Publisher's Note

Publisher’s Note
It was 22 years ago when I arrived in Canada and chose Calgary, Alberta to be my home. Leaving my family and friends behind, it was a new adventure for me to be in a new country without knowing anyone. That was the time I looked for a Filipino community paper and never found any, [...]
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Page added on January 28, 2014

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Looking Forward to 2014

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By Heather M. Patrao

Another year has passed and a brand new one has begun; just like that. Strangely, where did it go? We all remember June, of course. The floods are considered the worst Albertan disaster, if not Canadian. And then in November of 2013, Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), the most powerful typhoon ever hit the Philippines –specifically the city of Tacloban in the province of Leyte. This heart-breaking horror story caused severe havoc, untold misery, devastation and death. Will we ever rebound from this tragedy? Yes, we will.

How the communities gathered to uphold each other in the aftermath, the resilience of the people directly affected and the vast outpouring of international help is stirring. Hope comes in the most hopeless situations, but hope did arrive and in torrents. Governments and organizations as well as ordinary individuals quickly rallied by donating their time, skills, selfless service and of course money; everybody did their bit, which in itself is an amazing story. It was incredible to see hundreds of people here in Calgary work hard at short notice to put together fundraisers, and many chose not to be recognized by the media. Filipinos are a gentle people and are well known for their hard work and doing their best with a great work ethic in general. The sky is the limit when a community comes together, especially for their own.

Surely for many 2013 was a transforming year; it definitely was for yours truly. New opportunities, new people and a little success do help lighten the journey of life. We can all thank the Almighty for His grace and faithfulness. Together, let’s look forward to what the coming year has in store for us. We’ll welcome both the good and the bad.

We can start fresh at any point. What’s in a number anyway? 2013 has now given way to 2014 as surely 2014 will to 2015. Forgetting what’s behind (while learning valuable lessons from it), let’s leave regret behind and look forward with faith and hope.

Have a blessed new year.