Fil-Can Lawyer George Garvida is Running for MPP for Scarborough- Guildwood,Toronto

By Tony A. San Juan, OCT.
Toronto-Canada
January 3, 2018



Atty. George Garvida has been a resident in Scarborough-Guildwood for more  than 10 years. He has a solid understanding of the issues in the community and believes in working together through diversity. A passionate advocate for positiveness and solidarity , George is "about being fair, reasonable and pragmatic in trying to reach our common goal of community success, development and progress".

As a Canadian lawyer  with a significant practical experience, Garvida said that "together we can tackle any hurdle and find solutions to every challenge we may face, toward financial independence and creating opportunities for the betterment of the community" as part of the Trillium team. The Trillium Party of Ontario aims to champion, among other issues, the following platform and policies :1) End solitary confinement for juvenile offenders in Federal custody, 2) allow for quality, affordable, and sustainable child care, 3) build a stronger economy, healthier families, and a more secure future, 4) believes that education up to secondary education is a “right” ,5)  believes Police officers should be respected and admired.
Called to the Bar in Ontario by the Law Society of Upper Society in 2015 , Atty. Garvida currently practices law in the areas of immigration, family law, civil litigation, business law, criminal defense  and administrative  and regulatory laws. He has also handled a number of appeals in the immigration and refugee law cases having appeared before the Immigration and Appeals and  Refugee Protection Divisions of the Immigration and Refugee Board, the Alcohol and Gaming commission of Ontario, Ontario Provincial Court and Small Claims Court. Proudly, he has gained favourable decisions for certain humanitarian and refugee applicants.

Atty. Garvida  completed  his legal studies in 1993 at the College of Law of the  University of the Philippines and  passed the Philippine bar exams also in the same year. He has a Bachelor of Arts - BA  Degree in Humanities  from the University of the Philippines and  was a UP University Student Council leader. He also finished his  Law Clerk Diploma program ,with Honours, at Seneca College, Toronto.

Before becoming a full-pledged lawyer in Ontario, George was a Court Services Officer of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and  has worked with the Immigration Appeals Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada ; the Crown Prosecutor’s Office of the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario and the Toronto Catholic Children’s Aid Society . In his  community outreach, through Legalnett Consultants International, Garvida is highly  committed to assisting those from the Ontario Filipino Canadian community who have not been traditionally represented by becoming  available in helping clients in their legal concerns in the Philippines.

Akin to challenges faced by new immigrants in the adopted country,  Atty. Garvida has patiently gone through the so-called "Canadian Experience"  in the workplace as a server & storekeeper at Dunkin' Donut;  worked at the IKEA Restaurant in North York as a cook/server, and as a crew member of Tim Horton’s in Pickering. George started three  Resto bars in Toronto in 1995, such as ; Kalesa, Kalan Chow, and Katipunan  and has  also performed DJ & audio engineering services via KMR Muzik for members in the Filipino-Canadian community on weekends and special events.

In the Philippines, Atty. Garvida began his career as a Counsel and Hearing Officer with the Optical Media Board, formerly Videogram Regulatory Board. Subsequently assigned as  a Government Corporate Attorney of the Department of Justice' Office  of the  Government Corporate Counsel, he has acquired substantive  experience in the areas of corporate, administrative and criminal law. In his private practice he served in trials either as a defense lawyer or  as  an attorney for plaintiffs in various courts and quasi-judicial tribunals in the Philippines.

George is proudly married to Sheila Ortega and  is father to Ryan, Reanne and Riley Garvida. He is the eldest son of Modesto Agullana Garvida of Bangui and Hideliza Laureta Marcos of Solsona, both of Ilocos Norte, Philippines.

In solidarity, let's bring Atty. George M. Garvida to Queen's Park and support his campaign by "spreading the news ", making donations and/or becoming a Volunteer of Team Garvida . Call:  416 638-1529 or Email :  ( Tony A. San Juan).