Philippine Election 2019

May 13, 2019. Nathan and I accompanied Lola to the nearby elementary school to vote. Ako lang sana ang sasama pero nagising ng maaga ang bagets kaya nagdrama na ayaw daw niyang maiwan sa bahay.

We started walking (toward school) past 7am. Ang init na grabe. Mamoosh said na kung medyo tinanghali pa akong nakaligo eh hindi na siya boboto kasi sobrang init na nga. Pero syempre kahit na hindi ko talaga forte ang gumising ng maaga eh nag-insist ako na samahan siya, para nga maengganyo siya lalong bumoto at makapag-observe observe na rin ako. Matagal-tagal na rin kasi akong hindi nakakaboto. Last year nagkaroon ng barangay election (I was also here in Pinas) at pwedeng-pwede pa sana akong bumoto kaso hindi na lang. Wala rin naman kasi akong/kaming kilala ni isa sa mga kandidato so useless lang kasi talagang manghuhula lang ako/kami.

Hindi pa gaanong maraming tao nang dumating kami at around 7:30am. Kaso hindi pa ready yung table kung saan mo puwedeng itanong kung saan ang presinto mo so I did a room-to-room check. May mga nakapost naman na list sa may pinto ng classrooms.

And as expected, nasa listahan pa ako. Gosh, I was so tempted to vote! I felt that my country needs my vote now more than ever. Pero siyempre hindi ko ginawa kasi nga Canadian citizen na ako. I just hoped na wala sanang ibang gumamit ng balotang para sa akin.

Walang masyadong tao sa labas, yun pala nasa loob na ng classrooms at naga-antay na makaboto. As in punung-puno na ang mga presinto. I felt bad for those people kasi nga sobrang init na at siguradong tatanghaliin na sila doon. We were lucky because Mamoosh is a senior citizen. May priority line for the oldies kaya medyo napabilis. Medyo nag-antay pa rin siya ng 25 minutes bago nakaboto.

It was Nathan's first time to step in a Philippine school, aliw na aliw siya. Ibang-iba nga kasi ang schools dito kumpara sa Canada.

Mamoosh was done voting at around 8:10am. I was happy na nandito kami ngayon sa Pinas kasi nga nasamahan namin siya. I will feel bad kung mag-isa lang siyang boboto o hindi siya boboto.

Post-Election Thoughts

Three hours pa lang after matapos ang botohan eh alam ko na na wala sa mga binoto ni Mamoosh ang papasok sa Magic 12. I actually gave her a list of who to vote kasi hiningan niya ako. I was so disheartened. Middle-class sentiment, I know. I felt bad for our country, feared for the future of our younger generations. I've never been this so disappointed in politics sa totoo lang.

Admittedly, ang unang pumasok sa utak ko nang una kong makita ang partial result for senators ay: "Syet, buti na lang Canadian na kami!" There was a part of me na relieved kasi kung tutuusin, hindi na kami makakasama sa sinking ship that is the Philippines. Pero syempre hindi naman ako talaga selfish. Kung maayos man ang kinalalagyan ko ngayong bansa, gusto ko rin na maayos ang bansang pinagmulan ko at kinalalagyan ng pamilya at mga kaibigan ko. Kaya nga sobra-sobrang ang pagkadismaya ko sa resulta ng eleksyong ito eh.

Eighty percent of Filipinos belong to the lower class. Nakakalungkot kasi hanggang may mga Pilipinong kapos sa pinag-aralan, may boboto at boboto sa kandidatong gwapo lang (kahit na magnanakaw). Hanggang may Pilipinong kumakalam ang sikmura, may boboto sa kandidatong namimili ng boto sa halagang limang daan. Iyan nga siguro ang "resbak" ng mahihirap sa minorya ng Pilipinong medyo nakaangat sa buhay at antas ng edukasyon.

Sa totoo lang, hindi ko na alam ang gagawin sa Pinas. Nawawalan na ako ng pag-asa. SINKING SHIP -- yan na talaga ang tingin ko. Sana lang talaga mali ako.

Balikbayan Program: One Year Free Stay in Pinas

For those former Filipino citizens like me who would like to return/travel/stay in the Philippines, the government has this Balikbayan Program that allows us a one year "free" stay. Upon arrival, the Immigration officer will stamp (or write) a one year permitted duration of stay in the Philippines.

My son Nathan, who's a Canadian citizen at birth, was also given a free one year stay because he's traveling with a "Balikbayan" parent (this also applies to the spouse). If he's traveling to  the Philippines alone, he will only be given 30 days.
=(
The one year free stay can be extended daw for another 1, 2 or 6 months but the Balikbayan and/or immediate family of a Balikbayan would have to go to the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to apply for such extension.

