Two major holidays are taking place in North America during the first week of July – Canada Day on July 1 and the 4th of July Independence Day celebration in the United States.
Canada Day is the national day of Canada, a federal statutory, or legal, holiday. It celebrates the anniversary of the July 1, 1867 Canadian Confederation, with the passing of the British North America Act, which united the three separate colonies – of the United Canadas, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick – into a single dominion within the British Empire called Canada.
Canada Day was formerly known as Dominion Day until 1982, when the holiday was renamed with the passage of the Canada Act.
Among those celebrating the Day are Filipinos who have become new citizens of the country. Immigration records show that Canada has welcomed almost 3.9 million new citizens in the past two decades. Among the new citizens are almost 400,000 Filipinos, the second biggest ethnic community, behind India, which has about 540,000 and just ahead of China, which has about 300,000.
The Filipinos, along with natives of India and China, comprise almost one-third of new citizens of Canada.
Festivities are taking place all over, including at the Parliament Hill in Ottawa, the Canadian capital, and among Canadians residing across continents.
Like in the 4th of July activities in the United States, activities in the Canada Day celebration include outdoor events, parades, carnivals, festivals, barbecue parties, air and maritime shows, fireworks, and free musical concerts.
Citizenship ceremonies are also held.
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Negrenses who have made Canada their new home have been looking forward to the celebration. I reached out in the last few days to former media colleagues and students residing there if they can share their photos and updates on their life in their new country and am thankful they all agreed.
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The longest staying in my compilation this week is Gerardine Alcalde, my former Mass Communication student at UNO-Recoletos, who moved to Toronto in 2002 after 11 years of being a widely-listened-to Bombo Daydine. She was a Capitol beat reporter, newscaster and a weekend program co-anchor.
She became a Canadian citizen in 2006. “I re-acquired my Filipino citizenship as a dual citizen in 2021,” she said.
Daydine is currently a regulated Canadian immigration consultant. Prior to her present job, she worked in a publishing and distribution company, where she processed orders from various large corporations.
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Another Toronto-based Bacoleña is Odette Montelibano, who is also an immigration consultant. “Daydine encouraged me to join the legal profession,” said Odette, who entered the country in 2005 and acquired her citizenship in 2014.
Odette worked as a reporter of the Visayan DAILY STAR.
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Also currently in the immigration industry as a consultant and senior analyst is Winnipeg-based Lorena Quizan-Martinez.
My Cauayan townmate, Lorena worked with the sales unit of Negros Weekly and did reportorial job, too, fresh from her Mass Communication education at Silliman.
She later joined the PR department of SM Bacolod before the migrated in 2012.
She started as a service specialist for a major video technology company before she expanded her horizon to the immigration industry.
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In Alberta, Marie Kris Panes found a new home. The 2018 communication graduate of St. La Salle is starting to carve her niche by studying and doing internship in public relations work and working in a major restaurant.
I put my hands into anything, especially during my first year here including working as a food server in a seniors’ home to get whatever valuable experience I can, she said.
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Vancouver in British Columbia is apparently the closest major Canadian city preferred by immigrant Filipinos – about, 10,500 kms. from Manila (unlike Winnipeg- 11,900 kms. away; and Ontario and Toronto (13,200 kms. away).
Vancouver is the new home city of Charie Ginete-Ilon, who moved to the city in 2020 with her husband and daughter joining her three years later.
Charie, a former local executive of the ABS-CBN network, was among the earliest batches of students I handled at USLS MassComm. With a permanent resident status, she is currently a philanthropy officer of a charity agency in British Columbia.
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Also in Vancouver is Jose Chelito ‘Chill’ Garcia, who has been in the country since 2007. He has been working with the same multi-million American membership store currently as a supervisor. “It’s my first and only job here,” he said, apparently a statement reflecting corporate pride.
Unlike the tens and thousands of Filipinos who acquired Canadian citizenship, Chill said he prefers to maintain his permanent resident status. It’s because, he said, he plans to retire in the Philippines. “There’s no place like home… I might retire soon and I’m going back to my beloved city, Bacolod,” he said.
Another reason, he pointed out, is Vancouver is the most expensive City in Canada and among the Top Five in the world. With my pension, he added, my money will have more value and I can live comfortably in Bacolod City.
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In their new home, whether they become citizens there or keep their permanent resident status, it is evident that Canada is “home sweet home away from home” for Filipinos in the North American country.
Lorena aptly summarized the sentiment when she told NEGROS WEEKLY: “My story, reflecting the journey of many Filipinos who began with humble beginnings to achieve their dreams, highlights the abundant opportunities in Canada and embodies the nation’s welcoming spirit.”
Happy Canada Day! Hopefully, we can write, too, about Negrenses in the United States in one of our July issues. Happy 4th of July!
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Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! (Psalm 33:12) | NWI
