Migrante Christmas

Migrante Christmas

(3 Photos: HG)

Migrante Canada held this year’s traditional Christmas Party Dec. 15, with over a hundred members and guests packing a North York party room.

It featured lots of food, gifts, games and a lot of celebratory greetings.

In attendance was the Concepcion family – Gemma and Rico — and their two daughters – for whom Migrante has launched a campaign to seek the couple’s stay in Canada for humanitarian and compassionate grounds, as their impending deportation will separate them from their Canadian-born daughters.

Also attending was the recently arrived family of caregiver Luvy Alucbatan – four children and husband Renato — who will finally be spending their first Christmas together, after a successful campaign for permanent residency which she launched with Migrante Canada. After completing her required hours for the program, Luvy’s application for her and her family was at first denied because of the medical condition of one of her sons Harvey. Luvy, with Migrante and other groups, campaigned for her right to be reunited with her family, protesting a provision of the Immigration Act that says foreign nationals are inadmissible if their medical condition will cause excessive demand on health and social services. Luvy and her family won at the end, benefiting other OFW’s as well facing the same restriction.

The party was also a joint birthday celebration of five Migrante members. It was also attended by Migrante coming from Quebec, Alberta, and British Columbia.

Top photo: Luvy Alucbatan (3rd from left) and family with Migrante’s Jesson Reyes and Sol Pajadura.

Gemma Concepcion and two daughters Eli and Mae, (not in photo, husband Rico)

Migrante’s
December birthday co-celebrants:
Maria Sol Prieto-Pajadura, Tita Loreta, Mac Seguerra, Jecris TagaTudela, Bayani Edades (inset) and Father Dante Coloma (not in picture).
(Photo from Ysh Cabana)