This memorial website was created in memory of our loved one, Paulina Jocelyn Toribio Balisi Corpuz, 59 years old, born on June 22, 1963, and passed away on November 6, 2022. We will remember her forever.
Memorial details: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/.../paulina-corpuz-11005362Visitations were held at Paul O’Connor Funeral Home (1939 Lawrence Ave E, Scarborough, ON M1R 2Y8), Sunday November 13, 2022, 2-6pm & Tuesday November 15, 2022, 5-8pm.
Funeral service was held at St. Dunstan Catholic Church (3150 Danforth Ave, Scarborough, ON M1L 1B6), Wednesday November 16 at 11am. You may also watch the live-stream of the service here:
https://funeraweb.tv/en/diffusions/63892
ObituaryPaulina Jocelyn Toribio Balisi Corpuz passed away at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital on November 6, 2022. She is survived by her husband, Ben, and her children Belinda, Isabella and Benson. She is also survived by her many beloved siblings.
Paulina obtained a Psychology degree from the University of the Philippines and worked in various non-profit organizations. Hailing from Ilagan, Isabela, Philippines, she came to Canada to unite with her husband in 1993.
She continued studying and learning in Canada, obtaining a Certificate in Non-Profit Management from the Canadian Institute of Philanthropy under Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly known as Ryerson University), certificates in Business Analysis and Change Management, Internet Marketing, E-business and Web Marketing, Life Skills Coaching, and Non-Profit Sector Management among others.
Paulina is known for championing and advancing community causes – from arts and culture, education, workers’ rights and politics:
Her first job was being a pioneer and coordinator in the workers’ cooperative union of San Miguel Corporation in the Philippines. She helped form the team from a small capitalization to a thriving system, helping hundreds of workers and their families.
Paulina then became a project evaluator for the Luzon Social Action Centre, an institution founded by the CBCP (Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines), whose main function was to help the livelihood of the poor and provide aid during calamities. With this organization, she worked on the ground during the Mt. Pinatubo eruption and the 1990 earthquake in Luzon.
Paulina’s passion to serve the community continued even after immigrating to Canada. Her love for non-profit and community-based service led her to join the
Canadian Cancer Society, starting as a volunteer, and eventually working as an Administrative Assistant. Through her 16 years of hard work and resourcefulness, she was promoted to Systems Project Coordinator, helping build their long legacy of uniting and inspiring Canadians affected by cancer.
Her notable community work includes her campaign to run for Toronto Catholic School Trustee in 2014. In 2018, she ran as
Council Candidate for Ward 20 (Scarborough Southwest). As a candidate, she provided a diverse perspective and rich experience as a woman of colour, a social justice advocate, an entrepreneur and most of all, a mother. Over the years, she continued her advocacies on behalf of the community.
Paulina is President and co-founder of
Philippine Advancement Through Arts and Culture (PATAC) that funded cultural initiatives benefiting Filipinos, particularly the youth in both Canada and the Philippines. She also co-hosted TV Migrante Canada, a program that focused on local and Philippine national issues that is accessible to viewers across Canada and beyond. Her community advocacy includes her work with the
Filipinos Workers Network, supporting
the Children’s Rehabilitation Centre (Philippines). She was a member of the PIDC (Philippine Independence Day Council) council of leaders, acting as a Press Relations Officer and Women’s Diversity in the CMC (Canadian Multicultural Centre of Asians in Ontario), and the President of the Filipino Canadian Parents Association in Catholic Education (FCPACE).
Paulina was best known for her advocacy to have the City of Toronto declare the month of June as
Filipino Heritage Month, which paved the way for the federal and provincial government to follow suit. Her journey started in November 2016 when she first raised this idea with Ontario New Democratic Party Members of Provincial Parliament, and gathered signatures at various community events from June 2016 until August 2017. After gathering endorsements from 50 individuals and organizations, Paulina and Councillor Neethan Shan introduced the Filipino Heritage Month motion in November 2017, and the City Council passed the motion unanimously.
Paulina’s work in the community is well known and acknowledged, and she was honoured with numerous awards and recognitions. Her many awards include the Canadian Multicultural Council – Asians in Ontario, the University of the Philippines Alumni Association in Toronto for her more than 30 years of community service and her work in the declaration of June as Filipino Heritage Month, the 2018 Golden Balangay Award, and the Quincentennial Award from Sentro Rizal of the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto.
She was also a hard-working and successful business person, working with SMDC as an authorized International Broker in Canada, as a top-seller, helping Filipinos abroad own a condo property in the Philippines. She was also a member of the Association of Filipino Canadian Accountants (AFCA).
Paulina was fond of poetry. Poems helped Paulina through the challenges she faced, but she never considered herself a poet. Her love for writing and prose is evident in her published poetry, providing you a taste of her gift as a writer. Together with her loving husband, Ben, she published a book of poems called
Pagsinta, which celebrates their 30th wedding anniversary. The book speaks about their feelings, views, and perspectives. Her poetry is also published in AKDAAN 2, and AKDAAN 3.
