JULY 1, 2025 - Centennial Square came alive yet again for two days on June 14 and 15, 2025, with MABUHAY!, the Filipino Canadian community of Victoria’s celebration of Philippine culture and traditions and observance of Philippine Independence Day.
Victoria City ayor Marianne Alto was a highly visible presence at MABUHAY! She and outgoing Victoria police chief Del Manak made a point of assuring the Filipino Canadian community of their strong and continued support, especially in light of the tragic events of April 26, 2025 at Vancouver’s celebration of Lapu Lapu Day. The two-day event in Victoria proceeded without incident or safety concerns. Its success and popularity was healing and re-energizing for the community.
Member of Parliament Will Graves, Members of Legislative Assembly Nina Krieger and Ravi Parmar and Saanich Mayor Dean Murdoch were also on hand to wish the community well, as was Analyn Ratonel from the Philippine Consulate General’s Office in Vancouver. All the dignitaries reiterated the valuable contributions Filipino Canadians have made to the communities where they belong.
A booth by the Vancouver Island Cordillera Association sold Cordilleran textiles and handicrafts.
The yearly event, which Greater Victoria’s population of about 450,000 has come to expect, did not disappoint. It was even bigger and better than last year’s celebration, featuring about 50 exhibitors and merchants. This year, close to a hundred groups and individuals had booths or stalls at the event, offering everything from free food and drink with a prayer, to dragon boat rowing, to pain therapy through “manual lymphatic drainage.” It was as if the community was especially inspired to show the world: “We can do this.”
If anything, MABUHAY! demonstrated the vibrancy and dynamism of the Filipino Canadian community on Vancouver Island. Apart from the restaurants that have become fixtures in Victoria, like Benjamin’s in Esquimalt and Jempoy Lechon on Quadra St., as well as Casa on Douglas and Hiro at Hillside, numerous small business owners and food trucks offered visitors a wide array of food choices. There was Big Bad Bob’s for barbecue, Hot Dog Hustlin’, and Lechon Bai. Keem Herrera sold her now famous “ice keem.” Cupcakes, ensaymada, pan de sal and Spanish bread were on offer by Manna bread, Friends and Family Bake, Tinapay Atbp. and Mom’s Cake Cafe. Victoria’s seniors sold suman wrapped in banana leaves, caregivers had a karinderia with Kapampangan delights. The ABR store on Blanshard sold sitaw and sigarillas for home cooks, LBC representative and entrepreneur Vanessa Sackmann drew crowds craving maruya and turon. Lechon, halo halo, and ube were the stars.
But it was not just food. There was a Filipino-run optical (Emerald Eyecare), a new Filipino-run pharmacy on View St., realtors, health services, immigration services, and a Filipino-owned spa. A booth run by the Vancouver Island Cordillera Association (VICA) sold fabrics and handicrafts from the Cordilleras while Hiraya Filo Store sold cosmetics made in the Philippines.
Filipino entrepreneurs were joined by French, Iranian, Japanese, and Indian vendors. Likewise, the entertainment featured not just Filipino artists including the visiting :MEn Choral Group, but also Korean, African and other international performers. Indeed, MABUHAY! was a celebration of food, of music, and dance; of abundance, of service, as well as cooperative relationships among different ethnic groups in the city.
MABUHAY’s success goes to all the participants, organizers, and dozens of volunteers. Victoria is fortunate to have organizations working hand in hand under the umbrella of the Bayanihan Cultural and Housing and Housing Society (BCHS). Together, the Victoria Filipino Canadian Association (VFCA), under the leadership of Mike Caparas; the Victoria Filipino Canadian Seniors’ Association (VFCSA) under the leadership of Tita Quigley; the Victoria Filipino Canadian Caregivers Association (VFCCA) under Annette Beech, and the BCHS under Melissa Badua brought MABUHAY! to life.
They were supported by the younger Vancouver Island Cordillera Association (VICA) under President Hilda Amino and the Victoria Community Health Workers and Diversity Association (VCHWDA) with Haynie Mende at the helm.
MABUHAY! also benefited from sponsors who have shown their support over the years, including the BC Ferries and Marine Workers Union, Fastrac Print and Marketing, Tim Horton’s, Sual Cafe, Jempoy Lechon, VNC Family Home Care and community leader Gordy Dodd.
MABUHAY! also owed its success in large part to Program Coordinator Melvin “Cobb” Douglas, the brains and also the brawn behind the two-day extravaganza. His dogged pursuit of exhibitors and participants was well-rewarded, and his planning and logistical skills made for a very smooth and effective program indeed. Congratulations to the Filipino Canadian community of Victoria!
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