SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Filipino Heritage Month
June 14, 2023
Thank you, Your Honour, and congratulations on your new role.
Dear colleagues, earlier today we continued the tradition of raising the flags of Canada and the Philippines on Parliament Hill at a ceremony initiated by our former colleague the late senator Tobias Enverga. Today we welcome Mrs. Rosemer Enverga and her three daughters, who carry on the legacy of Senator Enverga. I extend a heartfelt welcome to Her Excellency, the Philippine Ambassador to Canada, Maria Andrelita Austria, as well as to her team at the embassy in Ottawa. Finally, I offer a big Senate welcome to the interns of the National Philippine Parliamentary Internship Program.
June holds a special significance for Filipino-Canadians as it is Filipino Heritage Month. This year, June 12 marked the one hundred and twenty-fifth year of Philippine independence and is a day that commemorates the liberation of Philippines from 333 years of Spanish colonial rule.
Today, fellow senators, I wish to share with you the story of Benjamin Flores, the first recorded Filipino immigrant to Canada. Arriving on Bowen Island, British Columbia, in 1861 at the tender age of 15, Ben was a fisherman and a businessman who established one of the first boat rental businesses. Although he never married or had children, his legacy endures through the collective memory of his community. Mr. Flores has been described as exceptionally friendly and generous, and he remains a beloved figure. Like many Filipinos who journeyed to Canada in search of better opportunities, Mr. Flores made a lasting impact on his community.
Filipino Heritage Month is a time to honour the richness of Filipino culture and to acknowledge the remarkable contributions that Filipinos have made to Canadian society from coast to coast to coast.
In conclusion, let our diversity strengthen and enrich our nation. Let’s honour the enduring contributions of the many Filipino communities across Canada. Long live — mabuhay ang — Canada and Pilipinas. Salamat po, meegwetch.
