Filipino communities worldwide mourn after Vancouver festival tragedy
Visitors pay their respects at a memorial after a vehicle drove into a crowd during a Filipino heritage festival in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
April 26, 2025, will be forever etched in the hearts of Filipinos in Canada and around the world as a day of profound sorrow. What was meant to be a jubilant celebration of Filipino courage and heritage — the Lapu Lapu Festival in Vancouver, British Columbia — turned into a heartbreaking tragedy.
As of this writing, official reports confirm that 11 lives have been lost, and more than 20 others severely injured following the catastrophic incident that marred the festivities.
What should have been a day of honoring our ancestors’ heroism against colonial oppression has instead plunged families into grief and an entire nation into mourning.
The Lapu Lapu Festival, an emblem of Filipino pride and historical remembrance, was the fruit of collective efforts by the vibrant Filipino community in Vancouver. It aimed to celebrate the undying spirit of resistance, resilience and freedom. Yet in a cruel twist of fate, the echoes of celebration were silenced by screams of terror and anguish.
Filipino organizations across Canada and the United States have swiftly mobilized to express solidarity and demand answers. Hakbang ng Maisug USA, Global Migrant Heritage Foundation USA, and Sara Duterte Supporters USA (SDS USA), among others, have joined voices in calling for a full, independent and transparent investigation. They urge Canadian authorities, the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa and the Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver to leave no stone unturned in seeking justice for the victims and providing immediate support to the affected families.
The testimonies of survivors and grieving families paint a harrowing picture of the tragedy that unfolded. Their pain and trauma demand not just sympathy but action — swift and uncompromising action that ensures accountability and the prevention of such calamities in the future.
This tragedy is not just a Canadian Filipino community’s burden — it reverberates across oceans and continents, stirring sorrow and outrage among millions of Filipinos worldwide. In churches, homes and community centers from New York to San Francisco, from Toronto to Manila, prayer vigils are being organized, candles lit and silent tears shed for our fallen kababayan.
In a show of collective grief and unity, many Filipino organizations have declared a Global Day of Mourning. They urge all Filipinos and friends of the Filipino people to offer prayers, hold moments of silence and continue pressing for truth and justice.
Even in the face of unspeakable loss, the spirit of Bayanihan — of standing together in solidarity and compassion — burns brightly. We mourn, but we also remember. We grieve, but we also fight for the dignity of every life lost. We weep, but we also rise — determined to honor our fallen by ensuring their deaths are not in vain.
To the victims and their families:
You are not alone. Across the world, millions of hearts beat with yours. We will remember. We will seek justice. And we will carry your memory forward — with courage, with love, and with unwavering hope.
Atty. Arnedo S. Valera is the executive director of the Global Migrant Heritage Foundation and managing attorney at Valera & Associates, a US immigration and anti-discrimination law firm for over 32 years. He holds a master’s degree in International Affairs and International Law and Human Rights from Columbia University and was trained at the International Institute of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. He obtained his Bachelor of Laws from Ateneo de Manila University. He is a professor at San Beda Graduate School of Law (LLM Program), teaching International Security and Alliances.
Rev. Valera is also an ordained evangelical minister, non-denominational.
