Filipino Web Magazine : July 2022

Thursday, 28 July 2022

Ambassador Pedro Chan Was Brod Pete

Volume 4, Issue No. 9

OPINION/COMMENTARY

/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /

. . . . . A community service of The Filipino Web Channel (TheFilipinoWebChannel@gmail. com) and the Philippine Village Voice (PhilVoiceNews@gmail.com) for the information and understanding of Filipinos and the diverse communities in North America . . . . . .

Our latest as of Thursday, July 28, 2022

~ In the good old days not too long ago, Philippine Ambassador Pedro O. Chan was officially Congen Chan to his legions of constituents as Consul General in Toronto. However, to his small circle of close friends, he was simply Brod Pete, the wisecrack endearingly appended to him to mock American actor Brad Pitt. But he was no actor; Brod Pete was highly respected by his peers and well-loved by the people he served as a diplomat in Canada.

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BROD PETE TO HIS CLOSE FRIENDS

Tribute to Ambassador Pedro Chan

He Was Philippine Consul General in Toronto from 2011-2012

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

“The value of our lives is measured by our capacity to love others.”

― Wayne Gerard Trotmano

TORONTO - Ambassador Pedro O. Chan had one of the briefest tenures in his diplomatic postings as Philippine Consul General in Toronto, spanning only 10 months from June 9, 2011 to April 2012. His career, however, spread over 34 years in various capacities.

Though that term seemed fleeting - he was reaching the age of 65 - he had cultivated friendships further than what his rank and position encompassed among constituents in Ontario, especially in this provincial capital which happens to be Canada's largest city where he was based.

He was Congen Pete to many, and to a small circle of friends that included this reporter, he was Brod Pete, the moniker they attached in jest even as it sounded like a caustic remark mocking American movie actor Brad Pitt. He didn't mind it at all.

Sadly, Brod Pete "passed away this morning (July 27 Manila time) due to a vehicular accident in Butuan, Agusan del Norte," according to Francisco Noel R. Fernandez III, Charge d'Affaires, ad interim, of the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa.

Ambassador Chan served as Minister and Consul General at the same embassy from 1996 to 1998, and later as Consul General in Toronto from 2011 to 2012. Prior to that, he was the Philippines Ambassador to Turkey. His posts previously included Milan, Italy; Stockholm, Sweden; Moscow, Russia; and Los Angeles and Honolulu, USA.

"I am certain," says Fernandez in his announcement, "that the Filipino community across Canada remembered his commitment and dedication to promote the interest of the Filipinos in Canada".

Upon learning of the accident, Frank Luna, the Labor Attache at the time of Congen Pete's term at the Toronto consulate, says: " I am just at a loss for words for the profound loss".

When we were both in Manila in 2015, Frank and I visited Brod Pete in his well-appointed home in suburban Paranaque. And as expected among friends, we had a good laugh and light drinks recalling the many inconsequential events we encountered in the Filipino community.

He had a knack for singing, especially his favorite song "You're Always On My Mind" as sung by guitarist and songwriter Wille Nelson. One time he accepted a dare to sing it in a restaurant and karaoke bar in east Toronto. (Videos at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZt5KQdMdeI and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cN1BZca3HY)

Congen Pete's admiration for Filipinos and their legendary resilience were most notable in how he treated them whenever they seek help from the consulate.

"The Filipinos can be independent even if they are in a foreign country and that they seem to still like to help the native land even if they are far away. It just shows you that you can take the Filipinos out of the Philippines but not the Philippines out of the Filipinos.

"At saka napaka-independent ng mga Pinoy dito, very resourceful. That's what I admire about them," he said in my interview in April 2012 at a get-together at the residence of Ruben and Tess Cusipag in Markham. (Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BqjP4DWUpg).

Teresa Torralba, lately of FUN Philippines Toronto Street Festival, is one of the many community leaders who applauded Congen Pete.

On the eve of his retirement, she wrote: "He is such a sincere and honest person. For a brief moment, our community was blessed with his presence and such a short time to enjoy a kind-hearted and very candid politician. I don't think they make them anymore:--)".

Former Philippine Independence Day Council president Norma Carpio has described Congen Pete as the "most special person in Toronto" - her way of saying he was so "well-liked and popularly loved".

