Community Update | April 28, 2025

Update 1: Lapu Lapu Day Volunteer Mental Health Debrief Session

We are committed to supporting the Filipino community and our team of volunteers in the wake of the unprecedented tragedy at the Lapu Lapu Day Festival. Over the last few days, we heard deeply moving stories of how individuals are mourning together, leaning on each other, and finding strength through shared grief.

We are coordinating a debrief with volunteers and a mental health worker. If you were a volunteer on Saturday, April 26, 2025, please RSVP to volunteers@filipinobc.com to receive information on the location and time of the debrief.

The scale and impact of this tragedy are unlike anything we have experienced before, and we continue to work on ways to support community members through conversations with the City of Vancouver and the Government of British Columbia. We encourage everyone to seek out mental health resources and lean on available supports during this difficult time.

In the wake of this unprecedented tragedy, we have witnessed an incredible outpouring of compassion and solidarity from across the world. We are deeply grateful for the support shown to our community during this time of collective grief.

At this time, we are not accepting donations. We are working diligently to establish a secure and transparent mechanism to ensure that all contributions directly reach those most in need. We recognize that individuals and groups may choose to organize their own fundraising efforts independently, and we anticipate providing an update within the next 24 hours. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

To keep the community informed, a dedicated landing page will soon be available on the City of Vancouver website. This page will provide official updates, information on how to access mental health supports, and future opportunities to contribute.