October 23rd Filipino Canadian women’s conference moved to November 27 & 28
Please be informed that we are moving the conference “Creating, Strengthening and Nurturing the Filipino-Canadian Women’s Struggle for Genuine Liberation and Empowerment” from October 23rd to November 27 & 28, 2010. We will be sending out the details of the conference, including the new venue in our next email. Thank you. Sincerely, Joy C. Sioson Chairperson Philippine Women Centre of Ontario Philippine Women Centre of Ontario (PWC-ON) Member of the National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada (NAPWC) Telephone: 416-519-2553 Register for the Conference
The “Maleta” (suitcase) breaks new ground: the first-ever Filipino Canadian Art Exhibit in Ontario
For immediate release The “Maleta” (suitcase) breaks new ground: the first-ever Filipino Canadian Art Exhibit in Ontario Toronto, ON (October 20, 2010) – Members of the Filipino Canadian community take great pride in organizing the first-ever Filipino Canadian art exhibit made for and by Filipino Canadian women, workers and youth. Held at the renowned Beit Zatoun House in Toronto on October 10, 2010, the opening of the art exhibit drew in and impressed more than 140 community members, friends and allies. As the first-ever Filipino Canadian art exhibit in Ontario, the event is another milestone in the history of the community in Canada. Coinciding with the 10th year anniversary celebration of the Philippine Women Centre of Ontario, the success of the Grand Maleta Art Exhibit is a manifestation of the growth of the Filipino Canadian community, as well as a decade of strong organizing efforts by the PWC-ON in leading and advancing the struggles of the community in Canada. “The mere fact that we are able to create art pieces that directly convey the lived realities of our [...]
Filipino Canadian community paints a new future through the Maleta Art Exhibit
Maleta unpacks our history and unleashes community’s creativity at its new destination Toronto, Ontario (October 4, 2010) – Overwhelming exuberance upholds within the Filipino Canadian community as the Maleta (Suitcase) finally arrives at its new destination. As part of the Philippine Women Centre of Ontario’s (PWC-ON) celebration of its 10th year anniversary, the Maleta Art Exhibit will portray the resiliency of Filipino Canadian women in advancing its rich story of migration, struggle, and resistance. The community art exhibit will showcase collectively produced installations, murals, painting and photographs in the Beit Zatoun House from October 10 until the end of the month. Building from the project’s successful launch earlier this year, Maleta situates the struggle for women’s equality and development in the context of the longing demand to redefine the Filipino Canadian culture into a distinct and transformative one. Through the creation of new unique grassroots work of arts created by community members throughout the year, the Filipino Canadian women, workers and youth weave, in unison, their experiences and talents to present the realization that the community is here [...]
A gathering to nurture the path towards an empowered Filipino-Canadian community
Toronto, ON – September 29, 2010 – Building upon a decade-strong legacy of women’s organizing and empowerment in Ontario, the struggles, experiences and perspectives of progressive Filipino-Canadian women will define the new path for the future of the entire community. “Creating, Strengthening and Nurturing the Filipino-Canadian Women’s Struggle for Genuine Liberation and Empowerment” invites all Filipino-Canadian women to join the conversation and breathe life into the discussion of continuing the path of empowerment on November 27 & 28 at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). Besides being able to partake in the flourishing of this discussion and learn from other Filipino-Canadian women, participants will also play an active part in the historic celebration of 10.10.2010 – the 10th year anniversary of the Philippine Women Centre of Ontario (PWC-ON). As part of the 10.10.2010 celebrations, this conference will reinvigorate and advance the unity built by Filipino Canadian women to raise their struggle to a national level at “Towards Filipino Women’s Liberation,” the first-ever national Filipino Canadian women’s consultative forum held in 1999. Out of these continued efforts [...]
Ten years and counting: Filipino-Canadian women to celebrate a decade of resistance
Toronto, ON – September 20, 2010 – October 2010 will be marked as a historic moment for the Philippine Women Centre of Ontario (PWC-ON) and its members as they celebrate 10 years of Filipino Canadian women’s struggle and resistance. For a decade, PWC has been at the forefront of advancing Filipino Canadian women’s liberation and full entitlement in a country that has been home to them for over half a century. Now in its 10th anniversary, PWC reiterates its call to continue the rich legacy of Filipino women’s resistance while threading the community towards a new direction – a just & genuine settlement and integration in Canada. The history of Filipino women’s organizing in Canada has been that of strength and dynamism. Back in 1999, women from different parts of the country met in “Towards Filipino Women’s Equality: The Filipino-Canadian Women’s National Consultative Forum.” Together, they realized the urgency to organize and strengthen a broader Filipino Canadian women’s movement at a national level. “In connecting our personal struggles to larger systemic oppressions, we needed to think and work in [...]
