Filipino-Canadians are holding a week of family-oriented events to celebrate their declaration of independence.

Audrey, a young girl born to a Canadian father and a Filipino mother, visited the Philippines when she was two years old. Although she doesn’t remember her trip and does not speak the Filipino language, she is proud of her mother’s heritage and came forward this week to learn their national hymn. Audrey was the lead singer at the traditional flag-raising ceremony held for six consecutive years at City Hall.

The “great heritage and contribution to the culture” of Barrie was acknowledged by Mayor David Aspden who called on the young ones not to forget their culture as they grow up.

Elmore Cudanin, president of the Filipino-Canadian Association, mentioned that the purpose of this annual event is to create awareness that these people chose Barrie to be their home.

“I’m proud of my heritage, I’m proud to have been born in the Philippines and I’m also proud to be Canadian. That is a choice that I made,” he emphasized.

According to Cudanin, the flag-raising ceremony celebrates the independence achieved by this Asian archipelago of more than 7,000 islands with a population of about 86 million, on June 12, 1898, after 400 years of being a Spanish colony.

More than anything, Cudanin states this event is meant to create and promote awareness “that Barrie consists of different peoples of the world.

“To see the Filipino flag here at City Hall is not a symbol of anything, it is a celebration in which we thank God for the opportunity that we have here,” he said, adding that the Barrie Filipino community is slowly growing, calculating that there are now approximately 800 to 1,000 people of Philippine descent living here.

The Filipino community will end their independence week celebration Saturday with a family picnic at St. Vincent Park. They invite other Barrie residents to join them in their music, games and traditions.

• You can reach Mirna Concha at mirna.concha@theheritagenetwork.ca.