Isports ATBP.

Ingrid MacColl, Megan Gallagher's mother, holds back her tears when their family talks with reporters on Friday night, Oct. 17, outside the Court of King's Bench.  SASKATOON — Gasps and silent cries from relatives and friends of the late Megan Gallagher filled the courtroom’s gallery when they heard the Clerk of Court reading the 12-member jury’s guilty verdict on Roderick William Sutherland , on Friday afternoon, Oct. 17, thus ending their three-year quest for justice. Sutherland was the last of the nine persons accused who was found guilty in connection with the murder of Gallagher, who was last seen alive on Sept. 20, 2020, based on CCTV footage of a convenience store on Diefenbaker Drive. Sutherland, wearing a three-piece black suit and sitting behind his defence lawyers, stared straight with a serious face when the verdict was being read. He later looked at each of the 12 jurors as they were asked, one at a time, by the Court Clerk about their decision. The prosecution sai...

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe with Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister Mark Carney, Kody Blois, right, and provincial Ministers Warren Kaeding (Trade and Export Development) and Daryl Harrison (Agriculture). Photo by Jon Perez SASKATOON—Premier Scott Moe renewed his call for the federal government not to overlook the canola industry, which is one of the country’s major contributors in terms of export revenues, with China being one of Canada’s largest markets. Trade tensions, however, erupted after Canada imposed 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese-made electrical vehicles in October last year, which China retaliated with 100 per cent duties on canola oil, canola meal, and peas, and 25 per cent on pork and other seafood. China exports almost 70 per cent of its canola from Canada. Last year, China imported an estimated $4B worth of Canadian canola seeds. The numbers are expected to change after China's tariffs on canola products. Moe, during a press conference on Thursday, Aug. 2...

The Saskatoon Police Service has an initiative called Project SHIELD, which aims to identify repeat offenders. SASKATOON—Arnel Mendoza, a member of the local Filipino community, has raised concerns about the safety of businesses and residents on the west side of the city, writing a letter to Mayor Cynthia Block and the Saskatoon Police Service. Mendoza, in his letter to Block, said that he is presenting his perspective on the issue as a concerned citizen of the city, since, like all immigrants who came to Canada seeking a better life, he also wants to live in a safer community. Full story:  http://SASKTODAY.cahttps://www.sasktoday.ca/saskatoon-today/saskatoon-news/saskatoon-resident-raises-concern-on-rising-theft-in-the-city-10942778

Adam Hartle and his team are aiding wildfire response efforts as more than 15,000 people flee blazes across northern Saskatchewan. SASKATOON — Local entrepreneur and volunteer responder Adam Hartle and his team have been part of a multi-agency effort to fight and contain the ongoing wildfires in northern Saskatchewan, which have ravaged communities and forced thousands to evacuate. Read the full story on SASKTODAY.ca https://www.sasktoday.ca/saskatoon-today/saskatoon-news/sask-entrepreneur-joins-massive-effort-to-battle-northern-wildfires-10754428

SASKATOON--Alberta wants a divorce from Canada — that is, if you believe what’s circulating on social media platforms, and the hundreds of Albertans who rallied in front of the legislature in Edmonton on May 3. Discontent among Conservative Party of Canada supporters came roaring down like an avalanche after the Liberal Party, despite forming another minority government, was given a fourth straight mandate. (Read the full article at SASKTODAY.ca )

MANDALUYONG, Philippines-- As I write this post, it is already past 1 pm, April 2, here in Manila. It is hot and humid; the current temperature is 31 degrees Celsius but feels like 36. There is a 33 per cent chance of afternoon rain showers. I doubt it would happen. Currently, it is crowded and noisy as the midterm elections campaign for local (governors, city and municipal Councils, and House of Representatives and Senate at the national levels heats up. Thousands of positions are up for grabs locally, while 12 spots are up for grabs for the Senate. Various campaign jingles serve as alarm clocks and wake people in their neighbourhoods. They use the music of different international and Filipino artists, like the collaboration of Bruno Mars and Rose, changing the song's lyrics to promote their cause or what they would do if elected. It has always been like this since I earned my right to vote when I turned 18, eons ago. The same old message where candidates say they are pro-poor and...

SASKATOON—It has been over a month since the Saipan Tribune ended its three-decade-long run before we said goodbye to 2024. The Tribune, one of two newspapers in the CNMI, printed its final issue on Tuesday, Dec. 31. It was a bitter moment for Chief Editor Mark Rabago—one of my former bosses, frenemy, and one of the longest employees of the former daily publication. It was on Oct. 28 when the Saipan Tribune announced it would be closing. The Marianas Variety, established by the late Abed Younis, was the Commonwealth’s first newspaper, where I started my employment as a sports reporter and where I again experienced the Filipino culture of community where everyone extends a helping hand when one is significantly in need. Side note: it is at the Variety where I again saw a former Sun Microsystems Philippines co-worker, Tess Managuio, after almost a decade. I have been part of the Tribune family for almost seven years, combined, since I had a brief stint from January 2007 to June 2008 (if ...

