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PR 43-2020

19 Aug 2020 – PCG Toronto, under the leadership of Consul General Orontes Castro, participated in a virtual seminar entitled “Open Work Permit for Vulnerable Workers in Canada” organized by POLO Toronto on 15 August 2020. Atty. Buenos Aires Rivera, a Filipino-Canadian regulated immigration consultant who also holds a license with the Law Society of Ontario, was the speaker of the event. Other participants included officials of OWWA Toronto and some OFWs.

Labor Officer Rachel Zozobrado-Nagayo welcomed the participants and stated that it is important to recognize and understand the issues and laws affecting vulnerable workers in Canada.

Consul General Castro, in his remarks, acknowledged the important work of POLO-Toronto in providing assistance to OFWs in Ontario. He stated that Canada has become one of the primary destinations of Filipino immigrants, workers and students, and the seminar would greatly help vulnerable OFWs, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Atty. Rivera discussed extensively the issues on open work permit for vulnerable workers in Canada, including the objectives for the issuance of such work permit by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the fact that it provides foreign workers the opportunity to leave their abusive employers and search for new jobs. She also covered the kinds of abuses that migrant workers may experience in workplaces and the exploitations they may experience in the context of COVID-19. A description of how foreign workers can file their complaints with the IIRCC was also presented.

OWWA Toronto Welfare Officer Maria Lourdes Reyes, in her concluding remarks, thanked Atty. Rivera for her informative presentation and pointed out that migrant workers have to be aware of their rights and responsibilities in Canada. -END

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PR-40-2020

10 Aug 2020 – PCG Toronto officials and staff, led by Consul General Orontes Castro, partnered with the Filipino-Canadian Community House, led by its President, Maria Guiao, to hold an online Seminar on Money Management and Budgeting on 6 August 2020. Ms. Elena Jara, Director of Education, Credit Canada Debt Solutions Inc., was the Resource Speaker for the event. The other participants of the online seminar conducted via ZOOM were POLO Toronto officials and staff, Pag-Ibig Representative Elizabeth Borres and members of the Filipino Community.
Ms. Guiao welcomed the participants and emphasized that the seminar is very useful for everyone as it is applicable for personal purposes and in the workplace. Consul General Castro, in his remarks, thanked the participants for joining the seminar and stated that the event is very timely considering the difficulties faced by everyone due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the relevant advice that can be gathered by the participants on the efficient use of resources.
Ms. Jara’s discussion covered the importance of understanding a Credit Report and the factors underlying the credit scores such as Payment History, Credit Utilization, Length of History, Account Mix and Inquiries. She stated that during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, lending institutions allowed borrowers to defer payments on loans but their credit utilization still remained high. She also discussed the importance of securing credit cards or loans that charge low interest rates as this would effectively help consumers minimize their future payments. The seminar also covered important financial information that would be very helpful for newcomers to Canada. -END

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PR 41-2020

13 August 2020, Toronto, Ontario – On 10 August 2020, during its flag-raising ceremony, the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto participated in the commemoration of the 53rd Anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which marks the signing of the ASEAN Declaration on 08 August 1967.
Consul General Orontes V. Castro led the celebration by reading the message of Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
The ASEAN theme under Viet Nam’s chairmanship this year is “A Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN”. The theme reflects the spirit of “Thinking as a Community, Acting as a Community”, in response to the current and future challenges and opportunities.
Below are some photos taken during the activity.

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PR 39-2020

7 Aug 2020 – The Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) Toronto, under the leadership of Labor Officer Rachel Zozobrado-Nagayo, has extended assistance to OFWs who were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in recent months and residing under POLO Toronto’s jurisdiction. To date, POLO Toronto has provided a one-time financial assistance under the DOLE-AKAP scheme to 644 qualified OFWs.

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Toronto has also distributed medical assistance to OFWs who contracted COVID-19 and groceries to OFWs who sought help in recent months. PCG Toronto assisted in the distribution of some of these groceries. -END