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Migrante BC

@migrantebc

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Addressing issues facing Filipino migrants in British Columbia including labor exploitation & family separation since 2008
@justiceforhhis17
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STATEMENT BY JUSTICE FOR HHIS 17 *Scroll for English & Tagalog* Kami po ay isang grupo na tinatawag na Justice for HHIS 17. Kami po ay mga nabiktima ng pekeng recruitment agency na Helping Hands Immigration Services. Kami po ay 17 na migranteng Pilipino OFWs/TFWs na galing sa Taiwan, nag trabaho sa Newfoundland na mahigit apat na buwan bilang seasonal seafood worker. Yung isang kasamahan namin sa trabaho ay nirefer kami sa dalawang illegal recruiters na si Cherry May Ricafort at Vincent Macalipay na taga Vancouver, British Columbia. Sa kasamaang palad, sinamantala ng dalawa na si Cherry at Vincent ang aming mga kalagayan dahil alam nila na bago lang kami sa Canada at malapit na mag-expire ang aming status. Pinangakuhan kami ni Cherry May Ricafort at Vincent Macalipay na bibigyan kami ng 2-year approved LMIA at work permit para sa trabahong harvester / labourer dito sa British Columbia. Sila ay kumuha ng initial fee sa amin na nagkakahalagang $5,000 - $8,000 CAD na sinend namin sa e-transfer sa personal bank account ni Cherry May Ricafort, at Strive Employment and Labour Contractors Services Ltd. (Business #745000836). Nung natanggap na nila yung bayad, pinapunta kami dito sa Vancouver at pinapirma ng agreement. According sa agreement, kailangan kaming dumaan sa isang probationary period para patunayan na capable kami sa farm work. Pero, yung iba samin sa hotel dinala, yung iba dineretso kaagad sa mga farms sa Keremeos. Nananawagan para suporta  Nanawagan kami sa mga autoridad na maimbestigahan sila Cherry May Ricafort at Vincent Macalipay sa mga ginawa nilang panloloko sa amin at mabigyan kami ng hustisya at bigyan ng proteksyon bilang mga biktima ng illegal recruitment at labour trafficking.  Kami din po ay nanawagan na imbestigahan ang mga employers at ang practice nila na pinagsasamantalahan ang mga bagong dating na migranteng Pilipino dito.  Sana po ay ma-ishare ninyo ang aming istorya sa inyong mga networks, community, social media accounts at matulungan kaming makamit ang hustisya.  #justiceforhhis17 (English caption in comments) by @migrantebc
Migrante BC echoes the calls for justice for the 19 victims of the Toboso massacre and the 653 residents displaced by indiscriminate gunfire by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Barangay Salamanca, Toboso, Negros Occidental on April 19, 2026.  The AFP claims these acts of violence were result of an armed encounter with the New People’s Army, but these do not match statements from human rights advocates who demonstrate that it was innocent civilians who were murdered. Amongst those killed were Alyssa Alano, a University of the Philippines student leader, RJ Nichole Ledesma, a Negros-based journalist, Errol Wendel, a community researcher, Maureen Santuyo, peasant activist, and two Filipino-Americans: Lyle Prijoles, human rights advocate and Kai Sorem, youth activist. These killings in Toboso are a reproduction of the militarization in the largely agricultural Philippines ever-present since Spanish and American colonization, seeking to keep peasant farmers under poor, un-industrialized labour conditions to extract profits from their harvests for overseas markets and to target progressive groups seeking genuine land reform. The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas alone recorded 344 peasants extrajudicially killed under former President Rodrigo Duterte’s regime. In the face of a deepening economic crisis, Marcos Jr. does nothing to alleviate the hardships that the majority of people are experiencing. Isn’t it then the natural conclusion for the Filipino to fight until their needs are met?  As overseas Filipinos, we reject all state narratives that conveniently label any support for the struggles of farmers as a measure of “anti-terror”. We know who the real terrorists are: the fascist leaders in the US, Canada, and the Philippines who conspire to keep their pockets filled with the remittances of OFWs while we suffer in their crossfire. With our hearts filled with grief, join Migrante BC and other allied organizations on Sunday May 3rd at our International Workers’ Day March and BBQ starting at Commercial-Broadway Station at 3PM and ending at Grandview Park where we will hold a vigil in honour of the Negros 19. by @migrantebc
