HEADLINES
PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY August 16 - 31, 2018
Filipinos in spotlight at September 1-3 TaiwanFest
in Downtown Vancouver
One of the biggest cultural
festivals in Canada will focus this year
on Filipinos and their connections to
the Taiwanese people.
Called TaiwanFest, the event
features the theme Fete with the
Philippines, which will be held from
September 1 to September 3 in various
venues in Downtown Vancouver,
primarily Granville Street.
The 500 block of Granville Street
is designated as Pinoy block for three
days from Saturday to Monday.
Are Filipinos and Taiwanese
neighbors or relatives?
A Kalinga weaver, Irene Joy
Bawer-Bimuyag, went to Taiwan
and discovered she could actually
understand some of the spoken
languages by Taiwan’s indigenous
peoples.
Moreover, there were also
drawings or symbols used in the tribes
that were almost identical to those
from her village.
TAIWANfest, happening this
weekend in Downtown Vancouver
from Saturday to Monday, is about
to explore the many unspoken ties
between Taiwan and the Philippines.
Austronesian connection isn’t
the only ties between the indigenous
peoples of the two island nations, said
Charlie Wu, the managing director of
the festival.
“Filipino migrant workers play
important roles in enhancing Taiwan’s
economy as well as caring for the
aging society. Over the years, many
Taiwanese see the migrant workers as
their family members and some even
went out of their ways to support the
migrants.”
Meet Asuka Lee, a young
Taiwanese man who founded
an independent media to be
the voice for all migrants in
Taiwan. “I want to make sure
they have a voice to support
them and make sure they
are treated fairly in Taiwan.
Most importantly, I want to
let people know that they are
just like all of us who have
dreams to be musicians,
designers and artists,” said
Asuka.
Also participating as part
of this year’s festival are Gen
Huang and Mario Subeldia,
both of whom are Filipinos.
Gen Huang’s husband is
Taiwanese and they both
now live in Taiwan. Gen’s
passion is her philanthropic
organization
–PhilTaithe
Voice, an organization set up
to assist children in a rural
area of the Philippines. Mario
has just received his artist
resident permit in Taiwan
after 7 years of working as
a migrant worker; he is one
of the first Filipino with such
achievement.
Why did TAIWANfest
invite Mario and Gen? “They
are not only
inspiration
for
the
Filipinos in
Taiwan; they
are also our
brothers and
sisters!” said
Wu.
F o r
m o r e
information
o
n
TAIWANfest
programs
a
n
d
schedules,
please visit
taiwanfest.
ca. The event
is free of
admission.
Mario Subeldia
Gen Huang
Asuka Lee
11955 8th Avenue, Delta, BC
www.lamezagrill.com
604 501 604 0963
501 0963
11955 88th Avenue, Delta, BC •
604 501 0963
• www.lamezagrill.com •
WWW.PHILIPPINEASIANNEWSTODAY.COM
lamezagrill