
Philippine Canadian Inquirer is located at
#1820-666 Burrard Street
Vancouver BC V6C 2X8 Canada
Email: info@canadianinquirer.net,
sales@canadianinquirer.net
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/
channel/UCGvCxcZGXZVbAWhNLRJIfTw
Philippine Canadian Inquirer is published weekly
every Friday.
Copies are distributed free throughout Metro
Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, and Greater Toronto.
The views and opinions expressed in the articles
(including opinions expressed in ads herein) are those
of the authors named, and are not necessarily those of
Philippine Canadian Inquirer Editorial Team.
PCI reserves the right to reject any advertising which
it considers to contain false or misleading information
or involves unfair or unethical practices. The advertiser
agrees the publisher shall not be liable for damages
arising out of error in any advertisement.
pork tariff reduction
BY RUTH ABBEY GITA-CARLOS tariffs would help address the deficiency 40 percent, according to the EO.
Philippine News Agency in supply and bring down the country’s Roque, however, acknowledged that
inflation rate. Congress has the power to overturn
While the President understands the Duterte’s decision.
MANILA – President Rodrigo Duter- senators’ sentiment, he believes that He reiterated that the executive branch
te has stood by his decision to impose a lowering tariff rates on pork products will respect the senators’ decision in case
temporary reduction on tariff rates on would help stabilize pork prices in the they revoke Duterte’s EO 128.
imported pork products, Malacañang local markets, Roque said. “Of course, that is subject to revoca-
said Tuesday. Roque said the reduction in pork tar- tion if Congress wants dahil sa Saligang
In an online press briefing, Presiden- iffs is merely temporary. Batas, talagang exercise of delegated
tial Spokesperson Harry Roque said “Ang mensahe ni Presidente po, tem- authority lang po ang ginagawa ni Pres-
Duterte had decided to back the recom- porary po itong kaniyang pinayagan na idente ‘pag dating sa tariff fixing (Of
mendation of his economic team and the mag-akyat ng MAV (minimum access course, that is subject to revocation if
Department of Agriculture (DA) to low- volume) at temporary din po itong pag- Congress wants because, under the Con-
er pork tariffs. baba ng taripa (The President’s message stitution, the President merely exercises
The decision was to raise pork im- is he just temporarily approved the in- his delegated authority on tariff fixing).
ports to about 400,000 metric tons (MT) crease in MAV and the reduction of tar- And it can only be exercised when Con-
this year to augment pork supplies in the iffs),” he said. gress is not in session,” Roque said.
country, Roque said. Still up to lawmakers The Senate Committee of the Whole
“Ang sabi naman ng Presidente, ito po Duterte on April 7 inked EO 128, reduc- on April 15 adopted a resolution asking
ay number one, para maibsan nga ‘yung ing the tariff rate on pork imports within Duterte to revoke EO 128, saying that the
kakulangan ng supply na naging dahilan the MAV to 5 percent for the first three order might kill the local hog industry.
kung bakit naging napakamahal ng baboy months upon the effectivity of the order Senate Minority Leader Franklin
sa palengke (The President said this and to 10 percent for the next nine months Drilon earlier cited Section 1608(f )
would, number one, address the lack of from the current rate of 30 percent. of Republic Act 10863 or the Customs
supply that triggered the rise in the prices On the other hand, pork imports out- Modernization and Tariff Act which
of pork products in the markets),” he said. side MAV were also reduced with a low- states that “the power herein delegated
Duterte made the latest move despite er tariff of 15 percent for the first three to the President may be withdrawn or
the senators’ appeal to revoke his Exec- months and 20 percent for the succeed- terminated by Congress through a joint
utive Order (EO) 128 which temporari- ing nine months from the current rate of resolution.” ■
ly modifies the rates on import duty on
fresh, chilled, or frozen meat of swine.
Roque said lowering pork tariffs
would also help tame the country’s infla-
tion since meat is the top contributor to
overall inflation.
He noted that the temporary pork tar-
iff reduction could ease the inflation rate
by 3.8 percent from 4.2 percent recorded
in March this year.
“Importante na maibaba sa lalong
mabilis na panahon ang presyo ng baboy
kasi ito po ay nagko-contribute sa mata-
as na inflation rate (It’s important to
bring down pork prices as soon as pos-
sible because it contributes to higher in-
flation rate),” Roque said.
Just temporary
In a pre-recorded meeting with Cab-
inet officials on Monday, Duterte ex-
pressed willingness to revoke EO 128 as
soon as there is an increase in the coun-
try’s domestic pork supply.
Acting Socioeconomic Planning Sec- Pres. Rodrigo Duterte
retary Karl Kendrick Chua told Duterte KING RODRIGUEZ/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
during the meeting that reducing pork

Member

Duterte praises...
❰❰ 2 ed to ensuring that minimum
health protocols are observed.
He also denied allegations
that his agency ordered police to look
into community pantries across the
country.
NTF-ELCAC spokesperson Lt. Gen.
Antonio Parlade Jr. earlier denied
red-tagging community pantry organiz-
ers but admitted that they are checking
their backgrounds.
Parlade, however, expressed concern
over how organizers of community pan-
tries seem to be spreading “propaganda”
about the government’s failure to ad-
dress people’s needs. ■

