Niagara Falls did not light up for INC anniversary

Claim: The Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada was illuminated using the colors of the flag of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) to celebrate the church’s 108th founding anniversary, and its 50th anniversary in Canada. 

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: As of writing, the false claim has already garnered 57,000 reactions, 30,000 shares, and 1,900 comments. 

The bottomline: On Friday, July 29, the Niagara Falls Illumination Board clarified that the board does not grant special illumination requests to religious organizations. The special illumination that happened last July 26 was for the Felix Y. Manalo Foundation Inc., on its 50th anniversary in Canada.

• Moreover, the said illumination request was submitted under a “different, eligible organization and claimed to be for the Church after the fact,” according to the board in an email to Rappler on July 29.
• Special illumination: Another email from the Niagara Falls Illuminations Board sent on Monday, August 8, clarified that the special illumination granted to the Felix Y. Manalo Foundation Inc. last July 26 was approved “based on its partnership with Canadian Blood Service.” The board also said the religious affiliation of Iglesia Ni Cristo to the Felix Y. Manalo Foundation Inc. “was not highlighted in the illumination request.”

Niagara Falls illumination: According to the official website of Niagara Parks, the falls can also be lit in “custom colors for short durations to mark significant dates in support of charitable causes.”

– Rochel Ellen Bernido with Erick Prynze Sazon/Rappler.com

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