12 December 2013 – Moved by the outpouring of Canadian humanitarian assistance to victims of typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), the Filipino community in Ottawa, with the assistance of the Philippine Embassy, spearheaded a charity event that paid tribute to Canadian generosity and Filipino-Canadian friendship while raising new funds to help rebuild devastated communities in the central Philippines.
Dubbed “Parol, A Star of Hope – A Tribute to Canada for Helping our People”, the multicultural fundraiser took place in the afternoon of December 8 at the Ottawa City Hall with the support of Mayor Jim Watson, Minister Jason Kenney, Member of Parliament Mauril Bélanger, Member of Provincial Parliament Madeleine Meilleur and Councillor Marianne Wilkinson.
Noting that the Filipino community has always had a special place in his heart, Mayor Watson did not hesitate to offer the largest public space at the Ottawa City Hall for the charity event. He welcomed and thanked a large audience for coming out to support a very important cause. “This is what Ottawa and this is what Canada is all about - celebrating our successes but also helping those in need when the need is there,” the Mayor stated. Pointing to the Philippine lanterns displayed in the building, Mayor Watson said that these gifts of the Philippine Embassy to the city of Ottawa last year serve as “our connection with the Philippines each and every Christmas.”
Lively music filled the City Hall in a three-hour program embodying Canada’s multicultural mosaic. Performances by Alex Lopez, AFrodiction, the Indonesian Embassy dance troupe, BIBAK, Pamana Dance Troupe, the Philippine Dance Troupe of Ottawa, Mic Locmoso, Johanna Hipolito, Jhune Leonardo, Bernice Reyes, Marc Reyes, the PMCC Choir and Jesus is Lord church had the audience alternately dancing to Afro and Latin rhythms or sitting in rapt attention to powerful voices nailing high musical notes. All performing artists volunteered to lend their time and talent gratis.
Hundreds of people from the capital city packed the Jean Pigott Place where Filipino street food was sold for a loonie or a toonie. Art pieces, greeting cards, crafts, tea products, medical devices, Philippine Christmas lanterns and books displayed by local vendors kept visitors to the Christmas market busy.
Mr. George Hendry, CEO of Habitat for Humanity’s National Capital Region office, was on hand to brief the audience on how monies collected will support the construction of 10,000 core houses and the provision of 30,000 shelter kits and 50,000 clean-up kits by Habitat for Humanity Philippines.
Two members of the Filipino-Canadian community, whose families in the Philippines were affected by the super typhoon, shared their stories of personal tragedy and hope. They expressed their thanks to Canada for helping to rebuild devastated areas in the Visayas from the ground up.
Capping the tribute, Philippine Ambassador Leslie Gatan presented to the Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism, a Philippine parol (Christmas lantern) as a token of profound gratitude for Canada’ generosity, kindness and solidarity with the Filipino people.
For his part, Minister Kenney extended to Ambassador Gatan the assurances of Canada’s continuing support on top of prior emergency assistance that launched the Disaster Assistance Relief Team (DART), the Typhoon Haiyan matching fund as well as direct typhoon relief and pledges of assistance totalling nearly CA$ 25 million.
“Mother Teresa taught us that the word compassion is not just some superficial statement. Compassion comes from the root ‘to suffer with’ or ‘to enter into the suffering of others,” Minister Kenney said. He reckoned that once the donations to Canada’s Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fund come to a close on December 23, “Canada will be proven to be the most generous country in the world at least in per capita terms.”
Parol, A Star of Hope raised CA$10,412 in one afternoon alone. The Canadian Government is expected to match this amount dollar for dollar under the Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fund, bringing total cash donations from this single occasion to an estimated CA$20,824.
“I commend the Filipino community in Ottawa for rallying behind this charity event. I must recognize also all performers, vendors, exhibitors and volunteers who extended a helping hand to our cause. Likewise, our special thanks go to our master of ceremonies and event consultant Lucia Harper for her generous inputs as well as her co-emcees Bailey Clinton, a caring Canadian student who speaks Filipino fluently, and of course the Embassy’s very own Dindo Moreno. Our charity event was an occasion not just for Filipinos but also other visible minorities to come together to demonstrate their solidarity and to convey their appreciation for Canada’s tremendous humanitarian assistance. In this context, this is what “Parol – A Star of Hope” means: a light shining from Canada to help our people,” Ambassador Gatan remarked. END