PH Consulate General’s Sentro Rizal Toronto Honors TCDSB Officials Behind Proclamation of Filipino Heritage Day, Filipino Heritage Month in Toronto Catholic Schools

One of the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) officials, TCDSB Director of Education Rory McGuckin (left), instrumental in the approval and signing of the Proclamation of Filipino Heritage Day and Filipino Heritage Month, receives his awards from Philippine Consul General Orontes V. Castro (right).  (Toronto PCG photo)

TORONTO 21 July 2020 – The Philippine Consulate General’s Sentro Rizal Toronto, led by Philippine Consul General Orontes Castro, paid tribute to three Canadian officials who were the signatories of the Proclamation of Filipino Heritage Day and Filipino Month in the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) on 20 July 2020. 

Consul General Castro presented certificates of citation to TCDSB Director of Education Rory McGuckin, TCDSB Chair Barbara Poplowski, and TCDSB Trustee for Ward 8 Garry Tanuan.  Said TCDSB Officials played critical and significant roles in shepherding the approval and signing of the said Proclamation on 12 June 2018. Mr. Tanuan, in particular, is a Filipino-Canadian who has been a Trustee of the TCDSB for eight years now.  

In his remarks, Consul General Castro emphasized that the Proclamation is a legacy of TCDSB to all the Filipinos and Filipino-Canadians in Toronto, especially the youth. Ms. Poplawski has already retired from the Board, while Mr. McGuckin is due to retire as well later this year. The officials were very thankful for the appreciation accorded to them by the Consulate General, which was actually the first they received from the various ethnic communities represented in all the Catholic schools in Toronto.

The three TCDSB officials surprised Consul General Castro by presenting a plaque of appreciation for the latter’s initiatives of reaching out to the Filipino-Canadian community and with the TCDSB, even though he has been in Toronto for barely 10 months. 

The event ended with the Consulate General and the TCDSB looking forward to more projects of mutual interest.

Also in attendance at the event were Deputy Consul General Edna May Lazaro and Cultural Officer Cecilia Santos. END

The Toronto Catholic District School Board officials, instrumental in the approval and signing of the Proclamation of Filipino Heritage Day and Filipino Heritage Month, receive their awards from Philippine Consul General Orontes V. Castro. Left photo: Consul General Orontes (right) with TCDSB Chair Barbara Poplawski (left). Right photo: Consul General Orontes (right) with TCDSB Trustee for Ward 8 Mr. Garry Tanuan (left), a Filipino-Canadian. (Toronto PCG photo)

From left: The awardees, Mr. Garry Tanuan, Ms. Barbara Poplawski, and Mr. Rory McGuckin, pose with their individual Citations and beside the original Proclamation (displayed in easel). (Toronto PCG photo)

Philippine Consul General Castro (rightmost) with the awardees and Deputy Consul General Edna May G. Lazaro (second from left) and Cultural Officer Cecilia D. Santos (leftmost). (Toronto PCG photo))

Philippine Consul General Orontes V. Castro (rightmost) receive with much appreciation the plaque presented by Mr. Rory McGuckin (rightmost) and Mr. Garry Tanuan of the Toronto Catholic District School Board (2nd from left) on 17 July 2020 (Toronto PCG photo).

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