CAUGHT ON CAMERA
EDITORIAL
2 | THE CANBERRA REPORTER March 2017
CAUGHT ON CAMERA
In a random survey of Filipino-Australians in the ACT, MARILIE BOMEDIANO posed the question:
Should the term’ marriage’ mean a union that’ s only between a man and a woman?
EDITORIAL
What will they think of next to annoy seniors
SOMETHING tells us the powers that be ~ the Government and selfanointed experts out there ~ don’ t really know what to do about senior citizens.
On the one hand, they want seniors to stay in the workforce long after retirement age of 65. Which is great. Crikey, some of them have worked till 80 with gusto, accepting redundancy only to please employers who thought seniors had to give way young‘ uns. Experience and qualifications go out the window when you’ re a senior hitting 80, you know.
On the other hand, the same Government and self-anointed experts are pushing to make life for old age seniors almost unbearable.
They’ re sending clear signals to keep senior citizens off the road. Like:‘ Don’ t issue seniors a driver’ s licence when they’ re 70 or something’. Never mind that seniors are involved in less car accidents than young drivers; or that it would mean taking away seniors’ independence and sense of empowerment were they forced to stop driving.
A report from Department for Transport( DfT) in the UK said in part:
“ There were 10,974 accidents involving drivers over the age of 70 in 2011, says the DfT. That compares with 11,946 accidents involving 17-to-19-year-old drivers and 24,007 accidents involving 20-to-24-yearold drivers. Its statistics do not account for who caused the accident.
“ Figures also show that 46 drivers aged 16 to 19 died in an accident, while 173 drivers aged between 20 and 29 involved in an accident died.
“ That compared with 59 deaths in drivers aged between 70 and 79 involved in an accident, and 52 over the age of 80. The young-versusold driver data is used by a number of road safety charities to argue elderly drivers don’ t pose the greatest danger behind the wheel.”
But the latest disturbing big idea of the Government is a cut on the old-age pension. In fact, it has already cut the pensions of more than 300,000 pensioners from January, 2017. Now that really hurts. It’ s already a struggle to live on the current pension, no matter that they had assets saved from many years of putting aside funds for their retirement.
Going back to work to add to a senior’ s pension is not a good option, because the Government would take your pension away if you earned a comfortable sum over your pension.
Maybe if we cried loud enough, cuts to the old age pension may not materialise. The question is: What will politicians think of next to annoy
senior citizens?
ROLL CALL FILIPINO-AUSTRALIAN ORGANISATIONS IN THE ACT
• Philippine Australlian Association of Canberra & Monaro Region( contact, Joseph Gasendo)
• Gawad Kalinga ACT( contact, Sally Barber)
• Filipino Community Council ACT( contact, Noonie Doronila)
• ACT Filipino Australian( contact, Beewah Snelson)
• Philippine Cultural Society( contact, Feding Donaghue)
• Rondanihan( contact, Ian Bull
~ JAIME K PIMENTEL, Editor
• Filipino Community Sports( Ariel Patugalan)
• Filipino Language School of Canberra( contact, Arnel Basas
• Couples For Christ( contact, Danilax Ambida)
• Jesus Is Lord( contact, pastor Eric Marquez)
• Philippines Studies Group( contact, Emy Liwag)
• El Shaddai Prayer Group( contact, C esar Lai)
• Sampaguita Ladies( contact, Cecilia Flores)
• Radio Filipino Australian( contact, Gloria Ross)
FRANCIS BATILO of Bradon
No. It’ s already way too open. We have to accept man and man getting married, or a woman and a woman getting married. We have to accept it because, after all, we are all humans.
ATING WIKA sa Tagalog
Ulat ni GLORIA ROSS
Ang paninirahan sa isang bagong bansa katulad ng Australya ay malaking hamon sa isang pamilya. Ang mga kabataang nasa gulang pa ng pagpasok sa paaralan ay tiyak na may kani-kanilang kwento sa buhay-paaralan na kanilang nasumpungan. Sa mga kabataang nakaranas na nang maraming taon ng edukasyon sa Pilipinas, kaagad na napapansin nila na kakaiba ang sistema at paraan ng paghubog sa mga kaisipan ng mga mag-aaral sa Australya. Walang bahay-aralin na nakasentro sa pagmememorya ng mga kaalaman, walang
MARICEL REGINALDO of Dunlop
I think the term should only be used between a man and a woman. I uphold the definition of marriage as a covenant between a man and a woman towards the procreation of children.
lingguhang mga pagsubok, at walang mga mabibigat na aklat na daladala araw-araw. Ang kabuuan ng pag-aaral ay nakasentro sa iba’ t ibang klase at paraan ng pagtuklas ng mga kaalaman at iba’ t ibang paraan ng pagpapahayag ng kaisipan at ng kanilang mga sarili. Magaan para sa karamihan ng mga kabataang Pilipinong bagong salta sa Australya ang pakikibagay sa sistema ng edukasyon sa Australya dahil sanay sila sa mas mahigpit na disiplina nang pag-aaral sa Pilipinas at dahil sa may kaalaman na sila sa wikang Ingles. Karaniwan nang isang matagumpay at positibong karanasan ang pag-aaral sa Australya para sa mga kabataang Pilipino. •
ROY RAMIREZ of Isabella Plains
Yes. Marriage should be a term to mean a union only between one man and one woman. Back in the Philippines, the old saying goes:“ Ang lalaki ay para sa babae”.
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Sa mga kabataang mag-aaral na bagong salta sa Australya
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