The Ashern community is offering a warm welcome to a new resident and health-care worker who recently arrived from the Philippines — a welcome that is being repeated in communities across the province as health-care workers recruited from the Philippines settle into new lives and jobs in Manitoba.
“We’re pleased to welcome health-care workers to their new home in Manitoba, where they will quickly make a positive impact on the health services available to Manitobans,” said Uzoma Asagwara, minister of Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care.
“Manitoba communities play a key role in making our province a supportive and attractive place for health-care workers, and we know that these new staff and their families will feel welcome and appreciated.”
John Valdez and his wife Ronella are the first family to settle in the Interlake-Eastern region as part of a provincial recruitment hiring effort in the Philippines earlier this year.
“I have always dreamed of working in Canada — and specifically in Manitoba. My motivation for this choice is deeply rooted in the encouragement I received from my relatives who reside in Winnipeg,” Valdez said. “Their positive experiences and the quality of life they have in Manitoba have inspired me greatly.”
Trained in the Philippines, John worked as a registered nurse at St. Luke’s Medical Center before the move, supporting care in the facility’s acute stroke and neuroscience unit.
As a participant in the Philippines recruitment initiative, Valdez and other candidates were screened and interviewed before being offered jobs in one of three streams — internationally educated nurse, student internationally educated nurse or health-care aide, based on their education, experience and other skills.
“I am in the process of building my own family, and I believe that Manitoba can offer the ideal environment for us to thrive and create a better future together,” he said.
“The welcoming community, economic opportunities and the overall quality of life in Manitoba align perfectly with my aspirations and goals.”
Now in Manitoba, Valdez will support care at the Ashern Personal Care Home as a health-care aide while Ronella, who was a pharmacist in the Philippines, has accepted a part-time pharmacy technician position.
The personal care home offers Valdez the opportunity to support the care of elderly patients, something he finds extremely rewarding.
“What I find most fulfilling about my work is the opportunity to care for elderly patients,” he said.
“The elderly often have unique health-care needs, and I take great pride in being able to offer them the compassionate and attentive care they deserve. Working with them allows me to not only apply my medical knowledge and skills but also to develop deep, meaningful connections.”
Valdez is excited to embark on his new adventure but knows he will miss family and friends — and likely feel nostalgic about the Philippines’ warm climate, local markets and street food, as well as the ability to communicate in his first language.
“While I’ll miss these aspects of the Philippines, I also look forward to embracing the new opportunities and experiences that await me in Manitoba. If I were to highlight one thing that excites me the most, it would be the opportunity to experience a new way of life and culture in this vibrant province,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to building a life in Manitoba with my family. The promise of a high quality of life, excellent educational opportunities and a safe, welcoming environment for my loved ones is a top priority for me.”
John and Ronella Valdez are settling into their new home and town — and they have some ideas for how the community can help not only their family feel welcome but also the other families who will be moving to the Interlake as part of this recruitment effort.
“Community members and coworkers can assist newcomers in Manitoba by providing practical guidance on housing, local services and employment opportunities,” Valdez said.
“We welcome any social support, introductions in the community and offers to help as we adapt to the local culture and lifestyle.”
Valdez is grateful for the opportunity to launch this new phase of his career — and his life.
“I would like to take this moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone involved in extending this incredible opportunity to Filipino nurses like myself. It is been both an honour and a privilege to work in your country and contribute to the health-care sector,” he added.
“I am committed to giving my utmost best to the community I serve. I look forward to making a positive impact and contributing to the well-being of the patients and the community as a whole.”
At the same time, the health authority extends a warm welcome to John and Ronella Valdez, as well as the other health-care workers and families choosing to settle and provide care in Manitoba — and especially to those who will be contributing to improve access and care within the Interlake-Eastern region.
“I am very excited to have trained health-care professionals taking this leap of faith to come and work with us in Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority,” said Tanya Cheetham, IERHA’s chief nursing officer.
“We look forward to working with these new residents and members of our care teams as they and their families integrate into our region.”
