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28 August 2024, Ottawa – The Embassy’s Sentro Rizal Ottawa successfully launched Paaralan sa Pasuguan 2024 (PSP 2024), a summer camp for Filipino-Canadian children, held at Sentro Rizal Ottawa - Mindanao Hall of the Embassy on 27 and 28 August 2024.

Through PSP 2024, Filipino-Canadian children in Ottawa, aged 7 to 12 had a fun and interactive experience reconnecting and celebrating their Filipino heritage through simple history and basic Filipino language lessons, storytelling, arts and crafts, folk music, dance, and games, all in a two half day summer camp.

In her welcome message at the opening ceremony,  Ambassador Maria Andrelita Austria highlighted the rich traditions and beautiful heritage of the participating Filipino-Canadian children.

The opening day was filled with activities starting with the meet-and-greet with the Ambassador and short presentation about the Philippines by Vice Consul Mary Jaselle Menteer. It was followed by activities facilitated by representatives from Carleton University Filipino Students’ Association (CUFSA) and Kabangka, such as writing participants' names using Baybayin, singing Filipino folk songs, and film showing of the animated film Dayo. The highlight of the first day was the preparation and tasting of the all-time Filipino summer desserts, halo-halo, which the kids were excited and loved to do.

Summer camp activities on the second day were the introduction of Filipino game, patintero, by CUFSA; storytelling and art workshop by Ms. Denise Orosa, an award-winning educator and the co-author of Once Upon the Sun and Sea, and session on Filipino folk dances, such as tribal dance, salakot dance, and tinikling, by the Philippine Dance Troupe of Ottawa (PDTO).

The kids presented the singing of Bahay Kubo  and salakot dance as their culminating performances. It was followed by awarding of certificates to the participants and facilitators.

A total of 20 Filipino-Canadian children were registered and participated in the above event. Sentro Rizal’s AVP and tourism videos were also presented during the event.

“Thank you for planting the seeds of curiosity, love of travel, and especially pride in where he comes from on our side of the family.  We are very, very grateful,” wrote Jamela Austria, mother of Noah Gerofsky who participated in PSP 2024, in her letter to the Embassy.

PSP 2024 facilitators included Ms. Franz Sanico of Kabangka; Ms. Stephanie Pare and Feona Miclat of CUFSA, Ms. Vanessa Gomez of PDTO, and book author Ms. Denise Orosa.

PSP 2024 is a flagship project of Sentro Rizal Ottawa in celebration of Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa 2024. It is jointly organized in collaboration with the Knights of Rizal Ottawa-Gatineau Chapter. END