Fil-Can leader Narima dela Cruz running for councilor in Canada

“I think there's no higher calling in terms of a career than public service, which is a chance to make a difference in people's lives and improve the world.”
-- Jack Lew

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- Members of the Filipino Canadian community in Surrey, British Columbia are agog over the candidacy of outstanding Fil-Can community leader Narima dela Cruz, handpicked by the #SurreyFirstforCouncil to run for member of the Surrey City Council.
“I believe that Surrey residents are looking for individuals who have the experience building community, and who have become engaged volunteer community leaders simply because they want to further improve this great city,” declared Dela Cruz, one of the most active and multi-awarded community leaders in the British Columbia.

Dela Cruz, founding director and president of the Surrey Philippine Independence Society (SPIDS), is being backed by the popular NDP MLA Mable Elmore of Vancouver, Kensington, the first Filipino to be elected in British Columbia legislative assembly.
She is running under the banner of mayoral candidate Tom Gill, who is being supported by former city mayor Dianne Watts.
“Our team, Surrey First is a thoughtful reflection of our community, with an incredible diversity of ideas, culture, and experiences to work with people and get things done,” she added.
A political science advocate and a licensed realtor, Dela Cruz and husband, Joel, a licensed engineer, and son, Daryl, arrived in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1998 as immigrants from Quezon Province. Their youngest daughter, Glisha, was born in Manitoba.
Before founding the massively expanding SPIDS, Dela Cruz became an active community servant and once worked as an administrative assistant utilizing her education and professional background in the Philippines where she worked around tourism, education, office administration, and law.

TOP IMMIGRANT

Dela Cruz won as Canada’s top 25 immigrants in 2012 and was presented the Realtors Care Award from the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver in 2011 for her volunteer activity.
She enjoys the support of the cross section of the City of Surrey, the second largest city in British Columbia, with a population of over 500,000.
The city’s population continues to grow and by 2041 is estimated to surpass Vancouver as the largest city in BC.
MetroVan Independent News Team reported on September 6, 2018 that “Narima’s fondness and passion for public service and people-oriented activities had her initiate The Surrey Philippine Independence Day Society (SPIDS).”
It added: “Narima is also a court and medical interpreter, and long-time community advocate and volunteer. In addition to being a past chair of the Parent Advisory Council at Johnston Heights Secondary, she volunteers with the Canadian Cancer Society, Surrey Food Bank and BC Transplant Society.”
Dela Cruz is a community leader who received the following numerous awards and recognition:
-2018 Nominee Community Champion Category YWCA Women of Distinction Awards
-2017 Canada 150 Community Awards for Excellence in Volunteerism
-2017 Leadership Excellence Award, FilCan Network for Truth & Justice
-2017 First Surrey Cares Serving with Distinction Awards Nominee for Leadership
-2016 1st National Canadian Realtors Care Award, 1 of 4 BC Nominees
-2016 Global Exemplar Escolarian Award, CEU Outstanding Alumni
-2014 Most Outstanding Filipinos in North America, Bb. Pilipinas of the World
-2012 Top 25 Canadian Immigrants Award
-2012 REALTORS CARE Award
-2012 Most Beautiful Filipinos in Canada Award
-2009 Sutton Group Director Award for Sales Excellence
-2011 Sutton Group Director Award for Sales Excellence
-Finalist, 2011 Surrey Women In Business Award, Surrey Board of Trade
-Recipient, Honourable Mention, 2011 Community Leader Award, 9th CLA Surrey-North Delta Leader
-2011 Surrey-North Delta Leader 1st Reader’s Choice Awards: #1 Realtor,
-2011 Surrey-North Delta Leader 1st Reader’s Choice Awards: #1 Business Person
-2011 Surrey-North Delta Leader 1st Reader’s Choice Awards: #1 Social Activist
Dela Cruz fellow candidates in the Surrey First are: Raminder Thomas, Upkar Tatlay, Mike Starchuk, Vera LeFranc, Paul Hillsdon, Trevor Halford, and Linda Annis Surrey.
The Fil-Can leader has been introduced in the campaign as “an active volunteer and voice for marginalized people, working to ensure immigrant communities feel included.”
Another Fil-Can, Jojo Quimpo, is running under the Non-Partisan Association (NPA) for the City of Vancouver.
Elections day is on October 20, 2018. There will be “Advance Voting Opportunities” on October 6, 10, 11 and 13, 2018

