Story by Mary Thomas, Diversity Magazine Asian Correspondent
Edmonton – A collective of Filipino organizations, businesses, and individuals are working together to raise money and awareness for a new cultural centre; Edmonton Philippine International Centre (EPIC) that will serve its growing community in Edmonton.
“Recognizing that Filipinos contribute in a significant way to our city’s culture and economy was the catalyst that brought to life the idea of the Edmonton Philippine International Centre,” said Ida Lucila, Chair of the EPIC initiative.
“We envision a space that will build bridges between generations, deliver diverse social and wellness programs and strengthen ties with the city’s other cultural communities,” Lucila added.
Last Saturday, February 1, 2020, from 1:30 to 4:30 PM, they organised their first fundraiser at Corpus Christi Hall in southeast Edmonton. The food, silent auction, community engagement, draw prizes and many colourful dance performances through the afternoon attracted Filipinos from far and wide as Fort McMurray.
Kehrl Reyes, Marketing and Communications head said, “This is our first fundraiser in a 10-year plan to raise a million Dollars. We hope to have the centre built by 2030.”
Overall the program had a great draw and the buzz was an emphatic go ahead from the community. According to the Filipino community in Edmonton, over 65,000 people of Filipino descent reside in Edmonton, with a reported over 175,000 across Alberta, a significant number having arrived within the past decade. In 2017, Tagalog, the national language of the Philippines, was the city’s most common “immigrant language” spoken by nearly 43,000 Edmontonians or 3.3 per cent of the total population, the community shared.
