Life in Canada is both enjoyable and anxiety-filled existence.
For Filipinos, it’s a kind of family-centered living; we will do everything for our family.
We go to work, go home, sleep and work again. In short, our life revolves around our families.
Our survival instinct always comes into play when our family’s welfare is at stake.
Most of us spend our weekends on family affairs; it’s the time to go shopping at malls, swim on beaches, enjoy the amenities in some recreation centers, go out for get-togethers or eat out.
All these activities are happily enjoyed if all the family members —Dad, Mom, and children do their part and actively participate.
I’ve met some of our kababayans, who are professionals back home, but they do a job that is much different from what they had before; they are willing to bear all things, including the hardship of work, all in the name of their families’ survival.
Our kababayans will always grab any job “opportunity that comes their way, “ basta pagkakakitaan, or any work sidelines that can contribute to family income.”
I know an immigrant who practices medicine in the Philippines, but he has to work as a superintendent because he has five children and a wife to support.
He could not practice his profession when he came here because he had to study again. He had no time to do that because he had a family to feed.
The same is true for other professionals, such as nurses, dentists, engineers, lawyers, and accountants; if they find their current line of work challenging, they will look for another one.
They simply don’t have the luxury of time to upgrade their professions because their families cannot wait. It’s always their family that decides the matter.
The work of our compatriots is phenomenal, and they are always on the lookout for part-time work besides having regular jobs.
While riding the Uber, I recently talked to a Pinoy driver who told me he worked part-time as a hip-hop dancer downtown on weekends.
The sheer determination of our kababayans to succeed gives them the strength to move on, not only to make a brand new life in this adopted country but, most importantly, to overcome any life hurdles that might come their way for the sake of my family and children.
All throughout Canada, we are well-known for our work ethics. We are hard-working people who don’t need supervisors to oversee us while we work. We also give the honest-to-goodness kind of work that employers expect us to do.
A good reminder to all of us– let’s forget our pride and think about our family, children and future; enjoy the blessings this country can offer us. Canada is a good country and a good place to raise our family. “