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Consul General Orontes V. Castro during meeting with Her Honor Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario

Toronto, 4 February 2020 – The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto is pleased to inform that Consul General Orontes V. Castro called on The Honorable, Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell of Ontario in her office at the Legislative Building at Queens Park, Wellesley Street, Toronto, Ontario.

Consul General Castro expressed gratitude for the general well treatment of Overseas Filipinos in Canada, particularly those Filipinos within Post’s jurisdiction. Lieutenant Governor Dowdeswell replied that Canada is a welcoming country for migrants, including Filipinos. As an educator before her appointment as Lieutenant Governor in the Province of Ontario, she particularly expressed the importance of having written accounts on the vast experiences of peoples coming to Canada either to permanently settle as migrants or on temporary visit or stay such as students studying on several universities in Canada.

On the query of Lieutenant Governor Dowdeswell on the priorities of Mr. Castro as the new Philippine Consul General in Toronto, Consul General Castro informed her on the following priorities: quality education for young generation of Filipinos through collaborative programs and exchanges of students, faculty members and experts with leading educational institutions and government agencies in Canada such as the University of Toronto, York University, Guelph University, Ryerson University, Seneca University, the Toronto Catholic School Board (TSCB), etc.; protection of the rights and promotion of the welfare of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) (i.e., with the Philippine Labor Office in Toronto); expansion of trade and investment relations (i.e., with the Philippine Trade Office in Toronto); promotion of Philippine culture and heritage through various cultural activities; and enhancement of cultural links of Filipino-Canadians with their country of origin (Philippines), especially among the young generations of Fil-Canadians.

Consul General Castro signing the Guest Book at the Lieutenant Governor’s Office

Lieutenant Dowdeswell expressed the hope that all is well in the Philippines with the novel coronavirus that originated from Wuhan, China. Consul General Castro informed her that the Philippine Government has health protocols in place and adopted preventive measures against the spread of the disease in the country.

Honorable Dowdeswell was appointed Lieutenant Governor in 2014 and the third woman to serve the position. She is the viceregal representative of the Queen (Queen Elizabeth II) in Right of Ontario. She also served as the 3rd Executive Director (with the rank of Under-Secretary General) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, Kenya.

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02 January 2020 Toronto, Ontario - The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto attended two commemorative events of the 123rd Anniversary of the martyrdom of Dr. Jose Rizal in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Ontario on 30 December 2019. Consul Edwin Gil Mendoza and ATN Officer Dennis Escobedo attended these activities in the cities of Markham and Toronto.

The morning event in Markham was highlighted by the wreath-laying ceremony at the life-sized monument of Dr. Rizal at the Luneta Gardens in front of Rizal Avenue, Markham. Officials and members of the Markham Federation of Filipino Canadians led by Yolanda Ladines, President, organized the ceremony. Also in attendance were Sir Alex Chiu, former councillor of Markham City who spearheaded the project to put up the monument and Knight Commander of Rizal (KCR), and Sir Ignacio “Mogi” Mogado, KCR, Markham artist and creator of the bronze statue of Dr. Rizal. It was the first ever Rizal Day commemorative event held at the Luneta Gardens.

Another wreath-laying ceremony, organized by the Order of the Knights of Rizal (KOR) Canada Region, was held at the Dr. Rizal bust at Earl Bales Park in North York, Toronto in the afternoon. KOR Canada Regional Commander Sir Jose Damasco, KGOR, Consul Mendoza, representatives from Kababaihang Rizalista Inc. Toronto Chapter and Rizal Youth Organization (Canada Region) laid wreaths before Dr. Rizal’s bust.

A short program ensued at the nearby Earl Bales Community Center. During the event, Consul Mendoza, representing Consul General Orontes Castro, handed over certificates of appreciation to Sir Jose Damasco and Sir Delfin Palileo, KCR. KOR officials and guest speakers who played a huge role in the successful 6th KOR Canada Regional Assembly in Montreal, Quebec in September 2019 were also recognized during the program. -END

Consul Edwin Gil Mendoza (3rd from L, Front row) and ATN Officer Dennis Escobedo (1st from R, Back row) with former Councillor Alex Chiu (4th from L, Front row), Mogi Mogado (1st from R, Front row) and officials and members of the Markham Federation of Filipino Canadians, led by its President, Yolanda Ladines (2nd from R, Front row) at the Rizal Monument, Luneta Gardens, Markham City on 30 December 2019.

Sir Jose Damasco, KGOR, of the Knights of Rizal Canada Region, welcomes participants to the wreath-laying ceremony in front of the bust of Dr. Jose Rizal at Earl Bales Park, North York, Toronto on 30 December 2019.

Consul Mendoza during the short program at the Earl Bales Community Center Banquet Hall, North York, Toronto.

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The Philippine Consulate General’s consular section in Toronto will be open one Saturday every month for consular services. In February, the Consulate will be open on:

Saturday, 01 February, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon

In view of space limitations in the consular area, please note that we will use an appointment system for regular passport renewals only for the period 9:00 am – 12:00 noon. Please use the following link to book your passport appointment:

https://dfaincanada.com/tor/appointment/id/e55cf1e4-2b48-11ea-868a-06bcdb959938/overview

Persons with disabilities, senior citizens (persons 60 years old and above), pregnant women, children below 7 years old, and their immediate family members do not need to book an appointment. They will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.

For all other consular services, such as notarials, application for NBI clearances, and civil registrations, we will continue with the first-come first-served (walk-in) system, starting at 9:00 am. Before coming over, please refer to the following website to check if you have all the necessary requirements for your consular transactions:

http://philcongen-toronto.com

We look forward to serving you. Thank you

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