Petra Durrance – Activist, Educator, Healer, Trailblazer
/As a young girl, Petra rotated living with them. Her Uncle Angwhatang, a basket weaver, later personally brought her to Sagada to live and learn at the Anglican orphanage. The journey was a five-hour hike and five-hour bus ride from her village. At the orphanage, the Anglicans named her Petra Glory.
Petra at 10, on her first day at the Sagada orphanage
Petra's life took a dramatic turn when, close to finishing high school, she crossed paths with David Durrance, a biology teacher and a real estate speculator from Victoria, Canada, who was touring Asia. A social worker at the orphanage asked David to support Petra's nursing school journey, recognizing her brilliance as a student and her radiant smile.
David, already on the path to wealth, had a profound awakening during that 1973 tour, after encountering impoverished Kalinga tribal families living in dire conditions amidst rampant disease and tribal conflicts. David agreed to support Petra through nursing school along with six other orphans.
Struck by the inequality between his comfortable Canadian life and the conditions he had seen in the Philippines, David also started supporting more orphans and helping Kalinga farmers to improve their ways of farming and to supplement their meager crops with alternatives.
By June 1974, Petra was enrolled at St. Louis University in Baguio. While David was back in Victoria, he quit his teaching career, focused on real-estate development, and sent funds to support the orphans thru Petra. The two exchanged letters every month, Petra providing David with updates and an accounting of the funds. David shared his project with his friends who were also inspired to sponsor orphans for their schooling.
A very hardworking student, Petra augmented her allowance from David by washing the clothes of her roommates and helping them with their homework for a fee. After two years, she completed nursing at St. Anne’s School of Nursing in Makati. She was also able to save enough money to buy her family a rice field. Petra worked very hard and graduated sixth in her nursing class of 67 students. She was the second woman in Tulgao to be educated.
David, pinning Petra’s graduation award
Petra and David Durrance now at their home in Shawnigan Lake.
During her practicum in Cainta, Rizal, Petra was approached by a shy, scared-looking girl who sensed that she was also from the Mountain Province. The girl confided that she had been lured into working at a brothel and desperately needed help. Petra immediately launched a rescue operation for the girl, despite the risks involved.
Petra recalls, “It was one of the scariest moves I have ever made in my life.” They arranged to meet at a mall in Cubao. With the brothel's watchman nearby, Petra discreetly guided the girl to a waiting taxi she had arranged in advance and instructed the driver to bring the girl to the Dangwa Bus Station en route to safety in Ifugao province.
After graduating, Petra returned to Kalinga and assumed the role of vaccine coordinator in Sagada. She also applied to become a nurse in Germany. In 1980, while strolling near the YMCA in Manila, she and David saw a sign on the sidewalk saying FOREIGN MARRIAGES. Out of curiosity they went inside and saw a queue of couples being married. Upon finishing the last two, the priest looked at them and asked, “What about you two?”
They looked at each other, nodded, and to their surprise, the priest motioned for them to step forward and promptly officiated their marriage. Shock and joy took over them, followed by shared giggles. Without hesitation, they embraced their spontaneous union, leading Petra to cancel her plans to work in Germany.
The Durrance family in their younger years (from the Durrance family album)
News of their marriage spread rapidly throughout Tulgao, much to the shock of Petra's tribe. The elders summoned David to present himself before the Manuugod nga lallakay, the esteemed council of elders, to declare his intentions for Petra. David, guided by his sincerity, solemnly pledged before the elders to remain in the Philippines and continue the projects he had initiated.
Moving to Canada
A year prior to marrying Petra, David had founded his flagship project, the Canadian charity International Association for Transformation (IAT). Shortly thereafter, they legally registered IAT in the Philippines as a charitable organization. Six months later, Petra flew with David to Canada to meet his family. They wasted no time in seeking support for their projects in the Philippines. Through fundraising efforts and the support of friends inspired by their work, they garnered resources to aid in the establishment of clinics and schools in Tulgao and other remote villages.
While in Canada, Petra briefly volunteered at Aberdeen Hospital while raising their young family before realizing the demands on her time were too great. Instead, she and David enrolled in a Montessori course, drawn to its educational principles. Inspired by what they learned, they resolved to introduce the Montessori system to Kalinga. Upon completing their training, they returned to the Philippines and established the first Montessori school, named New Age Montessori, in Bulanao, Kalinga Apayao. Housed within the IAT Center compound, the school catered to both affluent families and indigent children. Regrettably, due to the structural maintenance required for the buildings at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, the school has since closed.
As their family expanded, so did the scope of their educational endeavors and the growth of IAT. In 1996, confident that the operations and management of IAT Philippines would remain stable under the capable hands of sponsored university graduates who had completed leadership programs, David and Petra, along with their four sons, relocated to Canada.
There, they founded and currently own Starchild Daycare and Educational Centre. This center implements a blend of Montessori, Waldorf-based, and nature-based education methods, incorporating gardening, animal husbandry, and tree planting. Situated on a nine-acre hobby farm in Mill Bay, British Columbia, Starchild offers a unique learning environment. Another Starchild Centre operates in Shawnigan Lake, where the couple currently resides.
The Durrance boys at the wedding of Jonathan (second from right) and Lillian
Driven by her dedication for change in Tulgao and the Cordillera region, Petra passionately advocated for the recognition of Indigenous Peoples' rights in Northern Luzon. Her commitment led her to serve as a speaker at a BIPOC conference in Seattle, where she shared accounts of the systemic racial discrimination experienced by her community.
Consistent with the principles she has upheld throughout her life, Petra has actively supported and advocated for organizations such as the First Nations on issues concerning land rights, Indigenous peoples' rights, cultural preservation, and environmental conservation. She is also a staunch supporter of Greenpeace Canada and actively contributes to Spring Magazine's advocacy for the protection of old-growth forests.
Petra and David’s recent visit to IAT Philippines, learning about the educational condition of the Aetas in Apayao Province.
Cycle of Kindness
In the midst of adversity, the seeds of kindness and empowerment have blossomed into profound and lasting change. Beverly Tocanog, one of the sponsored children from the Mountain Province recounted that life in her village of Tococan, Mountain Province, was incredibly challenging. However, one day, David and Petra visited her village and offered to connect her with a sponsor. This act of kindness transformed not only Beverly's life, but also that of her entire family and community.
With determination, Beverly lifted her family out of poverty. It has been over 20 years since she arrived in Canada. Today, she resides in Victoria, BC, with her husband and daughter, where she owns and operates ABR Store, specializing in groceries and Philippine products. The kindness shown to Beverly had a ripple effect; her niece, Catherine Falingchan, whom Beverly sponsored to come to Canada as a caregiver for her daughter, now pays it forward by sponsoring another less fortunate child in their hometown. Additionally, Catherine has supported her siblings in completing their education. This beautiful cycle of kindness continues to evolve, with Catherine now working as a Licensed Practical Nurse.
The author dancing behind Petra at a Tribal Canyao event in Victoria in 2019.
David’s transformation, the change in his consciousness, was the catharsis that lit the flames of hope, affecting not only his own journey, but also catalyzing change in the lives of Petra and her people. Petra certainly didn’t have an easy start in the world. Her story is a testament to the power of courage and determination in the face of mounting hardships. Her unwavering commitment to her people and fearlessly speaking out against racial discrimination exemplify the transformative impact of resilience and conviction.
Lani Domaloy is a Filipino-Canadian writer, poet, and photographer living on Vancouver Island in Canada. She draws her creative inspiration primarily from her love for the outdoors, nature, traveling, and the arts.
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