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Showing posts with the label Canada

Comparing apples to dalanghitas

Living and working here in Canada, particularly in the city of Saskatoon in the province of Saskatchewan, I can’t help but compare how local officials run the government here to the Philippines. I know that Canada is a first-world country and it is like comparing apples to dalanghitas (citrus oranges) but hear me out before calling my head to be chopped off. The first thing I noticed is how the taxes that you are paying are spent wisely where even a foreign worker like me can enjoy its benefits. I’m still using an open work permit here, still a foreign worker, while we’re waiting for our papers for permanent residency status. However, being a foreign worker did not prevent me from receiving benefits that were also available to legal residents and Canadian citizens like free healthcare and employee insurance. After all, when I started working here, local and federal government taxes were deducted from my salary. I have a health card under the universal health-care system administer...

Migration means adaptaion

(Wrote this piece for the Alberta Filipino Journal) https://issuu.com/alberta_filipino_journal/docs/alberta_filipino_journal_-_may_2021_issue My current employment here is no way near to what I have been doing in the media industry for the past 20 years. I am currently working, part-time, as a program leader with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Saskatoon while also as a substitute educational assistant under the city’s public school system. In both jobs, I deal with school kids from Mondays to Fridays, from 7am to 3:30pm. Being the responsible adult, in a way, could be the best job description for what I do with the BGCS where I come up with programs and other activities for the kids that go to the program. I get to supervise children during the before and after school programs. I get to play games with them—like grounders, everybody it, octopus, Jenga, Uno, Snakes & Ladders, etc.—or we do arts and crafts, and other activities that would challenge them and aid in their development. At ...