Orontes Castro, the government of the Philippines’ Consul General in Toronto and Manitoba Premier Heather Stephanson led the flag raising ceremony held this weekend as part of the month-long celebration of Philippine Heritage Month in Manitoba.
Joining Castro and Stefanson were Rolando Opina, Honorary Consul and other guests from the three levels of government that included Member of Parliament Kevin Lamoureux and City Councilor Kevin Klein who also delivered welcome remarks.
The event started with a short parade on June 4th, Saturday at the Philippine Canadian Centre of Manitoba (PCCM). It was participated in by various community organizations and was spearheaded by the Philippine Heritage Council of Manitoba (PHCM) President Perla Javate with support from volunteers from Royal Bank of Canada, PCCM, 204 Neighborhood Watch and Manitoba Association of Filipino Teachers.
Two years into the pandemic, the theme of this year’s celebration is “A New beginning, a new Hope”.
The outdoor flag raising event was followed with a program at the PCCM multi-purpose hall that was hosted by 92.7 FM CKJS’ Donna Natividad-Arenas and RBC’s Shell Baladad. Local talents Jovelle Balani and Irish Catly showcased their singing prowess.
Following the flag raising event in the morning, Castro joined the community at the Independence Ball later in the evening which was only a few of the many events done in the city to celebrate this year’s 124th anniversary of Philippine Independence. This is the first time an official from the Philippine Consulate joined the PHCM and the Filipino community in Manitoba in its many years of celebration.
(PHOTO CREDIT: NONIE MANALILI)
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