June 1, 2026 - Dubbed From Maple to Mangoes, the Philippines’ Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) partners with the Philippine Embassy in Canada and consulates general in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto in launching the first Canada Youth Leaders in the Diaspora (YouLeaD) program.
The 2026 Canada YouLeaD Program is a cultural immersion program designed to reconnect Canadian Filipino youth with their heritage, history and future of the Philippines. It aims to help participants answer questions about themselves and their identities as part-Filipinos which would develop a meaningful relationship with their Filipino families and the homeland itself.
Program objectives include gaining a better understanding and appreciation of Filipino values, culture and history, learning good governance and quality leadership, learning about international volunteerism and social responsibility and actively participating in the development efforts of the Philippine diaspora.
YouLeaD is composed of two modules: Paraluman (five days in Manila, Bulacan and Zambales) and Changemakers (seven days in Manila, Cavite and Tagaytay).
The program will run from August 11 to 17, featuring a curated tour that will include courtesy calls and networking with national and local government offices, interactive Filipino language workshops and museum tours in the historic town of Taal, gastronomy tour of Binondo and traditional cooking demonstrations, exploration of Taal Lake and engagement with local conservationists.
The YouLeaD program is open to youth with Filipino roots between ages 19 and 25. A program fee of $1,000 covers inland transportation, accommodation, full board and insurance. Interested parties may register by scanning the QR code in the image. Deadline to apply is June 22, 2026.
For more information, contact the nearest Philippine foreign service post or the CFO through their Canada YouLeaD email
About the Author
Rachel Ramos-Reid started writing for magazines and newspapers when she was still a junior at the University of the Philippines’ Communication degree program majoring in Journalism. She continued to write in a public relations/corporate communications capacity in various private and government offices until moving out of the country in 1997 to work as Programme Officer for the arts and culture branch of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO-SPAFA) in Bangkok, Thailand. At the end of her term, Rachel found herself immigrating to Canada in the year 2000 and again searching for new beginnings.
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