Noli de Castro

The Filipino community in B.C. and from as far as Seattle, Washington came in the hundreds to welcome Philippine Vice President Noli de Castro in Vancouver.

Paying $30 per person for dinner in a Chinatown restaurant, Filipinos gathered to listen to De Castro’s message that the Philippine economy, whose lack of opportunities drove millions to go abroad in search of jobs, is back on track.

 “There is room for optimism for our country’s growth potential,” said De Castro who has successfully parlayed his career as a popular radio and TV broadcaster into politics.

As several courses of food were being laid out, Vancouver-based Filipino activists staged a picket outside the restaurant to demand, among others, a stop to the spate of killings of political dissenters and journalists in the Philippines.

The protesters, who belong to organizations under the umbrella of the Kalayaan (Freedom) Centre, pointed out that 689 people have been killed by suspected members of the Philippine military and police since De Castro’s boss Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed power in 2001.

“That’s an average of two people killed a week since 2001,” said Maita Santiago, secretary-general of Migrante, an organization of migrant Filipinos.

Santiago was able to talk briefly with De Castro and was told that the Philippine police is investigating these killings.

Santiago, however, said: “It is not good enough because members of the police themselves are suspected of involvement in these killings.”

“There is blood on your hands!!!” went the title of the flyer addressed to De Castro which was distributed by the picketers.

In his dinner speech, De Castro said that the Philippine government has implemented a reform program designed to strengthen and stabilize the economy, including the passage of key tax measures.

“Our macro-economic figures have never been so good since the Asian (financial) crisis (in 1997),” De Castro said in his deep signature baritone voice.

For a touch of entertainment, Eduardo Zialcita, a member of De Castro’s delegation, gamely sang two English songs by karaoke. Zialcita is a member of the Lower House of the Philippine Congress.

Also present during dinner organized by the Philippines-Canada Trade Council were Ottawa-based Philippine Ambassador to Canada Jose Brillantes and Philippine Consul-General to Vancouver Minerva Jean Falcon.

De Castro, who is in Vancouver to attend the 3^rd session of the World Urban Forum, posed for photographs after dinner with various Filipino organizations.