NDP MPP Doly Begum to Introduce Bill Recognizing June as Filipino Heritage Month in Ontario

QUEEN’S PARK – Doly Begum, the MPP for Scarborough Southwest, will introduce a bill to officially declare June as Filipino Heritage Month in Ontario.

“Whether Ontario has been your home for generations, or you are the first Filipino-Canadian in your family, Filipino Heritage Month is an opportunity to recognize the province’s diverse Filipino community and their contributions to Ontario’s economic, cultural, social, and political well-being," said Begum. “As an elected representative in Scarborough, home to one of the largest Filipino communities in the province, it is my honour to introduce the Filipino Heritage Month Act.”

Begum will table the bill in the Ontario legislature the week of Oct. 19.

“As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we must acknowledge and give thanks to the thousands of Filipino-Canadians who are working tirelessly on the front lines, and who are doing their part to keep the province afloat,” said Begum. “This is one of the many reasons why introducing the Filipino Heritage Month Act is so critical.

“I look forward to seeing all Ontarians come together to celebrate and honour the culture and countless contributions of Filipino-Canadians in our province.”

Quotes

Paulina Corpuz
Co-Founder and President of the Philippine Advancement through Arts and Culture (PATAC)
Past President, Filipino Canadian Parents Association in Catholic Education:

“I strongly support the motion to declare June as Filipino Heritage Month. Heritage month celebrations are important in providing the space to teach and learn about cultural history of the Filipino Canadian community and how the community is viewed in the Canadian narrative. It is time to provincially and publicly acknowledge and affirm the value and the many contributions of the Filipino Canadian community, which have made Ontario a better place to live. It is time to recognize the important value of the community in Ontario’s mosaic.”

Veronica Javier, MSW, RSW
Community Organizer for Filipino-Canadian Social and Community Worker Network:

“Filipino/a/x Canadians continuously offer and provide meaningful and lasting contributions to Canadian society, including providing essential health care, care work, social services, and education to Ontario residents of all ages. The Filipino Heritage Month bill will serve to amplify and exemplify the vital work of everyday and extraordinary Filipino-Canadians alike.“

Ben S. Corpuz
Chair, Filipino Workers Network
Vice President, External, Philippine Independence Day Council
Vice-Chair, Kababayan Multicultural Centre:

“I support the motion to declare June as Filipino Heritage Month. Filipino Canadians have been working to build Canada since the 1880s. Many Filipinos who migrated to Ontario in the 1960s came as health workers. Today, Filipino-Canadians are at the forefront in the fight against COVID19 pandemic; medical workers, personal support workers, grocery and supermarket workers, manufacturing and packing companies, hotel and restaurant workers - they risked their lives and their families for Canadian families to live safer and better. Now is the opportunity for Ontario to recognize the Filipino Canadian community’s contributions and publicly acknowledge and affirm that the Filipino- Canadians are important part of Canada’s society.”