29 December 2014 – Philippine Ambassador Petronila P. Garcia paid courtesy calls on various Parliament Secretaries to Key Cabinet Ministers of the Federal Government of Canada to exchange views on issues of mutual interest.
As a liaison between the Minister and Parliament and the government caucus, the Parliamentary Secretary plays a key role in parliamentary committees that are responsible for the issues relating to the oversight department.
On separate occasions, Ambassador Garcia called on Scott Armstrong, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment and Social Development Jason Kenney; Deepak Obhrai, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird; Paul Calandra, Parliament Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister for Intergovernmental Affairs; Jame Bezan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defense Rob Nicholson; and Andrew Saxton, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance Joe Oliver and Co-Chair of the Canada-Philippine Inter-Parliamentary Group.
Ambassador Garcia also had opportunities to meet Parliamentary Secretary Mark Adler, whose riding would have the highest concentration of Filipino-Canadians and Parliamentary Secretary Randy Kamp, who spent several years in the Philippines helping preserve the minority languages in the country.
In her meetings with the various Parliamentary Secretaries, the overwhelming consensus emerged regarding the overwhelmingly positive role now being played by Filipino migrants in Canadian society, and the Filipino ethnic community numbering over 662,600-strong, and how they have become active stakeholders of the country.
In all her meetings, Ambassador Garcia expressed deep gratitude for Canada’s response and assistance concerning Typhoon Haiyan as she also provided updates on how the Philippines is undertaking an earnest effort to build back better and faster.
The Parliamentary Secretaries each welcomed Ambassador Garcia to Canada and said that they look forward to working together in enhancing bilateral relations.
Bilateral relations between the Philippines and Canada are now at unprecedented levels, with Canada designating the Philippines as a Country of Focus for development cooperation, and as a priority emerging market for trade and investment. Canada has also retained the Philippines as a beneficiary country under it for General Preferential Tariff regime. Trade in merchandise and service between the two countries rose by 13.2% in 2013.
In November, both countries undertook the second round of meetings under its Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation, a platform for furthering relations under an agreement signed in 2012. END