VANCOUVER-Weeks after the deadly earthquake that struck Haiti, the Filipino Canadian Construction Society is offering its services in the reconstruction of the devastated country. FCCS president Renato delos Santos has sought the help of local papers to send this message across, following reports that mayors of Canada’s 22 largest cities have promised to help rebuild Haiti.
In a letter forwarded to different local papers, the FCCS stated this would be a good time to utilize the Filipino contractors’ skills in the engineering and construction industry. Delos Santos laments, governing bodies here in Canada are not recognizing the Filipino contractors’ skills and he is hoping that being able to work in the rebuilding of Haiti will help their plight.
“Purpose is to have better recognition. Yung mga members namin are mostly having a difficult time finding jobs related to their profession since governing bodies like the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC (APEG BC) seem not to recognize us despite the fact that immigration says they need professionals in Canada. Sad to say pagdating dito ordinary worker ka lang,” said delos Santos.
The FCCP added it would be good to utilize Filipino contractors in the reconstruction project instead of using the different cities’ staff.
The Big City Mayors Caucus of Canada supported a proposal to commit municipal resources for reconstruction efforts in Haiti at a Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) meeting in Ottawa last January 21.
The FCM is prepared to send a special municipal assessment team to evaluate needs in the rebuilding of Haiti, and will submit proposals for the reconstruction efforts afterwards. The FCM will create a pool of experts who will work with the federal government, Haitian officials and non-government organizations to help rebuild roads and bridges, water and sewer services and other infrastructure.
The FCM has also opened a special section of its recruitment Web site to municipalities willing to offer technical assistance in the reconstruction of Haiti.
On, June 30, 2010, Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III was sworn in as the 15th president of the Republic of the Philippines. Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales and Jesuit Fr. Catalino Arevalo, a close friend of the Aquinos, who held the bible, swore in the only son of former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino and former president Corazon Cojuangco Aquino. To most Filipinos, this day was very memorable because it symbolizes the beginning of a new hope for the country, the hope of a clean and honest government.
