Fil-Canadians want consular office in Alberta

By Marjorie Carmona Newman, ABS-CBN Canada


CANADA – Filipino members of Migrante gathered in Edmonton and Calgary to once again urge the Philippine government to set up a consular office in Alberta.
About 5,000 signatures from kababayans have been gathered since the petition started in August 2013.
Several Filipino associations in Alberta have also supported Migrante's petition.
"It is important that people sign the petition for a consular office here in Edmonton or in Calgary or somewhere in Alberta because we have a lot of temporary foreign workers who are here and they need to renew their visas," said Marilde Kane, president of the Filipino Support Services Society in Edmonton.
Migrante Alberta said their petition has reached the Department of Foreign Affairs in the Philippines.
The DFA is currently studying the proposal.
"Our partners in the Philippines, Migrante International based in the Philippines, have also started to lobby parliamentarians in the Philippines that will hopefully author a resolution," said Migrante Alberta spokesperson Marco Luciano.
Philippine Consul General Neil Ferrer in Vancouver confirmed that they have endorsed the petition to the DFA.
"We are in full support of that to service the growing number of Filipinos in the area and of course we have a big interest in the province of Alberta. There are many opportunities there for increasing economic trade and tourism between the Philippines and Canada," said Ferrer.
Ferrer however said it will not be as easy. The proposal still needs to undergo consultation and budget considerations and approval from Congress.
"We're looking at next year that's the best scenario possible. If not, pag na-delay pa maybe 2016," said Ferrer.
Migrante Alberta continues with its campaign for the establishment of a consular office in Alberta to address the growing needs for consular services in the province.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PCG: China’s bullying in West Philippine Sea undermines international law --- Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — Letting China sustain its aggression in the West Philippine Sea would make other countries doubt the strength of international law currently being asserted by the Philippines, Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. “Allowing China to blatantly disregard the established rules-based order threatens the very foundation that we all depend on,” he wrote in a post on X last Tuesday. He added, “If we permit this, countries worldwide may forget why this order was created in the first place. Nations could begin to doubt the significance of adhering to international law if powerful bullies can easily violate it.” Tarriela also said defiance of other countries to a rules-based order would result in the prevalence of cruelty. He wrote, “This could lead us back to a time when might makes right, undermining the global structures that keep human greed, savagery and barbarism in check. Such a scenario would not only invite challenges from aggressive ...
Read more

China ships maintain presence in key West Philippine Sea areas --- Michael Punongbayan - The Philippine Star

STAR / Michael Varcas MANILA, Philippines — While Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) have decreased in number, they have maintained a presence in three key land features where naval and coast guard ships have intensified operations in the past seven days, according to the Philippine Navy. Latest monitoring by the Philippine Navy showed armed ships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) maintaining a menacing presence around the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, Panatag Shoal and Escoda Shoal. According to the Philippine Navy, there are 17 Chinese military vessels and 28 China Coast Guard (CCG) boats spotted inside the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between Sept. 23 and 30, or one vessel more than in the previous week Sept.17-23. Five of the warships were seen roaming around the vicinity of Escoda Shoal, along with 10 CCG vessels and 12 maritime militia vessels (MMVs). There are also two PLAN ships in Ayungin Shoal as well as 10 CCG boats and 12...
Read more

Social media seen as cause of rising intermarriages --- Helen Flores - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) sees social media as the main reason for the rising number of Filipinos marrying or becoming partners of foreign nationals. In 2022, the CFO recorded 6,854 marriages or partnerships with foreign nationals, a 40.1 percent increase from the 4,891 “intermarriages” recorded in 2021. “First of all, what we see in the increase in the marriage rate of Filipinos or Filipinos with foreign partners is because of social media, (that) is number one; matchings; letters, introduction of their friends,” CFO chairperson Romulo Arugay said at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing yesterday. Arugay said the agency has been registering a high number of intermarriages since 2007, but the figures went down during the COVID-19 pandemic. From over 6,500 Filipinos who married foreign nationals, only 600 are men, he said. Most of them are married to Americans, Japanese, Germans, Canadians and Australians, Arugay said. Arugay warned Fi...
Read more