Celebrating Philippines Independence Day, Filipino Heritage Month
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This article was published 04/06/2021 (726 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
This year we are happy to join in the celebration of the 123rd Philippine Independence Day with Filipino community members here in the Maples. I am hopeful that we will be able to celebrate this day of independence with the Filipino community once again in 2022.
June 12 is recognized as Philippine Independence Day because it marks the nation’s independence from Spanish colonization on June 12, 1898. Further to this, the Philippines gained national sovereignty from the United States on July 4, 1946, through the Treaty of Manila. I hope families are still able to celebrate virtually with their loved ones.
The Filipino community has called Manitoba home for decades and has established deep roots in communities such as the Maples, as well as in rural Manitoba and elsewhere in Winnipeg.
Filipinos first came to Winnipeg in the 1950s and ’60s with folks working in the medical field as health-care professionals, teachers, and domestic workers. In decades following, many members of the Filipino community also worked in the technical and engineering fields, and in the garment industry.
Filipino Canadians have become a very important part of the social, economic, political and cultural fabric in the Maples. In Manitoba, Tagalog has become one of the most commonly spoken languages, and the vibrancy of Filipino heritage is evident through the strength of this community here in the Maples and across our province.
Throughout the pandemic, folks in the Filipino community have been on the front lines of health care and in other essential jobs, and this has led to Filipino Manitobans being disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. We thank you for your work during this challenging time, and welcome your calls for any advocacy or supports you may need through my office.
I am looking forward to a time when all of us will be able to celebrate Philippines Independence Day and Filipino Heritage Month together again.
For now, I hope all in the community celebrate safely in any way they can with their loved ones.
Please do not hesitate to contact our constituency office by calling 204-417-3486 or by emailing mintu.sandhu@yourmanitoba.ca
Mintu Sandhu
The Maples constituency report
Mintu Sandhu is the NDP MLA for The Maples.