According to BI's website, a balikbayan may be required to provide proof/s that he/she was born in the Philippines (like birth certificate, old Philippines passport). But in our case, hindi na hinanap kasi nakalagay na Canadian passport ang "place of birth." Hindi ko lang alam sa ibang foreign passports.

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Side Thought -- Ang lungkot din pala na may "limit" lang ang (free) stay mo sa bayang sinilangan mo. Basta, iba sa pakiramdam. #SentiCessie

A Canadian passport at last!

Finally, my Canadian passport is here! Yes, I am so thrilled! Why, blue passport = MOBILITY!

I applied for this passport in Service Canada - Passport Service in Central City in Surrey last January 25, 2019. The process was fast. There were many applicants pero marami rin namang open na servicing windows kaya mabilis lang din. After checking my documents and making me pay $160 (ten years validity), they told me that the process will take 10 business days and they will deliver it na lang daw (akala ko nga pwedeng ipick-up na lang para mabilis pero walang ganung option).

And so after the not-so-long-but-agonizing wait, we finally saw a notice in our mailbox stating that I have a package in Canada Post in London Drugs near us. Around 8:30pm na nun ng Valentine's Day. The store will close at 9pm so talagang nagmadali kami para abutan. Ayaw ko ng ipagpabukas pa haha!

Honestly, ang saya-sayang magkaroon ng "powerful" passport! Sobrang nakakakilig yung idea na hindi na ako kukuha ng visa sa kahit anong bansang gusto kong puntahan. Grabe, parang di pa rin nga ako makapaniwala na plane ticket na lang ang kailangan ko at voila, makakabiyahe na ako anywhere. Sobrang nagpapasalamat talaga ako, lalo na sa asawa ko who made this possible for me.

Yun nga lang, me blue passport na pero wala pang budget pang-travel haha! Kakabili lang namin ng bahay tapos bumili pa ng share si hubby sa company nila kaya nasimot din talaga kami sa cash hehe. Pero keri na yun, marami pa namang araw. Ang importante ay ready-to-go na ako anytime lol. At syempre, makakauwi na ako sa Pinas yebaaah!

My Application to Canadian Citizenship Timeline

Tinanong ako kanina ng friend ko sa Edmonton kung gaano katagal inabot ang Canadian citizenship application ko I decided to blog about my timeline.

Actually, asawa ko ang talagang atat na mag-apply ako (siguro kasi mae-expire na rin ang Permanent Resident Card ko ng January 2019). In fact, siya lahat ang gumawa ng paperworks. Kaya wala akong alam kung may tanong kayo about sa filling up ng application form kasi talagang pinaubaya ko na kay hubby. Ewan ko ba, tamad na tamad talaga ako. All I did was sign.

At syempre, ipasa ang language requirement.

College graduate naman ako Pinas at kung tutuusin, pwede namang isubmit ang diploma at transcript of record (TOR) as language proof pero naisip namin na hassle pa at magtatagal. First, kailangang kumuha pa ng TOR at certification sa Pinas at is-ship so talagang it will take time. Pwede rin iyong i-reject ng Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) kung hindi sila satisfied.

Second, medyo worried nga kasi ako sa documents ko. You see, graduate ako ng University of the Philippines Diliman. Modesty aside, alam naman natin na number 1 university yan sa Pinas. Ang problema lang, yung mismong diploma namin ay nakasulat sa Filipino. O di ba, kailangan pa ng translation? Parang alanganin na. Kaya naisip namin things will be easier if I will take CELPIP-General LS Test na lang. CELPIP stands for The Canadian Language Proficiency Index Program.  For the purpose of applying for citizenship, you just need to take and pass the Listening and Speaking Tests.

Here's how much we paid for the test and the online reviewer. Medyo pricey noh?

I had 8 days to review at sobrang na-stress ako haha. There was a part of me that's rebelling, sabi ko I've been speaking English since I was a child at nakapagsulat na ako ng sangkatutak na term papers in English tapos ngayon kailangaan kong patunayan sa kanila sa nakakaintindi at nakakasalita ako ng Ingles. Based sa mga nabasa ko, sobrang nakaka-pressure daw talaga ang Speaking part kasi nga you'll be talking to the computer. Parang napaka-unnatural. Oh well, wala naman nga akong choice but to comply.

I took the test on December 9, 2017 and I was confident naman na papasa ako. Sixteen yata kaming takers noon and I was the first one to finish. Ang awkward lang kasi tabi-tabi kaming nag-test kaya nagkakarinigan talaga.

I was able to view the results online after just a few days. And as expected, I did well on the listening part and not-so-well on the speaking haha! Kaya panay kantyaw ang asawa ko, parang di raw ako UP graduate. Kahit ako natawa sa sarili ko, pero kasi naman nga napaka-unnatural nung set-up (ang hirap ipaliwanag). Basta wala na akong paki, ang importante eh pumasa ako at masa-submit na namin yung application.

