Two for City Councilor; three for school trustee
Up to the last minute of filing the nomination papers to run for councilor and school trustee respectively, only five kababayans, two for councilor; and three for school board trustee, have been declared as official candidates in the October 22, Wednesday, 2014 civic election.
The five compatriots who are now busy and occupied to work on their campaign in their respective wards include the incumbent councilor Mike Pagtakhan, a 12-year veteran, who is running for re-election in Pt. Douglas Ward; Anthony Ramos, a former trustee, will be campaigning face to face against Pagtakhan at the same ward, Meanwhile, there are three kababayans who are seeking votes to become school trustees and these include Cory Juan,an incumbent school trustee who is a re-electionist for the Seven Oaks School Division, Ward 2, facing other 6 candidates for four elected positions; Julie Holland Javier, a prominent Filipino volunteer, inside and outside of the Filipino community and a health care administrator, is facing one rival for one elected position in the Winnipeg School Division, Ward 6; and Jerry Medina, a prominent sport organizer and pre-plan counsellor, is running for school trustee in the Winnipeg School Division, Ward 5, with two other candidates for one elected position.
According to Mike Pagtakhan, Winnipeg needs a basketball sportsplex and he will work that the new council will recognize this project as a priority.
“Our Filipino community has made basketball so popular in Winnipeg and I envision that it is only matter of time before Winnipeg will have its own professional basketball team,” said Mike Pagtakhan.
Another areas of concern is the rehabilitation of the 100-year old Arlington Bridge which has become a main route which connects the west and the north of the city. And he is not agreeable to a plan to close the bridge which is used by more than 15,000 vehicles per day, if it happens, it will create traffic congestion in McPhillips St. which will result for more delays. During his term, many playgrounds and parks had been constructed for his Ward and more projects will be completed,namely, Skateboard at the Freight House Community Centre and the new FIFA world class soccer field at Shaughnessy Park in time for the 2015 Women’s FIFA World Cup.
As an incumbent councilor facing a political rival who is a kababayan, “I want to wish Anthony all the best. However, Winnipeg will have a new mayor on October 22, and the four brand new councilors taking over the spots of four retiring councilors, I know that the new mayor and new councilors will rely on the guidance of the experienced councilors after the election. With my 12 years of experience, I bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise on how to get things done for our community. I feel that I am a tremendous advocate and a champion for Pt. Douglas and our City. In fact, I know that the best days are yet to come, and I look forward to building with everyone to make our community even more prosperous,”Mike Pagtakhan said.
In the Filipino community, Mike Pagtakhan had been instrumental, thru his initiative, in the construction of PCCM’s SALAKOT Restaurant and the planting of various species of trees at the back of the building.
Anthony Ramos, a former school trustee, will be seeking the city councilor for Pt. Douglas for this coming October 22 Civic Election. (As of this writing, Anthony Ramos has not responded to our requests.)
Cory Juan, an incumbent and has been a school trustee for 6 years at the Seven Oaks School Division, Ward 2, and the current vice-president of the Manitoba School Board Association, has been very active to strengthen the after-class Heritage Language Program and possibly to have in the future, a Filipino Bilingual School; and she is also involved in the promotion of history of every ethnic group in the community.
“Since Seven Oaks is a vibrant diverse community, everyone has a story to share their ethnicity. Therefore, promoting inter-generation education will enhance more community awareness, respect and sharing the richness of its diversity, “Cory Juan said.
Her vision for the children in the Seven Oaks School Division is to provide inclusive quality education to succeed. Cory Juan strongly says: “To achieve this, we as trustees must provide digital learning services and programs which will be needed to become the global citizens, for the students to succeed as independent learners and critical thinkers.” She envisions a paradigm shift to work collaboratively and cooperatively to enhance our students to be fully equipped in hitting the learning pathways to meet the challenges of the 22nd Century.
Facing just one opponent, Julie Holland Javier, vice-president of MaCCFA, member of the Winnipeg City Equity Committee, one of the board members of the Manitoba Filipino Street Festival and Asian Heritage Society of Manitoba, and a health care professional, has strongly advocating empowerment among the students to achieve their full potential in a global society. Julie Holland Javier says: “To achieve this, we have to start the very foundation of education, good citizenship, effective shared responsibilities of parenting and of the school system: to prepare, to motivate, to encourage each student to reach his or her potential within the safe, caring and cooperative environment.”
Javier also singles out a commitment to a quality education, in providing a learning environment and to foster the academic, physical and social growth of every student, thus establishing a very strong foundation for a life-long learning.
If one would like to know who is so passionate in basketball, known to be a major sport in the Filipino community, one of the names stands tall: Jerry Medina, IKAW founder and one of the organizers of basketball tournaments in the City, a pre-plan counselor, and one of the three candidates in Winnipeg School Division Ward 5, is strongly advocating numerous sports programs for the youth and sport-minded individuals. Medina says: “In my 22 years of experience, as a basketball commissioner, I have been involved in running a FREE community basketball league for the kids. We want our kids to be involved, and help other kids out of the street. I would like that the School Division to actively encourage greater community use of school facilities and gyms. We should not have empty gyms on weekdays, weekends, either for basketball, soccer or volleyball.”
Medina, if elected as a school trustee, Ward 5, will encourage more people, more volunteers to be involved for the youth; more programs and sport activities, more available school facilities, gyms and community centre for the growing numbers of youth in the Winnipeg School Division, Ward 5.
“Lets get them active at a very young age,” Medina said. “And I want the youth to feel safe and welcome, and more importantly, to feel that they are part of a caring community,” Medina concluded.
