Culture

Toronto is probably the most culturally diverse city in the world. It teems with people of different colours and thousands of restaurants of various cuisines. Today, any combination of couples walking down the street does not even rate much of a second glance.

Once there was Baybayin, the Philippine’s pre-colonial syllabary - a set of written symbols that represent syllables that make up words. It thrived not just among the affluent but in all levels of society. Characterized by its wave-like script, Baybayin surprised curious Spaniards in its wide use as the prevalent reading and writing communication mode at that time.

Gamlang, kadamnin, dunà, himansaan, turuangaw, lampibadyâ. Are these Filipino words? Not exactly, but they could have been.

Philippine National Hero Jose Rizal wrote most of his famous works in Spanish. Even his farewell poem, Mi Ultimo Adios, was written in the language of his executioners. He was, after all, a man of his times, when few educated Filipinos wrote formally in their own language. More than a century later, little has changed except that the foreign language is now English.

“Filipino? I thought it was spelled Philippino because you’re from the Philippines, right? And why do you say, Pilipino?”

The following are remarks delivered at the Introduction of Filipino Movie Nights, a Filipino Film series presented at the Explorasian Festival of the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month, May 18, 2017, and sponsored by Dahong Pilipino, Anyone Can Act Theatre (ACAT), and Tulayan. Mel Tobias is a Filipino Film critic and author of many books and articles about Filipino Films.

There is no Filipino gathering, big or small, where food does not play a starring role.  Whether it is held in a restaurant or at home, the host makes sure that the guests are warmly welcomed, well entertained and generously served with carefully selected dishes to suit the occasion. Guests are treated like family when they come to our homes. This is why Filipinos are known for their hospitality.

Traditionally, Filipinos observe a number of occasions throughout the year that entails certain rites and the serving of particular types of food. Even Filipinos abroad follow some of these traditions as the older folks remember and pass them on to younger generations.