Celebrating Philippine independence online

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This article was published 25/06/2021 (713 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

On June 12 — Philippine Independence Day — over 100 Filipinos from Winnipeg and across Canada gathered virtually for the first Halo Halo Summit hosted by Kultivation Festival, Prairie Asian Organizers, Alsyon Ng Ating Kabataan and  the Manitoba Filipino Business Council.

The groups came together for a day of diverse events meant to engage the community in discussions around Filipino identity, culture, mentorship and community building.

The summit included a Filipino Model Minority Mutiny workshop, a community panel discussion, a cooking demonstration, a youth career mentorship panel and a Filipino Professionals Happy Hour.

The event celebrated the 123rd anniversary of Philippine independence in a unique way, highlighting food, music and dance, while also centring on the experiences of first and second-generation Filipino-Canadians. The virtual event was an opportunity to share stories, successes and struggles.

On June 12, 1898, the Philippines gained its independence from the Spanish regime after being colonized for more than 300 years. Since then, Filipinos around the world have celebrated the event with different cultural activities and festivities. In 2019, June was recognized by the Canadian government as Filipino Heritage Month. 

Maribeth Tabanera, an educator in the Maples, multi-disciplinary artist and lead Kultivation Festival volunteer, had this to say about the festivities:

“Celebrating and being proud of who we are is an important cultural practice. Equally as important is learning the history of our ancestors and hearing the stories of our contemporaries. When we come together as a community and have shared experiences, it creates an opportunity for people to be in dialogue, learn, develop relationships, and provide spaces for healing through intergenerational trauma caused by colonization.

“At Kultivation Festival Inc., we are committed to incorporating anti-racist and anti-oppressive work in all that we do and to engage and amplify the voices of Indigenous communities here on Turtle Island and in the Philippines.

“Events like Halo Halo Summit are important for the Filipino/a/x community, because, in the process of truth and reconciliation, we must look inward and outward to recognize our privileges as settlers on this land, so we can move forward with our community in a good way for the future generations.”

Learn more about Kultivation Festival on its website at www.kultivationfestival.com, and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Derek Dabee is a member of the board of trustees of Seven Oaks School Division and a community correspondent for The Maples. You can contact him at ddabee@mymts.net