• LOCATION

Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and north of the conterminous US

• CAPITAL

Ottawa

• AREA

Slightly larger than the US - 9,976,140 sq. km

• GEOGRAPHY

Second largest country in the world after Russia; strategic location between Russia and US via north polar route; approximately 85% of the population is concentrated within 300 km. of the US/Canada border.

• POPULATION

31,592,805 (July 2001 estimates)

• RELIGION

Roman Catholic - 42%

Protestant - 40%

Others - 18%

• LANGUAGES

English - 59.3% (official)

French - 23.2% (official)

Others - 17.5%

• ECONOMY

Major Economic Indicators (2000)

GDP : US$ 631.4 billion

GDP Per Capita : US$ 20,000

GDP Growth Rate : 4.1%

Inflation Rate : 2.4%

Currency : Canadian Dollar (C$)

Exchange Rate : US$ 1.00 = C$ 1.569

(September 17, 2001)

Source: Statistics Canada, September 19, 2001

• GOVERNMENT

Confederation with parliamentary democracy. Under the Constitution Act 1982, executive power is vested in the British monarch, as Head of State, and exercisable by her representative, the Governor – General, whom she appoints on the advice of the Canadian Prime Minister. The Federal Parliament comprises the Head of State, a nominated Senate, and a House of Commons. The Parliamentary has five-year term. The Governor-General appoints the Prime Minister and, on the latter’s recommendation, other ministers to form the Cabinet.

Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II (since February 6, 1952), represented by Governor General Adrienne Clarkson (Since October 7, 1999)

Head of Government: Jean Chretien, Prime Minister

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AREA

The total land area of the archipelago is approximately 300,000 square kilometers. The three largest island groups are Luzon with an area of 141,395 square kilometers, Visayas with 56,606 kilometers, and Mindanao with 101,999 square kilometers.

The archipelago is further subdivided into regions, provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays. There are 16 regions, including the National Capital Region (NCR), the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), CARAGA and the Autonomous Region In Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Metropolitan Manila has been designated as the National Capital Region and is composed of the cities of Manila, Quezon, Pasay, Mandaluyong, Caloocan, Makati, Pasig, Muntinlupa, Las Pinas, Marikina, Valenzuela and Paranaque and the municipalities of Malabon, Navotas, Pateros, San Juan, and Taguig.

There are 79 provinces, 113 cities, 1,496 municipalities and 41,943 barangays.

CAPITAL

Manila

CLIMATE

The climate is tropical. The rainy season is from June to October, the cool dry season is from November to February, and the hot dry season is from March to May. Temperatures range from 21°C to 32°C, with the average at 27°C. Average humidity year round is 77%. All regions are exposed to typhoons, which are prevalent during the rainy season.

POPULATION

The Philippines has total population of 76.4M as of May 1, 2000. Population density is 255 persons per square kilometer.

LANGUAGE

The national language is Pilipino, derived mostly from Tagalog. There are about 70 other local languages and dialects spoken. The major ones are Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon, Bicol, Waray, Pangasinense, Pampango and Maranao. English is widely spoken and understood. Spanish and Chinese are still spoken by a minority.

BRIEF HISTORY

Filipino society and culture were fairly well developed prior to contacts with other countries as documented from archeological artifacts recovered.

Some 500 years before Ferdinand Magellan set foot in the Philippines, the Filipinos had commercial relations with China, Indo-China, Malaysia, India and Arabian countries. Chinese silk, porcelain, jars, gold, ivory, and beads were traded for wax, bird's nest, teakwood, rattan, pearls, precious stones and other marine and forest products.

On March 16, 1521, Ferdinand Magellan claimed the Philippines for the Spanish crown and brought great changes in the political, social and cultural life of the people. Christianity was introduced and centralized government was established. By the beginning of the 17th century, Spain's sovereignty over the Philippines had been fully established. Spain's rule for over three centuries was marked by sporadic revolts.

