CPBC names special advisors

Toronto March 2 - The President of Canada Philippines Business Council (CPBC), Mr. Forte Gerardo, today announced the appointments of two distinguished Canadian professionals – Former Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines Robert Collette and Dr. Michael Rayel, to serve as special advisors to the council board.




Former Ambassador Robert Collette, President of RCBI, based in Ottawa, is appointed to the Board of Advisors. His firm provides advice to Canadian companies doing business in Asia and Europe with a particular emphasis on China, the Philippines and Switzerland. He is also a member of several Advisory Boards and/or Board of Directors of Canadian companies.

Mr. Collette had a distinguished diplomatic career which ended in September 2009, after 37 years. At the onset of his career with the Public Service of Canada he spent twelve years with the Canadian International Development Agency including postings to Yaoundé and Kuala Lumpur. He joined the Department Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) in 1986. His career at DFAIT includes having been appointed as Canada's Minister (Trade), Canadian Embassy, Beijing (1997-2000), Ambassador to the Philippines (2000-2003), Chief of Protocol for Canada (2003-2005), Canada’s Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein (2005-2009).

He was also the Prime Minister’s Personal Representative for the Francophonie, Director, Trade and investment for the Middle East and Africa and Director for Investment and Science and technology. Within the CPBC board, Mr. Collete will be asked to help Canadian companies with their exports to and investment activities in the Philippines.




Dr. Michael G. Rayel, MD, Canadian of Filipino origin, is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) Discipline of Psychiatry. He also serves as the Chief of Psychiatry at Dr. G. B. Cross Memorial Hospital of Eastern health based in Newfoundland. He is a Diplomate of American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology with subspecialty certifications in Geriatric and Forensic Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine. He trained at New York Medical College, New York University Medical Center, and Harvard Medical School.

As an entrepreneur, he established Oikos Global that produces his award-winning game inventions — the Oikos Game Series, Actus Tale, Fikloo, and Wordigy. He heads Soar Dime Ltd that operates Positive News Media, Oikos’ Insights! and Psychedu.com. As an author, he has written widely received psychiatry review books and also conducts webinars on mental health and emotional intelligence for parenting, personal, and career success.

For his additional expertise, Dr. Rayel will advise the board on matters related to Information Technology, particularly in using the Internet platform for conducting council board meetings, webinars and fora.