LOOK: Protesters condemn Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as he enters his bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Marcos Jr.’s visit to Vancouver marks the first visit by a Philippine president to Canada in 11 years. He is expected to negotiate a Free Trade Agreement with Carney, which could grant Canadian mining companies unrestricted access to Philippine minerals with no economic benefit to the Filipino people. They are also expected to discuss oil and liquefied natural gas deals, which will further place the Philippines in a position of energy dependence on foreign nations. BAYAN BC, progressive Filipino organizations, and solidarity allies call on all progressive groups and individuals to condemn Marcos Jr., to call for accountability for his corruption and selling out of the Philippines, and to call for justice for all victims of fascist repression in the Philippines. by @migrantebc
🚨 URGENT FINANCIAL SUPPORT NEEDED🚨 Migrante BC and Damayan BC are currently collecting donations and other forms of support for 17+ Filipino migrant workers who are in precarious living situations after fleeing illegal recruiters and abusive employers. After the public press conference on October 13, we have had many additional victims who have come forward. *GOAL IS $10,000 AND WILL GO TOWARDS* * Emergency Temporary Housing * Food & Grocery * Transportation Expenses * Legal Fees **PLEASE E-TRANSFER** migrante.bc@gmail.com with message ‘migrant support’ We are also accepting in-kind donations such as transit passes, groceries, canned goods, counselling (Tagalog), pro-bono legal advice, venues/meeting spaces, etc. E-mail Migrante BC for a link to support the join the Resource Network and please let us know what you’re willing to support with! Salamat! (Thank you!) by @migrantebc
Migrante Mass @ St. Mary’s South Hill Anglican Church Vancouver (Every 3rd Sunday of the month). This is a time for the church community to engage in issues that impact our migrant Filipino community. On Sunday the St. Mary’s South Hill congregation dedicated the mass to the people’s victory of the release and long-awaited freedom of OFW Mary Jane Veloso. Veloso was released from the Correctional Institute for Women (CIW) on the night of September 25 after Ferdinand Marcos Jr. granted her absolute pardon. Veloso spent 16 years in prison, 15 years in Indonesia and a year and half at the CIW. Mary Jane Veloso is a victim of human trafficking and exploitation, not a criminal who deserved punishment. Her case reflects broader conditions that force millions of Filipinos to seek work abroad because of low wages, poverty, and the lack of decent jobs. Today @migrantebc is working alongside 17 overseas Filipino workers / temporary foreign workers who were victims of a fraudulent recruitment agency “Helping Hands Immigration Services”. The migrant workers call themselves Justice for HHIS17 and taking collective action to hold their illegal recruiters and exploitative employers accountable. As long as there is a system that relies on cheap labor and forced migration remains in place, our fellow Filipinos will continue to be vulnerable to trafficking, exploitation, and other forms of abuse. Migrante BC continues to stand in solidarity with migrant workers asserting their rights and calling for justice. If you’d like to get donate to the campaign please E-TRANSFER migrante.bc@gmail.com with the message ‘migrant support’. If you’d like to join @migrantebc and organize against labour trafficking send us a message and we’ll set up an orientation! Migrante ng bayan, tuloy tuloy ang laban! by @migrantebc
