'I have to support my parents': Remittances continue despite pandemic struggles in Sask.

Despite the global COVID-19 pandemic, remittances to other countries have continued. 

Contributions from Canadians sending money to the Philippines remained almost unchanged: $1.079 billion. 

In 2019, the remittances sent to Filipino families was $1.08 billion from Canada. The total sent to the Philippines in 2019 from overseas was $42.8 billion, making up about 10 per cent of the country's GDP. 

Saskatchewan residents hit by the pandemic's impact on jobs are still working to find ways to send money home. 

"I have to support my parents," Abigail Lozada told Saskatoon Morning. "I work hard for them." 

Lozada came to Canada in 2009. She lived in B.C. and Alberta before settling in Saskatoon in 2015. She's currently working as a support worker. 

Lozada's parents, some siblings and nieces and nephews currently live in the Philippines. Her parents don't currently work and her father is sick. Her brother doesn't have a job since cruise ships aren't running. Lozada sends her remittances through an agency in Weyburn, Sask. 

"I don't want to say it's extra baggage, they're my parents. I really want to support them," Lozada said. 

The pandemic hit her family hard. Lozada was laid off from two of her three jobs, and her son was laid off from his work, though he's since found a new job. 

"[It's] still not enough for everything. For my payments here in Canada and try at least every month to give to my parents, for my father's medicine." 

Lozada isn't the only one feeling the pandemic's effects — she said her story is common in the Filipino community. 

"So for them, they're helping each other but still, not enough. If you can see the differences in our situation but still, we need to work hard because we're not just paying all the payments here … they're still struggling." 

Throughout it all, Lozada has stayed in touch with her parents. 

"Almost everyday, we used to video chat, me and my mom. Just want to see my dad, how is he doing," she said. 

Cost of Living10:12$1 billion in remittances from Canada's Filipino communities to the Philippines despite COVID-19

The amount of money sent as remittances to the Philippines from Filipino-Canadians and other expats went largely unchanged in 2020, despite global remittance numbers dropping due to the significant economic disruption of the pandemic. Producer Paul Karchut of CBC Calgary's Filipino pop-up bureau finds out how remittance works, why it matters — and why the amount of money didn't go down in the pandemic year.

Lozada wanted to go back home this summer to celebrate her mother's birthday but it's not going to happen, she said. The last time she saw her family was 2018. 

"I always have set to go home every year but it's not possible to go every year because we don't have enough money to buy a ticket and support them."

"There is a lot of ... struggling but you have to move on and keep moving."