www.canadianinquirer.net
FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021
Canada News
Government-ordered COVID-19
lockdowns are actually unethical,
and here’s why
BY JAMES SIKKEMA, McMaster
University
The Conversation
The ongoing coronavirus pandem-
ic has invited government and public
health officials to issue lockdowns and
stay-at-home orders globally. But these
lockdown orders are not justified. Con-
sequently, there is no moral obligation
to obey them.
After the SARS and H1N1 epidemics,
the Public Health Agency of Canada
drafted the Canadian Pandemic Influen-
za Preparedness (CPIP) guide. Although
the guide was not implemented, it nev-
ertheless maintains that:
… when considering restrictive mea-
sures, it is important to balance respect
for autonomy against protection of over-
all population health. In such situations,
the principles of proportionality, reci-
procity and flexibility are involved, with a
view to safeguarding individual freedom
to the extent possible while promoting
protection against the health and societal
consequences of influenza infection.
I understand this to mean that justifi-
cation for state-sanctioned paternalism
to promote public health is possible.
What provides actual justification, how-
ever, depends on the equitable balance
of benefits over harms such paternalistic
measures are able to achieve. There is a
philosophical argument to be made that
lockdown measures essentially do not —
indeed, cannot — achieve this balance.
Legitimacy of law
So, it’s possible for public health mea-
sures that limit the scope of rights and
liberties to warrant enforcement. But
in order for them to actually obtain war-
rant, measures must: i) be evidentially
and demonstrably effective at achieving
their aim; ii) have purported benefits
that outweigh their foreseeable harms,
and iii) be clearly, uniformly, trans-
parently and publicly communicated.
These conditions are necessary for lim-
iting — not infringing — relevant rights
and civil liberties.
These conditions have not been ful-
filled with lockdown measures. So, un-
der what conditions is it permissible to
disobey the law? What policies would
warrant citizens to no longer recognize
the legitimacy of state authority?
There is the fact of law and there is the
force of law, but neither of these provide
the law with legitimacy. This is the con-
dition of the possibility of claims like “an
unjust law is no law at all.”
If the law is just, then failure to obey
results in one being rightfully subject to
the resulting punishment. If, however,
the law is unjust, then failure to obey be-
comes legitimate and one is wrongfully
subject to what could only be considered
disproportionate sanctions. In this case,
the law is incommensurate with the right
and the just; it is law, but not lawful.
When it is not possible for a law to
obtain justification, it does not have the
ability to be legitimate. And when a law
cannot obtain legitimacy, disobedience
to that law becomes morally warranted.
Determining justice
The Universal Declaration of Hu-
man Rights serves to protect and pro-
mote fundamental human interests and
make provision for the intrinsic values
of humans. This is the moral character
of rights: they determine the minimum
standard of what is morally permissi-
ble, prohibited and prescribed in human
acts, legislation included. So, for law to
be legitimate, it must be predicated on
such rights.
Rights involve either claims or privi-
leges. When rights make claims, there is
a corresponding duty made upon others
to respect the claim being made. Claim
rights protect basic human interests
from being harmed, such as the security
of the person.
When rights involve privileges, others
are unable to make claims against you. If
you have a privilege, you no longer have
a responsibility to respect a claim be-
cause a claim can’t be made against you.
Privilege rights promote the expression
of permissible human interests, such as
freedom of belief.
When a law fails to protect claim
rights, promote privilege rights or make
provision for the actual exercise of ei-
ther, it is not a just law.
Lockdowns and compliance
How do lockdown measures fail to be
legitimate and, consequently, fail to de-
mand our obedience?
www.canadianinquirer.net
Consider the right of “the security of
the person.” This right makes a claim
against others to refrain from inflicting
any undue harms, be they physical, psy-
chological or economic without express
consent of the agent.
The right to security of the person also
safeguards what we are at liberty to do
up to the limit of inflicting undue harms
on others. Security of the person actu-
ally safeguards the citizen against the
state inflicting undue harms on them,
while simultaneously safeguarding in-
dividuals against the harmful exercise of
their protected liberties.
No state has the mandate to protect its
citizens against harms as such — it sim-
ply has the duty to make provisions for
safeguarding its citizens against those
harms that would impair their ability to
act autonomously and with respect for
the public good.
Lockdown measures have reversed
this order by mistaking a claim right for
a privilege right: they force individuals
to suspend what they are properly at lib-
erty to do in order to protect others from
harms they cannot properly be protect-
ed from. In the process, lockdown orders
demand that people suspend their right
to security of the person for the sake of
being secured against the very harms
this right is meant to safeguard people
against.
That there is less evidence for the ef-
fectiveness of lockdowns than there is
for their ineffectiveness makes matters
worse. That the various harms of lock-
down measures far exceed their pur-
ported benefits, even more so.
It is morally permissible to enact a
9
policy wherein harms quantitatively
outweigh benefits only if the benefits are
of such comparative quality that failing
to promote them would itself constitute
a greater harm.
The purported benefits of lockdowns
is to safeguard public health. But this is
obtained at the expense of the rights and
freedoms constituting the public inter-
est, of which public health forms a part.
As I argue elsewhere, no one can be
made responsible to secure lesser goods
at the expense of greater. Lockdown
measures force us to fulfil a responsibil-
ity to public health that impairs our re-
sponsibility to protect, promote or make
provision for other goods of equal or
greater value. Lockdowns are, therefore,
orders of magnitude less beneficial than
the harms they cause.
The state must proportion its re-
sponse to COVID-19 to the evidence.
The state must also only enlist those
strategies that demonstrably and judi-
ciously strike a balance between pro-
moting the public good and protecting
public health. The state must clearly,
uniformly and transparently communi-
cate these strategies to the public.
The public must be viewed as collab-
orators in the execution of these strat-
egies and not variables to be controlled
for their own good. The state must end
lockdown orders.
Otherwise, civil disobedience to them
appears morally warranted. ■
This article is republished from The
Conversation under a Creative Commons
license. 
10
Federal budget 2021: $18 billion is a step
towards closing gaps between Indigenous
and non-Indigenous communities
BY KERRY BLACK, University of
Calgary
The Conversation
There is no denying that the landscape
of our collective reality has shifted dra-
matically since the pandemic began. Bud-
get 2021 reveals significant investments
in COVID-19 relief efforts, job creation
and building a resilient economy.
But where does the 2021 budget stand
on investments in Indigenous people
and communities?
The pandemic continues to pose sig-
nificant and unique risks to Indigenous
people. They are disproportionately at
risk of public health emergencies, and
have been battling systemic and social
inequities all while fighting COVID-19.
Investment needs are both urgent and
substantial.
It is clear that the budget tabled by
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland,
showcases unprecendented levels of
funding for all Canadians and for Indig-
enous people.
Funds to MMIWG and community in-
frastructure
The investments presented in Chap-
ter 8 of budget 2021 show investments
in excess of $18 billion over the next five
years to “improve the quality of life and
create new opportunities for people liv-
ing in Indigenous communities.”
There is no doubt that this govern-
ment continues to prioritize Indigenous
people in its efforts. Over the past four
years, there have been significant invest-
ments, starting with $8.4 billion in 2016.
And in the Fall Economic Statement, the
Liberal government committed funding
to health and well-being of Indigenous
people, the National Inquiry into Miss-
ing and Murdered Indigenous Women
and Girls (MMIWG), child care and sig-
nificant investments in infrastructure
including drinking water provisions in
areas where there are advisories.
Budget 2021 builds on the infusions
into MMIWG from the Fall Economic
Statement, which had previously com-
mitted $781.5 million over five years
starting in 2021–22, and $106.3 million
ongoing. A necessary funding invest-
ment to what many experts have warned
is a public health emergency.
Budget 2021 also announced over $6
billion towards infrastructure in Indig-
enous communities, a notable and nec-
essary commitment. Distinctions-based
investments into infrastructure include
support for water, housing, schools and
roads, building on the $1 billion dollar
Canada News
announcement from the Canada Infra-
structure Bank.
From budget 2021, $4.3 billion sup-
ports an Indigenous Community In-
frastructure Fund for all Indigenous
people. A further $1.7 billion covers op-
eration and maintenance costs for First
Nations living on-reserve.
Other notable investments include a
continued focus on water and wastewa-
ter, including $125.2 million over four
years beginning in 2022-23. These in-
vestments build on the recent announce-
ment committing $1.5 billion for drink-
ing water in Indigenous communities.
However, we know that closing the in-
frastructure gap will require upwards of
$30 billion to address new and existing
deficits because of historic underfund-
ing of both capital and operations costs.
Projects planned pre-pandemic now
require more funding in order to be
completed — because of supply chain
issues for items such as timber, ini-
tial projected costs have sky-rocketed.
These are just some of the realities that
will impact our ability to close the infra-
structure gap by 2030.
We need targeted funding for First
Nations housing
And what about housing, which is of-
ten lost among the landscape of infra-
structure investments.
www.canadianinquirer.net
Budget 2021 stays the course and does
not directly target housing investments
for First Nations living on-reserve.
There are, however, top-ups to the Rap-
id Housing Initiative. This initiative
however, doesn’t have a targeted fund-
ing stream for First Nations despite the
widespread agreement that over-crowd-
ed housing is a social determinant of
health.
Targeted investments in housing for
First Nations living within their Nations
are essential, and help to balance the
housing needs on- and off-reserve. The
2016 Clatworthy report estimated capi-
tal investment needs of $20 billion. This
value has only increased since then.
COVID-19 response
The $1.2 billion targeted investment
for COVID-19 response has investments
that communities have been hoping for.
This includes funding for mental health
assistance, food security and nursing.
In a survey conducted by Statistics
Canada, six out of 10 Indigenous partic-
ipants reported that their mental health
has worsened since the onset of physical
distancing. Similarly, demand for coun-
selling services has grown throughout
the pandemic, making these invest-
ments more critical. Suicide rates have
increased, for example in Sioux Valley
Dakota Nation, and among Alberta’s In-
CHRYSTIA FREELAND/FACEBOOK
APRIL 23, 2021 FRIDAY
digenous youth.
Economic recovery and response to
the pandemic was a key priority in the
budget unveiled yesterday. And we need
to ensure the investments non-Indige-
nous communities receive are at least
mirrored for Indigenous communities.
Historically underserved and un-
der-resourced
While the budget includes massive in-
vestments in the economy, Indigenous
communities require substantial invest-
ment, arguably more, in these same ini-
tiatives.
Indigenous communities have been
historically underserved and under-re-
sourced. Since the onset of the pandemic,
there has been a delay in closing the gap
for Indigenous business support. And In-
digenous people experienced higher eco-
nomic stress than non-Indigenous Cana-
dians throughout the pandemic.
Many programs in First Nations
communities rely on own-source reve-
nue, which has been severely hindered
during the pandemic. There are ele-
ments within the budget that highlight
a commitment to Indigenous-led busi-
ness, including support for Indigenous
entrepreneurs, and investing $22 mil-
lion into empowering Indigenous wom-
en through the Indigenous Women’s
Entrepreneurship Initiative. It also ex-
pands on the Indigenous Growth Fund,
first announced in the 2019 budget.
Tackling systemic inequalities
So where does the budget leave us? The
substantial investments are notable, and
the government deserves recognition for
its efforts to address racialized and mar-
ginalized communities in Canada.
But an important reminder is needed.
True economic recovery necessitates
tackling not only the funds required for
investment, but also the systemic in-
equalities that contributed to marginal-
ization in the first place.
These systemic inequalities are built
upon the foundations of colonial pro-
grams and processes. To address them,
we must put equal funding into both the
process and the outcome.
Similarly, now might be a good time to
rethink the colonial approach to deter-
mining the budget. A formal role in the
decision-making process for Indigenous
people in Canada is a necessary next step.
Simply put, when we address the sys-
tems under which we operate, we can im-
pact the outcomes that are generated. ■
This article is republished from The
Conversation under a Creative Commons
license.
FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021
In the military and beyond, more women
doesn’t mean more equity
BY FIONA MACDONALD,
University of The Fraser Valley,
STEPHANIE PATERSON,
Concordia University
The Conversation
In the wake of the #MeToo
movement, both public and
private institutions are finally
grappling with the insidious-
ness of sexual assault and ha-
rassment within their confines.
It therefore comes as no sur-
prise that the Canadian mili-
tary, a male-dominated insti-
tution, has been plagued by a
number of scandals involving
high-ranking officials. While
the multiple public disclosures
on this front are an important
step in bringing about change,
the responses to date have
largely served to obscure the
systemic nature of sexual vio-
lence in organizations.
In March, Defence Minister
Harjit Sajjan testified to the
House of Commons defence
committee, insisting that add-
ing more women to the Cana-
dian military was a proven way
of challenging toxic masculini-
ty and creating culture change.
Just days later, Lt.-Col. Eleanor
Taylor, deputy commander of
the 36th Brigade Group, re-
signed her post amid persistent
allegations of sexual miscon-
duct among high-ranking mili-
tary officials.
Sajjan argued that “we know”
a strategy of having more wom-
en “at the table” works. But Tay-
lor’s resignation letter noted:
“Some senior leaders are un-
willing or (perhaps unable) to
recognize that their behaviour
is harmful both to the victim
and to the team” and “some
recognize the harm but believe
they can keep their behaviour
secret. Perhaps worst of all are
those in authority, who should
know better, but lack the cour-
age and tools to confront the
systemic issue.”
Sajjan seems to view the mil-
itary, like any organization, as
simply the sum of its parts. He
evidently believes changes to
workforce composition will
lead to cultural change.
But Taylor’s experience re-
veals the limits of this thinking:
“I have been both a victim of,
and participant in, this dam-
aging cycle of silence, and I am
proud of neither.”
Taylor’s disclosure as both
victim and participant in abus-
es of power and sexual exploita-
tion is significant. As her state-
ments make clear, more women
do not guarantee more equity.
Inclusion not synonymous
with change
As we observed in our opin-
ion piece published in the Ot-
tawa Citizen in March 2021,
Sajjan’s comments reflect the
dominant approach to gender
equality policy in Canada.
The goal is to simply include
more women without address-
ing underlying power struc-
tures and practices. But these
are the very structures that
have contributed to inequity
and rampant abuses of power.
Research demonstrates that
while adding women and other
marginalized groups to existing
power structures and practices
is necessary for inclusion and
equity, it is by no means synon-
ymous with change.
As Malinda Smith, a political
science professor at the Univer-
sity of Calgary and co-author of
The Equity Myth: Racialization
and Indigeneity at Canadian
Universities, argues: “You can
have diversity, but those diverse
individuals and groups can be
treated inequitably. People can
be segregated, marginalized;
they can be on the outside look-
ing in. It’s not one size fits all.”
One way of engaging more
deeply on gender equality is to
understand gender not sim-
ply as identity but as a central,
structural concept for both in-
dividuals and organizations.
Focusing instead on how gen-
der plays out in our society and
institutions takes us beyond
counting women as a measure
of change, and instead centres
on the politics of gender.
Cynthia Enloe, an interna-
tionally renowned feminist and
militarization scholar, has ar-
gued: “Gender makes the world
go round.” The ideas we have
about gender drives everything
from decision-making, to alli-
ances and hostilities.
“It allows for certain kinds
of structures to seem normal
and therefore unchallenge-
able,” Enloe says. https://
www.youtube.com/embed/
P1vtxkVlOoc?wmode=trans-
parent&start=0 Cynthia Enloe
talks at an event hosted by the
Elliott School of International
Affairs in Washington.
These structures also often
remain “referentially transpar-
ent,” as noted by American so-
ciologists Barbara Reskin and
Heidi Hartmann.
That means our ideas about
gender make certain kinds
www.canadianinquirer.net
Canada News
of structures and hierarchies
seem normal, efficient and un-
changeable at community, na-
tional and international levels.
Enloe explains:
“That normalization is a po-
litical process that is driven —
not entirely, but in large part —
by assumptions of politics and
decisions around masculinity
and femininity.”
Backlash is possible
In fact, efforts to create
change through increased
numbers can result in a back-
lash or “aggrieved entitlement”
and further entrench cultures
of exclusion rather than trans-
form them.
Research into military and
paramilitary organizations, in-
cluding the RCMP, has demon-
strated that as more women
enter male-dominated and
masculinized professions, the
rates of sexual assault, harass-
ment and violence in those pro-
fessions often increase.
Change will only come from
addressing organizational
structures that are informed by
and reinforce ideas about gen-
der.
This requires not only efforts
to increase numbers of women
and other marginalized people,
11
CANADIAN ARMED FORCES/FACEBOOK
though that is certainly neces-
sary, but also changing leader-
ship and decision-making prac-
tices.
Change needs to be a pri-
ority among organizational
leadership, and leadership and
decision-making roles need to
be more diverse. In addition,
decisions need to be based on
analyses and processes that
give voice to women and other
under-represented groups.
Organizational culture and
workplace norms also have
to reflect the diverse needs of
team members, including tack-
ling head-on the toxic mas-
culinity that often pervades
military and paramilitary or-
ganizations. Without attending
to these structural dimensions
that contribute to inequity and
abuses of power, it is unlikely
that change will come. ■
Fiona MacDonald, Associ-
ate Professor and Department
Head, Political Science, Uni-
versity of The Fraser Valley and
Stephanie Paterson, Professor,
Political Science, Concordia
University
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
12
Government of Canada invests in reducing plastic waste and
supporting the transition of a circular economy for plastics
ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE
CHANGE CANADA
Government of Canada
Plastic litter is polluting our
rivers, lakes and oceans, harm-
ing the wildlife that call those
places home, and generating
micro and macroplastics in the
water we use. Canadians expect
the Government of Canada to
address plastic waste in their
communities. That’s why the
Government has a comprehen-
sive plan to achieve zero plastic
waste by 2030, including a pro-
posed ban on certain harmful
single-use plastics.
Today, the Minister of Envi-
ronment and Climate Change,
the Honourable Jonathan
Wilkinson, announced approx-
imately $1.3M to support five
projects that aim to reduce
plastic waste, prevent plas-
tic pollution and support the
transition to a national circular
plastics economy.
Canada News
The following organizations
are receiving funding:
• Bluenose Coastal Ac-
tion Foundation will receive
$100,000 to study the link be-
tween single-use plastic pol-
lution and microplastic accu-
mulation, as well as provide
strategies for preventing plastic
pollution in Atlantic Canada.
• Canadian Coalition
for Green Healthcare will re-
ceive $249,854 to recycle per-
sonal protective equipment
from hospitals and medical
single-use plastic waste to keep
them out of the environment.
• Conference Board of
Canada will receive $390,000 to
conduct research and develop a
convening platform to inform
Canada’s transition to a circular
plastics economy.
• Ontario Ministry of
the Environment, Conserva-
tion and Parks Ontario will re-
ceive $250,000 to improve the
management of compostable
products and support the de-
velopment of new standards for
bioplastics.
• Scout Environmental
will receive $300,000 to devel-
op a network that will be used
to facilitate industry collabora-
tion to reduce plastic waste.
The Government of Canada
is collaborating with provinces
and territories to reduce plastic
pollution. Together, all federal,
provincial and territorial gov-
ernments agreed in principle
to the Canada-wide Strategy on
Zero Plastic Waste that lays out
a vision for a circular economy
for plastics. Last October, Can-
ada announced the proposed
next steps in its comprehen-
sive plan to achieve zero plastic
waste by 2030.
Quotes
“Canadians want their gov-
ernments to continue to take
action on plastic waste and pol-
lution. We all have a role to play
and we are proud to collaborate
on these five different, yet very
important, projects. We need
www.canadianinquirer.net
to explore and capitalize on all
our options for reducing plastic
waste and pollution, as high-
lighted by our funding recipi-
ents today.”
– The Honourable Jonathan
Wilkinson, Minister of Envi-
ronment and Climate Change
Quick facts
• Only 9 percent of Can-
ada’s plastic waste is recycled
while the rest ends up in land-
fills, waste-to-energy facilities
or the environment.
• Improving the way we
manage plastic waste and mov-
ing towards a more circular
economy can reduce 1.8 mega-
tonnes of carbon pollution
every year, generate about $8
billion in revenue annually and
create approximately 42,000
jobs.
• Since 2018, Canada
has invested an additional $3M
in mobilizing actions to raise
awareness among Canadians
and improve the understand-
ing, mitigation and remediation
APRIL 23, 2021 FRIDAY
of plastic waste and pollution in
Canada.
• On November 13, 2020,
the Government of Canada an-
nounced over $2.2M in funding
to 16 science-based research
projects lo learn more about the
impacts of plastic pollution on
our natural environment and
our health.
• On October 7, 2020,
the Government of Canada an-
nounced nearly $2M in funding
through the Zero Plastic Waste
Initiative for 14 Canadian-led
plastic pollution reduction ini-
tiatives.
• The final Science As-
sessment of Plastic Pollution
was also published on Octo-
ber 7, 2020. The report eval-
uates the state of the science
and looks at the presence and
effects of plastic pollution on
the environment and human
health. It confirms that plastic
pollution is everywhere and is
negatively impacting our envi-
ronment. ■
FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021
Justice for George...
❰❰ 1 policing. Finding
Chauvin guilty on all
counts should have
consequences for policing in the
United States, the trial-by-jury
system and, crucially, race and
justice.
Although only about 1.5 per
cent of police-citizen encounters
results in use of any kind of force,
a 2019 study finds that one out of
1,000 Black men in America “can
expect to be killed by police.”
A level of force is needed for
police work, but excessive use
of force makes policing more
dangerous. Every incident of
excessive use of force puts offi-
cers at risk and generates fur-
ther harm for communities.
Keeping trigger-happy offi-
cers on the streets is a tragedy
waiting to happen and a major
disservice to police organiza-
tions. Refusal to ensure mean-
ingful consequences in cases
of excessive force destroys the
trust between communities
and the police.
Accountability in policing
The prosecution was wise
to emphasize in its closing re-
marks that Chauvin’s trial was
“pro-police” and not “anti-po-
lice.” The idea that any attempt
to ensure accountability or
discipline regarding excessive
use of force is anti-police ul-
timately harms policing as an
occupation. Unfortunately, this
is a widespread sentiment in
the population. It is worse in
racially charged cases such as
Chauvin’s.
Police officers are rarely
charged for excessive use of
force and, when charged, their
conviction rates are significant-
ly lower than those of civilians.
World has alarming increase in
Covid cases: WHO chief
ANADOLU
Philippine News Agency
GENEVA – There is an alarm-
ing increase in Covid-19 cases
and deaths worldwide, and cas-
es each week have nearly dou-
bled over the past two months,
the World Health Organization
chief said on Friday.
WHO Director-General
Tedros Ghebreyesus was ad-
dressing a top-level virtual
Police officers ought to be
held to the same standards as ev-
eryone else. Prompt handling of
disciplinary issues with mean-
ingful sanctions — instead of
paid leaves — is also necessary.
Japan versus the United States
The trial-by-jury system in
the U.S. can no longer be con-
sidered objectively rational
given the outcomes of cases
involving overwhelming televi-
sual evidence. Jurors share the
sentiments, biases and procliv-
ities of society.
These issues are particularly
reflected in cases involving po-
lice. The case of Black Minneso-
ta police officer Mohamed Noor,
meeting held under the theme:
A vaccine for all. The meet-
ing was also attended by Ngo-
zi Okonjo-Iweala, the World
Trade Organization chief, and
UN General Assembly’s Presi-
dent Volkan Bozkir.
Tedros said Friday’s meeting
was timely as the world has the
tools to end this pandemic, but
it is also facing a worldwide re-
surgence.
“There is an alarming in-
crease in cases and deaths
convicted in 2019 for killing a
white Australian woman, pro-
vides an interesting backdrop to
the colour of justice in America.
The state of Missouri has is-
sued more federal death penalties
than New York, California and
Florida combined. Most of Mis-
souri’s death penalty convictions
were in predominantly white sub-
urban counties with high concen-
trations of minorities.
In contrast, a death penal-
ty conviction in the District of
Columbia, Puerto Rico and the
Southern District of New York —
which have majority non-white
populations — appears to be an
insurmountable challenge. In
around the globe. The number
of new cases per week has near-
ly doubled over the past two
months,” he said.
“This is approaching the
highest rate of infection that we
have seen so far during the pan-
demic.”
As of Friday, WHO had con-
firmed almost 139 million cases
of Covid-19 and just short of 3
million deaths worldwide.
❱❱ PAGE 14 World has alarming
www.canadianinquirer.net
World News
other words, whether you re-
ceive the death penalty depends
on who you are and where your
crime was committed.
Japan, where 98.1 per cent of
the people are ethnically Japa-
nese, has a more sophisticated
trial by jury system than the
U.S., which has a greater eth-
noreligious diversity.
Japan reintroduced a tri-
al-by-jury system in 2009 after
ending it in 1943. Up to six “lay
judges” and three professional
judges decide serious cases. A
majority of the six lay judges,
and at least one profession-
al judge, are required to pass
judgment. This avoids the tyr-
13
anny of a single individual who
can effectively block a verdict or
cause a hung jury, especially in
politically charged cases.
Broken systems
The increasing prevalence
of neo-Nazi sympathies and
supremacist views in policing
should be a cause of concern.
Some serving police officers
participated in the Jan. 6 insur-
rection at the U.S. Capitol.
These issues call for a sober
reflection about whom we are
recruiting into policing. Police
reforms need to ensure that
excitable, irritable and the au-
thoritarian personality kinds
are disqualified from entry.
There have long been con-
cerns that policing and the en-
tire criminal justice system are
functioning in exactly the way
they were designed.
Police officers are recruited
from society. Therefore, their
conduct — for better or worse —
reflects the norms, values and
ideological claims of society.
Chauvin is an embodiment of a
fundamentally broken system
— and arguably its most notori-
ous symbol since the 1991 beat-
ing of Rodney King.
Chauvin should never have
been a cop. The 17 disciplinary
cases he had ratcheted up should
have led to his exit from po-
lice service long before May 25,
2020. Chauvin is not the system.
The system that produced him is
still there across the landscape.
That needs to change before an-
other Chauvin emerges. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
 14
Covid-19 surge rattles hospitals in India
ANADOLU
Philippine News Agency
NEW DELHI – In New Delhi,
one sound is conspicuous these
days -- the siren of ambulances.
More so outside the Lok Nayak
Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital,
one of India’s largest Covid-19
facilities.
As India is witnessing an un-
precedented surge in coronavi-
rus cases, the hospitals in Delhi
and other parts of the country
are overflowing with patients,
with experts warning the health
care system is teetering on the
brink of collapse.
“Two weeks ago, I used to
bring one or two patients here…
but now I drop 5-6 positive pa-
tients every day to the different
hospitals. It is very scary,” says
Sarvesh Pandey, an ambulance
driver, outside the Lok Nayak
Hospital.
India’s daily cases have
topped 200,000 since Thurs-
day, with Delhi reporting nearly
24,000 new cases for the first
time on Friday.
With more patients arriv-
ing at the hospital, the critical
care facilities at the Lok Nayak
Hospital are almost occupied,
leading to shortage of beds. As
per the Delhi government’s
COVID-19 app, as of Sunday
morning, of the total 4,124 In-
tensive Care Unit (ICU) beds
with ventilator support, only 89
were vacant.
“There is a lot of burden on
the hospital. We are trying our
best to provide facilities to the
patients who are coming here,”
World has alarming...
❰❰ 13 The WHO chief cit-
ed several reasons,
including rapidly
spreading variants, the incon-
sistent use and premature eas-
ing of public health measures,
the understandable fatigue of
populations with social restric-
tions, and the dramatic inequi-
ty in vaccine coverage.
Challenge of our times
“Vaccine equity is the chal-
lenge of our time. And we are
failing,” warned Tedros.
He said that more than 832
million vaccine doses had been
administered globally, but
over 82 percent have gone to
high- or upper-middle-income
World News
Dr. Suresh Kumar, medical
director of the hospital, told
Anadolu Agency.
Other public hospitals in Del-
hi are also in dire state. Out of a
total of some 17,000 Covid-19
beds in the capital, only a little
above 3,600 are vacant.
Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind
Kejriwal on Saturday said the
situation is very serious and
concerning. “Now, there is a
shortage of oxygen supply,” he
said, adding that beds equipped
with oxygen and ICU beds are
filling fast.
Running from pillar to post
Many family members have
countries, while low-income
countries have received just 0.2
percent.
“On average, in high-income
countries, more than one in
four people have received a vac-
cine. In low-income countries,
it is almost one in 500,” he said.
“The inequitable distribution
of vaccines is not just a moral
outrage, it is also economically
and epidemiologically self-de-
feating.”
Avoid mistakes of past
The WHO chief said the world
could not repeat past mistakes,
such as when HIV (human im-
munodeficiency virus) emerged
40 years ago, lifesaving antiret-
had to run from pillar to post to
find an ICU bed.
“We first went to GTB [Guru
Teg Bahadur] Hospital yester-
day, but we were informed that
there is no bed available there.
We then came here and here we
were given one,” said Anil Ku-
mar from Delhi’s Mehrauli area,
whose father tested Covid-19
positive a few days back.
Reports have been coming
in from different parts of the
country about shortage of hos-
pital beds. Many aggrieved cit-
izens took to social media to
share their ordeal.
Chitranshul Sinha, a lawyer,
rovirals were developed, but
more than a decade passed be-
fore the world’s poor got access
to HIV treatment.
When the H1N1 pandemic
erupted 12 years ago, vaccines
were developed and approved,
but the pandemic was over by
the time the world’s poor got
access.
“It is for this reason that
WHO and our partners created
the Access to Covid-19 Tools
Accelerator and the COVAX
vaccines pillar to prevent the
same thing from happening
again. We shouldn’t make the
same mistake,” Tedros said.
He said COVAX works, and it
www.canadianinquirer.net
said his cousin could not get a
hospital bed in Ranchi city and
died. “In his final hours neither
could he get a Covid test (for
days), nor could he get a hospi-
tal bed,” he wrote on Twitter.
Vinay Srivastava from north-
ern Uttar Pradesh state on Sat-
urday afternoon wrote on Twit-
ter, “My oxygen is 31. When
some will help me?”
With reports surfacing about
shortage of oxygen supply at
hospitals, Indian Prime Minis-
ter Narendra Modi said he has
comprehensively reviewed the
situation.
“The Government is allowing
Industrial cylinders to be used
for medical oxygen after due
purging. Similarly nitrogen and
argon tankers will be automati-
cally allowed to be converted to
oxygen tankers to overcome the
potential shortage of tankers,”
said a government release, add-
ing that the prime minister was
also briefed about the efforts
being made to import medical
grade oxygen.
Indian Health Minister
Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday
morning said that all “possible
support is being extended” to
states to fight the coronavirus.
Vardan said steps include en-
suring uninterrupted supply of
oxygen to the states.
Brink of collapse
Health experts say extra mea-
sures are needed as the health
system is likely to collapse.
“We have to be careful, our
health system is likely to col-
lapse. The present number of
cases have definitely rattled our
health care system. We need to
had distributed vaccines to 110
countries and economies.
“But nowhere near enough.
By now, we had expected to dis-
tribute more than 100 million
doses, but so far, we have only
been able to distribute 40 mil-
lion,” said the WHO head.
Some countries expecting
to receive vaccines through
COVAX have not received any-
thing, and none have received
enough.
Some countries are not re-
ceiving their second-round al-
locations on time, jeopardizing
their plans for delivering vital
second doses.
“The problem is not getting
APRIL 23, 2021 FRIDAY
take strict measures,” says epi-
demiologist Dr. Lalit Kant.
He said the only solution to
the issue of shortage of beds
and oxygen supply is to cut
down the transmission.
“Since things are moving out
of control, the only solution to
break is to have an extended
lockdown,” Kant said, adding
that the government must step
up the immunization drive.
K. Srinath Reddy, head of the
think tank Public Health Foun-
dation, told Anadolu Agency
that cases are definitely going
to increase in the coming days.
“We are still a very open so-
ciety, with a lot of mixing and
movement among people,” he
said.
According to Reddy, the
surge has caught the health
workers off guard.
“We built facilities; we did a
lot of good work last year. But
previously the progressional
epidemic was much slower, the
daily number was less and we
managed to respond,” he said.
“Now the sudden speed and the
scale at which the surge is hap-
pening, is catching us off guard.”
Meanwhile, with more fatali-
ties reported in New Delhi, cre-
matoriums and burial grounds
in Delhi are struggling. There
are reports that metal struc-
tures have melted at some cre-
matoriums as they are being
used round-the-clock
“There is a huge increase
now. Since April 2 till April 16,
cremation of more than 250
bodies has been done,” Vishal
❱❱ PAGE 15 Covid-19 surge rattles
vaccines out of COVAX; the
problem is getting them in,”
Tedros said.
More funding is needed, but
money will not help if there are
no vaccines to buy.
“We know that some coun-
tries and companies plan to
do their own bilateral vaccine
donations, bypassing COVAX
for their own political or com-
mercial reasons,” said the WHO
chief.
“A scarcity of supply is driv-
ing these bilateral agreements,
which only increases vaccine
inequity,” he added. ■
FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021
How Taiwan beat COVID-19 – new
study reveals clues to its success
BY PATRICIA
FITZPATRICK, University
College Dublin
The Conversation
Taiwan has been widely ap-
plauded for its management of
the pandemic, with one of the
lowest per capita COVID-19
rates in the world and life on
the island largely returning to
normal.
Just 11 people have died from
COVID-19 in Taiwan since the
pandemic began, an impressive
feat for a country that never
went into lockdown.
At the start of the pandemic,
Taiwan was considered a high-
risk country for COVID-19 due
to its proximity to China and
the frequent travel that takes
place between the two coun-
tries.
With a history of SARS in
2003, which was not considered
to be handled particularly well,
the Taiwanese government
acted quickly to close its bor-
ders this time around. It set up
a Central Epidemic Command
Centre on January 20 2020 to
coordinate cooperation across
different government minis-
tries and agencies, and between
government and businesses.
A new study in the Journal of
the American Medical Associa-
tion has examined further just
why Taiwan did so well at con-
quering COVID-19. The study’s
authors, from a range of health
institutes and hospitals in Tai-
wan and the US, compared the
estimated effectiveness of two
types of COVID-19 policy in
the early months of the pan-
demic: case-based and popula-
tion-based measures.
Case-based measures in-
clude the detection of infected
people through testing, isola-
tion of positive cases, contact
tracing and 14-day quarantin-
Covid-19 surge rattles...
❰❰ 14 Mishra from Nigam-
bodh Ghat cremation
in Delhi told Anadolu
Agency.
Mohammad Shamim, a su-
pervisor at Delhi’s largest burial
ground, echoes the same views.
“We are short of space now…we
ing of close contacts. The pop-
ulation-based measures includ-
ed face mask policies, personal
hygiene and social distancing.
The effects of these policies
were quantified by estimat-
ing the effective reproduction
number (R number).
The R number is a way of rat-
ing an infectious disease’s ability
to spread – it represents the av-
erage number of people that one
infected person will pass a virus
onto. An R number of greater
than 1 means the virus will con-
tinue to spread and outbreaks
will continue. An R number be-
low 1 means that case numbers
will start to reduce.
While previous studies in
other countries have simulat-
ed hypothetical scenarios, this
paper combined transmission
modelling with detailed real
data to estimate effectiveness.
The authors collected data
on 158 cases between January
10 and June 1 2020 from the
Taiwan Centers for Disease
Control, and all cases were
confirmed by PCR testing. The
data related to locally acquired
cases, confirmed clusters, and
imported cases in people who
entered Taiwan before March
21 2020.
They then compared the out-
comes they found in Taiwan
with an estimated R number
of 2.5, based on the estimated
equivalent number in nearby
China at the beginning of its
COVID-19 outbreak.
The winning combination
The study found that the
case-based policies alone, like
contact tracing and quarantin-
ing, could lower the R number
from 2.5 to 1.53. Quarantine
contributed the most to lower-
ing the R number.
Case-based interventions
could not substantially prevent
transmission from one person
to another, but could reduce
are burying too many people,”
he said.
New daily high
India recorded a new high of
more than 261,000 daily coro-
navirus cases on Sunday, ac-
cording to official figures.
Statistics by the Health Min-
transmission onwards from
those secondary cases to a third
or fourth person, as long as
close contacts quarantined.
Population-based policies
like social distancing and face
masks, meanwhile, reduced the
R number from 2.5 to 1.3.
The authors concluded that
it was the combination of case-
based and population-based
policies, along with widespread
adherence, that led to Taiwan’s
success in containing COVID.
Combining both approaches
led to an R number estimated
using two different methods to
be 0.82 and as low as 0.62. They
also found that considerable
population-based policies were
needed to achieve containment
even though the number of cir-
culating infections was small.
Neither approach would have
been sufficient alone, even in a
country with an effective public
health system and sophisticat-
ed contact tracing.
What does this mean for
other countries?
Acknowledging that all mod-
els make assumptions, and this
analysis is no different, this pa-
per does confirm that the full
suite of public health measures
istry revealed that 261,500 cas-
es were registered in the past 24
hours, which pushed the total
to 14.7 million.
There were new 1,500 deaths,
taking the number of fatalities
to 177,150.
The national capital of New
www.canadianinquirer.net
World News
we have been using fairly con-
sistently across the world – to
varying degrees of length and
stringency – have been neces-
sary. Though it’s worth noting
that the results in the study re-
flects a time when new variants
with greater transmissibility
were not a problem.
The authors assumed that
testing and isolation occurred
simultaneously. This was the
case in Taiwan, but not in other
countries, for example England,
where delays between testing,
results and isolation diminish
the effectiveness of case-based
measures.
Taiwan is an island nation
with the ability to control the
introduction of new cases
through border control, and
the authors acknowledge the
findings of this study may not
be fully applicable to other
countries. This is the reason
the authors focused on the ef-
fectiveness of case-based and
population-based interven-
tions on local transmission,
rather than on border controls
on the number of introductions
of COVID-19.
The authors conclude that
intensive contact tracing is not
Delhi recorded around 24,000
new cases, while western Ma-
harashtra state registered more
than 67,000 new cases in the
past 24 hours.
Since Thursday, the country
has been registering more than
200,000 infections daily. Ear-
15
possible when public health
systems are overwhelmed. This
never happened in Taiwan due
to the success of its strategies,
but it did, for example, take
place in Ireland in January
2021, which experienced a dam-
aging third wave of COVID-19.
This paper also found similar
results for seven-day and 14-
day quarantine and suggest that
the quarantine period could be
shortened. This is being consid-
ered by some countries, includ-
ing the USA, but it has not been
introduced on a widespread ba-
sis to date.
We already knew there was
much to be learned from Tai-
wan’s success in preventing
COVID-19 from taking hold.
Now, as vaccines roll out and
new variants emerge, we have
more information about the
comparative and combined
contributions of public health
measures. ■
Patricia Fitzpatrick, Full Pro-
fessor of Epidemiology & Bio-
medical Statistics, University
College Dublin
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
lier this month, it saw 100,000
for the first time since the pan-
demic began last year.
With the country’s witness-
ing an unprecedented second
wave, several cities have im-
posed a weekend lockdown to
prevent further spread. ■
16
Infrastructure? Or jobs? Controversy over
name of Biden proposal highlights long
tradition in politics
BY ANGELA BRADBERY, University
of Florida
The Conversation
President Joe Biden caught flak this
month when he released his infrastruc-
ture plan and named it the American
Jobs Plan.
Republicans said he was being mis-
leading by stretching the definition of
“infrastructure,” and they questioned
his claims about the number of jobs
the proposal would create. It’s neither
an infrastructure nor a jobs plan, they
groused.
Controversy over legislative bill
names is hardly new. Politicians have
long used bill titles as a marketing vehi-
cle, concocting sometimes misleading
and outlandish monikers to get media
attention, drum up support – who can be
against leaving no child behind? – and
frame the conversation around the bill
before their opponents do.
� �� ����
���������
������ 2011 that bill naming in the U.K. is an
��������������������� �
Global Talent Loans Program
World News
Stark Naked Act
Sometimes the whole point of legis-
lation is to get a conversation going and
show the public that a lawmaker or a po-
litical party cares about an issue. These
so-called “messaging bills” won’t pass,
but they give lawmakers a chance to hold
press conferences and hearings, and go
on talk shows.
U.S. Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., in 1997
introduced a bill called the “No Private
Contracts to Be Negotiated When the
Patient Is Buck Naked Act,” which be-
came known as the Stark Naked Act. It
was designed to highlight and address the
problem of doctors asking patients to pay
more money when they were “in an ex-
posed condition.” It never got a vote.
President George W. Bush took things
a step further, introducing proposals
with Orwellian names that were the op-
posite in substance to what their names
indicated. Remember the Clear Skies
Act (2002), which would have weak-
ened the Clean Air Act, and the Healthy
Are you an
Internationally
Trained Professional
in need of financial
support for your
Foreign Credential
Recognition?
For more information contact:
778-372-6609
globaltalentloans@issbc.org
issbc.org/globaltalentloans
���� �������������
���������������
Would lawmakers submit to an inde-
����������
������������������������������
�������������������
www.canadianinquirer.net
Forests Initiative, which became law in
2003 and gave timber companies more
access to cut down trees in forests.
Other times, lawmakers try to create
a clever and memorable acronym, often
stretching the limits of the English lan-
guage. Take, for example, the Service
Act for Care and Relief Initiatives for
Forces Injured in Combat Engagements
of 2004 – the SACRIFICE Act – which
aimed to help military families and rec-
ognize the sacrifices of the Armed Forc-
es members injured in combat – and the
Regulations from the Executive in Need
of Scrutiny, or the perennially reintro-
duced REINS Act, a GOP bill to, well,
rein in the president’s power.
And let’s not forget the Uniting and
Strengthening America by Providing
Appropriate Tools Required to Inter-
cept and Obstruct Terrorism, known
as the USA PATRIOT Act, which legiti-
mized domestic spying.
As if coming up with these mouthfuls
weren’t enough, the House Transpor-
tation Committee in 2004 was charged
with weaving into legislation the name
of the wife of then-Chairman U.S. Rep.
Don Young, R-Alaska, Lu. The result: the
2005 Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Effi-
cient Transportation Equity Act: a Leg-
acy for Users (SAFETEA-LU).
Serious implications
It’s not just a U.S. phenomenon; Uni-
versity of Stirling (Scotland) researcher
Brian Christopher Jones determined in
important part of the legislative process
and even could influence a bill’s passage.
It’s unclear whether a bill title can af-
fect a congressional vote, but it can have
serious implications if the law ends up
before the U.S. Supreme Court, where the
title can be used to infer legislative intent.
“The Defense of Marriage Act” was so
influential a title that its meaning was de-
bated by Supreme Court justices in Unit-
ed States v. Windsor, in which the court
deemed the act was unconstitutional.
APRIL 23, 2021 FRIDAY
JOE BIDEN/FACEBOOK
“Both the majority and minority opin-
ions discussed the name and its impli-
cations at length, but came to differing
conclusions on its importance,” wrote
Jones, who was so vexed by that title’s
influence on the highest court in the U.S.
that he called for a neutral bill-naming
office to be created so that lawmakers
could no longer be in charge of naming
their legislation.
In fact, lawmakers can name bills as
they see fit. They are fortunate that the
rules of advertising don’t apply; in 2013,
Jones and attorney Randal Shaheen
concluded that some bill titles would be
deemed deceptive advertising if over-
seen by the Federal Trade Commission.
Confusion about naming
So, is Biden’s plan an infrastructure
bill? Or a jobs bill?
The White House contends it is both.
Building new roads and bridges, upgrad-
ing transit systems and replacing lead wa-
ter pipes requires hiring lots of workers.
But trying to brand one proposal as
two things violates the rules of branding,
and coverage of Biden’s plan highlights
the dangers of doing so. Some media
referred to Biden’s proposal as an infra-
structure measure, while other head-
lines blared about his jobs plan. Confus-
ing? Yes, especially given the rapid-fire
nature of proposals coming out of the
White House these days. One could be
excused for wondering whether Biden
had released two plans instead of one.
pendent bill-naming review process, as
Jones suggests?
Unlikely. Chances are they would dub
it a “No Onerous Name Surveyor to Ask
Regarding Titles Endlessly Released,” or
NONSTARTER. ■
Angela Bradbery, Frank Karel En-
dowed Chair in Public Interest Commu-
nications, University of Florida
This article is republished from The Con-
versation under a Creative Commons license.
FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021 17