In the words of the late journalist Tenny Soriano during a farewell dinner in April 2012, he noted that "Congen Pete has made a great connection with the community in so short a time". (Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlEqVoDa4gg).

"I am amazed by his candidness and tireless advocacy of Filipinism through passionate promotion of dual citizenship."

Congen Pete had a rebel streak in him that got him into trouble when serving as Consul General in Los Angeles, California. Though very much part of the Marcos (Ferdinand Edralin) Sr. administration, he was one of the first diplomatic officials to break away and throw his support to the "People Power" revolution of Corazon Aquino in 1986.

It was this part of his professional career that he wanted to document in a book. Most times during his off hours, he would speak of historical vignettes that would form part of his memoir. Up to the last contact with him years ago, it wasn't clear if he had finished writing one of the most fascinating chapters in his life.

Wednesday, 27 July 2022

FUN Philippines Is the New Star of Street Festivals

Volume 4, Issue No. 8

OPINION/COMMENTARY

/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /

Our latest as of Wednesday, July 27, 2022

~ The news and soundbites in the community occurred while thousands of Filipino and non-Filipino revelers swarmed Little Manila in celebration of this great gathering called FUN Philippines Toronto Street Festival. To say it was a huge success is an understatement. A spoiler from "the other festival" (which sounds like a bad word now) manifested its resentment and disrespect. Community zoomers wish FUN Philippines would go on every day if only for the goodwill, camaraderie, and fun it engendered. However, misconceptions still exist among those who knew little of what's going on.

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THE WEEKEND OF FUN IN LITTLE MANILA

FUN Philippines Outshines 'The Other Festival'

Envy Rears Its Ugly Head Amidst the Festivity

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

“Stars do not pull each other down to be more visible; they shine brighter.”
― Matshona Dhliwayo

TORONTO - Just when I thought I was done with them, an eyesore showed up in the viewfinder, rousing me again to what these Little Manila pirates had stolen from my videos months back. Filming a 360-degree scene of the landscape from where I stood in the middle of Bathurst St. on Sunday, the image of a Taste of Manila (ToM) banner loomed.

It astounded me why somebody would hang such a banner amidst the ongoing event - the FUN Philippines Toronto Street Festival - by ToM's previous organizer, the Philippine Legacy and Cultural Alliance (PLACA).

I see it as a pathetic effort by a group of losers to spite FUN Philippines because of envy. The resentment is so obvious for the fact that FUN Philippines was happening at the same location where ToM was supposed to have taken root but unfortunately folded because of mismanagement leading to bankruptcy.

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While cordiality was the order of the day in the frenzied atmosphere in Little Manila this past weekend, the other festival that may not materialize at all flaunted its disrespect for FUN Philippines. (Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AIr5z8nqRw).

At the extreme, it's an expression of contempt, and I mean the ill-advised display of its banner in front of a restaurant along Bathurst St. near where paying booth owners are stationed. The store was cashing in on walk-in customers and the other festival rode along.

It's another one of those underground schemes to attract visitors to ToM and distract them from the ongoing festival inspired by the same bunch of shameless incompetents and pretenders who thrive in their shady universe. (Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_398v7dDQhQ).

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A heat warning went out for most of the week past the weekend of July 23 and 24, the Saturday and Sunday primed for the FUN Philippines Toronto Street Festival organized by the Philippine Legacy and Cultural Alliance (PLACA) and the Philippine Consulate.

Coming from a tropical paradise where the weather is either hot or wet, the heat alert may have sounded flimsy to the thousands of Filipinos who have inundated Little Manila as a storm would usually submerge some parts of the country.

For example, many of the women who took their oath of Filipino citizenship came dressed in the national costume, the "baro't saya" or blouse and skirt that covers the whole body. "Hindi ba sobrang init isuot yan?" was the question repeatedly asked of me. (Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V56QPpKhRYU).

I responded: "Have you ever watched beautiful Filipino women parade in such gowns during the Santacruzan and the like?" And before I got an answer, the next question followed. "What's a Santacruzan?" I was in no mood to educate the questioner as I was busy taking videos. I left it at that.

