Sheryll and Glenn Baldovino spent years away from their four boys while working in Saudi Arabia. Although they had good salaries and could avoid the high taxation in their home country of the Philippines, they felt their family growing further and further apart. “It was a tough time,” says Sheryll. “We’d be chatting with our kids on the phone, and sometimes they wouldn’t even talk to us because they felt they didn’t know us.”
The couple wished they could spend more time together and realized that Saudi Arabia was not the answer. “It’s a very strict country, and the culture there is not very friendly with kids,” Sheryll reflects. “You can’t get permanent resident status there either, so getting our kids to stay with us was very hard. It would be very expensive for school, and we would have to pay for a lot of things for them.”
Since receiving their permanent residencies (PRs) in Canada through the West Kootenay Rural & Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) program – Sheryll, Glenn, and their kids are doing what they can to make up for lost time. Even though they’ve juggled multiple jobs, they’re rocking family time with incredible teamwork. “Canada is a very family-oriented country, and when we came here, we can now spend a lot of time with them. Now we’re able to know them better.”
Sheryll began her immigration journey as a biochemistry student at Selkirk College. After hearing about the high demand for healthcare workers due to Nelson’s aging population, she switched to the healthcare assistant program. “When Selkirk College offered me the healthcare assistant course, I was really happy because I like seniors, and I like talking to them,” says Sheryll. “When I first came to Canada, I worked as a Walmart greeter and would always talk to the seniors.”
Sheryll was hired at Mountain Lakes Senior Community almost immediately after completing her studies, and now she works for Kootenay Lake Hospital as a medical lab assistant as well. Her joy for talking to seniors has remained steadfast. In fact, she’s enjoyed everyone she’s met in Nelson.
“The first thing I love about Nelson is the people. Even if you don’t know someone, they smile and say hi,” she says. “Especially now that I’m working at the Kootenay Lake Hospital, everyone there is very engaging and always sharing pieces of themselves. I can share with them that my kids want to go snowboarding and tell them that I’m scared to try it. They’re so kind, giving me tips and telling me where to go so I can learn.”
Glenn also works as a Walmart merchandiser and at the Mountain Lake Senior Community so the couple is connected through work and love. The Baldovino kids love their classmates, teachers, and outdoor activities, and their surroundings. “I love nature and its accessibility here,” Glenn says. “I can walk 15 to 20 minutes and get exercise.” Sheryll adds, “You can’t walk in the Philippines because it’s too hot, and the places are very far. Here, even if it’s far, you don’t feel it because you see the scenery and the smiling people. It’s like you’re always waking up and seeing a postcard.”
Before her big move, Sheryll spent night after night reading about ways she and her family could get their PRs. “I could see from all the pathways that RNIP was the easiest,” she says. “Erin [RNIPs regional coordinator] was very, very helpful through all of it! Now I’m telling everyone to go through RNIP, and I’m always open to helping them like Erin helped me. It makes me feel like I’m giving back.”
Sheryll is one of the many deserving applicants that successfully made it through RNIP, a program that changes lives. Interested in learning more? Check out wk-rnip.ca
