Juvelyn Gella Nukarak and Warren Nukarak on their wedding day Feb. 18, 2020. (Submitted/Warren Nukarak)

By Alison Sandstrom

Love in the time of COVID

Couple separated by pandemic hopes 2021 ‘will be our year’

Feb 14, 2021 | 8:00 AM

As a Prince Albert man and his Filipina wife celebrate their first wedding anniversary on Thursday, they’ll also be marking nearly a year since the last time they saw each other in person.

Juvelyn Gella Nukarak is still waiting for her Canadian visa and Warren Nukarak has been unable to visit her in the Philippines because of pandemic travel restrictions.

“It’s a challenge because we want to be together,” Warren told paNOW. “And every day, all we really have is a phone call or a video chat. So, it’s really put our lives on hold.”

Long-distance love

Warren and Juvelyn met online in 2018. After getting to know each other for around a year, Warren flew to the Philippines so they could meet in-person in September of 2019. After that, Juvelyn had hoped to come visit him in Canada for Christmas, but when her visitor visa was denied, the couple started exploring other options.

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“I started talking to agencies,” Warren said. “How is possible to get this woman who I believe I have a future with to come to Canada?”

The answer, he was told, was marriage. So, Warren proposed on video chat and Juvelyn said yes. The two wed in a Feb. 18 ceremony on the Island of Cebu.

When Warren flew back to Canada two days later, Juvelyn got started preparing the necessary paperwork for the visa application. What they couldn’t have known at the time was the world was about to be turned upside down. Before Juvelyn had received the official marriage license, the pandemic hit the Philippines. Municipal offices were closed, and crucial documents delayed.

‘Waiting for our day’

Finally, in early November of 2020, Juvelyn was able to submit the visa application. Now, three months later, while Citizenship and Immigration Canada has confirmed it’s been received, the couple hasn’t been provided any timeline other than being advised it could take another year for the visa to be approved.

Meanwhile, mandatory two-week isolation periods for travellers in both Canada and the Philippines, make it visiting unfeasible for Warren who only has three weeks of vacation a year.

“I just tell her every day, we’re one day closer to being together,” Warren said. “We don’t know when we’ll be together, but we do know it’s one day closer every single day.”

In the meantime, they’re trying to be patient.

“That’s the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with and she’s made the same commitment to me,” he said. “So we’re just sticking it out, as tough as it is, just waiting for our day. We say 2021 is our year, let’s just hope that it is.”

‘Don’t let anything get in your way’

While Warren and Juvelyn’s situation may be extreme, the pandemic has no doubt keeping many people apart from their loved ones.

When it comes to advice for others in long-distance relationships, Juvelyn said the last year would have been impossible if she and Warren didn’t trust each other “100 per cent.” Daily video chats, despite the 14 hour time difference, were also important.

“Talk everyday, even if you have nothing new to say, just hearing your spouse’s voice and seeing their smile makes a difference,” Juvelyn said in a message to paNOW.

Of course, the couple is hoping to be in the same time zone soon, and Juvelyn said she’s looking forward to landing in Canada and knowing everything she and Warren have gone through in the last year is behind them.

“If you have a dream or want to be with one special person, don’t let anyone or anything get in your way,” said Juvelyn. “Your happiness is up to you.”

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom