Members of the Victoria Filipino community gathered at the Bayanihan Community Centre downtown to officially commemorate Filipino Heritage Month, and to speak about the future of the centre.
In 1969, the first Filipino community organization in Victoria was created by about 30 people, and over the past 54 years, it has evolved into the Victoria Filipino-Canadian Association and it’s three affiliates - the community centre, the Victoria Filipino-Canadian Caregivers Association, and the Victoria Filipino-Canadian Seniors Association.
According to VFCA president Sid Emmanuel, there are about 10,000 people of Filipino descent currently in Victoria, and another 700 students from the Philippines are coming to local post-secondary institutions.
“It is very crucial that we have to provide a place for them,” said Emmanuel. “Obviously we can only invite so many people [into this building], so the challenge is on us to provide an even bigger building.”
He said the current building, on Blanshard Street, only holds about 60 people, so they’re hoping to expand to a bigger space, similar to the Greek Community Hall or the Scottish Cultural Centre.
Mable Elmore, MLA for Vancouver-Kensington and the first MLA of Filipino descent announced a survey on the B.C. government website for community members to share their thoughts on a vision for a provincial Filipino community centre, and she presented the Filipino community leadership with an official designation of Filipino Heritage Month.
In 2009, when Elmore was first elected, the community centre held a dinner with her and her family to celebrate the moment.
“[The community centre] holds a very special place in my heart to share that occasion with you,” said Elmore. “Going forward, in terms of this community, lots of plans are underway.”
The VFCA will host the Mabuhay cultural festival on June 8 and 9 at Centennial Square which will feature food, music and performances from Victoria’s Filipino community.
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