Our Home and Native Land: Greener Pastures in the Great White North

Czarina Gaccion at the CN Tower

In this series, three Filipino families share their stories with the Philippine Canadian Inquirer about moving from the Pearl of the Orient Seas and living in the Great White North.

We Filipinos are most famous for being hospitable and for our insanely close family ties.

This is why many Filipinos grab the opportunity to provide a better future for their spouse and kids, and sometimes even their extended family, the moment it knocks on the door. And when it comes to providing a better future, Canada is one of the top choices for Filipino families.

In this series, three Filipino families share their stories with the Philippine Canadian Inquirer about moving from the Pearl of the Orient Seas and living in the Great White North.

Meet the Gaccion family.

For Czarina Gaccion who has been living in Toronto for 8 years now, moving to Canada gave them access to more opportunities at a far better life than they had in the Philippines.

“We moved to Canada because my dad wants us to have a better life and also a great chance of getting a job. That’s the best thing about living in Canada — there are lots of opportunities. It’s easy to get a job,” Czarina said.

For Czarina and her family, their quality of life does not solely depend on their ability to earn, but also relies on the government’s capability to take care of its constituents.

“We get free health benefits, like visiting doctors for check-ups and free hospitalization. The government is also offering benefits like the OTB, Ontario Trillium Benefit, that’s part of the Ontario government’s commitment to provide relief to people with low to moderate incomes. It also supports the Poverty Reduction Strategy.”

In the midst of great opportunities and benefits, Czarina still longs for the Philippines, which she still considers her homeland. She wishes to come back home when she retires. According to her, hopefully by the time she returns, the Philippines have taken care of things like “the organization and management of the healthcare system and public transportation.”