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MetroVanIndependent.com
July 2015
editorial
Are Filipino Associations Ready to Unite?
By Steve Marshall
This has been a discussion in BC that
likely started over 50 years ago. There
seems to be a pattern that Filipinos get
together and form a Society then at some
point a Presidential candidate loses then
starts his own new group to be President.
Later in that new group the same thing can
happen splitting into another group.
Apparently there is over 100 Filipino
Associations in BC now. For the most
part, all the organizations are trying to work
together. The best thing we could hope
for is Unity amongst Filipino Canadians
to specifically deal with governments. A
one voice nation is much stronger than a
divided one. Can this happen? There was
a recent attempt at Unity and here is the
story.
On Jan 16/2015, the Consulate General
of the Philippines held a meeting at the
Multicultural Helping House Society to
formally announce its decision to step
down as the co-chair of the Philippine
Cultural Pista ng Bayan Society. During
this meeting further members resigned so
a group of people started to get together
to reform this society at this meeting.
After later meetings, it turned into another
group that started in the last few months
called the UNITED FILIPINO-CANADIAN
ASSOCIATIONS OF BC (UFCABC). Joel
Castillo, the new president, stated in a
TV interview on RTVM that they are “the
conglomerate or the umbrella of different
associations in BC”. “United.” “Umbrella.”
“WOW,” We thought “UNITY is finally going
to happen.” Did it? Unfortunately, NO.
How did the Pista ng Bayan Society
which normally organizes the yearly Slocan
Park Philippine Independence day event
and Gala night turn into a self-titled UNITED
FILIPINO-CANADIAN ASSOCIATIONS
IN BC? This happened without telling all
the associations that they are claim