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While walking the length of the festival ground in Little Manila on Sunday, July 24, I overheard this group of zoomers (or Generation Z) verbalized among themselves a wish: "sana ganito na lang araw-araw".

I smiled and rushed to get them to talk on camera, but they sprinted upon seeing their friends, mostly girls, and disappeared into the thick crowd of merrymakers hurrying for the show on stage on Wilson Ave.

I told that encounter to a friend who said he heard the same thing from another group. Well, it just goes to show the warm reception FUN Philippines Toronto Street Festival got from revelers. (Full story at: https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2022/07/fun-philippines-memorable-highlights.html).

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A service booth owner who does not look Filipino took me aside and whispered, in his words, "this is the same thing, only a different name, yah?" I had to clarify certain misconceptions and set my cameras aside as he didn't want to be recorded.

Well, I said, the only "the same" here are the location and the organization behind this event now. Everything else is different. To answer how different this is calls for a lengthy discussion. "Why, what happened to the first one?"

Part of being a journalist is to be responsive to inquiries like the one I'm facing at this moment. But I'm too pressed for time so I gave him my business card and asked him to visit my blog and my news channels on YouTube for all the information he needed.

I learn later that he has subscribed to The Filipino Web Channel, Currents & Breaking News Channel, Filipino Web Entertainment Channel, and, of course, to my blog, the Filipino Web Magazine. Isn't this an effective way to reach out?

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Notable on the opening day of the festival on Saturday, July 23, was the absence of genuine and counterfeit role players in the Filipino community. Thank goodness! That big change from the old practice is commendable. Why?

Well, for one, we can stay focused on the event and reflect on its meaning to the Filipino community. For another, it stops the proselytizing by politicians who tend to hug the limelight to advance themselves. Still another, it deprives so-called community leaders the pulpit to praise friends, organizations, and members of their families.

Many politicians in our midst take advantage of Filipino hospitality. It's true, we're generous to a fault. By now, we should be able to detect who's truly advocating for us. Haven't you noticed? There's no Filipino in the corridors of power at the municipal and provincial levels. Oh, I almost forgot. Somebody sits cozily up there in Parliament smiling most of the time.

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There are good vendors and there are rogue vendors. A significant number of the latter cornered a big chunk of merrymakers (and their spending money) who thought they were part of the festival.

For purposes of the fest, the one-kilometre stretch of Bathurst St. from its junction at Wilson Ave. is the official site of the event. That's where to find all the authorized booths, including the food booths vetted by city health authorities.

On the other hand, along Wilson Ave. westward, many of the stores selling food items on the sidewalk did not have the permit, nor were they screened to comply with health regulations. Very much like Manila? You bet it is!

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I was on the lookout for a possible security breach on my person. To find who might try, I walked back and forth Bathurst St. and Wilson Ave. at least four times, filming videos and shooting photos at the same time. The sweat I generated was probably equal to the number of bottled water I consumed during the jaunt.

It's quite disappointing I didn't find the usual suspects. Ever heard of the adage attributed to George Washington that says: "the best defense is a good offense"? I subscribe to that.

Monday, 25 July 2022

FUN Philippines Memorable Highlights Spell Success

Volume 4, Issue No. 7

OPINION/COMMENTARY

/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /

Our latest as of Monday, July 25, 2022

~ The swearing-in, the kundimans, the tribal dances and music from the Cordilleras, the food, the camaraderie, the absence of trapos (or traditional politicians) - they make a perfect combination for success. And success it was for the FUN Philippines Toronto Street Festival that went on for two days, Saturday and Sunday (July 23 and 24), thanks to PLACA, the Philippine Consulate, and the various sponsors for injecting some meaning into what otherwise was the usual song-and-dance routine typical of Filipino community events.

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A CELEBRATION OF A CELEBRATION

The Day Patriotism Took Its Place in Toronto

FUN Philippines Toronto Street Festival Is Historic in Many Ways

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

“How long have you been away from the country?" Laruja asked Ibarra.
"Almost seven years."
"Then you have probably forgotten all about it."
"Quite the contrary. Even if my country does seem to have forgotten me, I have always thought about it.”

― José Rizal, Noli Me Tángere

TORONTO - The euphoria is gone but the memories remain of the massive in-person gathering ever to congregate in the city's Little Manila in more than two years.

