consumerism – FilipinaYEG

By: Giselle General

I am a columnist for two newspapers in Alberta that serve the Filipino community. I feel particularly proud of this one because of the timely topic and integrating ideas beyond making shopping decisions. This was published in February 2025. You can get a free copy of the paper, published monthly, from many Filipino-owned businesses in Edmonton. You can also view everything digitally at www.albertafilipinojournal.com/.

Community Resource Article – Support Canadian with your Patronage and Pocketbook

Many of us have heard about impending tariffs by the United States. Because of this, there’s a boost to ‘Buy Canadian’ more than ever. You might be wondering how you can take part, especially if you have a tighter budget, or have gotten use to the popular options.

Supporting Canadian businesses comes in many forms. It can be as hyper-local as using products and services made in our city, prioritizing art or events made by fellow Canadians anywhere in the country or not spending money at all. Below is a list of ideas you can consider, to have more Canadian in your everyday activities and purchases.

Media and Entertainment

CBC Gem: You can create a free login on your computer or Smart TV and watch news, shows and movies produced in Canada through our public broadcaster.
TELUS STORYHIVE: This special program funds content made by locals in Alberta and BC, such as short-form documentaries on community topics, podcasts and vod-casts, mini-series, and more. My documentary about Filipinos in Edmonton is funded through this and there’s lots of great shows to watch. It’s on Telus Optic TV and YouTube.
Accessible Media Inc. Canada: It is a dedicated channel created about, and by, Canadians with disabilities. There’s so much inspirational and well-produced content to watch. You can create a free login on your computer or Smart TV or watch on YouTube.
CKUA Radio Station: This radio station, with a webpage and app, is based in Alberta and showcases music from all over the world, a great way to break way from Hollywood-produced music.
Filipino-Canadian content: There are many kababayans countrywide that produce content and it’s time to them to our lists. Whether it is the What’s the Tsismis podcast, the many vloggers on YouTube, documentaries Paglalayag, Canadian Adobo and Kalinga, or books such as Magdaragat, Reuniting with Strangers, Tony’s Wheels, and more.

Consumer Goods

Made in Canada directories: Webpages can identify products made in Canada, which can help with your shopping. Some of these are: madeinca.ca as well as madeincanadadirectory.ca.
Bulk Barn: This is a great store where you buy items by weight, such as flour, rice, spices, pasta, candies, and more. If can save more money than buying in small packages, and it’s Canadian.
Farmers Markets and Pop-Up Markets: There are indoor farmers markets and pop-up markets hosting local businesses. They even give a chance for ones that have closed to come back in a different way. For example, Intent Coffee, a café by Filipinos in Edmonton, has returned as a pop-up café.
Cultural Stores: If you continue to support these stores, whether the products made by a kababayan locally, imported from the Philippines, an Indigenous creator, or a multicultural market by fellow immigrants in Canada, that certainly counts as a way to support.
“Buy Nothing” Neighourbood Groups: Instead of buying an item right away, perhaps a neighbour is giving it away for free. Connect with your neighbourhood’s Buy Nothing Facebook page and see if you can get the item you need. It’s a great way to save money, help the environment, and connect with neighbours.
Business Districts in the city: Whether it is Whyte Ave, Stony Plain Road, Downtown, or the ones by your neighbourhood block, visiting and patronizing independent businesses there is a very valuable way to support Canadian locally.

Attractions, Events and Activities

Tourism Webpages for Cities and Towns: Our province has Travel Alberta, a great resource to discover places to visit in our beautiful province, or even how to have a successful business in the Canadian tourism sector. Many local areas have similar resources to help you spend your tourism dollars here, such as Visit Jasper, Explore Edmonton, Tourism Calgary, Visit Drumheller, and more.
Getting at the Neighbourhood Level: At times, there’s no need to travel far and use companies to have fun and have meaningful experiences. I highly recommend checking the events in your local neighbourhood such as your neighbourhood community league, the nearby seniors centre, and schools.
Exploring Local Recreation Destinations: Consider trying a festival in the city you haven’t considered before. If you haven’t visited the local zoo, museum, library with unique architecture and free drop-in programs, or the local skating rink, here is your chance to prioritize them.

It is very important to think long-term, sustainable, and manageable. If you are unable to do all of these or might need to change, that’s completely okay and valid. If you learn about other options outside this list that works better for you, do them. I heard the saying “vote with your wallet” and I believe it also works with international trade. Let’s support Canadian with our choices and wallet even more moving forward!

This is a fitting topic for my birth month! Gift giving is such as well-known gesture to showcase thoughtfulness, affection and meaning, but it can get complicated at times. Then the act of gift-giving is muddied with feelings or anxiousness, resentment, burnout or the pressure of expectations. That is when, in my opinion, the positivity stops.

May is also the month of Mother’s Day, so for the the first two weeks of the month, there’s a wave of relentless advertising about products and services that people ought to purchase to make mother feel special.

Man wrapping a gift box, tying the ribbon.

For couples, I suppose there are three occasions where it is usually expected, or anticipated, by people that they will receive a gift. Birthdays, wedding anniversaries (or equivalent) or Christmas (or equivalent). For quite some time know, my husband and I don’t buy each other gifts for every single holiday and birthday.

I didn’t always feel good about it, especially in the beginning. It’s something I gradually got used to, and eventually appreciated as I got older. The more I get attuned to the constant, and frequent ways of showing care, concern, commitment, and affection to each other, the material goods mattered less and less. Any day, I’ll take my husband saying “I love you” a dozen times a day, than a shiny piece of jewellery every anniversary that will surely collect dust.

We are not super materialistic to begin with and we are both independent in nature as well.. So when there is a product or service that we need, we don’t wait for the next gift-giving occasion, or make someone use their money to buy it. We research, check our budget if necessary, and make the purchase in a way that works best for us.

I needed a desktop computer, since I have only been using a tablet (that I can connect to a monitor) for the past five years. But I don’t need or want it to be completely brand-new. For this year, I got a “half brand new” computer, meaning, I inherited some of his computer parts that he needed to upgrade, got a new case and new components, and got my own machine for half the price! That was actually an experience we treasure, because going out to stores during the restrictions due to COVID19 is quite an experience.

The peace of mind and financial freedom is actually quite incredible. The holiday season every December is so relaxed, because there’s is no need to scramble to buy or make a gift.

One way I have given him gifts is through my arts and crafts skills.I’m fortunate enough to be a crafter, so many of my gifts for him are artistic, one of a kind and also practical items. I first made a quilt, using our old Tshirts as material. As the years go by and we cohabited longer, it became apparent that it’s easy to run out of ideas for meaningful and utilitarian gifts. The quilts and pillow cases seem to be doing well in terms of longevity. And now, while using these items on a typical day, he would exclaim how much he appreciates these gifts “made with love”. I would exclaim how long ago these items were made, and they unexpectedly became mementos in their own right.

Living room couch covered with a quilt and pillow cases that were DIY.

For my brother, over several years, I have been giving him cash, and that seems to work well. It would be in an envelope with a heartfelt message and the dollar bills. Due to COVID-19, I know that many businesses don’t accept cash as payments anymore, so I sent it as an e-transfer, and included my heartfelt message in the message box. He is the only exemption to the rule, and I think in some ways it still counts, since I managed to escape the agony of choosing and buying an item he may not like or use, but instead, give something that would really of benefit as a young man. Maybe, the love language in that one, is that I trust him enough to know the best way to manage his finances.