Join us for the Migrante Sunday Thanksgiving mass at St. Mary the Virgin South Hill for the unconditional release of Mary Jane Veloso after 16 years behind prisons bars in Indonesia and the Philippines. MaryJane as a victim of labour trafficking and her release is the committed and sustained support and campaign of Migrante International and its chapters, the Natuonal Union of Peoples Layers and the friend and allies in the global Migrants movement. Labour trafficking continues as shown in the recent case of the HHIS 17 workers who suffered from the hands of fraudulent recruiters. We will be highlighting the Justice for HHIS campaign at the service and calling for support from community members. WHEN: Sunday Oct 18, 2026 @ 10:39 am followed by food and fellowship in the hall. After service will be potluck-style. Please bring your own dish if you can! WHERE: St. Mary the Virgin South Hill Church at 808 E50 Avenue, Vancouver All are welcome!!! by @migrantebc
Fight alongside the HHIS 17! ✊🏽 This year, 17 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) came to Canada under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) to support their families back home. These migrant workers, many of them women, became victims of a fraudulent recruitment agency named Helping Hands Immigration Services (HHIS) from August to September before connecting with Migrante BC and Damayan BC. All over the globe, our kababayans are forced to leave for a better opportunity because of worsening climate and economic conditions in the Philippines. They sacrifice everything they have despite the threat of scams and human trafficking. When threats become reality, they receive little to no help from the Philippine government or the host nations. This points to a global system of exploitation linked to the decades old Philippine Labor Export Policy. To end this vicious cycle of forced economic migration, we must fight for national industrialization and genuine land reform in the Philippines! We demand accountability for the HHIS17! We demand an end to forced economic migration! Everyone deserves the fundamental right to work and live with dignity! TRABAHO SA PINAS, HINDI SA LABAS! by @migrantebc
Bagong Bayani (Modern-day heroes). This is how society romanticizes OFWs sacrifices, hardwork, resilience and their contribution to the Philippine economy. But behind the commendation, the system of exploitation continues. HHIS17 are victims of human trafficking and immigration fraud. They worked extended hours without overtime pay, were paid far below BC's minimum hourly wage, even had their wages withheld or a cut taken by the illegal recruiters, and the promised LMIA and work permits are way behind the workers' expectation. With the precarious working condition they experienced they decided to leave their employers and in unity sought for help from our community. Through this whole process, HHIS17 has shown the strength of collective power and are calling to the rest of the Filipino community and allies to seek justice. We, at Migrante Surrey, would like to invite you to join our campaign against HHIS, Cherry Mae Ricafort, Vincent Macalipay, and exploitation and labour trafficking in Canada. We demand justice for the HHIS17 victims! To extend your support for this campaign in any way, please contact via email, Instagram or FB DMs. email: migrantesurrey@gmail.com socmed: @migrantesurrey For monetary donations, please direct them to: migrante.bc@gmail.com by @migrantebc
MIGRANTE BC STATEMENT JUSTICE FOR HHIS17 PRESS CONFERENCE On September 14th, 2026, Migrante BC first learned about this case of the fraudulent immigration consultancy named Helping Hands Immigration Services Inc (HHIS) run by Cherry May Ricafort and Vincent Macalipay as workers  reached out to us. The Promise Land Consultancy (PLC) and Helping Hands Immigration Services (HHIS) are two consultancies identified by Migrante BC in the past few years that have been fraudulently operating labour trafficking schemes in the Vancouver area. It is clear, this is not an isolated case, this is a broad trend all over the globe that takes advantage of and deliberately targets desperate and hope-driven migrants who are forced from their homelands to provide for their families only to be treated as commodities in a profit-driven system through labour trafficking. Today, around 400 deportations happen per week and millions of migrants are set to have their permits expire by the end of 2026.  