PH Consulate General, Filipino Community Mark 126th Anniversary of Philippine Independence and Filipino Heritage Month with Flag Raising Ceremonies in Ontario

Flag raising at the Toronto City Hall

TORONTO 20 June 2024 – The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto, together with the Filipino community, commemorated the 126th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine independence and Filipino heritage month with the annual Philippine flag raising ceremonies at the Toronto City Hall and Ontario Legislative Assembly at Queen’s Park on 18 June 2024. 

The flag raising at the Toronto City Hall, which was organized in collaboration with the Philippine Independence Day Flag Raising Committee, was held at 9:00 a.m. It was attended by representatives from different Filipino community (FilCom) organizations representing nurses, women, seniors and international students, among others. Toronto City Councillor Brad Bradford represented Mayor Olivia Chow during the flag raising ceremony. 

Mr. Mark Gravoso, President of the Integrated Filipino-Canadian Nurses Association (IFCNA), who gave the welcome remarks on behalf of the Filipino community, highlighted the heroism of Filipinos, past and present. “Embracing freedom, respecting tradition, cultivating resilience, fostering collaboration, and learning from the past are important lessons that allow us to strive for our personal fulfillment and professional success and contribute to the betterment of society”, Mr. Gravoso said. 

The flag raising at the Ontario Legislative Assembly, which was in collaboration with the Federation of Filipino Canadians in Ontario, was held at 12:00 noon. The ceremony was made more memorable with the Philippine Madrigal Singers singing the Philippine and Canadian national anthems. The Philippine Madrigal Singers are currently on a Canada-wide concert tour.

A program was held inside the Legislative Assembly building which was attended by Ontario Solicitor General Michael Kerzner representing Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Speaker Ted Arnott, Minister of Seniors and Accessibility Raymond Cho, Members of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Jill Andrew and Andrea Hazell, members of the Consular Corps, and representatives of different FILCOM groups. The Philippine Madrigal Singers were invited to perform a couple of Filipino songs, receiving resounding applause from the audience. 

Noting that the Philippines and Canada are also celebrating the 75th year anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year, Consul General Angelica Escalona underscored the importance of the Filipino diaspora in the growth of the relationship between the two countries. Likewise, Solicitor General Kerzner acknowledged the significant contributions of the Filipino diaspora to the Province of Ontario. “The Filipino community has taken its rightful place on the metaphoric quilt of Ontario. You have become leaders in medicine, academia, business, law – and you have made a difference. You have been our strength when we needed it most”, Solicitor General Kerzner said. 

Since the start of June, flag raising ceremonies and Philippine Independence Day/Filipino Heritage Month celebrations have been organized by the FilCom in the different cities, municipalities and sites in Ontario. These include Earl Bales Park in Toronto, Hamilton, Kitchener, Durham, Vaughan, Markham and Brampton. END

The Philippine Madrigal Singers leading the singing of the Philippine national anthem at the Ontario Legislative Assembly

Solicitor General Kerzner, with Consul General Escalona and Minister Cho, presents a scroll, in recognition of the contributions of Filipinos to the Province of Ontario to the Federation of Filipino Canadians in Ontario represented by Ms. Lim-Serrano

For more information, visit https://www.torontopcg.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.philcongen-toronto.com, https://www.facebook.com/PHinToronto/ or https://twitter.com/PHinToronto.