Statement from the Board of Mabuhay House Society on the Federal Budget Commitment to a Filipino Cultural and Community Centre
(L) Prime Minister Mark Carney's 2025 federal budget titled Canada Strong was tabled on Tuesday, Nov. 4. PHOTO BY ADAM HURAS/Brunswick News
Mabuhay House Society welcomes the Government of Canada’s announcement in Budget 2025 of funding support for a Filipino Cultural and Community Centre in Metro Vancouver. This long-awaited commitment marks a historic milestone for Filipino Canadians in British Columbia and across the country.
For decades, our community has envisioned a space that reflects our heritage, celebrates our contributions, and brings generations together. The inclusion of this project in the federal budget is a powerful recognition of the Filipino Canadian community’s growing presence and enduring impact on Canadian society. As we celebrate this important step forward, we also reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that this initiative is built on a foundation of transparency, legal clarity, and genuine community engagement. A cultural centre of this significance must be stewarded with integrity, guided by the voices and values of the community it serves.
Representing the aspirations of more than 90 Filipino organizations in British Columbia and working closely with the provincial government since 2023, the Board of Mabuhay House Society believes this project must be built not just with bricks and mortar, but with trust, unity, and accountability. We look forward to working with all levels of government, community organizations, and stakeholders to ensure that this project moves forward in a way that honours our shared aspirations and safeguards the public trust.
Mabuhay ang mga Filipino sa Canada na nagtataguyod ng kultura at pagkakaisa!
November 4, 2025
Mabuhay House Society Board of Directors
Lester De Guzman, Chair
Rudy Antonio, Vice- Chair
Josephine Fard
Dexter Tarampi
Amado Mercado Jr.
Khristine Carino
Angelie Caspillo
Sammie Jo Rumbaua
William Canero
Hussein Elhagehassan