The Edmonton Philippine International Centre (EPIC) Defined

In a multicultural society, it is inevitable to encounter a number of cultural community centres around the city. Top of mind would be: the Polish Canadian Cultural Centre; Sejong Multicultural Centre; Edmonton Korean Community Centre; Ukrainian Cultural Centre; La Cite Francophone; Edmonton Chinatown MultiCultural Centre; Portuguese Cultural Centre; Italian Cultural Centre; Slovenian Canadian Cultural Centre; Hellenic-Canadian Community of Edmonton & Region; German-Canadian Cultural Centre; Dutch Canadian Centre; and Edmonton Japanese Community Association, to name a few. The irony of this is that on some occasions, the reason for my being in these venues, were due to a Filipino community event.

Cultural infrastructures are an integral component of Canadian communities. These centres promote cultural values among the members of its community. They are a reflection of an established community where cultural services are increasingly part of municipal services. Arts and culture is one of the attributes that contribute to the highest quality of life of a community.

With the influx of Filipinos in Alberta, which has the second largest Filipino population in Canada at approximately 175,000, and with a migration history to Canada beginning in the 1930s, it is ideal, and rather imperative, that we Filipinos have a sustained venue, that will serve as a gathering place - a recreational, educational and cultural facility. There is nothing wrong in using another culture’s space, but it’s much more gratifying to have one that reflects your values, and way of life.

Some people may think: What does it mean for me?... I have no personal need for this… or this is only relevant to those who are involved in arts and culture work. Research on the impact of cultural community spaces has shown: that 95% of respondents learned something new, and 88% increased their confidence and pride in culture and traditions by participating in programs; for 85% participation increased their desire to learn, while 83% explored ideas, values and dreams, and 79% made friends; 77% reported a positive impact on their creativity; 65% developed skills; and 64% reported a positive impact on their health and well-being. There is substantial and diverse body of evidence that a wide range of cultural activities positively add value to regeneration initiatives - economic, social and environmental.

The Philippine centre is envisioned to be the architectural definition of our community identity. Yet, it is not just about infrastructure but is about the people, our culture, creative engagement, and social interaction. The planning will include multiple perspectives: disciplines of expression – e.g., visual, performing, literary, media arts, heritage, etc.; functions – e.g., recreation, instruction, training, production, exhibition, preservation;  levels of artistic activity – e.g., recreational arts, amateur arts, emerging and professional/not-for-profit arts, for-profit creative industries, etc.; and community goals. For a community whose people are geographically separated with the 7,100 islands, should we not bond ourselves in our communal experiences of migration, values, and way of life in our adopted country?

In my article on March 2019 on “The Quest for a Philippine Centre in Edmonton”, I posed the challenge on what would it take for us to work together towards this goal. And now, I am elated to report that Filipino community organizations and volunteers are working together towards the establishment of the Edmonton Philippine International Centre (EPIC), which will have its launch and fundraiser on February 1, 2020, Saturday, 1:30-4:30 pm at the Corpus Christi Church Hall at 2707 34 Street, Edmonton. The event aims to disseminate information on the initiative, and show what Filipinos have been doing in, and contributing to, the city of Edmonton. There will be performances, tables featuring businesses and services, door prizes, silent auction and food. It is an opportunity to once again convene, be proud of our personal history, share our culture and participate in this legacy project.

Work towards establishing a centre is long term work requiring dedication, focus, determination and commitment with time, energy and resources. The current group of organizers and volunteers recognize the importance of accountability, trust and transparency and are exerting efforts to uphold these. However, an endeavour of this magnitude will only be made possible by sustained commitment, time, input and vision of MANY supporters - advocates, artists, business leaders, volunteers and community members. I appeal to everyone to lend their support, in whatever capacity, to the various upcoming projects supporting the Edmonton Philippine International Centre initiative. And let us uphold our tagline, The Filipino Spirit Shines Through! 

* This article was published in the January 2020 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.