Counting the numbers seems irrelevant now. Except to the organizers, it mattered little if the one-kilometre stretch of road had been packed to the rafters and turned into a huge platform for eating, dancing, singing, talking, walking, playing, or just plain sightseeing.

The thing was a celebration of a celebration. I mean the relief, if temporarily, from the pandemic; the renewal of friendships; the instant feeling of being with the community again; the communal sharing of food; the enjoyment of each other's company; the business dealings; the reminder of the country's cultural and musical heritage.

All these encapsulate what we knew as the Philippines in its entirety. It's the homeland coming alive here in Toronto, a distant 13,000-plus kilometres from where many of us were born and raised.

The inclusion of the oath-taking of returning Filipino citizens who are also Canadians lent great significance to the holding of FUN Philippines Toronto Street Festival (I'd like to abbreviate it as FUN Phil). (Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V56QPpKhRYU).

The sponsoring organizations, mainly the Philippine Legacy and Cultural Alliance (PLACA) and the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto, are to be commended for this feature if only to highlight the kind of unity that every individual and organizations aspire to achieve but failed.

Many events in the Filipino community are united in having entertainment to please the eyes and ears but quite rare in instilling pride and patriotism among those born and bred Filipinos who toil on foreign shores to keep their dignity intact. Flag-waiving may look superficial but it was there!

In such a meaningful way, FUN Phil took aim at the heart (figuratively, of course), the very core of every living thing.

I believe the organization succeeded in planting the seeds of love of country by incorporating the swearing-in into its program. To me, it symbolizes the acceptance of responsibility for what may happen in the home country. That's patriotism.

It warms the heart to see some of them wearing the barong for men and the traditional baro't saya (also called gown with butterfly sleeves) for women. More than anything, the garments are uniquely Filipino, an unmistakable statement of identity in this multicultural country.

In one moment while trying to get a reaction, the four people who agreed to talk spoke of their lasting affection for their birth country.

"Itong araw na ito ay very special kasi kahit paano umalis tayo ng Pilipinas, ang puso natin talagang sa Pilipinas pa rin," says Grace Aquino who is originally from San Juan, Batangas.

For her part, Gina (or Tina) Sanchez of Zamboanga del Sur explains: "Nag oath-taking kami para ibalik ang aming pagka-Pilipino citizen dahil mahal namin ang Pilipinas at nakikita naman kahit sa tindi ng init ng araw ngayon, tinatanggap naming mainit ang pagka-Pilipino at ibinabalik namin ang pagka-Pilipino citizen".

Cheryl Sunga and husband Jay were no less emphatic, Says Cheryl: "The reason why I reacquire my Filipino citizenship is because I love my roots; I love being a Filipino, and I just cannot live without it, and I always want to go back to the Philippines".

For Jay, who was born in Canada, the inspiration to get Filipino citizenship was his wife. He hopes to visit the country and learn to speak Tagalog.

On a personal level, one of the moments that really tugged at the heartstrings was the kundimans rendered by Mary Kristine Garcia who sang Ang Langit Ko'y Ikaw and Minamahal Kita. Those songs made me nostalgic and brought memories of my parents who used to hum them when I was still in grade school. (Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjqggTYTyqk).

I can say FUN Phil elevated the street festival to something not done before. Beyond the usual song and dance routine, the political pontificating, and the social climbing typical of leaders, the two-day fest was a first in many respects.

As an observer, I'm glad to have not seen nor heard every Juan, Pedro, and Tomas occupying center stage, sitting with their spouses, and taking in every applause, real or orchestrated, from people waiting for the entertainment part to begin. You see, we're happy without them, right?

I'm glad as well to not have to witness emcees who pander to the crowd, extolling the false virtues of trapos, and leaders of questionable characters and motives. Maybe in the future, our community events should get rid of them, and the trapos too. (Copyright 2022. All Rights Reserved).

