Three workers from the Philippines employed by a construction company in Dartmouth, N.S., expressed immense gratitude upon receiving new work permits from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Raddy Adams Manicadao, one of the trio who has worked at Brycon Construction since 2022, shared his excitement about returning to work. Adams Manicadao, along with Jafferson Palabasan and Rene Logrinio, faced the risk of leaving Canada after their permit extensions were rejected due to incomplete applications by their employer.
Despite reapplying immediately, the men were informed that processing their applications would take six months, during which they were not allowed to work and their health cards were invalidated. Their employer, Dave Hiscock, sought help from politicians to no avail. However, after their story was featured on CBC News, support poured in from across the country.
New work permits arrived on Sunday, bringing relief to Hiscock and his employees. Hiscock promptly informed the workers, who were initially taken aback but elated by the news. Logrinio, expressing his eagerness to provide for his family in the Philippines, emphasized the difficulty of waiting during the uncertain period. The men eagerly returned to work on Monday, with Hiscock expressing joy at having his valued employees back for the Highway 103 twinning project.
All three workers have also applied for permanent residency in hopes of reuniting with their families in Halifax.