The first Filipino revolt was led by Lakandula, the last King of Manila, in 1574 to castigate the Spaniards because of their reneged promise to exempt the Filipinos from tribute and forced labor. The revolt was terminated when the Filipinos were promised better treatment. Many of the revolts were caused by the people's desire to win back their freedom and others were prompted by Spanish oppression.

The bloody climax of Filipino struggle for freedom was the Revolution of 1896, which was also the culmination of revolts against Spanish rule. The national hero Dr. Jose Rizal led a reform movement in the 1880s which eventually led to the 1896 revolution. Dr. Rizal was tried in Manila and was sentenced to die by musketry.

His death fuelled the fires of revolution and on June 12, 1898, leaders of the revolution declared the country a sovereign state and proclaimed the first Republic of the Philippines.

While the revolution embroiled the country, Spain declared war against the United States because of the latter's intervention over Cuba's fight for independence. Cuba was then a colony of Spain. Spain was defeated and on December 10, 1898, the Philippines was formally ceded to the United States by virtue of the Treaty of Paris. The occupation of the American was resented by the Filipinos and the outcome was the Filipino-American War which lasted for three years.

After several attempts of Filipino patriots to secure an act to grant independence from the United States, the Philippines was able to obtain the approval of the Tydings-McDuffie Independence Act, which provided for the establishment of a Commonwealth government to end after a ten-year period, and the adoption of a Constitution. A Constitutional Convention drafted the Constitution which was ratified on May 14, 1935. The election of Commonwealth officials followed, with Manuel L. Quezon as President, and Sergio Osmena as Vice President. On November 15, 1935, the new officials assumed office and thus began the ten-year period of self-government.

This was interrupted when the Philippines was drawn into a war in the Pacific as an ally of the Americans against the Japanese. Japanese troops occupied Manila in 1942 and for three years, the Filipinos suffered the ravages of war.

The liberation of the country was fully attained in February 1945, marking the start of the country's massive rehabilitation and rebuilding out of the devastation brought about by the war.

On July 4, 1946, a year after the end of the war, the American flag was lowered and the Philippine flag was hoisted, signaling the recognition of Philippine Independence from the U.S.

GOVERNMENT

The Republic of the Philippines, a democratic and republican state, has a presidential form of government under a new Constitution promulgated in 1986 and ratified by the people on February 2, 1987

The 1986 Constitution provided for a tripartite system: the Executive, represented by a President elected by direct vote of the people for a six-year term; the Legislative, represented by a bicameral Congress, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives; and a Judiciary, with the power of judicial review.

Executive power is vested in the President, who is assisted by the Cabinet. The President is the head of the Cabinet, which is responsible for formulating key policies and carrying out executive functions. The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

The Congress has exclusive lawmaking powers. The Senate has 24 Senators elected at large and the House of Representatives has 219 Congressmen elected by district and by party list. The Judiciary is composed of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals and other inferior courts. The Supreme Court has a Chief Justice and 14 Associate Justices appointed by the President.

RELIGION

The predominant religion is Roman Catholicism. Roman Catholics make up nearly 85 percent of the population. The other religions are Protestantism and Islam.

CURRENCY

The official monetary unit is the peso. The exchange rate varies from day to day. As of July 27, 2001, one US dollar fetched P 53.50

ECONOMY

For the first quarter of 2001, Gross Domestic Product grew by 2.5%, slower than last year's first quarter growth of 3.3%. The political developments in the country likewise significantly affected investments, which rose a mere 0.1% in the first quarter. The slowdown in the world economy led to a fall in Philippine net exports by 65.9%.

The industrial sector continued to post weak growth of 0.1%. Manufacturing held up a bit with a growth rate of 2.4%, compared to 6.0% in the same period last year. Construction contracted by 10.6% as both public and private construction fell.