Friday, 22 July 2022

The Nauseating Hypocrisy of ToM Organizers

Volume 4, Issue No. 6

OPINION/COMMENTARY

/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /

Our latest as of Friday, July 22, 2022

~ Like the chaotic Philippine capital from where its name is appended, Toronto's Little Manila is where you find a hodgepodge of personalities - hypocrites, liars, opportunists, thieves, etc. But that is not to say there are no decent and reliable people there. In fact, it's a promised land for honest entrepreneurs and small-time vendors hacking their way to a good life. It also happens to be the centre of many community activities, civic and political, without which it would just be another bedroom town for the hardworking immigrants from Asia, Africa, and Europe. Many a Filipino dream took shape here and became its nourishing ground. Small wonder that Little Manila resembles a battleground for those who dream big but are incapable of achieving it through legal and acceptable means.

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LITTLE MANILA HAS THEM ALL

Hypocrites, Liars, Thieves, Opportunists

A Taste of Manila Official Deplores Stealing But Forgets They Did It Too

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

“Hypocrisy is a form of self-deception and self-ignorance while engaging in the same behavior or activity for which one criticizes another—allowing one to maintain the illusion that they are better than others.”

― Jesus Apolinaris

TORONTO - The hypocrisy is so nauseating. Truly distasteful for an event that seeks to promote a sense of taste, as in Taste of Manila, which by now is somewhat sour if not bitter.

And to think not even a murmur ever came from this dude who assumes the moral high ground deploring the unauthorized use by unnamed persons of materials supposedly belonging to the very project the idea of which he had stolen.

When challenged face-to-face at a press conference, Rolly Mangante, the former Philippine consulate driver better known as "Kabise", went tongue-tied, and passed the burden of explaining to Mon Datol alias Mondee, the "the tall (order)" who is actually short and stocky podcaster notable for his senseless chatter and promdi accent.

Kabise was talking to a reporter of OMNI Television named Keisha Balatbat, making himself appear virtuous to her who apparently didn't know much about him and the Taste of Manila (ToM), the festival he claimed he had founded.

The unspoken truth, however, is that he had sneakily taken the concept of a ToM fiesta from the consulate in Toronto years before its first staging in August 2014. (Related story at: https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2022/04/who-exactly-is-going-to-run-2022-taste.html).

"Sila na lang po ang manghusga kung tama yung ginagawa na gamitin mo yung isang materials ng ibang festivities," he says in Tagalog while he walks with the interviewer in front of a big ToM banner on Wilson Ave. recently. (Translation: Let them be the judge if what they did was wrong).

"Hindi tama po yun para sa akin." (But for me, it's wrong), he adds. (Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_AzQjyqta8).

Of course, thieving is wrong in any language; it is unacceptable regardless of the worth of the purloined property. And Kabise's assertion that "hindi tama po yun" flies in the face of the stealing he and his gang committed against this reporter and his online news channel.

Perhaps he forgot that for two years at least, they had capitalized - and possibly made money from unsuspecting sponsors - on my videos and marketed the festival and themselves through virtual presentations.

That's where I discovered my videos were appropriated without my consent. Nor was I, or my YouTube channel, credited as the source of their material. It's akin to a daylight robbery.

They not only stole images but worst, they manipulated and spliced them with photos of people they wanted to promote. (Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_398v7dDQhQ). They ignored the copyright, then altered the images to suit their needs.

With the data manipulation, the simple wrong became an egregious wrong. (Full story at: https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2022/07/mondee-names-alleged-culprits.html).

Yet Kabise did not say a word about the steal and the manipulation that followed despite the insertion of the pictures of his wife, Nieves Mangante; Cecille Araneta, the funder for the proposed ToM in August; and Toronto Councillor James Pasternak who's running for reelection in October.

Malice is evident in those insertions. A local writer has boosted the self-conceit of the obscure Nieves Mangante after he called her "first lady of ToM". WTF? I don't know at what stage she's now in in her social-climbing activities in Little Manila. (Related story at: https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2022/06/the-goofy-bunch-of-tom-characters.html).

Cecille Araneta, the Chinese-looking producer of Anghel ng Tahanan beauty contest insinuated by Mondee Datol as a scion of the wealthy Spanish-descended Aranetas in the Philippines, has popped out recently with the claim that she owns with Mondee the newly-established International Entertainment Company (IEC), a purported not-for-profit behind this year's ToM. (Full story at: https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2022/05/is-iec-legit-nfp-org.html).

