Minister Rechie Valdez, the first Filipino-Canadian Member of Parliament (MP) in Canada, was appointed as the Minister of Small Business in the current Cabinet formed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Canadian Minister Rechie Valdez / MANILA BULLETIN
She is one of the seven new Liberal MPs who joined Trudeau’s new Cabinet, after the prime minister undertook an overhaul or reshuffling of his Cabinet to address economic, environmental, and a host of other persistent issues in the country ahead of the next Canadian elections in 2025.
Valdez swore her oath as the new minister in front of Trudeau in a ceremony on Wednesday, July 26.
She notably said “Mabuhay,” before reciting her oath, stating “I, Rechie Valdez, do sincerely and solemnly promise and swear that I will truly and faithfully, and to do the best of my skill and knowledge, execute the powers and trust purpose in me as Minister of Small Business, so help me God.”
"I am truly honoured and privileged to serve as Canada’s Minister of Small Business. I look forward to working with and supporting small businesses across our country," Valdez said in a Facebook post.
"I would like to thank Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for your faith and confidence in me. I also want to give a special thank you to the constituents of Mississauga—Streetsville for your support. To my Cabinet colleagues, I am excited to get to work!," she added.
Canadian Minister Rechie Valdez / MANILA BULLETIN
Valdez, who was born in Zambia and migrated to Canada in 1989, made history when she was elected as the first Filipino-Canadian member of the Parliament for Mississauga—Streetsville, Ontario in 2021.
She serves as the chair of the Canada-Philippines Parliamentary Friendship Group.
Valdez consistently advocates for the Filipino-Canadian community, bridging and fostering relationships between the two nations.
For instance, she was among the MPs who joined Trudeau in celebrating the Fun Philippines Toronto Street Festival; and was among the attendees of the 2023 Philippine Economic Briefing in Toronto.
“Important discussions were had about the future and economic prosperity for both nations. The future looks bright!,” said Valdez in an X post on July 26.
In the parliament, she is a member of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs, and the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food. She was also a part of the Canadian North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Parliamentary Association and the Canada-Africa Parliamentary Association from 2022 to 2023.
Prior to entering politics, Valdez was a small business owner who operated online business ventures, focusing on baking goods. She also dabbled in visual media as a host of a television show called “Fearlessly Creative” on Filipino TV, a Canadian specialty channel that airs Tagalog-language shows.
Given her history as an entrepreneur, Valdez sponsored the National Women’s Entrepreneurship Act in 2022.
She was also the former leader of a non-profit basketball festival for men’s, women’s, and youth basketball tournaments and music festivals in Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square.