Native English speakers are surprised to learn that I can converse in English despite being a migrant worker in the U.S. and later an immigrant in Canada. English was not my first language; it is Filipino or Tagalog, one of the most commonly spoken dialects in the Philippines. I say dialect because each region or province in the Philippines — in the three island groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao — has its own form of language. The Philippines has more than 7,000 islands, with about 2,000 inhabited.  For example, in Northern Luzon, you have Ilocano and Ibanag, while a deeper type of Tagalog is south of the island, along with Bicolano, Binisaya, Waray, Cebuano,  and Ilonggo. Growing up, I learned English by watching educational shows on television like Sesame Street and  reading English books. English was also a subject taught in the schools I attended, from kindergarten to college, in the Philippines.  Aside from Filipino or Filipino, English is the language used t...

Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe, right, and Meadow Lake MLA Jeremy Harrison This will be my first time covering the provincial election. I monitored the 2021 federal election at the Saskatoon Inn when People’s Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier lost his Parliament seat. However, there won't be a national election this time after Bloc Québécois and the NDP chose not to support the Tories' bid for a no-confidence vote on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government. Back to the Saskatchewan elections, MLA candidates here would rather focus on discussing the issues affecting Saskatchewan's people and policies on how to solve the problems. Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck, third left, with Saskatoon Nutana MLA Erika Ritchie and candidates Keith Jorgenson (Saskatoon Churchill-Wildwood) and Kim Breckner (Saskatoon Riversdal) For me, they remain polite to each other despite having different political views. There are no Three G's here (guns, goons, and gold), unlike...

SASKATOON—Los Angeles is now gearing up to host the 2028 Olympics. Still, the Paris Games will remain memorable for some athletes, like the four athletes who won their respective countries' first gold medals, just like  Hidilyn did for the Philippines in Tokyo three years ago.  The 33rd edition of this quadrennial sporting event, which gathered the world's best athletes, ended on Sunday, Aug. 11, in the French capital. Yes, Paris 2024 is behind us, but it remains a memorable moment for Saint Lucia's Julie Alfred, Domica's  Thea LaFond, Guatemala's Adriana Ruano,  and Botswana's Letsile Tebogo. After winning gold in their respective athletics events, Alfred and LaFond did it in style for their tiny Caribbean island nations.  Alfred ruled the women's 100-metre sprint with a national record of 10.72 seconds to become Saint Lucia's first-ever Olympic medalist. LaFond  was triumphant in the  women's triple jump with a leap of 15.02 metres on her second at...

SASKATOON — City officials are telling the public to be vigilant on the latest utility services phone scam to target unsuspecting customers of their hard-earned money. The scammers pretend to be calling residents from the utility company. The caller then informs the resident or business of a delinquent account that needs to be settled to prevent their power from being shut off. The scam was discovered after several business owners called the city about this issue. The city reminds residents that they have not made phone calls, sent text messages, or emails demanding payment on "delinquent accounts" under the Saskatoon Light & Power. The phone messages are robocalls. The city never requests or collects residents' bank or credit card information by phone, text, or email. However, it does collect banking information when setting up new utility accounts, making direct debit payments, or using the Tax Instalment Payment Plan Service program. The city tells resident...

SASKATOON--Everyone is on a feverish high because of the 2024 Paris Olympics, especially in my home country, the Philippines, where gymnast Carlos Yulo made history by winning two gold medals in one edition of the Summer Games. Yulo's exploits in the floor exercise and vault events of men's gymnastics were the Philippines' third Olympic gold medal after weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz's historic feat in 2021 in Tokyo. Diaz, a silver medalist in the 2016 Rio Games, ended the Philippines' Olympic gold medal hunt to become the first Filipino to clinch the coveted prize. After three years, it was Yulo's turn, and he did it twice, the first in men's gymnastics floor exercise and vault events in 24 hours. He is the first Filipino male gold medalist and double gold medalist. Here is some trivia: Arianne Cerdena could have been the Philippines' first Olympic gold medalist when she ruled women's bowling  at the 1988 Seoul Games. Willy Wang gave the country another ...

This is a late post. I should have published this a few months ago but held back. Whether seasonal affective disorder, AKA seasonal depression, or not,  I was urged to write my thoughts one winter night, and the words flowed like a raging river: Comfort me, my Lord. My fortress of solitude Touch my longing heart. Humbly, I cry out. Your spirit provides solace. Rest for the weary. In darkness, I dwell. Wandering, lost, searching. Trapped in silence. Bound, shackled by chains. Shall I embrace the darkness? Or, wait for a sign? Patiently, I wait, Like Samuel in the temple. To hear Your assuring voice. Your grace gives me strength. To quell the turmoil inside. An unseen battle.

SASKATOON — As Catholic youth gear up for the 2023 World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal, Bishop Mark Hagemoen urged those who participated in the Mount Carmel Pilgrimage Site to embrace their role as prophets of the new millennium. On the Day of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel feast, hundreds of pilgrims gathered at the Mount Carmel Pilgrimage site on Sunday, July 16, to participate in the annual liturgical services, and the day commenced with the recitation of the rosary and Marian hymns, culminating in a concelebrated mass led by Bishop Hagemoen. Bishop Mark Hagemoen During his homily, Bishop Hagemoen echoed the words of Pope Francis, calling on the pilgrims to embrace their prophetic calling and spread God's word to all. He emphasized that each individual, through baptism, has received the gift of Messianic prophecy, becoming a prophet themselves. "The pope says, ‘Each of us, brothers and sisters, is a prophet. In fact, with baptism, let us all receive the gift of the Messian...