A few more days and I received na rin this letter that contains the CELPIP Official Score Report. Ito ang iaattach sa canadian citizenship application form.

And so we thought ok na. Ime-mail na sana namin ang application when my husband realized na may namiss-out siya. Kailangan ko pala ng NBI clearance from the Philppines kasi nga twice na umuwi ako doon for several months. Sakto naman na pauwi uli ako ng Pinas on January 9, 2018 kaya makakakuha ako at maime-mail back ko kay Ford. Basta I signed na my application na dated kung kailan nasa Canada pa ako.

Buti na lang may NBI Office sa amin sa Marilao so I was able to apply agad for a clearance on January 11, 2018. After a week (January 18), lumabas na at naipadala ko na kay Ford via registered mail.

My husband got hysterical when he learned na via registered mail ko lang pinadala at hindi EMS. Eh kasi naman sobrang mahal nun, Php1,500 (3-10 days daw) as compared to postal na Php125 lang (15 days). Nanghinayang talaga ako. I truly prayed na dumating sana kako or else yari talaga ako sa asawa ko.

Whew, dumating naman nga! At wala pang 15 days ha. Ford received it on January 30 (Canadian time), went online to pay the $630-application fee, and mailed it the following day.

So eto na nga ang timeline:

January 31, 2018 -- mailed the application

March 6, 2018 -- got an acknowledgment receipt of application

July 5, 2018 -- received a notice of invitation to Canadian Citizenship test

July 18, 2018 -- took the Canadian Citizenship test

December 27, 2018 -- received an invitation for Canadian Citizenship ceremony

January 16, 2019 -- attended the Canadian Citizenship oath-taking

All in all, it took almost a year for the whole citizenship application process to commence and finish. I honestly thought it'll be less than a year because I was told in July, when I passed the citizenship test (which I perfected, by the way), that I just had to wait for 2 to 3 months to receive the invitation for oath-taking. But in my case, December ko na na-receive (more than 4 months).

I wondered why and I read somewhere na minsan daw maaga lang nila pinapa-take ng exam ang applicants kasi may open na slots for the test. Tapos syempre medyo magtatagal ang invitation kasi marami pang pending syempre. It actually makes sense kasi nga ang aga nila akong pinag-exam eh.

Hay, I can't believe until now that this is over and that I am finally a Canadian citizen. I am just happily waiting for my passport now. Sana dumating na bukas. =)

I am now a Canadian.

For my first kwento, I have to tell you guys that as of January 16, 2019, I am already a Canadian citizen. Time flies talaga, parang kelan lang nang mag-migrate ako dito (November 5, 2013). Nakaka-five years na pala ako.

I took my oath of allegiance to Canada in Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) Surrey. The invitation letter stated that the ceremony will start at 8:30am and that I should be there 30 minutes prior to the appointment time. Ford took a leave from work. Ang sabi ko pumasok siya after the ceremony kasi saglit lang naman yun pero ayaw niya. Bubuuin niya na raw na one day.

I knew that I will have a problem with this schedule. Ang aga! Nathan and I usually wake up at 11am so I sleep at around 2-4am. I knew na hindi ako makakatulog at nagkatotoo nga. I had to prepare na kasi by 5:30am so we could leave at 7am. Ayaw naming ma-late syempre. Mukha akong zombie sa ceremony tuloy, ang sagwa talaga ng mukha kapag walang tulog.

I was the second to get inside the ceremony room (that was where I also took my citizenship test). Maraming nauna sa aking dumating sa CIC (past 8am na kami dumating) pero nang magtawag na for the registration, nauna ako sa pila. Kasi nga nasa bungad ako.

Seat number 42.

"This is it," ang sabi ko sa sarili ko.

My audience.

The ceremony started at around 9am. An officer of court explained to us the flow of the ceremony and gave some instructions. She said we can freely take pictures of the event.

Then she introduced Judge Carol-Ann Hart who will preside over the ceremony and administer our oath of citizenship.

My first reaction upon seeing her: "Ang pretty naman niya!" I want to be like her when I grow up lol. Ang lambing din ng boses niya.

She spoke in both English and French. I wondered tuloy kung mandatory ba sa citizenship judges na nakakasalita ng French.

According to Judge Hart, there were 58 of us who took the oath that day. Fifty-eight new Canadians hailing from sixteen different countries.

After her speech, that's the time we recited our oath (both in English and in French). Akala ko noon tatayo ang balahibo ko, hindi pala.

