Whistler's Filipino community is holding a public festival to celebrate the country's independence for the first time in the resort's history.
Hannyliz Villafuerte is collaborating with the Whistler Multicultural Society to organize the celebration, which aims to bring Filipinos together and educate Whistler residents about their community.
“Basically, this is a celebration for our freedom from Spain, but why we're doing it in Whistler is because there is a huge community of Filipinos in Whistler, but we've never really gathered, we've never had any kind of celebration or any kind of get together of everyone that's in the community, and there's so many new Filipinos now who just got here in Whistler,” Villafuerte said.
“I've heard so many stories of them feeling lonely. And because everyone's so busy, I thought of getting together, and it just so happens that it's Philippines Independence Day, which is perfect. So then we really get to have a reason together.”
During her time in Whistler, Villafuerte witnessed a significant increase in the number of Filipinos moving to work in the resort. When she first arrived in 2008, the community consisted of roughly 100 people. However, it's grown considerably in the past decade, as more people have moved to the town for work.
In the 2001 Canadian Census, only 0.84 per cent of the resort's population identified as South East Asian, equivalent to 75 people. However, in 2021, this number soared to 4.92 per cent, or about 660 people, with a significant number identifying as Filipino.
Whistler Multicultural Society programs and managing director Carole Stretch said the event is essential in helping counter racism in the community by providing a connection between residents in the resort.
“I think it's important that Whistler sees and understands who is in the community and is part of the community. They actually want to be in the community; they want to be seen. They want their culture to be understood,” Stretch said.
“So what this is about is giving them that opportunity to participate in our community and to be recognized. For Whistler to really understand and get to know the different groups that are not here just temporarily, but they live here, and they've made their lives here.”
Stretch hopes this connection will help set the groundwork for future discussions in the community surrounding racism. Villafuerte wants the event to help combat Filipinos' negative perception as low-paid workers in the resort.
“I thought that probably one of the ways I can lessen the racist view of the Filipinos is to let them know what our culture is, how amazing we are outside of work, because they probably just saw us in our roles, which are mostly like low-paying jobs or the low positions, but I want them all to see this side of us, where we come from an amazing culture, an amazing country," Villafuerte said.
“We are more than what our job is, or our role is. I want to elevate [and] make them see that we are more than just a grocery worker, a housekeeper, whatever the position is of the Filipinos in Whistler. We have a very beautiful culture that most people in Whistler have not seen, and we want to showcase that.”
Join the fun at the Whistler Public Library on June 11 from 4 to 7 p.m. There will be live Filipino music outside the library, along with singing, dancing, and karaoke. No registration is required, and everyone is welcome to attend.
