Half-a-Day with Cordillera Migrant Workers in Toronto

Half-a-Day with Cordillera Migrant Workers in Toronto

By Vernie Yocogan-Diano
Executive Director, Cordillera Women’s Education Action Research Center (CWEARC)

The spirit of struggle lives among Cordillera migrant workers in Toronto, Canada. Binnadang, the name of their organization was launched on 29 October 2011 in this city that carried the theme “Strengthen the unity of the indigenous migrants of the Cordillera, Philippines. Build solidarity for the Cordillera peoples’ struggle for self-determination”. The attendance and membership indicated the face of a woman—the officers were all women like Cristy Bagni and Jennifer Owatan. The room was filled up by almost all women, mostly working as care-givers in Toronto. Other Filipino organizations—chapters of BIBAK (Bontoc, Bontoc, Benguet, Ifugao, Abra,Kalinga), Bayan, Migrante and Anakbayan came to witness the launching and share their solidarity with what I regard as a historic event being the first progressive organization of Cordillerans in Toronto. It was an honor to be their inspirational speaker. I happen to be in Canada participating in the Living Courage Tour of women human rights defenders that was organized by Kairos Canada, a church-based organization working on justice and peace issues in partnership with Global South organizations like Innabuyog.Innabuyog is an alliance of indigenous women’s organizations in the Cordillera region, Philippines that I’m part of.

What I found relevant to share to the launching was the value of “ there is no place like home”. I did have the grasp that most of them would not voluntarily leave our ancestral homeland. They were forced to in order to ensure daily sustenance and abodes of their families, education of their children and health of their entire family. For the rest of their lives, they will beat homesickness and earn the courage to be away from home and spend those productive years developing a foreign place like Canada. But I believed that they would not do it forever. I was right. They would always think of coming home for short visits or reunions with their families or spend their retirement days in their hometowns/villages. I told them that “even cremated bodies need a soil or a place to rest”. I was pretty sure too that these courageous women migrant workers from the Cordillera will not like to go home to a ravaged homeland. They were shaken by the extent of mining project applications covering 66% of the Cordillera land area. They got equally concerned of the perils military operations bring to villagers as I shared them the partnership of mining projects and militarization. These are issues they cannot be adamant about if they would like a welcoming home to return to. These Cordillera migrant workers are in agreement that even rich countries like Canada are in crisis and migrant workers are the first to feel the pain. Canadians themselves are taking part in the “occupy” movements, a spontaneous mass demonstration against the global economic crisis which is observed in major cities of the world and this time initiated in the Global North. In all places where the Living Courage Tour went, there was an “Occupy” movement going on, usually set up closest to the seat of power—in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto.

Binnadang’s launching is also a significant share in the “Occupy” movement. It is a testimony that Cordillera migrant workers unite with the 99% who are being exploited by the country’s and world’s 1% rich. Binnadang is a testimony that Cordillera migrant workers in Toronto desire for better working conditions, job security, just wages and benefits believing that they contribute much to the economic and social development of Canada. Binnadang will be a connection with indigenous peoples in Canada who get the least government attention in terms of social services and welfare even if their ancestral lands are often targetted for resource extraction.

Further challenges to Binnadang is getting itself grounded to traditional Cordillera organizations like BIBAK. There are always organizations of Cordillera migrants in places where they are. The mission of these organizations only need to be connected to realities in their own communities and the reason for them being away from home. It is not meant to divide membership, it is meant to add more reason, relevance and direction to what each organization is doing. What was equally important to share in the launching was any work done by Binnadang must contribute to the struggles at home, “there is no place like home”. Together, we fight the destruction that mining projects and militarization are committing/will commit in our communities as a concrete expression of asserting self-determination, as we also support you in your struggles here as migrant workers. Together we fight the root cause that lead to your separation from your families and homeland and work closely with progressive Filipino organizations here as you build linkages with Canadian organizations working for the same cause. The constitution and by-laws was adapted, the officers were installed and the room was occupied by much dancing of the gongs in celebration of the birth of another organization that would add strength to the Cordillera peoples’ desire for self-determination and national democracy and truly empowering for indigenous migrant women.