Nearly 300 Filipinos in Atlantic Canada, most of them temporary workers, warmly welcomed the delivery of mobile consular services by the Embassy on October 14 to 16 in Moncton, New Brunswick, some 1,200 kilometers from the capital city of Ottawa.

Giving special attention to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) unable to afford the costly plane trip to Ottawa, Ambassador Leslie B. Gatan dispatched a four-man team to the Canada's Atlantic coast in order to accommodate the consular needs of Filipino communities in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.

Moncton is the geographic hub of Canada's Maritime Provinces.

As a result of the Provincial Nominee Program allowing direct hiring from third countries, the continuing influx of Filipino workers in the Maritime Provinces' healthcare and service sectors has contributed to the growing Filipino population there.  Interviews conducted by the consular team point to a rising employer preference for Filipino workers especially in restaurants and fast-food chains as well as lobster and shellfish processing facilities.

All told, the Embassy processed 219 applications for passport renewal and 69 documents for legalization. Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) registration flyers were also distributed on this occasion. The Filipino Association of New Brunswick and the Filipino CommUNITY of New Brunswick provided the venue and logistical support for the consular outreach program.

Another Embassy mission headed by Ambassador Gatan is in the offing with a view to exploring official cooperation with provincial authorities in the areas of trade, investment, tourism and labor. END