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PR-56-2020

30 September 2020, Toronto, Ontario – The Officers and Staff of the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto attended on 25 September 2020 the “Information Webinar on the Newly created Overseas Filipino Bank (OFBank) and Financial Literacy”, which it organized with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), in partnership with the Landbank of the Philippines and Overseas Filipino Bank (OFBank).

Ms. Leila C. Martin, President and CEO of OFBank, was the Resource Speaker of the webinar. Ms. Felisa Rosales and Mr. Emman Valdez also gave their presentations on Saving with Landbank of the Philippines and Opening of OFBank Accounts, respectively.  

The webinar discussed about the benefits of saving for the future, managing debt, diversifying one’s income, and creating long-term financial goals, as well as the advantages and detailed procedures of opening an OFBank account via the digital platform.

The Philippine Postal Savings Bank, now the Overseas Filipino Bank, became a wholly-owned and fully controlled subsidiary of the Landbank of the Philippines, pursuant to Executive Order No. 44, which was signed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte in September 2017, to  cater to the banking needs of Overseas Filipinos (OFs), Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their beneficiaries. The OFBank was re-launched as the first branchless and digital only Philippine government bank.  It has continued to date its mandate of servicing the banking and financing requirements of overseas Filipinos.

Consul General Orontes V. Castro thanked Labor Attaché Atty. Rachel P. Zozobrado-Nagayo and Welfare Officer Ma. Lourdes V. Reyes and the personnel of POLO-Toronto for organizing the very informative webinar with the Landbank and OFBank. He also thanked Ms. Leila C. Martin, Ms. Felisa Rosales, and Mr. Emman Valdez for sharing invaluable information on the newly created bank for Overseas Filipinos (OFs) and to those who attended the webinar, including the personnel of the Philippine Consulate General.

Among the speakers were: OFBank President &CEO Leila C. Martin (leftmost), Consul General Orontes V. Castro (middle), and Labor Attaché Atty. Rachel Zozobrado-Nagayo (rightmost). - END

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PR 54-2020

29 Sept. 2020 – The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto held its first Saturday Consular Services headed by Consul Edwin Gil Q. Mendoza on 05 September 2020 at the consulate premises from 9:00 AM- 12:00 PM. Due to Ontario’s current regulations on physical distancing and the limited space of the consular area, only applicants with verified appointments were accommodated.

A total of 39 passports were processed, 36 documents were notarized, and 1 document was authenticated, for a total of 66 consular services rendered. - END

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PR 55-2020

29 September 2020, Toronto, Ontario – The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto participated at the second annual “Hackathon for Science Education” on 27 September 2020, organized by Pueblo Science. The Hackathon was held for two (2) weekends, 19-20 and 26-27 September 2020, bringing together one hundred (100) innovative university students with professionals as mentors, scientists, engineers, and educators, to create hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) projects and activities that will be used for Pueblo Science’s sustainability-themed camps and training programs in the Philippines in 2021.

According to Pueblo Science, the event’s objective is to provide a fun and engaging opportunity for professionals and students to become leaders, builders, and innovators, as well as to make an impact on education around the world.  The prototype kits developed during the hackathon will enable teachers in the Philippines to introduce hands-on science and engineering experiences into their classrooms and improve their students’ attitudes towards STEM learning, concept uptake and problem solving.  The specific challenge for the participating groups of 3-5 students is to create STEM activities that address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) to teach aspects of science and engineering covered in the high school curriculum in the Philippines.  The activity kits developed must also be made-up of low-cost materials easily available in the Philippines.

The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto attended the last weekend where participating groups presented their final pitches before a panel of judges who were experts in the field.  There were four (4) Pitch Judges namely, Dr. Alice Herrera, Ms. Ruby Sullan, Ms. Isi Caulder, and Ms. Lisa Cole.  Dr. Herrera is a Sustainable Energy Management professional with over thirty (30) years of experience in sustainable energy and conservation demand management and is the President of the Energy Efficiency Practitioners Association of the Philippines, Inc.  Ms. Sullan is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto in the Departments of Physical & Environmental Sciences and Chemistry.  Ms. Caulder is a partner, lawyer and patent agent with Bereskin & Parr in Toronto and a co-leader of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) practice group, and the leader of the Cleantech practice group.  Lastly, Ms. Cole is the Director of Programming of the K21 Academy of the Lassonde School of Engineering at York University, a system leader in STEM Education, and committed to public education.

