Proudly Philippines, Proudly Filipino

Proudly Philippines, Proudly Filipino

Consul General Orontes V. Castro

Philippine Heritage Month

By Michelle Chermaine Ramos
The Philippine Reporter

In celebration of Philippine Heritage Month and to honor distinctive Filipino-Canadians across Canada who make the community proud through their contributions and achievements in Canadian society, the Philippine Foreign Service Posts launched their Proudly Philippines, Proudly Filipino! video series on June 12, 2021. The Philippine Embassy in Ottawa and Consulates General in Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary released a video of one featured personality on their Facebook pages every day until July 16 bringing the total to 35 profiles by the end of the series.

The pandemic lockdowns could not pull down the resilient patriotic Filipino spirit and drive to showcase Philippine culture. We previously interviewed Consul General Orontes V. Castro and he talked about how the foreign service posts in different locations have come together virtually to collaborate on Common Cultural Projects to shine a light of hope, joy and inspiration in challenging times.

How did the Proudly Philippines, Proudly Filipino project come about?

CONSUL GENERAL CASTRO: Proudly Philippines, Proudly Filipino! is a Common Cultural Project spearheaded by the Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver and with the support of the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa and the Philippine Consulates General (PCG) of Calgary and Toronto. In view of the continuing health situation prevailing throughout Canada, an online activity was chosen to replace a physical event to commemorate the 123rd Anniversary of Philippine Independence and the Filipino Heritage Month in June 2021.

Each of the four PFSPs (Philippine Foreign Service Posts) will feature personalities from their respective jurisdiction. One Filipino Canadian personality will be featured daily, in a 3-5 minute video clip that would show who they are, what they do, convey their thoughts on being a Filipino, and responding to the question, “What particular aspect of Philippine culture (customs, values, traits) do you most relate to or have helped shape who you are today?”

Each day, there is an assigned video to be shown at 1:00 pm (local time in Ottawa and Toronto PCG) in all the social media accounts of the four PFSPs, following the sequence – PE Ottawa, PCG Calgary, PCG Toronto, then PCG Vancouver, until all the videos of the personalities have been shown.

The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto started the ball rolling of the Common Cultural Project among Canada PFSPs with its highly successful webinar on “Conversations on Filipino Cuisine and the Province of Batangas”, which was held on 21 May 2021. The virtual activity was a big success with almost 200 participants in attendance. The Toronto PCG’s activity was successful in promoting Filipino cuisine, with the cooking demonstration made by internationally renowned Chef Myrna Segismundo. It also made great economic impact with the promotion of the Province of Batangas as a first class and popular tourist destination and an industrial growth center in the Calabarzon Region, with lots of trade, investment, and tourism opportunities.

TPR: How were the featured individuals selected for this series?

CGC: “Proudly Philippines, Proudly Filipino!” is a month-long celebration of Philippine culture through its people. It aims to showcase Filipino-Canadians (dual citizens or Canadians of Filipino heritage) who shine in politics, media, the arts, business, and other fields, and contribute to the dynamism and vibrancy of Canada’s socio-cultural fabric.

Through “Proudly Philippines, Proudly Filipino!”, we would like to recognize these Filipino-Canadians who make us proud by serving as living examples of the best of the Philippines abroad. It is hoped that the project will not only create greater awareness about the Philippines among Canadians and second-generation Filipinos but also inspire others during these uncertain times.

Watch the videos of the featured personalities launched on the following dates on Facebook.

Day 1 (June 12) Henry Fernando (Ottawa)

Day 2 (June 13) Benjamin Ang (Calgary)

Day 3 (June 14) MLA Jon Reyes (Toronto)

Day 4 (June 15) Jason Pires (Vancouver)

Day 5 (June 16) Amelita Armit (Ottawa)

Day 6 (June 17) Dr. Daisy Ann Jabido-Artuz (Calgary)

Day 7 (June 18) Dr. Eileen de Villa (Toronto)

Day 8 (June 19) Mike Gonzalez (Vancouver)

Day 9 (June 20) Danilo Arriola (Ottawa)

Day 10 (June 21) Frederick Montilla (Calgary)

Day 11 (June 22) Luz del Rosario (Toronto)

Day 12 (June 23) Edgardo S. Lantin (Vancouver)

Day 13 (June 24) Antonio Baisas (Ottawa)

Day 14 (June 25) Michael San Miguel (Calgary)

Day 15 (June 26) Dr. Mayrose Salvador (Toronto)

Day 16 (June 27) Zenia Marshall (Vancouver)

Day 17 (June 28) Jojo Flores (Ottawa)

Day 18 (June 29) Dr. Glenda Tibe Bonifacio (Calgary)

Day 19 (June 30) Austine Gaqui (Toronto)

Day 20 (July 1) Helen Orimaco Pumatong (Vancouver)

Day 21 (July 2) Ross Baisas (Ottawa)

Day 22 (July 3) Ronald S. Jalmanzar (Calgary)

Day 23 (July 4) Dr. Patrick Alcedo (Toronto)

Day 24 (July 5) Kathleen Jayme (Vancouver)

Day 25 (July 6) Gene Pendon (Ottawa)

Day 26 (July 7) Josephine Pallard (Calgary)

Day 27 (July 8) Rosemer Enverga (Toronto)

Day 28 (July 9) Mary de Vera (Vancouver)

Day 29 (July 10) Liza Sare (Ottawa)

Day 30 (July 11) Atty. Roselyn Bernardo (Calgary)

Day 31 (July 12) Ignacio “Mogi” Mogado (Toronto)

Day 32 (July 13) Macario Reyes (Vancouver)

Day 33 (July 14) Rosario Quinto (Toronto)

Day 34 (July 15) Garry Tanuan (Toronto)

Day 35 (July 16) Nimfa Villaroman-Santos (Toronto)