UNITED Against Hate Canada and the Filipino Heritage Month Society have launched a campaign to encourage twinning and friendship agreements between cities in Canada and the Philippines.
The organizations argue that with over a million Filipinos now residing in Canada friendship agreements can offer many benefits to each municipal partner that signs on.
The impetus for the campaign is the approaching 20th anniversary of the Montreal – Manila friendship agreement. The 20th anniversary will be marked on October 5, 2025. The organizations are planning several events to highlight the agreement.
A committee that will work to oversee the celebration of the milestone anniversary was struck earlier this week.
“We have recruited many prominent Filipino community leaders in Quebec,” says Marvin Rotrand, United Against Hate Canada’s Director General.”That has stimulated discussion as to the possibility of other Canadian cities pursuing agreements with cities and towns in the Philippines. We have accordingly written to the Mayors of cities across Canada with large Filipino populations to assess their interest.”
The Montreal-Manila agreement came about through the outreach of Mr. Rotrand during the time he served as a City Councillor. His invitation to then Manila Mayor Lito Atienza led to Manila motion 64 of 2004 calling for a twinning arrangement.
The Borough of Cote des Neiges – Notre Dame de Grace, the heart of the Filipino community in Montreal, responded favorably in 2005 with motion CA05 170320, which was then ratified by the Executive Committee of the City of Montreal on October 5, 2005, via motion CE05 2003.
Former Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay was an extremely strong supporter of links between Montreal and Manila and hosted the Filipino community at City Hall to fete the agreement. Some 300 dignitaries attended that gathering. His successor Denis Coderre also kept the agreement active.
However, the Filipino community feels the potential of the agreement has not been fulfilled. Since a change in the municipal administration in November 2017, there has been almost no effort in recent years to cultivate cultural, sporting, and economic links.
With the 20th anniversary now just a year ahead United Against Hate Canada and the Filipino Heritage Month Society believe the timing provides an excellent opportunity to consult the community as to how to breathe new life into the Montreal Manila agreement and to encourage other cities to also negotiate agreements.
“Filipinos are proud of their heritage and of their Canadian dimension,” indicates Al Abdon, Chair of the Filipino Heritage Month Society. “Friendship agreements can provide e wide range of benefits and build people-to-people dialogue between communities. Such agreements would have the enthusiastic support of Canada’s Filipino diaspora.”
A national ZOOM meeting including supportive political leaders will be held in late August with a view to enlarging relations between cities in the Philippines and in Canada.
