SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Philippine Independence Day—Filipino Heritage Month
June 12, 2025
Honourable senators, I rise today in celebration of Philippine Independence Day and Filipino Heritage Month. Filipinos make up the largest Southeast Asian population in Canada, with nearly 1 million people calling this country home.
You have seen and heard the many ways the Filipino community contributes to the Canadian economy. But today, I want to speak to something just as important: the power of Filipino community organizing. Across the country, Filipino Canadians are building grassroots organizations, not only to advocate for our needs but also to uplift and serve others. These efforts are quiet and steady and often go unrecognized. But their impact is undeniable. From coast to coast to coast, we are creating spaces of belonging.
This afternoon, the Canada-Philippines Interparliamentary Group raised the Philippine flag on Parliament Hill, symbolizing the strength of the community and the ties between the two nations.
In Ottawa, Filipino-Canadian youth gather each year for a national leadership conference that empowers them to pursue careers where we are under-represented.
Across campuses, student associations are building bridges of mentorship. In Manitoba, I recently had the honour of attending a cultural showcase led by the Manitoba Association of Filipino Teachers Inc., or MAFTI. Through their after-school heritage program offered in 16 schools, they help students stay rooted in the languages, arts and stories of our ancestors. It is a profound act of intergenerational care.
In Toronto, Salaysay, a collective of writers, is preserving and elevating our stories across generations and genres, reminding us that our voices deserve space in the national narrative. Our community not only gathers in celebration, but we also gather in grief and solidarity.
As I shared in this chamber a few weeks ago, tragedy struck during the Lapu-Lapu Day celebrations in Vancouver on April 26. In its aftermath, vigils were held across the country. We came together not just to mourn, but also to hold on to one another. That, too, is the power of community.
The organizations, the gatherings, the people — they are building something larger than themselves.
As we mark Filipino Heritage Month and Philippine Independence Day, let us celebrate, from coast to coast to coast, the Filipino Canadians who are doing that work with compassion and conviction. Meegwetch. Thank you. Maraming salamat po.
Honourable senators, today I rise not only in celebration but also in remembrance as we mark the fifth annual Filipino Heritage Month in Canada and honour the late Honourable Tobias Enverga Jr., our former colleague and dear friend. Senator Enverga was a trailblazer, the first Filipino Canadian appointed to this chamber and a fierce advocate for the Filipino communities across Canada, like our colleague Senator Osler. The inaugural flag-raising ceremony is part of his legacy, which continues to shape the very moments we are privileged to share today.
June offers us an opportunity to reflect on the journey of Filipino Canadians — a story rooted in courage, resilience and community. The first Filipino immigrants arrived in Canada as early as the late 1800s, finding work in fishing, forestry and mining along the Pacific Coast. In the decades that followed, particularly in the 1930s onward, waves of immigrants — many of them women working as nurses, teachers and caregivers — laid the foundation of what has become one of Canada’s most vibrant and dynamic communities.
Today, Filipino Canadians form the third-largest Asian diaspora in our country, contributing to every corner of Canadian society. Their impact is woven into the fabric of our nation, and their presence enriches our cultural and civic landscape in countless ways.
This month also marks a defining moment in the history of the Philippines. Today — June 12 — is the one hundred and twenty-seventh anniversary of independence from Spanish rule. June 12 is a historic day which ignited a movement for sovereignty and democracy that continues to inspire generations of Pinoys. The same spirit that lit the path to freedom in the Philippines continues to live on in Filipino communities around the world, including here in Canada.
Today, the annual flag-raising ceremony took place on Parliament Hill, led by our colleague Senator Osler. It was an important reminder of the enduring friendship between Canada and the Philippines. This event is one of the last events for Ambassador Austria, who successfully concludes her posting in Canada in a few days. Thank you for your leadership and friendship.
Honourable senators, as we celebrate Filipino Heritage Month, let us continue to build a Canada that reflects the strength of our diversity and the beauty of our shared stories. Mabuhay Canada. Mabuhay Philippines.
