Alberta
Province has not elected a Pinoy since Carl Benito in 2008
Teodoro Alcuitas
A lawyer and public school teacher are running in the Alberta Provincial Election on May 29, 2023. Alberta is home to the second-highest Filipino Canadian population in country according to the 2021 census with more than 216,000 or 5.2 per cent of the province’s population.
Lawyer Joseph Angeles is running for the governing UCP in Edmonton-South while teacher Rosman Valencia is running for the NDP at Calgary-East.
A graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law, he immigrated to Canada in 2010 and runs a law practice – Angeles Law with wife Katrina Pia Angeles in Edmonton. He has worked as a small business owner and lawyer as well as volunteer for the Philippine Business Society of Alberta. They have two daughters -Ally and Milly. Angeles will challenge New Democrat Rhiannon Hoyle in the constituency that was narrowly won in 2019 by NDP candidate Thomas Dang with just a 792-vote margin. Dang now sits as an independent and is not seeking reelection.
Rosman Valencia believes Albertans deserve a strong, public education system. Starting his teaching career in Forest Lawn where he currently lives, Rosman now teaches a split class of grades 3 and 4.
The Philippine Normal School and University of Calgary graduate moved to Canada in 2015 where he became involved with his neighbourhood associations and brought his community together through the organization of the local Pride events.
Before moving to Canada, Rosman was elected as a Barangay Youth Alderman in Caloocan City, ran youth leadership training programs, and is now the Vice President of the End of the Rainbow Foundation in Calgary.
Filipino curriculum promised by NDP
The NDP will push forward with plans to develop a Filipino curriculum for schools that are interested if the party gets elected in May. Plans for a Filipino curriculum were announced by the previous NDP government in 2019, which was cancelled when the UCP took office.
“As one of the fastest growing cultural communities in Alberta, we have heard the need for this curriculum from the community so we will deliver,” said NDP leader Rachel Notley. ”We will work with the Filipino community to develop and implement this curriculum in our first term so families across Alberta have access for the very best education for their kids no matter what corner of the province they call home.”
The ruling United Conservatives Party ( UCP) promised tax cuts for all Albertan and is committed to growing and diversifying Alberta’s economy, creating jobs and moving the province forward, according to Party announcements while the NDP promises focus on health care, education, and jobs. The two parties are running neck to neck according to polls.
To be eligible to vote, you must be:
a Canadian citizen, at least 18 years of age on Election Day, andordinarily resident in Alberta.