RHYME & REASON

Filipiniana News   -  December 2009 Rhyme and Reason Being the last month of the year and a traditional time of holiday cheer, I wanted this column to be about something positive that could provide an encouraging note as we enter another year.   As we know, our beloved Philippines has just gone through some difficult times brought on by natural calamities and human cruelty.   These include the tremendous destruction caused by the successive typhoons which hit the Philippines just a few months ago, killing hundreds, and destroying  thousands of homes.  Most recently,  a horrible massacre of journalists and civilians in what is believed to be a politically motivated act sadly reminds us how violent Philippine elections can become.  Negative news notwithstanding, the universal response to these events have been quite uplifting.  As we know, donations for those affected by the typhoons poured freely, and cries of condemnation...

Filipiniana News   -  November 2009 Rhyme and Reason Canada’s immigration system is far from being perfect. Aside from stating the obvious, this reality was further confirmed by a couple of news items that were published in recent weeks. The first news item is the Auditor General’s report raising serious problems with Canada’s immigration programs.  In particular, the Auditor General raised concerns “ about the integrity of the program and the protection of temporary foreign workers”.  Below are some excerpts from the report:  “Various studies and reports over the years have recognized that lower-skilled temporary foreign workers entering Canada may be vulnerable to exploitation or poor working conditions, usually because of their economic conditions, linguistic isolation, and limited understanding of their rights.” “There is a risk that live-in caregivers may tolerate abuse, poor working conditions, and poor accommodations so as not to lose the...

Filipiniana News   -  October 2009 Rhyme and Reason     Growing up in the Philippines, I have quite a few memories of having waded on flooded streets and even witnessed our home being invaded by floodwater up to a few inches deep.  Since the rainy season in the Philippines expectedly brings huge amounts of rainfall every year, one would think that the Filipinos have become accustomed to and have learned to adapt to this recurring weather episode. Aside from the brief terror from the occasional loud thunderstorms and flashes of lightning during these seasonal rain showers, my personal memories of Philippine floods consist more of watching children happily wading in pools of water and shrieking in delight while splashing water against each other.  In a country where clean water is a scarce commodity and swimming pools and bathtubs are luxuries reserved for the lucky few, I witnessed how innocent street children found great delight in reveling amids...

Filipiniana News   - September 2009 Rhyme and Reason A few recent positive decisions on rather complex live-in caregiver applications somehow raised hopes for caregiver advocates that this government is finally becoming sensitive to the extremely difficult circumstances that many live-in caregivers have to endure.  Upon the individual caregivers’ request, the immigration officers concerned chose to exercise their positive discretion in granting certain exemptions to immigration requirements on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.  Therefore, the Conservative government’s recent negative response to the Standing Committee’s proposals to amend the laws relating to live-in caregivers and other temporary foreign workers came as a huge disappointment.  The response by Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney’s office, practically turned down all recommendations by the Standing Committee including the issuance of occupation specific ins...

Filipiniana News - Rhyme and Reason 14 August 2009 By now, most, if not all of us are aware that our beloved former President Cory Aquino passed away on August 1 st , 2009 after several months of battling colon cancer.   In death, even more than when she was alive, President Aquino has been hailed as a hero, a saint, a symbol of democracy, and a mother of the Filipino nation.   President Cory no doubt deserves these accolades and more.  So much has been written about how she brought back democracy to the Philippines after several years of Marcos dictatorship through the internationally-celebrated bloodless people power revolution.  So much has been written not only about how she survived seven coup attempts during her administration, but also how she missed huge opportunities for implementing genuine and long-lasting societal reforms. She was not perfect, but no human being is. I had a brief personal encounter with President Cory during the 1...

Filipiniana News - Rhyme and Reason 14 July 2009     Just a few months after Juana Tejada’s death, another caregiver stricken with cancer while working under the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) passed away.   Ms. Celia Mansibang succumbed to cancer on 29 June 2009, leaving behind her husband, William Mallillin, and their two children, Vincent and La Sandra Mallillin, her three sisters Chona, Eloisa and Marichelle Mansibang and their families, as well as their elderly mother. Like Juana, Celia was diagnosed with cancer when she went through the required medical examination as part of her LCP permanent residence application. She then applied for an exemption from medical inadmissibility arising from her terminal illness, and was fortunately granted an exemption on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.  Her husband and two children were also granted temporary resident permits to enable them to travel to Canada and be reunited as a family during this ...

Filipiniana News - Rhyme and Reason 14 June 2009 In the past month or so, the Canadian media have been speculating on the possibility of a summer election if the opposition party decides to defeat the present minority government.  Long before these recent reports however, many Canadians have felt like elections are always looming in the horizon, as the political bickering and mudslinging seem to be occurring non-stop in the context of the present minority government. Therefore, one cannot help but be suspicious that the political leaders’ every move is calculated towards the main objective of defeating their political opponents and winning the next election.  On the other hand, Filipino-Canadians in Toronto had a recent breakfast gathering (Kapihan) to hear visiting Philippine Senator Francis Pangilinan speak.  Senator Pangilinan not only spoke about the current state of Philippine affairs but also candidly admitted his aspirations for the highest seat in the...