(Photo caption: Some of the principal officials from Philippine Posts in Canada attended the virtual briefing provided by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) on the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program of Canada.)

The Philippine Embassy in Ottawa, led by Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Francisco Noel R. Fernandez III, organized a virtual discussion between Philippine Posts in Canada (PPC) and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) last 3 November 2022 on Canada’s Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) Program.

ESDC’s Executive Director for Worker Protection and Horizontal Management, Ms. Agata Frankowicz, provided an overview of the TFW Program and informed that there were 10,657 Filipinos who worked in Canada in 2021 under this Program, representing an increase of 43% from 2020 figures. Most of them worked in the Home Child Care sector (25%) and the Food Service industry (12%), many of whom were in the province of Ontario (28%). Frankowicz was joined in the meeting by Compliance Director General Caroline Harès, Integrity Manager Véronique Demers, Sector Policy Director Steven West, Program Policy Director Christ Chevrier, and Policy Analyst Malik.

Labor Representative Jainal Rasul, Jr. from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Vancouver briefed the ESDC participants on the overseas employment procedures of the Philippines.

The discussion among the participants is expected to benefit both the Philippine and Canadian governments in promoting the welfare of Filipino TFWs in Canada and in protecting their rights.

Consul General Maria Andrelita Austria led officials from the Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver in the meeting, while Consul General Zaldy Patron and Labor Representative Rachel Zozobrado-Nagayo led officials from the Philippine Consulate General in Calgary and POLO in Toronto, respectively.

PPC is composed of the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa and the Philippine Consulates General in Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto.