FilCan youth leader runs for school board trustee

TORONTO – Joey Abrenilla, a young Filipino-Canadian leader and an experienced professional, is running for Ward 5 Trustee of the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) in the coming October 27 Toronto Municipal elections.
A practicing occupational therapist in Toronto, Abrenilla recently launched his candidacy to become a trustee of the TCDSB, Canada’s largest Catholic school board. TCDSB has a 92,034- student enrolment in its 201 elementary and secondary schools.
Abrenilla is campaigning on a solid platform of youth empowerment and development through “a return to authentic Catholicism” and desirable co-curricular programs which propagate and enhance Christ-centred values and faith-filled learning in the school system.
Born in the Philippines in 1977, to Jose Abrenilla, Jr. , a certified public accountant and Fe Andrino, a school teacher, Joey spent his early years in Butuan City, Philippines. He is the youngest of the couple’s three children.

He completed his Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy degree in Cebu City’s Velez College in 1999 and took post-graduate studies in Applied Behavioural Analysis in New Jersey, USA in 2003. Joey is a licensed Occupational Therapist (OT) in the Philippines, USA and Canada.

In the Philippines, he founded, administered and was a consultant of the Butuan Child Care Therapy Centre. He also served as OT consultant at Little Kaye’s Therapy Centre in Davao City.

Immigrating to Canada in 2005, he became active in the Filipino Canadian community volunteering as the youth director of the Archdiocese Filipino Catholic Mission(AFCM), as well as the Philippine Canadian Charitable Foundation-PCCF. He is a leading member of GTA’s CFC’s Singles for Christ and the Singles for Christ-North Chapter Coordinator of ANCOP (Answering the Cry of the Poor).
Joey’s love for music makes him the best choice as the musical director of the SFC’s well-admired choir. A strong Pro Life advocate, he is a member of the Knights of Columbus Council # 12582.
Joey’s profession as an occupational therapist, his proven community involvement and religious beliefs, make him an ideal choice to be a school board trustee. He should be given a chance to work toward creating and transforming board-wide and school-based innovative programs and services, that will more efficiently provide opportunities to students, staff, parents and the community to stongly build on their Catholic faith.