26 June 2023, Ottawa – The Filipino-Canadian Community in Ottawa came together on Sunday, 25 June 2023, to celebrate a Thanksgiving Mass, concluding the month-long commemoration of the 125th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence and Filipino Heritage Month in Canada.

The Mass at the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mother Parish Church was led by Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Francis Victor Mateo, OFM Conv., and attended by members of the various Filipino organizations in Ottawa. Officers and staff of the Embassy of the Philippines in Canada, led by Ambassador Maria Andrelita S. Austria, and their family, were also present during the mass. It was followed by a lunch reception at the Church’s multipurpose hall.

The Thanksgiving Mass was organized by the Philippine Independence Day Committee of the Ottawa Valley (PICOV), led by its chairperson, Nora Arriola. It is a long-standing tradition in Ottawa’s Filipino-Canadian community as one of the many activities marking Philippine Independence and Filipino Heritage Month in Canada. END.