Mr. Speaker, my warmest congratulations to all Filipino Canadians as they celebrate the first official Filipino Heritage Month here in Ontario.
I want to comment the wonderful contributions that Filipinos have made to communities in Ontario and throughout Canada. Filipinos are known for being incredibly warm, hard-working and compassionate, which has naturally drawn Filipinos to successfully work in many frontline jobs such as nursing, health care, child care and caregiving. This allows them to help all Canadians, starting from childhood all the way up to our esteemed leaders. Filipinos have also consistently ranked first in the independent immigrants category, a group selected on the basis of their skills and ability to contribute quickly to Canadian society and the Canadian economy.
I am proud to represent over 600 Filipinos who have made their home in Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock and of the ongoing contributions they are making to improve their community.