Migrant care workers find their voice through storytelling
By Ysh Cabana
Toronto
Gladys is determined to be a survivor.
Throughout her work as a caregiver she has put a great deal of putting the health of others before hers.
Amid a global pandemic where everyone is affected, she shares virtually from her COVID-19 isolation room : “Even the way we show our affection, and how we socialize.”
Now, what she only wants is to feel and breathe fresh air.
In the project “Here and There”, Gladys and her fellow migrant caregivers find their voice to share their recollections between Canada and the Philippines.
“Traveling is the first word that pops up in my mind,” said Joy, originally from the island province of Romblon. “I wanna see more beauty and experience this Earth can offer. If given a chance to go back my past, generally I would like to be more courageous and able to face my fears and discover my full potential…Just maybe”
The audio/visual/storytelling project brings together the personal accounts of Anna Lissa, Julie Ann, Cecil, Gladys, Janice, Joy, Yolanda, and Marlyn, members of Care Worker Connections, Education and Support Organization (CCESO).
“For some,” notes Bong Castro of CCESO in the introduction, “‘here’ is their employer’s home, or their own apartments or a COVID isolation centre.”
And ‘there’ could refer to where their stories of “struggles, joy, insights and dreams” began, adds Castro.
These stories were developed with the support of theatre artist Karen Ancheta and digital storytelling facilitator Christine Balmes. The pre-recordings were then complemented with layers of visual art and sonic elements by artists Althea Balmes and Jo SiMalaya Alcampo of Kwentong Bayan Collective.
“Here and There” streamed on Sunday April 25 as part of Myseum’s annual Intersections arts and culture festival. Tagged a “museum without walls”, Myseum of Toronto continues to collaborate with underrepresented groups and to explore the city through diverse perspectives. Because of the pandemic, the Intersections Festival is presented virtually to make it accessible across Canada and worldwide.
Nadine Villasin-Feldman, Myseum’s director of programming, said this year’s approach is “balancing socially distanced site-specific exhibits with virtual events and experiences.”
Filipinos make up 90 percent of migrant caregivers providing in-home care under Canada’s Caregiver Program. According to one study, one in 20 health care workers are from the Philippines and comprise a third of internationally-educated nurses. Playing a crucial role as frontline workers, Filipinos healthcare workers are bearing the brunt of COVID-19.
The multimedia pieces can still be viewed on YouTube. One video tackles the experience of grief and finding faith in the time of pandemic. Another story called “The World of Dating Apps” presents a lighter view of facing the realities of building intimacy from a distance.
The ongoing public health crisis due to the pandemic has amplified workers’ feelings of separation, notes organizers of the project.