As a Filipino-Canadian I thought this documentary that will be airing on OMNI2 would be interesting to watch.
I don’t have time to do a proper write up, so I’m lifting all the info directly from the press release.
Rogers OMNI Television is proud to present the world television premiere of Foreign Domestics: The Right to Stay, as part of the OMNI Television Language Documentary Special series. The 60 minute documentary launches to Tagalog speaking audiences on OMNI.2, Saturday, September 16th at 8 PM with an encore presentation the following Wednesday (September 20th) at 10 AM.
A documentary first for Anthony Domingo of Fuse Productions, Foreign Domestics: The Right To Stay retells how, in the winter of 1981, six courageous Filipina domestic workers helped change the labour and immigration laws of Canada forever. Finding themselves working and living in unfair conditions, these women — Zeny Dumlao, Linda Lising, Coco Tarape-Diaz, Tessie Rayo, Lohrie Rosas and Ving Domingo, along with activist Fely Villasin and Ging Hernandez – found the strength to fight a system they believed was prejudiced towards domestic workers from all over the world.
The result of their efforts was one of the first organized movements to fight for Landed Immigrant Status for Domestic Workers, Inclusion in the Employment Standards Act and Ontario Human Rights Code, Full Coverage under the Workers Compensation Act, and the Right To Organize under the Labor Relations Act.
“Migrations come in waves; for the Chinese, it was the railroads, for the Irish, it was famine in their homeland and for the Filipinos, it was the Foreign Domestics Movement,” says Anthony Domingo, Producer/Director of Foreign Domestics: The Right To Stay. “This story needed to told, not only for Filipino-Canadians, but for all new Canadians who continue to walk through the doors these brave women helped open some 25 years ago. Thanks to support from the OMNI’s Independent Producers’ Initiative their inspiration can be shared across generations and cultures.”
Foreign Domestics: The Right To Stay reunites the women, explores their reasons for choosing to leave everything behind in the Philippines to come to Canada and finds out how the years since their ad hoc movement to change the country’s labour and immigration laws have affected them. Some have since moved on and are living “normal” Canadian lives. Others, like Fely Villasin and Coco Tarape, are still involved in fighting for Domestic Workers’ Rights in Canada.
“As producer of FlipTV, Anthony Domingo proved his skills at captivating the interest of second generation Filipino youth,” says Malcolm Dunlop, Vice President of Programming and Marketing for Rogers Media: Television. “We are pleased to support his first documentary production, knowing that he can build on previously established audience to help bring this history-changing story to a new audience of Canadians.”
English speaking viewers can catch this language version of Foreign Domestics: The Right to Stay on Saturday, October 28th at 7PM, also on OMNI.2.
