Something is afoot at the Philippine Consulate General of Toronto. And it is a welcome change. For the first time (after around 4 or 5 years), there was a real, living, breathing person who answered the phone at the PCGT. I trust that these are changes due to the initiatives of the newly appointed Consul General Angelica C. Escalona, who assumed her position on May 17, 2023.
I recently went through the process for dual citizenship at the PCGT. To my pleasant surprise, it was a breeze. I did not expect this, owing to past experiences in dealing with matters at the Philippine Consulate, including “horror” stories from fellow Filipino-Canadians. It restored my somehow-eroded faith in the PCGT, one of the hundreds (or thousands) of cogs in the wheels of Philippine governance. Hats off to the men and women of the PCGT, especially to the one in charge – CONGEN Escalona!
IS THIS SUMMER OR IS THIS SUMMER?
Did anyone notice? Summer is so fickle and ambiguous this year. I guess this is another sign of the times. Call it climate change or just change. To my dismay, most clothing retail shops now have their fall and winter outfits out. I feel like I have only just begun to enjoy the summer when I am now being reminded that the cold will start to creep in soon. Then again, I must remember to be grateful that we are not experiencing the scorching heat wave in other parts of the world. Time to appreciate what I have now, I tell myself.
TIME TO REJOICE –56 YEARS OF THE ASEAN
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was established in 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand by the original founding nations of ASEAN – Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei joined in 1984 followed by Vietnam in 1995. Laos and Myanmar 1997, and finally Cambodia in 1999. These 10 Member States make up what we know today as the ASEAN.
A reception was held this month at the official residence of the Indonesian Consul General Asmanari in Toronto to commemorate the 56th anniversary. Indonesia is the chair of the ASEAN for 2023. Quoting from the PCGT website, “Indonesian Consul General Dyah Lestari Asmanari said that Indonesia , as chair of ASEAN in 2023, has been working with ASEAN Member States ad Dialogue Partners to ensure that ASEAN is increasingly relevant to the world.”
I could not agree with him more. Asia, which includes the member states of the ASEAN, is definitely and significantly becoming more relevant to the rest of the world. More than relevant, I would boldly say.
I look forward to 2027 when the Philippines is slated to chair the ASEAN.
According to the write-up in the PCGT website, Consul General Escalona “noted that ASEAN has proven itself as a force for regional peace and is now an epicentrum of growth.” Once again, I am of the same mind and inclination. The theme of the ASEAN 2023 under the chairmanship of Indonesia is —ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth. It is well on its way there with great momentum.
TIME FOR K DRAMA OR MAYBE NOT?
The last episode of King the Land (2023 with Lee Jun-ho and Im Yoon-ah) aired on a popular streaming site which will be nameless from now on in this column. But you know which one it is.
I thought it would be as exhilarating as “Business Proposal” (2022 with Kim Sejeong and our very own Canadian Ahn Hyo-seop, and I must not miss out on mentioning the adorable second couple, played by Kim Min-kyu and Seol In-ah) or at least, as intriguing and “kilig” worthy as “The Interest of Love” (2022 with Moon Ga-young and dream boat Yoo Yeon-seok) and last, but not least, as exciting and funny as “Love to Hate You” (2023 with my idol of the year Teo Yoo and the charming and impressive Kim Ok-bin and, of course, swoon-worthy Kim Ji-hoon).
But it was a minor let-down. I mean, it scored some points for me. For one, the male lead Lee Jun-ho is hot! He is oozing with manly charisma. You can bet I will be tracking down his other dramas from now on. The female lead Im Yoon-ah is incredibly pretty (even sans makeup as she is in most of her scenes) but unbelievably low on sizzle. In the Philippines we would say “walang anghang”.
For another, I like the fact that the storyline at certain points did not go the usual stereotype way that it does. Somehow, though, the connecting dots were not clear. I mean that the development of the story seemed spotty or they seemed to have dropped some parts of the script or edited scenes out. It could have amounted to a great piece of work but I thought it was quite “bitin”.
But, I would still recommend it. As one avid Lee Jun-ho fan said in words to the effect that, “so long as Jun-ho is there, I love it!”. Ha ha! So much for fandom and the kind. I would understand. Guess why!
On this note, I leave you with my wishes for everyone to have a lovely and relaxing summer. By the way, “ghost” month for my Chinese friends starts mid-August so activities will be toned down during this time. Good for my good friend Lolita Ching, who has been having back-to-back-to-back events within the Filipino-Chinese community in Manila for the past months. Time for her and many others to sit back and get some much-needed rest and family time.
Tessie O. Taylor