The next workshop in our four-part, in-person series exploring Filipino foodways invites participants into a gentle, guided space to explore the relationship between food, memory, and grief with writer Karla Jubaily.

In many of our homes, grief lives in recipes. It lingers in the way we slice garlic, in the smell of simmering adobo, in the dishes we cook when we miss someone. This session asks: How can food become an entry point into remembering? How can storytelling help us hold both loss and love?

Rooted in an anti racist and decolonial framework, and funded by the Future Arts Network @futureartsnet & made possible in part by the Government of Canada, this series invites participants to cook together, share stories, and rediscover how traditional dishes carry ancestral knowledge and community values.

While you may know Karla as FBC’s Community Engagement Manager, she is also an avid storyteller and writer whose work explores food, culture, grief, and community. Karla has been writing about her own experiences of grief in various forms for nearly a decade, since losing her dad in 2017. Writing about her dad through food memories has given shape and meaning to her grief, and opened pathways for connection with others who carry their own stories of loss.

Karla holds a Master of Journalism from the University of British Columbia, where she received recognition including the Pattison Media Ltd. Equity Scholarship and the RTDNF Narcity Digital Journalism Scholarship. In 2023, she was named one of the Canadian Arab Institute’s 30 Under 30. Her writing has been published in The Canadian Encyclopedia, The Globe and Mail, and The Georgia Straight, among others.

To better serve her community, Karla has completed Psychological First Aid (PFA) certification through BC’s Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) Disaster Psychosocial Services program. She is currently completing a micro-certificate in Mental Health and Substance Use through UBC’s School of Social Work.

In this workshop, participants will learn practical tools for writing, interviewing, and archival work, including:

• How to write about grief with care and self-awareness

• How to interview family members or community members with sensitivity and curiosity

• How to document, preserve, and organize personal memories and community histories

• How to transform lived experiences into reflective, creative writing

• How to use food and sensory memory as an entry point into story

• Self and after-care practices when writing about emotional material

Through her guidance, participants gain techniques and resources that go beyond a typical writing workshop—combining creative expression, memory work and professional storytelling skills within a supportive and thoughtfully facilitated space.

Is this workshop for you?
This workshop is a creative, reflective space for exploring memories, emotions and personal experiences through writing and food. It is designed for participants who are interested in reflecting on past experiences of grief and loss.

***Disclaimer***: Karla is not a registered clinical counsellor or mental health professional. This workshop is not a substitute for counselling, therapy, or support for recent or ongoing grief. Participants are encouraged to seek professional support, if needed. Our focus is on creative expression, storytelling and connecting memory with food.

Limited spots. Registration is required.

Registration opens February 27 at 12 PM PST and is first come, first served. Sign up for our newsletter to receive the registration link on February 27. Registration is now open! Register here.

The next workshop in our four part, in person series exploring Filipino foodways where food, culture, and history come together as a source of nourishment, pride, and healing is Tinola Time with Chef & Farmer, Joy Aurora!

Rooted in an anti racist and decolonial framework, and funded by the Future Arts Network @futureartsnet & made possible in part by the Government of Canada, this series invites participants to cook together, share stories, and rediscover how traditional dishes carry ancestral knowledge and community values.

Tinola Time is an in-person cooking demonstration and shared learning space where participants gather around a beloved Filipino ginger broth to explore food, memory, and connection. Together, we’ll prepare vegetables, learn about the dish’s pre-colonial roots and nourishing ingredients, and talk through the ways culinary practices shift across homelands and migration.

Through hands-on prep and guided storytelling, the workshop invites people from different walks of life to reflect on who cooked for them, how recipes travel, and how meals can carry care, history, and community.

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Joy Aurora (they/them) is an Ilocano trans nonbinary chef and farmer currently living on stolen and unceded xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, səlilwətaɬ land. Having grown up in the farmlands in Pangasinan, they are deeply passionate about community, food justice, and Indigenous plants. Since graduating culinary school, they developed a drive to push boundaries of what working in the food industry could look like. Pursuing their drive to be grounded and rooted in the land to better understand food, they ventured into farming to expand their relationships with local organizations and farms as of 2020. With their experience as a chef and farmer, they have a desire to bridge the disconnection of food knowledge within the systems currently in place. They strive to continue to honour and learn from the land, to remain curious and playful, to share knowledge with their peers and the next generation, and to cultivate community care.

Registration is REQUIRED. Spots are limited. The link to register will be released via our newsletter on Friday, February 20th at 12 PM PST. Sign up for our newsletter here. Registration is now open!

All ages welcome. Any children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Please provide dietary considerations during registration. One form per participant for dietary needs-tracking purposes.

Have questions or comments? Reach us at community@filipinobc.com. 

For more events from Filipino BC, visit https://filipinobc.com/kapwa-centre-events or sign up for our newsletter here.

UPDATE: Due to unforeseen circumstances, this workshop is cancelled.

Food is memory. Food is culture. Food is history. Most importantly, food is care.

We are excited to launch our series of food workshops, a four part, in person series exploring Filipino foodways where food, culture, and history come together as a source of nourishment, pride, and healing. Rooted in an anti racist and decolonial framework, and funded by the Future Arts Network @futureartsnet, this series invites participants to cook together, share stories, and rediscover how traditional dishes carry ancestral knowledge and community values.

The first two workshops in the series will be a culinary gathering featuring Maguindanaon food traditions with Umair Subod @umasubodig!

