They are not canon in a sense that characters won't go "Gee, Wu Heir, it's almost like you were Blessed by a Tiger

with how agile you are". There are some exceptions like Captivating Beauty and Regeneration, obviously, but more "minor for the plot" stuff like exp boosts probably will never be mentioned in the story (which I think is fine, I think it would take you away from the story too much with constant comments about your minmaxxing talents).
I do hope stuff like Phoenix Heart or even Alignment talents will be mentioned more - for roleplay sake and stuff.