A flag raising ceremony and festival will occur in La Ronge on June 9. (Photo 56297087 © Rawpixelimages | Dreamstime.com)

By Derek Cornet

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Filipino flag to be raised in La Ronge’s Patterson Park

May 21, 2024 | 5:52 PM

Residents of the tri-communities are invited to join a Filipino flag raising ceremony at La Ronge’s Patterson Park.

At a regular meeting last week, town council unanimously approved a request to do so from La Ronge and District Filipino Community President and Founder Sonny Montilla. He wrote that the flag raising will coincide with Filipino Canadian Heritage Month, which was adopted by the House of Commons in 2019.

The flag raising will occur June 9 and the flag will fly in the park until June 12, which marks the Philippine Independence Day.

“For me and my family and the whole Filipino population community in La Ronge, we are so lucky they are able to give us the chance to celebrate our Filipino community and Filipino Heritage Month,” Montilla said.

“It’s going to a historic event because … this hasn’t happened before and now we’ve got this approval and we are very excited about it.”

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The event aims to celebrate the rich cultural heritage and contributions of Filipino Canadians to La Ronge and the broader Canadian society. It also serves as an opportunity to foster unity and understanding among diverse communities.

A festival and flag raising ceremony will also occur June 9 at Kikinahk Friendship Centre starting at 5 p.m. There will be a demonstration of Filipino culture, as well as traditional foods like an entire roasted pig. Residents of the tri-communities are welcome to join the celebration.

The flag raising ceremony will take place simultaneously with other communities across Saskatchewan, including Prince Albert, Saskatoon, Regina, Warman, and Yorkton. It’s believed that this coordinated effort will amplify the significance of the event and showcase the unity and solidarity of Filipino Canadians across the province.

“I remember in 2008 when I arrived here in La Ronge and now I have been here for 16 years,” Montilla said.

“We only three families in La Ronge at the time, but now there are more than 300 [people].”

Montilla explained Filipino come to La Ronge mostly for economic reasons. He noted they are employed in a variety of sectors in the community, adding the majority of them come directly from the Philippines.

According to the provincial government, Saskatchewan has a strong Filipino community with 36,000 residents originally from the Philippines. Tagalog is the most popular non-official mother tongue spoken in Saskatchewan.

Filipino immigrants who have moved to Saskatchewan have the most positive rate of settlement and retention among all new immigrants.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com