Filipino nurses shaken by deadly Vancouver festival rampage say tragedy ‘will not define us’
Glesy Banton-Victoria, a Filipino-Canadian nurse, had initially planned to attend the Lapu-Lapu Day street festival in Vancouver on Saturday. However, she ended up taking a nap instead, feeling exhausted from attending a funeral earlier in the day. Little did she know that a horrific incident would unfold at the festival, where a vehicle plowed into a crowd of festival-goers.
When Banton-Victoria learned about the tragic event, she was stunned, questioning if it was real. As a veteran emergency room nurse at a hospital in Surrey, B.C., she has seen her fair share of death and trauma. However, she believes that witnessing the carnage at the festival would have left her frozen in shock.
Being born in Legazpi, a city in the southeast Philippines, Banton-Victoria felt a deep connection to the Filipino community affected by the tragedy. She expressed her sympathy for the victims and their families, especially knowing that Filipino nurses were likely providing care to those injured in the incident.
The B.C. Nurses’ Union president, Adriane Gear, highlighted the challenges faced by Filipino nurses who were on the scene during the mass casualty event. She emphasized the psychological toll that such traumatic experiences can have on healthcare workers, especially those who have a personal connection to the victims.
The Filipino community in Vancouver has been deeply impacted by the tragedy, with many nurses and healthcare professionals rallying to support the victims and their families. B.C. Premier David Eby acknowledged the significant contributions of the Filipino care community in the province, emphasizing the need to stand by them during this difficult time.
Ron Burke, a Vancouver nurse who founded OMNI College to support internationally-educated nurses, emphasized the personal connection many have to the tragedy. He highlighted the struggles that Filipino healthcare workers face when coming to Canada and the importance of supporting them in their time of need.
Statistics Canada reports a significant number of Filipino nurses and healthcare workers across the country, with many provinces actively recruiting from the Philippines to address staffing shortages. The tragic incident at the festival has left many Filipino healthcare workers grappling with the trauma of what they witnessed.
Jennie Arceno, a Filipino nurse who came to Vancouver from Palompon, expressed her shock and sadness at the events that unfolded at the festival. She shared her concern for the healthcare workers who treated the injured and the families who lost loved ones in the incident.
Despite the tragedy, Banton-Victoria believes that the Filipino community will not be defined by this event. She commended the courage and care shown by Filipino nurses in the face of adversity, acknowledging them as the bridge between pain and healing.
The outpouring of support and solidarity from the Canadian community serves as a reminder of the resilience and strength of the Filipino healthcare workers who continue to provide compassionate care in the face of adversity.
