Gwen Lay Bico arrived in Manitoba with her family in December.

The registered nurse from Manila said she still could not believe that she is now working in Canada, and how she was even able to bring her husband and three children with her.

Bico said the whole application process, from interviews, exams and assessments in the Philippines – up to the time she arrived and started her training in Winnipeg, was smooth.

 “They [had] different orientations for internationally educated nurses," she recalled. "[On] how to be culturally sensitive since we will be dealing with diverse cultures."

Bico welcomed her assignment to the neonatal intensive care unit of Manitoba's Health Sciences Centre as she has prior experience with newborns and mothers.

"This is the area that I really want to focus on," she said in Filipino, as she is also in the processing of completing her bridging pathway to becoming a registered nurse. 

Nursing assistant KC Quitoriano, meanwhile, is working as a health care aide at a nursing home. She said the opportunity to work in Canada came at the most perfect timing. 

Quitoriano originally planned to come to Canada as an international student, but had second thoughts because of the substantial funds required. 

“It’s okay for me to work as an HCA here," she said. "That’s where I will gain experience. Definitely, I will still pursue my [nursing] career."

Bico and Quitoriano are among the 65 Filipino health workers who arrived in Manitoba to help address challenges in the healthcare system of the Canadian province.

According to Jhunell de Rivera of the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, 22 of them are in Winnipeg while 42 are working in different rural sites.

Of the 65 health workers, 16 are going through the nursing stream and the remaining 49 are all in the health care aid stream.

"Shared Health and other regional health authorities are helping them bridge the gap in their academics," said Rivera, "in their work experience, so that they can practice the full scope of nursing here in Manitoba."

De Rivera also gave the assurance that health care workers from the Philippines get the right assistance - from accommodation, work placement to immigration expenses.

He added that they are also able bring their spouse and children to Canada.

“The Filipino community has been very welcoming and it’s been a very beautiful experience for our candidates all over Manitoba," said Rivera. "We're happy that these people have the best support available for them.”

Rivera believes that the newly arrived health workers will continue to prove the renowned traits of Filipino nurses: compassion towards their patients and strong work ethic.