Aside from all of her achievements, Paulina was a very loving and devoted wife, mother, and sister, and loved to be surrounded by family. She was also extremely funny, and always tried her best to make others feel at home. In spite of her numerous health issues, she constantly persevered. Paulina was fiercely independent and hard-working in everything that she did, with every action serving a purpose. She would always remind everyone around her to slow down, breathe, and live life on their own terms. This is the kind of person that Paulina was, and she will be dearly missed.
Rest in peace and power, Paulina. Thank you for everything.
Paulina, a loyal and loving wife to Ben Corpuz, and a devoted and caring mother of Belinda, Isabella and Benson.
She was an independent spirit, a fearless explorer challenging boundaries even of her own physical limitations, a tireless community servant leader and a fierce social justice advocate. She lived her life to the extent that she can, limited by time but with boundless energy and passion. Her generosity with her time and resources extended to all, not just her family. She was a visionary who dared to open spaces characterized by her determination to act on important issues. Her impatience and expectations can sometimes be misunderstood, but was driven by her own high expectations and standards of herself. Her social consciousness was moulded at an early age, raised in a Catholic school, St Ferdinand College in Ilagan, Isabela Philippines. She was a high achiever, always at the top of her class academically, competed in Science and Math contests at provincial and regional levels, and competed in sports (volleyball, basketball) and chess tournaments. She was, as they say, jack of all trades. A very well rounded person capable of anything she puts her mind to. She was also good at tinkering with computers and proficient in Ikea installations.
Paulina was born to a working family with 10 children and belongs to the Ibanag tribe in Northern Luzon in the Philippines.
Paulina took BA Psychology in university. She had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and as a life-long learner, she completed several certificates in Non-profit sector management, business analysis certified professional, change management certified professional, internet and e-commerce certificate, life skills coaching, and studied accounting and bookkeeping.
Her varied professional background included administrative/executive assistant, settlement intake worker, organizer, business analyst, project coordinator, project evaluator, administrative/finance manager, consultant, and CEO of an admin, accounting and bookkeeping company.
Paulina received several awards for her long years of service and distinguished work in the community: Outstanding Asian, Distinguished Alumni, and Outstanding volunteer. She volunteers in numerous organizations: the founding president, Philippine Advancement Through Arts and Culture; organizer, Filipino Workers Network; President, Filipino-Canadian Parents Association in Catholic Education; Director, Philippine Independence Day Council; Youth supervisor, St. Dunstan’s Parish; and, a member of the Board of Directors of the Toronto Community Benefits Network, 2015-16.
Paulina's priority is to address relevant issues to reduce poverty in Toronto: affordability, accessibility, safety and well-being of residents specially on housing, transit, jobs, social programs and services. She strongly believes in the power of the people and the community. The complex issues that Toronto/Scarborough is facing needs an integrated solution and can only be done with a strong partnership with the government, the residents, community, private sector and business.
Paulina's community involvement exceeded her physical capability. She was the co-founder and President of Philippine Advancement Through Arts and Culture (PATAC) until her death. PATAC, through her leadership, was able to launch projects and campaigns to raise awareness on the Philippine situation and provide education on Filipino culture. Her pride in her heritage and drive for the recognition of the Filipino-Canadians contributions and potential in Canadian society was the impetus for the Filipino Heritage Month campaign through PATAC and other Filipino community organizations and the assistance of Neethan Shan, then Councillor in Toronto Municipal government. She was also actively involved in the organizing of the Filipino Workers Network, International Workers Association., Philippine Independence Day Council, St. Dunstan's Church, Migrante Canada, and other organizations.
In sum, her life, though cut short, was meaningful and lived with purpose. We would like to assume that she would agree to this quote by St. Augustine:
"I am done.
With God's help,
I have kept my promise.
This, I think, is all that I promised to do
When I began this work.
From all who think that I have said
either too little or too much,
I beg pardon,
And those who are satisfied,
I ask not to thank me,
but to join me in rejoicing
and in thanking God,
Amen."
Thank you God for giving us Paulina and for her life's work. For all of us fortunate and blessed to have had her as a wife and partner, a mother, a sister, a family member, a godmother, a comrade, a colleague, a fellow traveller in this life, we rejoice and thank God for all that Paulina offered us and experienced in her company.
Go now, Paulina, in the company of our departed parents, with the angels and in God's warm embrace. We will meet again in God's time.
Paulina’s family would like to thank everyone for their outpouring of love for Paulina, as well as the care that was given to her by the Toronto EMS team, Toronto Fire Services, and healthcare professionals at Sunnybrook Hospital during her last hours. They would also like to thank Manny Gutierrez from Dignity Memorial, Nancy Woodbine and the entire team at Paul O’Connor Funeral Home, and Rev. Jeffrey Masterson at St. Dunstan’s Catholic Church. They would like to thank the entire Filipino community for their immense love and support.
In lieu of flowers and donations to the family, Paulina's family would appreciate a donation to the Philippine Advancement Through Arts and Culture (PATAC) which strongly supports the Childrens Rehabilitation Center in the Philippines. Thank you.
https://patac-canada.webs.com/donate
