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2 March
2017 – The Philippine Consulate General in Calgary is spearheading plans for a
grand Philippine Independence Day Picnic to be held on 17 June 2017 at the
Peace Hills Park in Wetaskiwin, Alta., along with Filipino community
organizations throughout Alberta and Saskatchewan. The picnic will also jointly celebrate the
150th Anniversary of Canada’s Confederation.
“The
Consulate intends for this picnic to be the first of an annual event for the
Filipino communities of Alberta and Saskatchewan, an opportunity for Filipinos
all over the areas of our jurisdiction to celebrate our Independence Day, meet
their compatriots, re-establish old friendships and form new ones,” Consul
General Julius D. Torres said at the third coordination meeting held at the
Consulate on 28 February 2017.
“This
year, being the 150th Anniversary of Canadian Confederation, the
picnic will also be a celebration of this milestone as a united manifestation
of the gratitude of the Filipino communities for the opportunities provided to
them by Canada,” he added.
Consul
General Torres stated that Wetaskiwin was chosen as the venue of the picnic as
its location between Edmonton and Calgary provides greater convenience for
those coming from different areas of Alberta as well as those from
Saskatchewan, and said that the Consulate intends that future Independence Day
picnics would be held in different localities within Alberta and Saskatchewan
every year.
The
coordination meeting was attended by Filipino community leaders from
Wetaskiwin, Edmonton, Calgary and other areas in Alberta. They organized
themselves into several committees tasked with the different responsibilities
to ensure that the picnic would be a success. Among the topics discussed were:
· Location: The event’s Logistics Committee, with the close
coordination of the Filipino Community in Wetaskiwin as well as the City of
Wetaskiwin, will ensure the readiness of the venue and the event follows municipal
guidelines.
· Food: To save costs, each Filipino community
organization will be responsible for the food of their members, and it will be
up to them if they wish to provide extra food to be shared with other
attendees. The Consulate General will
also be contributing some food.
· Entertainment: The event’s Program Committee will be
coordinating with different Filipino community organizations to encourage
participating in the program. The
Committee will also be responsible for organizing games for children.
It was also agreed that the members of the Logistics Committee will undertake an ocular inspection of the venue in Wetaskiwin on Saturday, 4 March 2017, and that the next coordination meeting, where the different committees will report of the status of their preparations, will be held in Wetaskiwin on 25 March 2017.