March 16, 2026 – FilipinoBC, chaired by RJ Aquino, announced that Lapu Lapu Day of Togetherness will be held on Sunday, April 19, 2026 at Il Centro Italian Cultural Centre in Vancouver to commemorate the first anniversary of the Lapulapu Day tragedy of April26, 2025.
With respect and compassion, the Lapu Lapu Day team acknowledges the profound impact of the tragic events last year. “Our thoughts remain with the victims, their families and loved ones, as well as the witnesses, first responders, and all those in the community who were affected. We recognize that the impact of that day continues to be felt deeply, and that healing looks different for everyone and takes many different ways.”
Carrying forward with the heart of Lapu Lapu Day which is of fostering community and honoring Filipino heritage, this Lapu Lapu Day of Togetherness will differ from previous years, focusing on reflection and communal healing.
“We invite the community to gather in the spirit of bayanihan, a Filipino value of collective care and helping one another. Community members are encouraged to participate in ways that feel meaningful to them and supportive of their individual healing needs in a safe and supportive space,” the announcement says.
The Lapu Lapu Day festival first began in 2024 as a celebration of the vibrant Filipino community, creating space for people of all generations to gather and share culture with the wider city. Recognizing that healing looks different for everyone, this year’s event will take on a more reflective and community focused format while maintaining the heart of the gathering.
This free one day event, made possible by the generous support of sponsors and community partners, will bring community members together to share meals, stories, and space. The morning will focus on reflection, remembrance, and community engagement, with the afternoon shifting toward connection, arts, and cultural expression. Attendees of all ages are invited to participate in programming that reflect community needs, including wellness resources, cultural performances, and interactive and movement activities. The gathering will also provide access to supports and resources of organizations that continue to walk alongside families and community members.
This year’s Lapulapu team is focused on prioritizing safety, with event production and safety planning led by EventLAB, organizers who have worked closely with the City of Vancouver to support safety and security planning for festivals and public gatherings across the city. Genesis Security, British Columbia’s premier security company, has graciously donated their services and are creating a comprehensive and detailed safety and security plan with controlled access, defined entry points, trained security personnel, coordination with emergency services, and on-site supports available throughout the event.
“For many of us, this day now carries both grief and love,” said Céline Loriot, Filipino BC Board Member. “This is not about moving on from what happened, but about moving forward together, with survivors, families, and the broader community, to reclaim space for healing, cultural pride, and collective care. We want people to know that however they choose to engage, or even if they choose not to, their choice is respected.”
Il Centro Italian Cultural Centre has graciously opened and donated the use of their indoor and outdoor space for this community gathering. The venue allows for enhanced safety planning and a supportive environment, while also reflecting the Filipino and Italian communities' shared values of culture and family.
“The tragedy of last year touched our Italian community deeply, because the Filipino community is part of our extended family,” said Mario Miceli, Executive Director of Il Centro Italian Cultural Centre. “Our communities share common histories as immigrants in Canada, shaped by sacrifice, resilience, and the importance of looking after one another. Welcoming Lapu Lapu Day of Togetherness into Il Centro is an act of solidarity and remembrance, and a commitment to creating space for healing, cultural pride, and coming together with care, respect, and compassion.”
A full schedule and detailed programming for Lapu Lapu Day of Togetherness will be released in the coming days. The community is invited to come together with care and continue the shared work of healing in ways that feel safe, respectful, and supportive.
Media Contact: Phoebe Fuller
About Filipino BC We are a non-profit that empowers the Filipino diaspora by celebrating our culture while providing frontline services and programs that address systemic gaps, support families and advocate for equity. Filipino BC is guided by kapwa (shared humanity) and bayanihan (mutual support)--and its core mission to build a Filipino Community and Cultural Centre where traditions are preserved and care extends beyond our community.
Editor of Canadian Filipino Net
Eleanor R. Laquian has written four best-selling books, and co-authored four others with husband Prod Laquian. She has served in various capacities at the University of British Columbia’s Institute of Asian Research as manager of administration and programs; editor and chair, publications committee; and primary researcher of the Asian Immigration to Canada project. She has a degree in journalism from Maryknoll College in the Philippines, and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of the Philippines. She did postgraduate studies at the School of Public Communications, Boston University in the U.S.
She has been researching and writing about Filipino immigration to Canada since 1969. For her Master's degree in Public Administration at the university of the Philippines, she conducted in 1972 the first, and up to now, the only nationwide survey of Filipinos in Canada. It was done by mailed questionnaires with self addressed stamped envelopes for replies and followed up by personal in depth interviews of respondents who agreed to be interviewed, Interviews were done on a two-week drive from Ottawa to Vancouver in the summer of '72.
Her Master's thesis was published in 1973 in Ottawa by the United Council of Filipino Associations in Canada. It was titled A Study of Filipino Immigrants in Canada, 1962 - 1972. As the primary researcher of UBC Institute of Asian Research immigration Project, she edited in 1998 a book titled The Silent Debate: Asian Immigration and Racism in Canada published by UBC. In 2005 she co-authored with her husband a book to update her MA thesis and titled it Seeking a Better Life Abroad: A Study of Filipinos in Canada 1957 - 2007. It was published in 2008 by Anvil Publishing in Manila.In 2023 she edited Indomitable Canadian Filipinos, a book on the 70-year history of Filipinos in Canada, published by Friesen Press in Manitoba, Canada.
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