07 July 2015 - Philippine Ambassador to Canada Petronila Garcia was in Toronto on June 27 to attend the “Fiesta ng Kalayaan 2015” organized jointly by Culture Philippines of Ontario, Fiesta Filipina Dance Troupe, Kalayaan Culture Community Centre and Kalayaan Filipino Cultural Organization at Mississauga Celebration Center and the “Pinoy Fiesta and Trade Show 2015” organized by the Philippine-Canada Charity Foundation (PCCF) at the Metro Convention Center.
In her remarks at both events, Ambassador Garcia highlighted the strength and growth of the Philippine economy which is no longer “the sick man of Asia” but is now “Asia’s bright spot.” Ambassador Garcia shared other good news about the Philippines, among others, the country’s improved global ratings in good governance, its battle against corruption, improved investment grade ratings and being on top of Bloomberg’s “All Stars of the Global Economy for 2015,” second only to China. All of these gains, the Ambassador said, translate into 1.04 million jobs for Filipinos for the period January 2014 to 2015.
Ambassador Garcia also mentioned the recent State Visit to Canada of President Benigno S. Aquino III, which further invigorated the bilateral cooperation and the bonds of friendship between the Philippines and Canada, underlined by strong people-to-people contacts and the growing presence of the Filipino diaspora in Canada.
The Ambassador also said that Filipinos and Canadians are “soulmates,” as the Filipino-Canadian identity brings the best of both worlds: sharing with his adoptive country the best of Filipino values while absorbing the finest Canadian traits, too. The Ambassador also cited the growing Filipino food movement in North America. The same positive market reception, she said, is being experienced by some Filipino restaurants in the Greater Toronto Area.
In her closing remarks, Ambassador Garcia called on Filipinos to continue supporting the country’s transformation by registering as overseas voters and participating in the “Winter Escapade” scheduled from February 1 to 10, 2016. END