PH Consul General Visits Lethbridge

Consul General Zaldy Patron (left) with Lethbridge Mayor Chris Spearman. (Calgary PE photo)

CALGARY 04 October 2019 – Consul General to Calgary Zaldy Patron visited Lethbridge, Alberta, on 13 September 2019 to check on the conditions of the city’s Filipino residents, explore possible cooperation in the areas of education and trade, and promote Philippine tourism.

In his visit, Consul General Patron called on Lethbridge Mayor Chris Spearman and inquired about the situation of the Filipinos in the city and thanked the Mayor for the various social services the town provides to the Filipinos living there. 

Mayor Spearman had high praises for the “hard-working, friendly, always smiling” Filipinos. He said that most Filipinos in Lethbridge are professionals, such as teachers, engineers, real estate agents, priests, and they are integrated well into Canadian society.

Consul General Patron and Mayor Spearman also discussed promoting trade between the Philippines and Lethbridge.

Consul General Patron also visited the University of Lethbridge (U of L) and met with its President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Michael Mahon and other university officials. They discussed possible education cooperation between U of L and Philippine education institutions. 

In U of L, Consul General Patron met with some of the university’s 67 Filipino students and with Dr. Glenda Bonifacio, a Filipino-Canadian Associate Professor at the U of L’s Women and Gender Studies. Dr. Bonifacio authored the book titled “Pinay on the Prairies: Filipino Women and Transnational Identities.”

 Consul General Patron was among the university’s guests on 13 September at the inauguration of the U of L’s Science Commons Atrium building, a CAD280-million building that houses state-of-the-art research equipment and facilities.

The Consul General also took the chance to launch in Lethbridge the Winter Escapade 7, a travel tour taking place in Manila, Bataan, Pampanga, and Boracay in the Philippines on 15-22 January 2020. More information about Winter Escapade may be found at www.winterescapadeph.com. END

Consul General Patron (fifth from left), University of Lethbridge (U of L) President Dr. Mike Mahon (fourth from right), Philippine Consulate General in Calgary Consul Pamela Durian-Bailon (third from right), U of L Associate Professor Dr. Glenda Bonifacio (fourth from left), and the other university officials. (Calgary PE photo)

Consul General Patron (third from right), Consul Durian-Bailon (extreme left), Dr. Bonifacio and the Filipino students of U of L. (Calgary PE photo)

For more information, visit https://www.calgarypcg.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHinCalgary/.