PH Consulate General in Toronto Orients Filipino Immigrants

Representatives of the various agencies and volunteers involved in organizing the orientation session for Filipino immigrants pose for a souvenir photo. The orientation session was held at the Filipino Centre Toronto on 16 February 2019. (Toronto PCG photo)

TORONTO 26 February 2019 – The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto, together with Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), the Archdiocesan Filipino Catholic Mission, and Catholic Community Services of the York Region, conducted an orientation session for Filipino immigrants at the newly-minted Filipino Centre Toronto in Scarborough on 16 February 2019.

Deputy Consul General Bernadette Therese Fernandez and Consul Edna May G. Lazaro jointly delivered a presentation on consular services available at the Consulate General.

Deputy Consul General Fernandez emphasized the importance of reporting to the Consulate General vital events in the lives of Filipinos living abroad such as birth, marriage and death. Meanwhile, Consul Lazaro noted that the website of the Consulate General is a “treasure trove of information that Filipino immigrants may find useful in easing their settlement in Canada.”

Welfare Attaćhe and POLO Officer-in-Charge Maria Lourdes V. Reyes of provided a brief overview of the services being provided by the POLO, including the verification of labor contracts.

Social Security System (SSS) Representative Roberto “Bobby” Roldan discussed the services of the SSS that are available for overseas Filipinos, especially those who previously paid contributions to SSS.

Pag-IBIG Fund Representative Elizabeth Borres discussed the various ways by which overseas Filipinos can take out loans from Pag-IBIG, as well as secure their retirement by investing in the products offered by the agency.

Representatives of The Housing Help Centre (THHC) gave a presentation on how to access affordable and subsidized housing across the Greater Toronto Area and now it can provide financial assistance if a client is behind on his/her rent or utilities. THHC is a registered non-profit agency in Toronto whose mandate is to help people access and maintain affordable and safe market rent accommodation.

The Consulate General and the other organizers of the orientation session thanked the Filipino Centre for allowing the use of the Centre free of charge and hoped to collaborate on future projects for the benefit of the Filipino community in Toronto, which is home to the largest Filipino population in Canada. END

For more information, visit www.torontopcg.dfa.gov.ph, www.philcongen-toronto.com or https://www.facebook.com/PHinToronto/.