19 June 2023, Ottawa - The Philippine Embassy and the Knights of Rizal, Gatineau Chapter, held a wreath-laying ceremony yesterday at the Embassy’s Sentro Rizal to commemorate the 162nd anniversary of the birth of Dr. Jose Rizal. The event also included a reading and discussion of one of Dr. Rizal’s letters to his mother and a song performance by the Philippine Heritage Foundation Canada.

In her remarks, Philippine Ambassador Andrelita S. Austria mentioned that Filipinos and Filipino-Canadians in Canada have made very significant contributions, and encouraged them to strive to emulate Rizal in terms of leaving a legacy for the future generations. KOR Chapter Commander  Dax Morfe also noted that Rizal was one of the first Overseas Filipinos and that like Rizal, Filipinos and Filipino-Canadians play an important role in nation-building in the Philippines and in Canada.