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PR-2021-26

17 June 2021, Toronto, Ontario – The Toronto Catholic District School Board’s Quincentennial Jubilee of Christianity in the Philippines (TCDSB-QJCP) team conducted two (2) more sessions of virtual school visits on 7 June 2021, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, to celebrate Filipino Heritage Month (FHM). Consul General Orontes V. Castro participated as one of the panelists in the online activities, which were similar to the virtual school visits organized in March 2021. The other panelists in attendance were Trustee Garry Tanuan, Filipino Heritage Council of Canada’s Chairman Mr. Tony San Juan, and QJCP member Ms. Suzy Llanera. TCDSB Community Relations Officer Ms. Jody Huang also attended the virtual visit.

During his greetings to the virtual audience, Consul General Castro thanked the TCDSB for partnering with the Philippine Consulate General’s Sentro Rizal Toronto’s Padayon Art Competition and for the students and parents who participated. He also recognized the invaluable support of the administrators, principals and personnel of the TCDSB-run schools by relentlessly promoting the art competition. He likewise explained the significance of the celebration of Filipino Heritage Month and how it recognizes the many contributions of the Filipino and Filipino Canadian Community to the Canadian society’s economy, diverse culture, and most especially to the health system during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the annual celebration of June of FHM as become an inspiration to Filipinos and Filipino Canadians to strive more and to give back to the community.

The virtual school visits of the TCDSB-run schools were moderated by TCDSB Catholic Student Leadership Coordinator Mr. Michael Consul. The emcees were Misses Marianne Chua and Adeana Ching-a-Sue, both Grade 11 students at St. John Paul II Catholic Secondary School and currently doing coop placement in the Catholic Student Leadership Department of the TCDSB.

A Kahoot game was featured during the school visits and participated in by more than 100 students, vying for a prize sponsored by the QJCP team. The nine (9) questions in the game were based on the QJCP Virtual Commemoration video, which was shown during the sessions.

At the end of the virtual school visit sessions, the students were given an opportunity to ask the panelists questions, e.g. who their faith role models are and what they learned from them; their favorite Bible stories and why; their favorite Filipino dish; their advise to students on how to balance a life of faith given the influence social media has-what it says about one’s culture and faith. -END

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PR-2021-24

17 June 2021, Toronto, Ontario – The Philippine Consulate General would like to inform that Consul General Orontes V. Castro was joined on 13 June 2021 in the flag raising at “Little Manila” in Bathurst Wilson Parkette, York by Hon. Marco Mendicino, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship; Hon. Salma Zahid, Member of Parliament of Canada’s House of Commons representing the federal riding of Scarborough Center; newly-elected Hon. Ya’ara Saks, Member of Parliament, York Center; Hon. James Pasternak, Councillor of the City of Toronto, Rolly Mangante and other officers and members of the organizers of the annual “Taste of Manila” in the City of Toronto; and other Filipino community leaders. Consul General Castro was joined by Mr. Managante during the wreatlaying at the bust of Dr. Jose P. Rizal before the start of the Program.

In his remarks, Consul General Castro read the Independence Day Message of H.E. President Rodrigo R. Duterte. Minister Mendicino and the other distinguished guests, meanwhile, took turns in recognizing the positive contributions of the Filipinos in the development of Canada in their speeches, as well as the invaluable services of Filipino health care workers and other frontliners during the pandemic. Consul General Castro likewise distributed during the event the Consul General’s “Quincentennial Award” to Minister Mendicino, MP Zahid, Councillor Pasternak, Mr. Ramon Datol of TOMZ Radio Toronto, and Mr. Mangante of “Taste of Manila.” The awards were given to Filipino Canadian and Canadian individuals, Filipino community organizations, media, government agencies, and settlement organizations in recognition of their invaluable effort, support, and activities to foster unity among the Filipino community and continued support to the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto.

Relatedly, Consul General Orontes V. Castro led the officers and staff of the Consulate General with Filipino Canadian DPCDSB Vice Chair Luz del Rosario in the flag raising on 11 June 2011 to commemorate the 123rd Proclamation of Philippine Independence at the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board (DPCDSB) Main Office.

Ms. Del Rosario is the first Filipino elected as Vice Chair of the DPCDSB, which is one of the largest school boards in the Province of Ontario, with approximately 77,000 students in 151 schools located throughout Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon, and Orangeville, in Ontario. Ms. Del Rosario has served in various leadership capacities during her ten (10) years on the Board of Trustees.