The Maguindanaoan people are an Indigenous group from Mindanao in the southern Philippines. Their culture is closely tied to Islam, river life (they are known as the “people of the flood plain”), and strong traditions of sharing and community care. Maguindanaoan food is centred around rice, coconut, vegetables, and spices, with dishes often prepared for family meals, gatherings, and religious occasions.

Foods like pastil and balbed (suman) carry everyday meaning, reflecting care, hospitality, and knowledge passed down through generations.

Day 2: Balbed Making and Kapé

Date: February 28, 2026

Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Location: Tahanan Studio (310 E 5th Ave)

Registration is REQUIRED. Spots are limited. The link to register will be released via our newsletter on Monday, February 9th at 12 PM PST. Sign up for our newsletter here.

In the spirit of equity and due to limited spots, participants will only be able to register for one (1) workshop. If you would like to be added to a waitlist to participate in the second of your choice, please reach out to us at community@filipinobc.com.

All ages welcome. Any children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Please provide dietary considerations during registration. One form per participant for dietary needs-tracking purposes.

Have questions or comments? Reach us at community@filipinobc.com. 

For more events from Filipino BC, visit https://filipinobc.com/kapwa-centre-events or sign up for our newsletter here.

UPDATE: Due to unforeseen circumstances, this workshop is cancelled.

Food is memory. Food is culture. Food is history. Most importantly, food is care.

We are excited to launch our series of food workshops, a four part, in person series exploring Filipino foodways where food, culture, and history come together as a source of nourishment, pride, and healing. Rooted in an anti racist and decolonial framework, and funded by the Future Arts Network @futureartsnet, this series invites participants to cook together, share stories, and rediscover how traditional dishes carry ancestral knowledge and community values.

The first two workshops in the series will be a culinary gathering featuring Maguindanaon food traditions with Umair Subod @umasubodig!

The Maguindanaoan people are an Indigenous group from Mindanao in the southern Philippines. Their culture is closely tied to Islam, river life (they are known as the “people of the flood plain”), and strong traditions of sharing and community care. Maguindanaoan food is centred around rice, coconut, vegetables, and spices, with dishes often prepared for family meals, gatherings, and religious occasions.

Foods like pastil and balbed (suman) carry everyday meaning, reflecting care, hospitality, and knowledge passed down through generations.

Day 1: Iftar and Pastil Cooking Demonstration

Date: February 27, 2026

Time: 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM (Doors open at 6:00PM)

Location: South Vancouver Neighbourhood House (6470 Victoria Dr, Vancouver, BC V5P 3X7)

Registration is REQUIRED. Spots are limited. The link to register will be released via our newsletter on Monday, February 9th at 12 PM PST. Sign up for our newsletter here.

In the spirit of equity and due to limited spots, participants will only be able to register for one (1) workshop. If you would like to be added to a waitlist to participate in the second of your choice, please reach out to us at community@filipinobc.com.

All ages welcome. Any children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Please provide dietary considerations during registration. One form per participant for dietary needs-tracking purposes.

Have questions or comments? Reach us at community@filipinobc.com. 

For more events from Filipino BC, visit https://filipinobc.com/kapwa-centre-events or sign up for our newsletter here.

Whether you are a student, newcomer or accomplished tita, our experiences in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland are often informed by the unique backgrounds and journeys that led us here.

As our community faces ongoing challenges like affordability and access to childcare, healthcare and social services, you might wonder who in government is responsible for solving these issues and how we can have our voices heard.

Join us for "Our City Hall | Ang Aming Munisipyo": a beginner-friendly workshop on civic engagement at the municipal level. Together, we will learn the basics of how our municipal government works, discuss issues that matter to our communities, and discover ways to get involved in civic advocacy at City Hall and within South Vancouver.

📅 February 24 from 6:30 to 8:00 PM (Doors open at 6PM)

📍 SVNH Southside Hub (8118 Fraser Street, near Marine Drive)

🫔Light meal will be provided!

Register here to guarantee your spot!

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Estudyante, baguhan, o dekalidad na tita ka man, ang ating karanasan sa Vancouver at sa Lower Mainland ay kadalasang nababatay sa iba’t ibang pinagmulan at pinagdaanan para makarating dito.

Habang ang ating komunidad ay nahaharap sa patuloy na paghamon, tulad ng abot-kayang gastos at magkaroon ng access sa  pangangalaga ng bata, pangangalagang pangkalusugan, at mga serbisyong panlipunan, maaaring nagtataka ka kung sino sa gobyerno ang responsable sa paglutas ng mga isyung ito at kung paano nila maririning ang mga boses natin.

Samahan ninyo kami sa "Our City Hall | Ang Aming Munisipyo": isang workshop na pang-baguhan tungkol sa pakikilahok ng mamamayan sa antas ng munisipyo. Sama-sama tayong matututo tungkol sa basics kung paano gumagana ang ating pamahalaang munisipyo, suriin at paguusapan ang mga isyu na mahalaga sa ating mga komunidad, at tutuklasin natin ang mga paraan upang makilahok sa pagtataguyod ng mamamayan sa City Hall at sa loob ng South Vancouver.

📅 Pebrero 24 mula 6:30–8:00 PM (Ang mga pinto ay magbubukas sa 6PM)

📍 SVNH Southside Hub (8118 Fraser Street, malapit sa Marine Drive)

🫔May maliit na meryenda na ihahanda!

Magparehistro dito upang matiyak na ma-reserve ang inyong puwesto!