PH Consul General to Toronto Calls on Lieutenant Governor of Ontario

Consul General to Toronto Orontes V. Castro (in black suit) during the meeting with Ontario Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell (in blue attire). (Toronto PCG photo)

TORONTO 10 February 2020 — Philippine Consul General to Toronto Orontes V. Castro called on Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell of Ontario in her office at the Legislative Building at Queens Park, Wellesley Street, Toronto, Ontario on 04 February 2020.

Consul General Castro expressed gratitude for the general well treatment of overseas Filipinos in Canada, particularly those Filipinos within the Consulate General’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.

Consul General Castro, as the new Philippine Consul General in Toronto, informed Lieutenant Governor Dowdeswell on his 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), and so on; 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.

Lieutenant Governor Dowdeswell was appointed 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 third Executive Director (with the rank of Under-Secretary-General) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, Kenya. END

Consul General to Toronto Orontes V. Castro signs the Guest Book at the Lieutenant Governor’s Office. (Toronto PCG photo)

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