The Quest for a Philippine Centre in Edmonton

 Ever since my family arrived in Edmonton from Manila, I have consistently heard random comments and yearning for a Philippine Centre in Edmonton. It is not difficult to imagine the benefits of having a venue uniquely catering to, and reflective of, the Filipino community - having a “home base” to interact and socialize with fellow kababayans; a resource and programs centre for Philippine art and culture; and an infrastructure legacy and monument of, for, and by, the Filipino.

Edmonton did have a Filipino centre before. In 1984, the Philippine Bayanihan Association in Alberta purchased a building on a ¾ acres of prime land by 12520 135 Avenue for the Filipino Canadian Community Centre. However, it was sold in 1995 due to the cost of maintaining the building. To date, the other Filipino centres in Canada that I know of are: the Filipino Centre in Toronto; the Kapisanan Philippine Centre for Arts and Culture in Toronto; the Filipino Community Centre in Windsor, Ontario; the Philippine Bayanihan Community Centre in Victoria, BC; the Philippine Canadian Centre of Manitoba in Winnipeg; and the Philippine Cultural Center Foundation in Calgary.

With the declaration of Philippine Heritage Month both provincially and federally, it is an importune time to revisit the goal of a Philippine Centre in Edmonton. After a consultation with Minister Amarjeet Sohi where the Minister committed to assist in the establishment of the centre, community leaders met to brainstorm on the vision, governance model, and feasibility of an Edmonton Philippine centre. There was commonality in the thought that this can only be realized with the community working together rather than in silos. An offshoot of that meeting was a survey that was released to gauge the Filipino community’s interest, current utilization of rented facilities, wish list, and thoughts for making the establishment of a Philippine centre a reality. Is it really possible? The sentiment in that meeting was of optimism and enthusiasm. But there are also naysayers who declare that this has been tried several times in the past and therefore, this current initiative is doomed for the same failure. But do we remain shackled in the past and keep this as a pipe dream, or do we learn from these experiences and dream big?

Let’s do the math. Edmonton alone, I believe has 30+ Filipino organizations. If we sum up the amount each organization, and in some cases individuals, spend on venue rentals for various activities, and allocate these to one centre, there is a strong possibility that this can cover at the minimum, monthly rent or mortgage for a dedicated facility. The most recent census revealed that there are 60,000+ Filipinos in Edmonton. Let’s look at a scenario where, even if just 20% of the 60,000 Filipinos donate just $1 a month to a building fund, that would already yield $12,000/month already. These are some schemes that can be worked within the community, in addition to the efforts to advocate and apply for funding from different levels of government. Money, as it turns out, may not be the biggest obstacle after all.

And here lies the challenge. For in order to build and to sustain a Philippine centre, we all, collectively, need a paradigm shift. I believe that we all know what it would take to make this a reality (i.e. accountability, transparency, credibility), but the bigger challenge is, will we do what needs to be done? And so I will pose the questions with the hope that this will galvanize us to be united in our goal. What would it take for us to work collaboratively in the spirit of servant leadership and trust? Do we have what it takes to focus on long term goals and veer away from trivialities? There is undoubtedly no individual financial gain, personal aggrandizement, and special entitlements in this initiative but the community legacy is immense. It is an initiative of selflessness, volunteerism, dedication and perseverance. 

In Toronto, there were several attempts since the 1970s, by the Filipino community to build a centre. They were able to purchase a property in 2002 for The Filipino Centre, 18 months after the group’s launch. Community leaders in Windsor convened in 1992, opened a centre in 1993, and in 2014, opened an expanded and improved Filipino Community Centre. The Bayanihan Centre in Victoria, supported by several Filipino organizations, raised funds since 1990, and was finally established in 2001 after acquiring a provincial grant and a credit-union mortgage. The Philippine Cultural Center Foundation in Calgary, sitting in a 2,750 square feet condominium property, took five years of hard work to fulfill their dream in 2001. The Filipino community in Winnipeg had the foresight to establish their Philippine centre way back in 1984 and have since then moved to a bigger location, sustained by continuous fundraising and volunteering.

It’s high time for an Edmonton Philippine centre. Each one of us has the capacity to contribute for this cultural monument and legacy project. As the saying goes, “If you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go together.” So to all Filipinos and those of Filipino descent in Edmonton, shall we?


* This article was published in the March 2019 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.