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(Left photo) Consul General Angelica C. Escalona with DTI Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Carolina P. Sanchez; (Right photo, L-R) Philippine Trade Commissioner Benedict Uy, MEDA Senior Vice President Lindsay Wallace, Consul General Angelica Escalona, Undersecretary Carol Sanchez, DTI Director Maria Guiza Lim and Consul Mary Grace Villamayor take a commemorative photo

01 February 2024 – Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Carol P. Sanchez, together with DTI Director Maria Guiza Lim and Philippine Trade and Investment Center-New York Trade Commissioner Benedict Uy, met officials of the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto led by Consul General Angelica C. Escalona to discuss the Philippine economic promotion thrusts in Canada.

North America continues to be market for Philippine IT-BPO services as well as electronics and semiconductors. The Philippines sees the aerospace industry, creative industries and AI technology as potentially beneficial areas of cooperation with Canada. The Philippines is also looking to attract investments from Canada, particularly for infrastructure.

Undersecretary Sanchez and the DTI and Philippine Consulate officials later met with Ms. Lindsay Wallace, Senior Vice President for Strategy and Impact of the Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), a non-government organization working with small-scale cacao farmers in Mindanao to develop sustainable agri-food systems.

For more information on MEDA’s project in Mindanao, please visit https://www.meda.org/country/philippines/. END

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1 January 2024 – Consul General Angelica Escalona conveyed new year greetings to the Honourable Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, during the Lieutenant Governor’s 2024 New Year’s Levee held at Queens Park. The Consul General also sought the Lieutenant Governor’s support on the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Philippines-Canada diplomatic relations this year.

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The Philippine Heritage Band performing at the Toronto Raptors Filipino Heritage Night at the Scotiabank Arena

26 January 2024 – The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto led by Consul General Angelica C. Escalona joined kababayans at the first Filipino Heritage Night hosted by the Toronto Raptors. Held at the Scotiabank Arena, the home of the Raptors, the event was an opportunity to shine a light on the Filipino community. There are now more than one million Filipinos who live, work and study in Canada.

The Filipino Heritage Night saw the Toronto Raptors playing against the Los Angeles Clippers to a capacity crowd. Authentic Filipino dishes were offered at the food concessions in the concourse. Among the Filipino musical artists featured were Edmark Dalmacio who sang the national anthems of the two teams, the Philippine Heritage Band, and Juno award winning artist Preston Pablo who performed at half-time.

Consul General Escalona said, “It is wonderful to see many kababayans here tonight. Filipinos love basketball, and we love the Raptors”. The Consul General noted that the Philippines initiated a World Basketball Day resolution at the United Nations General Assembly. Adopted in August 2023, the resolution proclaimed December 21 as World Basketball Day in recognition of basketball’s global popularity and its ability to promote peace, empowerment and health. END

Filipino Heritage Night banner at the Scotiabank Arena monitor Toronto Raptors versus LA Clippers in action Preston Pablo performing at half-time Consul General Angelica Escalona with Cultural Officer Maricel Samonte, Finance Officer Cristopher Baguya and Protocol Officer John Fajardo

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The officers of the Philippine Consulate General at the Rizal Day 2023 commemoration held at the Sentro Rizal Toronto

 30 December 2023 – Consul General Angelica C. Escalona led the ceremonies marking the 127th anniversary of the martyrdom of Philippine national hero Dr. Jose Rizal.

A ceremony was held at the Sentro Rizal Toronto with Philippine Consulate General Toronto and attached agencies personnel and dependents. This was followed by ceremonies at the Jose Rizal monuments in Markham, Ontario and Earl Bales Park, Toronto with the Knights of Rizal and other Filipino community groups.

In her remarks, Consul General Escalona talked about Rizal’s travels, including his brief stop in Ontario to view the Niagara Falls from the Canadian side. Noting that the national hero was a man of purpose, she said, “Rizal’s travels were a way for him to expand his knowledge and worldview. His travels and the injustices he experienced under Spanish colonial rule led him to advocate for reform, which sparked the fight for independence of the Philippines”. The Consul General urged kababayans to appreciate the rights and freedoms that many people enjoy today and to lead a life of purpose.

The theme of this year’s Rizal Day commemoration is “Rizal: Pundasyon ng Kahapon, Isinasabuhay Ngayon”. END

(Left photo) Consul General Angelica Escalona delivering her remarks on the 127th anniversary of the martyrdom of Dr. Jose Rizal (Right photo) Philippine Consulate General in Toronto and attached agencies personnel and dependents at the Rizal Day commemoration

Rizal Day commemoration in the City of Markham, Ontario

Rizal Day commemoration at Earl Bales Park, City of Toronto