Edlyn Nepomuceno and John Pineda held the flag of the Philippines as it was raised last year at Centennial Park to mark the 123rd anniversary of the country’s independence.
Fort Macleod’s Filipino community is proud of their culture.
And they’re anxious to share it with Fort Macleod residents on Saturday, June 11.
A celebration of Philippines Independence Day, featuring entertainment and food, runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Centennial Park.
“We are pleased with your support in sharing our celebration in our community,” said Bernadette Velasquez of the organizing committee.
This is the third annual celebration hosted by the Filipino community in Fort Macleod, but the first without COVID-19 restrictions.
The flag of the Philippines will be raised on the community flagpole in Centennial Park.
The celebration will feature a musical performance by Edward Bautista of Pincher Creek.
Leonard Eagle Tail Feathers of the White Whistle Drummers from Old Agency will add a First Nations component to the entertainment.
Francheska Dynamites, a drag queen and pageant queen from the Miss Philippines-Canada Queen Pride event is also expected to perform.
Some of the delicacies to be served at the celebration include Pancit, a Filipino dish that usually consists of noodles cooked with soy sauce along with some variation of meats and chopped vegetables.
Also on the menu is Shanghai Chicken Adobo, Filipino pork barbecue and Kakanin, a sweet sticky rice dessert.
Organizers have invited representatives from the Town of Fort Macleod and councils, the Filipino-Canadian associations from Lethbridge and Pincher Creek, and Piikani Nation elders.
Between the 16th and 19th centuries, the Philippines was a colony in the Spanish empire
Following a revolution General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed the Philippines to be a free nation on June 12, 1898.
It was not until July 4, 1946, following the Second World War and removal of Japanese forces, that the Philippines gained independence and took control of its destiny.
“Every June, we celebrate Filipino Heritage Month, an important time to recognize and highlight the many invaluable contributions Canadians of Filipino heritage make each and every day to the country we call home,” Diversity, Inclusion and Youth Minister Ahmed Hussen said in a statement last week.
“Whether it’s in business, politics, health, or the arts, the nearly one million people who claim Filipino heritage in Canada represent one of the fastest-growing diasporas in our country, and their positive impact continues to be seen in towns and cities across Canada.”
