Advisories & News
Press Release
PCG Toronto Meets and Discusses Consular Services with Province of Manitoba’s Filipino Community Organizations and Representatives of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs)
2020-12-30
PR-80-2020
23 December 2020, Toronto, Ontario – The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto and its Attached Government Offices, such as the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Toronto (POLO Toronto) and the Office of the Pag-ibig Representative, attended the virtual meeting with the Filipino Community in the Province of Manitoba and other representatives of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) on 10 December 2020. The virtual meeting was hosted by the Filipino Friends of Immigrants in Manitoba (FFIM), represented by Mr. Rey Sangalang (Director) and Ms. Joanne Viviezca.
The Philippine Government officials from Toronto who attended the online meeting were Consul General Orontes V. Castro, Consul Edwin Gil Q. Mendoza, Labor Attaché Rachel Zozobrado-Nagayo, and Pag-ibig Representative Ms. Elizabeth Borres. They discussed about the Consulate General’s different consular and labor services, and various investment opportunities offered by Pag-ibig. Consul General Castro also informed the community about the Quincentennial Celebrations and Commemorations of the Philippines.
The Filipino Community representatives present during the virtual meet were Mr. Rommel Clamor, President of the South Eastman Filipino Association in Steinbach (SEMFA Steinbach), Ms. Aileen Ambeguia, a healthcare aide from Neepawa, Manitoba.
A Q & A followed the discussion of Consul General Castro and the other Philippine Government officials. The virtual meeting with the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto and its Attached Government Agencies is FFIM’s year-end event capping all their community activities for 2020. Despite the pandemic, the organization continued to assist newcomers in Manitoba to integrate to the Canadian society, as well as reconnect to their homeland, the Philippines.
According to Mr. Sangalang, the Filipino community is active in the Province of Manitoba. The Knights of Rizal were instrumental in a street named after Philippine National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, which was inaugurated in 2020, as well as a statue erected in the province.
The meeting was live streamed on FFIM’s Facebook page (6,800 members), as well as the FB pages of the Filipino Forum and Marketplace (47,000 members), SEMFA Steinbach, among others. – END.
Middle row, from left: Labor Attaché Atty. Rachel Zozobrado-Nagayo, Ms. Joanne Viviezca of FFIM, and Consul Edwin Gil Q. Mendoza;
Bottom row, from left: Mr. Rommel Clamor, President of South Eastman Filipino Association in Steinbach, and Ms. Aillen Ambeguia, healthcare aide from Neepawa.