SASKATOON — The Vatican has released the official itinerary of Pope Francis with the pontiff heading straight to Edmonton to make his first visit to Canada to meet with Indigenous Peoples, especially residential school survivors. The Holy Father will leave Rome on July 24, Thursday, at 9:00 a.m. local time and will arrive at the Edmonton International Airport for the official welcome at 11:20 a.m. the same day. Rome is eight hours ahead of Alberta, which follows mountain daylight time. The theme of the papal visit is “Walking Together” which will focus on reconciliation and healing the strained relationship between the Catholic church and Indigenous Peoples, especially the survivors of the abuses caused by attending the Canadian residential school system. Pope Francis’ six-day trip is a combination of public and private events and meetings, especially with Indigenous Peoples. The visit comes after a few months when a historic meeting between First Nations, Inuit and Métis...

SASKATOON—My father died in February 2018, more than a month after our last vacation in the Philippines, where we got to spend Christmas and New Year with our family and friends. I have no idea that would be the last time we would see Tatay alive, the last time he would see my family and spend time with two (Macky and Nathan) of his more than 10 grandchildren, and the last time I would speak to him in person and my last time to mano before heading to the airport the early morning of Jan. 9, 2018. He died while we were back on Saipan, thousands of kilometres away east of the Philippines. At the same time, I was busy covering House and Senate sessions at the CNMI Legislature or busy hounding the governor about a local or federal issue, and while I was working on an island surrounded by the ocean in the Western Pacific. I haven't mentioned this to anyone—and I'm not sure if  Nanay  or my sister, who was then taking care of him, remembers this—but I got furious at him when we...

SASKATOON—Black, brown, red, white, and yellow. These were the colours describing the skin tones of all human beings. Science, particularly the branch of biology and genetics, states that all modern humans share a common ancestor. Whether you believe that or not, is up to you. So, if we share a common ancestor, why are there still people who judge a person based on the colour—how light, fair, or dark—of their skin? Why do some people think that their skin colour or race is far superior to those who are different and don’t share their qualities? It has been like this for thousands of years. Comb through history and you will come across hundreds of stories where people judge others for being different. Indigenous Peoples were called savages by European settlers since they dress differently and do not conform to the social norms that western society had. A few other examples are how people from Africa were made slaves and how the Jews were treated during the reign of the Third Reich...

SASKATOON—Festivals and other outdoor events are back in Saskatchewan after the provincial government rescinded the health restrictions that were put in place during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. And last August 7 and 8, the inaugural Filipino Music and Food Street Festival was held in downtown Saskatoon where the local Filipino community came out and celebrated the weekend. Even non-Pinoys joined the festivities and can be seen falling in line with several food vendors to sample our local dish. Food items such as Lechon (roasted pig), pancit (noodles), grilled pork belly, crispy fried chicken skin, Filipino-style dumplings, lumpia (spring rolls), taho (soy milk with caramelized sugar), and banana cue (sweetened fried bananas) were some of those sold. There were also booths to entertain the kids with balloon animal-making and face painting while a Filipino dance group under the Filipino-Canadian Association of Saskatchewan performed Philippine folk dances and another group s...

Living and working here in Canada, particularly in the city of Saskatoon in the province of Saskatchewan, I can’t help but compare how local officials run the government here to the Philippines. I know that Canada is a first-world country and it is like comparing apples to dalanghitas (citrus oranges) but hear me out before calling my head to be chopped off. The first thing I noticed is how the taxes that you are paying are spent wisely where even a foreign worker like me can enjoy its benefits. I’m still using an open work permit here, still a foreign worker, while we’re waiting for our papers for permanent residency status. However, being a foreign worker did not prevent me from receiving benefits that were also available to legal residents and Canadian citizens like free healthcare and employee insurance. After all, when I started working here, local and federal government taxes were deducted from my salary. I have a health card under the universal health-care system administer...

(This was published in the Saipan Tribune) https://www.saipantribune.com/index.php/a-new-challenge/ Last October 4 (2020) was my first day of being an assistant coach under Hollandia Soccer Club. I volunteered this season for a U13 team, Hollandia Tapia. Nathan, our son, plays for Hollandia Ajoboru, the other U13 team under HSC. They would play against each other in a club league since tournaments are still on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. The teams are named after the person coaching them. Nathan team’s head coach is Henry Ajoboru, while the squad where I am one of the assistants is handled by Hernan Tapia. Percy Hoff is the club director of coaching and player development and brings in more than three decades of technical and training expertise to HSC after guiding the University of Saskatchewan to two provincial titles and helping the Huskies gain a spot in the Nationals in Edmonton and Winnipeg in the ’90s. Coach Percy, who’s also a part of the training staff that prepared ...