Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mabuhay. It's a very special time of the year. Back in November 2018, the House of Commons passed a resolution recognizing the month of June as Filipino Heritage Month.
As the chair of the Canada-Philippines Interparliamentary Group, I encourage people to celebrate the many different contributions people of Filipino heritage have made to Canada's great diversity.
On June 12, 1898, the Philippines became an independent country. On that day, we want to acknowledge the importance of that significant event. We're encouraging people to be engaged and to encourage others to get a better sense of the many contributions of the Filipino heritage community. The Filipino community in Canada is quickly approaching one million people, which is something worthy of note.