[Editor’s Note: Dr. Pagtakhan is a retired Professor of Pediatrics and Child Health from the University of Manitoba Faculty of Medicine (1971-1988) and the first Canadian Filipino MP (1988-2004), Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, and Federal Minister. Widely published and lectured in medicine, politics and community advocacy, his Medisina at Politika commentary is published in Canadian Filipino Net and Pilipino Express.]
From the Editorial Board: The opinion expressed in this commentary are the author’s own and does not necessarily reflect the view of CanadianFilipino.Net.
May 1, 2026 — What a relief and joy to learn that the first anniversary of the April 26, 2025 Lapu-Lapu Day tragedy passed without reports of re-traumatization or a ‘second disaster’ – the dreaded relapse of psychological trauma that mass trauma experts fear. In the delicate alchemy of communal healing, the first anniversary is a minefield. Programming was adjusted; risk was avoided.
Eleven people died in the 2025 Lapu-Lapu festival tragedy in Vancouver.
They were beautiful sights. First, the Commemoration Memorial Mass at St. Andrew’s Parish and other Vancouver parishes on Friday, April 10. Next, the fundraising Community Dinner of Remembrance, hosted by the Cebuano Society of Canada, at Fraserview Banquet Hall on Sunday, April 12. Finally, the Day of Togetherness, hosted by Filipino BC, at the Italian Cultural Centre on Sunday, April 19. These events did more than memorialize the eleven lives lost or bodies broken. They avoided a fiesta atmosphere and high-stimulation celebrations, which risk psychological re-traumatization. Instead, the community found purpose and warmth, not just weeping. Once again, we salute our collective solidarity.
It was gratifying to see principled leadership prevail. United Way BC acted early, validating community pain and setting an example for others. It released a final $100,000.00 to the United Filipino Canadian Association of BC for direct assistance to survivors, their families, and others in more need. The goal was to calm, not amplify, the cry for help. United Way BC did not wait for a directive; it turned thought into action. This should inspire hesitant minds.
It was magnificent to witness the unifying force of our timeless values of resilience: bayanihan (communal action), Kapwa (shared identity), and Pakikipagkapwa (relating as equals). These values give us inner strength, helping us listen and summon the courage to revise earlier plans and avoid health risks. Such actions help heal the wounded souls of Canadian Filipinos, Canadians nationwide, and people everywhere.
We are blessed to recall the legacy of Datu Lapu-Lapu. His story reminds the community of unity even in the face of overwhelming odds. The original Lapu-Lapu Day celebrated our cultural heritage and the strength of a united people. By advocating for transparency and support, survivors turn pain into a force for better care for all.
The Tragedy
To mark this anniversary, we reflected on that night when a black Audi Q7 SUV drove through a crowd in the festival food truck zone on East 43rd Avenue in South Vancouver. Eleven people died. Thirty-one others were injured. Canadian Filipino Net (CFNet) wrote about this incident in an editorial: “It was a joyful day of community celebration that turned into a tragic night of senseless killing and critical injury of children as young as five and adults as old as 65. … Vancouver Police Chief Steve Rai called this mass casualty phenomenon 'the darkest day in (the) city's history.'”
The impact of that 'darkest day' was felt in Winnipeg. Canada’s largest per-capita Filipino community, united with Vancouver, held vigils and donated funds, matched by the Manitoba government. Pilipino Express Editor-in-Chief Emmie Joaquin contributed to CFNet’s Kapwa Storytelling Project: "Together, we mourn. Together, we heal. And together, we carry forward the promise that no one in our community ever walks alone."
This first anniversary is not just for Vancouver; it is an important Canadian Filipino milestone. Furthermore, it addresses the safety and fiscal integrity of vibrant prairie festivals, from the Red River to the Pacific coast.
Janice Lozano, a Canadian Filipino reporter in British Columbia, attending the Mass at St. Andrews, wrote: “As candles flickered and prayers filled the church, a collective promise echoed: that their lives will continue to be remembered and their families supported.”
Moving forward requires more than sentiment. We need a stable foundation: psychological, financial, and safety support.
