Vancouver, 29 June 2017 – The Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver joined representatives of the Mama Sita Foundation in donating Filipino culinary books to the Vancouver Public Library (VPL) on 26 June 2017.

Consul General Neil Ferrer, together with Ms. Rosalinda Luis MacDougall and family, representatives of the Mama Sita Foundation, turned over the following cookbooks to Ms. Sandra Singh, Chief Librarian and Ms. Chris Middlemass, Manager of Collections: (1) Mama Sita’s Lutong Bahay Cookbook, (2) Mama Sita's Homestyle Recipes Cookbook, and (3) Discover Mama Sita's Flavors of the Philippine Islands Cookbook.

During the turnover ceremony, Consul General Ferrer underlined the importance of promoting Filipino cuisine, which is one way of promoting cultural diversity in a diverse Canadian society, where Filipinos are the fastest growing ethnic group among immigrants in the past four years.  He also mentioned the recent activities and programs undertaken by the Consulate in celebration of the 119th Proclamation of Philippine Independence and Philippines-Canada Friendship Month in June. These events are geared towards enhancing awareness and appreciation of Filipino culture and heritage in B.C. Ms. Singh acknowledged the generosity of the Mama Sita Foundation and welcomed future partnerships with the Consulate and cultural exchanges through publications and book contributions on the Philippines. END