Toronto Sun nanny article recycles and reinforces anti-immigrant sentiments
Toronto Sun nanny article recycles and reinforces anti-immigrant sentiments National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada (NAPWC) National Statement January 26, 2011 On January 19th, 2010, a Toronto Sun article titled “Nannies abusing sponsorship programs” promoted anti-immigrant and racist sentiments that inconsiderately fail to see the ongoing marginalization and underdevelopment of thousands of Filipino women under the Live-In Caregiver Program (LCP). For the National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada (NAPWC), a progressive Filipino Canadian women’s organization, this article is yet another irresponsible statement that masks the systemic “loopholes” and weaknesses behind the LCP. The NAPWC strongly contends that anti-immigrant and racist rhetoric cannot be used to disguise the critical issue of childcare. It is clear that despite the urgent need for a genuine national childcare program that addresses the needs of all Canadians, particularly for working-class and racialized communities, the LCP continues to be promoted and expanded, by the Canadian government, as a cheap alternative to satisfy our growing childcare, healthcare and eldercare needs. The expansion of the Temporary Foreign Workers’ Program (TFWP) and the LCP is [...]
Congress of Progressive Filipino Canadians (CPFC) denounces Conservative cutbacks on settlement services as cutting corners on immigration
Congress of Progressive Filipino Canadians (CPFC) denounces Conservative cutbacks on settlement services as cutting corners on immigration National Statement For immediate release January 24, 2011 Once again, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) Minister Jason Kenney proves he is no Santa Claus for struggling newcomer immigrant communities with his announcement to cut funding towards settlement services. Immigrant communities now welcome the New Year by bracing for more challenges and structural barriers in their struggle for genuine settlement and immigration. The Congress of Progressive Filipino Canadians (CPFC), a national alliance of Filipino Canadian women, youth and workers organizations, condemns the $53 million cutback as not only a disservice to already vulnerable newcomers, but ultimately as a clear indication that the Conservative government has no political will to secure the full participation entitled to immigrant communities as members of Canadian society. Cutting $53 million from settlement funding —$43 million taken from Ontario alone—is a direct attack against racialized and working-class communities. Heavy criticisms from opposition parties and the general public fall deaf on Minister Kenney’s ears, who stubbornly justifies the cut [...]
Local Filipino Canadian women’s conference redefined feminism towards genuine liberation
Toronto, ON—December 2, 2010—A vibrant and inspiring collective conversation ensued amongst a group of over 80 Filipino Canadian women, workers and youth at a landmark conference this weekend. Celebrated as the grand finale of 10.10.2010, the Philippine Women Centre of Ontario’s (PWC-ON) 10th year anniversary, “Creating, Strengthening and Nurturing the Filipino Canadian Women’s Struggle for Genuine Liberation and Empowerment” served as a dynamic summation of an entire decade of redefining feminism from the Filipino Canadian women’s perspective. Organized under the auspices of the recently-formed Congress of Progressive Filipino Canadians (CPFC), the conference illuminated the enduring and fundamental importance of women’s consciousness, history, action and struggles in the realization of our full participation and entitlement as a community and as a people in Canadian society. For an entire weekend, a lively exchange of transformative discussions on the role of women in leading the journey through the community’s unfolding path of settlement and integration ensued. Songs, panel speeches, collective discussions, testimonials, a research report-back, a political fashion show, as well as much laughter, all rung through the hearts and minds [...]
Racism Between the Lines: Exposing and Opposing Racism Behind Toronto Star and Macleans Articles
Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada/Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance-Ontario (UKPC/FCYA-ON) National Statement November 23, 2010 On November 10th, 2010, two articles were published by Macleans’ Magazine and the Toronto Star newspaper fuelled anti-immigrant sentiments and racism, titled as “‘Too Asian’?: Worries that efforts in the U.S. to limit enrolment of Asian students in top universities may migrate to Canada” and “Educators encourage parents of Asian background to let their children study trades and arts,” respectively. The Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance–Ontario (UKPC/FCYA–ON), a progressive organization of Filipino Canadian youth and students, recognize that the articles fuel anti-immigrant sentiments and racism while masking the genuine concerns and issues that plague post secondary education and its students. Without a clear understanding of the social, political and economic situation of racialized communities in Canada, the experiences of Asian Canadian students are then seen within a vacuum devoid of a larger systemic context. The articles are not only examples of irresponsible and bad journalism, but they also represent propaganda that perpetuate racism, irrational anxiety and fear. As the lessons of history have taught [...]
SIKLAB-ON Hosts Dinner & Dance Celebrating 5 Years of Filipino Canadian Workers’ Advancement: Nourishing the Appetite for Change, Dancing in the Rhythm of Resistance
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. [...]
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!