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LUNCH

So, you’ve got that piece of card in your hand that states that you are already a Permanent Resident of Canada. You have been waiting for this day – worked for it, obsessed about and now that it’s here, you suddenly realized that there’s a lot to work on. What to do? Where do I go from here?

You wished everyday to “apply” your degree again but find you don’t know where to start. Further, you don’t possess the “Canadian Experience” that employers are asking for.

In this article, we will try to give you a step by step procedures based on the experiences of former LCPs who were are able to start climbing and/or have climbed the corporate/professional ladder here in Canada.

Aubrey, an Internationally-Educated Nurse

Aubrey entered Canada through the Live-in Caregiver Program but is a Registered Nurse in the Philippines. After obtaining her PR card, she decided to continue a career in Nursing in Canada.

Her steps:

1. Evaluation of credentials. Aubrey submitted all her credentials – a copy of transcript of records, diploma (from university graduated from), etc. to the College of Nurses of Ontario for assessment of eligibility. To see full list of requirements, visit www.cno.org
2. If the College find you eligible, they would advise you to take the Canadian Practical Nurses Regulation Exam (CPRNE) after paying a fee and choosing an exam schedule.
3. When you pass the exam, you are a Registered Practical Nurse in Ontario!

Although Aubrey passed the CPRNE, she feels that she need to refresh her Nursing skills and knowledge so she decided to take some college courses. Since Aubrey was under the Live-in Caregiver when she took the exam, taking the courses would be more expensive since she is considered an international student. She decided she would wait for her Permanent Residency before she goes back to school.

Bridging Programs

There are organizations that aim to make it easier for internationally-educated nurse to enter the Nursing Profession in Canada. Aubrey has chosen to tap CARE Centre for Internationally Educated Nurses, an organization of nurses that aims to help internationally-educated nurses enter the nursing workforce in Canada. They assess an applicant’s knowledge in general areas of nursing and then recommend the courses that will help them. They also provide trainings, workshops and guidelines to prepare and equip them to the nursing situations in Canada.

Aubrey aims to become a Registered Nurse (RN). Her assessment revealed that she needs 11 bridging programs before she can enrol for RN courses.

Registered Nurse vs. Registered Practical Nurse

Even if Aubrey passed the CPRNE, she still needs the Canadian experience to enter the workforce.

Aubrey hopes to be an RN but since she it is more expensive to do so, she decided to pursue an RPN first.

An RPN is a two-year course under the College of Applied Arts and Technology while an RN is a four-year Bachelors degree in Nursing in university.

An RPN’s education is less comprehensive and more focused; is more appropriately utilized to care for patients with less complex needs with stable and predictable conditions while an RN’s education is more comprehensive and they have deeper knowledge to draw on in areas such as clinical practice, critical thinking, and research utilization. RN’s can work in any type of patient. An RN can care for clients with more complex needs in unpredictable situations whether in surgical units, home care settings, ICU and ER.

Where to Aubrey?

Aubrey decided to go to George Brown this Fall to take additional courses and is looking for avenues to get some Clinical Practice.

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After The LCP, What’s Next?

In July 24,2010, the Philippine Solidarity network of Canada in Toronto held it’s event on  Peoples’ State of the Nation Address. It was conducted at the Ontario Institute for Studies In Education (OISE),Toronto, Ontario. The keynote speaker of this event was Dr. Constancio “Chandu “  Chairperson, Bayan Canada National Organizing Committee. He was a survivor of a failed assissination attempt in the Philippines  in July 31,2006. During the program, the Independent Workers’ Association (IWA) rendered 2 performance 1st is a pantomine on the  song WAYA-WAYA which means Freedom and the other one is an interpretative dance based on the song BABAYLAN. Both stage performance  showed the resistance from exploitation, abuse and manipulation and great participation of women in protecting the ”KARAPATAN”, “KABUHAYAN ” , “KATARUNGAN” and “KALAYAAN” of the common  people.

The guest, Dr. Chandu Claver discussed  on  vital issues that the new President should address to under his new regime.

•  The root cause of migration which is poverty and joblessness  that has driven us out of our country forcing us to endure hardships of working in a foreign in order for our families to survive.
•  The policy on globalization in the 80’s, there has been a growing trend of unemployment figures in the Phils.
• The previous regime then raised the Labor Export Program to a high level – encouraging the flow of Filipino labor to other countries and relying on the regular remittances of these workers to their families to keep the country afloat.
• The Arroyo government had been borrowing an additional yearly average of 243 billion pesos to cover its deficits, the present debt burden has reached 4.46 trillion pesos this year – more than twice the 2.17 trillion peso debt inherited from the Estrada regime.
• Foreign investors have been given lavish incentives and overly-preferential treatment to the detriment of the Filipino people.
• On the political front, the Arroyo regime has left a sordid mess. More than a thousand killed and more than 200 abducted never to be seen again – a product of a mad counter-insurgency policy called Oplan Bantay Laya.
• And then during the first month of the new president’s term, five more are killed. The instruments of the State 24 have gone overboard with the killings, abductions and the filing of false charges, publicly or subtly egged on by generals, cabinet secretaries and Arroyo herself.
• Also, the past regime has exhibited its capacity for possible widespread electoral fraud, and a tolerance for election violence.

