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TORONTO CONSULATE GENERAL, MIGRANT WORKERS OFFICE JOIN HEALTH AND INFORMATION FAIR IN LEAMINGTON, ONTARIO

MWO-Toronto rendering assistance to Filipino workers during the Leamington Health and Information Fair

14 April 2024 – The Philippine Consulate General and the Migrant Workers Office (MWO)-Toronto participated in the 2024 Health and Information Fair organized by the Migrant Worker Community Program (MWCP) held at the Roma Club in Leamington, Ontario on 14 April 2024. The MWCP is a non-profit organization funded in part by the government of Canada and aimed at assisting temporary and seasonal workers working in the agricultural sector.

The Health and Information Fair is a “one-stop-shop” event for migrant workers based in Leamington and other municipalities in and around Essex County, Ontario. Called the “Tomato Capital of Canada”, Leamington has the largest concentration of commercial greenhouses in North America. These greenhouses have hired many Filipino agricultural workers, who welcome the regular outreach missions from the Consulate General and MWO – Toronto.

This year’s fair had more than 20 participating organizations. Free services included mental health support, blood pressure test, glucose screenings for diabetes, vaccines, dental screenings, and x-rays; along with connections to legal, income tax, and occupational health and safety supports. More than 500 workers from the Latino, Caribbean and Filipino migrant and temporary worker communities availed of the services.

In his remarks, Deputy Consul General Kerwin Orville Tate reiterated the Philippine government’s commitment to support Filipino working overseas. He emphasized the importance of health and well-being especially for workers engaged in physical labor. The team from MWO-Toronto led by Welfare Officer Benny Reyes registered newly-arrived Filipino workers and rendered assistance to workers with various concerns. END

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PHILIPPINE CONSULATE GENERAL IN TORONTO SUPPORTS KAINAN NA POP-UP AT SQUARE ONE, MISSISSAUGA

Consul General Angelica Escalona with the members of Kainan Na in front of their pop-up at The District inside Square One Shopping Centre in Mississauga

12 April 2024 – Consul General Angelica Escalona, Consul Grace Villamayor and Cultural Officer Maricel Samonte of the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto visited the Filipino food and desserts pop-up of Kainan Na at The Food District, Square One Shopping Centre in Mississauga. Kainan Na is a non-profit composed of Filipino-owned food vendors that aims to help members grow their business through strength in numbers.

In celebration of the 75th anniversary of Philippine-Canada relations, Kainan Na’s food pop-up offered an exclusive menu of Filipino dishes and snacks with a Canadian twist such as adobo burger, sisig poutine, bibingka with bacon and maple syrup, a sari-sari charcuterie that includes Canadian maple smoked bison and longanisa, as well as a Filipino high tea.

The Kainan Food pop-up was open from 5 to 14 April 2024. According to Janet Lim, Founding Director of Kainan Na, “We enjoyed brisk sales. There were times when the lines were very long. We’re happy to see non-Filipinos enjoy Filipino food. Around 40 percent of our clients were non-Filipinos. Our best sellers include the Filipino High Tea, halo-halo flambe and sisig poutine.” END

Consul General Angelica Escalona going through Kainan Na’s wide selection of Filipino baked goodies, preserves and kakanin displayed at the pop-up at The District in Square One Consul General Angelica Escalona with Kainan Na’s Janet Lim and Consul Grace Villamayor in front of Kainan Na’s Filipino High Tea, which consists of choice of tea served with traditional Filipino sweet and savory delicacies with a touch of Canadian flavor such as Canadian whisky ube truffle and 3-bite pistashew sansrival bomb  

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SINE INSTITUTE HOLDS INAUGURAL SINE FILM FEST AND EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS IN TORONTO

Movie fans at a film screening during Sine Institute’s inaugural Sine Film Festival (Photos courtesy of Ms. Rosary Escaño and Ms. Baby K Jimenez)

14 April 2024 – Following its launch in September 2023, the non-profit Sine Institute successfully held its inaugural Sine Film Fest on 12-14 April 2024 at the Hotel X in Toronto. The Sine Film Fest aims to showcase Filipino talents in film, bringing to Toronto 10 feature films and seven short films including acclaimed movies such as GomBurZa, TOPAKK and Hello, Love, Goodbye.

Also included at the Sine Film Fest were free educational workshops on film development, production and acting hosted by the Toronto Film School and a 48-hour Sine Challenge open to participants of Filipino descent who can create their own film within the limited time frame.

The Filipino community as well as personnel of the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto fully supported the event.

Consul General Angelica Escalona, who attended the Sine Film Fest Power Gala on 14 April, said, “This year, the Philippines and Canada are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations. Our relationship is anchored on people-to-people linkages, and events like this make our ties stronger. Films are a way to bring people together. It makes us feel connected and understood, even if we come from different cultures”. (END)

Consul General Angelica C. Escalona and the members of the Filipino community at the Sine Institute’s Power Gala Sine Institute’s Ms. Rosary Escaño, Ms. Agnes Miranda, Ms. Felicitas “Baby K” Jimenez and Mr. Michaelangelo Masangkay The red carpet for the guests at the Power Gala 

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AMBASSADOR AUSTRIA MEETS WITH MANITOBA OFFICIALS, DISCUSS OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew with Philippine Ambassador to Canada Maria Andrelita S. Austria (photo courtesy of Province of Manitoba)

08 April 2024, Winnipeg - Philippine Ambassador to Canada Maria Andrelita S. Austria met with Manitoba officials as part of her official visit to the province.

The Ambassador met Premier Wab Kinew and Minister of Immigration and Labor Malaya Marcelino at the Manitoba Legislative Assembly Building.

Ambassador Austria conveyed the Philippine government’s gratitude for the hospitality given to Filipinos by the Province of Manitoba. In turn, Premier Kinew acknowledged the contribution of Filipinos to the province. “The community is very important to our government,” he emphasized. The Premier and Minister Marcelino conveyed willingness to work with the Philippine government on the matter of foreign credentials recognition of Filipino nurses who are already in the province.

Ambassador Austria and Premier Kinew discussed the possibility of establishing direct flights to the Philippines as well as the upcoming Team Canada Trade Mission to the Philippines. The Premier conveyed his intention to visit the Philippines in the near future.

The Ambassador also had separate meetings with Lieutenant Governor Anita R. Neville and Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham. The Ambassador discussed the Filipino diaspora in Manitoba and the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Canada this year. As Manila and Winnipeg are sister cities, the Ambassador and Mayor Gillingham talked about ways to reinvigorate the sister city relationship.

Ambassador Austria was accompanied by Consul General Angelica Escalona, Deputy Head of Mission Myca Magnolia Fischer, Consul Rodney Jonas Sumague and Honorary Consul Ronaldo Opina during the meetings. END

Mayor Scott Gillingham and Ambassador Austria during their meeting at the Winnipeg City Hall (Left to right) Consul Rodney Jonas Sumague, Deputy Head of Mission Myca Magnolia Fischer, Consul General Angelica Escalona, Ambassador Austria, Lieutenant Governor Anita Neville and Honorary Consul Ronaldo Opina. (Left to right) Honorary Consul Opina, Consul General Escalona, Ambassador Austria, Minister Malaya Marcelino and Premier Kinew