Canadian gov’t to pay for Pinay’s cancer treatment

MANILA, Philippines - The Canadian government vowed to shoulder the medical expenses of Filipina caregiver and cancer victim Juana Tejada until December 2008, her immigration lawyer said. Canada-based lawyer Rafael Fabregas told GMANews.TV in an e-mail that the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) would be issuing a health program to cover Juana’s medical bills up to December 10. According to Fabregas, the CIC contacted Juana after a news conference held last June 20, and informed her that the Interim Federal Health (IFH) would cover her medical expenses. The IFH, a health program administered by the Government of Canada, is primarily reserved for persons who are making refugee claims there. “Yes, it provides some relief to her," Fabregas said regarding the government’s assistance to Juana. "But still, the bigger question remains as to whether or not they will allow her to stay in Canada permanently." Juana was lured to work in Canada in 2003 under the Live-In Caregiver Program (LCP), which grants foreign workers permanent residency— and an opportunity to petition their entire family — upon fulfillment of their three-year assignment as well as necessary medical and criminal clearances. The 38-year-old Bachelor of Education graduate had been working as a live-in caregiver in Canada for over two years when she was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer in 2006. Although the CIC earlier found her eligible for permanent residence in August 2006, it revoked her application in October 2007 because she was deemed medically inadmissible. Between October 2007 to April 2008, Juana pleaded twice to waive the good-health requirement for humanitarian reasons. Both her petitions were denied. She is scheduled to return to the Philippines on August 8. Juana, who had hoped to work as a teacher, is the fifth of nine children. Her father is a farmer, her mother is a housewife. She eventually left the Philippines to work in Hong Kong as a domestic helper in 1995. After seven or eight years in Hong Kong, she applied for a visa to Canada in 2002, to work under the LCP. Her application was granted. She arrived in Canada on March 15, 2003. Overwhelming support At the press conference, Fabregas reported that an appeal was made to the minister of the CIC to grant “Juana’s dying wish of permanent residence, on humanitarian and compassionate grounds." Various group have also vouched their support for Juana including the United Steelworkers of America, “No One is Illegal – Toronto", Community Alliance for Social Justice, and Migrante-Ontario, Kairos Canada. Juana’s plea for Canadian residency was also endorsed by Olivia Chow, a member of the Parliament and the Immigration Critic for the National Democratic Party. “Ms Chow announced that she had spoken with Minister Finley (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) about this case personally, and that she had asked Minister Finley to make a decision granting Juana her request," Fabregas said. Her case also prompted Mila and Oswaldo Magno, both Filipinos, to launch an online petition addressed to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. "Allow Tejada to stay - and die - in Canada," said in the petition that have garnered almost 2,150 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon. - GMANews.TV