Although the Philippines is more than 12,000 kilometers away, many members of the Manitoba Philippine community are still very involved in the upcoming presidential election in the Philippines.
Candidates for the May 9th election include Ferdinand Marcos Jr., son of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, current Vice President Lenny Robredo and retired boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, who is now a senator.
At rallies in Winnipeg over the past two weeks, hundreds of people came out to show support for their preferred candidate.
More rallies are planned for other presidential candidates, including Marcos next weekend.
Dante Aviso organized a rally in support of Robredo in Winnipeg last weekend.
Abiso, a dual citizen of Canada and the Philippines, says it is important to be able to vote in elections. He says relatives and friends in the Philippines are suffering from dire economic conditions.
“The Philippines is plagued by all these disasters – the pandemic, high unemployment, lawlessness and crime,” he said.
He is dissatisfied with the current state of political affairs under President Rodrigo Duterte and says the Philippines cannot afford more corruption.
Robredo, he says, is “the only hope and the only true leader who can help and uplift like the Philippine people.”
Duterte, known for his deadly drug repression, brazen rhetoric and unorthodox political style, cannot run for another term under the country’s constitution.
Specific plans are being sought
According to the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto, there are just over 139,000 people in Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan registered to vote.
Ballot papers for the May 9 presidential and vice presidential elections were sent to Filipinos living abroad in the second week of April, according to the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa. They must be received by the Consulate General in Toronto by May 9 to be considered eligible to vote.
Orlando and Flor Marcelino immigrated to Canada in 1982. They closely follow policy in Canada and the Philippines, which they believe is part of social responsibility. (Joan Roberts / CBC)
Orlando Marcelino, the former Consulate General of the Philippines in Winnipeg, is not eligible to vote in the election. He came to Winnipeg in 1982 and is now a Canadian citizen.
But he knows firsthand how conditions in the Philippines affect immigrants and foreign Filipino workers here in Manitoba.
Family members in Canada often send money to their relatives in the Philippines. Marcelino said that because much of the Philippines’ population lives in misery, they need help.
But it comes at a price – families have less income to support themselves in Canada.
“What’s happening to you now? You don’t have any savings for your retirement. That’s the connection,” Marcelino said.
Marcelino said the election brings hope to the Philippine community. Although people have differences in who they support, the community seems to want the same thing – an honest leader who will work to improve conditions in the country for the poor, he said.
His wife, Flor – who was a member of the NDP in the Manitoba Legislature from 2007 to 2019 – says these specific elections are different. The country has gone through several natural disasters in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic and needs more than its leadership to lead the country to better times, she said.
“People really hope that there is someone who can give hope, confidence, and concrete plans to alleviate the situation.
“People are already awake,” said an international student
International student Leonilo Santiago III says he hopes the new president will correct corruption in Filpino’s policies.
“The common denominator I feel [we’re] I’m looking for [in a new leader] is the power. Because we are in difficult times, “said Santiago, who is studying at Red River College in Winnipeg.
He had hoped to vote, but did not register in time, as his plans to study in Winnipeg had not been finalized by the time registration for overseas registration ended in September.
Although he cannot vote, he is closely monitoring the election and talking about it with friends and family in the Philippines.
“I think the Filipinos are great [living in Canada] still exercising their right to vote. It is our civic duty, “he said.
Leonilo Santiago III says that people in the Philippine community have gained more empathy for others when faced with the pandemic. This added to the sense of civic duty for Filipinos abroad to register to vote in the upcoming presidential election, he said. (Submitted by Leonilo Santiago III)
Santiago is seeing a change in Filipino attitudes towards politics. These elections feel different – more people are paying attention, he said.
“I feel that in this case, people are talking about the election not only because they have friends and family there, but also because they care about Filipinos in general.
Santiago believes that the struggles everyone faces during a pandemic have made people more empathetic and aware of the well-being of others.
“We are hearing [about people suffering] The whole time. People are already awake. “
WATCH Manitoba people gather for candidates in the presidential elections in the Philippines:
Manitoba Philippine community gathers to support candidates in upcoming elections
Although the Philippines is more than 12,000 kilometers away, many members of the Manitoba Philippine community are still very involved in the upcoming presidential election in the Philippines. 2:04
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