Jo Galang: Making artworks

that ‘move’ people
BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA
Philippine Canadian Inquirer
Artworks are so incredible
that it can catch someone’s at-
tention, immerse them in its
beauty, and the next thing they
know: they get hit right to their
souls.
All this happens with no sin-
gle word said. Perhaps it is the
colors or the mood the artworks
first give that captivate people.
But it could be just the surface
of a deeper intention. Some
might probably forget but art
always has a way of speaking to
and touching hearts of people;
it is the eye-opening truth that
Jo Galang learned as she en-
gulfs herself into art.
Runs in the blood
Filipino-Canadian artist Jo
Galang was only six years old
when she discovered her love
for art; starting to show her
viewpoint through drawing as
soon as she learned to hold a
pencil.
Dalena, a “free-spirited” and
“radical” artist who pushed his
students to give their utmost.
It was in his class that Jo
enjoyed learning the impor-
tance of composition, value,
and color in art, and to see out-
side the box. The lessons and
motivations she acquired from
that class are imprinted on her
mind, especially that huge real-
ization about art that her pro-
fessor made her understand:
“He opened my eyes to the
fact that art could move peo-
ple.”
Jo graduated with a Bache-
lor’s degree in Fine Arts in 1977,
and equipped by the teachings
she obtained in the university,
she set out her professional ca-
reer as a graphic designer at the
Manila Hotel. Jo was already
married when she worked at the
hotel and not long after she got
the job, she had to leave as per
her doctor’s advice as she found
out that she was pregnant with
her first child.
She and her husband wanted
the country, staying for a few
days in different parts of Brit-
ish Columbia, swimming in the
lakes, going on a picnic with her
family, camping, taking the fer-
ry, and riding the train, among
other activities.
“My first days in Canada were
spent enjoying and getting to
know this beautiful country.”
It was a completely different
environment for Jo and her
family, in spite of that, the Fil-
ipino culture remains.
Jo shared that inside their
home, Filipino dishes are al-
ways served on the table. When-
ever they have gatherings, they
make sure that they include
food from their homeland in
the menu, which, Jo said, even
their guests who are not Filipi-
nos, savor. Meanwhile, Sundays
for them are allotted to church.
Artist in Canadian graphic
design industry
Almost everything about
moving to Canada went well for
Jo, but it became a bit challeng- Jo Galang in 2017
ing when she began searching SUPPLIED

