It’s our one Year Anniversary this month. What a year it has been. Death Threats, Threats of suing, Unsubstantiated, attacks from other newspapers, full on attacks on Facebook involving supposed leaders in the community all stemming from individuals angry at us for exposing issues they created themselves. A veteran journalist told me “this shows you are making a difference.”
What started as an advocacy to report on important things that we felt were ignored, turned into a newspaper that gained a lot of fans in the community. The newspaper business is not for the weak hearted. It takes a lot of work and personal sacrifice to do the job properly. I learned if you stand up for things you believe in there will be a cost.
Here is a brief list of articles that received the most interest for the year:
- “That is when I learned all about the famous Filipino crab mentality. In the first edition I wrote why we are doing this newspaper. Within months of starting SIMPLY THE BEST – The Luisa Marshall Show on Shaw, I realized we were a target of some other Filipino media in the lower mainland.” Steve Marshall – April 2015 – Article – A REASON FOR BEING: WHY A NEWSPAPER
- “Baby Shiloh Esteras is one year older from surviving a crash with his parents on the Coquihalla highway. We were the first on the scene and I held my breath when another motorist pulled out the baby seat with Shiloh strapped inside. We drove the all the way home to Surrey after we got stranded in Merritt for the night.” Steve Marshall – April 2015 – Article – EXCLUSIVE: COUPLE, BABY SURVIVE COQUIHALLA MISHAP
- “I think it was stupid of me to have attended that PNoy affair. He ignored everyone including media.” Yul Baritugo. June 2015 – Article – COFFEE AND DONUTS: WHAT A PRESIDENT DISHED OUT TO A PERCEIVED (TEASER) STUPID VANCOUVER CROWD
- “How did the Pista ng Bayan Society which normally organizes the yearly Slocan Park Philippine Independence day event and Gala night turn into a self-titled UNITED FILIPINO-CANADIAN ASSOCIATIONS OF BC? This happened without telling all the associations that they are claiming to represent them?” Steve Marshall – JULY 2015 – Article – ARE FILIPINO ASSOCIATIONS READY TO UNITE?
- “This is the second time Rey Fortaleza, the publisher of the Philippine Asian news Today (PNT), (Reyfort Media Group) included my wife Luisa Marshall, myself or one of our businesses on his front page PNT Newspaper with confusing, misleading, self-serving headlines that appear to attempt to harm our reputation although he failed to back up his claims with facts.” Steve Marshall – August 2015 – Article – IS THE REYFORT MEDIA GROUP TRYING TO USE A GHOST ASSOCIATION?
- “But when they (the President or some of its officers) were being questioned by media to justify their claim, they should not make any false pronouncements that all associations (and naming SPIDS for that matter) were “invited” to join and “have no right to question their legitimacy” because for the record, not only is SPIDS not invited to join nor interested at all to join the association.” Narima Dela Cruz – August 2015 – SPIDS BELIES FORTALEZA, UFCABC CLAIM
- “The outcome of the meeting was good, a positive one. I’m happy that the Philippine Consulate clarified their non-involvement in the creation of the UFCABC.” Mrs. Felipa Garcia, – Sept 2015 – PHILIPPINE CONSULATE BELIES INVOLVEMENT IN UFCABC FORMATION
- “WTF Luisa Marshall…what a looser… Haha Haha it’s so funny she interviewed a Gay in her show…many people are mad at this Gay…Luisa M., you should change the title of your show which nobody watches to SIMPLY THE BEST LIAR.” Romeo Gabriola Torres – Sept 2015 – Article – WHAT IS JOJO QUIMPO’S STAND ON CYBER BULLYING?
- “Solenn’s outfit was not appropriate. Her performance was unbecoming, an insult to the Filipino culture and it doesn’t reflect the values of a Filipino cultural event. There were minors watching. Also, people are mad that the Pinoy Fiesta became a Jojo Quimpo political campaign.” Bootz Estella – Sept 2015 – IS THIS WHAT IT HAS COME TO?
- “Ethnicity is not paramount in my choice of a candidate. However, if a Filipino candidate has quality of character, integrity, courage, a proper platform and commitment, I would be in full support of him or her regardless of political party. Unfortunately, in my opinion, Jojo Quimpo does not qualify.” – Luisa Marshall – Oct 2015 – SHOULD I VOTE FOR MY ETHNICITY IN AND ELECTION?
- “What a great weekend for basketball here in Vancouver with the visiting Raptors and LA Clippers going head to head in a preseason game.” Steve Marshall – Oct 2015 – VANCOUVER RECEIVES ITS YEARLY NBA TEASE
- “When Luisa Marshall came out and was introduced as Tina Turner by Ellen herself, the audience visibly jumped off their seats and cheered the longest of all the other stars introduced.” Kim Mendez – November 2015 – LOCAL BC ARTIST LUISA MARSHALL INCLUDED IN ELLEN’S SQUAD WAR WITH TAYLOR SWIFT.
- “Looking at the Memphis Grizzlies playoff stints in the past 8 seasons, you just can’t help but ask yourself, what if Vancouver found a way to struggle past 2000? Could the Memphis Grizzlies success have been ours?” – Steve Marshall – November 2015 – Article – VANCOUVER GRIZZLIES WHAT IF?
- “Janice Lozano-Juatco and her husband Roque Juatco are accused of defaulting on loans for a combined total of $6,747.29 according to the August 2015 Notice Of Claim filed in Civil Court by CC Cornerstone Credit Ltd (Cornerstone).” MVI News Team – December 2015 – Article – RAP VS. JUATCO AND SPOUSE FILED FOR LOAN DEFAULT CORNERSTONE CIVIL
- “Management would string them along with promises – just enough to keep them working but not catching up with past salary owed. At times they would be paid in cash after every shift. They reported, once they stopped working they could not get paid for past hours owed. They all reported they were never paid for overtime or holiday pay at any time. Some employees worked seven days a week.” Staff of Cucina Manila – January 2016 – Article – CUCINA MANILA ACCUSED BY PINOY WORKERS FOR NON-PAYMENT OF WAGES, HOLIDAY PAY
- “I challenged Rey Fortaleza by email on January 4, 2016 to show certified print amounts but he didn’t respond. I discovered this same web page “Why Reyfort Media Group?” was removed sometime after I challenged him. Why would he now take down this information after I challenged his printing amounts?” Steve Marshall – February 2016 – Article – TRANSPARENCY REMAINS AN ISSUE IN ETHNIC FILIPINO-CANADIAN MEDIA
- “The PAC article stated Janice Lozano “debunks bullies and bashers”. But they failed to debunk anything I reported with any evidence. In the end, they tried to make themselves and Lozano look like saints. Their article stated “She is clean as far as these loans are concerned”. According to court documents, however, that is untrue.” MVI News Team – March 2016 – Article – CAN REAL BULLIES AND BASHERS PLAY THE ROLE OF VICTIM?
