Renewed calls rise for Filipino Cultural Centre

In the wake of the Lapu-Lapu Day tragedy, community members are renewing calls to build a permanent Filipino cultural centre in Vancouver.

Since Lapu-Lapu Day, organizer RJ Aquino has been helping the victims and the families affected by the vehicle-ramming attack on the Filipino street festival that killed 11 people and injured dozens more.

“We’re making sure that the people understand that there are resources available,” said Aquino.

Meanwhile, the tragedy has given a new sense of urgency to building a community cultural centre in Vancouver.

Aquino pointed to the success of Filipino BC’s Resilience Centre, set up for the first three days of May, which provided a place to gather and access community supports in the Killarney Secondary School cafeteria.

“The Resilience Centre is just one small example of what’s possible. And people are now recognizing that even if it is just a small space for the Resilience Centre. Imagine what’s possible, what we can do and achieve having a dedicated centre.”

But the plan for a bigger community centre has been in the works for more than a decade and slowed by changes.

The devastation of tragedy, the Filipino community hopes, will expedite the process.

“The Filipino community recognizes it’s long overdue — the centre is long overdue — as well as all of the stakeholders involved in the conversation,” said Aquino.

B.C. Premier David Eby supports the idea of having a dedicated space for Filipino culture.

“Our government’s committed to a cultural centre for the Filipino people, where they can gather and celebrate together. And, again, this is the moment where I think we’ll see that a positive legacy is coming out of this,” said Eby, speaking to media on Wednesday.

In recent years, a provincial ‘vision’ survey to clarify plans for a Filipino Cultural Centre was completed. Results from the survey are expected to be published this spring.