Dream Canada

WHEN I listened last week to Canadian Ambassador Neil Reeder speak before members and guests of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce at Seda Hotel by the Abreeza Mall, I immediately remembered my 2-year-old granddaughter Aina who has just started to learn how to talk. If you ask her where she wants to go to school, her quick and automatic reply: “Canada!” You may ask why? Well, her parents, Tonton and Sugar, are presently waiting for word about their application for immigrant status. And “Canada” has become a household name. No wonder Aina picked it up before she can even talk straight.

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NO PRIVATE SCHOOLS—One interesting fact from the Ambassador was the information that in Canada, there are NO private exclusive and expensive universities and colleges. All such schools are owned, operated and supported by the Canadian government. Level playing field for the youth.

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PINOYS—Canada is a favorite destination of Filipino migrants, due to its relatively liberal immigration rules. There are about one million Pinoys among 30 million Canadians. As a matter of fact, it’s a country where the Pinoys are considered the BIGGEST group of foreign workers. But at the same time, Filipinos hold the distinction of having the lowest number of unemployed compared to other citizens of the world.

It’s a dream destination for many. No wonder my Aina wants to grow up there! And sadly, I cannot as yet talk her out of that dream.

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POPE FRANCIS—The Pontiff will be “mobbed” again by mammoth crowds in his ongoing South America visit. In Ecuador, he is expected to talk on a very sensitive issue about gender like homosexuality, perhaps about the controversial same-sex marriage (which is now okay in some states in the US.)

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BANKRUPT—Can a country go bankrupt? Yes, indeed! Greece is now on the verge of financial chaos. All its banks are now closed.

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PRAYERS—My wife Beth will undergo her kidney transplant on Monday, July 13 in Metro Manila. Your prayers will be a big help.