These are two important headlines I don't want to get lost in the shuffle. They are rather important and shed a light on Filipino expatriates and the rule of law, or lack thereof, in the Philippines.
The more I read about them, the more I engage with them online, the more I despise Filipino expatriates. Here is a great example why.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/05/22/community-pushes-for-more-filipino-language-classes-in-canadian-schools |
The Filipino community in Alberta in Canada has made a new push for more Filipino language classes in schools in the province.The latest Canadian census showed that Filipino immigrants in Alberta grew by more than 47,000 since 2016.Statistics Canada also reported that Filipino is now the language most spoken at home for almost 70,000 residents of Alberta. This was up significantly from the more than 55,000 also in 2016.For Dr. Josephine Pallard of the Saranay Foundation of Edmonton, Canadians are now realizing that Filipinos speak several dialects.She added that Filipino-Canadian youth should learn more of their language, as it would help them have a better grasp of their heritage."It's the preservation and the retention of heritage language and culture and tradition," Pallard said. "If you do not know how to identify yourself, then you are not really who you are.”Alberta is home to 175,000 Filipinos, and is the second largest growing community in the province. But only a few schools offer Filipino language classes.The Philippine Consulate General in Alberta and Saskatchewan previously held a conference in Calgary for teachers' training on Filipino language.The event was held in partnership with the Philippines' National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Saranay Foundation of Edmonton, and the Philippine Cultural Foundation of Calgary."The idea is to make them more effective in teaching Filipino language and culture to overseas Filipinos who were not born in the Philippines but would like to learn the language," said Consul General Zaldy Patron.The event organizers and participants hope that the Alberta government will help them in bringing Filipino language classes in more schools.
The irony and hubris here are off the charts! First of all the malarky about "the preservation and the retention of heritage language and culture and tradition" is utter hogwash. These people moved to Canada and they need to learn how to be Canadians. Filipino expats think they can abandon their homeland for a few years to earn a boatload of money and bring the Philippines with them! Is this happening in the Philippines? No! You literally have white Canadians like Kyle Jennerman who wants to become Filipino. Even cult leader and Maryland native Timothy Jay Schwab of The God Culture admits he is ashamed to be American but proud to be a Filipino! When white people move to the Philippines they assimilate and don't bring their culture with them.
Second of all what is this: "The idea is to make them more effective in teaching Filipino language and culture to overseas Filipinos who were not born in the Philippines but would like to learn the language?" The article previously noted: "Statistics Canada also reported that Filipino is now the language most spoken at home for almost 70,000 residents of Alberta." That means Filipino expatriates are doing a stellar job of pretending the borders of the Philippines extends to the inside of their houses.
How about if the children of expatriates want to know what the Philippines is like they visit or move there? It would do good to experience the realties of living in a third world hole where you have to wipe with your hand and a ladle of water instead of squeezably soft toilet paper.
And how about the revelation "Canadians are now realizing that Filipinos speak several dialects." Oh, those racist Candians only just now realizing that Filipino is not a monolithic langauge. Which dialectic will be taught in schools? Tagalog? Cebuano? Illocano? Illongo? Taglish?
The bottom line is if Filipino expatriates want their children to be Filipinos then they should not be living anywhere expect in the Philippines. Being a Filipino is more than speaking Tagalog and eating adobo. It's a mind set. You cannot acquire the Filipino mindset in Canada even if your parents are native born Filipinos.
Now for the next story.
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/regions/850480/driver-in-fatal-bataan-bus-crash-involving-teachers-released-from-detention-police/story/ |
The driver of the bus that fell off a cliff in Bataan on Saturday which resulted in the death of a public school teacher was released from detention, the police said.
Orani, Bataan Police chief Police Major Larry Valencia said on Sunday that the family of the fatality, identified as 34-year-old Payatas B Elementary School teacher Janice Pontillas, spoke with the driver and they decided that they would discuss the matter further.
The driver was held at the Orani Police Station for questioning, according to the Department of Education (DepEd) Schools Division Office (SDO) of Quezon City on Saturday.
“Yesterday, the representative of DepEd Quezon City and the victim’s family were here to talk and they informed the PNP that they will not file a case yet. Instead, when the victim’s husband returns home on Tuesday, they will talk about what happened in the accident.,” Valencia said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.
“The victim’s husband decided to have the driver released. They talked online about the accident.,” he added.
The crash took place around 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 4, when the DepEd Quezon City bus carrying 48 passengers, the driver and an alternate driver, traversed “a very sharp curve, lost its brakes and plunged into a 15-meter ravine.”
The passengers were Quezon City public elementary and secondary school teachers who departed from the Sinagtala Resort in Orani, Bataan to attend a Gender and Development activity.
“There was a mechanical failure. The bus they were on lost its brakes, and that was why the driver lost control and the bus fell into the ravine.,” Valencia said.
Valencia added that the area where the bus crashed was not accident-prone and, citing the statements of the passengers, the driver was driving at a regular speed.
“Maybe it just so happened that the bus lost its brakes in that area,” Valencia added.
The SDO said Pontillas was declared dead on arrival at the Orani District Hospital.
Eighteen other passengers were injured in the crash.
The Quezon City government and the SDO pledged to shoulder all medical expenses of the injured passengers, as well as the financial assistance for the deceased.
This is a tragic accident. Allegedly the brakes failed. Who could have foreseen that? How about the driver? Is he not responsible for making sure his vehicle is up to code?
The real problem here is that the PNP let this man go because the husband of the victim declined to press charges. Who cares!? The state should decide the driver's fate, not the victim's spouse.
This happens so many times and is always infuriating to read about. A reckless driver injures or kills someone and the PNP lets them go because the family does not want to press charges because they have come to a settlement. I guess it's good to know I can commit vehicular manslaughter and pay my way out of the situation.
What a joke. Why bother having laws at all when you can pay the victim and be done with it?