She and her six other siblings
were raised in a Christian fami-
ly by her parents, who are both
accountants, in the Philippines.
Jo was designated to work
on anything related to visual
arts in their family, helping her
siblings whenever they need-
ed a drawing or illustration for
school. Although she was the
artist-in-charge in their family,
she has loved ones who are just
as artistic as her.
Jo has an opera singer mom
who used to perform Arias on
stage and uncle who could paint
murals. Jo grew up watching all
the performances of her moth-
er and witnessed how her un-
cle, who is her mom’s younger
brother, infuse life to the walls
of his bedroom through his mu-
ral work.
“At this time, I was already
into art but realized that I prob-
ably inherited the talent from
this side of my family.”
Digging further into art led
her to the discovery of not only
more media and new styles
but the power that art has. She
knew about this from her for-
mer professor in college at the
Far Eastern University, Danilo
their first born to have a better
future which they saw in Can-
ada, so in 1981, she and her son
migrated there after her hus-
band left the Philippines in the
late 70s.
‘Land of opportunity’
“Living in Canada means liv-
ing in a land of opportunity.”
This was how Jo described
her life when she migrated to
Canada. Better opportunities
that she wished for her son to
have were also given to her in
her new home country: oppor-
tunity to achieve her goals, to
be free, to be the best version
of herself, and to experience
whatever life has in store for her
without having to compromise
her beliefs and convictions.
Opposite to her life back in
the Philippines, living in a for-
eign land made her to be inde-
pendent and self-sufficient as
they do not have anyone in Can-
ada who will do things for them.
It seems that Canada did not
only open doors of opportunity
for Jo, but also so many things
to enjoy. That was what she ac-
tually did upon arriving in the
country: explore her new sur-
roundings by just driving across
for her first Canadian job.
She aimed to continue her
art career in Canada, but look-
ing for a job in line of her work
became “one big struggle” for
her due to her lack of Canadi-
an experience. To earn this, she
applied at a McDonald’s restau-
rant and worked there for a
short period of time.
Beginnings are not always
well ordered, but if one per-
sists in working harder even
after multiple failed attempts,
it would be impossible to have
a no-win result. Because of her
resolve, it did not take long for
Jo to disembark in the Cana-
dian graphic design industry,
working as a graphic artist for a
number of family-owned busi-
nesses, and later on, for the
printing industry.
“As I gained experience, I
found myself working in the
printing industry, trouble-
shooting files and preparing
them for printing. During this
time, I gained the skill and ex-
perience in using the computer
and the tools in creating digital
artworks.”
“This is where I first under-
stood the printing process.”
After years of working for
other printing companies, Jo
thought: why not go beyond
from being the graphic artist
of other firms to becoming the
artist and the head of her own
graphic design business? Being
geared up by the experiences
she gained in the printing in-
dustry gave Jo the capability to
build up Excel Design, Inc. in
1993.
As a new business in town,
Excel Design, Inc. started off
slow, with it struggling to find
new clients — but starting from
the lowest level was not a new
thing for the owner of it.
Again, Jo strived hard to pull
up her business and make its
brand known. Coupled with re-
ferrals from previous client’s,
Jo’s business eventually earned
the trust of new clients from all
over Vancouver.
Excel Design, Inc. gave Jo
“more freedom without the
hassle of being under anybody’s
scrutiny” on her works.
“Although the job always en-
tails deadlines, I believe this
is something that is needed to
encourage and inspire me to be
more productive and better as
an artist.”
Apart from having the in-
dependence on her works, Jo
can finally have a moment for
something she has been longing
to do: to spend time painting.
World in her canvas
Jo hardly held a paintbrush
nor sat in front of her easel be-
fore. Through the years she
was with her full-time job, the
opportunity to paint came very
infrequent, but with Excel De-
sign, Inc., she can now manage
all her roles at the same time
without having to be drawn
away anymore from her goal
to make an impact on people’s
lives through her art.
“Art that moves people is my
intent in creating art.”
She wanted people to realize
how blessed they are to be able
to enjoy the intrinsic beauty
of nature. Masterfully captur-
ing it, Jo paints with a charac-
teristic passion that soulfully
radiates true-to-life light and
color. Her broad subjects range
from landscapes and flowers to
❱❱ PAGE 19 Jo Galang: Making