At the same time, the Philippine government unmistakingly adds to the issue as today, we are seeing 10,000 Filipinos leave the country every day to work abroad due to the legacy of the Labour Export Policy (LEP). Both Canada as a labour-importing country and Philippines as a labour-exporting country solidifies their role as aiding in and enabling labour trafficking and labour exploitation of migrants within the global economy. As Migrante BC, a collective of overseas Filipino migrants and workers, we are enraged and demand justice for the HHIS 17. We demand that Cherry May Ricafort and Vincent Macalipay and all those involved are held accountable for their crimes. We demand that the Canadian government investigates illegal recruiters and ends the labour trafficking of precarious migrants. We demand for a national democratic Philippines, with genuine jobs, and the end of forced migration enabled by the Labour Export Program. We are asking other victims of this scheme to step forward and join us in our struggle. We are asking our fellow Filipino migrants to join Migrante BC and support us in leading this ongoing campaign! #justiceforhhis17 by @migrantebc
✊🏽17 STORIES, 1 STAND — JUSTICE FOR HHIS 17! ⚖️ We trusted. We hoped. We sacrificed. Now, we stand together to demand truth, accountability, and justice. Our voices will not be silenced. Our stories deserve to be heard. Hindi kami mananahimik. Hindi kami susuko. At hindi namin hahayaang mabaon sa limot ang mga kuwentong puno ng sakripisyo, pag-asa, at pangarap na nasaktan. Sa likod ng bawat kuwento ay isang taong nagtiwala, nagsakripisyo, at nangarap ng mas magandang kinabukasan. Hindi madaling mawalan ng perang pinaghirapan, lalo na kung ang kapalit nito ay sakit, panghihinayang, at mga pangarap na tila nawala. Pero ngayon, pinili naming manindigan. Hindi para sa paghihiganti, kundi para sa katotohanan, pananagutan, at katarungan. Sa bawat boses na magsasalita, mas lumalakas ang aming paninindigan. Sa bawat kuwentong ibabahagi, mas nagiging malinaw na hindi dapat balewalain ang hinaing ng mga taong naghahanap ng katarungan. #VictimsOfHHIS17 #17Stories1Stand #justiceforhhis17 #ScamAwareness #FraudAwareness justice by @migrantebc
JUSTICE FOR HHIS 17 PRESS CONFERENCE Today, at 10 AM at Voor Urban Labs, Justice for HHIS 17, a collective of 17 migrant workers who were scammed by illegal immigration recruiters Cherry May Ricafort and Vincent Macalipay under the name of Helping Hands Immigration Services (HHIS) held a press conference alongside Migrante BC and Damayan BC. The Justice for HHIS 17 voiced out their stories and experiences being labour trafficked to hotels in Vancouver and farms in Keremeos under the false pretense of promised LMIAs/work permits by HHIS and called out for community support and lawyers, accountability from the scam immigration consultancy, and an investigation by the Canadian government. Migrante BC and Damayan BC emphasized that this was not an isolated case and will continue with escalating restrictive immigration policy and forced migration from the Philippines. We are looking for people to support our network, to get organized, and to join us in our struggles for the end of labour trafficking and the Justice for the HHIS 17! JUSTICE FOR THE HHIS 17! REFUND THE STOLEN FUNDS! INVESTIGATE AND JAIL ILLEGAL RECRUITERS CHERRY MAY RICAFORT AND VINCENT MACALIPAY! HOLD ACCOUNTABLE ILLEGAL RECRUITERS! EXPEDITE THEIR IMMIGRATION APPLICATIONS! INVESTIGATE THE EMPLOYERS! SAHOD ITAAS PRESYO IBABA! CREATE GENUINE JOBS AT HOME AND PROTECT MIGRANT WORKERS! END LABOUR TRAFFICKING NOW! END THE LABOUR EXPORT POLICY! #justiceforhhis17 by @migrantebc
FILIPINOS IN BC, STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH VICTIMS OF LABOR TRAFFICKING! JUSTICE FOR HHIS 17!  BAYAN BC expresses solidarity with the 17 Filipino migrant workers who are victims of labor trafficking by the fraudulent immigration agency Helping Hands Innigration Services (HHIS). We condemn HHIS in the strongest terms and we call on the Philippine and Canadian governments to launch an immediate investigation into the matter, as well as to provide the workers with necessary support and protections. We are also calling for donations for the HHIS 17 for the following needs: • food/groceries • transportation • legal processes • day-to-day needs Please e-transfer to migrante.bc@gmail.com with the note "Migrant Support." Thank you ✊ #JusticeForHHIS17 by @migrantebc

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