Ready, willing and able, but only requires a second chance By Faye Arellano Is there hope for permanent residence (PR) for out-of-status caregivers whose lives are in limbo? The short answer is yes. But how to achieve the desired result may be more complicated than that. Application on humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) ground is one legal remedy that… Read More »
By Faye Arellano Maria, 35, arrived in Canada a decade ago under the defunct Live-in Caregiver’s Program. Her initial employer changed her mind about hiring her and immediately released Maria on her first week. It took Maria about seven months to find a new employer who was willing to do the required paperwork. This time, Maria endured almost… Read More »
In pursuit of the elusive PR By Faye Arellano After several failed attempts to restore her legal status even with the help of a lawyer, Maria eventually became undocumented in 2014. “I incurred so much debts in the course of my legal battle, to no avail,” recalled Maria. She added that she was desperate to renew her work… Read More »
By Hermione Cabie Santos A 55-year old patient has been taking pain medications round the clock for several months. Unable to sleep most nights and taking high doses of anti-anxiety medications, he seeks other means of addressing his condition.Finally, he reads about medical cannabis, discovers its benefits and now enjoysa more pain-free way of life! We all have… Read More »
“There are no wrong turnings. Only paths we had not known we were meant to walk.” – Guy Gavriel Kay Dear Graduates You honour me for selecting me as your commencement speaker when you can have a better person than I am. As some of you may have known, I am a homosexual. I hope my revelation won’t… Read More »
Trivia: Looking back in the past, this writer simply couldn’t forget the famous actors who turned successful political figures. Not only because of their formidable public service but more so, out of my attachment to them. Many times I did feel their sincere friendship elucidated to me. To begin with, the acknowledged Agimat King of local movies Ramon… Read More »
“The truth is that where you stand does affect what you see.” William Kaplan, Why Dissent Matters (2017) Rosario and I were inseparable when we were in high school. We did things together during our classes. We were seated side by side in the classroom, studied together and had lunch together to update ourselves with the latest gossips.… Read More »
By Faye Arellano Maria, 35, arrived in Canada a decade ago under the defunct Live-in Caregiver’s Program. Her initial employer changed her mind about hiring her and immediately released Maria on her first week. It took Maria about seven months to find a new employer who was willing to do the required paperwork. This time, Maria endured almost… Read More »
By Hermione Cabie Santos In a game of chess, my 15-year old son suddenly becomes uncomfortable when he discovers his father’s deadly check move. He carries on, nevertheless, quietly revisits his game strategy, resists the temptation to give up and remains calm in the hope of maneuvering an almost impossible escape. He knows losing is part of the… Read More »
“Ubos, ubos biyaya, mayat maya’y nakatunganga.” From my wife’s collection of Tagalog proverbs. “The tears of the world are a constant quantity. For each one who begins to weep somewhere else another stops.” Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot. By Rey Moreno Grace loved her family so much. So at age 17, she decided to look for a job… Read More »