Fil-Canadian Rechie Valdez sworn into Trudeau Cabinet | ABS-CBN

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Fil-Canadian Rechie Valdez sworn into Trudeau Cabinet

Fil-Canadian Rechie Valdez sworn into Trudeau Cabinet

Rowena Papasin | TFC News Vancouver

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Filipino-Canadian lawmaker Rechie Valdez has been appointed by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as the country’s new minister for small business.

Her appointment ended decades of absence of Filipino representation in the Canadian government’s Cabinet.

Valdez is the first Filipina to be elected to Canada’s House of Commons as the member of parliament for Streetsville-Mississauga in Toronto.

She was among the seven rookie MPs named by Trudeau in his Cabinet reshuffle.

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Valdez believes that her appointment will give a voice to Filipino-Canadians in Ottawa.

“It means a lot for Filipino representation across the country,” she said. “We are one million-strong and [that ensures] that they have a voice.”

Filipino-Canadian community leaders have expressed excitement that a Filipino is once again holding a Cabinet post in Ottawa.

Dr. Rey Pagtakhan, a former member of parliament and Cabinet minister, said Valdez’s appointment shows that Trudeau’s Liberal Party values the contribution of Filipinos to the country.

“We see ourselves in the face of Parliament once more and that is very critical and important,” he said.

Said Narima dela Cruz of the Filipino-Canadian National Congress: “It’s a manifestation of force that the Filipino-Canadian community is slowly showing all of Canada.”

With her Cabinet portfolio, Valdez vowed to focus on the welfare of small businesses which she said is the backbone of the Canadian economy.

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