The Member of Parliament for Mississauga Streetsville, Rechie Valdez, will host a virtual Filipino townhall meeting on Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, with RSVP invited Filipino community groups and organizations. The event will be held on December 3 from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Minister Harjit Saijan, Parliamentary Secretary Rob Oliphant, and Parliamentary Secretary Manjeet Sidhu were all invited to participate in the virtual town hall meeting. During the online town hall meeting, topics such as Canada’s strategy and the nature of Canada’s relationship with the Philippines will be discussed.

The Indo-Pacific region is particularly important to Canada because it is home to two-thirds of the world’s population and has the world’s fastest rate of economic expansion. The Canadian government recognizes the importance of the Indo-Pacific region to Canadians’ long-term economic well-being, physical health, and overall safety. The Canadian government also acknowledges that Canadians and the people of the Indo-Pacific region, including the people of the Philippines, share a common history, culture, and long-standing trade and development ties.

The Indo-Pacific strategy includes the Canadian government’s commitment to democracy, the rule of law, economic growth and resilience, peace and security, sustainable development, human rights, gender equality, and concrete environmental action.

Canada positioned itself as a viable partner to the Indo-Pacific region earlier this month, with a $2.30 billion investment plan over the next five years. It is hoped that Canada will play an active role in the region, collaborating with allies and partners to shape the region’s future in the midst of the global generational shift.