Filipino Canadian groups watch Thursday’s federal budget for their first $100 million funding proposal

Filipino community groups including Pwrforward are watching whether the federal budget due on Thursday includes their first-ever $100 million proposal to support Filipino Canadian entrepreneurs, professionals and community infrastructure, which Liberal MP Michael Coteau backed in the House of Commons.

Filipino community members in Canada are keeping a close watch on this year’s federal budget, set to be released on Thursday, to see whether a $100 million proposal submitted by several Filipino groups during the federal budget consultation process is included in the Liberal government’s fiscal plan, OMNI News reported for CityNews Toronto on 4 November.

Charmaine Ramirez, executive director of Pwrforward, one of the groups behind the proposal, said this was the first time the Filipino community had submitted a proposal of this kind.

“This year, the community put together its first proposal asking for a $100 million investment from the federal government to support Filipino Canadian entrepreneurs, professionals, and community infrastructure.”

What the proposal asks for

An Action Network letter campaign titled “Support $100M Federal Investment Into The Filipino-Canadian Community” calls on the Government of Canada to invest $100 million over five years to build the capacity of Filipino-Canadian businesses, professionals and organizations, providing access to capital, advancing career pathways and strengthening community infrastructure. It asks Members of Parliament to:

• Make a statement to include a budget mention for Filipino-Canadians.
• Reach out to colleagues on the Finance Committee and to the Minister of Finance to include a budget mention.

Support in the House of Commons

The community met with Members of Parliament in October to advocate for the proposal’s inclusion in the budget. In a House of Commons statement on 29 October, Liberal MP Michael Coteau expressed his support for the proposal, according to CityNews Toronto.

“I will be working with the community to explore ways to move this forward. They are committed to building a stronger Canada and helping keep Canada strong.”

Some Filipinos in Toronto said they believe the proposal could help the community if it is included. “If there’s funding, this will help support projects in the community,” Toronto resident Hygelyn Dulnuan said. Community members also said they would like to see more affordability measures, with Kadmiel Reyes pointing to high inflation and fluctuating gas prices.

The Canadian Press reported on 20 October that Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said the Liberal government would table its budget on 5 November, the second fiscal plan delivered under Prime Minister Mark Carney.

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