There, however, were resilient sectors such as agriculture and services. Agriculture posted a 2.3% growth rate, boosted by crops, livestock, fishery and poultry. The services sector benefited from the strong growth in communication (24.9%); retail trade (5.6%) and private services (7.0%)

Beginning in the second quarter, however, some indications of a pick-up growth are seen. On the demand side, a strong rebound of public investments is noted as national government capital expenditures expanded in April and May by 47.8% following the 24.6% contraction in the first quarter. Approved investment projects in the first six months of the year also improved: BOI-approved projects rose 205.4% while PEZA approved projects increased by 19.4%.

Merchandise exports rose by 6.5% in April after several months of decline. What is noteworthy is the growth in raw materials and intermediate goods for two consecutive months (March - April) after more than a year of decline. Imports of office and EDP machines were also robust.

In April, the volume of industrial production exhibited a strong growth of 12.7% while sales volume growth rose 6.2%.

In agriculture, the Bureau of Agriculture Statistics forecast palay production to grow by 7.5% in the second quarter.

The pick-up in real sector recovery beginning in the second quarter is evident in the labor market data for April. Almost 2 million jobs were created compared to a loss of about 1 million jobs over the same period last year. As a result, unemployment rate fell from 13.9% in April 2000 to 13.3% in April 2001. (April unemployment rate is normally the highest due to seasonality factors: new graduates and school - age workers flock to the labor market during the month.)

Given these indicators, a GDP growth of about 2.8 - 3.0% is expected in the second quarter. While this is slightly lower than the 4.3% growth for the same quarter a year ago, it nonetheless rules out the onset of a recession.

The recent volatility of the peso is partly global and partly due to real or demand factors. The peso has been dragged down by the global strengthening of the dollar. It is noteworthy, however, that the peso has been gaining against the Euro (3.22%) and the Yen (2.46%). This mitigates the impact on inflation of the peso depreciation against the US dollar. The peso is expected to gradually stabilize as monetary authorities continue to implement prudent policies.

The average inflation rate in the first two quarters of 2001 reached 6.7%, still within the government's target of 6.0 - 7.0%. Inflation is expected to slightly rise to 6.8% in July, given the impact of the recent typhoon on vegetable price and the oil prices hikes.

A GNP growth of 3.3 - 3.8% in 2001 can be expected, considering the early leading indicators and the expected impact of the package of policy measures being launched by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Growth is projected to strengthen in 2002 following the global economic recovery.

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Prime Minister Jean Chretien was born in Quebec on January 11, 1934. Although he is from Quebec, he opposes any separatist ambitions in the province and is a strong supporter of national unity.

He studied law at Laval University. Chretien was called to the Bar in 1958. In 1962-1963, he served as Director of the Bar of Trois-Rivieres. Since then, he began his illustrious and varied career in public service, serving as representative in the House of Commons (1963 and 1965), Minister of National Revenue (1968), Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (1968-74), President of the Treasury Board (1974), Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce (1976), Minister of Finance (1977-1979), Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister of State for Social Development (1980) and Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources (1982) and Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for External Affairs (1984).

On June 23, 1990, Mr. Chretien was elected Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. He became prime minister in October 1993. The election brought an extraordinary defeat for the incumbent Progressive Conservatives, who saw their tally in the parliament collapse from 169 seats to 2. Chretien won further elections in 1997 and 2000.

He visited the new US President George W. Bush soon after his inauguration. One major point of disagreement is Mr. Bush's support for a National Missile Defence systern. Canada has always opposed such a system.

Prime Minister Chretien received several Honorary Degrees from both Canadian and international universities including the Meiji University in Tokyo, Japan (1996); and in 1999 from both the Warsaw School of Economics in Poland and Michigan State University; and in 2000, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Memorial University in St. John's.

Mr. Chetien married Aline Chaine of Shawinigan in 1957. They have three children: France, Hubert and Michel.

