09 June 2016 – The Markham Federation of Filipino Canadians (MFFC) held its celebration of the 118th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence at the Markham Civic Centre on June 05. The event kickstarted the month-long celebration in Western Ontario of this momentous event in Philippine history.
In attendance during the event were Consul General Rosalita S. Prospero, Markham City Mayor Frank Scarpitti, Member of Provincial Parliament Michael Chan, along with members and leaders of Filipino community and business groups in Markham and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Markham City, dubbed as the High-Tech Capital, has the fourth largest community within GTA and is one of the fast-growing business and industry centers in Ontario.
In her welcome remarks, Consul General Prospero highlighted the theme of this year’s Kalayaan festivities which is “Unity, Contribution, and Advancement” (Pagkakaisa, Pag-aambagan, Pagsulong). She encouraged Filipino Canadians to continue to contribute to growth and development in the Philippines.
Also during the event, Mayor Scarpitti applauded the presence of over 700,000 Filipinos in Canada and proudly announced the proposed installation of Dr. Jose Rizal’s monument at Box Grove Community Park in Markham, a gesture of the City Government to recognize the Filipino community’s contribution to Markham. END