What's the score Cecille? Are you Araneta by blood or Araneta by the expedient of changing an old name and adopting one that sounds impressive and affluent? You see, the Araneta family I had contacted in Cubao, Quezon City still has not responded to my inquiries so maybe you can help in the spirit of transparency.

James Pasternak is up for reelection in the ward that includes Little Manila. Though his prospect of winning is almost certain, he seems to have no choice but to acquiesce to the demands of his constituency, thus his public display of warm friendship with the Trio Los Bonos Plus One.

Nothing wrong with being chummy, after all, he's the district's representative to the City Council, but it's hard to avoid the public perception that he tolerates their alleged spurious activities for political gain.

Tuesday, 19 July 2022

People Event on July 23-24 in Toronto's Little Manila

Volume 4, Issue No. 5

OPINION/COMMENTARY

/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /

Our latest as of Tuesday, July 19, 2022

~ There's no holding back the jubilation everyone feels as soon as official word comes out that the pandemic is somewhat abating. Community events here and there speak for themselves. Filipinos are in a celebratory mood and nowhere else would we find that explode except in this hub they call Little Manila. FUN Philippines Toronto Street Festival is on this weekend of July 23 and 24. Meanwhile, the community tries to hurdle a test, the Test of Manila, as it inches its way to reality.

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A PEOPLE EVENT, A PEOPLE CELEBRATION

FUN Philippines Rolls Out This Weekend

Meanwhile, a Test of Manila Is Underway

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

"I wish for the superfluous, for the useless, for the extravagant, for the too much, for that which is not good for anything". - Jean Valjean, Les Miserables

TORONTO - The Filipino community is facing a test, yes, a big test I might as well call it the Test of Manila, next month in a last-gasp effort by archfiends in Little Manila to feel the pulse on whether their proposal would find acceptance and consequently lead to the loosening of purses in support of their questionable venture.

At this late stage, the dream of having a Taste of Manila (ToM) is nowhere near reality. It's an illusion dwelling in the minds of ambitious individuals driven by the thought of making it big monetarily if and when ToM materializes.

Their promos on Facebook hardly register apart from the few misguided souls who look up to ToM as some kind of happy relief from their miserable condition leading a hand-to-mouth existence that many among us deny, understandably so because no Filipino would ever admit failure.

Rather than suffer the fate, they resort to fakery and bluster, the kind of attitude that finds a home among high-profile ToM organizers. They also steal and cover it up with moronic declarations like one half-wit talking head has unashamedly stated to the applause of his nonthinking collaborators.

I try to fathom the meaning of the slogan "tuloy ang saya" which literally translates to English as "continue the happiness" or "resume the fun". Evidently, it's their sense of jubilation that's overpowering them to claim ToM should take off the way its predecessor did prior to mismanagement, bankruptcy, and the pandemic.

So what ToM is to its proponents, is Test of Manila to cynics. It shouldn't be a test were a bunch of incompetents and pretenders are candid enough to know they're selling a stolen idea to people already immuned to scams, rip-offs, and the like.

For a moment the community might be able to indulge them in their "saya" or fun, but there is no telling they would acquiesce to the red-handed ways ToM is being marketed and propagated by idiots who can't distinguish between a goose and a gander. Ever heard of the saying "What's good for the goose is good for the gander"?.

So Test of Manila it is until, and if, ToM fully happens. Meanwhile, let's all brace for a real community event, and I'm referring to FUN Philippines Toronto Street Festival.

From what I could gather from social media postings, this festival takes place this weekend of July 23 and 24 at the junction of Bathurst St. and Wilson Ave., the core of what's now known as Little Manila in the city's North York district.

It shouldn't be mistaken for ToM even as the organization behind it, the Philippine Legacy & Cultural Alliance (PLACA), is the same not-for-profit responsible for ToM's last staging in August 2019.

PLACA makes a particularly boastful assertion of what FUN Philippines would be - "the biggest Filipino street party" in Toronto. That we would find out this weekend.

Its "Eat. Engage, Experience. Enjoy!" mantra is an interesting come-on. Lodged in those four words is the very essence of the Filipino psyche.

My perspective is that FUN Philippines is a people event. A people celebration. A people of diversity rising again from months of solitude. A people set to reclaim joviality.