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PR-2021-11

25 March 2021, Toronto, Ontario – In celebration of the Quincentennial Commemorations of the Philippines, the University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Toronto (UPAAT) Education and Awareness Committee organized and presented the first of a series of a Canada-wide online discussion on Pre-Colonial Philippine History, Arts and Culture, in partnership with the UP Press and the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto. H.E. Ambassador Rodolfo D. Robles of the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa and Consul General Orontes V. Castro of the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto joined and attended the virtual talks.

The webinar is UPAAT’s event contribution to the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines (2021 QCP) in Toronto and around the world, and one of the Consulate General’s Filipino community events for the 2021 QCP. Through the series of virtual talks by renowned Filipino public historians, artists and scholars, UPAAT aims to promote the richness of Philippine heritage and culture from pre-colonial times and its continuing evolution through present times.

UPAAT President Dr. Alice Herrera welcomed everyone to the webinar while Philippine Ambassador to Canada Rodolfo D. Robles, as the Guest Speaker, delivered his Special Greetings to the almost 100 participants of the webinar. of the virtual talk. Dr. J. Neil C. Garcia, Director of the University of the Philippines Press, likewise gave his Publisher’s Remarks. The virtual talk was moderated by Dr. Helen C. Balderama, UPAAT member and Associate Director of International Partnerships and Programs at York University.

The virtual intellectual discussion and interaction featured renowned Filipino public historians, artists and scholars, such as Dr. Analyn Salvador Amores (Anthropologist, UP Baguio and Director of Museo Kordilyera), Dr. Mercedes Planta (Historian and Associate Professor, UP Diliman), and Professor Ramon Santos (National Artist and Professor Emeritus, UP Diliman).

Dr. Amores gave an interesting discussion on “Tattoos in Pre-Colonial Philippines” and “Tattooing Ink, Tattooing Identities: Tradition and Modernity in Contemporary Kalinga Society, North Luzon, Philippines “. She discussed the tattooing process, the inks used for traditional tattooing in the Cordillera, tattoo designs and visual imagery, as well as tattoo pilgrims. She introduced to the webinar participants to the famous Apo Whang-od, the last Kalinga tattooist (Mambabatok) from the tribe of Butbut in Buscalan, Kalinga. Apo Whang-od, now in her 90’s, is the oldest Filipino tribal tattoo artist, who has been tattooing for the past 80 years. Many tourists or “tattoo pilgrims”, visit Kalinga and have themselves tattooed by her. Tattoo has been a symbol of bravery and courage (for the tribe warriors or head hunters), as well as beauty and elegance (for the tribe’s women). Dr. Planta, on the other hand, discussed “Traditional Medicinal Plants in the Philippines, 16th – 19th Century: A Catalog of Remedies for Everyday Use”. Dr. Planta gave a presentation on the different Philippine plants and herbs from the 16th-19th century, with particular emphasis on their medicinal properties. She said that during the pre-colonial times, Filipino traditional medical practitioners or herbolarios used medicinal plants to cure diseases. The most common ones are tawa-tawa (asthma plant) for wounds; the achuete for digestion; and dita (“Devil’s tree”) for coughs, colds, and fever.

The last speaker for the night was National Artist Professor Ramon Santos, who discussed about “Gong Cultures in the Philippines”. He showed different kinds of the ethnic musical instrument and how they were played.

A Q&A, moderated by Philippine Senior Trade Commissioner Roseni M. Alvero, followed after the talk. Dr. Mayrose Salvador, Chairman of UPAAT’s Education and Awareness Committee, formally closed the event by thanking everyone who joined the webinar. She added that “events like this brings us together and makes us realize that we are part of an inclusive community and helps us reflect on our identity”. She also thanked UP Press, the Philippine Consulate General, and all the Resource Speakers. - END

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PR-2021-09

16 March 2021, Toronto—On the occasion of the <b>2021 Quincentennial Commemorations of the Philippines</b> (QCP 2021), Sentro Rizal Toronto of the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto organized two (2) virtual events which were live streamed through its official website and Facebook page on 16 March 2021. The Consulate General chose the historic date 16 March 2021 as it was the date when the Europeans first set foot in the Philippines and introduced Christianity to the Filipinos.

