Filipino Northerners hosting special radio show in Tagalog to celebrate Philippines Independence Day

When George Daliva was thinking of moving to Yellowknife, the first thing he Googled was: "Are there any Filipinos there?"

Now part of the large yet tight-knit Filipino community in the North, Daliva — a senior broadcast technologist for CBC North — and CBC librarian Zerline Rodriguez are about to put the Tagalog language on the airwaves. On Philippines Independence Day this Thursday, the two will be hosting a one-hour special radio show at noon across the N.W.T. and Yukon.

They plan to feature the voices and stories of Filipinos from across the North.

"As a proud Filipino Canadian, I see this is a way for us to celebrate our culture and commemorate our Independence Day against the Spanish rule, which is our symbol of pride and identity," Daliva said. 

Rodriguez said the day is basically the Filipino version of Canada Day — and it's a big deal.

"I think it's more memorable for Filipinos outside the country, because that's when you get to remember, 'OK, this is OUR day,'" she said. "Filipinos are scattered all over the world. But on that day, we are one."

Filipinos make up about four per cent of the population in the N.W.T. and five per cent in the Yukon, according to numbers from Statistics Canada. Rodriguez said residents know each other, help each other and often share each other's struggles — like limited access to ingredients to make traditional Filipino foods. 

"It's like we're isolated together," Rodriguez said.

Like many of the stories they'll broadcast Thursday, Daliva and Rodriguez have their own tales of moving North from the Philippines.

For Rodriguez, it was about finding a lifestyle where she could work and be close to her family. 

She had been working in Quezon City for the Philippines' largest TV network while her family lived outside the city. 

"I was a weekend mom, weekend wife and we thought that, you know, when we're able to save money, we can be together as a family," she said. 

She always thought that future would be in the Philippines, but when a Filipino working in Yellowknife reached out, looking for Filipino employees, Rodriguez moved with her family and never looked back.

Daliva, on the other hand, had been working as an electronics engineer and university professor. When he first moved to Canada in 2005, he lived in Toronto. When he couldn't find work in his field, he moved north to work for CKLB, later transitioning to CBC. 

Thursday's show shares stories from all three territories and greetings in Tagalog from 10 communities.

"We are happy here, we found a home here, and I think that's something worth sharing," Rodriguez said.