www.canadianinquirer.net
18
Entertainment
Oscars 2021: COVID-19 has rekindled a
‘back to the future’ love of movies
BY KIM NELSON, University
of Windsor
The Conversation
For the first time in more
than 90 years of Academy
Awards history, films released
via commercial streaming
or video-on-demand may be
awarded Oscars on April 25.
In this year of COVID-19
pandemic closures, the Oscars
are bypassing the long-standing
eligibility rule — normally, fea-
ture film entries must be shown
in a commercial theatre in Los
Angeles County for a minimum
of three times daily over a week.
In announcing the change,
the Academy of Motion Picture
Arts and Sciences — the body
behind the red-carpet event —
said “there is no greater way to
experience the magic of movies
than to see them in a theatre.
Our commitment to that is un-
changed.”
But will the academy be
able to resist change? Cinemas
were not how people original-
ly watched movies. There are
signs that home viewing will
be be joined by a growing re-
surgence of local movie-going
experiences that draw on en-
tertainment pastimes that pre-
ceded Hollywood’s rise.
Cinema in flux
In the early years of mov-
ie-making, theatrical film was
mixed with live performers,
from MCs to magicians and
musicians. Around 1907, there
was a shift toward longer, fea-
ture-length films. As a result,
films lost their local and live
component and profits became
concentrated toward American
multinational film production
and distribution companies.
The MGM film studio con-
ceived of The Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences in 1927
as a labour organization that
would represent the often oppos-
ing interests of the employers/
studios and employees, technical
tradespeople, as well as writers,
directors and actors: the year be-
fore, five unions had formed in
various technical fields.
It was also designed as a
public relations vehicle, to re-
but criticism and advance the
reputation of the screen arts.
Because film and television
evolved separately, what came
to be known as the Oscars fo-
cused on a moving image prod-
uct distributed in cinemas.
At the turn of this century,
The Sopranos spawned the era
of prestige TV. Top writers, direc-
tors and actors have since flocked
to cable and streaming series.
This phenomenon continues
with a dizzying array of sub-
scription services like Netflix
and Apple TV. Traditional pro-
duction companies have rushed
to set up their own variants, like
Disney Plus.
As serialized shows have be-
come more cinematic, to only
consider feature films for most
awards has come to seem an
arbitrary distinction. Members
of the academy often work in-
terchangeably in features and
series.
Peephole precursor to
smartphone viewing
Movie theatres seem to have
evolved from the architecture
of Greek amphitheatres, with
their tiered seating offering
unobstructed views. But the
original way to watch motion
pictures was a single-viewer
peephole device.
Patented by Thomas Edison,
the Kinetoscope was launched
publicly by Canadian entrepre-
neurs, Andrew and George Hol-
land, in a New York City parlour
in 1894. The Kinetoscope was a
sort of cabinet one leaned over
and looked into. In many ways,
this mode of viewing moving
pictures alone, through a de-
vice, was a precursor to watch-
ing via televisions or smart
phones.
In the summer of 1896, the
first big screen film exhibition
in North America was at the
Robillard Theatre, a vaudeville
venue in Montréal’s China-
town.
Drive-in screen seen at Windsor International Film Festival Under the Stars 2020.
In its early days, projected
moving pictures were present-
ed as a technical marvel in the
midst of magic and vaudeville
routines by touring magicians
and performers. Because films
were so expensive to purchase,
presenters showed a program
until they saturated the audi-
ence, and then they moved on.
It was not until film exchanges
and the ability to rent films that
early film entrepreneurs were
able to set up permanent theatres
to screen movies. This began in
1902 in the United States, and in
Canada the following year. The
consolidation of distribution and
the rental of films under Ameri-
can ownership was the first step
toward what would spawn the
U.S. film industry symbolized by
the Oscars.
Love for local
Some foresee a new
post-pandemic Roaring ‘20s.
Could some spectators be more
interested in the social factor
of theatrical exhibition, drawn
to the stronger sense of soli-
darity evoked by film festivals,
where attendees are prone to
chat with strangers, see a more
diverse range of films and have
the chance to hear from film
creators live on stage?
As part of a project between
the Windsor International
Film Festival (WIFF) and the
University of Windsor, funded
www.canadianinquirer.net
by the Social Sciences and Hu-
manities Research Council, I
worked with a team to conduct
a survey of 200 WIFF audience
members in fall 2020.
According to respondents,
the biggest lure to attend the
festival and its year-round
offerings is “the love of cine-
ma.” Seventy-nine per cent of
respondents chose this as an
important or very important
reason for attending WIFF.
Seventy per cent also cited that
level of enthusiasm as the op-
portunity for “a night out” and
for the “big screen.”
The festival’s importance
to the community met the
largest consensus, rated very
important or important by
93 per cent. This finding is re-
inforced by ticket sales that
have surged over the past 15
years from 2,705 tickets sold in
WIFF’s inaugural year to more
than 42,000 in 2019, the last
pre-pandemic instalment.
In the summer of 2020, the
drive-in inspired “WIFF Under
the Stars” offered a COVID-safe
series that drew sell-out crowds
for 33 of 39 films, exceeding 97 per
cent capacity over a 16-day run.
Escaping pandemic isolation
In recent years, there have
been signs of further disruption
to the classic movie theatre ex-
perience. Before the pandemic,
Toronto’s refurbished Paradise
APRIL 23, 2021 FRIDAY
ERIKA SANBORN, WIFF, AUTHOR PROVIDED
Theatre offered a sophisticated
movie destination and a swanky
dinner in the 1937 heritage
building.
The Texas-based Alamo
Drafthouse theatre chain has
offered screen-side food and
drinks, dress-up shows and live
accompaniment. Yet the stress
of the last year is evident as the
business filed for bankruptcy
last month after enjoying its
most profitable year in 2019.
London-based Secret Cine-
ma has paired screenings with
elaborate live stagings where
audience members dress up
and wander into spectacles that
recreate the world of a film (or
a series, like Stranger Things).
In February this year, it was
promoting a new “summer out-
door immersive experience.”
https://player.vimeo.com/vid-
eo/518249300 Secret Cinema
video.
Perhaps post-pandemic, au-
diences eager to escape their
isolation chambers will broad-
en their scope in seeking out
a larger variety of venues and
ways to watch. ■
Kim Nelson, Associate Profes-
sor. Cinema Arts, School of Cre-
ative Arts, University of Windsor
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021
Heroes, villains … biology: 3 reasons
comic books are great science teachers
BY CAITLYN FORSTER,
University of Sydney
The Conversation
People may think of comics
and science as worlds apart,
but they have been cross-polli-
nating each other in more than
ways than one.
Many classic comic book
characters are inspired by bi-
ology such as Spider-Man, Ant-
Man and Poison Ivy. And they
can act as educational tools to
gain some fun facts about the
natural world.
Some superheroes have sci-
entific careers alongside their
alter egos. For example, Mar-
vel’s The Unstoppable Wasp is a
teenage scientist. And DC Com-
ics’ super-villain Poison Ivy is a
botanist who saved honey bees
from colony collapse.
Superheroes have also crept
into the world of taxonomy,
with animals being named af-
ter famous comic book charac-
ters. These include a robber fly
named after the Marvel char-
acter Deadpool (whose mask
looks like the markings on the
fly’s back) and a fish after Mar-
vel hero Black Panther.
I am a PhD student research-
ing bee behaviour and I have
Jo Galang: Making...
❰❰ 17 wildlife and figures.
Through her works,
she wanted the view-
ers to feel the same ex-
citement she gets whenever she
is out and about, admiring the
simple yet delightful gifts that
nature gives to people.
“I am fascinated by the power
of art, and how it can dramati-
cally change the way we see
our environment. That’s the
magic behind the paintbrush:
art offers us a chance to see our
world differently, from an art-
ist’s point of view.”
“Creating art empowers me
to effectively convey the beauty
and magnificence of everyday
life. My goal is to capture the
moments in my life, using art
as a way to see the world with
a more colorful viewpoint. The
emotional connection to my
daily experiences, exploring the
beauty of nature through land-
scape and floral painting, as
spent most of my university life
working at a comic book store.
Here’s how superheroes could
be used to make biology, and
other types of science, more in-
triguing to school students.
1. They’re engaging
Reading has a range of bene-
fits, from improved vocabulary,
comprehension and mathemat-
ics skills, to increased empathy
and creativity.
While it’s hard to directly
prove the advantages of com-
ics over other forms of reading,
they can be engaging, easy to
understand learning tools.
Comics have similar benefits
well as animal portraiture has
become the sole drive behind
everything I create.”
Jo showed more of this when
she joined in the How Green Is
Your Muse (HGIYM)? exhibit
two years ago.
The event held at the Surrey
Art Gallery became an event-
ful exhibit for her as it was not
only her first time to exhibit in
the gallery but it also exposed
her to a different atmosphere
where people were “truly en-
gaged” with the artworks. It was
an exhilarating view, she said,
to see both the artists and the
audience expressing what they
felt about nature.
“I again met people I had
known from many years who I
didn’t see for a long time. It was
also a great opportunity to meet
and make new friends.”
She plans to allot more atten-
tion to her paintings and par-
take in more art exhibits in the
to classic textbooks in terms of
understanding course content.
But they can be more captivat-
ing.
A study of 114 business students
showed they preferred graphic
novels over classic textbooks for
learning course content.
In another study in the
United States, college biology
students were given either a
textbook or a graphic novel —
Optical Allusions by scientist
Jay Hosler, that follows a char-
acter discovering the science
of vision — as supplementary
reading for their biology course.
Both groups of students
future. After HGIYM exhibit,
she made exposure in two on-
line galleries and even signed
with the Federation of Canadi-
an Artists (FCA).
Founded in 1941, the FCA has
members throughout Canada
and Chapters in Alberta and
British Columbia. Its Federa-
tion Gallery holds juried exhi-
bitions of works by its members
twice a month and three juried
international open shows every
year, based on the FCA’s website.
Jo said their art group will
resume with its activities, of
course with their annual exhib-
it, once the pandemic is over.
While this has yet to happen,
she is currently preparing her
canvas for her next pieces.
Artwork that will “move” oth-
ers is what Jo wanted to carry
through whenever she works in
front of her easel. However, the
impact she wanted to create on
her pieces seems to not only hit
www.canadianinquirer.net
Entertainment
showed similar increases in
course knowledge, but students
who were given the graphic
novel showed an increased in-
terest in the course.
So, comics can be used to en-
gage students, especially those
who aren’t very interested in
science.
Educational comics such as
the Science Comics series, Jay
Hosler’s The Way of the Hive
and Abby Howard’s Earth Be-
fore Us series frequently have a
narrative structure with a story
consisting of a beginning, mid-
dle and resolution.
Students often find informa-
tion inside storytelling easier
to comprehend than when it’s
provided matter-of-factly, such
as in textbooks. As readers fol-
low a story, they can use key
information they have learnt
along the way to understand
and interpret the resolution.
2. They teach important
concepts
In science-related com-
ic books, as the story unfolds,
scientific concepts are often
sprinkled in along the way. For
example, Science Comics: Bats,
follows a bat going through a
rehabilitation clinic while suf-
fering from a broken wing. The
the people who would see it — it
reflected back to the person who
created it. Jo’s own art was a huge
influence on her; it fulfills her,
Jo in her art studio in 2019
19
reader learns about different
bat species and their ecology on
this journey.
Comics also have the advan-
tage of permanance, meaning
students can read, revisit and un-
derstand panels at their own pace.
Many science comics, includ-
ing Optical Allusions, are writ-
ten by scientists, allowing for
reliable facts.
Using storytelling can also
humanise scientists by creating
relatable characters through-
out comics. Some graphic nov-
els showcase scientific careers
and can be a great tool for re-
moving stereotypes of the lab
coat wearing scientist. For ex-
ample, Jim Ottaviani and Maris
Wick’s graphic novels Primates
and Astronauts: Women on the
Final Frontier showcase female
scientists in labs, the field and
even space.
The Marvel series’ Unstop-
pable Wasp also includes inter-
views with female scientists at
the end of each issue.
3. They can give a visual in-
sight into strange worlds
Imagery combined with an
easy to follow narrative struc-
ture can also give a look into
❱❱ PAGE 23 Heroes, villains
makes her experience new things
in life, and most importantly, in-
spires her to thrive more espe-
cially as a visual artist. ■
SUPPLIED
20
The #advancedstyle movement celebrates
and empowers stylish older women
BY ELA VERESIU, York
University, Canada
The Conversation
Until recently, the idea of
paying close attention to ma-
ture women’s style would have,
at best, been met with little in-
terest from other consumers
and the fashion industry but
most likely completely ignored.
After all, to be fashionable
and feminine has typically
been viewed as requiring youth.
What could older female con-
sumers possibly teach us about
being stylish?
Following the unexpected
popularity of what’s known as
the “advanced style” phenome-
non, discussions about ageism,
gender and fashion have been
attracting increasing attention
in the popular media, including
the New York Times. The @ad-
vancedstyle Instagram account,
created in 2008 by American
street style photographer Ari
Seth Cohen, helped fuel these
critical conversations.
Cohen’s celebration of the
personal styles of regular wom-
en 50 years of age and older has
launched a flourishing consum-
er movement.
More than a decade after its
creation, the Advanced Style
Instagram account has more
than 300,000 followers, boasts
a hashtag (#advancedstyle)
that’s been used more than
205,000 times, is regularly fea-
tured in major fashion mag-
azines around the world, like
Vogue Australia, and expanded
Lifestyle
into the realm of coffee table
books in 2012 and 2016, as well
as adult colouring books.
There is even a feature-length
documentary dedicated to the
Advanced Style documentary.
In light of this social media
success story, my colleague
Marie-Agnès Parmentier and I
decided to explore how wom-
en over 50 are amplifying their
voices and changing represen-
tations in the fashion and beau-
ty industries by becoming offi-
cial Instagram influencers.
The study
To do so, we conducted a fo-
cused media and netnographic
investigation of the advanced
style movement and its Insta-
gram influencers. In particular,
we followed 10 popular Ad-
vanced Style influencers from
our personal Instagram ac-
counts for 12 months.
This online participant ob-
servation, which is a big part
of conducting netnographic re-
search, provided us with first-
hand experiences of the influ-
encers’ marketing activities
and fan interactions.
Our complete study is now
published online in a special is-
sue of the Journal of the Asso-
ciation for Consumer Research
focusing on gender, markets
and consumers. Overall, we
have found that all 10 Advanced
Style influencers use the social
media platform to actively fight
gendered ageism rampant in the
fashion and beauty industries.
Specifically, these women
enact two forms of embodied
resistance informed by the
western dominant discourse of
successful aging: They decon-
struct gendered and ageist fash-
ion, and they defy gendered and
ageist beauty standards.
Successful aging not only
turns people’s inevitable bio-
logical deterioration into a per-
sonal project, it also provides
concrete strategies of how to
best be old. In 1997, American
physician John W. Rowe and
his psychologist colleague Rob-
ert L. Kahn, defined successful
aging, first and foremost, as
“encompassing the avoidance
of disease and disability, the
maintenance of high physical
and cognitive function, and
www.canadianinquirer.net
sustained engagement in social
and productive activities.”
Gendered ageism in fashion
The fashion market makes
sustained engagement diffi-
cult, given it’s replete with dis-
criminatory rules about what
to wear and especially what not
to wear once a woman turns
50. These style rules include
no longer showing one’s body
through tight, short or low-cut
clothing, adopting a less colour-
ful wardrobe and makeup and
retreating from ultra-modern,
cutting-edge styles.
In response, we find the
advanced style consum-
ers-turned-influencers engage in
APRIL 23, 2021 FRIDAY
online “style activism,” demanding
designers create ready-to-wear op-
tions for their changing bodies.
In the sphere of influencer
marketing, style activism also
means deciding what brands to
endorse and collaborate with,
and what brands to pass and
avoid. The advanced style influ-
encers often refuse to be “the
token senior” of a marketing
campaign.
Gendered ageism in beauty
industry
The majority of the advanced
style influencers equally reject
the anti-aging beauty industry
that transforms getting older into
a disease. The multi-billion-dollar
industry also falsely promises ev-
erlasting youth in a bottle.
We find that these women
opt instead to popularize nat-
ural, greying hair, wrinkles and
body scars through their Ins-
tagram posts. For eons, beauty
brands have told aging women
that greying hair is a mortify-
ing problem that must be hid-
den, whereas for older men it
remains a sign of mature sexi-
ness. Grey hair is consequently
a defining feature of these in-
fluencers’ embodied resistance,
and one that’s front and centre
in their style activism.
We encourage everyone to
follow the advanced style in-
fluencers’ consumer activism
journeys on Instagram by en-
gaging with the hashtag #ad-
vancedstyle.■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021
Zoom fatigue and distracted driving
share a common problem:
Multitasking
BY FRANCESCO BIONDI,
University of Windsor
The Conversation
Feeling exhausted at the end
of a long day of video-confer-
encing? Do your back, shoul-
ders and mind ache after a
Zoom meeting marathon? Do
you miss the morning chit chat
at the office’s water fountain
and the face-to-face interaction
with your favourite colleague?
If you answered yes to any of
these questions, believe me, you’re
one of millions suffering from
Zoom fatigue, named after the
popular video-conferencing app.
Recent figures in fact indicate
that four in 10 remote workers
report suffering from a sense
of physical and mental exhaus-
tion that accompanies the pro-
longed screen engagement and
the lack of face-to-face interac-
tion during the workday.
Women reportedly suffer
even higher levels of stress
during video-conferencing rel-
ative to men. This is possibly
the result of mirror anxiety, a
phenomenon whereby seeing
oneself in the mirror — or dig-
itally as in the case of videocalls
— triggers greater self-scrutiny.
Curious Kids: What do blind people
experience in their dreams?
BY KEVIN DUFFY, Dalhousie
University
The Conversation
What do blind people experi-
ence in their dreams? — James
Humans are extremely vi-
sual. Nearly half of our brain
is devoted to processing visual
information. Most of the brain
networks responsible for pro-
viding vision are established
early in life.
This means that from about
the time of birth we begin our
lifelong collection of experienc-
es and memories that strongly
With workplaces becoming
increasingly virtual, my focus
on understanding human co-
operation with machines and
systems contributes to under-
standing how human cognition
responds to our increasingly
virtual world.
Drastic effects
In March 2020 — when the
World Health Organization de-
clared the COVID-19 pandem-
ic — there was a sudden and
drastic impact on work habits.
Employers rushed to shift their
workforce to teleworking glob-
ally, and even industries that
historically relied on manual
labour started pushing for more
unmanned automation.
Albeit the rush toward tele-
working and virtual learning
has its advantages — think, for
example, of how much short-
er commutes are — it does not
come without costs.
The clinical community
has widely acknowledged the
threat that Zoom fatigue poses
to mental health, and a Google
search for DIY remedies often
turn up a handful of somewhat
useful yet largely unproven in-
terventions, like packing daily
videocalls together in one re-
served time slot, or using head-
rely on vision.
Throughout life, we associate
most of our interactions with
visual images rather than with
experiences from our other
senses such as hearing or smell.
For those of us with normal
vision, dreams are full of the
visual images we experience
during our waking life. To un-
derstand what blind people
experience in their dreams, we
must distinguish the experi-
ences of those who were blind
at birth from those that became
blind later in life.
Just as vivid and imaginative
Humans born without sight
set rather than the computer’s
built-in mic.
Scales of measurement
Zoom fatigue has become so
prevalent that a group of sci-
entists from the University of
Gothenburg and Stanford Uni-
versity developed the Zoom
Exhaustion and Fatigue Scale.
This scale might be used as an
assessment tool to better un-
derstand the prevalence and
magnitude of this condition.
The specific causes of Zoom
fatigue are still unknown. Con-
tributing factors include the
worker’s urge to comply with
proper “Zoom etiquette” and
the impetus to multitask during
video calls. This phenomenon,
which is also common in dis-
tracted driving, is motivated by
our tendency to stay active fol-
are not able to collect visual ex-
periences, so they understand
the world entirely through
their other senses. As a result,
people with blindness at birth
develop an amazing ability to
understand the world through
the collection of experiences
and memories that come from
these non-visual senses.
The dreams of a person who
has been without sight since
birth can be just as vivid and
imaginative as those of some-
one with normal vision. They
are unique, however, because
their dreams are constructed
from the non-visual experienc-
www.canadianinquirer.net
Lifestyle
lowing boredom or perceived
lulls in job performance.
Together, these circumstanc-
es lead to high levels of mental
demand in the workplace which
not only reduces productivity,
but it also leads to greater mus-
cle exertion and poor task per-
formance.
Countering the effects
Research on Zoom fatigue is
growing, but little is known on
how to fight it or, even better,
prevent it.
Human-machine interaction
studies suggest that tracking
one’s eyes or physiological state
can help monitor the telework-
er’s fluctuation in cognitive
demand. This information can
then be used to develop re-
al-time Zoom fatigue detection
algorithms, and alert the re-
es and memories they have col-
lected.
21
mote worker about its onset.
While the long-term effects
of the COVID-19 pandemic
on mental health are still un-
known, it is not too far-fetched
to anticipate that should this is-
sue not get promptly addressed,
it will add onto the mental and
physical burden that COVID-19
will have had on teleworkers,
and the population as a whole.
As workplaces become more
virtual and machine operations
more remote, the need for a
more cross-disciplinary ap-
proach that encompasses cog-
nition, engineering and human
kinetics is needed, now more
than ever. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
❱❱ PAGE 23 Curious Kids: What
22
European Super League: why punishing
the breakaway 12 could backfire badly
BY ADRIAN R BELL, University of
Reading, ANDREW URQUHART,
University of Reading,
CHRIS BROOKS, Professor of Finance,
University of Reading
The Conversation
The football world has been rocked
by the announcement of a breakaway
European Super League (ESL). The ma-
jority think it a bad idea, from governing
bodies Fifa and Uefa through to national
bodies such as the FA and English Pre-
mier League.
The same goes for the fan groups at
the six English clubs that comprise half
of the ESL’s initial membership of 12:
Liverpool, Man City, Man Utd, Totten-
ham, Chelsea and Arsenal from England.
The remaining founders are Barcelona,
Real Madrid and Athletico Madrid from
Spain; and Juventus, AC Milan and Inter
from Italy. The top German and French
clubs are not participating.
Under the proposed system, these
12 clubs would join three more uncon-
firmed founder members and five addi-
tional clubs that would have to qualify
each year. They would play midweek
fixtures in two mini-leagues of ten clubs,
with the highest finishers progressing to
knock-out stages and eventually a final
each May.
Effectively replacing the Uefa Cham-
pions League, the founders stand to re-
ceive €3.5 billion (£2.5 billion) in initial
infrastructure payments between them,
plus €10 billion for an “initial commit-
ment period”. The 12 clubs propose to
compete in their national leagues as
normal.
The proposals are considered so out-
rageous that even the UK prime minis-
ter, Boris Johnson, is vowing to find a
way to block them – despite not being
known for his love of football. Pundits,
including Gary Neville, the former Man-
chester United defender, have also been
showing exasperation.
The ESL is being condemned as mon-
ey-grabbing, since it would mostly be
a “closed shop” without the jeopardy
of relegation for founding clubs. Many
consider it against the spirit of foot-
ball’s long history, particularly with
lower-league outfits struggling from the
pandemic.
Neville thinks there is “not a chance”
the proposals will go ahead, given the huge
Sports
opposition. Others suggest they could be
intended as a bargaining chip as Uefa un-
veils a revamped and expanded Champi-
ons League, which it says will take place
regardless of the ESL proposals.
In England, many also want the foot-
ball authorities to punish the “big six”.
Relegations, expulsions and bans on
players competing in the Euros and
World Cup are being mooted.
But we suggest that everybody pauses
for breath. Acting harshly against these
clubs could achieve exactly the opposite
effect to what is intended.
Pots and kettles
Authorities such as the English Pre-
mier League (EPL) may struggle to win
hearts and minds by invoking football’s
history. The EPL itself broke away from
the English Football League in 1992, and
the football authorities and fans were
just as enraged at the time. Relegation
was included in the proposal, although
the clubs did not ask permission for the
structure they created.
With the lion’s share of English foot-
ball broadcasting revenues going to Pre-
mier League clubs, many in football al-
ready criticise the footballing pyramid.
Not enough money filters down to the
lower leagues, they argue, while years of
transfer-price and wage inflation drove
numerous clubs to the brink even before
the pandemic.
www.canadianinquirer.net
Amid the empty stadiums of 2020-
21, football is facing a choice: watch
more clubs go to the wall or consider
some kind of reset with reduced play-
er salaries, regulated transfers, agents
removed from the game, and resources
distributed more equally.
The clubs behind the ESL appear to
be rejecting this form of sustainable aus-
terity. They are positioning themselves
above rather than atop the existing pyr-
amid. Of course, with some sitting on
more than €1 billion of debt, receiving
a signing-on bonus of €200 million to
€300 million may solve their own finan-
cial crises.
What happens next
The ESL could be a bargaining chip, of
course. The big clubs have long sought
Champions League reforms that bene-
fit them financially, and timing the an-
nouncement a day ahead of Uefa con-
firming the Champions League revamp
was clearly no accident.
Adding games to the congested foot-
ball calendar is not something any lead-
ing club will relish. So perhaps the ESL
proposal melts away in the coming days
on the back of a compromise with Uefa.
As Neville has pointed out, something
similar happened with the English Pre-
mier League in 2020 having a plan to
further strengthen the big clubs called
Project Big Picture.
APRIL 23, 2021 FRIDAY
On the other hand, the big clubs could
be seeking an extreme reaction from
football authorities to enable them to
go further. Maybe a standalone league
is what the owners really have in mind,
rather than the parallel mid-week league
proposed.
The model we need to consider is that
of top American sports such as American
football or basketball, where there is no
relegation and teams travel thousands
of miles to play. They schedule match-
es abroad on neutral venues, and often
move the team to a new city without any
care for their local fan-base.
That owners refer to clubs as “fran-
chises” is instructive here: four of the
proposed ESL founder clubs have US
owners with arguably little interest in
football except for its earning potential.
You can imagine them thinking a
group of 20 clubs from Europe will act
like a gigantic vacuum cleaner to suck
all the cash from football broadcast rev-
enues and sponsorship. Teams can play
multiple times each year, and why not
have the local Madrid or Manchester
derbies played to packed audiences in
Rio, Shanghai or LA? Indeed, why re-
strict yourself to European clubs when
you could also add rivals from South
America, the US or China?
To counter this threat, the governing
bodies and national leagues need to keep
the 12 teams in their competitions. If
such a standalone league effectively be-
came – excuse the pun – the only game
in town, it might matter little to indi-
vidual players if they were banned from
playing for national teams. They could
console themselves with the even great-
er salaries likely to be on offer as the
whole world watches their every game.
We certainly don’t think the ESL
would be good for the game, but knee-
jerk measures could do untold damage
to all outside of the elite. It could squan-
der a once-in-a-generation opportunity
to remodel the Champions League and
ensure that football at all levels remains
financially viable. It may come down to
who has the strongest brand: the foot-
ball authorities, leagues or clubs – at the
moment it seems the clubs have confi-
dence in the answer to this question. ■
This article is republished from The
Conversation under a Creative Commons
license.
FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021 Sports 23