The First Leg: The Horizon of Healing (Psychological Safety)
The first leg is about our collective psyche. Moving forward means living with trauma but doing so safely. In January 2026, plans for a fiesta risked re-traumatization. Guided by experts, we advocated for changes and created the Sabbath of Silence on April 18. This 12-hour pause proved that silence can shield us. The Kapwa Storytelling Project also drew solidarity from Winnipeg. All these would ensure our shared journey would provide a global roadmap for healing. Indeed, we salute the collective leadership of our community.
The Second Leg: The Horizon of Integrity (Financial Safety)
A stool cannot stand on healing alone. It also needs accountability and respect for donor intent. We have proposed a policy model: the 70/30 Rule, guided by Revenue Canada Regulations. Our vision: ensure 70% of relief fundraising proceeds go directly to victims. The proposed rule is not a critique of current efforts; instead, it reflects our community’s ideals. We hope this model grows and inspires compassionate support.
United Way BC has given the community an inspiring example. We hope more groups follow and find meaning. This demonstrates that a policy model requires no knowledge of where funds are or whether they exist. It only requires a caring heart and a vision for the future.
To support the 70/30 model, an oversight panel is also proposed. This panel will ensure transparency and uphold donor intent. It will help prevent omissions, but will not manage daily fund distribution.
Both models will empower us to make “never again” a reality."
The Third- Draft 3 Leg: The Horizon of Protection (Comprehensive Safety)
The final leg ensures cultural celebrations do not remain vulnerable. British Columbia leads in public safety by using the recommendations of the Study Commission of Inquiry into Community Events Safety. Commissioner Christopher Hinkson, former B.C. Supreme Court chief justice, issued the report in June 2025. The province accepted its intent in July 2025. The Hinkson Report recommends risk assessments for all public events in B.C. It encourages organizers, attendees, and officials to work together and calls for clear protocols to handle risks at gatherings.
To reassure volunteer groups and small communities, the Report clarifies that “assessments must be thoughtful, structured, and appropriate to the event’s scale and nature.”
Formal Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) began across the province in mid-2025. This directly responded to the vehicle-ramming attack two months earlier at the Lapu-Lapu Celebration. Making HVM and risk assessments mandatory honors past loss and protects our future. We recommend full adoption of these measures. They will provide safety and help cultural events flourish.
The Evidence of Hope: A Legacy of Structural Wisdom
The first anniversary marks progress: a trauma-informed commemoration, funding for survivors, and no psychological re-traumatization. These ideas became reality because Canadian Filipino Net and Pilipino Express provided platforms. Their advocacy and journalistic integrity helped turn thoughts into action.
Conclusion: Enduring Lessons
We have learned a vital lesson. Differences in action plans show our wealth of ideas. Celebrate consensus; it means a richer outcome. Our three-legged stool stands level, firm, and open. Anchored in the Hinkson Report, the 70/30 Rule, and the spirit of kapwa, pakikipagkapwa, and bayanihan, we turn our darkest day into a catalyst for a safer, more transparent, and more compassionate world. The tragedy was singular. Let’s join together now—commit to nurturing our unity, carrying hope into action, and advancing these values for lasting impact. Our unity, born from tragedy, is a timeless force; together and undivided, we move forward with purpose.
Editor's note: Dr. Rey D. Pagtakhan, P.C., O.M., LL.D., Sc.D., M.D. M.Sc. is a retired lung specialist, professor of child health, and former MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, and cabinet minister. He graduated from the University of the Philippines, did postgraduate training and studies at the Children’s Hospitals of Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, and spent a sabbatical year as Visiting Professor at the University of Arizona Medical Center. He is the author of articles and chapters in medical journals and textbooks and columnist for community newsmagazines. Widely lectured in Canada and abroad, he spoke in June 2003 on “The Global Threat of New Infectious Diseases” at the G-8 Science Ministers/Advisors Carnegie Group Meeting in Berlin. He volunteers on the Advisory Council of Immigration Partnership Winnipeg and the Board of St. Paul’s College Foundation at the University of Manitoba.
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