Philippine Women Centre of BC
Press Release

Writing workshops with Japanese-Canadian writer empowers Filipino women and youth

October 2, 2008

VANCOUVER, BC. – Acclaimed Japanese-Canadian writer Hiromi Goto, the current writer in residence at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, conducted a successful writing workshop recently with local Filipino women. 

“In my 15 years of publishing my writing and sitting on juries, I do not remember seeing the work of a Filipino writer,” said Goto. “That Filipino writers are so under-represented in Canadian literature speaks of a systemic barrier,” she said. 

“This is my first time to sit down and my first step to becoming a good writer,” said Jocelyn Vergabera, member of SIKLAB-BC (Advance and Uphold the Rights of Overseas Filipino Workers). Vergabera, along with many of the participants in the women’s workshop were currently or formerly live-in caregivers who came to Canada under Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP). 

“This was an amazing experience, very enriching,” said Gloria Remirata, also a member of SIKLAB-BC. “We are de-skilled under the LCP but somehow through workshops like these we feel empowered again and recall when we worked as professionals in the Philippines,” she added. Remirata is a high school teacher from the Philippines who came to Canada under the LCP in 2000.

“Hiromi has been very supportive in developing our writing skills,” said Mildred German, member of the Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance. “Through her workshops she has given her time and skills to encourage us to write the stories of our community,” she added. “In Canadian society, we as Filipino youth are often encouraged to become cheap labour and are not seen as a source of wisdom or inspiration. This workshop empowers us to show that we are more than just cheap labour in Canada, we have stories and talents to share,” she said. 

German along with other youth also participated in a writing workshop with Goto early this year at the Vancouver Public Library.

“In the over 20 years of the anti-woman and racist LCP, and its predecessor the Foreign Domestic Movement, nearly 100,000 Filipino women and their families have come to Canada to work in the homes of wealthy Canadians,” said Hetty Alcuitas, Board Member of the Philippine Women Centre of BC. “Despite our communities marginalization and segregation within Canadian society, it is clear from the writing today that we have important stories to share, not only of violence, poverty and suffering, but also stories filled with optimism and hope for the future. We hope our stories will continue to empower and inspire others to share their stories as well,” she added. 

The workshop was part of a multi-year project the PWC of BC is conducting with support from Status of Women Canada to address violence against women in the Filipino community in BC.

The workshops were organized by Philippine Women Centre of BC and Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance. PWC of BC, FCYA and SIKLAB along with sister progressive organizations across Canada have been calling for the scrapping of LCP and an end to forced migration from the Philippines and organizing within the community for over 20 years. 

The groups plan to continue the writing workshops for other members of the community and hope to publish the writing works in future publications.

-         30 – 
For more information, please contact Glecy Duran at: 604-215-1103 or email: pwc@kalayaancentre.net

--