Consul General Orontes V. Castro, in his message at the Closing Ceremony of the Hackathon, congratulated, thanked, and conveyed his best wishes to the organizers and participating students of the event, especially Dr. Mayrose Salvador, for working hard for the Philippines and its people. He also said that the event is a welcome activity for the young scientists during this trying times brought about by the pandemic and refreshed and revitalized their minds. He also expressed the hope that the output in the event can be used in reaching out to young students in countries like the Philippines.

Dr. Mayrose Salvador, Executive Director of Pueblo Science, also congratulated the group that participated saying, “all efforts will be appreciated by the teachers and students where Pueblo Science currently have programs, the Philippines, Guyana, Jamaica, and Canada. Your projects will help deliver Pueblo Science’s mission to reduce poverty by advancing education and enabling innovation in low-resource communities. Hopefully by 2022, when the pandemic is over, we will be able to resume our in-person programs, training teachers in remote countries around the world.” She also thanked the organizing team led by Pueblo Science volunteer Ms. Anji Zhang, all the super mentors, mentors, judges, and sponsors.

Dr. Calvin Cheng, President of Pueblo Science and CTO and Co-founder of Edgehog Advance Technology, congratulated and announced the winners.  The two (2) top winners were the projects on: (1) Quake No More, and (2) Keep the Sea Plastic-Free.  The runner-up project is entitled “Asymptomatic Disease Transmission Demo via Acid-base Chemistry”.

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TORONTO CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD (TCDSB) APPROVES THE PROCLAMATION CELEBRATING THE QUINCENTENNIAL JUBILEE OF CHRISTIANITY IN THE PHILIPPINES IN ALL SCHOOLS AT THE TCDSB

PR 52-2020

18 September 2020 Toronto, Ontario – The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto and members of the Filipino-Canadian community, led by Consul General Orontes Castro, attended as delegates, the Regular Board Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) held on 17 September 2020 at 7:15 pm (EST). The board meeting was done virtually due to restrictions in place amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

 Agenda 17.d of the Board Meeting was the “Consideration of Motion from Trustee Tanuan regarding Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) Proclamation of the Quincentennial Jubilee Celebration of Christianity in the Philippines”.  Mr. Garry Tanuan is a Filipino Canadian elected Trustee at the TCDSB.   Post has been in close coordination with Trustee Tanuan regarding the Proclamation, which was actively supported by the Filipino-Canadian Community in Toronto.

The TCDSB has approximately 92,000 total students in the system, with 1 in 3 of the total students being Filipino-Canadians or of Filipino descent.  TCDSB administers 201 elementary and secondary schools in the City of Toronto.

MOVED BY: Garry Tanuan, Toronto Catholic District School Board

WHEREAS: The Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) proclaimed and celebrates June 12 as Filipino Heritage Day and June as Filipino Heritage Month in the TCDSB annually, with elementary and secondary schools encouraged to mark the auspicious Filipino Heritage Day with their own in-school celebrations through various educational, cultural, and religious activities throughout the Board;

WHEREAS: The year 2021 marks a milestone in the history, cultural, and religious identity of the Filipino diaspora in Canada with the celebration of the 500th Anniversary of the Arrival of Christianity in the Philippines, as well as the 123rd Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence in 1898, the proclamation of the month of June as Filipino Heritage Month by the Toronto City Council on November 8, 2017, and the proclamation of the month of June as Filipino Heritage Month across Canada by the Parliament of Canada, on October 30, 2018;

WHEREAS: The Philippines’ rich cultural heritage and vibrant devoted passion for our Catholic faith greatly enhances the TCDSB’s mission and vision which would encourage and engage our Catholic schools, especially those with plans to offer in-school events during the June Filipino Heritage Month and throughout the year;

WHEREAS: The Consul General of the Philippines in Toronto, Consul General Orontes V. Castro has requested on August 17, 2020 that the 500th Anniversary (Quincentennial Jubilee) of the Arrival of Christianity in the Philippines, be celebrated at the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) which was received and approved by the Board on August 20, 2020; and

