Rey Pagtakhan, a Manitoban With Heart
“Rey” Reynoldo Pagtakhan emigrated from the Philippines in the 1960s, via the USA. Although he received his initial training in the Philippines, he continued his education in Canada. That is a statement about Mr. Pagtakhan. He is a true Manitoban with heart. He craved learning and progress, but valued people.
This Manitoban With Heart Gives and Gives to Others
I met him in 1984, during the politics of Brian Mulroney and the emergence of Sharon Carstairs. He had been involved with the New Democratic Party but switched to the Liberal Party because their beliefs and approach more closely aligned with his values. And it is important to note that Dr. Pagtakhan treasured ethics, understanding, moral values and compassion exceptionally highly. He was not so much partisan as he was committed to humanity.
He once told me that Canada had given him so much, and he felt that he could never repay what he owed to the country. Dr. Pagtakhan walked the walk. He demonstrated he was a Manitoban with exceptional heart.
His legacy as a physician could have sufficed if he felt he had a debt to pay. But he repaid any imagined obligation many times over, just in the medical field.
A Medical Resume That Shines
Dr. Pagtakhan first became a lecturer at the U of M in 1971. He then became a professor of pediatrics and child health at the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Medicine in 1985. While serving in those roles, he also worked as a pediatric respirologist at the Winnipeg Children’s Hospital between 1971 and 1988. (source: Wikipedia)
If that were not sufficient, Dr. Pagtakhan volunteered in numerous public service and charitable roles. Elected as the Director of the Manitoba Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, he became president of the Manitoba Pediatric Society. Serving on the Winnipeg Police Commission, he willingly took on additional roles on the Board of Presidents of the Canadian Ethnocultural Council and United Council of Filipino Canadian Associations.
Too Much Free Time? Pagtakhan Has a Solution!
It seems that left him with too much personal time, so he sought and won election as a school trustee from 1985-88. Then, Rey defeated David Orlikow as Member of Parliament in Winnipeg North. Orlikow had held the seat for 26 years. The Liberal Party valued Pagtakhan so highly that the party appointed him as parliamentary secretary to Jean Chretien, chair of the Citizen & Immigration Committee, the Human Rights and Status of Disabled Persons Committee, and junior secretary of state for Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Next, he served on numerous other Cabinet committees and was named minister of Western Economic Diversification.
Although defeated in 2004, Rey continued to volunteer in the community. This dedication to service may seem extraordinary for most of us, but Rey found it stimulating and rewarding.
Elected By Everyone, Not Just One Group
The best way to sum up his achievements is to point to the coalitions he built over the years. And that is best highlighted by his first run for public office in 1988.
His campaign team began the election certain that he would lose to the very experienced and well-liked Orlikow, in a very solid NDP riding. But as the campaign progressed, the incredible response that his canvassers received at the door began to reveal a different story. He was about to make history!
Yet, that should not have been a surprise. In a very ethnic riding, an average candidate would have seen vote fragmentation. There was a heavy population of conventional “white” residents. There was a wide income mix. The South Asian population constituted a large swath of the electorate, as did the Filipino, Jewish and First Nations. But, in spite of what might have been a clash of ideas and ideologies, Rey built a rock-solid team, with members from every community eagerly volunteering. He drew people because they loved and trusted him. He repaid the debt.
Dr. Pagtakhan, now in his 90s, continues to volunteer, but mostly is limited to his Filipino community. However, he left an indelible mark, and a very imposing path to follow.
He may have felt he owed a debt to Canada, but it is we who owe a debt to him.