Remains of Pinay who inspired better treatment for caregivers in Canada brought home

MANILA, PhilippinesM - The remains of the Filipina live-in caregiver who fought hard to remain in Canada, but finally succumbed to lung cancer has finally been brought home to the Philippines.

Q’s Balitanghali reported that Juana Tejada, who fought hard for better treatment of caregivers in Canada died on March 8 in Toronto at the age of 39.

Rafael Fabregas, Tejada’s immigration lawyer, recently told GMANews.TV that Jason Kenney, minister of citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism, is looking into a bill that would improve the immigration status of Filipino live-in caregivers.

“Minister Kenney also indicated that he will soon be conducting consultations on reforming the live-in caregiver program, and will seriously consider the principle behind our proposed ‘Juana Tejada Law’ exempting caregivers from the requirement of a second medical exam before being granted permanent residence," he said.

“Maraming matutulungan na mga caregiver kasi yung Juana Tejada law hindi lamang para sa kanya, para sa mga naiwang caregivers doon," [The Juana Tejada law will help many more caregivers like her]," Noli Azada, Tejada’s husband, told GMA News reporter Mark Salazar.

Tejada was lured to work in Canada in 2003 under the Live-In Caregiver Program (LCP), which grants foreign workers permanent residency— and an opportunity to petition their entire family — upon fulfillment of their three-year assignment as well as necessary medical and criminal clearances.

On a routine medical check-up in 2006, doctors found out that she had terminal cancer. Tejada was told by Canadian immigration officials that her illness made her ineligible to become a permanent resident.

Determined to give her family a better life, Juana appealed to waive the good-health requirement for humanitarian reasons. Her petition was denied twice.

Eventually, following a public campaign, Canada’s immigration department yielded and granted Tejada her permanent residence on July 17, 2008.

According to the report, her remains will be buried in the northern home province of Abra. - Kimberly Jane T. Tan, GMANews.TV

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PCG: China’s bullying in West Philippine Sea undermines international law --- Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — Letting China sustain its aggression in the West Philippine Sea would make other countries doubt the strength of international law currently being asserted by the Philippines, Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. “Allowing China to blatantly disregard the established rules-based order threatens the very foundation that we all depend on,” he wrote in a post on X last Tuesday. He added, “If we permit this, countries worldwide may forget why this order was created in the first place. Nations could begin to doubt the significance of adhering to international law if powerful bullies can easily violate it.” Tarriela also said defiance of other countries to a rules-based order would result in the prevalence of cruelty. He wrote, “This could lead us back to a time when might makes right, undermining the global structures that keep human greed, savagery and barbarism in check. Such a scenario would not only invite challenges from aggressive ...
Read more

China ships maintain presence in key West Philippine Sea areas --- Michael Punongbayan - The Philippine Star

STAR / Michael Varcas MANILA, Philippines — While Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) have decreased in number, they have maintained a presence in three key land features where naval and coast guard ships have intensified operations in the past seven days, according to the Philippine Navy. Latest monitoring by the Philippine Navy showed armed ships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) maintaining a menacing presence around the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, Panatag Shoal and Escoda Shoal. According to the Philippine Navy, there are 17 Chinese military vessels and 28 China Coast Guard (CCG) boats spotted inside the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between Sept. 23 and 30, or one vessel more than in the previous week Sept.17-23. Five of the warships were seen roaming around the vicinity of Escoda Shoal, along with 10 CCG vessels and 12 maritime militia vessels (MMVs). There are also two PLAN ships in Ayungin Shoal as well as 10 CCG boats and 12...
Read more

Social media seen as cause of rising intermarriages --- Helen Flores - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) sees social media as the main reason for the rising number of Filipinos marrying or becoming partners of foreign nationals. In 2022, the CFO recorded 6,854 marriages or partnerships with foreign nationals, a 40.1 percent increase from the 4,891 “intermarriages” recorded in 2021. “First of all, what we see in the increase in the marriage rate of Filipinos or Filipinos with foreign partners is because of social media, (that) is number one; matchings; letters, introduction of their friends,” CFO chairperson Romulo Arugay said at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing yesterday. Arugay said the agency has been registering a high number of intermarriages since 2007, but the figures went down during the COVID-19 pandemic. From over 6,500 Filipinos who married foreign nationals, only 600 are men, he said. Most of them are married to Americans, Japanese, Germans, Canadians and Australians, Arugay said. Arugay warned Fi...
Read more