4 Philippine Showbiz Today
4 Philippine Showbiz Today
August 22 - September 7 , 2017
Vicky Venancio dreamed of earning enough money to support herself and her elderly parents back in the Philippines , and to one day become a Canadian citizen .
That dream shattered on a June day in 2012 when Venancio was struck by a car while biking to work in Edmonton .
Quadriplegic and wheelchair bound , Venancio could no longer work . As a result , her work visa soon expired , along with her provincial health care benefits .
Making matters worse , her employer failed to honour her employment contract of providing disability insurance when she was hired , leaving her with no ability to cover the considerable medical and rehabilitation costs associated with her condition .
But Venancio persevered . Left without any healthcare coverage , she volunteered for experimental treatments at the University of Alberta ’ s ReWalk program . She has made significant progress and is helping the research group to learn new directions in making post injury re-walking possible .
Venancio is determined to recover , return to work and realize her Canadian dream .
But she faced her her biggest challenge yet .
Earlier , in a public hearing , the Canadian government has decided that she can no longer
Paralyzed Pinay worker granted permanent residency in Canada
stay in Canada .
At the hearing she stated “ I Know I can ’ t have my normal life back . But I cannot let my disability take away my dreams .”
On August 9 , she rejoiced after the Canadian government granted her permanent residency on compassionate grounds .
“ Yesterday I received it , and I was just bursting into tears in Canada Place ,” Venancio , who is now 31 , said in a report by the Edmonton Sun .
While cycling to work at a Mill Woods McDonald ’ s in Edmonton in 2012 , a vehicle struck her .
She spent nearly three years in Edmonton without public health insurance , while friends supported her and fundraised to help her fight to stay in the country . Money from an injury settlement soon ran out .
A family doctor who treated Venancio for free became an “ angel in her life ”.
Three years , two months and 10 days after the crash — yes , she counted — a tenacious Venancio took her first step . She now lives on her own and moves around the apartment with a walker .
“ I don ’ t have any reason to give up ,” she said .
Edmonton lawyer Sol Rolingher lobbied federal politicians to consider Venancio ’ s unusual circumstances , instead of
Heart Evangelista set to retire in 5 years
Heart Evangelista , who recently celebrated her 19th anniversary in show biz , sees herself staying in the industry for five more years , before moving on to other endeavors .
“ Everything that happened after my 10th year was just a bonus , and I ’ m grateful . I ’ m giving myself five years . After that , I think I deserve to really live my life ,” she told reporters at a recent press conference for her coming romantic-comedy series on GMA 7 , “ My Korean Jagiya .”
Heart , who — among other things — plans to focus on her and her family ’ s businesses in food and fashion , related that this potential career move is something she has already mulled over . “ I plan my life . I think about everything — I take note of how much I make and how long it would last me ,” she said .
The same goes for having a baby . Though she and her husband , Sen . Francis “ Chiz ” Escudero , are not in a rush , Heart said they would actively try for
one in January next year . “ It ’ s not on top of our list ; I ’ m a careeroriented person . But definitely , we will prioritize that by then ,” Heart said .
“ Chiz doesn ’ t really pressure me to give him a baby . But I ’ m 32 now , and I believe it ’ s more or less the right time ,” added the Kapuso star , who quipped that , in a way , she ’ s already a mother of two , because Sen . Chiz has 9-year-old , boy-girl twins with his first wife . ● - A . Policarpio , Inq .
living by the letter of immigration law .
“ We owe this lady a debt of gratitude ,” Rolingher said in a report by the Edmonton Sun . “ We don ’ t turn out backs on people who are hurt through no fault of their own .”
Even after securing a twoyear work permit in 2015 , Venancio lived in limbo . She was afraid to leave Canada — even to say goodbye to her dying mother in the Philippines — knowing she couldn ’ t get back across the border .
Wanting to go back to school , the options available to her as an international student were limited and too expensive , she said . Now , many of those barriers have evaporated .
She spends her days volunteering at the Glenrose and University hospitals , talking with others who have spinal cord injuries , and also speaking to students about life and recovery since the injury limited the use of her body from the neck down .
Although she ’ s looking for a computer or clerical job to pay the bills , she wants to study to be a social worker .
She also volunteers weekly in the constituency office of federal Amarjeet Sohi , the Liberal MP for Edmonton-Mill Woods and minister of infrastructure and communities .
Sohi has lobbied on Venancio ’ s behalf since he was a city councillor . He ’ s inspired by her determination to get her life back together , and said he ’ s confident Venancio will be a successful Canadian .
“ This is a file that has been very close to my heart . So I am very happy to see the outcome ,” Sohi said in the Edmonton Sun report . ●
Movies Under The Stars : Beauty and The Beast
Be our guest at the final Movies Under The Stars event this summer ! This Saturday , August 26 at 7:00pm , the new live-action “ Beauty and the Beast ” will be shown on the big screen for the entire community to enjoy !
Join the community at Holland Park for the final free outdoor movie night . The much anticipated “ Beauty and the Beast ” liveaction version will begin right after sundown . Make sure you come early , however , for there will be many fun activities and entertainment to keep everybody in high spirits before the movie starts .