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The Honourable Herbert Eser Gray - Deputy Prime Minister

The Honourable David Michael Collenette - Minister of Transport

The Honourable David Anderson - Minister of Environment

The Honourable Ralph E. Goodale  - Minister of Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board

The Honourable Brian Tobin - Minster of Industry

The Honourable Sheila Copps - Minister of Canadian Heritage

The Honourable John Manley - Minister of Foreign Affairs

The Honourable Paul Martin - Minister of Finance

The Honourable Arthur C. Eggleton - Minister of National Defence

The Honourable Ann Mclellan - Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

The Honourable Allan Rock - Minister of Health

The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay - Solicitor General of Canada

The Honourable Alfonso Gagliano - Minister of Public Works and Government Services

The Honourable Lucienne Robillard - President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure

The Honourable Martin Cauchon - Minister of National Revenue and Secretary of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec)

The Honourable Jane Stewart - Minister of Human Resources Development

The Honourable Stephane Dion - President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs

The Honourable Pierre Pettigrew - Minister for International Trade

The Honourable Don Boudria - Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

The Honourable Lyle Vanclief - Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

The Honourable Herb Dhaliwal - Minister of Fisheries and Oceans

The Honourable Ronald J. Duhamel - Minister of Veterans Affairs and Secretary of State (Western Economic Diversification)

The Honourable Claudette Bradshaw - Minister of Labor

The Honourable Robert Daniel Nault - Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development

The Honourable Martha Minna - Minister of International Cooperation

The Honourable Elinor Caplan - Minister of Citizenship and Immigration

The Honourable Sharon Carstairs Leader of the Government in the Senate

The Honourable Robert G. Thibault - Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)

The Honourable Ethel Blondin-Andrew - Secretary of State (Children and Youth)

The Honourable Hedy Fry - Secretary of State (Multiculturalism) (Status of Women)

The Honourable David Kilgour - Secretary of State (Latin America and Africa)

The Honourable James Scott Peterson Secretary of State (International Financial Institutions)

The Honourable Andrew Mitchell - Secretary of State (Rural Development) (Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario)

The Honourable Gilbert Normand - Secretary of State (Science, Research and Development)

The Honourable Denis Coderre - Secretary of State (Amateur Sport)

The Honourable Rey Pagtakhan - Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific)

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• The Centre Block, the main building with the distinctive Peace Tower, houses the chambers of the House of Commons and the Senate. You can watch either chamber in action from the visitor galleries, take a building tour, or go up to the top of the Peace Tower for a spectacular view of the Capital region. In the Peace Tower you can also visit the Memorial Chamber which honours Canada’s war dead.

• The historic East Block looks much the way it did at the time of Confederation. Inside are the restored offices of Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Mac Donald and other early statesmen. Tours are offered of these historic rooms and they are also the setting for interactions with historical characters from that period.

• The West Block houses offices for members of parliament and is closed to the public.

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Bilateral relations between Canada and the Philippines have remained strong. There have been numerous visits and activities by high-ranking government and private sector officials from both countries. During previous years, there were highly successful State Visits by leaders of both countries reaffirming the strong bilateral relations that have existed since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1949.

Canadian government and business officials have continued their contacts with their Filipino counterparts. In the same manner, Philippine government officials have visited Canada to coordinate previous discussions and study Canadian experiences in different fields.

International meetings held in various cities in the Philippines and Canada give officials opportunities to meet, renew acquaintances and discuss matters of mutual concern. Filipinos and Canadians also take advantage of memberships and attendance in various international fora held in other parts of the world to continue the excellent relations.

Trade and investment promotions continue to be the primary activities in economic diplomacy. Networking with Canadian offices has remained a viable activity in sustaining the development of Philippine-Canada trade and two-way investment between the Philippines and Canada. Private organizations engaging in trade relations between Canada and the Philippines hold regular meetings and presentations to explore ways of developing businesses. New strategies have been undertaken by the Embassy such as the conduct of an ASEAN-Ottawa Committee Economic Roadshow to further develop trade with Canada.

Canadians have also been apprised of the economic situation in the Philippines in various gatherings.

