Celebration of Philippines Independence Day

By Rob Vogt
It was a day to celebrate the culture of the Philippines.
The Claresholm Filipino Society hosted an Independence Day celebration on Friday, June 12, featuring the best of Filipino culture including, dance, music and more.
The day was to honour the indomitable spirit of the Filipino people.
Nothing illustrated that better then the fact the rains threatened so, undeterred, the Claresholm Filipino Society moved their celebration inside to the Claresholm Arena.
It began with the singing of the national anthems of Canada and the Philippines.
Then Diane Ocampo, who was the emcee for the program that opened the day, welcomed everybody.
“Today is a celebration of who we are as Filipinos,” she said.
Ocampo pointed to the hallmarks of Filipino culture, including food, music, dance and the spirit of hospitality.
She said they will always hold the Philippines close to their heart.
“Here in Claresholm, we have found another home,” Ocampo said. “A community that welcomed us.”
They are grateful the community still allows them to express their culture.
“We are proud to call Claresholm our home,” she said.
With that, she invited Mayor Brad Schlossberger to say a few words.
He thanked everyone in the Filipino community for their commitment to the community, and what they bring to it.
The official part of the program concluded with a ceremonial dance.
It highlighted the resilience of the Filipino people and their unwavering spirit to rise above all hardship.
They can achieve that by working together to address any challenge.
“We can overcome whatever it is,” Ocampo said.