On request by the Consulate General, Ms. Del Rosario successfully spearheaded the approval of the Proclamation celebrating the Quincentennial Jubilee of Christianity in the Philippines in all Schools at the DPCDSB on 29 September 2020, the 2nd recognition from a Canadian government agency of the Quincentennial Celebration in the Philippines, the first being from the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB). On 25 May 2021 and upon request by the Consulate General, another Proclamation was unanimously approved by the DPCDSB Board of Trustees on the annual celebration of “Filipino Heritage Month” in all DPCDSB-run schools. The signing of the Proclamation is scheduled sometime this year at least after the easing of restrictions due to the pandemic.

On the night of 14 June 2021, the Mississauga Civic Centre clock tower was lighted blue, red and white for the 123rd Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence.-END-

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PR-2021-25

19 June 2021, Toronto, Ontario - The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto attended and participated at three (3) commemorative events of the 160th Birth Anniversary of Philippine National Hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) of Ontario, Canada on 19 June 2021. Consul General Orontes V. Castro attended these events in the cities of Markham and Toronto.

A wreath-laying ceremony was held in the morning at the Luneta Gardens, in front of Rizal Avenue in Markham where the life-size monument of Dr. Rizal stands. The event was organized by the Markham Federation of Filipino Canadians (MFCC) led by its long-time President and Co-Chair/Founder, Ms. Yolanda G. Ladines. This year’s celebration, like last year, was kept to a minimum due to the Province of Ontario’s continuing regulations on social distancing brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Only a few officers and members of MFCC attended the event. Other regular attendees who were present were Knights of Rizal of the Canada Region, Kababaihang Rizalista, and fellow KCR Sir Ignacio “Mogi” Mogado, a Markham artist who created the bronze statue of Dr. Rizal. Knight Commander of Rizal (KCR) and former Councillor of the City of Markham Sir Alex Chiu, who spearheaded the project of putting-up the monument, passed away in May this year

The second Rizal Day wreath-laying event was held in the afternoon at the Dr. Rizal bust at Earl Bales Park in North York, Toronto, organized by the Order of the Knights of Rizal Canada Region. Consul General Orontes V. Castro and KOR Canada Regional Commander Sir Jose Damasco led the laying of the wreaths before Dr. Rizal’s bust, Kababaihang Rizalista, together with representatives from the Rizal Youth Organization (Canada Region). Hon. Roman Baber, Member of Provincial Parliament of Ontario, likewise attended the event and extolled the significant contributions of Filipinos on the development of Canada.

The third event on the commemoration of the birth anniversary of Dr. Rizal was a Zoom meet organized by the KOR Canada Region in the evening of 20 June 2021. This online meeting replaces the usual KOR’s program following the wreath-laying ceremony due to the continuing stricter restrictions in indoor gatherings in the Province of Ontario. The video message of Consul General Castro was presented during the virtual meeting. The virtual meeting and the wreath-laying at Earl Bales Park both ended with the singing of Bayan Ko. – END.

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PR-2021-23

16 June 2021, Toronto, Ontario – Sentro Rizal of the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto, led by Consul General Orontes V. Castro, participated in the Virtual School Visits organized and conducted by the Toronto Catholic District School Board’s Quincentennial Jubilee of Christianity in the Philippines (QJCP) team, held from 16-31 March 2021. The QJCP Team was composed of the Consul General Castro, Trustee Garry Tanuan, the Community Relations Department of the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB), and other Filipino Canadian Community members.

The virtual class visits to the schools that participated in Sentro Rizal Toronto’s Padayon Art Competition were opportunities to talk to the students about their paintings and Artist’s Statements, which were based on the theme “Paghilom at Pag-asa Mula sa Pandemya” (Healing and Hope from the Pandemic). The online visit was also a platform to share with the Filipino Canadian and mainstream Canadian students the 500-year rich heritage, culture and faith of the Philippines, to learn what the QJCP Proclamation and celebration is all about.

The following were the virtual class visits held in March 2021:

➢ 19 March 2021 (2:00 pm): Grade 7/8 Class of Ms. Julie D’Alelio, St. Paschal Baylon Catholic School;
➢ 22 March 2021 (12:30 pm – 1:40 pm): Grade 6 Class of Ms. Karen Reyes Tam, St. Paschal Baylon Catholic School;
➢ 22 March 2021 (2:00 pm – 3:00 pm): St. Columba Catholic School, Mr. John Pasia (first and only Filipino-Canadian Principal in TCDSB-run schools); and
➢ 24 March 2021, (2:00 pm): Five (5) classes, Grades 3 – 8 and the Special Education Class, Cardinal Leger School, Mr. Peter Fitzpatrick (Principal).

During one of the virtual class visits, the QJCP Virtual Commemoration video, which was live streamed on 16 March 2021, was re-shown. There was also a QJCP Jeopardy Game wherein questions about the Philippines and the historic 500 years celebration, as well as the Padayon Art Competition were asked. - END