16 June 2020, Calgary – Amid the public health orders in place in the City of Calgary, the Philippine Consulate General (PCG) held a simple flag ceremony inside its office to commemorate the 122^nd Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence on 12 June 2020.   A small group of PCG personnel attended the event, which was also broadcasted live on the PCG’s Facebook page.

 

During the program, Consul General Zaldy Patron read the Independence Day message of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, while Consul Pamela Durian-Bailon read the message of Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. The messages revolved around the theme “Kalayaan 2020: Tungo sa Bansang Malaya, Nagbabayanihan, at Ligtas.”

Consul General Patron later represented the PCG at the various Philippine Independence Day celebrations of the Filipino community in Calgary and Edmonton in Alberta.

 

On 12 June, Consul General Patron read the messages of President Duterte and Secretary Locsin at the flag ceremony organized by The Filipino Champions of Canada (TFCC) and the Philippine Independence Organizing Committee of Calgary (PIOCC) at the Calgary Municipal Plaza. Special guests included Member of Parliament (MP) Jasraj Singh Hallan of Calgary Forest Lawn and Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Peter Singh.

 Consul General Patron and other PCG personnel then joined the “Caravan Para sa Kalayaan,” a convoy of 80 vehicles decorated with Philippine flags and colors that drove around Calgary.  The Philippine Festival Council of Alberta (PFCA) and the Council and Assembly of Filipino Foundations and Associations (CAFFA) jointly organized the caravan.

 

At the program held before the caravan, Alberta Minister of Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women Leela Aheer surprised the crowd with her beautiful rendition of the classic Filipino song “Dahil Sa Iyo” while playing the guitar.

 

The other officials present were MP Hallan, Minister of Transportation Ric McIver, Parliamentary Secretary of Immigration Muhammad Yaseen, MLA Mickey Amery, and Calgary City Councillor George Chahal.

 

The next day, Consul General Patron travelled to Edmonton, the capital of Alberta, to join the 25-vehicle Philippine Independence Day motorcade organized by the Council of Edmonton Filipino Associations (CEFA). The dignitaries who attended the event included MP Kelly McCauley (Edmonton West) and MLAs Christina Gray and Lorne Dach. 

 

On 14 June, the Edmonton Philippine International Centre (EPIC) held a Vehicle Train, joined by 37 vehicles, to commemorate both the Philippine Independence Day and the Philippine Heritage Month.  Minister of Municipal Affairs Kaycee Madu and MLA Rod Loyola were present at the event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I am thankful to the Filipino community in Alberta and Saskatchewan for going out of their way to commemorate creatively our Philippine Independence Day despite the pandemic,” Consul General Patron remarked.