The Department of Foreign Affairs said Thursday a 3-foot monument of national hero Jose Rizal will be installed in a park in Alberta, Canada.
The DFA said the bust by Sulu-born Filipino sculptor Toym Abdulmari Imao would be installed in Nose Creek Regional Park in Airdrie — a popular venue for Filipino community events — as a tribute to Filipinos in Alberta.
“The Rizal Monument will be a tribute to all the hardworking Filipinos in Alberta, which hosts the second-largest Filipino population in Canada, and will be a source of pride for the whole Filipino community,” Philippine Consul General Zaldy Patron said, in a statement.
The DFA said that Patron first proposed the monument to Airdrie Mayor Peter Brown in June 2019.
It was then approved by the Airdrie City Council in its March 1 and April 6 sessions.
“We are very proud and pleased to announce our support for a community project that recognizes and celebrates Airdrie’s unique Filipino heritage,” Brown said.
“The monument will make a welcome addition to our already beloved Nose Creek Regional Park,” he added.
The monument is expected to be completed in October 2021.