MKC Annual BBQ!
Magkaisa Centre Annual BBQ August 14th, 12:00 NN Earl Bales Park (South of Sheppard) Please see map for directions. It's a potluck, so bring some food!
Successful Cultural Event Called on all Filipino-Canadian Youth to Step up and Stand out
Toronto, ON – July 20, 2010 – Armed with the spirit of cultural resistance, more than170 Filipino-Canadian youth, women and workers filled the Arbor Room on the night of July 16 for “Roots, Rhymes and Resistance,” an annual cultural event hosted by the Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada/Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance – Ontario (UKPC/FCYA-ON). With this year’s theme, “Panahon Natin, Our Moment! Step Out, Stand Out!” the youth took centre stage to reaffirm their active role in shaping the Filipino-Canadian community’s future in Canada. Showcasing multimedia presentations, song, theatre and dance from individual artists and collectives, these twenty performances depicted and celebrated the history and the resiliency of a community that strives for their just and genuine settlement and integration in Canada. Filipino-Canadians continue to face worsening conditions as they currently make up the 4th largest visible minority group in Canada. “It is the younger generation that inherits the marginalization of our community – we see this as our youth are pushed out of high schools, remain under/unemployed and experience poverty and racism,” says Alleben Purugganan, a [...]
THE NANNY BUSINESS: The plight of Canada’s imported caregivers on Global TV’s ‘Currents’
Dont miss tonights screening of "THE NANNY BUSINESS" documentary on Global TV's 'Currents' at 10pm (est)! The Nanny Business follows Edelyn Pineda who waits to be picked up at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport on a freezing cold night in February. The 27 year old, university educated mother of 3 has spent a grueling three days getting from Hong Kong to Toronto. In her hand she holds a contract to work as a live in caregiver, her work permit and visa. She only has 10 dollars left in her pocket, all that’s left after borrowing money from a loan shark in the Philippines to pay for her flight and thousands of dollars to a Canadian recruitment agency. She waits for 3 hours in the cold, but no one comes to pick her up. Instead of a good job in a family home awaiting her, she ends up in a crowded apartment of other Filipino newcomers. Edelyn’s story is one of the central stories in “The Nanny Business”. Almost 5000 Filipino women arrive in Canada each year with dreams of [...]
Congress of Progressive Filipino Canadians oppose the recently concluded G8/G20 summits
National Statement For immediate release June 30, 2010 The Congress of Progressive Filipino Canadians (CPFC) marches with the working class and racialized communities in Canada with courage and militancy as imperialist nations and the world elite meet in Ontario for the recently concluded G8/G20 summits this past weekend. In recognizing the summit as a desperate move by imperialism to cover up the crisis of an economic and political system that is inherently violent and anti-people, CPFC calls on the working class in Canada and around the world to seize this opportunity to advance an international anti-imperialist movement that puts the liberation of the working class, women and racialized peoples at the forefront of the struggle. Grassroots organizations and activists around Canada have organized teach-ins and mobilizations along the streets of Huntsville and Toronto this past week to express not only our discontent, but also our commitment to collectively educate ourselves and deepen our analysis on neoliberal globalization’s intensifying attacks to our communities. Progressive Filipino Canadians identify that the policies that will be and have been resulting from summits, [...]
Stepping up eagerly and standing out fearlessly for our moment of resistance
National Roots, Rhymes and Resistance "Panahon Natin, Our Moment: Step Up, Stand Out!” Friday, July 16 2010, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM Doors open at 6:00 PM, show starts at 7:00 PM Arbor Room, 7 Hart House Circle at the University of Toronto $10 Cover… Read More Stepping up eagerly and standing out fearlessly for our moment of resistance
Seizing the critical moment through “Roots, Rhymes and Resistance: Panahon Natin, Our Moment! Step Up, Stand Out!”
National Roots, Rhymes and Resistance Toronto, ON – June 16, 2010 – Once again, Filipino youth, women and workers across Canada are seizing the moment in a resounding call to make Filipino youth count in Canada’s future. The culture of resistance takes centre stage as dynamic Filipino youth spill their talents on a national level at “Roots, Rhymes and Resistance: Panahon Natin, Our Moment! Step Up, Stand Out!” The show will be held at the Arbor Room at the University of Toronto’s Hart House on Friday, July 16, 2010 from 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM. Building off the momentum of Toronto’s first RRR held last December, event goers will be able to see a stronger and more vibrant range of performers from Sinag Bayan Ontario and more. Be prepared to unravel your creative minds as Filipino youth step up to the challenge of redefining Filipino culture through music, theatre, spoken word, dance and multimedia. Throughout history, youth have always been at the forefront of stimulating change within their communities. In recognizing the inherent dynamism of Filipino youth, UKPC/FCYA-ON [...]