The Filipino Legacy Society (FLS) is calling for renewed collaboration following the BC Conservatives’ provincial election victory, as efforts to establish a permanent Filipino Cultural Centre in Vancouver move into a new chapter. With Lorne Doerkson’s Conservatives preparing to form government after their October 24 majority victory, the organization says it is ready to work with provincial leaders, other levels of government and Filipino community organizations to turn decades of advocacy into a permanent cultural home.
During the election campaign, the Conservatives committed $15 million toward constructing a Filipino Cultural Centre in the heart of Vancouver.
“From the first Filipino migrant in 1861 to growing to a community of more than 174,000, our community is entwined with the rich story of B.C.,” said Warren Dean Flandez, Chair of the Filipino Legacy Society.
“We are ready to work with the government to tell this story by building a permanent Filipino Cultural Centre that will honour the contributions of Filipino Canadians and serve generations to come.”
A permanent cultural home decades in the making
For more than 40 years, Filipino community organizations, advocates and volunteers have pushed for a permanent space to celebrate Filipino culture, preserve heritage and bring generations together. That vision took another step forward earlier this month when Vancouver developer PortLiving, alongside FLS, unveiled plans for a new Filipino Cultural Centre at 160 East 2nd Avenue in Mount Pleasant.
The proposed 10-storey, 45,000-square-foot mixed-use development would feature dedicated cultural facilities alongside complementary commercial spaces. The project is also envisioned as the first phase of a broader Main Street Campus, creating a cultural destination for Filipino Canadians and the wider community.
FLS says its priorities include community engagement, cultural programming and helping establish an inclusive governance structure that reflects the diversity of Filipino Canadians.
Building a cultural centre through unity
As discussions move forward, FLS is emphasizing the importance of collaboration among organizations that have contributed to the cultural centre movement.
“The Filipino spirit of bayanihan teaches us that meaningful progress happens through collective effort,” said Flandez.
“We may have different perspectives and different ideas about how to get there, but there is room for everyone at the table as we build it.”
The organization says it intends to engage with provincial representatives from across the political spectrum, municipal and federal governments, and community stakeholders to identify the next steps. Meanwhile, the City of Vancouver has supported the establishment of an interim Filipino Cultural Centre at Library Square, providing a temporary gathering place while plans for a permanent facility advance.
For FLS, the long-term goal remains creating an institution that recognizes the Filipino community’s contributions to British Columbia while providing a home for future generations.
“For too long our community has had to gather in borrowed spaces like church basements, people’s homes, and community halls,” said Flandez.
“We will work with levels of government to ensure that our community knows it is seen and valued by creating a Filipino Cultural Centre for all.”
