David Robert Patrick Eby is a lawyer who was declared the leader of the BC New Democratic Party and premier-designate of British Columbia on October 21, 2022.
Since November 18, 2022 he has been serving as the 37th and current premier of British Columbia . He has been MLA for Vancouver-Point Grey, home of this biweekly newsmagazine CFNet . Eby was first elected to this MLA post in 2013. From 2017 to 2022, he served in Premier John Horgan’s cabinet as attorney general. He is married to a family doctor, Cailey Lynch. They have three children.
In February 2022, Premiere Eby’s government announced its commitment to support the establishment of a Filipino Cultural Center in BC. In this connection he mandated Lana Popham, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport (MTACS), and Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-racism Initiatives, Mable Elmore, to advance emerging museum programs and proposals, including a provincial Filipino Cultural Center.
The Filipino cultural community centre is envisioned to host spaces for cultural performances and art exhibitions, affordable housing, sports facilities, offices, tech and innovation hub, language school, seniors’ care and childcare.
After Vancouver city council unanimously expressed full support for the development of a provincial Filipino Cultural Center in February 2022, Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim conveyed Vancouver’s support to Premier Eby, Minister Popham, MLA Mable Emore, and Dominic LeBlanc, federal Minister of Intergovernmental affairs, Infrastructure and Communities.
Filipinos appreciate the support of non-Filipino politicians for their Filipino Cultural Center because Filipinos are under-represented in Canadian politics. With almost a million Filipinos in Canada today, they should have at least 8 Filipino MPs in government but have only one. So far they have one senator – Dr. Flordeliz Oster of Winnipeg who was appointed by Justin Trudeau in 2023. After 13 years since Dr. Rey Pagtakhan’s retirement as MP from Winnipeg, Rechie Valdez was elected MP in Mississauga Ontario in 2023.
Their one-and-only MLA representing Vancouver-Kensington– Mable Elmore – is running for re-election on October 19.
Elmore is the first MLA in BC who is of Filipino heritage. Her mother came to Canada from Cebu to work as a nurse.
It’s time for Filipinos in Canada to keep in power politicians who can help make their decades- long dream of a Filipino Cultural Center in Vancouver come true. On October 19, they need to campaign and vote for:
NDP DAVID EBY for BC PREMIER
NDP MABLE ELMORE for MLA -VANCOUVER-KENSINGTON
Profile of Filipinos in BC
With over 175,000 Filipinos in BC today, Filipinos should put their voting power to good use in the coming provincial election on October 19. The years under the somewhat anti-immigration Conservatives had not been good for Filipinos. The Conservatives expanded the racist immigration programs that brought thousands of Filipino live-in caregivers and temporary workers under undesirable conditions that the UN considered “a contemporary form of slavery.”
The Liberal government of PM Justin Trudeau recently abolished the Live-in Caregiver Program after many Filipino families had been ruined by several years of familial separation. It has also cut down the number of incoming Filipino foreign temporary workers and improved the working conditions of those already in Canada by giving them options for permanent residency.
This move for a Filipino Cultural Center is in recognition of the rapidly growing Filipino community in Canada, particularly in BC. Although recent migrants – majority of Filipino immigrants came to Canada only after 2000 – they are the third largest immigrant group in Canada today. In 2020, India was the major source of Canadian immigrants followed closely by China and the Philippines. In a few more years the Philippines may be able to surpass both India and China in supplying Canada with competent, highly educated, professional, hardworking Filipinos with exemplary work ethics who when they arrive will hit the ground running.
The Filipino community has made significant contributions to BC and the city of Vancouver. They bring with them their Philippine heritage and culture, professional knowledge, technical skills, entrepreneurship, community spirit, political awareness, business acumen, Filipino values of religiosity, hospitality, appreciation of education, respect of elders and the law, cultural adaptability, and proficiency in English. Because of their Western colonizers, they grew up with a Western lifestyle similar to Canadian ways of living.
They work in a wide variety of areas including arts and entertainment, sports, healthcare, have greatly enriched the cultural fabric and multiculturalism of Canada and contributed to the growth and development of its economy. Without Filipinos there will be less music, dance, and joy to celebrate Canada’s diversity and less art and vigor to enrich Canada’s colorful mosaic.
Editor of Canadian Filipino Net
Eleanor R. Laquian has written four best-selling books, and co-authored four others with husband Prod Laquian. She has served in various capacities at the University of British Columbia’s Institute of Asian Research as manager of administration and programs; editor and chair, publications committee; and primary researcher of the Asian Immigration to Canada project. She has a degree in journalism from Maryknoll College in the Philippines, and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of the Philippines. She did postgraduate studies at the School of Public Communications, Boston University in the U.S.
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