British Columbia jobs open to RP professionals
The Philippine government will have an agreement with British Columbia in Canada to improve the immigration policy in hiring skilled workers and other professionals in the province.
Philippine Ambassador to Canada Jose Brillantes said Labor Secretary Arturo Brion is expected in Vancouver on Dec. 19 to sign the agreement with his B.C. counterpart, according to a report in Canada’s Asian Pacific Post.
Speaking before the Filipino community in Metro Vancouver at the Corpus Christie Gym, Brillantes said the agreement “will widely open doors for our workers."
“It is really going to be a chance for all to be able to take advantage of this good fortune that ‘smiled our way’," the ambassador said at the Filipino community meeting recently hosted by the Philippine Canada Trade Council and the Philippine consulate in Vancouver.
Among the employment opportunities that would be opened to Filipinos starting next year would involve jobs in the preparation for the 2010 Olympics to be held in Vancouver, Whistler and nearby municipalities.
“This shows Philippine government doing something on special foreign policy that is enshrined in our Constitution to provide protection and promotion of the welfare of overseas Filipinos," Brillantes was quoted as saying.
With more than half a million Filipinos mostly concentrated in the major cities of Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, the Philippines has become the third largest source country for new immigrants in Canada in 2006, at seven percent.
“We are one of the fastest-growing immigrant communities in Canada, yet our issues remain virtually invisible," observed Cecilia Diocson, executive director of the National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada (NAPWC).
The chronic economic and political crisis in the Philippines, and the lack of jobs pushes over 3,4000 Filipinos daily to leave and find work overseas.
“Although we have been migrating to this country for the last 40 years, we remain economically marginalized and segregated," Diocson said.
She cites the conditions of the nearly 100,000 Filipino women who have entered Canada since the early 1980s under Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP).
“The LCP as Canada’s de-facto national childcare program has resulted in many women suffering a lifetime of de-skilling and all forms of abuse," Diocson said, citing the death in October of live-in caregiver Jocelyn Dulunan and the daily reports of abuse under the program and continuing problems afterwards.
NAPWC has long been seeking the scrapping of the LCP, which it considers as “racists and anti-woman."
“Filipino youth across Canada face similar experiences of racism and economic marginalization," according to Carlo Sayo, national chair of Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada / Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance.
In a statement, Sayo pointed to “systemic racism" and the LCP as the factors behind the marginalization of Filipino youth in Canada.
“We see a blatant example of the impacts of systemic racism in Vancouver high schools," he said.
“While Filipinos are reported to be one of the fastest growing immigrant populations in Metro Vancouver, Filipino youth also have one of the highest high school drop out rates," he noted.
There are currently 62,960 Filipinos in Metro Vancouver, a growth of 36.2% from 2001 to 2006.
“It is time all levels of government recognize the issues and listen to the demands of the growing Filipino community in Canada," Sayo said.
“Beyond simply rising numbers, our community is one still struggling for our equality and genuine development in Canada," he added. - GMANews.TV
Philippine Ambassador to Canada Jose Brillantes said Labor Secretary Arturo Brion is expected in Vancouver on Dec. 19 to sign the agreement with his B.C. counterpart, according to a report in Canada’s Asian Pacific Post.
Speaking before the Filipino community in Metro Vancouver at the Corpus Christie Gym, Brillantes said the agreement “will widely open doors for our workers."
“It is really going to be a chance for all to be able to take advantage of this good fortune that ‘smiled our way’," the ambassador said at the Filipino community meeting recently hosted by the Philippine Canada Trade Council and the Philippine consulate in Vancouver.
Among the employment opportunities that would be opened to Filipinos starting next year would involve jobs in the preparation for the 2010 Olympics to be held in Vancouver, Whistler and nearby municipalities.
“This shows Philippine government doing something on special foreign policy that is enshrined in our Constitution to provide protection and promotion of the welfare of overseas Filipinos," Brillantes was quoted as saying.
With more than half a million Filipinos mostly concentrated in the major cities of Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, the Philippines has become the third largest source country for new immigrants in Canada in 2006, at seven percent.
“We are one of the fastest-growing immigrant communities in Canada, yet our issues remain virtually invisible," observed Cecilia Diocson, executive director of the National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada (NAPWC).
The chronic economic and political crisis in the Philippines, and the lack of jobs pushes over 3,4000 Filipinos daily to leave and find work overseas.
“Although we have been migrating to this country for the last 40 years, we remain economically marginalized and segregated," Diocson said.
She cites the conditions of the nearly 100,000 Filipino women who have entered Canada since the early 1980s under Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP).
“The LCP as Canada’s de-facto national childcare program has resulted in many women suffering a lifetime of de-skilling and all forms of abuse," Diocson said, citing the death in October of live-in caregiver Jocelyn Dulunan and the daily reports of abuse under the program and continuing problems afterwards.
NAPWC has long been seeking the scrapping of the LCP, which it considers as “racists and anti-woman."
“Filipino youth across Canada face similar experiences of racism and economic marginalization," according to Carlo Sayo, national chair of Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada / Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance.
In a statement, Sayo pointed to “systemic racism" and the LCP as the factors behind the marginalization of Filipino youth in Canada.
“We see a blatant example of the impacts of systemic racism in Vancouver high schools," he said.
“While Filipinos are reported to be one of the fastest growing immigrant populations in Metro Vancouver, Filipino youth also have one of the highest high school drop out rates," he noted.
There are currently 62,960 Filipinos in Metro Vancouver, a growth of 36.2% from 2001 to 2006.
“It is time all levels of government recognize the issues and listen to the demands of the growing Filipino community in Canada," Sayo said.
“Beyond simply rising numbers, our community is one still struggling for our equality and genuine development in Canada," he added. - GMANews.TV
Comments