Vaughan reaffirms friendship with Baguio City, Philippines

City welcomes Baguio delegation to Vaughan City Hall

Today, the City of Vaughan welcomed an eight-person delegation from Baguio City, Philippines, to Vaughan City Hall to reaffirm the City’s long-standing cultural partnership with the City of Baguio.

The delegation, which includes the Consul General, Vice Mayor of Baguio, Baguio City Tourism staff, tourism Council members and representatives from the University of Baguio, attended an information session with various City departments at City Hall followed by a tour of the City’s Joint Operations Centre and the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. 

The visit was organized by the Filipino-Canadian Association of Vaughan (FCAV) through its president, Erlinda Insigne. FCAV has supported the needs of Filipino Canadians since 1990 with diverse programming catered to seniors, youth and newcomers. The association played an instrumental role in the City signing a twinning agreement with Baguio City in 1997. 

Since 2004, the City has recognized Filipino Day annually in June to celebrate Philippine Independence Day. Throughout the years, the City has marked this occasion with Vaughan's Filipino community by raising the Philippine flag at Vaughan City Hall to honour the achievements of Filipino Canadians and acknowledge their contributions to Canada's social and economic fabric. 

Vaughan Council has made many visits to Baguio, including in 2009 for its centennial celebration and the inauguration of the Global Garden, and in 2013, to celebrate the Flower Festival and meet with the Baguio Economic Development Authority. The City also welcomed a delegation from Baguio City in November 2022 to mark the 25th anniversary of the cities’ twinning agreement. That marked the first official delegation visit for the 2022-2026 Term of Council. 

For more information on the City’s friendship with Baguio City, visit vaughanbusiness.ca.

QUOTE

"The City of Vaughan is proud to host our second international delegation from Baguio City during this Term of Council. For more than 25 years, our two cities have had a long and enduring relationship, which we continue building on. I want to thank the Filipino-Canadian Association of Vaughan for their efforts to welcome this delegation to Vaughan, and commend their critical role in preserving and fostering Philippine heritage in our city. Once again, I want to express my most sincere gratitude to our friends from Baguio City and look forward to continuing our meaningful partnership for years to come."

- Mayor Steven Del Duca

QUICK FACTS

• Today, the City of Vaughan welcomed an eight-person delegation from Baguio City, Philippines, to Vaughan City Hall to reaffirm the City’s cultural partnership with the City of Baguio.
• The Filipino-Canadian Association of Vaughan played an instrumental role in the City signing the twinning agreement with Baguio City in 1997. 

LEARN MORE

• City of Vaughan's website

• City of Vaughan's Economic Development website

• Filipino-Canadian Association of Vaughan website

• Vaughan celebrates 25-year partnership with Baguio City Philippines news release