Two Pinoys want to be Toronto’s next mayor

The race is on to become the new Mayor of Toronto this summer. Out of 76 candidates who registered to run for Mayor of Toronto, two Filipino Canadians have decided to run for the much-needed leadership post in Canada’s premier city. These two courageouskababayans( countrypersons) are Jose Baking and William Reodica. Both Pinoy candidates are from Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario.

Jose Baking filed his interest on  April 14, 2023, while William Reodica registered on May 4, 2023, for the Toronto By-election on June 26, 2023, to replace the resigned Toronto Mayor, John Tory. In the alphabetical listing, J. Baking is 9th in the list of 76 nominees while W. Reodica is listed as candidate # 59 in the roll.

Affectionately called “Joey” by his family and friends, Jose Baking is the publisher and editor of Little Manila Confidential, a Filipino-centred monthly newspaper based in Toronto. He is a noted veteran photographer covering community events and social functions for many years. From Quezon City, Philippines, Joey studied Communication Arts at the University of Santo Tomas and was a former office clerk at Ogilvy, a creative agency network in Toronto before operating his locally circulated broadsheet. He is a Member of the Board of Directors of the Philippine Press Club-Ontario(PPCO).

William “Willie” Reodica is active in the Filipino Canadian social, political, and business communities in the Greater Toronto Area. An officer of the Knights of Rizal-Canada Region, Willie is the father of the late Jeffry Reodica who was fatally shot by a Toronto police officer in 2006. A successful Ontario real estate salesperson, mortgage agent & realtor he is a Co-Founder and senior officer of the Filipino Canadian Real Estate Association ( FILCREA). A graduate of Business Marketing from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines( PUP), Reodica is the Founder and current President of the PUP Alumni Foundation of Canada. For 15 years he served as a volunteer Eucharist Minister at St. Rose Lima Parish and Scarborough Grace Hospital. Recipient of numerous business and community awards, he received recent recognition from the Filipino Centre Toronto as one of the “10 Outstanding Fil-Can Seniors” in Ontario.

Politically, according to The Local, a Toronto-based general interest online magazine covering urban health and social issues, J. Baking “placed 9th out of ten candidates in the 2006 municipal election for the then-Ward 4 in Scarborough”. On one hand, W. Reodica ran for Mayor of Stouffville(Ontario) in 2014 and also, for Toronto Ward Alderman twice in 2003 and 2006.

When asked about his candidacy, Reodica said: “You may say I’m a dreamer for Mayor, but I’m not the only one”. His campaign slogan is “STP: Serve The Public, Serbisyong Taus Puso, Serving from your Heart”. Baking, meanwhile admitted: “It will be a reasonable campaign to articulate the voices and interests of Toronto residents on this election.” The mayoral aspirations of these 2 Pinoys are thought of as a real huge and personal challenge at great odds for both but profoundly, a courageous move to try the least and be seriously admired in Canadian politics. ( Tony A. San Juan, OCT)