The Official Website of the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa, Canada

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY LAUNCHES 4TH FILIPINO RESTAURANT MONTH IN CANADA; KICKS OFF MONTH-LONG CELEBRATION OF FILIPINO CUISINE IN CANADA

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PR-40-2025

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Philippine Ambassador to Canada, Her Excellency Maria Andrelita Austria, welcoming the guests.

10 April 2025, Ottawa — The Philippine Embassy in Canada proudly launched the 4th Filipino Restaurant Month in Canada (FRMC) on 8 April 2025, at the Embassy’s Mindanao Hall.

This event marks the beginning of a month-long showcase of Filipino cuisine in select restaurants across Canada, coinciding with the observance of Filipino Food Month in the Philippines. With over 20 Filipino restaurants across eight (8) provinces participating in this year’s event, Canadians and Filipinos alike are invited to embark on a flavorful journey through the rich and diverse culinary traditions of the Philippines.

In her message during the launch, Philippine Ambassador Maria Andrelita S. Austria emphasized the cultural and economic significance of FRMC, “I encourage all of you to visit participating restaurants, explore the flavors of the Philippines, experience the stories behind every dish, and win exciting prizes. Let this be an opportunity to fall in love not just with our food, but also with the people and culture that make it so special.”

FRMC2 Embassy’s Cultural and Public Diplomacy Section Head, Vice Consul Mary Jaselle Menteer, presented the FRMC’s participating restaurants and mechanics of joining the FRMC raffle, as well as the Embassy’s FRMC signature event at Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa.

In Ottawa, featured restaurants include Sanduk, Tulip, and Saboroso. In addition, Sinaing in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Silong Express in Halifax, Nova Scotia, representing authentic Filipino dishes to the Atlantic region.

FRMC3 Guests were treated to a sampling of Filipino dishes prepared by local establishments based in Ottawa, namely - Saboroso (top left), PH Kitchen (top right), Tanglad (lower left), and Divisoria Resto Bar (lower right)

The FRMC 2025 invites everyone to dine, discover, and celebrate Filipino cuisine throughout April. Participating restaurants are offering curated prix-fixe menus featuring traditional and modern Filipino dishes—with chances to win exciting prizes for diners.

FRMC4 (left) Ambassador Austria presenting her signature dishes from the Ambassador’s Kitchen - lumpiang sariwa, adobo chicken wings, & ube crinkles. (right) Guests in line to get a sampling of the Filipino food.

The guests were informed of the FRMC signature event, a four-course gourmet dinner organized by the Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa featuring Chef Liza Sare, to be held on 25 April 2025.

Guests at the launch were also treated to a sampling of Filipino dishes prepared by local establishments based in Ottawa, namely - PH Kitchen, Divisoria, and Tanglad - reflecting the variety and depth of Filipino flavors.

FRMC5 Guests enjoying the Filipino dishes prepared for them.

A special addition to this year’s event are dishes from “The Ambassador’s Kitchen.” Ambassador Austria featured her signature dishes such as lumpiang sariwa (fresh spring rolls), adobo chicken wings, and ube crinkles.

Spearheaded by the Philippine Consulate General in Calgary, FRMC is part of Philippine Posts in Canada's Common Cultural Calendar and conducted in partnership with the Philippine Department of Tourism - San Francisco and the Department of Trade and Industry. It brings focus to the rich diversity of Filipino cuisine available through the various Filipino restaurants in Canada and in celebration of the Filipino Food Month in the month of April.

For more updates about the FRMC 2025, kindly visit https://philippinetourismcanada.com/filipino-restaurant-month/.

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN CANADA CONDUCTS FINAL LOCKDOWN AND SEALING OF OVERSEAS VOTING SYSTEM FOR 2025 PHILIPPINE NATIONAL ELECTIONS

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Lockdown1 Philippine Ambassador to Canada, Her Excellency Maria Andrelita Austria, welcomed the registered voters and guests in
attendance for the briefing on overseas internet voting and to witness the Final Lockdown and Sealing of the OVCS.

10 April 2025, Ottawa — The Philippine Embassy in Ottawa successfully conducted the Final Lockdown and Sealing (FLS) of the Overseas Voting Client System (OVCS), marking a historic milestone for the 2025 Philippine National Elections. This event, held at the Embassy's Mindanao Hall on April 8, 2025, was witnessed by a number of registered overseas voters and guests who confirmed their attendance to observe the procedural process.

Lockdown2 SBEI Chair, Consul General Rea Oreta, provided a briefing on the overseas internet voting procedures.

The Final Lockdown and Sealing (FLS), led by Consul General Rea G. Oreta, Chairperson of the Special Board of Election Inspectors (SBEI), is a crucial part of the electoral process, ensuring that the system is secure and contains zero votes prior to the commencement of internet voting. This is the first time in history that the Philippine National Elections will be conducted via internet voting, allowing overseas Filipinos to participate in the electoral process remotely.

Philippine Ambassador Maria Andrelita S. Austria reminded those in attendance that the Philippine Embassy will remain open until 8:00 PM on April 8, 2025, to assist and answer any questions related to the enrollment to the internet voting system and election process. She emphasized the significance of this historic event, stating:

“As we celebrate our heritage tonight, let us also recognize that our culture and identity continue to evolve through our people, our politics, and our development. By exercising our right to vote, we contribute to shaping the future of the Philippines and ensuring that our rich heritage continues to thrive for generations to come. As I often say, ‘ang hindi bumoto, walang karapatang mag-reklamo.’”

The purpose of the FLS is to ensure that the General Election system is fully secured, ensuring that it contains zero votes prior to the official start of voting. This final lockdown guarantees that only pre-enrolled voters will be able to access the digital ballots starting on 13 April 2025 at 8:00 AM Ottawa local time.

Lockdown3 The generated status report, following the FLS process, as projected on the TV screen.

During the event, the SBEI team projected the FLS process on a TV screen for the audience and streamed the proceedings live on the Embassy’s Facebook page, PHinCanada, to ensure full transparency.

Prior to the FLS, Consul General Oreta provided a briefing on the Overseas internet voting preparation and procedures.

The internet voting system will be officially opened to pre-enrolled overseas voters on April 13, 2025, and will run through the online platform provided by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) until 7:00 PM (Philippine Time) on 12 May 2025. This system marks a significant shift in how overseas Filipinos will participate in the 2025 Philippine National Elections.

For more information on the Overseas Internet Voting 2025, please visit https://ottawape.dfa.gov.ph/index.php/2016-04-12-08-36-34/overseas-voting.

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN CANADA HOLDS CONSULAR OUTREACH MISSION IN CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI

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PR-38-2025

7 April 2025, Ottawa – The Philippine Embassy in Ottawa extended its consular services to the Atlantic Region with its consular outreach mission in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on 5-6 April 2025.

Over the course of the two-day event, the Embassy team provided a total of 244 consular services, which included passport applications, legalizations, and civil registry services, among others. Among those served, seven individuals took their oath of allegiance under the Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act of 2003 (R.A. 9225), commonly known as the Dual Citizenship Law.

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In addition to these vital consular services, the Embassy team promoted the upcoming conduct of overseas online voting for the 2025 Philippine National Election. Filipino citizens residing in the Atlantic region who visited the outreach mission were given guidance on the pre-voting enrollment and internet voting process.

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The Embassy’s consular outreach mission in Charlottetown is part of its broader commitment to bringing its consular services closer to our Kababayans. /END