As restrictions on gatherings and permitted events in Toronto are still in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Consulate General commemorated this milestone event of Philippine history virtually.

QCP 2021 Congratulatory Messages and Greetings

The first part of the day’s festivities started at exactly 9:00 in the morning. A few minutes before the 2021 QCP Virtual Celebration, the artworks of the elementary and secondary students who participated in Sentro Rizal Toronto’s Padayon Art Competition were shown, a total of 182 artworks. Then the Virtual Celebration formally opened with the Philippine and Canadian national anthems, followed by four (4) Proclamations on the 2021 QCP issued by the Province of Manitoba, City of Vaughan, and the two Catholic District School Boards in the Greater Toronto Area, and a greeting from the Province of Ontario. The two (2) other Proclamations featured were on the celebration of the 500th year anniversary of the Arrival of Christianity in the Philippines from school boards where a large concentration of Filipino Canadians reside - the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) and the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board (DPCDSB).

The highlight of the virtual program was the Congratulatory Messages and Greetings received by the Consulate General from Philippine and Canadian Government Officials, members of the Consular Corps in Toronto, and almost seventy (70) Filipino Canadian community organizations under its jurisdiction. The program ended with the pre-recorded musical numbers from two (2) Toronto-based artists, Ms. Renee Fajardo, a Filipino mezzo-soprano student at the University of Toronto Opera, and Mr. Ron Michael Adea, a Filipino-Canadian pianist.

The Honorable Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. sent his message which emphasized the values and traits which mark the Filipinos - “magnanimity, compassion, and humanity”. He also thanked the international community for welcoming the Filipino diaspora, as well as the different Philippine Embassies and Consulates General around the world that celebrated the Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines.

In his message to the Filipino Canadian community, Philippine Ambassador to Canada Rodolfo D. Robles emphasized that 500 years after Ferdinand Magellan reached Philippine shores, almost one million Canadians of Filipino descent now reside in Canada, bringing with them their Filipino heritage that is now a permanent and valuable part of Canada’s multicultural fabric.

In his speech, Philippine Consul General Orontes V. Castro greeted the Filipino Community and expressed his gratitude for all the Quincentennial messages and Prayers and Blessings received. He mentioned that our ancestors had a flourishing civilization and culture when the first Europeans set foot in our country and since then has evolved into a vibrant country. He also congratulated the student artists and parents who participated in Sentro Rizal Toronto’s Padayon Art Competition.

Chairman Arsenio J. Lizaso of the Philippine National Commission for the Arts (NCCA), a partner and supporter of the Consulate General and its Sentro Rizal Toronto thanked the Consulate General for participating in NCCA’s Padayon (Visayan word for “to move on or to carry on”) -Paglikha Program, through Sentro Rizal Toronto’s Art Competition, which exemplifies their commitment to inspire Overseas Filipinos to move forward during the difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The other Canadian Government officials who sent in their messages were Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Elizabeth Dowdeswell, OC, OOnt; Ontario Premier Douglas Robert Ford; Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba Janice C. Filmon, C.M., OM; Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister; City of Toronto Mayor John Tory; Manitoba Member of Legislative Assembly Jon Reyes; City of Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua; Kitchener City Mayor Berry Vrbanovic; Markham City Mayor Frank Scarpitti; Winnipeg City Mayor Brian Bowman; Durham Mayor John Henry; Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter; Ajax Councillor Lisa Bower; TCDSB Chair Joseph Martino; DPCDSB Chair Sharon Hobin; DPCDSB Vice Chair Luz del Rosario; and TCDSB Trustee Garry Tanuan.

Messages were also received from members of the Consular Corps such as Brazil, the Republic of Poland, South Africa, Republic of Turkey, and the Republic of Union of Myanmar.

