Canadian Filipino Net

10/12/2026

“The Philippines is a very young nation… with a very old history, and the complicated story of how the Philippines came to be can be told partly from old maps.”

So said Filipino historian, academic, and journalist Ambeth R. Ocampo at the culminating event of his British Columbia lecture tour. The engaging and well-received presentation was held in Downtown Vancouver on September 25, following successful lectures at Simon Fraser University and University of Victoria.

Continue reading here:
https://canadianfilipino.net/news/ambeth-ocampo-s-b-c-lecture-tour-presents-maps-marking-birth-of-filipino-nation

10/10/2026

COMMENTARY:
An Open Letter to B.C.’s Party Leaders and Candidates

On behalf of Canadian Filipino Net (CFNet)—a non-partisan, not-for-profit, and non-commercial community publication that has served our nationwide community for over a decade—we are writing to secure your firm commitment to an equitable, visionary future for British Columbia’s Canadian Filipino diaspora.

More here:

Attention: Premier David Eby (BC NDP), Interim Leader Lorne Doerkson (Conservative Party of BC), Leader Emily Lowan (BC Green Party), Interim Leader Dallas

10/08/2026

CanadianFilipino.Net recognizes the Filipino Canadian Community & Cultural Society of British Columbia (Filipino BC) for obtaining CRA charitable status, a significant milestone.

The September 23, 2026 letter from the Canada Revenue Agency reads: “We are pleased to inform you that Filipino Canadian Community & Cultural Society of British Columbia meets the requirements for tax-exempt status as a registered charity under the Income Tax Act.” “Registered status,” the CRA letter further notes, “comes with both privileges and obligations.”

More here:
https://canadianfilipino.net/community/filipino-bc-a-cra-registered-charity-a-federally-recognized-institution

The Canadian Filipino Net is an online publication owned and operated by the Maple Bamboo Network Society, a non-profit society powered by an all-volunteer staf

10/08/2026

Seven not-for-profit groups in the Philippines received grants from the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) this year for projects that promote democracy, inclusive governance and the environment.

One recepient is Angat Buhay (Angat Pinas, Inc). Angat Kalikasan: Youth Environmental Leadership Bootcamp strengthens the capacity of Filipino youth in the island provinces of Biliran and Basilan to champion environmental governance, climate resilience, and community-based action in disaster-prone regions. Angat Buhay is a Filipino non-profit that aims to empower Filipino citizens to become communities of active citizens through volunteer networks. Former Philippine Vice President and now Naga City mayor Leni Robredo founded Angat Buhay and currently sits as chairperson emeritus.

Read more about the other recipients here:
https://canadianfilipino.net/community/philippine-local-non-profits-receive-grants-from-canadian-embassy

10/05/2026

A movie based on the bloody war on drugs in the Philippines made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) last month.

The Tagalog-language Silenced Nights screened amid the looming trial of the man behind the brutal campaign that unleashed extrajudicial killings. Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte will be tried before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague starting on November 30, 2026 on charges of alleged crimes against humanity.

Directed by Lawrence Fajardo and written by Troy Espiritu, the movie follows a witness to a killing by police in the slums of Manila and his journey to make the truth known. Drawing from real events, Silenced Nights evokes the murder of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos in an alleged shootout with police officers during an alleged bust in Caloocan City in 2017.

Continue reading here:
https://canadianfilipino.net/culture/arts/silenced-nights-bares-dark-legacy-of-philippine-drug-war-at-toronto-film-festival

09/27/2026

Coming to Canada was not an easy decision. It meant leaving behind our careers, our families, our friends, and everything familiar. It meant starting anew at an age when most people are settled. Still, we chose hope over comfort – our shared leap of faith.

What lessons did I learn from this experience? I realized that immigration is not for the faint of heart. It breaks you and rebuilds you. It teaches humility, and proves that your character, not your title, is what truly defines you.

Continue reading here:

September 16, 2026 — When people ask me why we came to Canada, my answer is simple: we came for life itself.

09/24/2026

Rafael Manuel’s debut feature film Filipiñana takes place at an exclusive golf course where 17-year-old Isabel deals with class disparities, power, privilege and corruption among a clientele of rich Chinese tourists and influential businessmen. The dark comedy was selected by the Film Academy of the Philippines as the country’s official submission for the Best International Feature Film category at next year's 99th Academy Awards.

Filipiñana will have screenings at the VIFF from September 19 to 27 at various locations in Vancouver.

Learn more here:
https://www.canadianfilipino.net/culture/arts/2026-viff-features-oscars-bound-filipinana

09/23/2026

Mary Ann Manuel’s journey, from studying midwifery and graphic design to discovering painting as her primary means of expression, has shaped an artistic practice grounded in personal experience. She has exhibited internationally in New York, Venice, Berlin, Dubai, Switzerland, Strasbourg, and Canada. Now, on August 29, Manuel introduced MANNM, her new clothing line, at an event at the Clubhouse in Surrey. Rather than separating fashion from art, MANNM suggests a new direction for Manuel’s evolving practice.

Continue reading here:
https://www.canadianfilipino.net/culture/arts/mary-ann-manuel-stories-in-colour

09/21/2026

First Comes Love: Nakabingwit, the rom-com style documentary is making its world premier at the 2026 Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) next month.

“It kind of uses the rom-com aesthetic in a documentary form to follow three Filipino women and their white romantic partners, and how they navigate conversations about race, class and privilege,” Vancouver-based filmmaker Joella Cabalu explains in a VIFF promotional video clip.

Produced by the National Film Board of Canada, the 65-minute film also features a peek into Cabalu’s own love life with partner Luka.

Read more here:

September 16, 2026 — True love transcends race, but mixed unions can also come with challenges.

09/10/2026

Is the defence partnership between the Philippines and Canada “entering a new era”?

According to The Maple Leaf, a Canadian government publication about the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and the Department of National Defence, it is. The online source noted that military cooperation between the Philippines and Canada is “quickly becoming one of the strongest examples of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy delivering real action where it matters most”.

More here:

September 1, 2026 — The defence partnership between the Philippines and Canada is “entering a new era”.