Ontario Pinoys donate to Odette victims

Ontario Pinoys donate to Odette victims

Consul General Orontes V. Castro (center) and Consul
Rodney Jonas L. Sumague (leftmost) with Ms. Juanita Abalos Rejdik (Sanib Saya), Mr. Steve Pagao (President, Philippine Chamber of Commerce-Toronto), Ms. Mary Ann San Juan (President, Filipino Centre Toronto) and the Filipino-Canadian volunteers during the inspection of the donation on 26 January 2022.

January 26,2022

TORONTO – The Filipino Canadian Community in Ontario has initiated a donation drive for the victims of typhoon Odette in the Philippines. At the invitation of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce Toronto (PCCT) and Filipino Centre Toronto (FCT), Consul General Orontes V. Castro and Consul Rodney Jonas L. Sumague went to the Centre in Scarborough, Ontario to inspect the donations to be sent to the Philippines.

The donations, to be shipped in a total of 30 Balikbayan boxes, are composed of foodstuffs, hygiene kits, face masks and clothes with an estimated total worth of CAD$15,000.00 or around PhP600,000.00. It will be donated through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC).

Previous to this according to Ms. Corie Laraya Coutts (President, Filipino Achievers Canada), the Filipino-Canadian community already donated around PhP430,000.00 to the Municipality of Argao, Cebu, one of the most heavily affected areas by the typhoon, in December 2021 through NAPC. The money was used to buy grocery packs for the community and a generator set. A deep well water facility is also being constructed in the community from the donation.

Consul General Castro thanked the group for their efforts to help Kababayans, which shows that the Bayanihan spirit remains strong among Filipino Canadians. The Consulate General also advised the group on the procedures for donation to ensure that these will be distributed to the intended beneficiaries at the soonest possible time.

The donations were made through the Filipino Achievers-Canada, Philippine Chamber of Commerce-Toronto, Filipino Centre-Toronto, Silayan Community Center and the Filipino Community Association in Vaughan.

(PRESS RELEASE)

Generator set purchased from the donation and some of the recipientsof the grocery packs.
Photos provided