Interfaith Prayer

The second part of the celebration was the Interfaith Prayer, which is a result of the Consulate General’s consultations with different Filipino community organizations.

The written/video Prayers and Messages of Blessings received from religious leaders of different denominations were featured in the Program, from 1:00 pm to 1:45 pm. Messages from the Archbishop of Toronto, the President of the Toronto Board of Rabbis, the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarchal Representation in Toronto, the Jesus is Lord Americas 1, the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada, the El Shaddai DWXI-PPFI Toronto Chapter, and the Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, the Pastor of which also chairs the Toronto Organizing Committee of the Quincentennial Jubilee of Christianity in the Philippines, were among the messages and prayers received. Aside from these, messages were also received from the Province of Manitoba – from the Archbishop of Saint Boniface of Winnipeg and the St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church in Winnipeg.

It is noteworthy that the greetings and messages of blessings for the Philippines and the Filipino people talked about the valor and compassion of the Filipinos, which underscore the 2021 QCP theme, Victory and Humanity.

 

The two events were live streamed through the Philippine Consulate General’s Facebook page and official website. The link to the live streaming is as follows: www.philcongen-toronto.com. At the end of the day, there were already 1,500 views for the Virtual QCP Celebration while the Interfaith Prayer had 566 views. - END

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PR-2021-10

25 March 2021, Toronto, Ontario – The live streaming of the historic Signing of the Proclamation of the Celebration of the Quincentennial Jubilee of Christianity on the Philippines at the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board (DPCDSB) was held on 24 March 2021 and was aired via YouTube. Sentro Rizal Toronto of the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto was represented by Consul General Orontes V. Castro at the Signing Ceremony.

The first part of the program was a Holy Mass celebrated by Father Carlos Macatangga, SVD, Pastor of Cristo Rei Parish in Mississauga.

The Program proper started with the Welcome Remarks and Greetings from DPCDSB Chair of the Board of Trustees Sharon Hobin, Director for Education Marianne Mazzarato, and Vice Chair Luz del Rosario, a Filipino-Canadian. Consul General Castro likewise delivered a moving speech thanking the DPCDSB officials for the Proclamation that it approved celebrating the Quincentennial Jubilee of Christianity in the Philippines, as well as for the launch of Sentro Rizal Toronto’s Padayon Art Competition in all schools at the DPCDSB.

The video message of Philippine National Commission for Culture and the Arts Chairman Arsenio J. Lizaso was featured in the event. Chair Lizaso is currently also the President of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

From left, DPCDSB Associate Director of Education Daniel del Bianco as the emcee; Board of Trustees Chair Sharon Hobin welcomed the students, parents, teachers and officials of the Board, and everyone watching the historic signing of the QJCP Proclamation and Announcement and Awarding of Winners of the Padayon Art Competition.

Immediately after the Messages and Greetings, the Signing of the Proclamation commenced. The signatories of the Proclamation were DPCDSB Chair Hobin and Consul General Castro, and witnessed by DPCDSB Director for Education Mazzorato and Vice Chair del Rosario

In appreciation of the approval of the Proclamation, as well as its partnership with the Philippine Consulate General’s Sentro Rizal Toronto on the Padayon art competition, Consul General Castro presented and donated to the DPCDSB two (2) books on the novels of Dr. Jose P. Rizal namely, the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.

