Mayor of Jasper, Alberta Cites Positive Contributions of Filipinos

Philippine Consul General to Calgary B. Zaldy Patron (left) and Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland (right) during their meeting on 31 July 2020. (Calgary PCG photo)

CALGARY 10 August  2020 – Mayor Richard Ireland of Jasper, Alberta, conveyed to Philippine Consul General to Calgary Zaldy B. Patron his appreciation for the Filipinos in Jasper during the latter’s courtesy call on him on 31 July 2020.

Jasper, a town of 5,000 people, is the commercial center of Jasper National Park in the Province of Alberta, Canada. Each year, the town is visited by about two million Canadian and foreign tourists.

Consul General Patron introduced to Mayor Ireland the Philippine Consulate General in Calgary and its consular services for the Filipinos. Consul General Patron indicated to Mayor Ireland the Consulate General’s interest and readiness to work with his office to promote the welfare of the Filipinos in Jasper.

According to the association Jasper Filipino-Canadian Community, there are about 350 individual Filipino residents in Jasper, 204 of whom are working adults.

Mayor Ireland, the first Mayor of Jasper, told Consul General Patron that he was grateful for the contributions of the Filipino workers in Jasper because most of them work in the tourism industry, which is the backbone of Jasper’s economy. According to the Mayor, he has supported every opportunity to increase the number of Filipino temporary foreign workers, whom he described as industrious and hard working, in Jasper.  Mayor Ireland also commented most favorably on the Filipino community’s positive contributions to Jasper’s cultural vibrancy. 

Joining the meeting of the Consul General and the Mayor were Mr. & Mrs. Facundo and Roberta Tio-Tio, one of the longest Filipino-Canadian permanent settlers in Jasper. Mrs. Tio-Tio came to Jasper 27 years ago, followed by her husband five years later. They were originally from Benguet Province, Philippines.

While in Jasper, Consul General Patron also briefed some members of the Jasper Filipino-Canadian Community about the Consulate General’s consular services and the health protocols currently in place in the Consulate General to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.  END

Pilippine Consul General to Cagary Zaldy B. Patron (middle) together with Mrs. Roberta Tio-Tio (left) and Mr. Facundo Tio-Tio (right), who migrated from Benguet Province, Philippines to Jasper, Alberta more than 20 years ago. (Calgary PCG photo)

Philippine Consul General to Calgary Zaldy B. Patron explains to the members of the Jasper Filipino-Canadian Community the Consulate General’s consular services and current health protocols. (Calgary PCG photo)