INVITATION

JOIN US AT OFFICIAL FLAG RAISING TO CELEBRATE 117th ANNIVERSARY OF PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE DAY

WHEN:    Sunday, June 07, 2015, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.   Photo  opportunity at 10:00 a.m.

WHERE:   Vaughan City Hall, 2141 Major Mackenzie Drive – at flagpoles near   front entrance

WHAT:    To commemorate the 117th anniversary of Philippine Independence Day, the City of Vaughan will officially fly the Filipino flag and recognize June 07 as Filipino Day. The City of Vaughan is a twin city of Baguio, Philippines. Following the flag raising, program and entertainment will be held at the Courtyard followed by lunch featuring Filipino food.

WHO:      Hon. Maurizio Bevilacqua, P.C., Mayor and Members of  Council;  Consul General, Philippine Consulate, Toronto;  Hon. Peter Kent, P.C., Member of Parliament, Thornhill ;  Gila Martow, Member of Provincial Parliament, Thornhill

Filipino-Canadian Association of Vaughan;  Philippine Heritage Band; Leyteno Association of Ontario;  Maple Baptist Church;  Solid Rock Indigenous Group;  Residents and Community Groups

Contact:      Linda 416-670-4498;  Carol 416-264-4569;  Auring   905-738-3789;  Lurvie 905-669-5025;  Marilyn 647-928-0277; Dave 905-417-1998; Jose 416-841-0854. 

Photo Release: Minister Jason Kenney named “Honourary Pinoy” By President Benigno ‘Noy Noy’ Aquino III

President Benigno Aquino III was welcomed by Minister Jason Kenney on his arrival in Vancouver, where he presented him with a gift of his favorite traditional Filipino snacks, Chicharon, and designated Minister Kenney an “Honourary Pinoy.” Later, President Aquino and Minister Kenney spoke to several thousand Canadians of Filipino descent at a community event.

 The previous day in Ottawa, Minister Kenney officially welcomed President Aquino to Rideau Hall for the State Dinner hosted by His Excellency the Right Hon. David Johnson, the Governor General of Canada.

This was President Aquino’s first visit to Canada and the first by a Filipino president since 1997. 

As always, please share this message with friends and family.

On May 7^th, 2015, President Benigno Aquino III of the Philippines made a historic visit to Canada on a three-city tour that saw the signing of significant bilateral agreements that will encourage greater trade between Canada and the Philippines, increased security, and development opportunities aimed at reducing poverty in the Philippines.

President Aquino’s trip began with a red carpet welcome at Ottawa International Airport, where he was greeted by Foreign Affairs Minister Rob Nicolson, International Trade Minister Ed Fast, and Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander.

The president was then officially welcomed to Rideau Hall by His Excellency the Right Hon. David Johnson, the Governor General of Canada, and the Hon. Jason Kenney, Minister of National Defence and Minister for Multiculturalism.

In the afternoon, Prime Minister Stephen Harper welcomed President Aquino to the House of Commons for a joint press conference where they announced key initiatives that will deepen the strong Canada-Philippines bilateral relations, including launching exploratory discussing towards a free trade agreement (FTA) and to work towards upgrading the existing Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA). These initiatives will give Canadian businesses increased opportunities for growth in the Asia-Pacific region.

Minister of International Development and Minister for La Francophonie, Christian Paradis, and his Filipino counterpart signed an important framework that outlines the commitments of both governments toward reducing poverty in Philippines.

President Aquino and the Filipino delegation were joined by Prime Minister Harper and many Parliamentarians and Senators, including Senator Tobias C. Enverga, Canada’s first Senator of Filipino descent, as they continued their visit to Toronto and Vancouver. President Aquino attended a community event at Roy Thomson Hall where he spoke to several thousand members of Canada’s 800,000 strong Filipino community. At this event, Prime Minister Harper announced that Philippines was the number one source country for immigrant to Canada in 2014.

“It was a pleasure to welcome President Aquino to Canada. During his highly productive visit we were pleased to announce several important bilateral initiatives in the areas of commerce, development and security that will benefit citizens in both countries. His visit also provided an opportunity to introduce the President to Canada’s hard working Filipino communities and highlight some of their major contributions to the fabric of our society,” said Prime Minister Harper.

