Remarks by
The Honourable Anita Neville, P.C., O.M.
Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
FILIPINO-JEWISH FRIENDSHIP DINNER
Holiday Inn, Ellice Avenue
Friday, June 13, 2025, 6:00 p.m.
(please check against delivery)
Fellow Manitobans, friends from two great communities – it’s a pleasure to join you for this special evening of camaraderie and this celebration of Filipino Heritage Month.
As we celebrate our two communities, we keep in mind that we have gathered on Treaty One land and in the heartland of the Red River Metis.
This is a province made better by communities reaching out to help one another – as we see now while thousands of Manitobans from northern and Indigenous communities have been forced from their homes by fire. Working together with other Manitobans is where our values are showcased at their best.
The diverse Manitoba we are all proud to call home is located on the treaty territories and ancestral lands of the Anishinaabe, Cree, Dakota and Dene nations and the homeland of the Red River Métis. As well, Manitoba includes northern lands that were and are the ancestral lands of the Inuit.
Our commitment to diversity and understanding among peoples goes hand-in-hand with our commitment to partnership with First Nations, Metis and Inuit and the spirit of truth and reconciliation.
Tonight, we’ll see new and deepening friendships develop, as we build on the spirit of the Shabbat dinner last fall that brought Winnipeg’s Jewish and Filipino communities together.
I’ve had the opportunity over many years to see ties strengthen between our two groups – in business, educational and cultural fields and in many other ways.
It’s fascinating to think of all that we have in common, including historical parallels related to the immigrant experience.
In both communities, the garment industry was a major employer early in their time in Manitoba. In both communities, a commitment to education led to major inroads into entrepreneurship, the professions, education and more.
Tonight we continue the process of learning from each other, celebrating our differences and finding the many areas of common understanding and interest that unite us.
And – as befits any important gathering in either community – we do so while sharing a meal.
Thank you to the Philippine Consulate and Philippine Heritage Council for bringing us together. And thank you to everybody who has helped to make this friendship possible.
Salamat. Merci. Meegwich. Shalom
