Calgary, 17 JUNE 2024 – The Philippine Consulate General in Calgary celebrated the 126th anniversary of Philippine Independence with flag raising activities in Calgary & Edmonton, culminating with the annual Filipino Mass celebrating Philippine Independence. 

The flag raising ceremony on 12 & 15 June 2024 held in Calgary & Edmonton respectively were organized by two major Filipino organizations in these cities, the Council & Assembly of Filipino Foundations & Associations or CAFFA (Calgary) and the Philippine Business Society of Alberta (Edmonton). Both flag ceremonies attracted officials from the Federal, Provincial and the city governments of these two cities. Prominent guests in Calgary & Edmonton included Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver, and Mayor Amarjeet Sohi of Edmonton, respectively. 

Deputy Consul General Victorio M. Dimagiba, Jr. (center) with the the men and women of the Philippine Consulate General in Calgary following the flag raising ceremony at Calgary City Hall, 12 June 2024.

Calgary PCG officials and officials from the city of Calgary and the Legislative Assembly of Alberta during the flag ceremony at Calgary City Hall, 12 June 2024.

Deputy Consul General Victorio M. Dimagiba, Jr. with Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi during the flag raising at the Alberta Legislative Building on 15 June 2024.

Deputy Consul General Victorio M. Dimagiba, Jr. (2nd from right) with Alberta MLA’s (from left to right) Nathan Ip, Lorne Dach, and Rod Loyola. At the back is Mr. Okwuchi Nnani of the Office of the Premier of Alberta.

In both these occasions, Acting Head of Post, Victorio M. Dimagiba, Jr. praised the Filipino community groups for organizing these events in significant landmarks (Calgary’s City Hall, and Edmonton’s Alberta Legislature Building), and called on the Filipino community to remember the sacrifices of their forebears in attaining our independence and called on them to continue making valuable contributions to their communities in the spirit of Bayanihan and Bagong Pilipinas. He also stressed that 2024 marks 75 years of Philippines - Canada bilateral relations and encouraged the Filipino Community to continue building bridges and creating connections and help in fostering friendships between Filipinos and Canadians in whatever fields they may be.

Conclusion of the Filipino mass celebrating Philippine Independence.

Calgary PCG officers and staff with their families at the conclusion of the mass.

On 16 June 2024, Post held its annual Filipino Independence Day Mass, in collaboration with the Filipino Catholic Society of the Diocese of Calgary and Fr. Edmund Vargas of the St. Michael Catholic Community Church in Southwest Calgary. The mass was attended by over 100 members of the Filipino Community in Calgary. In his homily, Fr. Edmund Vargas extolled the contributions of the Filipino community in the 75 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Canada. The mass concluded with the singing of Philippine patriotic songs. In his message at the end of the mass, Deputy Consul General Dimagiba extolled to our community to continue to help strengthen the ties between the Philippines and Canada as it celebrates 75 years of bilateral relations.