26 August 2015 - Philippine Ambassador to Canada Petronila P. Garcia and Philippine Consul General to Toronto Rosalita S. Prospero led the Philippine delegation in the celebration of Filipino culture, cuisine and entertainment during the second annual “Taste of Manila” held on August 22 and 23 at the Wilson and Bathurst area, the unofficial “Little Manila” of Toronto.  Former Philippine ambassadors Leslie Gatan and Clemencio Montesa were also on hand during the affair.  They were joined by Consul General Eric Gerardo Tamayo and Minister Counsellor and Consul Flerida Ann Camille Mayo of the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa, and Deputy Consul General J. Susana V. Paez, Consul Shirley E. Banquicio and Consul Bolivar L. Bao of the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto.

The Consulate General of the Philippines in Toronto maintained a booth throughout the event where tourism promotional materials and flyers on various consular services were made available to visitors.  The Social Security System also provided on-site services to our kababayans for the duration of the festival. 

The two-day celebration that occupied a 1.3 kilometer stretch of Bathurst Street drew in a record number of visitors and is now being touted as the biggest gathering of Filipinos in Canada for a street festival, with estimates by the Toronto City Government of well over 100,000 attendees that also included different nationalities.  Aside from Philippine officials, Canadian public figures also graced the event, including Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, Federal Senator Tobias Enverga, Canadian Finance Minister Joe Oliver, MP Mark Adler and MPPs John Carmichael and Laurie Scott.  Political hopefuls for the upcoming federal election in October, including Michael Levitt and Marco Mendicino, likewise took advantage of mammoth crowds to touch base with the electorate.

During their respective speeches, the guests unanimously extolled the contribution of Filipinos within Canada’s multicultural society. They also noted the growing number Filipinos settling in Canada and the positive impact of our compatriots in the country.

Toronto Mayor John Tory addressed the crowd with the heartening news that the process is under way at City Hall to rename the park in the Wilson/Bathurst section as “Manila City Park.” City Councilor James Pasternak, under whose ward the area belongs, was also there to support Mayor Tory’s announcement.

Taste of Manila was organized by the Philippine Cultural Community Centre with the support of the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto. END