WINNIPEG – As the Philippines celebrates the 125th anniversary of its Independence today, various heritage organizations in their respective provinces in Canada are celebrating the fifth year of Filipino Heritage Month since it was first observed across the country in 2019.
In the friendly prairie province, the Philippine Heritage Council of Manitoba, Inc. (PHCM) looks after the celebration of Filipino heritage and culture. The provincial capital of Winnipeg is of special significance as its North End owns bragging rights as ‘The Heart of the Filipino Community in Canada,’ because of the sheer number of Filipinos residing per capita in that area.
It was an eventful second week of June for PHCM and its affiliated organizations as they mounted a total of five events in celebration of Filipino Heritage Month.
Philippine flag-raising at Winnipeg City Hall
Kicking things off on the morning of Friday, June 9 is the Philippine flag-raising at Winnipeg City Hall. The event was led by the Manitoba Council of Filipino Canadians, with the Knights of Rizal Winnipeg Chapter as the guest sponsoring organization. In attendance were members of the Filipino community, Mayor Scott Gillingham, a number of city councilors, and some provincial legislators which included Waverley MLA and Labour and Immigration Minister Jon Reyes who is of Filipino Heritage.
A special moment to experience the Philippines flag raising ceremony at Winnipeg City Hall this morning in continuation of #FilipinoHeritageMonth. Thank you to the organizers and those in the Filipino community for bringing everyone together. Mabuhay! 🇵🇭🦬 pic.twitter.com/hdw7zGzmPo
— Jon Reyes (@MinJonReyes) June 9, 2023
Philippine Heritage and Independence Day Celebration
Later that day, the doors of the Maples Collegiate’s Judy Silvers Commons opened at 5 pm to welcome guests to the Philippine Heritage and Independence Day Celebration. Organized by the Seven Oaks Filipino Employees Association, Inc. (SOFEA), Seven Oaks School Division and Maples Collegiate, the well-attended event was billed as a cultural entertainment and exhibition. Food, drinks and souvenirs were available for purchase.
Winnipeg-based concert artist, educator and humanitarian Paul Ong attended the event and shared a reel on his Instagram account, with a caption that encouraged his followers to ‘celebrate culture, heritage and diversity!’
Celebration of Faith
An event that overlapped with the Philippine Heritage and Independence Day Celebration is the Celebration of Faith which was held at the multi-purpose hall of the Philippine Canadian Centre of Manitoba. The faith-based gathering was scheduled from 6 pm onward.
Despite the competing schedules, the event at Keewatin Street drew a sizeable audience. One of the attendees is Victor Cuarto, a pastor and academician who shared his sentiments about the event on his Facebook account.
“Celebrate Faith and Freedom in Jesus Christ! Thank you Holy Spirit for your Presence in this evening’s prayer time in the Philippine-Canadian Centre of Manitoba (PCCM) led by Filipino Interchurch Fellowship Winnipeg and the Philippine Heritage Council of Manitoba,” Cuarto said. He went on to thank his fellow pastors Wendell Amos Olojan and Amilkar R. Hernández for their presence, along with PHCM president Perla Javate and PCCM president Virgie Gayot for their leadership.
Pista sa MAFTI 2023
On Saturday, June 10, the Manitoba Association of Filipino Teachers Inc. (MAFTI) joined the celebrations with Pista sa MAFTI 2023 held at the Maples Collegiate Judy Silver Commons. The highlight of the cultural event celebrated the 351 students who completed MAFTI’s Filipino Heritage After School Program.
On her Facebook page, MAFTI president Mary Jane Napolitano shared that she feels blessed by the overwhelming turnout for the event.
“The support from the MAFTI family, sponsors, community leaders, partners, and the Heritage Team, made this event a huge success,” Napolitano pointed out. She further promised that MAFTI “will continue to advocate, cultivate, and safeguard our language, our culture, and our heritage using the platform given to us.”
Florante at Laura Live Reading
At seven that evening, the curtains rose on the live reading of Florante at Laura, the epic poem of Filipino poet and patriot Francisco Baltazar. The first-of-its-kind event was held at the multipurpose hall of the Philippine Canadian Centre of Manitoba.
Directed by Ronald Mervin Sison, the Florante at Laura Live Reading featured a troupe of voice actors who read the verses of the poem in the native Filipino language, while the members of Magdaragat Philippines, Inc. under the tutelage of artistic director Nerisa ‘Goldie’ Garcia acted out the scene minus the dialogue.
On his Facebook account, Sison acknowledged the audience and his colleagues for the success of the show.
Photo credits:
- Twitter account of the Hon. Jon Reyes, Minister of Labour and Immigration
- Paul Ong via Instagram
- Victor Cuarto via Facebook
- Mary Jane Napolitano via Facebook
- Ronald Mervin Sison via Facebook