Finally, Minister Kenney welcomed President Aquino to Vancouver, on behalf of the Government of Canada. On his arrival, President Aquino presented Minister Kenney with a gift of a favorite Filipino snack, Chicharrón. They then addressed a gathering of the Filipino community to close out this historic visit by highlighting the strong and growing friendship between Canada and the Philippines.

The Office of the Hon. Jason Kenney, PC, MP

Calgary Southeast

www.JasonKenney.ca

President Aquino’s bilateral visit to Canada will provide an opportunity for both leaders to reaffirm the close relationship between Canada and the Philippines, based on strong people-to-people ties. Discussions between the two leaders will focus on expanding trade and investment, as well as cooperation on a range of issues, including development and countering threats to regional and global security. As Chair of APEC in 2015, the Philippines shares Canada’s commitment to fostering the participation of small- and medium- sized enterprises in the global economy. The two leaders will also meet with members of Canada’s vibrant Filipino community.

If you are interested to join us and meet the President, please REGISTER here.

On February 13, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario set out to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Canadian flag in a big way. Thank you for being a part of the commemoration of this important milestone for our country.

If you haven’t already heard, human flag photograph is available for viewing and downloading on our website: http://arts.lgontario.ca/flag.

Photographer Edward Burtynsky and the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.

Additionally, on the “behind the scenes” section of the site, you will find a link to video and photos taken during the event. We encourage you to download and share, as you should rightly be proud to have participated in this historic occasion.

FCAV represented by Erlinda Insigne and Lurvie DeBlois.

Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario                                                                                                                 Queen’s Park Toronto, Ontario M7A 1A1

SNAP Vaughan East has been published! You can view and share the photos online here: http://snapd.at/eer73b.

Civic Hero Award Presented to Erlinda Insigne

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​Feb. 4, 2014

The Civic Hero Award for Ward 5 was presented to Erlinda Insigne by Vaughan Council on Feb. 4. She was recognized for her community leadership, volunteerism and active involvement in the Filipino community and the Filipino-Canadian Association of Vaughan.

“Erlinda Insigne has made outstanding contributions in support of the Filipino community in Vaughan through her passionate work as a volunteer and mentor,” said Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua. “Her tireless dedication to enrich civic life for others has touched many residents and inspired important partnerships, including a Friendship Agreement formed in 1997 between the City of Vaughan and Baguio City, Philippines.”

Mrs. Insigne is the founding director of the Filipino-Canadian Association of Vaughan, which was created to provide assistance to Filipino-Canadians in need. The association also promotes community spirit among Filipinos and encourages participation in civic and social events. Mrs. Insigne organizes various community fundraisers and initiates partnerships with schools, community groups and other organizations.

She is the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee and Golden Jubilee commemorative medals for her work with the association in support of Filipino culture and values within the Filipino-Canadian community in Thornhill.

“Mrs. Insigne’s involvement in the Filipino community in Vaughan and her efforts to preserve Filipino culture and beliefs are an excellent example of what it means to be a civic hero,” said Ward 5 Councillor Alan Shefman. “Mrs. Insigne’s generosity and her commitment to helping others are effecting positive change in the community.”

The Civic Hero Award is presented annually to one resident from each of Vaughan’s five wards. The awards recognize outstanding achievement and individual contributions to the community.

On Thursday, December 19, various Filipino organizations and media along with Sen. Enverga Jr., MP Mark Adler and others travelled to Trenton to welcome a contingent of 315 members of Canadian Forces Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) who spent 40 days doing humanitarian work in typhoon-ravaged areas in central Philippines.

The DART Team did a great job in helping the victims of super typhoon Haiyan.  For the enormous tasks that the DART Team did and the generous aid that the Canadian government provided to the Philippines, not to mention the dollar-for-dollar match up, we can only speak from the bottom of our hearts to say over and over again: Thank you, Canada! Thank you, Prime Minister Harper! and Thank You, DART Team.