GOVPH

• Print

23 August 2021, Toronto, Ontario – The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto is pleased to inform that a consular team led by Consul General Orontes V. Castro conducted the first Consular Outreach Mission to Winnipeg, Manitoba this year from 13 to 21 August 2021. Consul General Castro also met with the Filipino Community leaders on 19 August 2021 and thanked them for their support to the Consular Team. The community leaders were informed that the representatives from POLO-Toronto, Trade Section – PCG Toronto, and SSS joined the consular mission to reply and attend to queries on employment, business opportunities, and financial and non-monetary benefits for retirees. Consul (honorary) Ronaldo Opina also invited in the meeting MP for Winnipeg-North Honourable Kevin Lamoureux and his daughter MLA for Tyndal Park Cindy Lamoureux; Honourable Jon Reyes, Minister of Economic Development and Jobs; and Honourable Malaya Marcelino, Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Notre Dame. The Filipino community leaders were thankful to the consular team for undertaking the outreach mission and for providing consular and other services to Overseas Filipinos in Manitoba. A total of 1,592 consular services (including Overseas Absentee Voters registration) were extended to Overseas Filipinos in Winnipeg and Neepawa. Another Consular Outreach Missions are scheduled in Winnipeg for the months of September, October, and November this year. -END-

• Print

• Print

 PR-2021-45 23

August 2021, Toronto, Ontario – The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto is pleased to inform that Consul General Orontes V. Castro paid a courtesy call on 17 August 2021 with The Honourable Janice C. Filmon, Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba and the vice-regal representative of Queen Elizabeth II in the Province of Manitoba. Lt. Governor Filmon enthusiastically received Consul General Castro and mentioned that she had fond memories of her previous visit to the Philippines with her husband and former Premier of the Province of Manitoba, Honourable Gary Filmon. She expressed happiness on the presence of the estimated 100,000 Overseas Filipinos in the province as well as with their happy disposition and positive values in life. She further informed that she has Filipinos among her security staff and she was happy with their service. The Lieutenant Governor gave a signed Certificate to Consul General Castro indicating that a tree was planted in the Province of Manitoba in commemoration of the courtesy call.

Consul General Castro also met with Honourable Kelvin Goertzen, Deputy Premier and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Internal Relations; Honourable Jon Reyes, Filipino-Canadian newly appointed Minister of Economic Development and Jobs; Honourable Cathy Cox, Minister of Sport, Culture and Heritage, and Honourable Malaya Marcelino, Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Notre Dame. Among the items discussed were: the positive family values and significant contributions of Overseas Filipinos to the economy and socio-political development of the Province of Manitoba; support on the credentials recognition of Filipino professionals in the province, especially Filipino nurses and those working in the health sectors; the recognition by the said Manitoba officials on the hard work and sacrifices of the Filipino frontliners at this time of the COVID-19 pandemic; and enhancement and expansion of the bilateral economic relations between the Philippines and the Province of Manitoba. Consul General Castro was joined by Consul (honorary) Ronaldo Opina while Senior Trade Commissioner Maria Roseni Alvero joined in the meetings with the Minister of Economic Development and Jobs and the Minister of Sport, Culture and Heritage.

Consul General Castro, STC Alvero and Consul (honorary) Opina also met on 18 August 2021 with Ms. Mariette Mulaire - President and CEO of World Trade Centre (Winnipeg) and Executive Director of the Bank of Canada; Honourable Tracey Maconachie, Deputy Minister of Sport, Culture and Heritage; and the officials of Manitoba Film and Music – Manitoba’s CEO and Film Commissioner Rachel Rusen, Director of Film Financing, Tax Credits & Film Commission Services Louise O’Brien-Moran, and Mr. Sean Garrity, Film Director of the movie “I Propose We Never See Each Other Again After Tonight”, where most of the actors and actresses in the movie were of Filipino descent. The movie was highly successful in its showing in Canadian movie theatres but was affected by the onset of the pandemic last year. Mr. Garrity is currently negotiating for a Filipino counterpart for the showing of the film in the Philippines. The Manitoba officials were likewise informed of the Consular Outreach Missions in Winnipeg in September, October, and November this year. END-

• Print

PR-2021-44

The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto and the Mama Sita Foundation marks the Quincentennial and this month of August’s Buwan ng Wika at Buwan ng Kasaysayan with the second episode of webinar series on 6 August 2021, from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm Toronto time. The three-part webinar series explores Philippine culinary culture and traditions in one and a half hour episodes packed with live and recorded storytelling and cooking sessions, restaurant features, and fun games for an enjoyable online experience for viewers of all ages. The Media coverage on this project can be viewed from the following link: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=535628197558140. The first episode titled “Philippine Rice and Foodways” was held last 23 July 2021, from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm Toronto time. The first episode can be viewed from the following link: http://www.philcongen-toronto.com/announcements/959/mga-kuwentong-pagkain-filipino-food-cook-along-features-the-artisanal-goodness-of-mama-sitas-heirloom-rice-champorado-session-1. The latest 06 August 2021 episode held from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm placed a spotlight on “What Our Ancestors Ate” and reconstructed the feast shared by our Philippine ancestors with the first Spanish visitors who landed on Philippine shores based on the diary of Italian chronicler Antonio Pigafetta. The episode also focused on the Aeta food culture, which still maintains Philippine ancient food practices that are sustainable and profound in the understanding of the environment and our role as its stewards.

Sustainability was also highlighted by featured restaurant Republika Restobar and Grill’s Jannie Luz-Benico, who shared how they were able to triumph over the challenges of the pandemic and emerge rebranded from being known as a bar and karaoke place into a Philippine restaurant offering authentic and sought-after Filipino dishes.

In between the presentations, participants learned how to cook the Visayan KBL (kadyos, baboy at langka) and Tofu Mushroom Sisig, a healthy adaptation of one of Pampanga’s famous dishes. The Adobo cooking challenge video of 6-year-old Jeanne Nathaniella Basay won the First Episode homework cooking challenge and was proudly shared with the audience with the hope of encouraging more young Filipino audiences to cook-along and try to make more Philippine dishes.

A new homework challenge to make KBL and Sisig was announced. The whole episode was also made more interactive and upbeat with games and stories by hosts Ms. Nastasha Alli and Ms. Cecile Nepomuceno-Gamad, as well as the wholesome engagement of the father-and-daughter tandem of Mr. Paolo Paculan and Ms. Malaika Paculan. Mr. Paculan is a teacher at the Ateneo de Manila High School. He taught all the Filipino programs in the high school of the university – from first to fourth year, remedial to advanced. His daughter, Malaika, is a BS Communications technology Management student also at the ateneo de Manila University and aims to pursue a career in journalism or law.

The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto and the Mama Sita Foundation invites everyone to catch the last webinar episode of this series which will center on “Filipinized Food” this 20 August at 7:30 PM (GMT -4) for participants in Toronto, and 21 August 2021 at 7:30 AM (GMT +8) for participants in Manila. There will again be cooking demos of Philippine well-loved recipes, with discussions on its evolution and origins to how it became part of Philippine cooking’s timeless traditions and how they evolved modern adaptations. “Mga Kuwentong Pagkain: Filipino Food Online Cook-Along” is supported by Sentro Rizal Toronto, and partner organizations: Anderson College, b2Bpreneur, Filipino Canadian Association of Vaughan (FCAV), Filipino Canadian Students Association (FILCASA), Markham Federation of Filipino Canadians (MFFC) and Scarborough Ontario Seniors Association (SOSA); and supporting organizations: Pinoylicious, and Pueblo Science. -END