'I can not describe in words what you did'

By Alex P. Vidal

SURREY, British Columbia -- Jagrup Brar admitted he had an inkling that a group of well-wishers from the Filipino community was planning to visit him in his constituency office in Fleetwood on Thursday (February 9) afternoon.
But the behemoth Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) did not know he would be serenaded by two famous Filipino-Canadian teens and presented with a scrapbook by the president of the Surrey Philippine Independence Day Society (SPIDS) in a brief ceremony. Brar, who represents the Surrey-Fleetwood in the Parliament, has been dominating newspaper and TV headlines since the conclusion of his 31-day sojourn as homeless resident living on the province's monthly rate last January 31.
Narima Dela Cruz, SPIDS president and founding director, led a small group from the Filipino community to honour Brar "for your exemplary deed and for giving us inspiration."

SCRAPBOOK

Dela Cruz, a successful realtor and civic leader, presented Brar with a scrapbook containing newspaper clippings and journals she compiled since the start of Brar's symbolic act of fighting poverty by living on a $610 welfare fund whole month of January 2012."What you did I can not describe in words," Brar told Dela Cruz at the conclusion of the ceremony. "This means you are telling me that what I did was right.""This is nothing compared to what you did," retorted Dela Cruz, whose 11-year-old daughter, Glisha, sang Mandi Moore's "Only Hope" dedicated to the New Democratic Party (NDP) stalwart from Fleetwood.New York-bound Nhemy JJ Cepeda Jr. completed the tribute by belting Mariah Carey's "Hero".
Ruby Bhandal, Brar's constituency assistance, said the MLA was touched by the gesture of Dela Cruz's group. "Coming from your community, this gesture is really something," she commented.

CHALLENGE

Brar's month-long experiment was part of the Welfare Challenge to all MLAs put forward by a Vancouver-based group called Raise the Rates."It took us three months to figure out what this was all about," said Brar who explained that seventy percent of the people were asking him why he did the challenge."I asked the opinion of my daughter, Noor, who told me, 'I think you should do it and make a difference,'" Brar added. "My staff also pushed me to do it."Brar also spoke of the myriad painful stories he has heard over the last month. Brar disclosed that in British Columbia, 319,000 or 64 percent of the 500,000 people living below poverty line are working in poverty. Of this number, 96,000 are living with disability. The government is spending $70 million a year to help people secure jobs, he said.

EXPERIENCE

"Because of that experience (31-day journey), I was able to tell about the poverty which was somewhat difficult at times. But the next part, which is making a positive change in the lives of those living in poverty, is going to be the hardest, I know that. But we can't afford not to do anything," he narrated.Born in India, Jagrup was a member of the Indian National Basketball team and earned a master’s degree in Philosophy. He then moved to Canada to study at the University of Manitoba where he earned a Master's degree in Public Administration, MPA. Brar moved to British Columbia from Winnipeg 16 years ago. Since then, Brar and his family have put down strong roots in Surrey.

PUBLIC

For over a decade, Brar worked in the public and non-profit sectors, assisting professionals with career development and working with employers to develop strategies to recruit a highly-skilled, multicultural workforce. As the Executive Director of the Surrey Self Employment and Entrepreneur Development Society (SEEDS), Brar trained new entrepreneurs to develop and launch successful small business ventures.Also present during the program were Miss Pacific North west Junior Teen Erika Teguibon, Carmencito Palomares-Schijven, PNT Idol's Nemecio Cepeda Sr., FYE Live's Jerry "PapaBear" Legaspi who acted as emcee, Rotary Club of Surrey Fraser Heights president Kuldip K. Ardawa, Engr. Joel Dela Cruz, among other guests.