Filipino engineers celebrate Filipino Heritage Month

Philippine Heritage Council of Manitoba (PHCM), to the Manitoba Filipino Street Festival, FMC members, under the leadership of Rey Robillos, Jr., current chapter chair, and his team of dedicated executive committee officers, demonstrated their commitment to promoting

Filipino culture by volunteering their time and creativity and encouraging their members to participate in the following events:

Philippine Heritage Week Opening and Flag Raising Ceremony

On June 2nd, the night before the event, the FMC, took charge of the stage setup and decorations at the Philippine Canadian Centre of Manitoba (PCCM) where program would be held for the opening ceremony. On the day of the event, FMC members participated in the parade and flag-raising ceremony along with other Filipino organizations.

Philippine Independence Ball

This year’s ball was held at the Victoria Inn Hotel on June 17th, with the theme “Kalayaan…ating ingatan at alagaan.” New to the event was the diorama decorations featuring the Philippines’ national symbols from national hero to national sport, catching the attention of those in attendance.

The FMC, once again volunteered to set up stage decorations. The materials used at this event were ingeniously repurposed from the earlier opening ceremony, showcasing the chapter’s resourcefulness and commitment to sustainability.

Manitoba Filipino Street Festival

Capping off the month, the FMC participated in the two-day celebration of Manitoba Filipino Street Festival on June 24th and 25th. The first day saw the FMC officers and members joining the parade, donning the red, black, and white garb for the first time, creating a cohesive appearance. A booth was set up to showcase traditional Filipino games such as sungka and jolens and engineering-themed toys. The decorations that adorned the stage at the two previous events found new life as they were reused to create a festive and vibrant facade for the booth attracting festival goers. The FMC’s active participation in these events not only increased awareness of the chapter and its goals but it may have also inspired future generations to pursue careers in engineering. To learn more about the chapter, visit their redesigned website at www.fmc-egm.ca.

Ethel Clemente-Fernandez is a professional engineer registered in the province of Manitoba. She is an active member of the Filipino Members Chapter - Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Manitoba (FMC-APEGM).