Filipino nurses navigate life in Manitoba after province’s recruitment mission to Philippines
Posted February 26, 2025 11:10 am.
Two years after a recruitment mission brought hundreds of Filipino nurses to Manitoba, many are still navigating the challenges of adjusting to new communities and becoming a registered nurse in the province.
The Philippine recruitment drive, led by former Manitoba Minister of Labour and Immigration Jon Reyes in 2023, was aimed at attracting new talent, adding capacity, and contributing to the province’s health-care workforce.
“I knew we’ve done recruitment missions before as a province,” said Reyes, reflecting on the initiative. “I wanted to explore that because we had health-care shortages in the province, and I realized that many kababayans (Filipinos) would come home to Manitoba to immigrate here in the health-care field.”
Recruited Filipino nurses: where are they now?
Chi Fuentebella, a registered nurse in the Philippines since 2009, was browsing social media in 2023 when she came across a post saying Manitoba officials would be coming to the Philippines to recruit nurses from the country.
“Definitely for me, it was a Canadian dream. I was already looking for options on expanding my career abroad. … So, I quickly grabbed the opportunity,” Fuentebella said.
Fuentebella became the first recruit for the program, arriving in Manitoba in September 2023, just seven months after the interview, with officials greeting her when she arrived at the airport.
She is currently a health-care aide in Thompson, Man.
“At first I questioned how come I was streamlined into that pathway,” she said. “Fortunately Manitoba is offering internationally educated nurses in non-nursing roles to upgrade studies and become a nurse here in Manitoba.”
Aiza Tanay, who worked for six years as a registered nurse at hospitals in the Philippines and United Arab Emirates, is an undergraduate nurse employee in Winnipeg. She says she unexpectedly found a career opportunity in Manitoba in 2023 during an emergency visit to the Philippines.
She immigrated to Canada in October 2024.
“I started my Canadian dream in 2019, but I failed. I actually gave up already to come here so I don’t have the urge to really apply or anything,” Tanay said. “I was one of the luckiest who got the opportunity to be a part of that initiative.”
Four months into living in Canada, Tanay says the adjustments she went through are not experiences to be underestimated, citing the differences she noticed from working in Abu Dhabi and the Philippines.
“Here in Canada, I need also to work and at the same time study. Lots of things going on but I have all the support I need, my supervisors are supporting me, my colleagues and my new workmates.”
Others share they’re continuing to adjust to rebuilding their careers in Canada.
For Aris Dela Cruz and his family, the dream of relocating to Canada started in 2017, and their determination finally paid off in 2023.
He has 10 years of nursing experience in Saudi Arabia and the Philippines, including as a hemodialysis unit supervisor. He is currently a health-care aide in Portage La Prairie, Man.
“Hopefully, in the future, I will become a nurse (here),” Dela Cruz says.
Canadian dream continues
For the internationally educated nurses who spoke to OMNI News, becoming registered nurses in Manitoba is still a work in progress.
Dela Cruz shares that working as a health-care aide requires more physical work, which significantly differs from working as a nurse outside Canada. He hopes to enter the next school intake as a nursing student to gain better credentials in the province.
Despite the adjustments, Dela Cruz and his family thought back to when he initially thought this opportunity felt like it was out of reach after six years of trying.
“That was the time we’re dreaming and hoping, and we’re praying, and we were blessed that the government gave us two working visas,” said his wife May Dela Cruz. “We’re thankful for the recruitment of Manitoba because we’re here as a family and have our (permanent residency).”
For Tanay, simply being in Canada is a dream turned reality.
“I actually want to give back to the place that paved the way to my dream, which is Manitoba. I’m working a lot to be an RN,” said Tanay. “Once I finish my studies and complete all the courses I need to take, I want to pass the NCLEX exam to be a fully registered nurse here. I want to explore several areas like psychiatric nursing and critical nursing.
“This Philippine recruitment initiative … actually became my beacon of light and hope to actually reach my dream, so it’s all worth it.”
Looking forward
According to a spokesperson from Shared Health, as of Feb. 8, 2025, 145 candidates were working in Manitoba’s health system as part of the Philippines Recruitment Initiative.
Five additional candidates were hired but have not yet arrived in the province.
In a statement to OMNI News, Manitoba’s Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara says, “We continue to encourage any and all health care workers from across the globe to join Manitoba’s health-care system.”
Fuentebella, like many other internationally educated nurses, says she hopes to join courses soon to bridge the gap in her credentials.
“I’d like to say that it was worth our giant leap of faith. Not just me, my family, but also with the other candidates that were part of the recruitment mission.”
In case the Manitoba government launches another recruitment mission, Fuentebella hopes she can take part in the delegation and share her story.
“If you desire to upgrade your career while there’s a chance, grab it and work on your job while you’re still working on that upgrade,” she said. “For sure, you’ll go far.”