Mr. Claver also presented the People’s Agenda  on the Economic and Political Reforms, on Sovereignty and Human Rights, and on addressing the Armed Conflict. Following his speech are  the Solidarity Messages from the different individuals, groups and organizations from different nationalities. A Tribute to people’s heroes like Mrs. Alyce Omengan Claver who was murdered last July 31, 2006, Rafael Markus Bangit and Mrs. Gloria Casuga who were victims of extra judicial killings  last June 8, 2006 and the enforced disapperance of Mr. James Balao last Sept. 17, 2008 were heard. To conclude  the event Mr. Marco Luciano  elaborated  on the call to action that are need to be done in order for migrants and Filipinos  to achieve change .

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People’s State of the Nation Address

So reading the Nanny Tales gave me an inside view of what these nannies go through.  Their challenges, struggles and triumphs.

Nanny Tales was written for Nannies and by a Nanny.

About the Author
ANALYN DOCLAN ARYO

Analyn Doclan Aryo first explored writing as a student journalist in university. While studying for a degree in Agriculture at the Benguet State University in the Philippines, she served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Mountain Collegian, the official student publication of the said university in 2001 to 2002.

After graduating, she worked as a lay-out artist/staffwriter of the Information Section of the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera Administrative Region.

When she left the Philippines in 2005 to work as a Domestic Helper in Hong Kong, she continued on to write. She won the Editorial writing contest of the The Sun, a leading newspaper in the Filipino community in Hong Kong. This became very instrumental in her next involvement as the playwright for the play, “Migrant Collective” which was staged at the Fringe Theater.

After Hong Kong, she crossed borders and entered Canada under the Live-in Caregiver Program in 2007. At present, she works in Ontario as a professional nanny. She is a Benguet-born Igorot of the Applai (Besao) and the Bontoc tribes of the Mountain Province.

More info here.

The book is $10.00 Canadian plus $3.50 shipping and handling.

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Nanny Tales

Learn from the ants we should,
they save food even in summer
always ready whatever the weather,
in life, diligence, patience does matter!

Learn from growing children we should,
meek and humble pure in heart,
learn undaunted they would
nurturing wisdom from something with burning fervor
everything has a purpose a lesson to bear!

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MIRRORS by Analyn Tolentino

The Association of Caregiver and Nanny Agencies  (ACNA) on their Press Release on July 5, 2010 has raised some questions on the newly-approved Live-in Caregiver Laws. They claim that the revisions of the LCP have a “negative effect on family life and further eroded Canadian productivity.”"

ACNA claim that based from their survey, there was a 70-90% drop in placement following the changes made by the Government of Canada under the Ministry of Immigration, Citizenship and Multiculturalism.

Good or Bad?

Under the new LCP laws, the employers are required to pay for 1.) travel cost for live-in caregivers to come to Canada; 2.) medical insurance until the live-in caregiver become eligible for provincial health coverage, and 3.) Workplace safety insurance and any recruiting fees owed to third parties. These revisions, the ACNA, explains has placed a burden on families wanting to hire a live-in caregiver to care for their young, disabled and the aged.  ACNA points out that although the families who hire a live-in caregiver shoulders all the expenses, the caregiver is under no obligation to stay with them. This, ACNA maintains, makes Canadian families vulnerable to individuals who abuse the program by coming to Canada under the LCP at no personal cost, without intention of staying long-term and seeking new employment.

Further, in a position statement by a group “Protection for Canadian Families,” they alleged that Minister Jason Kenney has only sought to protect the overseas caregiver’s rights and not the tax-paying Canadian families.

Moreover, some individuals within the Filipino community has also raised the above concerns, stating that the changes is killing the LCP and that the main reason for these changes are to eliminate the program.

Employment Standards

However, Marna Martin, chair of the Canadian Coalition for In-Home Care responds to the above-mentioned concerns, stating that the new revisions will reduce the number of caregivers arriving in Canada without legitimate employers or “Released Upon Arrival.” These RUAs usually take months to find new employers who are willing to process their papers. As a result, most ended up working “under the table”or accepting payments that are below the minimum wage. With the new law, Martin asserts that the newly-hired caregivers are assured that the Employment Standards and government regulations are followed and they won’t be buried in debt incurred by placement fees.

Although Martin acknowledges that there will be fewer overseas VISA’s issued, the abuses under the program will greatly be reduced. She also stated that the closures of caregiver and nanny agencies has not reduced the number of families hiring caregivers but rather, they are opting to post their ads on-line and not through the agencies.

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Group raise questions on the new LCP laws

a. Live-in Caregiver
b. Nanny
c. Personal Support Worker

2. When you meet a fellow Filipino or somebody who looks like a Filipino in public places, do you:

a. Smile and ask, “Pinoy?” or “Pilipino ka?”"Kabayan?”
b. Nod slightly if they are looking at you
c. Do nothing. There’s a fellow Filipino, so?

3. Your first question when you meet a fellow live-in caregiver is:

a. How long have you been here?
b. From what country have you been?
c. What are you looking after?

