ConGen Rosalita Prospero passes away in Toronto

Consul General to Toronto Rosalita Sayoc Prospero has passed away, the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto announced.

In a Facebook post, the office said Prospero died in Toronto early morning on Tuesday, May 28, but did not reveal the cause of her death.

“She was a career diplomat who dedicated her life in the service of our country and its people,” it said.

The post also added that Prospero’s remains will be sent back to the Philippines “in accordance with her wishes.”

A memorial service will also be organized.

“The details of which shall be released in due course,” it noted.

Prior to being a consul general of the Philippines in Toronto, Canada on May 24, 2015, Prospero served as Executive Director of the Office of American Affairs of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

In a previous interview with Philippine Canadian Inquirer (PCI), Prospero said she was proud to have come from a family of educators, from her great-grandparents to her own mother. But unlike her family members, Prospero chose to take a different career path which was in foreign service. Her interest in foreign affairs grew when she became an international science relations officer in the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), where she was able to coordinate with the DFA in the foreign-assisted projects of the DOST.

Prospero then served as vice consul and then consul in Sydney, Australia, where she said she “learned the ropes of this role.” She then served as minister and consul general at the Philippine Embassy in Paris, France and then, later on, became the minister and permanent deputy representative to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

As a consul general, Prospero said she wanted her office to serve and protect each Filipino immigrant or Filipino-Canadians who struggle to have a better life in Canada.

[READ: ConGen Rosalita Prospero: Embracing Her Role to Keep the Pinoy-ness of Filipinos in Canada]