Toronto ON (November 13, 2010)—Over 180 members, supporters and friends of the Magkaisa Centre celebrated the 5th year anniversary of SIKLAB Ontario, a progressive Filipino Canadian workers organization, with a fundraiser dinner and dance party held on November 6, 2010 at a local Filipino restaurant. Paving a distinct progressive culture, it is also a night dedicated to the community members and allies that continually struggle to establish a path that is truly invested and fervidly attuned to the Filipino Canadian community’s lived realities and their deep desire to transform them.
Coinciding with the Philippine Women Centre of Ontario’s 10th year anniversary, the occasion also commemorates the group’s advancements in educating, organizing, and mobilizing around the issues faced by Filipinos in Canada on the struggles against systemic racism, economic marginalization and poverty, as well as, violence against women, in order to make the future generations of Filipino Canadian community count.
The night is a show of appreciation and admiration for the 8 founding members of SIKLAB-ON, who consistently and unwaveringly support, sustain, and strengthen a politicized Filipino Canadian community. Their involvement, along with their courage strong will and resiliency, have empowered them to tackle their experiences as workers under the Live-in Caregiver Program and the challenges they face thereafter with the arrival of their families.
Yolyn Valenzuela, vice-chairperson of the national SIKLAB-Canada, jump started the jubilant event with a welcoming speech. “Filipinos have been coming to Canada for over 50 years, yet the majority of our community are still in the margins of Canadian society,” states Valenzuela. She adds, “it is imperative that we look into the long term impacts of immigration policies on our community and fight for our right to fully participate in all facets of Canadian society, with a strong voice demanding our entitlement to us as vital contributors to Canada’s growth and prosperity.”
Kelly Botengan, spokesperson of SIKLAB-ON, reaffirms that “Filipino women continue to be amongst the most oppressed and exploited in our community due to the LCP.” She further explains, “in essence the LCP is being used to further privatize childcare and medical care for the elderly and people with disabilities all of which are essential contributions made by Filipino women that Canada fails to acknowledge and poorly compensate.”
SIKLAB-ON upholds that the women coming through the LCP should be granted landed immigrant status upon arrival, be able to utilize their professional and educational credentials for occupations of their choice, and be able to bring their families with them.
SIKLAB-Canada and its provincial proponents were formed to address the rights and welfare of Filipino migrants and has evolved to comprehensively look into advocating for the just and genuine settlement and integration of Filipino Canadian workers and their families in Canada. With the rapidly growing Filipino Canadian community, the challenge to nurture a strong community that is capable of exercising their full participation and entitlement has become more important than ever before.
Click here to see the event pictures!
To learn more about and register for the “Creating, Strengthening and Nurturing the Filipino-Canadian Women’s Struggle for Genuine Liberation and Empowerment Conference” click here.