As a part of Canada's large cultural mosaic, one can gain an immense sense of pride for one's own heritage among the vast array of other communities.
This could be the case for many Filipinos, who make up a united and prominent community in Canada. Recent demographics have shown that Filipino youth are the only immigrant group receiving less education than their parents. This has induced actions to end this trend.
Daloy Puso, meaning “flowing from the heart,” was a community event held at UBC on May 8. The event aimed to connect Filipino youth to Filipino professionals successful in their own fields in order to inspire them to think about higher education and positions in society outside the labour work force. Leadership, management and a general message about thinking beyond expectations and making a difference in the community were recurring themes in the speakers’ presentations. Inspiring stories, life changes, career decisions and the definition of being Filipino were all explored by the speakers in great detail in an attempt to get youth to think about their own identity and role in society. The reaction from the youth was one of energy, motivation and pride to be Filipino.
After the speaker presentations, theatre activities led by students from Charles Tupper Secondary garnered enthusiastic participation with the participants reflecting and questioning their own educational choices and group dynamics. The students noted what really happened among friend groups, what really goes on in their lives and a sense of intimacy was very prominent among everyone at the event, especially seen through the use of Tagalog during the activities. This conversation engaged the participants to see practical ways of changing their situation with the help of the speakers, most of whom stayed long after their presentations to achieve an even greater connection.
Though the overall message of the event can seem universal (the importance of education, leadership and heritage), the context and atmosphere was quite specific to the Filipino identity. Events like Daloy Puso are always relevant and essential to our society because they are proactive towards demographic problems and take charge in the development of their own community. Based on the energy from both the speakers and the youth, it was clear that the Filipino voice will remain strong and lasting in our society.