It was when we sang the national anthem of  Canada that I felt a bit emotional. There's a part of me na nakaramdam ng 'guilt' at 'lungkot', kasi nga hindi na Lupang Hinirang ang kinakanta ko. When I told my husband about this, I was surprised na ganun din pala siya. Sa singing of national anthem daw siya naka-experience ng goosebumps.

And finally, they handed to us na our Certificates of Citizenship. Graduation feels talaga hehe.

The ceremony was very short. It was finished na at around 9:20am.  I had a picture with Judge Hart after.

I didn't have any nice picture on my oathtaking. Ang palpak kasi kumuha ng asawa ko. Ewan ko ba, lalo akong pumapangit kapag siya ang kumukuha ng picture. Look at Judge Hart, hindi rin siya maganda sa picture eh super pretty talaga siya sa personal. She reminded me of Lorelai Gilmore of Gilmore Girls.

Oh well, don't sweat over small stuff na nga lang. Ang mahalaga, Canadian na ako. My husband and son were so happy, pare-parehas na raw kaming blue passport. But there's a part of me that's sad syempre (mixed emotions talaga). Hindi na ako Pinoy sa papel eh. I consoled myself na lang with the thought na sa papel lang naman yun. I will always be a Filipino. Saka magdu-dual citizen din naman ako eventually.

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Expectation versus Reality.

I envisioned a special meal to celebrate my new Canadian citizenship. Naghanap-hanap pa nga ako ng restaurant na hindi pa namin nakakainan. Kaso ayun, sa McDonald's kami bumagsak. It was too early pa kasi, wala pang 10am. Eh gutom na talaga kami tapos pupunta pa kaming Ikea. Saka kakakain lang namin ng espesyal sa labas four days before that (January 12) kasi wedding anniversary namin kaya parang parang umay pa kami.

Buti na lang din nagpunta kami sa Ikea because I was able to take a nice picture of my oathtaking-OOTD. I actually gained so much weight the past weeks kaya tinamad akong bumili ng bagong damit. Luma lang talaga ang sinuot ko lol. Coat -- Forever21 / Blouse -- H&M / Pants -- Walmart. My shoes and bag were new though. Bag -- Aldo / Shoes -- H&M.

They specified na business attire daw ang isuot kaya ganyan. Pero I noticed na hindi naman sila strict sa outfit, kahit smart casual ay ok na.

Syento!

Yebaaah! It's finally over! I passed the citizenship exam yesterday and I got a perfect score! Wooohooo!

As usual, I was super early. I arrived at Surrey IRRC bago pa man mag-12 noon. Ako ang unang-una na naman haha. I was thankful kasi malamig kahapon (unlike the previous days na sobrang init) kaso ang hirap din palang mag-antay sa labas nang malakas ang hangin haha. Wala pa naman akong jacket. Buti 3/4-sleeved-blouse ang suot ko.

We were allowed to get in at around 12:25pm.

I will no longer discuss the details of the test because the IRCC staff instructed us not to disclose any information about the test and the process. To protect the integrity of the program daw and to be just to all exam-takers. Tama nga naman.

Pero basta yun, I learned during the interview that I got a perfect score. I was so happy! At least my efforts to study have paid off. Kahit na it doesn't matter kung ano man ang score mo (for as long as you pass syempre), syempre natutuwa pa rin ako because I earned extra bragging rights to my husband haha. He also got a perfect score when he took the exam more than two years ago pero mas mabilis akong nakatapos sa kanya kaya mas magaling ako lol.

Now I will just be waiting for the notice of my oath-taking schedule. In 2-3 months daw. It's time to look for a perfect dress.

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NOTE: "Syento" is 100 in Filipino.

Wish me luck

Hello! I am taking a break from my cramming review to blog a bit. I need to de-stress lol.

I am actually quite nervous because in less than 13 hours from now, I'll be taking my citizenship written exam already. Yes, it's all happening so fast! If I pass this exam and interview, I'll take my oath of allegiance to Canada na in a couple of weeks (or 3 months at most). I'll share with you the full details of my Canadian citizenship application later on.

So yun nga, cramming ako as usual. I've already read this study guide several times pero gusto ko pa ring ulit-ulitin. I am already (almost) 39 years old, my memory is not as sharp as before. May insecurity na talaga ako sa memorization. But my husband assured me na "madali" lang naman ang exam, 20 questions lang -- 15 mulltiple choice and 5 true or false.

Oh well, let's see tomorrow.

After this exam, medyo makakahinga na uli ako. Almost two weeks ko na ring dalahin ang exam na ito eh. Last July 5 ko na-receive ang email na pinage-exam na nga ako.

Please wish me luck. I really want this over and done with. I promise that I will blog at least four times a week na talaga after this. Medyo napabayaan ko na rin kasi ang blog na ito. Ang dami-dami kong gustong i-document na hindi ko nagawa. Sayang ang panahon.