Migrant group celebrates Easter at the park

Migrant group celebrates Easter at the park

PHOTO: ALFREDO CALARA III

Members and friends of the progressive group Filipino Migrant Workers’ Movement (FMWM) trooped to Earl Bales Park in Toronto to celebrate Easter Sunday with egg hunting and a talk on the state of human rights, prices of gas and basic commodities in the Philippines.

FMWM, a member organization of Migrante Canada, has been sponsoring this Easter event for the last four years.

“We celebrate Easter with our families and friends with fun games for kids and adults alike,” said FMWM secretary general Elsie Canchela, who organized the egg hunt and piñata fun for kids.

Both kids and parents had quite some fun indeed. But it seemed that parents were more excited than their kids during the egg hunt and piñata extravaganza.
“We also celebrate Easter with hope that people emulate the lessons from the passion of Jesus and his resurrection,” she said.

During the short program in the afternoon, FMWM chair Cathy Carpio said that Easter is an opportunity to reflect on the state of what’s happening in the Philippines particularly on the issue of human rights.

“Human rights violations are still rampant under the administration of Benigno Aquino III with hundreds of political prisoners suffering in jail,” she said. “Is this what we expect from the so-called matuwid na daan (straight path)?”

Those who were present had also the chance to know what FMWM is all about, and what it stands for. Issues about high prices of gas and basic commodities were also discussed with the stress on the need to abolish the Oil Deregulation Law, tagged as the culprit in the skyrocketing prices of gas and other oil products in the Philippines.

The good weather on Easter Sunday permitted the group to enjoy delicious barbeque and other food in the company of families and friends and two FMWM member birthday celebrants namely, Ricky Esguerra and Rhea Gamana.

The fine weather in the morning did not last long though. In mid-afternoon, people in the park were forced to pack up and left because light rain started to fall and ghastly wind began to topple cups and plates all around.

PHOTO: VICENTE BRIGOLI