Remembering separated migrant families on Family Day

MIGRANTS' VOICES

Marco Luciano mluciano2@gmail.com

Family Day is a public holiday in Canada celebrated on the third Monday in February. It is a day for families to spend time together, relax, and enjoy each other's company. In some provinces, such as from page 4

KULTURANG TALANGKA: tiyakin mo lang na di mo natatapakan ang iba. Di po ba?

Kelan mawawala?

Kelan ba tayo kikilos bilang iisa o nagkakaisang mga Filipino at sino ba talaga ang mamumuno para dito; samantalang, para bang hirap na hirap tayong tanggapin ang kahusayan ng iba. Ano bang pinagaagawan? Meron bang kayamanan o para may maipagmayabang lamang?

Kredito ba? Aba, eh di ikaw na! Kaya lamang, may mabubuo ba kung ganyan ka? (Kasali na ako!)

Posible din kaya na, isang araw ay magkita-kita at magkatipon-tipon tayo sa isang lugar na tatawagin nating: Edmonton Philippine International Center (EPIC)? Wala po itong ipinagkaiba sa Philippine Cultural Center of Manitoba (PCCM) sa Winnipeg. Ang mga Korean, hindi natin sila marami sa Edmonton, pero,

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Alberta, Ontario, and Saskatchewan, Family Day is a statutory holiday, meaning that most workplaces are closed, and employees are entitled to a day off with pay. Community events are also organized in many cities to celebrate Family Day. The holiday provides an opportunity for families to connect, bond, and create new memories. Overall, Family Day is a special day in Canada dedicated to the importance of family, relationships, and togetherness.

However, a group of people might not be celebrating Family Day the way Canadians are. Migrant workers often face separation from their families as a result of their work abroad. These are the individuals who cross international borders to work in a different country, typically for a limited period. They may have to travel long distances or move to different countries to find employment, leaving their loved ones behind. This can lead to emotional and financial difficulties, as well as increased stress and loneliness for meron silang Sejong Hall? Ang mga Polish, meron silang Polish Halls. Ang Ukrainian, meron silang Ukrainian Halls. Kung nagawa nila, bakit hindi natin magawa? Mahirap po ba kaya hindi natin ginagawa o hindi lang natin ginagawa kaya nagiging mahirap?

Nakakatawa po akong mangarap ano? Sa pagbabasa mo pa lang ng article kong ito, tiyak na mayayabangan ka na agad sa akin. At, may posibilidad, na makatikim ako ng pagkutya sa oras na makaharap mo ako. Tiyak ko, ito ang linyang sasabihin mo: “Hoy, Lito, kelan ka lang ba dito? Matagal na kami dito, at binalak na naming gustong gawin ‘yan pero walang nangyari. Mabibigo ka lang. Ginawa na dati yan at walang nangyari. Siguradong-sigurado, hihilahin ka pababa ng mga kritiko!”

Mistulang basketball din nga lang ang buhay sa Canada. Para bang merong pa-liga at kailangan mong magpalista sa talaan ng mga kalahok. Subalit hindi lahat ng the worker. In some cases, families may be reunited after a period of time, but for others, separation may be indefinite.

Migrant workers who are separated from their families face many challenges, including emotional distress, loneliness, and difficulty accessing essential services such as healthcare and education. This separation can also have a significant financial impact on the worker and their family, as they may need to send dollar remittances to support loved ones who are left behind. To address this issue, governments, organizations, and communities must work together to provide support and resources to help reunite families, improve working conditions for migrants, and ensure that they have access to basic human rights and necessities. For one, permanent status for migrants must be prioritized.

Undocumented migrant workers who are separated from their families face additional challenges, such as fear of deportation and lack of nagpalista ay nagiging kalahok dahil may tanggalan din naman (pre-trial or process of elimination). Ang mga nakapasa lamang sa paunang pagsubok ang makakaanib o makakalahok upang makapaglaro hanggang finals. Kung kaya naman, iilan lamang ang sumisikat. Ang tanong: “Sino nga ba ang mga hurado para husgahan ang pagka-panalo at pagka-talo. Minsan pa nga, hindi ka pa naglalaro ay may husga na—kahit di pa nila nakikita kung paano mo i-shoot ang bola.

Tila yata tayong lahat ay mali?

Kapag hindi natin tinantanan ang balyahan sa paglalaro, hindi tayo magwawagi ng may kalakip na ligaya sa ating mga puso. Iyan ay dahil sa hindi naging makatarungan at patas ang ating paglalaro.

Wasto naman talaga na sa buhay sa Palakasan o Sports ay may nagwawagi at meron din namang sawi. Ngunit, tandaan pa rin natin, ang paligsahan ay nagbibigay kulay lamang sa buhay-hindi ito ang mismong buhay. Kung access to legal resources. This can lead to prolonged and indefinite separations, causing severe emotional and psychological distress. It is crucial for policymakers to address the needs of undocumented migrants and provide them with a path to permanent residency, allowing them to reunite with their families and live without fear of detention and deportation.

Undocumented migrant workers who are separated from their families face additional challenges compared to documented workers. Due to their undocumented status, they may be afraid of being deported and may not have access to resources and support systems.

Family Day is also a time to remember and support families who have been separated due to forced migration. Forced migration refers to the movement of people from their homes as a result of conflict, persecution, natural disasters, or other factors beyond their control including economic reasons. Many kaya nga tinawag natin itong LARO, di ba?

