15 June 2019, Calgary, Alberta  -- Consul General Gilberto Asuque briefed 29 Filipino families who have just recently arrived as immigrants or Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs) in Alberta on 15 June 2019 at the St. John Reception Centre in Calgary.

 

The briefing was part of the Family Reunification Workshop co-organized by the Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association (CIWA) under Filipino Community Development Program, and by the Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD).

 

CIWA is a non-profit, culturally diverse settlement agency established in 1982 that addresses the unique concerns and needs of immigrant and refugee women, girls, and their families.  The CCSD is the largest Catholic school district in Alberta serving more than 57,000 students in 115 schools located in Calgary, Airdrie, Cochrane, Chestermere, and Rocky View County.

 

Out of the 29 families that participated in the workshop, there were 47 parents, 23 youth, and 25 children, or a total of 95 attendees.

 

Consul General Asuque welcomed the newcomers to Canada and briefed them on the regulations and requirements of consular services provided by the Philippine Consulate General (PCG) in Calgary, such as legalization of documents for use in the Philippines, fingerprinting for NBI clearances, and Assistance-to-Nationals (ATN) in distress.

He emphasized the importance of ensuring that their Philippine passports are valid at all times and urged the participants and all Filipinos to file for passport renewal prior to the expiration of their passports. He encouraged the parents to note that under RA 9225 (Citizenship Reacquisition/Retention Act of 2003), they can reacquire/retain their Philippine citizenships once they become Canadians in the future. He added that vital events in the lives of Filipinos such as birth, marriage, and death in Canada must be reported to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) through the PCG in accordance with Philippine regulations, in order that Filipinos, even if they are based outside of the Philippines, are still able to avail themselves of their rights as Filipinos. (Photo above, left)

 

The Consul General also mentioned that the Social Security System (SSS) has a representative office at the PCG, and encouraged TFWs to continue their contributions to be able to avail of SSS benefits well into their retirement years.

 

The PCG regularly conducts briefings on consular services during consular outreach missions, in collaboration with local NGOs/organizations, and upon the invitation of various Filcom organizations in Alberta. This activity also forms part of the PCG’s client-focused Gender and Development (GAD) program of providing support and assistance to Filipino women, children, and families through efforts aimed at increasing awareness on family and civil laws of the Philippines.