COLUMN: Think Again – Filipinos have greatly enriched our community

On June 13, I attended the first Filipino Heritage Month celebration in southeastern Manitoba.

The event took place at the Pat Porter Centre in Steinbach. Mayor Earl Funk and councillors Jake Hiebert and Damian Penner attended with me. Both the mayor and I were also asked to bring official greetings.

In our remarks, the mayor and I both expressed appreciation for the many ways in which Filipinos have enriched our community. We noted that Steinbach is considerably more diverse than it used to be, and ongoing Filipino immigration has been a big factor in that change.

The positive reputation of Filipinos speaks for themselves. Business owners with Filipino employees often talk about the impressive work ethic of the Filipinos who work for them. People with Filipino neighbours are always impressed by their friendliness and positive attitude.

At first glance, it seems like an odd fit that so many Filipinos have chosen to make Steinbach their home. After all, Steinbach is traditionally a Mennonite community and a lot of people who don’t live here often assume that we are a “closed” community.

Of course, those of us who do live here know that nothing could be further from the truth. Steinbach might be a historically Mennonite city, but there are plenty of non-Mennonites who have made this city their home. Anyone who thinks that Steinbach is culturally monolithic needs to come out to Summer in the City this upcoming weekend. They will quickly see just how diverse our community really is.

Incidentally, it’s not just in Steinbach where Filipinos have developed a strong reputation. On Saturday morning, I received a text from a fellow Progressive Conservative candidate in western Manitoba asking what events I’d be attending that day. When I told him that I would be at the Filipino Heritage Month celebration, his immediate response was that he really enjoys the Filipino community in his riding.

Filipino Heritage Month was first officially proclaimed by the Manitoba Legislature in 2022. This bill proclaimed June as Filipino Heritage Month in honour of Philippine Independence Day on June 12. While some bills are contentious and lead to partisan squabbles, this bill received widespread support across party lines. Recognizing the valuable contributions of the Filipino community does not depend on whether you are Conservative, Liberal, or NDP.

For those wondering whether celebrating Filipino Heritage Month discourages Filipinos from fully embracing their Canadian identity, I can assure you that Filipinos are some of the most loyal Canadians you will find. At the Filipino Heritage Month celebration in Steinbach, we sang two national anthems, and the first one we sang was O Canada. Filipinos are very happy to live in Canada and they are enthusiastic about their Canadian identity.

As for the event itself, I had a great time, and so did my council colleagues. There was plenty of food, lots of great conversation, and we also were entertained by some excellent dancing and music. The organizers of this event were very pleased that we were able to attend and appreciated that we came out to support the Filipino community.

While this was the first Filipino Heritage Month celebration in Steinbach, I’m positive that it won’t be the last. Judging by the enthusiastic reaction of the more than 200 people at Saturday’s event, I would be surprised if this celebration didn’t become an annual tradition in Steinbach.

Steinbach is changing in many positive ways. The immigration of Filipino people to our region over the last couple decades has been a key part of that change.

Thank you to the organizers for inviting me to your celebration. I hope that it becomes even bigger and better next year.

Michael Zwaagstra is a teacher and deputy mayor of Steinbach. He can be reached at mzwaagstra@shaw.ca.