3-foot Jose Rizal bust to be installed in Canada —DFA

A 3-foot monument of national hero Jose Rizal will be installed in a park in Alberta, Canada, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Thursday.

According to the DFA, the bust by Filipino sculptor Toym Imao will be installed in Nose Creek Regional Park in Airdrie -- a popular venue for Filipino community events -- as a tribute to the Pinoys 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. —Joahna Lei Casilao/LBG, GMA News