OPINION
Tinig Migrante
By E. Maestro
In Canada, we celebrate
Women’s History Month in
October. So it is fitting that
the Philippine Artists Network
for Community Integrative
Transformation (PANCIT) Art
Collective is holding a week-
long art exhibit from Oct 3-
7 at 5050 Joyce St, a quick
hop from the Joyce Skytrain
Station. The exhibit called
“Women and Nature” features
artworks by girls to young
women to mothers, but also
includes artworks by Migrante’s
Bert Monterona, cultural
educator and internationally-
awarded muralist, who has
been mentoring these art
enthusiasts in many Sunday
sessions
organized
by
Migrante BC.
The exhibiting artists have
brought their experiences
and dreams into their
canvases using the images
of women and/in nature.
With Monterona’s guidance,
they have discovered a gift
that they thought they never
had or thought were not
good enough – the gift of
using paint and wielding a
S.E.L.F ...
activities have the blessings of
Archbishop Gilbert Garcera,
head of the Diocese of Lipa.
* * *
It depresses me no end
how we simply love to look into
people’s private relationships
as if everything was for the
gossip columns. Things also
become a problem when
these very same people try
to join in the conversation on
so little information: marriage
relationships are supposed
to be private, because they
involve so much that is away
PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY September 1 - 15, 2017
Women and Nature: Art Exhibit, Women’s
Fundraiser and Mural Celebration!
brush to transform
empty canvases into their
masterpieces. The exhibit of
the works of these community
artists in “Women and Nature”
is a must-see.
PANCIT was founded
in the summer of 2012 by
students from Monterona’s
art workshop and interactive
mural productions; they
decided it did not make sense
to just part ways with each
other when the workshops
ended. The artists held their
group art exhibit at the Ike
Barber Learning Centre in
October 2012 and since
then, PANCIT has continued
its practice of organizing art
workshops in the community.
The public will get a chance
to meet the community artists
on the first opening day and
on the closing day. Some
art pieces will be on silent
auction. Proceeds will go to
the artists and to PANCIT.
The Women’s Organizing
Committee of Migrante BC will
hold its fundraiser on Oct 7th,
the last day of the exhibit with
performances, poetry reading, and
light
refreshments.
These are young, strong
Filipino- Canadian women
committed to organizing a
group of their own. Proceeds
will help the Women’s
Organizing Committee to do
their work of organizing and
programming.
Included in the final night
on Oct 7th is the celebration
to mark the completion
of the community mural
project under the lead of Bert
Monterona. The mural can be
seen along the Berry Trail site
in the neighbourhood, next to
the Skytrain tracks The mural
project is funded by the City
of Vancouver, the Parks Board
and CLICK-Contributing to the
Lives of Inner-City Kids and
managed by the Collingwood
Neighbourhood House.
This will be the last event
before the building gives way
to a new condo development.
Come to support the PANCIT
artists and the Women’s
Organizing Committee. Come
to celebrate the completion
of the most recent mural art
from the public eye, for good
reason.
Of course the marital woe
of COMELEC chairman Andy
Bautista is still talk of the
town but it’s less shrill now.
Sadly, what started out as an
issue over divorce settlements
quickly ballooned into the
dumping of so much dirty
laundry—clandestine affairs,
corruption allegations, an
impeachment complaint—to
the joy of a controversy-
hungry public and to the
humiliation of the Bautista
children.
My main interest here
is the SALN discrepancies. Andy explained things clearly:
joint accounts were not
required to be included in a
SALN, only those which were
owned solely by the official
were required by law. As a
lawyer, he was in charge of
most of the family’s money,
whose papers were among
those taken by his wife Tisha
Bautista on that fateful day.
He also reiterated why he had
a huge amount of money in
the collective bank accounts.
The funds, he explained,
were from the time he was a
practicing lawyer. For those
who do not remember, he
was country head for an
in town.
For more information
about these events, visit www. migrantebc.com
international consulting firm
and CEO of Kuok Properties,
which manages Shang and
other large real estate, before
he got into government. Why
should we begrudge him of
his hard-earned money?
And no, he was never a
member of the Liberal Party.
He voted in favor of candidate
Grace Poe, remember?
Currently, this issue is as far
from its root cause as it can be:
wife Tisha submitted herself
to the Witness Protection
Program supposedly for fear
of her life and safety (despite
not being a “witness” in the
technical sense?), and six COMELEC Commissioners
took to media to request the
resignation of Andy (couldn’t
this have been done in private
and with delicadeza? Are they
all lusting for his post?).
* **
Congratulations
to
the
healing
community
nestled on the lush slopes
of Talisay, Batangas, SELF
(for Self Enhancement for
Life Foundation, Inc). It is
run by Martin Infante and
his team. He is living proof
that drug addicts can and
do change for the better!
SELF, founded by Martin
after his rehabilitation and
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