John Simba

Manggagawang Pilipino of the Year – 2021 Golden Balangay Award

John Keith Leo Indico Simba of Winnipeg is the recipient of the 2021 Golden Balangay Award for Manggagawang Pilipino of the Year.

John works with the provincial government. Now in his 10th year of service, he was recently promoted, from Manager of Administration, to Legislative and Policy Analyst. He is responsible for the analysis and project support of legal, legislative, regulatory and policy initiatives in the areas of advanced education, immigration, and economic development.

He graduated from University of Manitoba and Red River College with a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) and Diploma in Business Administration, and has completed programs in Washington, D.C., and the United Nations.

John was seven years old when he immigrated to Canada with his parents 20 years ago. His parents, an engineer and a medical doctor in the Philippines, put their careers on hold to immigrate to Canada to provide better opportunities for their children. Winnipeg is their home.

John says that his parents instilled in him good Filipino values such as hard work, professionalism, respect, and academic excellence.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, he volunteered with The Winnipeg School Division (WSD1) English as an Additional Language (EAL) Program and at Frontier College. He spent some of his weekday evenings teaching in-class English, literacy and numeracy skills to new immigrants, refugees, and inner-city youth.

He says that his volunteer work at the WSD1 EAL Program helped new immigrants and refugees become eligible for citizenship and workforce preparation. His volunteer work at Frontier College helped inner-city youth and provided a path for improved academic performance and excellence, and a foundation for post-secondary success. He will soon start volunteering remotely as an EAL Language Tutor at a local immigrant centre in downtown Winnipeg.

In his desire to bridge a connection between his Filipino roots and the Filipino community in Canada, John also volunteers remotely, to support the Office of the Philippine Honorary Consul for Manitoba.

John’s advice to his kababayans: “Know and do not forget your value. Do not forget all your accomplishments that helped you get to this point in life. You have knowledge, skills, and experience – no one can take away from you. No matter where in the world we are, we find our fellow kababayan. We continue to share and celebrate our values, achievements and legacies.”

The Golden Balangay Awards is a nationwide search for outstanding Filipino Canadians. It was held virtually on October 16, 2021.

The Manggagawang Pilipino of the Year Award recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding impact at his place of work and in the community, inspired other people, earned the respect, trust and confidence of his employer and co-workers, and contributed to the growth and wellbeing of the work environment.

Information submitted to the Pilipino Express by Jessaidie Ledda