Ang tanong: Naiwasan na ba nating maghilahan pababa? Kelan mo hindi siniraan ang iyong kapwa upang buoin ang iyong sarili? Kalian ba ang huling araw na kinagat mo sa likod ang iyong kaibigan (back-biting) 0 kaya naman ay pinagbintangan mo at bigla na lamang sinuntok sa harapan ng iyong mga kababayan? Itinuring mo pang kaibigan, huh! Kailan mo ba naaala-ala na ipinagtanggol mo ang lahing Pilipino sa pamamagitan ng mabuting halimbawa sa pinagtatrabuhan mo, sa pakikitungo sa kamanggagawa, at kapit-bahay mo? Kapwa Filipino lamang ba ang dapat igalang?

Ang nakakatawa: Mismong ang nakatatandang kababayan natin ang hindi magtitiwala sa ating kakayahan dahil sa kanilang kapalpakan. Noon, naghahanap kung sino ang mamumuno para ibangon ang nakalipas na pagkakamali. Subali’t families are separated and unable to celebrate Family Day together, and it can be a difficult time for them. They may be living in isolation, in temporary housing away from their loved ones. By coming together on Family Day, we can support families who are separated and raise awareness about the importance of permanent immigration status. ngayon na mayroon na, ayaw namang suportahan. Sa halip, tatanungin pa: “Sino ba ang mga baguhan na iyan? Sino ang kikita ng pera? Saan sila kumuha ng pang-pondo? Sa halip na itanong sa sarili kung ano ang maitutulong niya!

This Family Day 2023, it is important to acknowledge and support these migrants that were separated from their families and be aware of the challenges they face. This can include volunteering with organizations that support refugees and migrants, donating to their organizations, or simply spreading awareness about the issue of global migration. By showing solidarity and compassion, we can help these families and work towards a world where every family can live together in peace and with security.

Happy Family Day!

Huwag mong kalimutan na, “Ang tao ay kapatid ng kapwa tao!” Gamitin natin ang pagka-Filipino sa paggawa ng kaaya-aya at sa pagrespeto. Igalang ang karapatan ng ibang lahi na maging Malaya. Napakasarap gumalaw sa lipunan bilang isang tunay na may KAGANDAHANG-ASAL at MARANGAL, gawin ang nararapat at iwasan ang di makatarungan. Uunlad lamang ang sambayanan ko ang bawat-isa ay lalabas sa butas-butas na basket. Natatanaw mo nga kung ano ang nasa sa labas; subalit di ka makalabas dahil sa paghahatakang walang wakas.

(Para sa inyong mga mungkahi at puna, maaari n’yo akong kontakin sa litovelasco65@yahoo.ca)

‘Twinning’ could be good For Edmonton, Calgary

Bing J. Jaleco

bingjaleco@yahoo.com

Raleigh “Bing” Jaleco was a veteran journalist and public relations consultant in the Philippines. He started out as a correspondent for Ang Pahayagang Malaya and then moved on to be a reporter, and then an editor, of The Manila Chronicle. He also served as news editor of The Manila Standard, business editor of The Manila Times, and sub-editor at the Manila Bulletin. He landed as a permanent resident in Canada in 2016.

TWINNING is not a new concept in community development. But in recent years, it has become a gamechanger for cities around the world, particularly for tourism. Twinning is an agreement between two towns or cities to jointly promote trade and tourism. The rationale behind twinning is the mobilization of resources to favor cooperation over competition.

Many destinations around the world adopt twinning as a strategy to promote trade and tourism. While there is certainly merit in promoting competition as a pillar of a vibrant economy, dynamic and evolving markets, with shifting consumer preferences and tastes, call for more novel strategies for businesses.

Edmonton and Calgary are Alberta’s two major cities. While Edmonton is the province’s capital, Calgary is the bigger and, arguably, more vibrant city. Each one has its own unique character, but ultimately they share the common goal of boosting trade and tourism as a major economic driver.

So here’s a thought: adopt twinning as a strategy to put Alberta on the global trade and tourism map. In my experience as a travel trade journalist in Asia, where tourism is king, twinning is almost always a winning strategy. Some 20 years ago, the Philippine government identified twinning as a strategy for tourism development. Tourism estates were conceptualized as “bubble hubs” that could be promoted on their own and not rely on Manila as the starting point of tour packages. The CebuBohol bubble is a good example of twinning.

There are many other destinations, not only in Asia but in Europe as well, that rely on twinning as a trade and tourism promotion strategy. It is all about taking advantage of each twin city’s strengths and finding ways to maximize a traveler’s visit by broadening the travel experience. If it works in other cities, it could very well work in Alberta.

For instance, Alberta counts on the Calgary International Airport as its main gateway while Edmonton International Airport is the main regional airport . Last year, YYC hosted 14.5 million passengers to YEG’s 5.85 million passengers. Both airports continue to expand, which is good for Alberta. But how to optimize this growth should be the next step in the province’s goal of boosting economic growth.

For one, twinning could be a viable strategy to boost Alberta’s meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) sector, a very lucrative component of the tourism industry and one that has a strong multiplier effect on the destination. Infrastructure is already growing; perhaps it is time to market Calgary-Edmonton as Canada’s emerging tourism hot spot. Or is it Edmonton-Calgary?