Weinstein’s Convictions: What It Means For Assault Victims
The walls obscuring the truth of his actions that he fought so hard to keep up have finally come crashing down.
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Taal Eruption: Childhood in Ashes
For many, we cry for the loss of our childhood memories; for others, they mourn the loss of their future.
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Undersea Espionage: Who Owns Underwater Internet Cables?
Information is precious to us all, so we ought to take steps to protect it, whether it be from foreign government control or a shark lying in wait.
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From Mont Royal to Victoria Peak: the Free HK Protest
The protest was part of a simultaneous show of solidarity across Canada. Its goal was to show Hong Kongers and lovers of the city that there are those who will not stand for this injustice, and there are people who are willing to fight for…
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Dragonfly On The Wall: Google’s Censorship Projects in China
In our current world, if you need to know something, you usually ask two people: Google or your mom. While it makes sense to be reliant on your own mother, we have somehow come to depend on a digital platform to store the knowledge that we…
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Why Manila’s English-Speaking Bubble Needs to Pop
I've grown up speaking Filipino, and I don’t regret it. While my parents made sure that I became fluent in English, which I am thankful for, I spoke to everyone in my house in Filipino. Up until the ninth grade, I went to school in Manila,…
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A Decades-Old Storm: Professor Carolina G. Hernandez on the South China Sea
With slowly intensifying conflicts brewing in the South China Sea, neighboring governments are constantly finding ways to defuse tensions not only between other countries, but also to calm the anxieties of their citizens. China continues to…
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I Am a Product, and So Are You
I am a product, even though I wasn’t aware.
Every day, we use social media by spending countless hours staring at a screen. What we see as harmless fun and convenience turns out to be something so much more. The news of Facebook’s…
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The Narco-State: Does It Exist?
Over the years, we’ve seen a striking global trend: drug problems growing from an obscure addiction issue in a few communities to nation-wide crises. Cases such as the cocaine cartels in Colombia during the 1980s show that drugs bring many…
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Life through Pixels: Tech Companies and Their Effects on Kids
In this decade, we look at the world through a screen. News, work, leisure, and communication have all become available at our fingertips, and it is arguably one of the most remarkable creations humanity has ever imagined. Those who were…
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Possession of a Holy City: Trump and the Status of Jerusalem
A capital city is more than just where the country's government offices reside; it is also the symbolic centre of the country's power and pride. Jerusalem is such a significant city to many different people and religions, and…
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#metoo: A Hashtag Versus a Giant
On October 5th, the New York Times published an article that placed a spotlight on the work culture in Hollywood. The story detailed sexual harassment allegations towards renowned producer Harvey Weinstein against a number of women, most…
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Charlottesville: Hate Speech vs. Freedom of Speech
We are lucky to live in a time and place when we are granted the right to free speech. In our digital age, we can see the effects of the use of this freedom clearer and faster than before. We can quickly see the negative effects of speech…
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Venezuela’s Crisis: The Start of a Dictatorship?
Protests, violence, and hunger seem to have taken over Venezuela. Ever since the death of former president Hugo Chavez, the country has struggled to resolve political conflicts and economic crises. Amidst falling oil prices, civilian…
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Net Neutrality: Merely a First-World Problem?
Life on the internet has become the new norm. We shop, socialise, and learn (to name a few things) online. The internet has become a vital commodity, if one would consider it that, to modern day life. People’s need for the internet…
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North Korea: A More Imminent Threat Than Ever?
North Korea’s status as a serious threat has always been debatable. Though precautions have been taken against the possibly hostile nation, the power of their nuclear and ballistics arsenal have continuously shown nothing of note. Despite…
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Looking to the Future of Immigration: The Last Blog Post
Over this year, we have explored different topics involving immigration. It has been an interesting year in regards to the matter, as many issues arose with political elections, crises, and institutional changes. Despite some negative…
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The Punisher’s Punishment: The Effectiveness of the Death Penalty in the Philippines
In the Philippines, the war on drugs still rages on. Reports on the deaths and killings related to the drug trade have become an almost a daily occurrence in the media. Aside from letting extrajudicial killings committed by the police…
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Trump’s New Budget: Is the Wall Worth It?
The Trump administration has proposed their budget for 2018, and the primary focus of the plan is to increase national security and border control. Without increasing the national debt, the plan aims to increase spending on national defence…
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Has the American Dream Moved to Canada?
Immigrants choose to leave their country of origin for better opportunities. May it be for employment, education, or safety, people are willing to take a significant risk to start their lives again in a new location. For the longest time,…
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Does Canada Have a New Border Issue?
It appears that President Donald Trump’s new policies and strict attitude towards immigration has prompted more refugees to head for their northern neighbour. Quebec and Manitoba, in particular, have seen more people enter the country…
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The Shooting, Quebec, and Bill 62
In light of the shooting in Quebec City on January 29th, the provincial government has revisited the problems of immigration and racism. The central discussion revolved around Bill 62, which calls to limit the wearing of religious symbols,…
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Canada and Racism
Canada is renowned worldwide for its openness to immigrants and newcomers. While it is true that Canada accepts a lot of new people, racism persists in the country. In light of the recent shooting in Quebec City, people have begun to…
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Trump’s Executive Order: Will It Be Effective?
