Advisories & News
Press Release
Courtesy Call on The Honorable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
2020-02-06
PR No. 02-2020
Toronto, 4 February 2020 – The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto is pleased to inform that Consul General Orontes V. Castro called on The Honorable, Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell of Ontario in her office at the Legislative Building at Queens Park, Wellesley Street, Toronto, Ontario.
Consul General Castro expressed gratitude for the general well treatment of Overseas Filipinos in Canada, particularly those Filipinos within Post’s jurisdiction. Lieutenant Governor Dowdeswell replied that Canada is a welcoming country for migrants, including Filipinos. As an educator before her appointment as Lieutenant Governor in the Province of Ontario, she particularly expressed the importance of having written accounts on the vast experiences of peoples coming to Canada either to permanently settle as migrants or on temporary visit or stay such as students studying on several universities in Canada.
On the query of Lieutenant Governor Dowdeswell on the priorities of Mr. Castro as the new Philippine Consul General in Toronto, Consul General Castro informed her on the following priorities: quality education for young generation of Filipinos through collaborative programs and exchanges of students, faculty members and experts with leading educational institutions and government agencies in Canada such as the University of Toronto, York University, Guelph University, Ryerson University, Seneca University, the Toronto Catholic School Board (TSCB), etc.; protection of the rights and promotion of the welfare of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) (i.e., with the Philippine Labor Office in Toronto); expansion of trade and investment relations (i.e., with the Philippine Trade Office in Toronto); promotion of Philippine culture and heritage through various cultural activities; and enhancement of cultural links of Filipino-Canadians with their country of origin (Philippines), especially among the young generations of Fil-Canadians.
Lieutenant Dowdeswell expressed the hope that all is well in the Philippines with the novel coronavirus that originated from Wuhan, China. Consul General Castro informed her that the Philippine Government has health protocols in place and adopted preventive measures against the spread of the disease in the country.
Honorable Dowdeswell was appointed Lieutenant Governor in 2014 and the third woman to serve the position. She is the viceregal representative of the Queen (Queen Elizabeth II) in Right of Ontario. She also served as the 3rd Executive Director (with the rank of Under-Secretary General) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, Kenya.