On Saturday, October 11, 2025, the Kalayaan Cultural Community Centre (KCCC) and its community partners came together for a meaningful initiative — Project Clean-Linis (Cleanliness) — held at Philippine Park in Mississauga. The event was part of the City’s Adopt-a-Park Program, which encourages residents and organizations to take an active role in maintaining and preserving local green spaces. Volunteers spent the morning cleaning the park, picking up plastic bottles, paper, wrappers, cans, and other litter often left behind by visitors. Equipped with gloves and garbage bags provided by the City of Mississauga, participants worked side by side with cheerful teamwork and shared purpose, helping to keep the park clean, safe, and welcoming for all.
For the Kalayaan Group, adopting Philippine Park holds deep cultural and emotional significance. Named in honor of the Philippines, the park serves as a proud tribute to the Filipino community’s contributions to Mississauga’s rich multicultural fabric. It symbolizes friendship, diversity, and inclusion — values shared by both the City of Mississauga and the Filipino community.
“Having a park named after our country is a great honour,” said Luz del Rosario, Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board Trustee and a key advocate in acquiring the park. “It gives our community a deep sense of belonging and pride. Philippine Park is a place where we can celebrate our culture, connect with nature, and share the Filipino spirit with the wider community.” Rose Cabrera, Director of the Kalayaan Cultural Community Centre and lead organizer of Project
Clean-Linis, added:
“Through this project, we’re not just cleaning a park — we’re preserving a symbol of our heritage. It’s our way of giving back to the City that has welcomed and supported us over the years.” The cleanup not only enhanced the park’s beauty but also strengthened the sense of community. Families, youth, and seniors worked together, embodying the true spirit of bayanihan — the Filipino tradition of collective unity and cooperation for the common good.
The Kalayaan Group expressed its gratitude to the City of Mississauga for its continued support through the Adopt-a-Park Program. The organization plans to carry out regular cleanup activities and encourages more community members to get involved. Through initiatives like Project Clean-Linis, the Kalayaan Cultural Community Centre continues to show that caring for our parks goes beyond cleanliness — it’s about cultivating pride, unity, and a shared respect for the environment we all call home.