What comes to your mind when you see a Filipino-Canadian?

Nurse? Personal Support Worker? Nanny?

Yes, it is our pride and joy to serve as healthcare workers,
but we’re more than that. So much more.

As we end the month-long celebration of Filipino Heritage Month, AV Communications and One Down Media are breaking the tabo (er taboo) today.

Join us as we present the accomplishments of Filipino-Canadians from the true north. And why 1 million Filipinos in Canada need to be visible and represented in mainstream society. Not yesterday, but #Filipinow!

June is Filipino Heritage Month. It seemed like the right time for Filipino-Canadians Joycelyn David and Argentina Beltran to join forces and rally some 12 million Filipinos living overseas to celebrate their invaluable contributions to the countries they now call their second home.

#FILIPINOW is a first-of-a-kind initiative spearheaded by Joycelyn and Argentina. The campaign is calling on the Filipino diaspora to tell their stories out loud throughout June.

“We want to instill a sense of belonging and solidarity among Filipinos,” says Joycelyn, CEO and owner of leading Toronto-based multicultural agency AV Communications. “We want to elevate the Filipino community and importantly tell their stories through their own words.”

Backed by prominent Filipino influencers and media community advocates across North America, #FILIPINOW stemmed from Joycelyn and Argentina’s shared desire to connect with Filipinos of all backgrounds and generations worldwide.

The campaign hashtag #FILIPINOW combines a sense of urgency that “now” is the right time to talk about the impact of the community beyond the healthcare industry. Through this campaign, the duo aims to dispel stereotypical notions of who Filipinos are. Filipinos are not just proud healthcare frontliners, they are social drivers, innovators, and yes, even heroes.

Through #FILIPINOW, Filipino-Canadian entrepreneur Argentina is on a mission to showcase the Filipino’s brand of leadership across various industries and professions. “My name might be Argentina but I am a proud Filipina. To my Filipino brothers and sisters, I encourage you to keep showing your resilience, your knack for innovation, and keep building our legacy across the world,” she says.

Starting June 1, Filipino Canadians who want to participate in the campaign can simply:

•  Post how proud you are of being a Filipino/a/x.
•  Tag a Filipino/a/x who inspires them.
•  Share a photo of that favourite Filipino/a/x.
•  Use hashtag #FILIPINOW

Now is the right time to show the world how proud you are of being Filipino. As Argentina said, “Filipinos are here. We matter and we are visible.” If you want to know more about the #FILIPINOW campaign, watch the video below or reach out to your kababayan Joycelyn David.

India remains the leading international student source country by a wide margin. In 2019, nearly 140,000 study permits were issued to Indian nationals, representing 35 per cent of all study permits issued.

Chinese nationals received 85,000 study permits or 21 per cent of all those issued.

South Korea was a distant third at 17,000 study permit or 4 per cent of the total.

Rounding out the top ten were France, Vietnam, Brazil, Iran, Nigeria, the United States, and Japan.

Canada now has the fourth-largest international student population in the world behind the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.