Volume 7, Issue No. 18
OPINION/COMMENTARY
/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /
. . . . . A community service of The Filipino Web Channel (TheFilipinoWebChannel@gmail. com) and the Philippine Village Voice (PhilVoiceNews@gmail.com) for the information and understanding of Filipinos and the diverse communities in North America . . . .
Our latest as of Monday, October 6, 2025
~ Consul General Kristine Leilani R. Salle, the ambassador recently appointed to head the Philippine Consulate in Toronto, finds the Filipino community here "very welcoming" and the big turnout at her Meet & Greet "heartwarming." During an hour-long dialogue, folks dish out problems, mostly personal, which she attributes to inadequacy of information. The event was one infrequent chance for selfies and photo ops for all, and a blessing for some with questionable motives in being photographed with her.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
AMBASSADOR KRISTINE LEILANI R. SALLE
New Congen Debuts at 'Meet & Greet'
with Toronto's Filipino Community
By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ
Editor, The Filipino Web Channel
“A confident woman wears a smile and has this air of comfortability and pleasantness about her.” ―
TORONTO - The questions came pouring in, the kind that can be described as sublime and ridiculous, from among the dozens of Filipinos out to get a sense of what's in store for them now that a seasoned diplomat is taking the reins of the Philippine Consulate.
Fresh from her ambassadorship in the United Nations, Consul General Kristine Leilani R. Salle is, in a manner of speaking, the new sheriff in town whose constituency in the provinces of Ontario and Manitoba consists of nearly half the estimated one million Filipinos in Canada.
The evening of Thursday, Oct. 2, was her public debut in the Filipino community notable for its socials, picnics, lavish parties, cash cows such as beauty pageants, street festivals, fashion shows, concerts, entertainment spectacles and the like.
Related videos:
That same community is where one finds a proliferation of alleged not-for-profit orgs and foundations, fake heroes, scammers, liars, thieves, so-called role models, social media trolls, leaders in pictures only, praise (not press) media, and "editors" who suppress news unflattering to their friends.
With 25 years of experience as a diplomat under her belt, it's reasonable to assume that Congen Salle must have encountered some of them some place else. If not, she's in for a surprise.
Selfies with them, like the ones we witnessed at her Meet & Greet (M&G), are potential credentials validating themselves as being close to persons of authority, or chummy with top officials, which then translates to access to solicit personal or business favours.
In the Filipino community, proximity to important people, or the illusion of it, is like a license to peddle one's self-importance. In fact, some folks jostle for berths or choice seats closest to the very important person, especially during photo sessions memorializing the moment.
At the M&G, at least one good-for-nothing publicity hound known for his relentless pursuit of the limelight sought to ingratiate himself by asking Congen Salle her favourite food. Hearing that, I was almost tempted to ask: what's your favourite colour, ma'm? just to spite him.
It's a come-on, clearly an attempt to gain acceptance, especially when he explained he and his purported organizations (which one?) would be prepared to serve her food preference when the time comes to host her.
But the diplomat in her surfaced as she deftly handled the solicitous offer, and answered with a toothsome smile. The exchange evoked a little laughter and raised some eyebrows particularly because most people there knew his usual gimmicks.
This person has a rich history of inserting himself when he sees an opportunity to be physically close to public officials being interviewed or photographed - for no reason at all - than to be seen shoulder to shoulder with them. He's also a crook.
At the beginning of the question-and-answer session, a camera-carrying person who looked old enough to be her father asked if she was single (she replied promptly that she's married). The question was quite jolting for some who wondered if he was being mischievous, ignorant, or smitten by her good looks.
He may have momentarily lost his composure. Just minutes before M&G opened for questions, everybody hesitated until the guy grabbed the microphone and queried Congen Salle about her marital status. Though clownish and flirtatious, he somewhat broke the ice.
Whatever his mindset was, or his intention was, really didn't matter. Questions like his, in my opinion as a journalist, are best left in the privacy of a one-on-one interview. The guy, unprepared and disrespectful, put her on the spot. If he were writing a story, would he headline it "Consul General Is Not Single"? It's ridiculous.
If he had done his due diligence, he would have found that Congen Salle does not advertise her family nor her personal information. That's what I learned from googling her for background. And that, I believe, is for reasons of security.
She prefaced her query with a declaration: "Filipinos are the largest exporter of nurses. Basically, we take care of the world. But who will take care of us?"
Rhetorical or not, the question struck me. Her statement underlines the problems health care workers are facing in Canada.
Other questions were mostly personal which Congen Salle attributed to a lack of information and a misunderstanding of the procedures involved in documentation.
"Actually, many of them, it's just that they don't know the process . . . that's why we're very active and increasing our consular outreach mission for us to reach more Filipinos. Obviously many of them lack information," she explained. (Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved).