FIFA opposes breakaway Hidilyn Diaz

European Super League
ANADOLU
Philippine News Agency
ANKARA – The Fédération
Internationale de Football As-
sociation (FIFA) on Monday
said that it stands against the
newly founded European Super
League and football’s governing
bodies have to impose sanc-
tions on this project.
“Against this background,
FIFA can only express its dis-
approval to a ‘closed European
breakaway league’ outside of
the international football struc-
tures and not respecting the
aforementioned principles,”
FIFA said in a statement.
It stated that the game’s gov-
erning bodies should “employ all
lawful, sporting and diplomatic
means to ensure this remains
the case” as FIFA said that the
world football’s governing body
has been promoting solidarity
and integrity in football.
FIFA added that it calls all
Liverpool, Manchester City,
Manchester United, Real Ma-
drid, and Tottenham Hotspur
said in a joint statement on
Sunday that they launched a
new initiative, the European
Super League.
In addition, another three
teams are expected to join.
Meanwhile, Spain’s Barcelo-
na said in a statement that the
clubs, who will participate in
the annual Super League, will
go on to play in their national
leagues each.
In a joint statement, UEFA,
European football’s governing
body, and three of major Euro-
pean leagues, English Premier
League, Spanish La Liga and
Italian Serie A, along with their
federations, warned over the
“so-called Super League” and
said they would stick together
and take all measures “to stop
this cynical project.”
The new mid-week competi-
tion means that the 12 Europe-
an clubs plus three others wish
thankful to
private sector
ing a dispute with the UEFA
and FIFA.
European Super League
format
In Barcelona’s statement,
the 15 founding clubs will play
in the Super League regularly
for support in
Tokyo bid
as they are the founders of the
competition.
But the total number of the
participants will be 20 as a
further five clubs will qualify
for this contest based on their
achievements in their local
leagues in the prior season.
Similar to Champions League
fixtures, the Super League
matches will be held midweek.
The tournament starts in Au-
gust as 20 teams in two groups
of 10 will play home and away
matches.
The best three clubs in each
group will qualify for the quar-
terfinals. The fourth and fifth
clubs in the groups will play a
two-legged playoff for the last
eight berth.
Quarterfinals and semifinals @HIDILYNDIAZ/INSTAGRAM

the parties to have “construc-
tive” dialogue to secure the uni-
ty and spirit of the game.
Many big clubs in Europe
such as AC Milan, Arsenal, At-
letico Madrid, Chelsea, Bar-
celona, Inter Milan, Juventus,
Curious Kids: What...
❰❰ 21 While a person with
normal vision will
dream about a familiar
friend using visual memories
of shape, lighting and colour, a
blind person will associate the
same friend with a unique com-
bination of experiences from
their non-visual senses that act
to represent that friend.
In other words, people blind
at birth have similar overall
dreaming experiences but they
do not dream in pictures.
The dream experience of a
person who lost vision later in
life is very different than some-
one who never had vision. Peo-
ple that lose vision later in life
had the ability to collect many
visual experiences that can ap-
pear in their dreams and in a
manner very similar to a sight-
ed person.
Interestingly — and per-
haps expected — the dreams of
people who develop blindness
to play in the Super League that
they govern rather than the
UEFA competitions, the top-ti-
er Champions League and sec-
ond-tier Europa League.
Following their joint deci-
sion, these clubs are now hav-
later in life become less visual
as their time without vision in-
creases and as they collect more
experiences without vision.
Hello, curious kids! Do you
have a question you’d like an
expert to answer? Ask an adult
to send your question to Curi-
ousKidsCanada@theconver-
sation.com. Please tell us your
name, age and the city where
you live. And since curiosity
has no age limit — adults, let us
know what you’re wondering,
too. We won’t be able to answer
every question, but we will do
our best. ■
Kevin Duffy, Professor, De-
partment of Psychology and
Neuroscience, Dalhousie Uni-
versity
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
will be held by a two-leg knock-
out format, which means home
and away matches.
The Super League final will
be played in a single fixture as
usual at the end of May and will
be held on neutral ground. ■
Heroes, villains...
❰❰ 19 worlds that may oth-
erwise be hard to
visualise. For exam-
ple, Science Comics: Plagues,
and the Manga series, Cells at
Work!, are told from the point
of view of microbes and cells in
the body.
Imagery can also show life
cycles of animals that are po-
tentially dangerous, or difficult
to encounter, such as a honey-
bee colony, which was visual-
ised through Clan Apis. ■
The author would like to ac-
knowledge neuroscientist and
cartoonist Matteo Farinella,
whose advice helped shape this
article.
Caitlyn Forster, PhD Candi-
date, School of Life and Environ-
mental Sciences, University of
Sydney
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
BY IVAN STEWART
SALDAJENO
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – Weightlifter Hi-
dilyn Diaz has the government
and private sectors to thank
for after they provided her the
needed help to keep her Tokyo
Olympic bid alive especially
amid the coronavirus disease
2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
“Sobrang thankful ako sa pri-
vate sectors na tumulong sa akin
like last year na akala namin
hindi namin ma-survive ang
stay namin sa (I am so thank-
ful to the private sectors who
helped me like last year, we first
thought we would not survive
our stay in) Malaysia,” Diaz said
in an interview with Noel Ferrer
on Instagram on Sunday night,
right after she formally clinched
a spot in the Olympics by partic-
ipating in the Asian Weightlift-
ing Championship in Tashkent.
Diaz decided to hold her
training camp in Kuala Lum-
pur, but her stay in the Malay-
sian capital has been prolonged
by the pandemic.
One particular group that
she expressed her gratitude for
is the MVP Sports Foundation,
which according to her has re-
mained steadfast in providing
for her needs.
Diaz also thanked the Phil-
ippine Sports Commission for
continuously helping her and
her team despite the challeng-
es of the pandemic that even
forced the agency to lend some
of its budget to the govern-
ment’s Covid-19 response.
She also thanked the Philip-
pine Air Force for clearing her
to participate in the Asian tilt.
Diaz, a silver medalist in the
2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics,
barely missed the podium in the
Tashkent event and settled for
fourth place after lifting a total of
212 kilograms, 94 in the snatch,
and 118 in the clean and jerk.
But the result hardly mat-
tered as her appearance alone
would suffice to seal her spot in
the Olympics.
Currently inside the Top 8 in
the women’s 55-kilogram cat-
egory, Diaz only needs to join
six events to book an Olympic
berth, which she achieved by
joining the Asian championship.
Other Tokyo-bound Filipino
athletes include: pole vaulter
Ernest John Obiena, gymnast
Carlos Yulo, and boxers Nesthy
Petecio, Carlo Paalam, Eumir
Marcial, and Irish Magno. ■

