Philippine art and the Filipino artist... in focus
PHILIPPINE HERITAGE MONTH 2020
30 Days of Philippine Heritage
June 2020
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With government restrictions on physical distancing still in place, Philippine Arts Council celebrates Canada Philippine Heritage Month this year with 30 DAYS OF PHILIPPINE HERITAGE - snippets of information on Filipino-Canadians and Philippine culture and traditions, each day, for 30 days, in the month of June.
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Watch out for posts here and in the Philippine Arts Council's social media accounts in Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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#PHM #PhilippineHeritageMonth #Filipino #Heritage #30days
Message from
The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau
Prime Minister of Canada
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Message from
Consul General Zaldy B. Patron,
Philippine Consulate General, Calgary
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Message from
The Honourable Jason Kenney
Premier of Alberta
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DAY 1
Canadian Proclamation of Philippine Heritage Month
On October 30, 2018, the House of Commons of Canada adopted Motion 155 declaring June as Filipino Heritage Month in Canada from coast to coast, in a unanimous vote. Federal Liberal Salma Zahid, who is Member of Parliament for Scarborough Centre in Ontario, sponsored the motion beginning in February 2018.
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In her privilege speech, MP Zahid said, "This motion recognizes, celebrates and raises awareness of the Filipino community in Canada. It is also a way of showing our Government's official appreciation of the Filipino community for their important contribution throughout Canadian history and for helping to make our country the rich and vibrant place it is today."
DAY 2
Proclamation of Philippine Heritage Month in Alberta
On Friday June 1, 2018, the office of Deputy Premier Sarah Hoffman announced that Premier Rachel Notley and Lieutenant Governor Lois Mitchell have signed the proclamation making the month of June as Philippine Heritage Month in perpetuity. This month coincides with the annual celebrations of Philippine Independence Day across Canada. This made Alberta the first and only province to proclaim Philippine Heritage Month.
“Alberta is the proud home to the second-largest Filipino population in the country. For decades, Filipinos have enriched our province with their culture, their languages and their skills.” - Premier Rachel Notley
On June 25, 2018, the NDP Caucus hosted a Celebration of Philippine Heritage Month at the Federal Building, with the Filipino community.
DAY 3
Municipal Declarations of Philippine Heritage Month in Canada
In 2018, municipal declarations of June as Philippine Heritage Month were made in the Cities of Edmonton, Calgary and Fort Saskatchewan, along with the Alberta provincial proclamation.
In November 2017, the Toronto City Council also voted unanimously to designate June as Filipino Heritage Month.
DAY 4
Filipinos in Canada
Filipinos in Canada numbered around 901,218 in April 2018, comprising a mix of naturalized Canadians, permanent residents and temporary foreign workers (TFWs). This number comprises almost 2.6% of Canada’s national population.
The Philippines continues to be the top source of immigrants (15.58% of the total new immigrants) to the country.
Filipino and Filipino-Canadian population in the country are concentrated in 4 Canadian provinces – Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, and Manitoba – as more than 90% of them reside and work in those provinces. It should be noted, however, that the top destination for Filipino immigrants during the period 2011 to 2016 was Alberta.
DAY 5
Languages
The Philippines is an ethnically diverse country with over 150 languages. Aside from Filipino/Tagalog, major languages include Aklanon, Basian, Bikol, Cebuano, Chavacano, Hiligaynon, Ibanag, Ilocano, Ilonggo, Ivatan, Maranao, Tagalog, Kapampangan, Kinaray-a, Waray, Maguindanao, Pangasinan, Sambal, Surigaonon, Tausug, and Yakan.