May 22 - June 7 , 2018

All Filipino-Canadians go through the immigrant experience , especially first generation newcomers , and the hoops that they go through are not easy ones . There are always dreams of being able to work in the field that they have dreamed to be in , and when these dreams are pursued and achieved , there is much celebration for those who have made it .

Canadian broadcasting is a field that a number of Filipino-Canadians have pursued , and while some work in the background , others have made their presence in the mainstream media . Just recently , CBC added its first Filipino-Canadian radio host of BC Today to its roster of multicultural anchors in the person of Michelle Eliot . Formerly known as the BC Almanac , the show is called BC Today , and Eliot was chosen as the host . Eliot , a mother of two in a busy household with her husband , finds her new job one that she worked hard for , and one that she shares with the whole community . PST had an exclusive interview with Eliot at the CBC Vancouver Broadcast Centre , and she shared the joys of her new career .

PST : What part of the Philippines were you born ? Your parents ?

ME : I was born in Manila , and I was twelve when we left for Canada . My mother was from Manila and my father is from Surigao .

PST : When did you move to Canada ? What was your adjustment period like ?

ME : We moved to Canada in April , 1988 . Our adjustment period had its challenges , from adapting to a new culture to facing financial difficulties . It took awhile to find our footing .

PST : Where did you go to school and pursue your university ? What were your plans from the beginning ? Were they already related to broadcasting ?

ME : I ’ ve always loved to write . I decided I wanted to be a journalist in high school . I attended UBC and did my Bachelors degree in English literature , and then went to BCIT to study Broadcast Journalism .

PST : Who inspired you to be in the field of broadcasting and why ?

ME : I enjoyed watching CBC news as a teenager , and admired journalists like Ian Hanomansing . I watched his program , The Pacific Rim Report , in which he featured stories about Asian countries and I found it inspiring that journalism could create those connections between cultures and communities . As a teen , I discovered

CBC , and the then Pacific Rim Report was one of my favourite shows .

PNT : What do you think can Filipinos share in the field you have chosen ? Can this be shared on BC Today ?

ME : I think Filipino-Canadians can feel connected to their community , and the entire province , and hear the diversity of experiences and opinions on BC Today . Filipinos can also join in the conversation on BC Today , to share their views on the big issues that affect British Columbia .

PST : How did you feel when you got the CBC job ? What was your first reaction ? How did your family react to the good news ? How does it feel to be a host on a new show ?

ME : I was over the moon ! I was so thrilled and excited to start this new journey . My mother passed away several years ago but she was always extremely supportive . I wish she could have seen this . I told my dad a few days ago , and he was beaming . He said , “ You have worked so hard ”. It ’ s exciting to start a new

show and bring fresh ideas , although we are following the same open line format of the previous show . It ’ s a vital component of the program .

PST : What can we expect from the show ?

ME : I think you can expect a lively , interactive hour , full of opinions and personal stories . We provide the platform for British Columbians to speak up on important and pressing issues .

Eliot shares that she is touched with the support of the Filipino community , the idea of bayanihan when one kababayan has made it in a certain field . She says she gets a little bit emotional when she realizes that the whole community supports her , especially knowing that most immigrants have similar struggles when they arrived .

“ It made me feel connected with my community ,” she said to Stephen Quinn of CBC ’ s The Early Edition .

BC Today is CBC Radio ’ s province-wide open line program . It airs at noon Pacific , 1 pm Mountain time from Monday through Friday .

Eliot hopes that the Filipino community tunes in and supports the program , as she hopes it will get people talking about today ’ s relevant issues , especially those that affect them . With positive responses , BC Today will surely become a talked-about Vancouver program that will engage the whole city in a conversation , thanks to Eliot . ●

- Rosette Correa , BV

Newly elected Senate President Vicente Sotto III , only a day after he was chosen by majority of his colleagues to lead the chamber , quickly stood up to sweep aside criticisms on his leadership ability for the new post and the “ Bayang Magiliw ” slip .

The 69-year-old former majority leader , interviewed on State of the Nation television program Tuesday with Jessica Soho , responded to his critics who raised issues including , but not limited to , his allegedly “ politically incorrect ” remarks and his long history in show business .

Sotto , who took the top Senate post on Monday after 15 senators signed a draft resolution seeking the reorganization of the chamber ’ s leadership , urged his critics to look at his track record as senator , his perfect attendance and more than 100 bills he crafted which were passed .

In another interview , this time with Rappler , Sotto stood up to the criticism of netizens about his faux pas on the country ’ s national anthem he mistakenly called “ Bayang Magiliw ” instead of the correct title “ Lupang Hinirang .”

controversy involving Sotto from 2012 . Sotto had then delivered a privilege speech against the reproductive health bill , in which he made a s t a t e m e n t in Filipino that social media users identified as a near-verbatim translation of a speech Kennedy gave in 1966 .

Even then , Sotto also defended himself by insisting that translations did not equate to plagiarism .

M a n y F i l i p i n o s expressed their disagreement with Sotto ’ s latest defense on social media .

However , this was not the only part of Sotto ’ s statement that sent them into an uproar .

Netizens said that while “ Bayang magiliw ” was the anthem ’ s first line , and while mistaking it for the song ’ s title was not uncommon , netizens expected more from the new Senate president .

In the interview with Soho , Soto said in Filipino “ Maybe they do not know , or they don ’ t like my face , or they just don ’ t agree with my politics .”

Sotto stressed that he hosted a long-running noontime variety show as a third of the “ Tito , Vic and Joey ” tandem .

“ Perhaps the easiest answer is because I ’ m an easy target ... because of our popularity [ in ] Tito , Vic and Joey and [ our program in Channel 7 is the longest-running in the world .] There are many competitors of the program , that ’ s why it is not surprising that they would see us ,” he said .

Moreover , Sotto said the millions of Filipinos who voted for him outweigh his armada of bashers .

“ I try to stay positive as much as possible ,” the senate president said . ●

- MS