Home away from home:
Words from the Honourable Philippine Consul General, Alejandro Mosquera

By Jessalee Anne

Canada’s population is 98% immigrants. 1.6% of these are Filipinos. There are around 350,000 Filipino Canadians in Canada. It is the third largest Asian-Canadian group in the nation after the Chinese and Indian immigrants.

GTA is home to the largest Filipino Community in Canada. Like many Asian-Canadians, Filipinos are certainly a big contributing factor to the Canadian economy. Toronto, being the centre of job opportunities, has the highest percentage of Filipinos.

The current political turmoil in the Philippines seem to take a step back in the country‘s pursuit of peace and economic development. Its size not as big as Canada, the Philippines with its 7,100 island, remains an excellent tourist destination in Asia. The topic of relations between Canada and the Philippines is broad and we would like to thank the Philippine Consul General in Toronto, Alejandro Mosquera for giving us the opportunity to conduct this interview and give us a peek at the Consulate’s diplomatic activities in Toronto which is not only to assist the Filipinos, but help elevate the face of the country from the Filipinos, for the Filipinos and to the Filipinos.

A dedicated public servant, he’s been in the diplomatic service for 20 years now. Prior to his assignment in T.O., he was in Iraq, which according to him was a very a challenging post considering the on-going circumstances. His first posting was in Moscow, then Hamburg, Switzerland and Hawaii.

In Toronto, Honourable Consul General Mosquera gave us a glimpse of the Consulate’s diplomatic services and activities:

GTA: What is the fundamental goal of the Philippine Consulate in T.O.? Any priorities?

CGM:  The fundamental goal of the Philippine Consulate is to safeguard the interest of the Filipino community in Toronto through facilitation of its four-pillars: National Interest, Protection of nationals, Economic Diplomacy and Cultural Diplomacy. These four-pillars have equal importance and the priority depends on the post. As Canada is diverse, Cultural Diplomacy is the highlight among these pillars. However, as more and more Filipinos have migrated to Canada, it is also in the Consulate’s best interest to focus on the protection of its nationals. Now, the Philippine Consulate partakes in facilitating the Economic Diplomacy through involvement in Canada’s Trade and Business through the two most well known industries of the Philippines - Information and Technology and Mining.

It is worthy to note that in the economic development, three years ago, the Philippine Supreme Court allowed 100% of private foreign operations from north to south of the mining operations. In Toronto, where all the mining capital of the world meets every year, I have the lead in conferring with the prospective developers and promote the mining industry in the Philippines as ‘what oil is to the Middle East, nickel is to the Philippines.’

GTA: What is your role as the Consul of the Philippine Consulate in Toronto and what part(s) of your role do you like best?

CGM: As a Consul General, my role is to convene the fundamental goal of the Consulate and for me, the best part is working with the community. The interaction with the people is imminent not only with the Filipinos but with rest of the people of Canada regardless of their ethnic backgrounds.

GTA: What are your most rewarding accomplishments as the official representative of the Philippine President?

CGM:  You see, being a Consul General and to represent the Philippine President in any country is a continuing process. As I work closely with the community, the rapport and relationship built is an important part of my accomplishments as this develops solid community trust and cooperation amongst the Filipinos in Toronto and/or elsewhere, which is vital.

GTA: You have been in the Diplomatic Service for 20 years. Having been assigned in different countries, how different is Toronto from your other assignments?

CGM: Compared to my last posting, which is in Baghdad, Iraq, the Filipino Community in Toronto is a lot bigger. As it is also more diverse and a favorite destination of most immigrants, I am more involved in the Community here and I enjoy working with them. In fact, I enjoy working in Toronto more than my previous assignments. Every country is different and Canada is unique in its own way.

GTA: The Philippines continues to promote its Tourism industry. How popular is the Philippines now as a tourist destination for Canadians?

