Senator Edgardo J. Angara visited Ottawa on September 4 to 7 to attend the Executive Committee Meeting of the Global Organization of Parliamentarians against Corruption (GOPAC), where he sits as Vice-Chair. At the meeting, Senator Angara delivered a presentation on the Philippine hosting of the GOPAC V Global Conference in Manila on 29 January to 3 February 2013.
"We consider this a strong vote of confidence in our commitment to stamp out corruption and bring about better governance," Senator Angara said of GOPAC's selection of Manila as the venue of the next global conference.
The Embassy took the occasion to organize a town hall meeting for Senator Angara with Filipino community leaders on September 5.
Citing their importance as the Philippines' human assets, Senator Angara encouraged Filipinos in Canada to unite as a visible minority.He likewise urged them to register for the Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) in 2013.
The Senator also made a pitch for the Pinoy Homecoming program of the Department of Tourism (DOT) which he enjoined to accentuate the cultural and historical attractions of the Philippines in its advertising campaigns.
Filipino community leaders appreciated Senator Angara's national heritage, education, science and technology and anti-corruption advocacies, among other things. The dialogue also provided an opportunity for Labor Attaché Frank Luna to give an update on the Department of Labor and Employment, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (DOLE/POEA) and Immigration Canada policies and procedures. Amply covered by Filipino media, including ABS-CBN Canada, the dialogue renewed the sense of pride among the Filipino participants in their ethnicity and cultural heritage after listening to the Senator.
As an extension of his engagement with the Filipino community, Senator Angara guested on the radio program TinigPinoy hosted by Regina Sosin Ferrar on September 6 at Carleton University.
Senator Angara conveyed instructive messages on anti-corruption movements, job creation and the Philippine economy, the state of Philippine education, Pag-IBIG Fund, Philhealth, the Senior Citizens Act, Philippine tourism and OAV to TinigPinoy's loyal listeners from Canada and the United States, Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
He also counseled Filipinos not to lose hope in their country, to strive for unity, to reduce corruption and to put the country's resources in education, health, housing and social services.
The Senator was also the guest of honor at a dinner hosted by the Filipino community on September 6.
On September 7, Senator Angara met with Mr. Rod Bruinooge, Member of Parliament (Winnipeg South) and Chair of the Canada-Philippines Parliamentary Friendship Group.
During the social call, Senator Angara gifted Mr. Bruinooge with the book Baler, Aurora authored by the Senator, among others, and published by the Rural Empowerment Assistance and Development (READ) Foundation.
