MIGRANT WATCH

Filipinos in Canada Organize To Protect Themselves

The fatal shooting of Jeffrey Reodica on May 21,2004 and similar cases have prompted Filipino immigrants to establish an advocacy group for the Filipino community in Toronto. The Community Alliance for Social Justice (CASJ) aims to protect the legitimate interests and defend the rights of the vulnerable and disadvantaged such as the youth, the caregivers, the newly-arrived immigrants, the workers, the professionals, the elderly and people with disability.                                                

By Edwin C. Mercurio
Contributed to Bulatlat

TORONTO, Canada - Kiamoy is a registered nurse from Silliman University in Dumaguete City, Philippines and works as a domestic in one of the wealthy families in Toronto.  Mau is a journalist who writes for many daily newspapers in Manila and Mindanao.  Unable to land a job in his field, he finally settles as a photographer for a national photography chain in Toronto.  Edgar, a medical practitioner from Northern Luzon, took whatever job he can lay his hands on to support his family, including, work as a pizza delivery.

These are some of the daily stories told by Filipino immigrants over a cup of coffee or in sharing sessions of what is now called the Community Alliance for Social Justice (CASJ). Although, most of these faceless “modern heroes” (a term coined by the Philippine Government to encourage labor export of professionals for their much need dollar remittances) ultimately reached their dreams of working in their professions, many are less fortunate.

The CASJ established only this year is a product of weekly brainstorming by a group of dedicated Filipino community leaders who came to recognize the need to unite Filipinos in the Greater Toronto Area for worthwhile causes. Among these are the issues affecting live-in caregivers, the youth, seniors, problems faced by workers, skilled labor and professionals, violence against women, gays and lesbians and racial profiling and discrimination.

Listed as members are community leaders of Kababayan Community Centre, the Philippine Network for Justice and Peace (PNJP), Philippine Independence Day Council (PIDC), The Philippine Heritage Band (PHB), South Cotabato-Sarangani Bay and General Santos City (SOCSARGEN) Association (Southern and Central Mindanao), Ang Negrosanon (Negros Province), Parents and Youths, Families and Friends Action, Woodgreen Community Services, Catholic Community Services-Markham, The Philippine Reporter, Philippine Press Club Association of Toronto, J4J Youth Committee, Silayan Community Centre and many others.

CASJ is a broad-based alliance established by various Filipino community leaders to help protect the legitimate interests and defend the rights of the vulnerable and disadvantaged, namely, the youth, the caregivers, the newly-arrived immigrants, the workers, the professionals, the elderly, people with disability and the economically challenged.                                                

It also aims to involve community organizations and groups, individuals and institutions to directly support the alliance’s educational campaigns and projects.

The alliance will continually work for unity and cooperation among various groups and individuals towards building a strong community that can protect its interests and will earn the respect of the Canadian society as a whole.

Reach out

CASJ’s vital goal is to reach out to other communities, ethnic and mainstream, to foster mutual understanding, unity and cooperation on social justice issues.

Mel Catre, a retired lawyer from the Philippines and the group’s spokesman admits that CASJ is an alliance of community organizations that will not hesitate to fight for social justice and rights enshrined in the Charter of Rights and Freedom.

One of the issues that will be actively supported by the community alliance is the Justice for Jeffrey Coalition, said Catre. “It was the fatal shooting of the 17-year old youth at the back and the echoes of the three gunshots by undercover police officer Dan Belanger that awakened the relatively silent Filipino community,” he pointed out.

“Since the fatal shooting of Jeffrey Reodica on May 21,2004 and the subsequent campaign to seek justice in the case, we have witnessed the emergence of a movement to establish an advocacy group for the Filipino community in Toronto,” wrote Hermie Garcia, the Editor-Publisher of Toronto-based Philippine Reporter.

“I’ve never seen a campaign gather so much support in a very short time,” Garcia said. “This phenomenon has led many community leaders to observe that this is the time to unite the various organizations and build a strong advocacy group that will tackle similar issues that concern the community as a whole. So far what we have are either community centers, independence day-related committees or councils, media, business, student-youth, cultural or dance groups, regional, provincial or even town-oriented associations that are concerned with sectoral or professional interests.  What we don’t have is a broad-based community-wide federation-like coalition or alliance that encompasses all these groups one that would stand up in times like these and fight tooth and nail for the rights and interests of the community.” 

