22 August 2017 – Consul General Julius D. Torres of the Philippine Consulate General in Calgary led a Consulate team on an outreach mission to Medicine Hat, Alberta from 19 to 20 August 2017, providing passport and consular services to 169 Filipinos in the town and surrounding areas.

 

The outreach mission, held at the Holiday Inn Express Medicine Hat, was organized in cooperation with the Filipino-Canadian Association of Medicine Hat (FCAMH) headed by its President, Ms. Jean Beriault.  Volunteers from the FCAMH assisted the Consulate team in the outreach mission by finding the appropriate venue for the outreach and publicizing the outreach mission through their community organizations and social circles.  They also acted as ushers during the outreach mission and ensured the orderly flow of people at the venue.

 

During the two-day outreach, the Consulate was able to process 140 passport renewals, 17 notarial services, nine civil registrations and three dual citizenship applications.  Ten (10) Filipinos also registered as Overseas Voters during the outreach mission.

 

After the outreach mission, the FCAMH held the induction of its incoming officers, with Consul General Torres administering the Oath of Office of the officials.  In his remarks, the Consul General thanked the association for its assistance to the Consulate team in organizing the outreach mission, and its continued support for the Consulate’s projects and initiatives.  He also thanked the FCAMH for agreeing to host the Independence Day picnic to be held in June 2018.

 

Echoing his call to other Filipino communities in Alberta and Saskatchewan, Consul General Torres also encouraged the association members to take more active roles in their local community as well as in Philippine political affairs by taking advantage of their right to vote, both in Philippine and Canadian elections, and expressed the hope that greater local community involvement by Filipinos would pave the way for more political leaders of Filipino heritage in the future.

 

Consul General Torres also invited the members of the community to participate in the forthcoming Winter Escapade tour in February 2018, and spread the news to their Canadian friends.

 

Medicine Hat is 264 km southeast of Calgary and is Alberta’s sixth largest city.  Filipinos there and in surrounding towns mostly work in the meat and plant nursery/greenhouse industries, although a number have also been successful entrepreneurs.  The FCAMH, as the largest Filipino community association in the city, has been fully engaged in city and community projects, working closely with city officials in promoting the well-being of Filipinos in the community.