American president Donald Trump signed an executive order that closed the country’s borders to refugees. It will temporarily suspend refugee admissions for 120 days while the screening process is reviewed, cut the refugee cap in half, and…
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Immigration after Brexit
With the British referendum decision to leave the European Union, the public has been concerned with the issue of migrant workers and new immigration policies. EU citizens are left to wonder whether Theresa May’s policies will be to deal…
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Are We Ready for More Open Borders?
With the political events in 2016, I found myself in a liberal bubble. We assumed that the world is ready for more global interactions and acceptance, but this may not be the case.
To clarify, the premise of my title question does…
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My CIC Experience
**Note: This blog post is meant to suggest improvements with the immigration system based on my personal experience, and it is by no means a true case for all visa applications.
No immigration system is perfect. For the most part, the…
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Canadian Expats and Their Right to Vote
The world has never been more interconnected than it is today. Not only are goods traded across borders, but people go abroad to work as well. Expatriates (or more commonly known as expats) are those who have lived and worked in another…
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A Villain Among Heroes: Marcos’ burial in the Cemetery of Heroes
The Marcos family has been attempting to move Ferdinand Marcos’ preserved remains, which have been memorialized in an air-conditioned room in Ilocos Norte, to the Cemetery of Heroes for over 25 years. Throughout this time, incumbent…
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A Year After Landing: Syrian Refugees in Canada
Last December, Canada welcomed its first batch of Syrian refugees to Toronto. Since then, the Trudeau government has welcomed more than 34,000 Syrian refugees into the country. While they are safe from war in Canada, a significant number of…
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DACA policy and Its Recipients
Unlike Canada, the United States prides itself in its “melting pot” of cultures. Immigrants are welcome as long as they assimilate to the American culture, language, and values. This has created the rich American culture formed from a…
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Generalisations After Trump’s Election
Extremist Trump supporters have been bolder with their action since their champion’s win on November 8th. For example, Muslim women have been threatened for wearing hijabs, black Americans are threatened with violence and are verbally…
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American Haste to Come to Canada: The Truth of the Process
With the results of the American elections last Tuesday, many Americans are claiming they have decided to immigrate to Canada. The office of Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s (CIC) website was even reported to have crashed following…
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Unfortunately, Hate Has Won
The world was stunned yesterday as Donald Trump won the 2016 American presidential election. His fear tactics have worked, for the American people have agreed with him. They believed that America wasn’t already great, and they needed…
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The South China Sea Dispute: A Diplomatic Showdown
With rising tensions in the South China Sea, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries are finding it difficult to decide what to do next. The Philippines has recently chosen to strike a deal with China in order to gain…
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Where Are You From?
Canada takes pride in its multicultural population. In 2011, the National Household Survey found that there are more than 200 ethnic origins in the country. Not only that, but 19.1% of the population identified themselves as a member of a…
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Sick of Complaints
Canadian healthcare is one of the biggest upsides to living in Canada. Procedures, check-ups, and medication are not only free (most of the time), but they are also of good quality. As an immigrant, this was truly one of the best things…
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Watch Your Language!
As an immigrant, one of the biggest challenges is overcoming the language barrier. It can be really daunting to move somewhere where your first language is not spoken. Even simple tasks like doing the groceries can be difficult.
I’ve had…
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Escaping the Jungle
“The Jungle” in Calais, France is to be permanently closed and demolished, and authorities will begin to evict inhabitants today. The makeshift camp houses migrants from war-torn countries such as Sudan, Afghanistan, Eritrea, and Syria.…
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Immigrants and the Election in the United States
On average, the United States welcomes about 3,000 new citizens a day. As a nation of immigrants, the USA continuously faces newcomers’ issues and policies. With the influx of Syrian refugees, immigration has become an especially important…
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A Call for Increased Transparency
A bureaucracy works. It’s evident in the success of Canada’s systems. No process is perfect, and there are definitely some flaws in the system. On the state level, a few mistakes can be overlooked if the system works as a whole. On an…
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A Mutually Beneficial Situation
In the last year alone, Canada has welcomed more than 320,000 newcomers — clearly indicating that a lot of people want to be in this country. A large portion of this number is made up of Syrian refugees, with Canada welcoming over 30,000…
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The Punisher: the Filipino Peoples’ President
Last May, the Philippines had its presidential elections, and winning by a significant margin was Rodrigo Duterte, a former mayor in the city of Davao in the south. It has only been five months since he’s been in office, and the president…
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Leaving Everything Behind: Why do People Immigrate?
Pack everything up, buy a ticket, and leave your home. There, no one knows you, and you might have to start from scratch. It will be difficult, especially with the amount of confusing paperwork. If things are going to be so difficult, why…
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Working with Hope in the Liberal Government
With the liberal government’s victory in the last election, there have been high hopes for easier processes and more relaxed policies when it comes to migrant workers. Especially with the influx of people due to the Syrian refugee crisis,…
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The Beginnings of (Im)Migration
A new place, new people, and a new life: these are the things that immigrants, migrant workers, and refugees yearn for. People decide to uproot their lives for a variety of reasons. Some move in search for economic wealth, others for…
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