“It is not enough to express indignation at the injustice done to Jeffrey Reodica. It is not enough to sign petitions and donate some money. We need our leaders to come forward now and lead this campaign. We need old and new leaders to exercise leadership in this campaign and in the building up of a truly strong advocacy coalition,” Garcia stressed in his column.

Intoxicated camper

In one the Alliance’s weekly meetings, Ms Carol Banez, president of the Philippine Heritage Band, narrates an incident that clearly mirrors an incident that led to the fatal shooting of Jeffrey Reodica. During the PHB’s yearly camping trip to Bingeman Park, Kitchener, Ontario, an intoxicated camper pulled off all electrical connections while the group concluded a singing contest and awards are being handed out to PHB participants. When the band members called the camp security to handle the situation, the Caucasian camper who pulled off the electrical plugs dialed 911 to report that a PHB member was making trouble and had a handgun.

Three police cruisers immediately arrived at the campsite and police officers without any investigation chased a youth member of the PHB who happened to run away from the crowd. He was ordered to raise his hands and underwent routine frisking by the policemen. Fortunately, Ms Banez was nearby and after identifying herself as the group’s president demanded that the youth be questioned in her presence. After assuring the lawmen that the youth had not committed any wrongdoing and did not possess any handgun, the policemen released the youth.

In Reodica’s case, no adult or family members were present during the youth’s interrogations. Jeffrey was shot three times at the back by a plainsclothes police officer who responded to a 911 call from another group of teenagers who were involved in an argument earlier over a basketball game.       

As the Filipino community has grown over the years, many felt that there is a need for a youth crisis hotline. The planned hotline will be established to offer legal assistance and support to youths in times of crisis.                                                                                 

Community leaders have said that many Filipino-Canadian parents are worried about the police brutality manifested in the Jeffrey Reodica case. Community leaders are calling for stronger unity, vigilance and solidarity for fear that it may happen again to their own kids as the community’s growth in population surged over the years.

If studies and published articles from the Toronto Star are used as guideposts, the Filipinos now ranked third in immigrant population in Toronto tied only with Hongkong Chinese nationals.

Aside from the growing belief of racism and police brutality many Filipinos described by government studies as highly educated have frequently experienced being exploited and discriminated. Many health professionals from the Philippines whose training and skills are not recognized by the Canadian government end up as health care aides or many times work as domestic helpers. Cases of physical and sexual violence and abuse are rampant and many times unreported.

In one of the alliance community meetings, an invited guest who worked as a live-in caregiver tells of being fired by her employer after she questioned her unpaid overtime work and the former’s contract violation. As the Filipina nanny relates her story, one could almost hear a pin drop as silence and disbelief enveloped the group.

Time for action

As the saying goes, silent waters run deep. Many of the alliance members who command a strong following from their communities have indicated they have heard enough. “It is now time for action,” said Ms. Connie Sorio of the Philippine Network for Justice and Peace (PNJP).

As the year comes to a close, a new chapter in the lives of Filipino migrants in Toronto is emerging. Community leaders are tapping their community’s endless reserve of talents. Organizers are busy preparing for the October  29-30 Consultation and Conference on Social Justice’s issues and concerns here in Toronto. The two-day consultation will gather inputs from various sectors of the community on specific issues and needs. Assigned teams will gather and collate these inputs as basis for guidelines and actions.

Participation to the two-day Consultation and Conference will only cost $20.00 inclusive of food and printed materials. The venue will be held at the Metro Hall conference rooms located between King and John Streets in downtown Toronto. It will probe to be a journey towards building a cohesive, caring and more responsive community. 

And, for a people who have endured long years of suffering brought about by Spanish and American occupations’ divide and rule tactics and brutality, the journey toward solidarity building and fighting for just causes is, indeed, worth a step in the right direction.

For more information and tickets to the two-day event contact the following members of the CASJ: Mel Catre (National Congress of Filipino Canadians), Hermie and Mila Garcia (Philippine Reporter), Pura Velasco (Woodgreen Community Services), Teresita Olayta (Parents and Youths, Families and Friends Action), Virginia Tigas (Real Estate Services), Mitchie Esguerra (J4J Youth Committee), Jose Saavedra, Jr.(PIDC), Connie Sorio(PNJP), Julie Nanquil (Toronto Community Services), Flor Dandal(Kababayan Community Centre), Paul de la Cruz (Phil. Press Club of Ontario), Edwin  Mercurio (Socsargen and Ang Negrosanon Associations), Gene Lara (St. Jamestown), Carol Banez (PHB) and Agnes Manasan (Catholic Community Services-Markham). Bulatlat

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