By Michelle Chermaine Ramos Like most immigrants, International Building Maintenance Academy (IBMA) President and CEO Ricky Manrique struggled finding employment. Manrique had practiced as a licensed civil engineer specializing in construction in the Philippines for twenty years before he arrived in Canada in 2003. After mailing about 150 applications to different companies for any job ⇒

Valentine’s Day is an opportunity for people in Canada to tell somebody that they love them in a romantic way. It falls on February 14, the name day of two saints, St Valentine of Rome and St Valentine of Terni. In pre-Christian times, the middle of February was a time of pagan fertility festivals in ⇒

BAYAN Canada holds first Congress By Althea Manasan The Philippine Reporter As heavy snow blanketed downtown Toronto over the weekend, one event hall was warmed by fiery political rhetoric and impassioned pleas for solidarity among the Filipino people. It was the official re-launch of Bayan Canada, an overseas chapter of the progressive Bagong Alyansang Makabayan ⇒

By Irish Mae Silvestre The Philippine Reporter “I bought an entire $100 discounted cake decorating set and realized I had to learn how to use it” – Fely Grace Palmares, owner of Felicity Cakes and More Eggs, flour, butter and sugar. It’s hard to imagine how the simple act of baking can be a source ⇒

By Ysh Cabana The Philippine Reporter A proposed law making its way through the Philippine Lower House would lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility (known as MACR) from 15 years old to as young as nine.

The bill seeks to amend the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006 that currently retains the MACR at ⇒

Against sexual assault By Ysh Cabana The Philippine Reporter A Toronto Pinay media personality is trying to ignite a campaign that encourages women to raise a collective voice against sexual assault. Rachelle Cruz has teamed up with other women’s groups in an apparent effort to break silence and has launched #FilipinasSpeakout to start the conversation ⇒

Nastasha Alli won the prestigious 2018 Food Sustainability Media Award in the unpublished written journalism category. She received an all-expenses-paid trip to attend the award ceremonies in Milan, Italy, Nov. 2018 and to participate in a Thomson Reuters Foundation media training course on food sustainability in March 2019. Out of over 400 contenders all over ⇒

By Ysh Cabana The Philippine Reporter Toronto ranked as the 10th most unaffordable city out of 293 cities in the world in the latest Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey. This is up way from 21st place the year before. The report measures middle-income housing affordability in 92 major metropolitan housing markets, which includes Australia, Canada, ⇒

By Fe P. Taduran The JVF Productions, a new Toronto-based entertainment show producer presented a well attended stand-up comedy show at the Toronto Pavilion last January 12th, 2019, Saturday. The show which featured the exciting comedian/singer tandem of AJ Tamiza and Le Chazz, did not disappoint. Feedback from those who watched the show were all positive. ⇒

Multi-talented artist and book author Jojo Sabalvaro-Tan embarks on a project, painting in watercolor 86 classmates of the University of the Philippines Preparatory School Class 65 for its grand reunions starting Feb. this year (for the 65th Anniversary of UP Prep) and next year (for the 55th Anniversary of UP Prep ’65). The Philippine Reporter ⇒