The Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver assisted a team from the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (OUMWA), led by Assistant Secretary Paul Raymund Cortes, in conducting a survey mapping mission in British Columbia from October 28 to October 31, 2022.

The mapping activity aims to get a general picture of the Filipino community in Canada, especially those who are not contract workers, and to guide research and policy development that is more responsive to the needs of the growing community abroad.

Prior to the team’s arrival from Manila, an online survey was distributed to Filipino students, dual citizens, permanent residents, and tourists, the results of which served as the basis for the mapping team’s interviews. The Consulate brought them to various schools in Surrey, Vancouver, and Victoria for the 312 day mission, and organized meetings for them with Filipino settlement workers, community leaders, and members in Surrey, Vancouver, Victoria, and Kelowna.

The mapping team’s visit to Victoria coincided with the Consulate’s outreach mission at the Bayanihan Center. This allowed the OUMWA team to interview Filipino outreach clients and newly-minted dual citizens and see the provincial capital.