‘It feels like home’
Cape Bretoners celebrate Filipino Heritage Month virtually
“The people are very, very friendly here. Very welcoming.” Elena Hernandez Young
SYDNEY — Jon Morales reaches into his bag and pulls out a tiny golden bus.
The toy-size model is a Jeepney, a popular openbacked mode of public transportation in the Philippines. Morales, who moved to Cape Breton from the Philippines in August 2011, looks at it fondly.
“They were brought by Americans,” said Morales. “When the Americans came to the Philippines [in 1898], they had Jeepneys and it became popular, so they made it a mode of transportation.”
Morales said it reminds him of home and its dialects, festivals and celebrations. He and other Cape Breton Filipinos are having their own celebration this month for Filipino Heritage Month, a June celebration in Canada that began in Ontario in 2019.
“In Cape Breton actually, the (former) mayor (Cecil Clarke) already declared in 2018 a Filipino [Heritage] day on June 12, so we were actually the first,” said Morales.
June 12 is known as Independence Day in the Philippines, commemorating the country's declaration of independence from Spain in 1898.
“This year is the 123rd anniversary,” said Morales. “That's why we're doing the flag ceremony, we commemorate the anniversary.”
This year, celebrations are virtual for the pandemic. Morales said the celebration also helps make Canadians aware of what Filipinos have to offer the country.
“We're trying to be a part of the system of Canada,” said Morales, who noted that they are one of the fastest-growing minorities in Canada.
ELENA HERNANDEZ YOUNG
• Arrived in Cape Breton from the Philippines in 1995
• Owner of Elena's Esthetics & Asian Market in Sydney
• Former president of the Filipino Association of Cape Breton
• Lives here with her husband, whom she met in Cape Breton, and has a daughter living in Halifax
Elena Hernandez Young said there were only a few Filipinos here when she arrived in Cape Breton in 1995.
She and a few others formed the Filipino Association of Cape Breton in 2008, an organization to promote local events and encourage Filipinos to get involved with their community. Hernandez Young was the president from 2011-2014.
What do you miss about the Philippines?
“Family, of course, because we are very family-oriented,” said Hernandez Young.
She almost misses the warm weather from home, as well as having a variety of Filipino food options nearby. That's part of why she chose to open an Asian grocery store in Sydney. When she first arrived in Cape Breton, there wasn't one here.
“I saw the need, people (having) to go to Halifax,” said Hernandez Young. “I felt like that was too far away, so why not try it (here)? And it's
been doing so good.”
What’s your favourite thing about Cape Breton?
“The people are very, very friendly here,” she said. “Very welcoming.”
She also likes that the city has a small population because it feels close-knit.
“It feels like home because they're very welcoming and [they] really fit you in here. It's not like you're a stranger here.”
JULIUS GARCIO
• Arrived in Cape Breton from the Philippines in December 2012
• One of the owners of Isla Kusina Bar & Restaurant
• A member of the Knights of Columbus Catholic fraternal order in Sydney
• On the board of directors at YMCA, and volunteers with the Cape Breton Special Olympics • Works in a local nursing home in CBRM
What do you miss about the Philippines?
“I (haven't) gone home yet. I've been here for almost nine years,” said Garcio.
He said he really enjoys Cape Breton, though he regrets not being able to travel home last March when his mother and grandmother died.
“Because of the pandemic I (could) not go home. It's a part of being away.”
He wishes he could have taken his mother and grandmother to see his home and life in Cape Breton.
“(Death) is a part of life. My father always said, ‘life goes on.'
What’s your favourite thing about Cape Breton?
“Personally, it's the church,” said Garcio. “I have a lot of friends in the church, and same thing with the YMCA.”
He came here without his wife Cresilda and daughter Vashti in 2012 to get settled,
so organizations like these made him feel connected to others in his community.
“To not feel alone, I developed (connections), I [would] go outside and explore by myself,” said Garcio.
His wife and daughter arrived in 2015 and enjoy Cape Breton as well.
“The best part of Cape Breton are the people itself,” he said. “I've been to P.E.I., Halifax, New Brunswick, you feel the difference here. It's so welcoming. It feels like home.”
Garcio studied continuing care at Cape Breton University and works with seniors in a care home in North Sydney. He particularly enjoys the life experiences they share with him.
“I love my work, I really do. It's why I'm still there.”
JON MORALES
• Arrived in Cape Breton from the Philippines in August 2011
• Works as a general manager at McDonald's
• Current president of the Filipino Association of Cape Breton
• Currently taking business courses at Cape Breton University
What do you miss about the Philippines?
Morales misses his brother and parents and hopes to bring them to Cape Breton after the pandemic is over.
He also enjoyed the summers in the Philippines and the surplus of warm weather it offered in the dry season.
“The weather here is really different. You have four [seasons] in a year, there you only have two [seasons]: hot and dry.
“We have 10 months of dry season. We can swim the whole day, even night, 36 degrees (all day).”
What’s your favourite thing about Cape Breton?
Morales has worked at various McDonald's locations in Cape Breton since arriving and is a manager.
“It's a really good job. It's my passion because I've been working for restaurants since 2002, so (since) after college. I started working as a manager in the Philippines.”
He graduated from accountancy at Columban College in the Philippines and is currently taking business courses at Cape Breton University.
He also likes the slowerpaced life that Cape Breton offers.
“You have time to sit down, go to the park. I'm used to living in the city, I went to Singapore before I came here … it's too busy there. I'm tired of living in (busy) cities.”
The proliferation of green space for hiking and time in nature available in a place like Cape Breton is also a bonus.
“Nice beaches here, a nice environment. If you're into nature, you can go chasing waterfalls, trails, hiking.”
He said Cape Breton is hospitable and appreciates its affordable property prices.
“Everybody is having their kids (here). It's just a good place to raise your family.”