The balance of bilateral trade was in favor of Canada until 1997 but since 1998 to the present, the Philippines has enjoyed annual trade surpluses with Canada. Canada is the Philippines' 18th largest trading partner with a value of close to US$ 500 Million, accounting for 0.78% of Philippine trade with the world (0.89% of Philippine exports and 0.645% of Philippine imports).

The Canadian public, especially the Filipino Canadian community, is regularly apprised of the political situation in the country and the actions that have been taken by the Philippine government to respond to such situations.

Some 300,000 Filipino-Canadians constitute the Filipino community in Canada. These Filipino-Canadians have been praised by ranking government leaders for their contribution to the development of Canada. Their efforts have helped in the further development of good relations. To the Philippine economy, available data indicates that Filipino-Canadians have contributed US$28.759 Million in remittances in the first seven months of the year 1999.

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Value in US$ Million

Source: National Statistics Office

Canada is the 19^th trading partner of the Philippines in the year 2000, the 13^th market for exports and the 24^th import source.

For the whole year of 2000, total trade of the Philippines with Canada amounted to US$ 545.63 million. The Philippines continues to enjoy a trade surplus with Canada, US$ 140.93 million. Exports grew at an annual average of 14.45%, from US$ 205.81 million in 1996 to US$ 343.28 million in 2000. On the other hand, imports from Canada registered a negative annual average growth rate of 5.12%, from US$ 268.59 million in 1996 down to US$ 202.35 million in 2000.

Significant increases were registered for electronics, garments, automotive parts, fashion accessories, and processed foods. The exports value of Special Transactions (US$ 9,742,187 in the year 2000) recorded a significant decrease. Excluding this value, total exports to Canada should have increased by 39.95% compared with 1999 level. Special transactions include samples, tourist purchases, personal and household effects of travelers and immigrants, and machineries/equipment sourced from Canada and then sent back after use, and therefore cannot be considered real exports.

Top imports included: wheat and meslin; copper concentrates; blank coins of copper, parts and accessories of other telephonic or telegraphic apparatus (including such apparatus for car); and, sulphur (other than sublimed, precipitated or colloidal sulphur).

1. Electronics and Information Technology
2. Carageenan
3. Garments (e.g. babies’ garments, coats and jackets, trousers,

overalls, shorts, shirts, underwear, sweaters)

4. Fresh and Processed Food (e.g. fruit mixtures, soups and broth, food

preparations of flour, pasta, tapioca, vegetables)

5. Construction materials
6. Automotive parts
7. Furniture
8. Gifts and Housewares

Philippine exporters may take advantage of the growing concern for health and fitness among consumers. Consumers are willing to pay premium for high-quality foods. Hence, there is a strong potential for natural food ingredients and good nutrition, food products such as seafood extracts; potato; corn and cassava derivatives; fruit (passion fruit, pineapple) concentrates; gums; etc. The following products also have bright prospects in the food market: fresh vegetables, snack foods, red meat, organic foods, live cattle and fruit and vegetable juices.

The clout of the middle age and the mature market is growing. Consumers in this age category have a high disposable income and are willing to pay more for quality merchandise. They are the leading buyers of furniture, gifts, household furnishing, and floor coverings. They have more time for home decoration and spend more on travel and recreation.

Growth in the furniture industry closely relates with the growth of the economy, particularly construction developments in commercial and residential sectors. Over the next few years, the Canadian furniture market is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 2.5-3%. Above-average growth is expected in the following niches: home and office furniture, ergonomically designed furniture, home entertainment furniture, and outdoor furniture.

Value in US$ thousand

Value in US$ thousand

As of January 10, 2002

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The Filipino community is among the largest immigrant communities in Canada, next only to the Chinese and Indians. Canadian Immigration statistics further indicate that starting 1996, the Philippines has become the second ranking source of recent immigrants to Canada. Hongkong, the former leading origin of immigrants to Canada, exhibited signs of decline since 1995.