WHEREAS: This will be a unique Once-in-a-Lifetime opportunity to highlight the importance of the commemoration and celebration of the Quincentenary Jubilee of Christianity in the Philippines during TCDSB’s celebration of Filipino Heritage Day on June 12, 2021, and Filipino Heritage Month in June 2021; where milestone events and activities will be made to encourage the active participation of young Filipino-Canadians in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The TCDSB hereby proclaims to centrally and locally celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the Arrival of Christianity in the Philippines, alongside and highlighting its celebration of June 12 as Filipino Heritage Day and June as Filipino Heritage Month at the TCDSB in 2021, with all our elementary and secondary schools encouraged to mark the auspicious Quincentenary Jubilee of Christianity in the Philippines (QJCP) and Filipino Heritage Day/Month with their own in-school celebrations through various educational, cultural, and religious activities throughout the Board;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT: The TCDSB, hereby proclaims the year-long celebration of the Quincentenary Jubilee of Christianity in the Philippines (QJCP) in close collaboration with the Philippine Consul General’s office in Toronto, Archdiocese of Toronto, Toronto Organizing Committee - 500th Year of Christianity in the Philippines and Catholic community stakeholders for school year 2020-2021 commencing from the PH500 Quincentenary Jubilee Art Exhibit launch in October 2020 at the Catholic Education Centre, thence followed by a couple of historic landmark events in March/April 2021, key associated activities accentuating the celebration of the Filipino Heritage Day on June 12 and Filipino Heritage Month in June 2021; and culminating in a Catholic Community Jubilee Mass by His Eminence Thomas Cardinal Collins to highlight the Closing Celebration in August 2021; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT: TCDSB immediately establish a Quincentenary Jubilee of Christianity in the Philippines (QJCP) Task Force to appropriately manage and coordinate the key events and activities marking the 500th Anniversary of Catholicity celebrations and to further nurture, embrace, and commemorate our shared Catholic Faith and devotion amongst the faithful in our diverse ethnic Catholic communities across the GTA. The TCDSB QJC Task Force will be composed of a Trustee, Director/designated senior Staff Superintendent, Lead Community Relations Coordinator, Student leaders, Filipino-Canadian Advisory Committee & Parents/Teachers/Faculty/Staff Association representatives, Philippine Consul General, Toronto Archdiocese, Parish & GTA School Board Trustees/Representatives, and other prominent leaders of various Catholic communities.

Garry Tanuan, Trustee Ward 8

After much deliberation of the Board and some minor revisions in the Proclamation, the Board adopted the Motion approving the Proclamation of the TCDSB Quincentennial Jubilee Celebration of Christianity in the Philippines. This is the first act by a foreign government or its agency recognizing the Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines.
It is likewise significant to note that the Board of Trustees unanimously approved the final draft of the Proclamation extending by one (1) month the Quincentennial Jubilee celebration within the TCDSB in the City of Toronto, from August to September 2021.

Post’s initiative for the passage of a Proclamation celebrating the Quincentenary Jubilee of the Arrival of Christianity in the Philippines in the Toronto, coupled with the strong support from the Filipino community and the Filipino-Canadian elected leaders, were essential in the approval of the Motion submitted by Trustee Tanuan at the TCDSB. Consul General Castro joined the Filipino community delegation received by the Board to speak at the meeting, in support of the passing of the motion. The delegates individually expressed their appreciation for the valuable opportunity to speak before the Board of Trustees, as well as their commitment of support for the Proclamation. Consul General Castro also presented during the meeting his officers to the Board of Trustees: Deputy Consul General Edna May Grecia-Lazaro, Consul Edwin Gil Q. Mendoza, Consul Mary Grace V. Villamayor, and Cultural Officer Cecilia D. Santos.
The proclamation was approved despite the pressure to the TCDSB two (2) days after the opening of classes on 15 September 2020.

The Consulate General and Trustee Luz del Rosario from the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board (DPCDSB) are closely working towards the passage of a similar motion in schools under the DPCDSB in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

The religious component of the celebrations in Toronto of the Quincentennial Jubilee of the Arrival of Christianity in the Philippines is headed by Reverend Father Sherwin Holandez, Pastor of the Our Lady of the Assumption (OLA) Parish. Father Holandez was appointed as head of the Toronto Organizing Committee-Quincentenary Jubilee of Christianity in the Philippines by His Eminence, Thomas Christopher Cardinal Collins of the Archdiocese of Toronto.

Post’s Sentro Rizal Toronto will be organizing an Art Competition that is open to all elementary and high school students, with the TCDSB main office as the proposed venue for the launching and declaration of winners. Entries to be received from the art competition will be exhibited in 2021 in one of the events moving up to the Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines in 2021.
The Philippine Consulate General of Toronto is calling on the Filipino community to strongly support the various activities celebrating the 500 years (Quincentennial) Commemorations in the Philippines to be held until next year.