www.canadianinquirer.net
24
SEC launches new company
registration system
PHILIPPINE NEWS
AGENCY
MANILA – The Securities
and Exchange Commission
(SEC) has launched the Elec-
tronic Simplified Processing
of Application for Registration
of Company (eSPARC) to fa-
cilitate faster and easier regis-
tration of corporations in the
country
Starting April 19, the com-
mission will accept and process
under eSPARC all applications
for registration of one person
corporations (OPCs) and both
stock and nonstock domestic
corporations with at least two
but not more than 15 incorpora-
tors who may either be natural
persons, partnerships, associa-
tions or corporations.
SEC chairperson Emilio
Aquino said eSPARC “brings
us another step closer to our
vision of a unified system” that
Canadian Chamber Budget 2021 analysis: many
positives for business resilience and recovery, but
managing fiscal uncertainty will be critical
CANADIAN CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE
Canada’s largest business as-
sociation says today’s budget
had many positives for busi-
nesses as they look to adapt
and exit the pandemic, but our
longer-term economic health
will depend on the government
managing debt and deficits.
“For all of the subsidy and
stimulus spending Canada has
seen and will continue to see,
the only path to real, sustain-
able growth starts with helping
this country’s business owners
create more opportunities for
more Canadians. Business-
Business
can seamlessly handle the com-
pany registration process from
end to end.
“As we proceed further with
the commission’s digital trans-
formation, we also have to en-
sure that our stakeholders may
adapt well and be able to fully
take advantage of our ongoing
initiatives, which are after all
aimed at improving the ease of
doing business in the country
for them.”
The new company registra-
tion system, which can be ac-
cessed at https://secwebapps.
sec.gov.ph/application, replaced
the interim registration system,
which was previously used for
the registration of OPCs and
corporations with two to four in-
corporators, as well as the Com-
pany Registration System (CRS)
for domestic and foreign-owned
corporations with at least five
incorporators.
With the launch of eSPARC,
only applications for the regis-
es are the ones that drive the
economy, start and grow organ-
isations that hire Canadians
and build projects. The Bud-
tration of partnerships and for-
eign corporations will be accept-
ed and processed in the CRS.
Applications sub-
mitted through the
CRS prior to April 19
will still be processed
by the system, unless
applicants are in-
structed to resubmit
their applications
through eSPARC.
On eSPARC, ap-
plicants or their duly
appointed representa-
tives may submit their
proposed company
names, input their
company information,
and upload the docu-
mentary requirements
for review by the com-
mission. The system also fea-
tures a real-time inquiry facility
on the status of applications.
The new system has been in-
tegrated with the SEC cashier-
ing system and the commis-
get’s focus on growth and jobs
is an important step towards
our economic recovery, but
our growth drivers will need to
www.canadianinquirer.net
sion’s online payment portal to
provide a faster, seamless, and
convenient means to pay regis-
... we also have
to ensure that our
stakeholders may
adapt well...
tration fees.
eSPARC is also linked to the
Central Business Portal, the
national government’s central-
ized platform that allows the
public to access registration
shift from public spending to
private investment to help get
our finances under control. The
plan to reduce deficits over the
coming years is important, but
it will depend on meeting our
growth targets,” said Perrin Be-
atty, President and CEO, Cana-
dian Chamber of Commerce.
“Canada’s fiscal situation
needed serious consideration
as we begin to shift away from
subsidies to economic growth.
With so much pent-up demand
on the horizon, avoiding struc-
tural deficits and fuelling pri-
vate sector growth were the
core building blocks businesses
were looking for in this bud-
get. To ensure the hardest-hit
APRIL 23, 2021 FRIDAY
forms, fill out the information,
and submit requirements need-
ed for business registration and
related transactions.
It is the latest ini-
tiative in the digital
transformation pro-
gram of the SEC.
On March 15,
the commission
launched the online
submission tool,
which allows for the
online submission
of annual financial
statements, general
information sheet,
and other covered re-
ports.
Earlier on March
1, the commission
launched an online
payment portal, giving clients
the option to settle their regis-
tration and other transaction
fees through online banking or
their digital wallets. ■
sectors and small businesses
survive until they can become
self-sustaining again, the ex-
tension of support programs
like CEWS and CERS will help.
However, the government must
ensure that support is not re-
moved too early and that its lev-
el does not decrease too quickly.
The Budget announcements on
longer-term competitiveness
issues like interprovincial trade
barriers, productivity, and re-
ducing the regulatory burden in
Canada are an important step
forward and should be priori-
tized” added Beatty.
The Budget delivered on a
❱❱ PAGE 29 Canadian Chamber
FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021
What makes a job meaningful
and why that matters
BY ANDREW BRYCE,
University of Sheffield
The Conversation
One of the most iconic mem-
ories of the first lockdown of
the pandemic is the sound of
applause echoing across our
cities and towns each week as
the people of Britain said thank
you to the NHS and all key
workers doing essential work
in challenging times. That “clap
for carers” reveals a lot about
how we value the work done by
ourselves and others. Work is
not just something we do to put
food on the table. It does – or
at least can – mean much more
than that.
Work provides many things
over and above the monthly
pay cheque: status and identity,
community and social connec-
tion, doing tasks that we find
stimulating, and the opportuni-
ty to make a positive contribu-
tion to society. All of these things
make work feel meaningful.
My research explores how
paid work is experienced as
meaningful compared to the
other activities people do in
their everyday lives. I also iden-
tify the types of job in which
people experience the most
meaningfulness and explore
how these results can be ex-
plained by the particular quali-
ties of different occupations.
The research uses the Amer-
ican Time Use Survey, which
collects data on how people in
the US spend their time. The
survey asks people not only to
report what activities they did
in a given day, but how mean-
ingful they felt these activities
were on a scale of 0-6.
For the average American,
work is not the most meaningful
thing they do in their everyday
lives. In fact, it is significant-
ly less meaningful than many
other activities classified in the
survey, including caring for fam-
ily members and others, volun-
teering, sport and exercise, and
religious and spiritual activities.
However, work is significantly
more meaningful than shop-
ping, housework and lei-
sure activities.
What jobs are the
most meaningful?
This picture changes
when we take into ac-
count the type of paid
work that people do.
People in community
and social service occu-
pations (which includes
social workers, counsel-
lors and clergy) experi-
ence the most meaning-
fulness in their work.
The other top-rank-
ing occupations are:
healthcare practitioner
and technical occupa-
tions; education, training and
library occupations; and, per-
haps surprisingly to some, le-
gal occupations. More broadly,
people working in the non-prof-
it sector and self-employed peo-
ple report significantly more
meaningfulness in their work
than those employed in private
sector for-profit firms.
These results suggest that
jobs where people have more
control over their work tend to
... work is not the
most meaningful
thing they do in
their everyday lives.
be more meaningful. However,
the type of good you produce
also matters. Jobs where the
main output is helping others
with important aspects of their
lives (for example, their health,
www.canadianinquirer.net
Business 25
education or legal problems) pleasurable their work is relative
are also the most meaningful. to their other daily activities.
I found similar results for the More strikingly, on this in-
UK, using the Annual Popula- dicator for “pleasure” (which
tion Survey and the Skills and combines assessments of hap-
Employment Survey. There is a piness, sadness, stress, tired-
significant correlation between ness and pain), the legal profes-
occupations deemed sion is by far the lowest-ranked
worthwhile and those occupation of all. This implies
where there is a high that work can be difficult,
level of organisation- stressful or tiring but at the
al commitment. This same time meaningful.
suggests that employ- Nevertheless, community and
ees who believe in what social services occupations are
their organisation is do- both the most meaningful and the
ing and are committed most pleasurable of all occupa-
to the mission of their tions, showing that it is possible to
employer are also those have the best of both worlds.
who find their work Why we clap for carers but
meaningful. don’t pay for them
Meaningful does As we emerge from the pan-
not always mean plea- demic and life gets back to
surable normal, the clap for carers will
Another interesting soon become a fading memory.
finding from the Amer- But what have we learned about
ican data is that you do the true value of work?
not have to enjoy something to In 2021, the UK government
find it meaningful. Even though was widely criticised for offer-
their work is meaningful, people ing a 1% pay rise to NHS staff
working in the health and educa- in England and freezing pay for
tion professions are ranked low- other public sector workers.
er than average in terms of how The prime minister cited bud-
getary constraints, but may-
be there are more basic laws
of supply and demand at play.
When work is meaningful, then
that becomes a reward in itself
and generous pay offers are not
prioritised to motivate people
and retain staff. In contrast, less
meaningful work has no such
intrinsic value, so a monetary
reward is needed to get people
to do these jobs.
This of course leads to the
perverse situation where the
most socially useful jobs are
those that are paid the least. It
may seem unfair but it’s the re-
ality of how the labour market
works. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
26
AI is increasingly being used to identify
emotions – here’s what’s at stake
BY ALEXA HAGERTY,
University of Cambridge,
ALEXANDRA ALBERT, UCL
The Conversation
Imagine you are in a job in-
terview. As you answer the
recruiter’s questions, an arti-
ficial intelligence (AI) system
scans your face, scoring you for
nervousness, empathy and de-
pendability. It may sound like
science fiction, but these sys-
tems are increasingly used, of-
ten without people’s knowledge
or consent.
Emotion recognition tech-
nology (ERT) is in fact a bur-
geoning multi-billion-dollar
industry that aims to use AI to
detect emotions from facial ex-
pressions. Yet the science be-
hind emotion recognition sys-
tems is controversial: there are
biases built into the systems.
Many companies use ERT
to test customer reactions to
their products, from cereal to
video games. But it can also be
used in situations with much
higher stakes, such as in hiring,
by airport security to flag faces
as revealing deception or fear,
in border control, in policing
to identify “dangerous people”
or in education to monitor stu-
dents’ engagement with their
homework.
Shaky scientific ground
Fortunately, facial recog-
nition technology is receiv-
ing public attention. The
award-winning film Coded
Bias, recently released on Net-
flix, documents the discovery
that many facial recognition
technologies do not accurate-
ly detect darker-skinned faces.
And the research team manag-
ing ImageNet, one of the largest
and most important datasets
used to train facial recognition,
was recently forced to blur 1.5
million images in response to
privacy concerns.
Revelations about algorith-
mic bias and discriminatory
datasets in facial recognition
technology have led large tech-
Technology
nology companies, including
Microsoft, Amazon and IBM, to
halt sales. And the technology
faces legal challenges regard-
ing its use in policing in the UK.
In the EU, a coalition of
more than 40 civil soci-
ety organisations have
called for a ban on facial
recognition technology
entirely.
Like other forms of
facial recognition, ERT
raises questions about
bias, privacy and mass
surveillance. But ERT
raises another concern:
the science of emotion
behind it is controver-
sial. Most ERT is based
on the theory of “basic
emotions” which holds
that emotions are bio-
logically hard-wired and
expressed in the same
way by people every-
where.
This is increasingly
being challenged, however. Re-
search in anthropology shows
that emotions are expressed
differently across cultures and
societies. In 2019, the Associa-
tion for Psychological Science
conducted a review of the ev-
idence, concluding that there
is no scientific support for the
common assumption that a
person’s emotional state can
be readily inferred from their
facial movements. In short,
Emotion recognition
technology (ERT) is
in fact a burgeoning
multi-billion-dollar
industry that aims
to use AI to detect
emotions from facial
expressions.
ERT is built on shaky scientific
ground.
Also, like other forms of facial
recognition technology, ERT
is encoded with racial bias. A
study has shown that systems
consistently read black peo-
ple’s faces as angrier than white
www.canadianinquirer.net
people’s faces, regardless of the
person’s expression. Although
the study of racial bias in ERT
is small, racial bias in other
forms of facial recognition is
well-documented.
There are two ways
that this technology can
hurt people, says AI re-
searcher Deborah Raji in
an interview with MIT
Technology Review:
“One way is by not work-
ing: by virtue of having
higher error rates for
people of color, it puts
them at greater risk. The
second situation is when
it does work — where
you have the perfect fa-
cial recognition system,
but it’s easily weapon-
ized against communi-
ties to harass them.”
So even if facial recog-
nition technology can be
de-biased and accurate
for all people, it still may
not be fair or just. We see these
disparate effects when facial
recognition technology is used
in policing and judicial systems
that are already discriminatory
and harmful to people of colour.
Technologies can be dangerous
when they don’t work as they
APRIL 23, 2021 FRIDAY
should. And they can also be
dangerous when they work per-
fectly in an imperfect world.
The challenges raised by fa-
cial recognition technologies
– including ERT – do not have
easy or clear answers. Solving
the problems presented by ERT
requires moving from AI ethics
centred on abstract principles
to AI ethics centred on practice
and effects on people’s lives.
When it comes to ERT, we
need to collectively examine
the controversial science of
emotion built into these sys-
tems and analyse their poten-
tial for racial bias. And we need
to ask ourselves: even if ERT
could be engineered to accu-
rately read everyone’s inner
feelings, do we want such inti-
mate surveillance in our lives?
These are questions that re-
quire everyone’s deliberation,
input and action.
Citizen science project
ERT has the potential to
affect the lives of millions of
people, yet there has been little
public deliberation about how –
and if – it should be used. This
is why we have developed a citi-
zen science project.
On our interactive website
(which works best on a laptop,
not a phone) you can try out
a private and secure ERT for
yourself, to see how it scans
your face and interprets your
emotions. You can also play
games comparing human ver-
sus AI skills in emotion recog-
nition and learn about the con-
troversial science of emotion
behind ERT.
Most importantly, you can
contribute your perspectives
and ideas to generate new
knowledge about the potential
impacts of ERT. As the comput-
er scientist and digital activist
Joy Buolamwini says: “If you
have a face, you have a place in
the conversation.” ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021
Social media ‘likes’ change the way we
feel about our memories – new research
BY DAVID BEER, University
of York, BENJAMIN
JACOBSEN, University of
York
The Conversation
Memories are often consid-
ered very personal and private.
Yet, in the past few years, people
have got used to notifications
from social media or phone gal-
leries telling them they have a
“memory”.
These repackaged versions
of the past affect not just what
we remember but also the at-
tachments we have with those
memories. In a new study, we
found social media has the po-
tential to change how people
feel about their memories.
Social media metrics such as
Facebook “likes” can negatively
impact how people feel about
certain memories, especially
if these memories are shared
without getting many likes. Be-
yond this, the anticipation of
social media judgements about
the past can also impact on
what memories people share
and how.
With the aim of understand-
ing the everyday presence of
these automated memories, we
Why your social media habit is probably
not an addiction – new research
BY DAVID JAMES
ROBERTSON, University
of Strathclyde, SIMON
HUNTER, Glasgow
Caledonian University,
STEPHEN BUTLER,
University of Strathclyde
The Conversation
Social media apps are useful
sources of information. They
help us catch up with the activ-
ities of friends, news, current
affairs, government COVID up-
dates and the latest happenings
in celebrity and sport.
But during the pandemic,
you may have felt you spend
too much time on social media.
On occasion you may have seen
the phrase “social media detox”
drew upon detailed interviews
and focus groups with around
60 social media users. In par-
ticular, we looked at how people
use features such as Timehop,
Facebook memories and Apple
memories.
We asked participants about
their experiences of being re-
minded of memories by these
different features. While some
found the features to be creepy
and invasive, others found them
a useful reminder of previous
experiences they’d forgotten.
We also asked whether the
posted by users who want to
stop their social media use en-
tirely for a period of time, pre-
sumably because they feel that
it’s become excessive.
With concerns about the
frequency of social media use,
particularly among young peo-
ple, allied with language such
as “detox”, it’s no surprise re-
searchers who work in the field
of addictions have started to
assess whether social media en-
gagement might be an activity
which could cross a threshold
from frequent use to addictive
behaviour.
In our new study, we investi-
gated whether people who use
social media a lot display one
key aspect of addiction – some-
thing called an attentional bias.
number of likes a shared mem-
ory received had any impact
on them. In some cases par-
ticipants felt differently about
their memories depending on
the number of likes.
Validation
For some, memories have
come to be validated, in part,
through social media likes,
which are felt to be a judgement
on a memory’s worth. For in-
stance, one participant noted
that, although a memory is spe-
cial to the individual, “you’re
constantly depending on oth-
Attentional bias
Addictive behaviours for
both chemical substances (such
as alcohol) and non-chemical
substances (such as gambling)
give rise to similar symptoms
and behaviours. One of the
most prominent of these addic-
tive characteristics is an “atten-
tional bias” to addiction related
objects, images, and parapher-
nalia. Those addicted to smok-
ing, for example, are more likely
to have their attention captured
by cigarettes and other smoking
related stimuli.
In our new research, led by
University of Strathclyde stu-
dent Katie Thomson, we sought
to assess whether this kind of
attentional bias was evident in
social media users. We present-
www.canadianinquirer.net
Technology
ers and what they think of your
memories.”
On the other hand, not get-
ting enough likes could some-
times erode the personal value
attached to memories. Another
participant said if he shared a
memory and only got three likes,
that low number of likes would
become part of the memory.
The participants were aware
this is happening, but said it
was hard to break from what
has been described as the “like
economy”. Even though par-
ticipants acknowledged their
memories were personal and
shouldn’t be affected by social
networks, some still found they
were thinking differently about
an event because of its social
media reaction. As one partici-
pant noted, “You find yourself,
almost in spite of yourself, car-
ing about the likes number.”
Of course, not all memories
were impacted by social media
metrics. Some were considered
too small to be of wider interest.
As one participant said, “If it’s
just a picture of you and your
friend doing some dumb thing
and it gets no likes, you’re like
‘whatever’.” Yet, for other types
of shared memories, the num-
ber of likes still seemed to be an
ed 100 participants with mock
iPhone displays, and asked
them to detect a target app (Siri
or camera) as quickly and as
accurately as they could, while
trying hard to ignore the other
apps in the display.
Drawings showing the three
conditions in the experiment,
which used the real app icons.
K. Thomson et al., Author pro-
vided
On some of the experimen-
tal trials, the “distractor apps”
were not social media apps at
all. In others, one of the distrac-
tors was the social media app
icon of one of the main plat-
forms – Facebook, Twitter, In-
stagram, Snapchat. In another
condition, we overlaid these so-
cial media distractors with the
27
inescapable judgement.
Protecting memories
The anticipation of judge-
ment through social media likes
has started to shape how people
go about sharing their memo-
ries with others. In our study,
people explained how they’d
come to actively protect certain
memories from social media
scrutiny.
For instance, one partici-
pant said she would hold back
from sharing particular “cher-
ished memories”, just in case
the number of likes it received
would alter her relationship to
that memory. We found people
would be selective about the
type of memory they would go
on to share – choosing to share
some privately rather than
openly in their networks.
Even something as private
as a memory has become a rou-
tine part of social media usage,
and platforms are starting to
alter the way we experience our
past. In future, this routine part
of our lives could continue to
shape how we individually and
collectively remember. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
red notification symbol.
The purpose of this was to as-
sess whether users who report-
ed the greatest level of use and
engagement with social media
were more likely to have their
attention captured by the social
media distractor apps – with or
without notifications – com-
pared to those who displayed
more typical levels of use. This
would have demonstrated an
attentional bias to social media
related stimuli.
Distracted?
However, our findings didn’t
support the presence of an at-
tentional bias – a key character-
istic of addictive behaviour. We
did not find, for example, that
❱❱ PAGE 29 Why your social
28
Stunning Stays to Enjoy
America’s National Parks
BOOKING.COM
Spending so much time at
home over the past year has
for many, led to a renewed de-
sire to appreciate the amazing
natural beauty all around us.
In fact, endorsements such as
hiking (94%), clean air (50%)
and nature (44%) on Booking.
com have increased significant-
ly since the start of the pan-
demic*. On top of that, 73%** of
Americans say they are looking
to appreciate more of life’s sim-
ple pleasures, such as spending
more time outdoors, once it’s
safe to travel again.
Considering this growing pas-
sion to reconnect with the great
outdoors and with National Park
Week coming up, which kicks off
with free entrance to all nation-
al parks in the United States on
April 17, we have delved into our
more than 28 million listings
in over 153,000 destinations
around the world to present sev-
en sensational stays near some
of America’s most beautiful na-
tional parks. From rustic resorts
and lodges to spacious camp-
sites surrounded by gorgeous
greenery, there is something for
every traveler, when the time is
right again.
Lajitas Golf Resort, Big
Bend National Park, Texas
Encompassing more than
800,000 acres in southwest
Texas, Big Bend National Park
is a hiker’s paradise. With miles
of scenic trails winding through
stunning rock formations and
impressive canyons, the park
provides visitors with an amaz-
ing opportunity to experience
the region’s unique plants and
wildlife firsthand.
Nestled between Big Bend
National Park and the State
Park with the same name, La-
jitas Golf Resort is perfect for
nature lovers. More adventur-
ous guests can enjoy a variety of
outdoor activities like zip-lin-
ing through Quiet Canyon,
horseback riding and mountain
biking. For stunning views of
Travel
the iconic actual ‘Big Bend’ in
the Rio Grande river, the re-
sort’s golf course offers a unique
experience even for the most
well-travelled golf players.
Jackson Lake Lodge, Grand
Teton National Park, Wyoming
Just north of Jackson, Wy-
oming, Grand Teton National
Park is an incredible expanse of
alpine lakes, pine forest and the
towering, craggy peaks of the
Grand Teton Mountain Range.
Boasting 310,000 acres of lush
valleys, this breathtaking na-
tional park is a wonderland for
outdoor activities, including ev-
erything from mountain climb-
ing and fly fishing to horseback
riding and hiking.
Located directly in Grand
Teton National Park, the com-
fortable cottages of the Jackson
Lake Lodge are surrounded by
evergreen trees in every direc-
tion. After a day of exploring, the
lodge’s floor-to-ceiling windows
provide picture-perfect vistas of
the impressive nearby peaks.
Kilauea Lodge and Restau-
rant, Hawaii Volcanoes Na-
tional Park, Hawaii
Featuring one of the most
unique geological landscapes in
the US, Hawaii Volcanoes Na-
tional Park is located 45 miles
southwest of Hilo and is home
to two active volcanoes, Mau-
naloa and Kilauea. Travelers
visiting this marvelous national
park can discover 150 miles of
hiking trails through a striking
landscape of volcanic craters
and tropical rainforest.
Situated only a mile away
from the entrance to Hawaii
Volcanoes National Park,
Kilauea Lodge and Restaurant
was originally built as a YMCA
camp in 1938. This historical
lodge is a real rainforest retreat
with lush, tropical gardens, per-
fect for a relaxing break. After a
day exploring the island, guests
can kick back with a drink in the
property’s beautiful restaurant,
with its cathedral ceilings and
exposed wooden beams.
Crater Lake Resort, Crater
Lake National Park, Oregon
One of the world’s most pris-
tine lakes and the deepest in the
United States, Oregon’s icon-
ic Crater Lake inspires global
travelers with its mesmerizing
blue color and surrounding
rock formations. Fed only by
snow and rain, the lake’s crystal
clear waters create the perfect
backdrop for Instagram-wor-
thy images any time of the year.
Located in Fort Klamath in
the southwest corner of the
state, Crater Lake Resort offers
luxurious tents, comfortable
bungalows and beautiful cot-
tages near the national park.
Surrounded by a dense pine
forest, this accommodation
gives travelers the opportunity
to enjoy a wide variety of out-
door activities like fly fishing,
kayaking and bird watching in
the surrounding area.
The Inn at Death Valley,
Death Valley, California
One of America’s largest na-
tional parks and famous for be-
ing the hottest place in North
America, Death Valley is part
of the Mojave Desert and popu-
lar for its colorful canyons and
sand dunes. Full of an array of
natural wonders, including an-
cient geological formations and
salt flats that are actually 282
feet below sea level and also the
lowest place on the continent,
this unique national park is a
photographer’s dream thanks to
its varied landscapes. The park
is also a perfect destination for
stargazing, especially during
the winter and spring months,
thanks to clear skies and low
light pollution in the park.
Located within the nation-
al park itself, The Inn at Death
Valley is a beautiful resort with
palm trees and natural springs
running through it. Overlook-
ing the Panamint Mountains,
the resort’s spa is ideal for a
little pampering, particularly
after a long, hot day exploring
all the desert landscapes Death
Valley has to offer.
McKinley Creekside Cab-
ins, Denali National Park,
Alaska
www.canadianinquirer.net
Centered around the tallest
mountain peak in North Amer-
ica and bearing the same name,
Denali National Park covers over
six million acres of land, with
over two million as officially des-
ignated wilderness. Home to an
incredible range of unique plant
and animal life, and stunning gla-
ciers that cover about 16% of the
park, this practically untouched
paradise is perfect to visit any
time of the year. Travelers can
enjoy blooming wildflowers
blanketing the valleys during the
warmer months, while winter is a
great time for skiing.
Located about 12 miles south
of the Denali National Park en-
trance on Carlo Creek, these
wooden cabins are surrounded
by expanses of forest and jagged
mountain peaks. Before a day
of adventure, guests can start
their morning with a hot cup of
coffee on the property’s patio,
serenaded by the gurgling wa-
ters of the nearby creek.
The Inn on Mount Desert,
Acadia National Park, Maine
Situated along the rocky,
picturesque coast of Maine,
about 160 miles from Portland,
Maine, and about 50 miles
from Bangor, Acadia National
Park impresses visitors with its
beautiful hiking trails, deep for-
ests, breathtaking ocean views
and crystal-clear lakes. The
park’s easy accessibility makes
it an attractive destination for
any time of the year. Travelers
can swim in the lakes in sum-
mer, with hiking being a pop-
APRIL 23, 2021 FRIDAY
ular pastime during the cooler
months, especially in autumn,
when the park is popular for the
fall foliage that is particularly
stunning in mid-October.
The Inn on Mount Desert is
about a mile away from Acadia
National Park and within walk-
ing distance from the down-
town of charming Bar Harbor.
Surrounded by oak trees, the
rocking chairs on the proper-
ty’s front porch are perfect for
a relaxing moment after a day
exploring the great outdoors. ■
*Based on endorsements left
on Booking.com as part of post-
stay reviews. Insight based on
endorsements that saw the big-
gest increase in monthly usage
between 1st April 2020 and 11th
September 2020, compared to
the average monthly endorse-
ments between January 2019
and February 2020.
**Research commissioned
by Booking.com and conducted
among a sample of adults who
have traveled for business or
leisure in the past 12 months,
and must be planning to travel
in the next 12 months (if/once
travel restrictions are lifted). In
total 20,934 respondents across
28 countries and territories
were polled (including 999 from
USA, 496 from Canada, 497
from Mexico, 997 from Colom-
bia, 999 from Brazil, 499 from
Argentina, 995 from Australia,
499 from New Zealand, 999
❱❱ PAGE 29 Stunning Stays
FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021
Israel set to open borders to vaccinated
foreign tourists
BY JOYCE ANN L. ROCAMORA
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – Israel is opening up its
borders to foreign tourists who have
been vaccinated against coronavirus
disease 2019 (Covid-19) starting next
month.
The Israel Ministry of Tourism said
the initiative will begin on May 23, start-
ing with a limited number of groups that
will be increased based on the health sit-
uation and progress of the program.
Individual travelers will be allowed
into Israel in its “second stage”, with
health considerations determining the
timeline.
“All visitors will be required to under-
go a PCR test before boarding the flight
to Israel, and a serological test to prove
their vaccination, upon arrival at Ben
Why your social...
❰❰ 27 those who checked and posted
on Facebook ten times a day
were any more likely to have
their attention captured by the Face-
book distractor app – with notifications
or not – than someone who only posted
and checked their Facebook account
once a week.
Research on the effects of social me-
dia on users’ health and behaviour is still
relatively new. But our study provides
some evidence to support the side of the
debate which suggests that we must be
careful not to “over-pathologise” social
media use.
There are now several studies which
have argued that there may be no, or
at best a weak, link between individual
differences in social media use and us-
ers’ levels of depression and anxiety, for
Gurion Airport,” it said.
In the meantime, discussions will
continue with various countries to reach
agreements for vaccine-certificate val-
idation, so as to cancel the need for the
serological test.
Israel’s vaccination program has been
successful, outpacing much of the world
in inoculating its population.
“After opening the economy, it is time
to allow tourism in a careful and cal-
culated manner. Opening the tourism
is important for one of the fields most
hurt during the COVID year. We will
continue to look at easing regulations in
accordance with the health situation,”
said Yuli Edelstein, Israel’s Minister of
Health.
Philippine passport holders may en-
joy visa-free access to Israel for up to 90
days. ■
example. In addition, there are studies
which also show the positive aspects of
social media use such as enhancing feel-
ings of social connection and wellbeing.
Our new research adds to the current
debate by supporting the view that fre-
quent social media use may not, at pres-
ent, fit neatly into traditional addiction
frameworks. ■
David James Robertson, Lecturer in
Psychology, University of Strathclyde ;
Simon Hunter, Professor of Applied Psy-
chology, Glasgow Caledonian Univer-
sity, and Stephen Butler, Researcher in
Cognitive Neuroscience, University of
Strathclyde
This article is republished from The
Conversation under a Creative Commons
license.
www.canadianinquirer.net
Travel
Canadian Chamber...
❰❰ 24 number of the Chamber’s spe-
cific policy proposals outlined
in its Roadmap to Recovery,
Pre-Budget Submission and policy reso-
lutions, including:
• Extension of business supports
like CEWS and CERS for the hardest-hit
sectors and small businesses
• Creation of the Canada Recov-
ery Hiring Program to help the hardest
hit businesses hire staff when they are
ready for recovery
• Reskilling and upskilling to get
Canadians back to work, as well as pro-
ducing better data on labour market
demand in individual communities and
building talent pipelines based on em-
ployer needs
• National leadership on reduc-
ing interprovincial trade barriers by
collecting data, identifying barriers, and
allocating federal transfers to provinces
and territories to address these issues
• Recapitalization of the Na-
tional Trade Corridors fund to support
trade-enabling infrastructure
• Support for SME technology
adoption through capital expenditures
and financing to improve Canadian pro-
ductivity
Stunning Stays...
❰❰ 28 from Spain, 996 from Italy, 996
from France, 999 from UK, 996
from Germany, 498 from Neth-
erlands, 499 from Denmark, 499 from
Sweden, 498 from Croatia, 1001 from
Russia, 498 from Israel, 997 from India,
29
However, there are also several im-
provements that can be made to today’s
announcements to better support Cana-
dian businesses, including:
• Replacing fiscal guardrails and a
medium-term debt-to-GDP target with
a fiscal anchor to encourage long-term
fiscal sustainability.
• Focusing on supporting work-
ing mothers now with support for child-
care through tax credits, instead of wait-
ing to create a national program
• Working through the OECD on
a multilateral approach to a digital ser-
vices tax, instead of creating a one-off
Canadian model that may not align with
our trading partners
“Our members, businesses from Main
Street to C-Suite and everything in be-
tween, wanted a clear plan to help them
lead Canada’s economic revival. They
are ready to kick-start our shared re-
covery, but they need the government
to do its part and create an encouraging
business environment. Today’s Budget
provided necessary supports for many
Canadian businesses, but more needs to
be done on the economic fundamentals
to ensure longer-term growth,” added
Beatty. ■
994 from China, 499 from Hong Kong,
497 from Thailand, 496 from Singapore,
499 from Taiwan, 997 from South Korea,
500 from Vietnam and 995 from Japan).
Respondents completed an online survey
in July 2020.
 APRIL 23,2020
JULY 17, 2021 30
28

