I had opportunities to escape the hellhole that is the Philippines prior to the COVID-19 syndemic. I chose to not migrate to Canada despite my immigrant status due to personal conviction. Certain people suspected that I failed the occupational therapy (OT) licensure exams there, hence my refusal to leave. That’s not true at all. Manitoba requires foreign OT graduates to submit their diplomas to be eligible for certification. UP Manila had not yet released my diploma when I left after passing the Philippine OT boards, so there was no way I could sit for Canada’s exams. They also required other documents from my OT school as well as from the Professional Regulation Commission. I did not have those with me. I returned to the Philippines to get them and to celebrate my grandparents’ wedding anniversary. After that, I did not go back to Canada for reasons that I will not state here.
Years later, I got two job offers to work as an occupational therapist in Australia. I declined again for the same personal reasons that are deeply rooted in my values.
Now here I am together with my fellow healthcare workers (HCWs), getting punished for our service to the community by endless lockdowns, exposure to COVID-19, burnout, ostracism for being suspected virus carriers, water shortages, and power interruptions. I won’t be reckless by saying that the solution is for professionals to leave the Philippines ASAP. Some will succeed abroad, while some are better off staying here. Should you decide to migrate given how unbearable the local situation is, being proficient in your receiving country’s native dialect is crucial to thriving as an immigrant. Those of you who dream of working in Canada must get high scores on the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLBs). When I was in Manitoba, you had to get an 8 to take the OT licensure exams, be hired for white collar jobs, and avail of higher education. I heard of immigrants who got 1’s or 2’s even if they practiced lucrative professions before migrating. Those were the immigrants that ended up with work that’s far below their skill set. Now there’s nothing wrong with a career change. Plus non-professional jobs are just as noble as any legitimate field. It’s just that our personal and collective well-being will be far better off when we’re excelling in professions that suit us the most.
Thankfully, there are now lots of free online resources for learning English. The best way to gain proficiency is to constantly speak in English and read good books that are written in that language. You don’t have to read the classics to be fluent. I remember that I became better at communicating in English after reading Nancy Drew and Sweet Valley books (Kids to Twins, plus Unicorn Club series). Besides, starting with light reading will whet your hunger for more substantial literature. William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White’s The Elements of Style is a must-have too because the authors gave clear examples of how to construct sentences using each grammar rule.
So brush up on your English! Who knows? You might become as articulate as Tommy Lascelles!
Some people will be of great service to others by going abroad. Some are called to stay so they can champion their local communities. As for me, I don’t regret declining opportunities to live in Western countries. Leaving Canada spared me from a lot of dangers, such as the increasing repression of the freedom of speech. Plus I’m grateful for all the privileges that I enjoy in my home country. It’s just that, I feel now as if everything here in the Philippines is becoming more rigged, as if we ordinary folks will never succeed as much as we would like regardless of all our striving. It will be nice to live in a more meritocratic society, where you’re surrounded by people who bring the best out of you instead of those who want to keep you down so they can control you.
(Photo by Lewis Parsons)
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