4. You learn to:

a. Say ‘”eh”when you mean, “I beg your pardon?,” “Excuse me?,” “No?”
b. Exclaim, “It’s Canada, you know!”to explain something that you deemed outrageous, unacceptable, new, or odd (e.g. When somebody is having an illicit affair and falunting it, the usual reaction is to say, “It’s Canada, you know!” which could mean, “They could do that here but not back home,”or, ii. Somebody wore a mini-skirt for the first time and a lot noticed it, she would say, “It’s Canada, you know!”which means, “I could wear whatever I wanted to because I am here!”
c. Say, ”I know!”in a course of conversation like you really know what the other guy means when sometimes, you honestly don’t.

5. When “24″means,

a. Golden months to count down for the Permanent Resident card
b. I’ve been there before
c. Kiefer Sutherland (of 24)

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The Filipino Nanny in Canada (An Introduction)

The Search For The Best Of The Best

Together with several caregivers, we took the hour and half trip north to Barrie to join and  support  this organization.   We got there a bit early so we decided to make a stop at a nearby coffee shop and missed the “early bird draw”. We could have won some prizes!

As usual, there was ample food for all guest  but more importantly,  everyone in attendance were having so much fun.  I was amazed at the variety of talents from the caregiver contestants and new immigrants.

Barrie here we come!

The judges

And the winners are….

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Best Of Barrie

Here is the list of the proposed changes:

1.  Eliminate the requirement for a second medical examination when applying for permanent residency.

Also known as the Juana Tajeda law,  this law has came about when live in caregiver Juana Tajeda was applying for  permanent residency and was denied because of her cancer.  Her illness has developed while already  working in Canada.  Her application was first denied but later on approved only due to humanitarian and compassionate grounds.  This change will ensure that no one will undergo that painful experience again.

2.  Live In Caregivers who work overtime can now apply for residency sooner.

Current Situation: Live In Caregivers must work for two whole years of their three years stay before they can apply for residency.  This means that unplanned events such as pregnancies or lost of employment can affect this requirement since they won’t be able to work for two straight years.

Proposed Change: Live In Caregivers can now apply for residency after completing 3,900 work hours or working from Mondays-Fridays for eight hours.  So if they render overtime work then these hours will be counted.  Also, these changes would also increase the time that live-in caregivers are allowed to complete the work requirement from three to four years.

3.  Additional benefits will be given as stipulated in the contract.

The proposal also specifies the following to be paid by the employer:

- fare that the live in caregiver will need to come to Canada

- medical insurance until the live in caregiver is entitled for provincial health coverage

- workplace safety insurance

- any recruiting fees owed to third parties

These all have to be stipulated in the contract.  Also, the contract must include clauses about the work scope and duties, hours of work, overtime and holidays, leaves and termination and resignation terms.

4. CIC will set up a hotline for live in caregivers.  Also, study permits are no longer need by live in caregivers if the course they will be taking is shorter than six months.

These proposed changes have already been published at the Canada Gazette for a 30-day comment period open for all Canadians.

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Good News to All Live-In Caregivers in Canada!

STEP 1: Get Yourself a Training Certificate

The only way for your application for a caregiver job to get noticed is to have a Caregiver Training Certificate from a registered Training Provider.  This will usually last from 6 months (lecture) to 7 mos (with OJT).  Check first with The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority or TESDA, the government agency that regulates skills development in the Philippines, if the training center you are eyeing is registered with them.  If not, steer clear because the training certificate they will be issuing you won’t be accepted in the Canadian Embassy.

STEP 2: Have Yourself Assessed

Literally millions of people are applying for a Caregiver job in Canada right this minute and a training certificate is just the first step for you to get noticed.  To make you more qualified, you should get yourself assessed.  An Assessment is a written and practical exam wherein your knowledge and skills in Caregiver techniques will be gauged.  A National Certificate will be issued to you after you passed both exams.  This will serve as your license.   Again, TESDA is the government agency in charge of this testing and certification.

STEP 3:  Have Your Papers Authenticated

Because a lot of fly by night schools are emerging in the country today, the Canadian Embassy has required all documents to be autheticated by the government agency in charge of giving the certificates.  So to have this done, go the the nearest TESDA.  Submit your training certificate, transcript of records and copy of the special order number they issued your school to have your papers verified and authenticated.  TESDA will then pass the authentication certificate to DFA to have your papers blue ribboned, another requirement by the Canadian Embassy.

Sometimes to really check if TESDA really issued the Authentication, the Canadian Embassy will write to them verify if the papers are really from them.  That is how strict the Canadian Embassy is.  So don’t think you can take the short way and just buy a training certificate which is being sold in some areas in Manila.  Getting caught will instantly ban you from entering Canada for a long time.

STEP 4: Network

Now that you have everything in order, it’s time to network!  Put yourself out there so you can find the nest caregiver job suited for you.  Tell everybody who can help you that you are looking for a caregiver job and you have everything in order and in time someone will point you in the right direction.  You will land your caregiver job in no time!

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How to Get a Job as Caregiver in Canada