A Filipino Perspective on Work and Belonging in the Arctic: Fourth Essay in Artica Writings Series Now Available

Photo: Ángel Valiente

The Artica Writings series continues with a new essay profiling Vernon Alvez, who moved from the Philippines to Longyearbyen in search of more stable work and a better future for his family. In conversation with journalist Elida Høeg, Alvez reflects on the difficult decision to settle in Svalbard — and the resilience it takes to adapt to life in one of the world’s northernmost communities.

Before arriving on Svalbard, Alvez had spent years doing seasonal agricultural work in Trøndelag. When the pandemic disrupted Norway’s seasonal labour market, he and his wife weighed the possibility of moving even farther north. After much hesitation, they decided to try life in Longyearbyen. They arrived in late 2021 — just as the last light of the year was fading.

The essay traces their journey from housecleaning jobs to more stable roles in the service sector — and how basketball training, church celebrations, and community connections helped them get through the long winter months. Alvez now works as a taxi driver and coaches a local youth basketball team; his wife works in a café, and their daughter has joined them in Longyearbyen to attend secondary school.

But recent policy changes have cast uncertainty over their future — from tighter immigration rules to sudden enforcement of a little-known law invalidating many foreign driver’s licenses. While Alvez says many in the Filipino community avoid public discussions out of fear of losing their jobs, he believes their presence in Svalbard is vital.

“We fill a lot of essential roles here — in cleaning, transport, and service. I’m pretty sure we’re needed,” he says in the essay.

This fourth essay adds another essential voice to the Artica Writings series, which focuses on the lived experiences of international residents in Svalbard — a place without an Indigenous population but home to people from over 50 countries.

The interview with Vernon Alvez was conducted in late 2024, and offers timely insights into the challenges and contributions of Svalbard’s working migrants.

👉 Read the full essay here: www.articasvalbard.no/artica-writings-2024/vernon-alvez