On the June 12, Philippine Heritage Month and Quincentennial Commemoration events

On the June 12, Philippine Heritage Month and Quincentennial Commemoration events

Interview with Consul General Orontes V. Castro

By Irish Mae Silvestre
The Philippine Reporter

The Philippine Reporter: What are the important events that will be taking place on June 12 and how can people participate?

Consul General Orontes V. Castro: • At 10:00 am, there will be a Live Streaming of Sentro Rizal of the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto’s Virtual Celebration of the 123rd Anniversary of Philippine Independence and the Filipino Heritage Month, as well as the Quincentennial Commemorations of the Philippines. The celebration will feature the Messages and Greetings from Philippine and Canadian officials, Filipino Canadians, and Leaders of Filipino Canadian Community Organizations; the Online Launch of the 182 Padayon artworks from students from the Toronto and Dufferin-Catholic District School Boards; the Presentation of the Philippine Consulate General’s Quincentennial Awards; and Musical Numbers.

• “Proudly Philippines, Proudly Filipino!” Presentation. This is a common cultural event being presented by the Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver with support from the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa and the Philippine Consulates General in Calgary and Toronto. This is a month long celebration of Philippine culture by shining light on Filipino-Canadians who have exhibited excellence in their respective fields and contributed to the dynamism and vibrancy of Canada’s socio-cultural fabric. One (1) outstanding Filipino-Canadian personality will be featured each day starting on 12 June 2021.

• Filipinos, Filipino-Canadians and mainstream Canadians are invited to watch the virtual celebrations of Philippine Independence Day, Filipino Heritage Month, and the Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines, as well as the “Proudly Philippines, Proudly Filipino!” Presentation.

TPR: What other events would you like to highlight during this month?

OVC: • The whole month of June 2021 – Blood Donation at the Canada Blood Services. The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto has partnered with the Canadian Blood Services for this activity.

• 6 June 2021 – Flag-raising at the City of Markham led by the Markham
Federation of Filipino Canadians (MFFC).

• 11 June 2021 – Flag-raising at the Main Office of the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board.

• 19 June 2021, 7:00 pm-9:00 pm – Oras ng Ligaya/KaligayahanHappiness Virtual via Zoom organized by the Filipino-Canadian Community House (FCCH).

• 26 June 2021, 8:00 pm – Harana, Pag-ibig sa Bayan organized by the Philippine Canadian Charitable Foundation (PCCF), in partnership with Markham Federation of Filipino Canadians (MFFC), Durham Filipino Fest, Scarborough Ontario Seniors
Association (SOSA), Culture Philippines Ontario (CPO), Bayan, Filipino Canadians Students Association (FILCASA), Lucena City Association of Ontario, Philippine Heritage Band, Silayan Community Centre Toronto, JDL, Alumni Association of Toronto, and FSAS. This is accessible through the following links: Facebook.com/PhilippineCanadianFoundation and Yc:,utube.com/PCCFToronto

TPR: Can you tell us about the significance of Philippine Heritage month?

OVC: The approval of the celebration of June as Filipino Heritage Month [November 2017 in Toronto; June 2018 at the Toronto Catholic District School Board (including 12 June every year as Filipino Heritage Day); 30 October 2018 at the House of Commons of the Parliament of Ottawa; 20 May 2021 in the Province of Ontario; and 25 May 2021 at the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District Board (including 12 June as Filipino Heritage Day)] recognizes the valuable contributions of the Filipino diaspora in Canada and the world. The celebration of Filipino Heritage Month also provides the opportunity for Filipino Canadians, Torontonians, Ontarians, and mainstream Canadians to learn, celebrate, enjoy, and experience the rich heritage and histories of the Filipino Canadian community. It is also an opportunity to highlight the vibrant Philippine heritage among the consciousness of and continue to maintain the link of young generations of Filipino Canadians with the Philippines.

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Irish Mae Silvestre is a Toronto-based journalist who has worked at magazines in Dubai, Chicago and New York. She covers news, lifestyle and entertainment. She studied journalism at Rutgers University, New Jersey and earned her master’s degree in journalism at DePaul University, Chicago. You can follow her on Twitter @irishmae101