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Ottawa_PE_close_relations

Ambassador Leslie B. Gatan paid a courtesy call on Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson to reaffirm the friendly relations between the Filipino community and the Ottawa City government on December 7.

Ambassador Gatan thanked Mayor Watson for keeping the annual tradition of proclaiming Philippine Heritage Week every June 12 to 19 and for participating in many Filipino community events such as the flag-raising ceremony at the Ottawa City Hall and the Philippine Independence Day picnic at Vincent Massey Park every year.

The Ambassador admired the strong sense of community in the city where Filipinos are among the top 10 visible minority groups.  He sought the Mayor's assistance in expanding the Philippine Heritage Week to include a Philippine Fiesta to further raise the profile of the Filipino community in Ottawa.

Complimenting Ottawa's Christmas Lights program, Ambassador Gatan offered to contribute Philippine Christmas lanterns to the capital's festive nightscape.

He also explored the possibility of establishing cultural cooperation with the National Arts Center where the Mayor sits in the Board of Trustees.

For his part, Mayor Watson acknowledged the great support for his office coming from the Filipino community.  Philippine participation in His Worship's East Africa Famine Relief fundraiser in September 2011 is the latest gesture of Filipino solidarity with the Mayor's advocacies.

The Mayor was quick to accommodate the Ambassador's representations and offered to facilitate linkages between the Embassy and the National Arts Center.