Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has recognized the contributions of the Filipino people, whose community he said "continues to be one of the fastest growing" in the Commonwealth nation. At the celebration of the Filipino Heritage Month and the Philippine Independence Day, Trudeau joined a Filipino community in Ottawa to express his appreciation for the Filipino nationals. He urged all Canadians to "recognize the important contributions Filipino communities have made—and continue to make." "As we continue to keep Canadians safe and protected from Covid-19, we recognize the many members of the Filipino community who play essential roles on the frontlines of the pandemic response and continue to work to keep our most vulnerable healthy. Your contributions will not be forgotten," he said. Photo courtesy of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Currently, there are about a million individuals of Filipino descent living in Canada, according to Trudeau. "To everyone celebrating in Ottawa, and to those marking the occasion across Canada: Maligayang buwan ng Pamanang Pilipino!" he said in a Facebook post on Tuesday. "Let's never forget that we’re stronger when we work together," he added. Trudeau attributed Canada’s relationship with the Philippines to "generations of close ties between our people." "Since we established diplomatic relations in 1949, we have strengthened our bond through close collaboration bilaterally, in multilateral institutions," he said. "Canada will continue to work with the Philippines on shared priorities such as deepening trade and driving economic growth, strengthening peace and security globally, and advancing human rights for the benefit of people on both sides of the Pacific," he added.