Helter Skelter Blogger

This will be a very contentious topic. I’m not here to argue but to share my own views and hoping my views will enlighten you.  Before I migrated to Canada, I was working in a bank as loan staff in the Philippines for 7 years, I was still single and just completed my MBA from the University of City Of Manila. I can say I have a good and stable job and well educated in my own country.  I decided to migrate to Canada to start a family and hoping for a brighter future for my children and because of the health care system. I accepted the fact that if I migrated to Canada, my banking career will be gone and all my educational attainments will not be recognized. All of these were explained during the orientation for immigrants. I know everyone has their own reasons why they migrated to a different country and I will not be able to cover every reason.  In the Philippines "colonial mentality" very prevalent. It's a mentality of some Filipinos where other nations are superior and ...

  Five big banks in Canada  In Blog 3, I shared my perspective about the pros and cons of renting and owning a house. Not unless you can afford to buy a house, then you don’t need a mortgage. First, you must have a full time job. Some banks require at least 6 months of continuous employment and proof that you’re no longer probationary.  Second, you must have credit history or credit score. In Canada, there are credit bureaus (Equifax and Transunion) that keep a record of all your financial borrowing whether active or paid. This includes credit cards, car loans and line of credit. Based on your credit dealings, the credit bureaus can generate your credit score. The acceptable credit score for most banks is 680. The higher your credit score, the better. In case you don’t have yet a credit score, some banks will accept a letter from your landlord stating you pay your rents on time.  Unlike in the Philippines, there is no credit bureaus. You must take a good care of your...

 In Blog 2, I hope I was able to provide you an idea with regards to the cost of living in Canada based on my actual experience. Now, let me share my thoughts about renting or buying a house. Your rent is basically your expense in an apartment. You might incur extra $100 for water and electricity if it’s not included in your rent and another $100 for cable and internet. You don’t need to worry about maintenance, your landlord should be responsible for it. Also, if you own a car, you have to pay extra for parking. When you buy a house, you should add at least 50% on top of your mortgage payment. This consists of the following: 1. $200 for hydro/electricity. This amount will depend on the size of the house. The bigger the house the higher your bill especially during winter.  2. $200 for property taxes. This amount is dependent on the size of the house. The amount that I mentioned here is based on a $200,000 house. Property taxes usually increase every year. 3. $100 for water, wa...

The map of Canada I've been living in Canada for over 15 years now and haven't gone back home since then. I can say that I can give you an idea of the cost of living here in Canada in case you're planning to move here. First of all, you need to know how much is the minimum wage in Canada. Every province has its own minimum wage and here in Manitoba where I live (one of the provinces of Canada), is almost $12 per hour. Basically, this will give you a monthly net income of $1,400 to $1,500 per month. The deductions in your paystub will be roughly 30%. This will typically consist of employment insurance, taxes, pension and health insurance premium (if any) just to name a few.  Isn't health care in Canada is free? The answer to that is yes and no. Health care is not really free because you pay it somehow through your taxes. You don't need to worry about the doctor and hospital bills. But for your medications, dentists, vision health, these are not covered by health care...

A photo of Kyle (right). Photo credit: Kyle Jennerman  I’m a fan, follower, subscriber or call it what ever you want. I’m talking about Becoming Filipino. It’s a YouTube channel created by Kyle Jennerman also known as Kulas (his Filipino name). Basically, Kyle films his daily life in the Philippines and share it to the world. From my understanding, Kyle is a Canadian, living in the Philippines for several years now and has traveled 80 provinces of the Philippines.  Life in the Philippines is very simple compare to the western world like Canada. I know that very well because I’m a Filipino.  Sometimes, I wonder what compelled Kyle to moved to the Philippines. For many Filipinos, the main reason why they migrated to other countries is because of financial reasons. Some are just really tired of the politics and corruption. For me, aside from financial reason, one of the reasons that compelled me to move to Canada is because of the health care system. My wife had cesarean whe...