Senator Tobias Enverga, Jr, the 1st Filipino Canadian being appointed Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the House of Senate, met the various groups of Filipinos and discussed various issues and projects during his two-day visit in Winnipeg as as one of the guests of the fundraising event of Lawrence Toet, member of the parliament, Elmwood and Transcona Riding.
“I do represent all Filipino Canadians in the Senate and let me assure you that all your concerns and ideas are properly brought to their attention. Mabuhay tayong mga Filipino,” Senator Enverga stressed to the guests who attended the dinner at Pampanga Banquet Hall. “And I thank you for your warm welcome on my 1st visit. This is only the beginning of our continuous dialogue.”
Another guest of the fundraising event, Honorable Vic Toews, minister for Public Safety, gave the over-view of the immigration and how it is positively affecting the economy. He made it clear that immigrants are the engine of the Canadian economy . “ I have to give credit to the Filipino Canadians for your contributions in the Canadian society. Your skills, your talents, your hardworking abilities and your culture have been intertwined in the very fabric of country,” Toews said.
Member of the Parliament, Elmwood –Transcona, Lawrence Toet, recalled his first encounter with the Filipino community. He said: “It was a wonderful feeling when I started meeting the members of the Filipino community. They are so vibrant, so dedicated and have a strong commitment on volunteering. To be associated with the Filipino Canadians is a privilege, a special bonds of friendship.” Toet said.”And I am always ready to listen on the issues and concerns affecting the community. And we work together for a much better result.”
Friday morning, MP Lawrence Toet and Senator Enverga met with the officer and members of the Manitoba Filipino Business Council at Fort Gary Hotel: “It was a great to have a coffee chat with the members of the Manitoba Filipino Business Council,” said MP Lawrence Toet. “It is important that we continue to have these conversations so that our families, our communities and our countries can prosper.
“This is only the beginning of our discussions and we will try very hard to addresss the concerns of the Filipino community,” Enverga said as the face to face discussion with the members of the MFBC continued.
Thursday, Senator Enverga was able to visit and to chat with the management and Filipino employees of Highlfe Foods in Neepawa. During Senator Enverga’s visit, he met MLA Stu Briese, Member of Parliament Robert Sopuck, and Neepawa Mayor Ken Waddell.
“The presence of the Filipino skilled workers in Neepawa has a tremendous impact in our economy,they are positive additions to our regions,” said MP Sopuck. “The population of Neepawa skyrocketed with the additional of 600 Filipinos and they are most welcome.”
Photos by Ron Cantiveros | Filipino Journal
