Gaffes Prompt Intense Interest in Filipino Centre Toronto

Volume 7, Issue No. 30

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 Sunday, December 14, 2025 

~ With millions of dollars in its possession and hundreds of thousands more in money grants, it seems inconceivable that Filipino Centre Toronto would not have a decent, interactive website with readily available information about its financial situation and other relevant data. Its existing website is like a pit of misspelled words, awful grammar and bad syntax. It calls its archive "Filipiñina Heritage Library." 

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  

WHERE ARE YOUR MILLIONS, FCT?

Gaffes Prompt Intense Interest 

in Filipino Centre Toronto

 

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ 

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

“Things fall apart and happen out of stupidity and carelessness."  – John Sandford  

TORONTO - Ever heard of these words: Filipiñina, Filipinana, generstions, frabric, undering, Phillippines, opporitunities, harmonius, sprit? Or, do you care about grammar, syntax, diction?

The answers to the questions are articulated in the website of the well-endowed Filipino Centre Toronto (FCT), the Scarborough-based non-profit which "envisions a harmonius (sic) blend of tradition and progress . . . "

(Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7N6sXkISqI).

The misspellings and other gaffes don't inspire confidence in the organization founded in 2000 and whose aim is "to enrich lives, bridge generstions (sic), and contribute to the vibrant multicultural frabric (sic) of the GTA." In truth, they invite mockery.

To attain one of its stated goals, FCT quite possibly, put up what it calls a "Filipiñina (sic) Heritage Library." FCT claims it's "a first in the Greater Toronto Area, and possibly in Canada! The Filipinana (sic) Library, a proud joint project of . . . " Another goal, the website states, "is to develop community sprit (sic)."

I visited the FCT website this week, prompted by a sudden jump in readership of the articles I've written from 2019 and up to August 2025 (the list is below), and to my horror, I thought I was viewing a startup website created by juveniles. 

This was no different from its old website of five years ago where one finds cartoonish images of officials in all manner of poses. Maybe after realizing the illustrations only incited contempt, the images were taken down. (Full story: https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2020/12/fct-tries-to-be-funny-amidst-pandemic.html).

Of the top 20 stories in Filipino Web Magazine, seven are about FCT. That shows deep public interest in the affairs of FCT and its officials. High on that list are these stories: https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2022/02/deception-at-filipino-centre-toronto.html and https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2021/01/filipino-centre-torontos-arrogance.html.

With its millions and as a public service, I suppose FCT could subsidize publishing them all in a book and be required reading at its "Filipiñina" or "Filipinana" library. The articles are here:

 1. https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2023/01/big-surprise-fct-releases-2022-annual.html

 2. https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2021/12/fct-brushes-off-audit-results.html

 3. https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2021/12/major-deficiencies-plague-filipino.html

 4. https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2021/12/hands-off-filipino-centre-toronto-seems.html

 5. https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2021/11/why-is-fct-tongue-tied-about-its.html

 6. https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2021/11/is-third-party-audit-ongoing-at-fct.html

 7. https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2021/10/showtime-at-embattled-filipino-centre.html

 8. https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2021/09/fct-officials-oppose-audit.html

 9. https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2021/09/writer-claims-fct-doctored-financial.html

10. https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2021/07/fct-co-founder-resigns-but-vows-to.html

11. https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2021/02/doc-kikos-fight-for-transparency-in-fct.html

12 https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2020/12/fcts-masterpiece-of-gobbledygook.html

13.https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2020/11/filipino-centre-torontos-dirty.html

14.https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2020/09/from-30000-to-300000-how-did-it-balloon.html

15. https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2020/06/fct-members-renew-demand-for.html

16. https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2019/09/clear-filipino-centre-torontos-finances.html

17. https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2025/08/frank-cruzets-art-program-enriches-life.html

It's possible FCT could do it as my - our - contribution to enriching "lives, bridge generstions (sic), and contribute to the vibrant multicultural frabric (sic) of the GTA." I mean it, if only for the cause of transparency.

FCT is a wealthy non-profit org. It's literally awash in millions after it sold its "dingy and smelly" building on Parliament St. in downtown Toronto for $5.9 million and bought a one-story fixer-upper for $1.9 million. Without attempting a hocus-pocus by some itchy hands, there's $4 million left, presumably. 

Once FCT got the proceeds from the sale, some monetary claimants emerged and asked to be compensated for supposedly "services rendered." At least $678,000 were paid out to nine people. (Full story: https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2021/10/fct-opens-its-mouth-with-warning-to.html).

So, the $4 million has been reduced. Then the FCT leadership decided to renovate its Scarborough property and spent at least $1 million. Which means, the leftover money is again depleted. Question: how much is left now of that $5.9 million?

The website says Mary Ann San Juan, to quote verbatim, "the current President & CEO of Filipino Centre, Toronto from 2017 and serving her second term, was one of the founding members of FCT." Take note of the use of "was" in that sentence. Is she still with us or is she gone?

It seems at this juncture that FCT doesn't know what to do with its money. But if it could allocate $1 million or more for a facelift, why not hire a knowledgeable professional to create a website that would uplift?

Its "Filipiñina Heritage Library" looks nice and cool but its book collection of Filipino authors appears wanting. Without meaning to boast, I have more books about the Philippines and its history than I could find in FCT. And I don't have millions of dollars in my pocket! (Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved).