BY: Tigs Tidalgo

The Philippines Independence Day Celebration of Calagry has been an  annual event of Filipinos for about five decades. It was celebrated modestly by the Filipino pioneers and was enhanced when the Filipino Canadian Society of Southern Alberta was organized.

Years went by and many Filipino associations came to being. The Filipino Canadian Society, the oldest amongst associations did assume the role as mother association whose major coordinated function was hosting our community’s independence day activities.

The mother association encountered challenges and eventually was dissolved from it. The Calgary Federated Filipino Association (CAFFA) which was registered in 1986 as an umbrella of associations took charge and managed the celebration. It used to be the biggest yearly outdoor occasion of Filipinos in the city during the nineties.

A legally new registered group called the Philippine Independence Organizing Committee (PIOC) appeared with sole objective to organize and host the Philippines Independence Day Celebration. The yearly event is initially opened with a Filipino community parade outside and around Pacific Place Mall and followed by live stage weekend entertainment. This has been good and we enjoyed it.

It come to pass that we already have a regular consular office. They should be the proper entity to shoulder the responsibility of hosting this event as it basically pertains the Philippines.  Local Filipino based associations and the Filipino community in general should support this to make it especially significant. It is also on this regard that we can farther promote harmony amongst community members.

As it is in the homeland, the Philippine Independence Day is also  observed with patriotic sentimentality by Filipinos anywhere. It is just fitting that this special event is officially run by the Philippine government through diplomatic consular offices. It is a good way to accredit our country and to Filipinos abroad.

We shall take into account that our community is rapidly growing. Maybe the old system is no longer sufficiently adequate. We shall therefore accept and welcome new initiatives.  We have to open our mind to innovations and new ideas. It is just appropriate for our consulate to spearhead the task in staging this significant annual event.

CAFFA with PIOC and community members will also lend a hand to our consulate in putting up this eventful anniversary of our country’s freedom. This may also revive the stretch of numerous massive annual community outdoor independence celebrations of what then was CAFFA 1994 series.