CANADIAN PARLIAMENT  DECLARES "JUNE AS FILIPINO HERITAGE MONTH" ACROSS CANADA

 
By Tony A. San Juan, OCT.
Toronto-Canada
November 6, 2018
 


Ottawa-October 30: Filipino Canadians all over Canada have lots of reasons and rhymes to rejoice proudly and meaningfully today and next June, 2019.  In a historic proclamation, the House of Commons of Canada adopted Motion 155 declaring June as Filipino Heritage Month in Canada from coast to coast to coast. The landmark unanimous vote of "290 in favour to none against" was taken on October 30, 2018, Tuesday, at 6:00 pm. in the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa across the political spectrum.



Motion 155 was moved and introduced in the House of Commons by Honourable Salma Zahid, a Liberal Member of Parliament for Scarborough Centre, Toronto. In her privilege speech, MP Zahid reasoned out that in  the opinion of the House of Commons, "the  government should recognize the contributions that Filipino-Canadians have made to Canadian society, the richness of the Filipino language and culture, and the importance of reflecting upon Filipino heritage for future generations by declaring June, every year, Filipino Heritage Month."

 Speaking with confidence, MP Zahid explained that her private member's motion , Motion 155 " speaks to officially designating the month of June as "Filipino heritage month across Canada from coast to coast to coast. I do this on behalf of a vibrant and dynamic Filipino Canadian community that is proud of its culture and heritage and equally proud of its new home, Canada, a community that makes immeasurable contributions to Canadian life" and citing official statistics said, the Filipino population, since 2011 "has grown by 27% to 851,400 and is now "the fastest growing ethnic group in Canada.

The Filipino people "have a rich and vibrant history and culture, and are making outstanding contributions to Canada. It is past due that we officially recognize the contributions of this community with its own heritage month, celebrating Filipino heritage month across Canada", according to the proponent of the Motion These many contributions of Filipinos  are  continually recognized and greatly  appreciated  in all facets of Canadian society, government and the private sector. Filipinos are reasonably acknowledged to be hard workers, resilient, loyal, determined, and efficient performing their tasks productively as accountants, artists, athletes, businessmen, caregivers, dentists, doctors, educators & teachers, engineers, entrepreneurs, financial advisers, government personnel, health care workers, lawyers, politicians, midwives, nurses, pastors & priests, production workers, salesmen, scientists, singers, social workers and many more. Realistically, there are numerous success stories of Filipino Canadians adding to the narrative of Canadian way of life.



Historically and legally , Motion 155, known as "Filipino Heritage Month" in  the 1st Session  of the 42nd Parliament was "Placed on Notice" on November 20, 2017; "Placed on the Order of Precedence" on June 4, 2018; "Debated"  twice on October 1 & 25, 2018;  and  "Decision Made - Agreed To" on October 30, 2018. Since November 30, 2017 until March 19, 2018, there a total of 19 Members of Parliament recorded as Seconders to the Motion.



In urging full support for this recognition for Filipino Canadian heritage across Canada, MP Zahid asked  all her fellow Parliamentarians  to support the motion and to join her next June for the first national celebration of Filipino heritage month. She thanked the many people who have been consulted, have offered their support with their petitions and pursued similar initiatives across Canada, especially in the City of Toronto.

 

After much consultation, MP Zahid and her colleagues in the  House of Commons  choose the month of June because, on June 12, the Philippines will celebrate its 121st  Independence Day.  Next year also marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Canada and the Philippines.  What a better way, many agreed,  to recognize this milestone than to officially recognize "June as Filipino Heritage Month" across Canada. The rest is history ! ( Tony A. San Juan, OCT).

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Motion recognizing June as Filipino Heritage Month passes Canada’s Parliament

By Salma Zahid

I was proud to stand in the House of Commons on October 30th as we unanimously passed my private Member’s motion 155, officially designating the month of June as Filipino Heritage Month across Canada.

 Diversity is Canada’s strength. We are a diverse and welcoming country where people of all backgrounds can have a real and fair chance at making a better life for themselves and their families, and a key part of that diversity is our Filipino-Canadian community.I was proud to bring forward M-155 on behalf of Canada’s Filipino community. This motion recognizes, celebrates and raises awareness of the Filipino community in Canada. It is also a way of showing our Government’s official appreciation of the Filipino community for their important contribution throughout Canadian history and for helping to make our country the rich and vibrant place it is today.

Filipinos are the fastest growing ethnic group in Canada. Filipino Canadians are making a difference in communities from coast to coast to coast and across all walks of life –  from singers like Canadian Idol finalist Elena Juatco to athletes like soccer star Jonathan de Guzmán. Rey Pagtakhan was the first Filipino-Canadian MP and cabinet minister, and the late Senator Tobias Enverga was a champion for his community in the Senate. Filipino Heritage Month will help celebrate these important contributions, and many more, that have enriched our Canadian society.

Dating back to 1930, the first generation of Filipino-Canadians were mainly women who worked as nurses, garment workers, teachers, and in the health sector. Many of them made the enormous sacrifice of leaving their families left behind in Philippines to build a better life for them here in Canada.  They hoped one day to be reunited with their families in Canada, but unfortunately that was not always the case.

Our Liberal government recognizes that too many Filipino families were separated for far too long under the previous Conservative government. That’s why, over the last few years, we’ve made substantial improvements to the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program and we’re on track eliminate the backlog in the Live-in Caregiver Program by the end of this year to reunite families sooner. We also introduced a new benefit for people who provide care to a critically ill or injured adult family member – adding up to 15 weeks of EI benefits. This is helping more Canadians support their loved ones when they need it most.

Building a diverse and inclusive society by promoting and encouraging awareness, understanding and respect for many different cultures is one of our Government’s top priorities.  Now that June is designated as Filipino Heritage Month we can continue to put our values into action. I’m very proud of our government’s work to support Filipino communities across the country.

I look forward to celebrating with the Filipino community next June. Mabuhay!

Salma Zahid is the Member of Parliament for Scarborough Centre, and a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. Her web site is szahid.liberal.ca

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