Philippine Ambassador to Canada, Petronila P. Garcia, undertook an official visit to Fredericton, New Brunswick, on 26 to 30 August 2015, concurrent with the Consular Outreach conducted by a team from the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa, led by Minister and Consul Flerida Ann Camille P. Mayo, to extend consular services to the Filipino community in the province.
Ambassador Garcia met with top officials of New Brunswick, including Her Honorable Lt. Governor Jocelyne Roy Vinneau and His Honor Ronald Vienneau, the Honorable Deputy Premier Stephen Horsman, the Honorable Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Chris Collins,Maayor of Fredericton His Worship Brad Woodside, Asst Deputy Minister Charles Ayles of the Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labor. The Ambassador also had a meeting with the top officials of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, headed by CEO Ms. Krista Ross and President Mr. Stephen J. Hill.
According to the 2011 statistics, there were 1,155 Filipinos in New Brunswick, 250 of them residing in Fredericton. Recently, however, around 1,050 new immigrants were recently admitted into the province, and it is estimated that more than 2,000 (to include family members) have made New Brunswick their adopted home. Most immigrants from the Philippines are in highly skilled categories, i.e. management (finance and food), engineering and IT. There are also many Filipinos working in Atlantic fish plants in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
The positive contribution of the Filipino Canadians towards the economic development of the province was highlighted by the provincial officials in discussions with the Ambassador. There was also keen interest in developing trade relations between New Brunswick and the Philippines, including the possibility of bringing a trade delegation from the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce to the Philippines. At its highest peak, trade levels between the Philippines and New Brunswick ballooned to CAD$10.6 million in 2012 when the exports of the province to the Philippines ballooned to CAD$9.7 million. Total trade has since dropped to around CAD$600,000.
Trade consists mostly of machinery, mechanical appliances, electrical equipment, sound recorders and reproducers. In addition to foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes, some Philippine testiles have also found their way to New Brunswick.