The last and most awaited Announcement and Awarding of Winners of Sentro Rizal Toronto-Philippine Consulate General Toronto’s Padayon Art Competition titled “Paghilom at Pag-asa Mula sa Pandemya” (Healing and Hope from the Pandemic) was the last part of the virtual program. The Padayon Art Competition was launched at the DPCDSB on 19 November 2021, which officially started the Call for Entries for the art competition. The art competition is a Sentro Rizal Toronto project, with the support of the Philippine National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and in collaboration with the DPCDSB. Sentro Rizal Toronto received a total of 71 artworks from DPCDSB students, with 47 from the elementary school and 24 from the secondary school. For the Elementary School Category, the 1st Place Winner is Grade 8 student Julianne Balatayo, 2nd Place Winner – Grade 4 student Ava Estelle Woon-Fat, and 3rd Place Winner – Grade 6 student Valentina Anabelle Herrera-Osorio. For the Secondary School Category, the 1st Place Winner is Grade 9 student Gem-Mahrey Hormillosa, 2nd Place Winner – Grade 12 student Jenna Muli Jardin, and 3rd Place Winner – Grade 10 student Arhielle Abuan Nieto. The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) sponsored the cash prizes for the six (6) 1st to 3rd place winners in both elementary and secondary school categories. All 1st prize winners were awarded C$500.00 each, 2nd prize winners C$300.00 each, and 3rd prize winners C$200.00 each. All the winners were also given a Winner Certificate signed by NCCA Chairman Lizaso; Consul General Castro; the DPCDSB officials – Chair Hobin, Director of Education Mazzorato, and Vice Chair del Rosario; and the three (3) Panel of Judges – Ontario Justice of Appeal Steve A. Coroza (Chairman), Philippine Artists Group of Canada (PAG) President Genaro Lopos (Vice Chairman), and York University Associate Director for International Partnerships and Programs Helen C. Balderama (Member). Sentro Rizal-Philippine Consulate General Toronto and Mr. Ryan Tuazon, Regional Director of Anderson College, also gave Special Prizes in the amount of C$100.00 each to other elementary and secondary students. All the winners were also given their Certificates of Participation. Certificates of Appreciation were also given to the DPCDSB officials Chair Hobin, Director of Education Mazzorato and Vice Chair del Rosario, as well as to parents, teacher, and schools that have submitted more artworks for the competition. The Closing Remarks was delivered by DPCDSB Vice Chair and Trustee Luz del Rosario. She thanked Consul General Castro for reaching out to the DPCDSB to be a partner in the celebration of the 500 years Anniversary of the Arrival of Christianity in the Philippines and in Sentro Rizal Toronto’s Padayon Art Competition. She also thanked most especially all the students, teachers and parents who participated in the art competition. -END Screenshots of Sentro Rizal Toronto’s Padayon Art Competition Winners from the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board

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PR-2021-08

12 March 2021, Toronto, Ontario – The Sentro Rizal Toronto of the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto received the generous donation by the Philippine Heritage Band (PHB) of a centennial artwork painted by its late member, Mr. Jess Abaya. The painting titled, “Cry of Balintawak” was made by Mr. Abaya in 1998, in celebration of the Philippines Centennial. The donation of the centennial artwork to Sentro Rizal is the Philippine Heritage Band’s event contribution to the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations of the Philippines.

The Signing of the Deed of Donation and Acceptance was consummated at the Philippine Consulate General, between Ms. Aurelia T. de Lara, President of PHB, and Consul General Orontes V. Castro, representing Sentro Rizal Toronto. Some officers and members of the PHB were likewise present to witness the ceremonial turn-over and signing of donation documents.

Consul General Castro presented to Ms. De Lara a Certificate of Appreciation for the invaluable donation by the PHB of the artwork “Cry of Balitawak” and for her significant and valuable support to the programs of Sentro Rizal Toronto and the Philippine Consulate General Toronto, on the occasion of the Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines.

The Philippine Heritage Band, founded in October 1980 by Mr. Oscar Fariñas, is based in the City of Vaughan, Ontario. It is one of the centerpieces of Filipino cultural pride in North America, with the mission of contributing to the enrichment of Canada’s multicultural society. It is a marching band of 100 volunteer members engaged in entertaining communities everywhere. The youth marching band has performed in high profile parades in Canada and the U.S. and in various Filipino-Canadian community events. In 1998, PHB won the prestigious Banaag Award for Outstanding Services Oversees - Philippine Presidential Award for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas, at ceremonies held at Malacañang Palace. – END