Filipino BC Challenges Party Leaders to Invest in the Long-Overdue Filipino Community & Cultural Centre in BC
On Monday, March 24th, ahead of the federal election, Filipino BC wrote to the leaders of Canada’s three major federal parties, calling on them to reaffirm and commit to funding the Filipino Community & Cultural Centre — a project included in Budget 2024. With potential changes in leadership, we’re making sure this commitment holds, no matter who forms the next government.
Here is the letter that was sent to all party leaders:
On behalf of Filipino BC and the broader Filipino Canadian community, we seek your party’s commitment to supporting the establishment of a Filipino Community & Cultural Centre—a long-overdue investment in cultural preservation, economic empowerment, and social development.
In February 2025, Filipino BC released Weaving Our Voices, Our Story, of Our Community: What We Heard Report, a milestone document reflecting two years of extensive community engagement. Through town halls, surveys, and consultations across British Columbia, our community voiced a clear and urgent need: a dedicated Filipino-led hub that serves as a space for cultural, educational, and economic advancement.
A Filipino Community & Cultural Centre would be a transformative investment, serving as:
A cultural landmark preserving the history, identity, and contributions of one of British Columbia’s largest and fastest-growing communities.
A social and educational hub offering language programs, arts initiatives, and leadership development.
An economic driver fostering entrepreneurship, workforce training, and partnerships that benefit all Canadians.
We are calling on all Federal parties to:
Commit federal funding to support the creation of a Filipino Community & Cultural Centre should they form the next federal government.
Formally recognize and endorse Weaving Our Voices, Our Story, of Our Community: What We Heard Report as a key document informing policies that impact Filipino Canadians.
Establish meaningful partnerships with Filipino Canadian organizations to ensure the successful development of this initiative. Filipino Canadians have made vital contributions to this country for generations.
Now is the time for the federal government to make a tangible investment that reflects our role in Canada’s cultural and economic landscape. Your leadership in championing this initiative would not only empower our community but also serve as a model for inclusivity and nation-building.
We welcome the opportunity to meet with you and your team to discuss how we can work together to make this vision a reality.
We look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Rafael “RJ” Aquino & Kristina Corpin-Moser
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𝙋𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙉𝙚𝙪𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝘿𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚
𝘍𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘰 𝘉𝘊 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘯𝘰𝘯-𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘢. 𝘈𝘴 𝘢 𝘯𝘰𝘯-𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦, 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵, 𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦. 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵, 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘤𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘍𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘉𝘊, 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘤 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭-𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢.
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘮𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘪𝘢𝘴.