At present, the Philippine Embassy in Canada estimates the total number of the Filipino community in Canada to be about 350,000. Canadian statistics on the other hand, show a more conservative estimate of 273, 515. Thirty-nine (39) percent of these emigrants possess a college degree.

Immigration Flows to Canada

According to the study published by Statistics Canada in 1996, immigrants constitute a diverse and growing population in Canada. The study further states that said group has doubled in the past 10 years, largely because of increasing migration from countries outside Europe.

Historically, Canada itself is a country of immigrants. Its first inhabitants are the aboriginal people, now classified as Metis, Inuits, or North American Indians. But it was not until the 17^th century that Europeans arrived and populated Canada. Like most prominent states of the British Commonwealth, people of Caucasian origin were the dominant population,

Compared to the United States, Filipino migration to Canada is a more recent phenomenon. In fact, in the early part of the 20th century, Filipinos and other non-Caucasians had difficulty entering Canada in view of the government's policy of exclusion of non-whites from the mainstream population. When said policy was formally dropped in 1962, and flexible immigration policies were adopted in response to the growing demand for skilled labor, entry to Canada became much easier. Today, Canadian society recognizes the contributions of its immigrant population.

Under the Employment Equity Act of Canada, "visible minorities" are "persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in color." Under this definition, the regulations to the Act specify the following groups as visible minorities: Chinese, South Asians, Blacks, Arabs and West Asians, Filipinos, Southeast Asians, Latin Americans, Japanese, Koreans and Pacific Islanders. Note that Filipinos are considered as a minority population distinct from the Southeast Asian grouping.

Visible minority population currently makes up for 11 to 13 % of the total Canadian population, compared with nine percent in 1991 and six percent in 1986. Trends show that beginning 1996, over half (54%) of all immigrants arriving in Canada were from Asia. During the 1950s, Asian immigrants accounted for only five percent or less of immigrants.

Filipino Canadian Community

Available records indicate that Filipinos migrated to Canada as early as 1931. In the 1950s, the first Filipino immigrants in Canada arrived in the Province of Manitoba, composed of educators, nurses and medical technologists. Only ten Filipino immigrants had been recorded. They moved north from the United States after their limited residence under the American-Philippines Visitor’s Exchange Program had expired.

In the 1960s, Canada recruited more professionals, including nurses, laboratory technicians, office workers and doctors to overcome the manpower shortages in various fields. An increasing number of Filipinos were brought to Winnipeg, Manitoba to work in the garment industry in 1968. They were recruited from various factories in Metro Manila. Their recruitment continued up to the mid-1970s which were then followed by increasing representation from the clerical, sales and manufacturing categories.

In the 1970s, the age, gender and occupational profile of the Filipino community were modified in the late 1970s. It was during this period when a large number of sponsored relatives arrived under the family reunification program. A large number of Filipinos preferred to settle in the Province of Ontario, particularly in the City of Toronto, where they could easily be employed. These were the years that also saw the dramatic increase of Filipino senior citizens. when Filipino parents in their fifties and sixties were sponsored by their children.

In the 1980s, the influx of contract workers came as Live-in Caregivers (Domestic Workers). A high percentage became landed immigrants after two years as Overseas Contract Workers (OCWs). The latest surge of immigrants occurred in the 1990s when there was a steady influx of independent immigrants and an increasing number of investors and entrepreneurs.

Today, the Filipino-Canadian Community is estimated to be more than 300,000 strong.

Contributions of Filipino Migrants in Canada to the Philippines

The contributions of Canada-based Filipinos to the development efforts of the Philippines through their remittances and financial and material assistance have been significant.

Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas show that from 1996 to July 2001, they remitted more than US$190 million, accounting for 0.57% of foreign currency remittances through official banking channels alone. In addition to remittances, Filipinos in Canada have been contributing to the development of the Philippines through CFO's Lingkod sa Kapwa Pilipino (LINKAPIL) or Link for Philippine Development Program. From 1990 to June 2001, they channeled a total of P51.60 million worth of donations to the country through LINKAPIL, making Flipinos in Canada the third largest contributor to the said program. Their contributions accounted for 5.08% of said assistance.

Characteristics of Philippine Emigration to Canada

The socio-demographic profile of Filipinos in Canada is characterized by the following:

1. Filipinos are one of the minority groups who have recently arrived in Canada. Other nationalities in this group include Arabs and West Asians, Chinese and Latin Americans.

2. Most Filipinos in Canada settle within the country's metropolitan areas. More than half of Filipino immigrants (54%) lived in Ontario, with the rest spread over British Columbia, Manitoba, Alberta and Quebec. Forty-two percent of Filipinos live in Toronto and 18% in Vancouver (Toronto and Vancouver are Canada's two biggest cities), Winnipeg hosts the third largest Filipino population in Canada, accounting for 35% of the visible minority population in said area.

3. Filipinos enjoy high employment rates. Among the various visible minority groups, Filipinos aged 15 to 64 are considerably more likely to be employed than those in other groups. In 1996, 72 % of Filipinos in this age range were employed, whereas the figure in other groups ranged from 65% among Japanese to 52% among Arabs and West Asians.

4. Only eight percent of Filipinos within the 15 to 64 age range are unemployed, compared to Latin Americans (20%), Blacks and Arabs (both at 19%) and Southeast Asians (17%). Among the visible minority groups, the, Japanese are least likely to be unemployed (7%), only one percent ahead of the Filipinos.

5. Compared with other visible minorities, Filipinos generally enjoy high incomes. In 1995, around half of both Arab and West Asians (51 %) and Latin Americans (50%) were living in low income situations, as were nearly half of Blacks, Koreans and Southeast Asians. At the other end of the scale, just 18% of Japanese and 24% of Filipinos were living with low incomes.

6. Filipinos are most likely to become immigrants than other visible minority groups. 74.6% of the Filipino population in Canada are immigrants. Only 23% of Filipinos in Canada constitute the non-immigrant population.

7. The largest influx, of Filipino Immigrants to Canada (39%) took place between 1991 to 1996. Estimates of immigration from 1999 to 2001 may exceed this record.

Registered Filipino Emigrants

A year after its creation by law in 1980, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas started registering and implementing various programs for departing Filipino emigrants, including fiancees and spouses of foreign nationals in line with its mandate of promoting the well-being of Filipinos overseas. For the first, second and third quarters alone of the year 2001, the Commission registered 8,564 Filipinos bound for Canada.

The registration profile of Filipino emigrants to Canada is as follows:

1. Canada ranks second among the destinations of Filipino emigrants. CFO registration data for the period of 1981 to December 2000 indicate that Canada is the second top destination country of Filipino emigrants, accounting for 277,744 or 11% of registered Filipino emigrants.

2. The number of registered emigrants was highest in 1994. For the first three-quarters of CY 2001, 8,564 Canada-bound Filipino emigrants were registered, reflecting an increase of about 4% compared to 8,245 in the previous year. These figures do not include Filipinos who have adjusted their status in Canada.

3. CFO registration figures for the period 1989 to June 2001 show that Canada ranks fifth among destination countries of Filipino fianeces and spouses of foreign nationals, with 7,673 accounting for 3.81 % of the total.

4. Less than half of Filipinos going to Canada were employed prior to their immigration. Around 37% of registered Filipino emigrants were working prior to their departure for Canada. Of those who were working, almost 15% were employed as professional/technical workers, 6% worked as production process workers, transport equipment operators, and laborers, while 5% worked in the sales sector.

5. On the other hand, 90% of the fiancees and spouses who underwent guidance and counseling at CFO were employed prior to departure for Canada. Of those who were working, 16% were employed in professional/technicaI related jobs, while 14% worked in production process.

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