Toronto’s new Consul General

Toronto’s new Consul General

Congen Angelina Escalona

Toronto has a new Consul General in the person of Angelica Escalona. She succeeds Consul General Orestes Castro as head of the Philippine Consulate in Toronto that provides consular services in the Greater Toronto Area (GT) western Ontario and Manitoba.

Escalona articulated her administration’s three priorities, as well as her message to the Filipino community on the occasion of Phillippine Heritage Month, as The Philippine Reporter requested this information, .

Escalona stated:

“I have three priorities.  First is the further improvement of our consular services.  I’m specifically looking at e-payment, or payment using cards, as this is something that has been requested by many clients.  My team and I will also continue to conduct consular outreach missions in areas under the Consulate’s jurisdiction.

“Second is active engagement with the Filipino community on projects that have relevance to them.  The Philippine Embassy in Ottawa and all Philippine Consulates in Canada have an ongoing Credentials Recognition Project intended to help Filipinos find work more easily in line with the education and professional training they acquired in the Philippines.  The Consulate is also partnering with Filipino professional organizations for the 2nd Filipino Canadian Professionals Convention to be held in October of this year.  I heard some of the concerns of Filipino community organizations last Friday, and I have a lot of homework to do to see how we can best support the community.

“Third is closer cooperation with the government and people of Canada.  Next year, the Philippines and Canada will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations.  I hope we can hold meaningful activities to commemorate this milestone.  By the way, I am happy to note that the Winter Escapade will be relaunched next year.  Details will be announced soon.”

As for her message to the community for Philippine Heritage Month, Consul General Escalona said:

“I thank everyone for keeping alive traditions that celebrate Philippine history and culture.  I hope that we can take a few moments to appreciate the values exemplified by the great heroes of the Philippines – hard work, service to others, and courage in the face of adversity.  We can strive to be more like our heroes as we go about our daily lives.” (MAGarcia)