CANADA

PINOY EXPRESS DELIVERY

TRUCK OR CARGO AVAILABLE FOR RENT WITH A DRIVER.
Driver will help: Load-Pack-Unload

Perfect for: *Furniture Pick-up *Online Purchases

Room * Bachelor * 1-2 Bedroom
No More Hassle and Headache of going out to Rent.
Just pick up the phone and will show up at your door.
Let your Kababayan help you!!! We Speak your language
Maraming Salamat

Call: (416) 841-0244 for more details.

Leave a Message and we will call you back.

Electronic Technicians Needed

Experience in Low Voltage
Electrical System
installation and Servicing
Computers with Networking
Email resume to suda@alarmboss.com
Call 416-432-1902

CHRISTMAS SIGNING BONUS!!! TIN TIN DIM SUM Spectrum Health Care is Hiring
Do you have:
Proudly serving fresh
Personal Support Workers
Cleaning, sweeping and moping experience (Outside Retail)
Experience in using a power washer & leaf blower
Enjoy Working Outdoors
and not frozen dim sum all day who want more!
Good time management skills and can work unsupervised
Have your own transportation $10.99 only More hours
Iron Platter Style (with rice & veg in soup)
Competitive Pay Rates Tonkatsu Combo (Chicken or Pork)
Pay Via Direct Deposit Spicy Ramen Pot

6455 Macleod Trail SW, Unit 192A, Calgary, AB T2H 0K9

$500 Signing Bonus
(Located inside Chinook Mall)
Please email your resume to SecuredGroup
info@securedsecuirty.com or fax 604-239-0251 securedsecurity.com
(403) 253-7742 Learn more at www.spectrumhealthcare.com

www.canadianinquirer.net
FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021 31

McDonald’s and BTS Partner to Offer
the Supergroup’s Favourite Order
MCDONALD’S
Get ready, because the Golden Arches
are about to shine even brighter thanks
to a new collaboration with 21st century
global pop icons, BTS.
This one-of-a-kind menu “tour”
will arrive in Canada on May 26, when
guests can enjoy the band’s signature
order at participating restaurants across
the country. The BTS Meal includes a
10-piece Chicken McNuggets®, medi-
um World Famous Fries™, medium soft
drink and Sweet Chili and Cajun dipping
sauces inspired by popular recipes from
McDonald’s South Korea.
“The band has great memories with
McDonald’s. We’re excited about this
collaboration and can’t wait to share the
BTS Meal with the world,” says BIGHIT
MUSIC, label of BTS.
Since 2013, BTS has topped music
charts and brought people together
from all over the world through their
music and positive messages. Over the
next few months, BTS fans everywhere
will find themselves that much closer to
their favourite artists... because for the
first time since McDonald’s launched its
Food
celebrity signature orders program in become part of the Canadian fabric, locally owned and operated by indepen-
the U.S. last year, the BTS Meal will be serving close to three million guests ev- dent franchisees. Of the almost $1 billion
available globally in nearly 50 countries. ery day. In both franchised and corpo- spent on food, more than 85 per cent is
You can find a full list of participating rate-owned restaurants, nearly 100,000 purchased from suppliers in Canada.
countries as well as dates for meal avail- people are employed from coast-to- For more information on McDonald’s
ability here. coast, and more than 90 per cent of Mc- Canada, visit mcdonalds.ca. ■
“No matter who you are, everyone has Donald’s 1,400 Canadian restaurants are
a go-to order at McDonald’s - even inter-
national superstars like BTS.” said Alys-
sa Buetikofer, Chief Marketing Officer,
McDonald’s Canada. “This band is tru-
ly a global phenomenon with a fanbase
that knows no borders, and we couldn’t
be more excited to bring the BTS Meal
to our guests in Canada starting next
month.”
Canadian guests will be able to order
the BTS Meal in-restaurant, through
contactless mobile order and pay with
the McDonald’s app, at the Drive-Thru
or via McDelivery®. So mark your calen-
dars for May 26, and be sure to keep an
eye out on McDonald’s social channels
@mcdonaldscanada for regular updates
on this exciting partnership!
About McDonald’s Canada
In 1967, Canadians welcomed the first
McDonald’s restaurant to Richmond,
British Columbia. Today, McDonald’s MCDONALD’S
Restaurants of Canada Limited has

Different vegetable recipes showcased in Baguio buffet

BY LIZA AGOOT
Philippine News Agency
BAGUIO CITY – Extraordinary ways
to cook and serve vegetables were shown
to the public through a “veggie buffet”
held at the Bureau of Plant Industry of-
fice here by the Department of Agricul-
ture in the Cordillera Administrative
Region (DA-CAR) last week.
A statement from the agency on Sat-
urday said the event highlighted food
preparations and dishes — all using veg-
etables — which the attendees partook
off after paying for a PHP100 food ticket.
Joan Bacbac, High Value Crop (HVC)
Development Program coordinator and
chief of the Agribusiness and Marketing
Assistance Division (AMAD) of DA-CAR,
said they wanted to show that there are
different dishes that can be prepared so
that people, especially the children, can
appreciate vegetables.
“Other than slicing and just boiling the
cabbage especially for us Igorots, there
are many other ways to cook it that the
children will appreciate in terms of ap-
pearance and taste,” she added in Ilocano.
The open area of the BPI compound
where the DA-CAR holds office was used
as venue of the event, where 20 different
kinds of vegetable dishes were served.
Among the extraordinary ones were
the carrot salad which looked and tasted
like fruit salad, the mushroom “dinak-
dakan” that replaced the usual pig’s ear,
mashed potato with eggs and other vege-
tables served on cabbage leaf, the crunchy
potato balls with quail eggs inside, vege-
table balls that tasted like the Japanese
takoyaki, and carrot “ukoy” with dip.
There were also other dishes using
vegetables like the classic chop suey,
French toast topped with fresh fruits
and vegetables, pancit, vegetable sal-
ad, pinakbet, fried rice with vegetables,
boiled camote and banana, potato sal-
ad, “sinigang na baboy” and “tahong” or
mussels sauteed with vegetables.
For dessert, creamy squash ice cream
was served.
Bacbac said the six divisions and an at-
tached unit of the agency joined the “eat
all-you-can” event as part of the High
Value Crop Week and Filipino Food
Month celebration that aims to promote
consumption of local and nutritious ag-
ricultural produce.
DA-CAR workers and some residents in
the neighborhood attended and enjoyed
munching on the delicious vegetable dishes.
Aida Pagtan, public information officer
of DA-CAR, while enjoying the food on
her plate, said in Ilocano: “it’s good, dif-
ferent and enjoyable to see and eat vege-
tables that do not look like vegetable.”
Oscar Cadellina, a local resident, said
“my wife and I love to eat vegetables and
we appreciate what they (referring to
DA-CAR) do, making innovations to ac-
tivities that promote local products and
help the farmers.”
Dr. Cameron Odsey, DA-CAR regional
director, said in an interview the Cordil-
lera Region has five identified HVC pro-
duce — cabbage, wombok, potato, car-
rots and Baguio beans. Sayote was also
added, which grows only in the upland
areas of the region.
He said the DA has institutionalized
several measures to assure that vegetables
grown by farmers in Cordillera are of high
quality and safe for human consumption.
“There are certifications like that
strictly given by a third-party certifier
for organic producers and the DA’s good
agricultural practices (GAP) for conven-
tional agriculture,” Odsey said.
The GAP, which is among the require-
ments imposed by big buyers on their
suppliers, is an assurance that fertilizers
are used properly at the proper age of
the plant, farms are clean, pesticides are
not very toxic, biosecurity measures are
in place and plants are harvested after
the lapse of the withdrawal period of the
administered pesticides.
❱❱ PAGE 32 Different vegetable

www.canadianinquirer.net
 32
Gluten-free diet is expensive, socially
challenging for those with celiac
disease and wheat allergy
BY NATALIE DIANE
RIEDIGER, University
of Manitoba, ANNE
KATHERINE ANDERSON
WAUGH, University of
Manitoba
The Conversation
There are many reasons why
someone would follow a glu-
ten-free diet. People who have
a gluten-related disorder such
as the autoimmune condition
celiac disease, non-celiac glu-
ten sensitivity or wheat allergy
have no option but to complete-
ly exclude gluten in their diet.
Avoiding gluten is vital to
manage symptoms, which can
include gastrointestinal dis-
tress, and to prevent adverse
health outcomes. In the case of
celiac disease these outcomes
can include serious health issues
such as nutritional deficiencies,
weak bones and infertility.
Gluten-free diets have also
been widely popularized as a
fad or weight-loss diet. Claims
that gluten-free diets promote
weight loss are not supported
by evidence.
Unfortunately, given the
presence of gluten in common
foods, adhering to a gluten-free
diet is expensive, challenging
and linked to nutritional inad-
equacies. Furthermore, obtain-
ing a diagnosis for celiac disease
or non-celiac gluten sensitivity
in the first place is fraught with
difficulty.
What is gluten?
Gluten is a protein found in
some grains, most commonly
wheat but also barley, rye and
triticale, (a hybrid crop of wheat
and rye). Gluten is the compo-
nent that gives your sourdough
structure and stretch.
Different vegetable...
❰❰ 31 Odsey said just this
month, there were 70
farms in Benguet vis-
ited by checkers from other DA
regions for GAP certification.
“That is now the trend, kung
hindi ka GAP certified, mahira-
pan ka makahanap ng beben-
tahang restaurant (if you are
not a GAP certified you will have
Food
Gluten can also be an unex-
pected ingredient, such as in
soy sauce, or even cosmetics
and lotions. Cross contamina-
tion occurs when gluten-con-
taining items come in contact
with foods intended to be glu-
ten-free, and can happen to
nuts or lentils.
Who follows a gluten-free
diet in Canada?
As public health nutrition re-
searchers, we were interested
in exploring gluten avoidance
in Canada, including determin-
ing who avoids gluten and their
eating patterns. Using the 2015
Canadian Community Health
Survey (CCHS), we found that
1.9 per cent of Canadians follow
a gluten-free diet.
The 2015 Canadian Commu-
nity Health Survey is the best
and most current data we have
about nutrition in Canada. How-
ever, the northern territories
were excluded, as were Indige-
nous people living on reserves.
Very little is known about glu-
ten-related disorders among In-
digenous Peoples, and it’s likely
many remain undiagnosed.
We did not find a significant
difference between the body
mass index (BMI), a measure of
weight for height, of people who
avoid gluten and people who do
not. This serves as further ev-
idence against following a glu-
ten-free diet for weight loss.
Comparing dietary gluten
avoidance across the provinc-
es, we found that Ontario and
Québec had the lowest preva-
lence at 1.5 per cent. In com-
parison, the Atlantic provinces
had the highest at 2.9 per cent.
Even when taking into account
other factors, such as ethnicity,
income and education, living
in Ontario or Québec was asso-
a difficulty looking for restau-
rants to supply to),” Odsey said.
He added that “we are able to
set the standards and farmers
also know that. The more farms
are certified, the more we as-
sure the safety of the produce
that we all eat. “
Aside from safety and sani-
tation, the DA has also come up
ciated with lower likelihood of
avoiding gluten.
It’s not clear what is driving
these provincial variations.
However, Ontario’s health plan
does not cover the serological
testing required for a celiac
disease diagnosis outside of
hospital. This is likely a major
barrier for Ontarians in getting
a diagnosis for celiac disease,
which may be influencing the
number of people following a
gluten-free diet.
Challenges of following a
gluten-free diet
We found that Canadians
who were following a glu-
ten-free diet had a significant-
ly lower intake of folate. Folate
is an essential B vitamin that
is particularly important for
people who are of childbearing
age and may become pregnant
because it helps prevent neural
tube defects.
Gluten-free diets were also
found to be low in calcium and
vitamin D, which are critical for
maintaining bone health. This
is particularly important for
individuals with celiac disease
and non-celiac gluten sensitiv-
ity who are at increased risk for
bone mass loss.
Canadians who avoid gluten
were also more likely to avoid
dairy, meat, eggs and fish/shell-
fish, which may further con-
tribute to nutritional inadequa-
cies. However, we did find that
Canadians who avoid dietary
gluten were more likely to take
nutritional supplements than
other Canadians.
In addition to the nutritional
impact of a gluten-free diet, we
reported associations with lo-
cation of eating and food prepa-
ration. Gluten avoiders were
significantly more likely to eat
with the program “Mentoring
Agripinoyship Youth Assistance”
where the agency helps agricul-
ture course graduates by training
them with allowance, exposing
them to the different facets of ag-
riculture for six months.
The program also provides a
credit program payable in easy
modes to help the availers be-
www.canadianinquirer.net
at home, compared to both
people with no avoidances, and
other dietary avoidances, such
as being vegan or vegetarian.
Specifically, gluten avoiders
consumed about one-third of
the calories from restaurant-pre-
pared foods as other Canadians.
This is likely due to fear of cross
contamination. Eating outside
the home, for any reason, has
been previously identified as a
major concern for Canadians
with celiac disease that can af-
fect social activities and relation-
ships, which contributes to a re-
duced quality of life.
Following a gluten-free diet
can have a variety of adverse ef-
fects on the individual, such as
nutritional inadequacies, chal-
lenges eating outside the home
and adverse impact on quality
of life. However, our findings
show that gluten-avoiders are
incredibly adaptable. They are
cooking at home, taking nutri-
tional supplements, and coping
with the social challenges. But
there are some larger factors
that would help to minimize
these challenges.
• First, improving ac-
cess to gluten-free foods at
come stable first before starting
to repay their loan. This pro-
gram is just among the govern-
ment measures to address the
problem on aging population of
farmers in the country.
Cordillera region’s agricul-
ture plays an important role in
the economy and food sustain-
ability of the country.
APRIL 23, 2021 FRIDAY
restaurants, as well as improv-
ing the nutritional quality of
gluten-free foods, will address
some aspects of quality of life
and nutritional inadequacies
we have identified in Canada.
• Second, improving ac-
cess to serological testing for
celiac disease in primary care in
Ontario is essential.
• Finally, we would like
to put to rest the myth that
eating gluten-free will aid in
weight-loss. There is no evi-
dence to support this claim.
These measures will help en-
sure Canadians are not avoid-
ing gluten unnecessarily, and
Canadians who do avoid gluten
have access to nutritionally ad-
equate food and the social ben-
efits of eating at restaurants. ■
Natalie Diane Riediger, As-
sistant Professor of Nutrition-
al Epidemiology, University of
Manitoba and Anne Katherine
Anderson Waugh, Master’s stu-
dent, Food and Human Nutri-
tional Sciences, University of
Manitoba
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
Odsey said Cordillera sup-
plies 80 percent of the highland
vegetable requirement of the
country, including Metro Ma-
nila. He said around 1,000 met-
ric tons of vegetables per day
are produced by the Cordillera
farmers and brought to differ-
ent markets in Luzon, Visayas
and Mindanao. ■