CGM: Because Canada has a large Filipino-Canadian population, the Philippines is a popular vacation spot for all Balikbayans (refers to Filipino nationals who are permanently residing abroad or on term job posting/contract). The Philippines is blessed with many tourist attractions like the scenic Bohol Island, the beautiful beaches spread all around the country like Panglao Island, which is now a favorite destination. We have also been promoting Wellness Tourism for people seeking unbounded relaxation. We have quality spas that provide health and beauty. Now this comes along with the promotion of our Medical Tourism, which has also become very popular in the Philippines as more people are interested in cosmetic surgery. Not only it is very affordable, we also have the best surgeons and many renowned medical practitioners. Apart from that, we also have other attractions to offer our visitors in terms of shopping. When people visit any country they go shopping and more often than not, they go to places where they could bargain a great deal. Now, that is a plus factor for the Philippines to invite tourists since we have one of the biggest shopping mall in Asia which is the “Asia Mall” and for a bit of upper class shopping, we also have the newly built “Eastwood Mall”-all located within the heart of the city. I do not have the actual figure of tourists flocking in the country but due to the new areas of tourism that I have just mentioned, particularly the medical tourism, we have a rapidly increasing number of Canadians visiting the country as opposed to traveling elsewhere.

GTA: How do you encourage the Filipinos in Canada to contribute to our society back home and how does it affect your relation with the Canadian government?

CGM: The Filipinos in Canada are a reflection of the Philippines. It is important that we uphold our image and culture as Filipinos. In keeping and building a positive image of the Filipinos, I do encourage the young generation to persevere with their talents and preserve our culture and traditions. I am proud to say that we have the intellectual quality, performing arts and are known in the health professions, which is a significant monetary aid for the Philippines with around $20 Billion remittances coming in to the country. It is also important to note that Filipinos working abroad are TAX Exempt under the omnibus tax law. In giving back, we have the passing of dual-citizenship law in 2003 with its many benefits for naturalized Filipinos or those who have acquired citizenship from another country. It allows Filipinos to participate in trade and business, which in turn contributes to our economy and create job opportunities. The dual citizenship also allows the Filipinos to exercise their right to vote through the Overseas Absentee Voting program.  

GTA: Filipinos continue to want to immigrate to Canada. What words of advice would you give them before they decide to come to Canada?

CGM: Majority of the Filipinos immigrating to Canada are well-educated, highly skilled and very qualified. They go through rigid process before they are accepted; however, once they arrive in Canada, many of them get frustrated when they don’t immediately get the kind of job that they are expecting or at least in line with their fields. My advice for them is not to give up easily. Be ready to accept changes, learn the process, adapt, be pro-active and get involved in various community activities.

GTA: When Filipinos arrive in Canada, does the Philippine Consulate have any programs to help the new immigrants settle in?

CGM: Yes, in fact we have the ‘Newcomers orientation program’, which is very in demand and is being held regularly in collaboration with the various catholic community services in the region. This seminar is set for both adults and kids and is helping new immigrants in adapting to their new home. This includes job search which is imperative, and with the participation of the Toronto Police, new immigrants are taught their rights and how to protect themselves. We also have volunteer service lawyers from our Labour office who offers free legal assistance and consultations. We are also making it transparent to the immigrants; they only have to reach-out. In fact, we are developing a program for mutual recognition in terms of education and we are looking into the possibilities of a joint collaboration with the Canadian National Curriculum into setting up an institution to institution agreement.

Although we have originally planned to just have a short interview with the Consul General, his very accommodating personality and informative responses barred us to stop just there. However, as we had to conclude, we asked Consul Mosquera on a lighter note as to how he spend his leisure time in T.O. and if he has any favorite GTA events to visit. Not surprisingly and just like many Filipinos, he loves to sing. He likes karaoke, plays the guitar and keyboard in his leisure time. “I was, in fact at the recently held Jazz fest and I have enjoyed it tremendously”, says the Consul in a jovial mode. Adding, “Of course, who could resist the Taste of Asia”?

We had the pleasure of speaking with the Honourable Consul General who by the way, loves to play golf and instill the importance of having a good balance in life. So, despite the heavy duties and responsibilities on his shoulders, he clutches a good sense of humor and we quote, “laughing always makes me feel better; it relieves stress and stretches the muscles on my face”. No wonder Consul General Mosquera looks a lot younger than his age!

The Office of the Philippine Consulate General is located at
161 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 800, Toronto, Ontario, M4P 1J5. They can be reached at 416-922-7181.