Filipino Personal Support Workers (PSWs) in Canada During Health Crisis: Successes and Challenges

Dear Editor,

I read with great interest a recent article published in this journal about home care personal support service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. The authors provided insights into the source of reductions in home care service volumes early in the pandemic. They concluded that client-initiated holds and cancelations are due to fear of infection, public health guidelines, or changes to the availability of family caregivers. ¹ These valid reasons enabled me to reflect on the challenges Filipino Personal Support Workers (PSWs) face in Canada since they are the dominant source of foreign caregivers globally. Thus, I aim to present their joys, plights, and hopes so that policymakers may consider their sentiments for the sake of their overall well-being.

Currently, over 900 000 people of Filipino origin live in Canada, and this number continues to increase each year due to more Filipinos moving to Canada to immigrate, work, and study. ² A big chunk of this population works as PSWs, which is a cadre of care workers (caregivers) who assist older adults and people with disabilities with daily living in long-term care homes, retirement homes, and community settings. ³ The PSWs find this job a great opportunity to uplift their respective families economically. It is why many of them hope to land a job even during the pandemic. Life in the Philippines is difficult due to poverty. There were many success stories regarding PSWs in Canada because they can have multiple jobs if it does not affect their work schedule. Many nannies/housekeepers work 3 jobs, caregiving, plus 1 or 2 other part-time jobs, like cleaning houses or offices on weekends, because they have many financial obligations. Rhea Villavicencio was one of the success stories who started from the bottom and was now enjoying a job that she liked most with a higher salary, good health benefits, and paid overtime. Her oldest child is a flight attendant; the 2 younger ones attend school comfortably. ⁴ Life in Canada was indeed a “greener pasture” for her.

On the other hand, some PSWs are calling out for help due to various sentiments, especially during the pandemic. As mentioned, some of their contracts are held off and canceled, collectively accounting for 99.3% of the reduction in service volume during the pandemic portions of the study period, ¹ which left them hanging in pursuing their family goals. For those already working, their sentiments are expressed creatively in a photo series/exhibit by Filipina nurses, PSWs, and live-in caregivers in Toronto known as “Matatag: Filipina Care Workers During COVID-19.” Using participatory action research and photovoice, they captured everyday moments of struggle while caring for the most vulnerable. Despite pandemic-related challenges, such as a lack of personal protective equipment (PPEs) and sick days, intensified working requirements, and precarious citizenship, they did so. Through kwentuhan (talk-story) sessions, they highlighted their experiences of precarity, exploitation, and safety concerns in the workplace that are shaped and perpetuated by systemically unjust labor and migration systems. These lived realities aim to impact Canadian labor and immigration policies that affect them the most. ⁵

PSWs render utmost service to their clients not only for economic gain but as a commitment to solidarity with those in need. They sacrifice and risk their lives, especially during health crises, without the certainty of going home to their families alive and well. It is proper and dignified to address their concerns without being prejudiced about who they are and where they come from. We all share the same dignity as humans, and we must treat one another with love and respect, regardless of our circumstances.