Philippine Independence Day takes place on June 12, but in downtown Morden, the Sun Catch Plaza will host the celebration on June 13, and the whole community is invited to attend. Raising one’s own flag Jewel White, one of the event’s organizers, said the occasion, which will celebrate 128 years since independence, is a “very important” day for the Philippines. “That's when we realized that we can be our own country. It's basically what it is, because we were deprived of independence for ... a little over three centuries,” she said. “To finally raise our own flag — our own Philippine flag — was a very big deal 128 years ago, and even now, wherever we go.” A full schedule As for Morden’s Philippine Independence Day celebration, one of the highlights of the evening is its lineup of live entertainment, which features more artists than the organizers originally expected. “Initially, there were not going to be a lot of performers, but as our program got more and more popular and as we spread information, we got like 14 or 15 performers,” she said. She added that the number works out to eight local bands. Beyond the music, the event's other activities include a new fashion-show contest featuring traditional Philippine clothing. Related stories: Carman Community Pool ready to open with brand-new water test kit From muddy play to a bike rodeo and pool party, AAFRC preparing for an active June in Altona Various vendors will also be on site offering desserts, snacks, and meals from local businesses, including Sweet Tooth Café and Cucina Filipina in Winkler, as well as Morden-based food truck Mamu’s Best Food. White said Cucina Filipina will bring two food trucks this year — one serving its regular menu and another dedicated to Filipino desserts and coffee. Fundraisers to support a new organization Another feature of the day will be raffle prizes and the event’s 50/50 draw. White said one of the top prizes is a Samsung watch donated by Telus. She added that both raffle and 50/50 tickets will be available for $5 for two. According to the organizer, the funds raised from ticket sales will go toward both the event itself and the newly minted organization that planned it — the Morden Filipino Community. “We're actually an officially recognized organization now. We're registered,” she explained. “We're trying to raise as much as we can so we have funds that we can [use to] start with our official organization. We have some, but we need to have some more funds in there so we can start planning how our community will play a role in our local community.” Come enjoy Filipino culture As the Philippine Independence Day celebration approaches, White is thankful to the dedicated volunteers who have helped make this event and others possible with their hard work. “Whether it's Philippine Independence Day or the Winterfest or our annual year-end party or the Corn and Apple, there are a lot of volunteers, and this wouldn't be possible without them,” she said. Morden’s Philippine Independence Day takes place on June 13. The program will run from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., but vendors will open at 12 p.m., so the community is invited to come early to enjoy them. With files from Ty Hildebrand and Jayme Giesbrecht