Are Filipino Associations Ready to Unite?

This has been a discussion in BC that likely started over 50 years ago. There seems to be a pattern that Filipinos get together and form a Society then at some point a Presidential candidate loses then starts his own new group to be President. Later in that new group the same thing can happen splitting into another group.

Apparently there is over 100 Filipino Associations in BC now. For the most part, all the organizations are trying to work together. The best thing we could hope for is Unity amongst Filipino Canadians to specifically deal with governments. A one voice nation is much stronger than a divided one. Can this happen? There was a recent attempt at Unity and here is the story.

On Jan 16/2015, the Consulate General of the Philippines held a meeting at the Multicultural Helping House Society to formally announce its decision to step down as the co-chair of the Philippine Cultural Pista ng Bayan Society. During this meeting further members resigned so a group of people started to get together to reform this society at this meeting. After later meetings, it turned into another group that started in the last few months called the UNITED FILIPINO-CANADIAN ASSOCIATIONS OF BC (UFCABC). Joel Castillo, the new president, stated in a TV interview on RTVM that they are “the conglomerate or the umbrella of different associations in BC”.  “United.” “Umbrella.”  “WOW,” We thought “UNITY is finally going to happen.” Did it? Unfortunately, NO.

How did the Pista ng Bayan Society which normally organizes the yearly Slocan Park Philippine Independence day event and Gala night turn into a self-titled UNITED FILIPINO-CANADIAN ASSOCIATIONS IN BC? This happened without telling all the associations that they are claiming to represent them?

The Filipino associations I talked to such as SPIDS, MV-PACES, Barangay North Van and the Filipino Association of BC (FABC), did not know anything about this new organization’s plans and told me they were not invited to attend any later meetings or asked to vote on anything.

If you want to unite a community shouldn’t you take the time and go out to the whole community to see what everyone thinks should be done to put together a truly united umbrella association? Go on TV, talk to all the newspapers, meet all the leaders, organizations, societies and get feedback from everyone. This could take upwards of a year to do if done right. And only then, after a long consultation process decide what the next steps are. What was the rush to make this association?

Documented in January 1994 as the mother of all Filipino Associations in BC by Premier Mike Harcourt, the 58 year old Filipino Association of BC was not informed about the existence or meetings of the UFCABC according to FCBC current president Carlito Pradas. Why was the FABC not formally invited to the self declared “United” Umbrella Group? Could the United Filipino-Canadian Associations of BC not have known about the FABC? The answer is: Doubtful. Joel Castillo should very much be aware of the FABC since he was a director for the association and even ran for the presidential position against Carlito Pradas in 2013. Castillo lost to Pradas.

Now in 2015, 2 years after Joel Castillo lost to Carlito Pradas in a bid to be president of the Filipino Association of BC, Castillo became involved in a new association: the United Filipino-Canadian Associations of BC.

The United Filipino-Canadian Association of BC appears to already be stirring up some backlash from the community when alleged victims from the Nellie Vandt group were outraged that the UFCABC allowed Janice Lozano to be involved in this association.

I asked Joel by email “What do you say to the www.nellievandt.com victims when they show their concerns about you allowing Janice Lozano to join your group?” Nellie Vandt stated that seeing Janice being welcomed by supposedly good leaders was a “slap on her face”. You can read Maevn Hauser’s reaction and the other stories at www.nellievandt.com. I asked Joel by phone if he takes into account the history of a person as something to consider for individuals that form a group that is supposed to “unite” the community. He told me he can’t do anything about it because Lozano volunteered.

To succeed and get the support of all associations, this group best start this process all over again and do it right.    

Disclaimer: Of this UFCABC group, We have had previous issues with Janice Lozano and her family, Rey Fortaleza and Salve Dayao that can be viewed at www.driven2action.com. Luisa Marshall and myself have made it public a few years ago we will not support anything Janice Lozano or her family is involved with and we stand by that. We asked Joel Castillo 14 questions for clarification in this article which he says he doesn’t have the time to respond over a 3 day period.