Advisories & News
Press Release
PCG Toronto convenes Video Conference with Organizations of Filipino Professionals in Ontario
2020-07-14
PR 32-2020
13 July 2020 – Consul General Orontes Castro, other PCG Toronto officials and POLO Toronto Labor Officer Rachel Zozobrado-Nagayo, held a video conference via ZOOM with officials of Filipino professional organizations in Ontario on 11 July 2020. The meeting was attended by several Filipino-Canadian professionals belonging to various organizations, including the Association of Filipino Canadian Accountants (AFCA), Association of Filipino Canadian Engineers (AFCE), Filipino Construction Professionals of Ontario (FilConPro), Integrated Filipino Canadian Nurses Association (IFCNA), Philippine Teachers Association of Canada (PTAC), United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) and a representative from the Physiotherapists group in Ontario.
The officials of the organizations briefed the conference on the respective backgrounds of their organizations, their membership composition, the different concerns and challenges faced by Filipino professionals in Ontario and other provinces in Canada, including the accreditation of their education and work credentials, the services offered by the organizations to their members and to the Filipino Community, as well as the various events and programs they have sponsored over the past years.
Consul General Castro, in his remarks, thanked the participating organizations for their presentations and assistance to the Filipino and Filipino-Canadian professionals working in Ontario, the newly-arrived Filipino professionals, and to the larger Filipino Community. He said that it is very important to address issues regarding the accreditation of Filipino professionals in the province to help uplift the welfare of the concerned professionals and their families as well as ease the transition process for other professionals.
Labor Officer Zozobrado-Nagayo provided a brief background on the functions and jurisdiction of POLO-Toronto and updates on the assistance her office had provided to OFWs in Ontario and other provinces in Canada, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also mentioned that her Office is also working on a Memorandum of Understanding on Labor/Manpower Cooperation between the Philippines and Ontario.
The conference also discussed a Memorandum of Cooperation among the Filipino professional organizations that outlines some channels of collaboration and provides guidance on future activities and programs. – END
