Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance
Press Release

Prominent Filipino Activists Converge in Vancouver for Historic Gathering

For immediate release: Tuesday, November 22, 2005

VANCOUVER, BC – Three prominent Filipino former youth and student activists — one is an award-winning filmmaker; one is a leader in the Filipino feminist movement and the other an officer of a progressive party-list organization — are currently in Vancouver to speak about their political activism at an international youth and student conference.

Organized by the local Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance, “Ipagpatuloy: (Continue On) Living the Storm” will be held this weekend, Nov. 25-27, 2005 at the Russian Hall, 600 Campbell Ave. in Vancouver. An expected 70 Filipino youth, students and workers from major cities across North America will gather to discuss the history of the Filipino youth and student movement and the present issues Filipino youth face in North America Taking inspiration from the First Quarter Storm (FQS) period in 1970 in which thousands of youth and students took to the streets for daily rallies and protests, the conference promises to be an enlivening and empowering weekend. 

Featured speakers include Bonifacio Ilagan and Judy Taguiwalo both of whom started off as youth and student organizers during the FQS.  Ilagan, winner of the Film Academy of the Philippine Award (the Philippine equivalent of the Oscars) for co-writing best screenplay for the Flor Contemplacion Story, was imprisoned several times under Martial Law.  So urgent was his case that Ilagan’s story was represented by Amnesty International during the height of the hated Marcos Regime. 

Taguiwalo was one of the women tortured and imprisoned under Martial Law. Now Women’s Studies professor at the University of the Philippines, Taguiwalo remains active in the progressive Filipino women’s and teacher’s movement. 

Although she was still a child during Martial Law, Cherry Clemente is indeed a product of that turbulent period.  A graduate of a prestigious university, Clemente became a youth organizer and is now Secretary-General of Anakpawis (Toiling Masses) Party List, a progressive party organization of the Philippine Congress which represents the interests of the workers and peasants.

The conference will also deal with the present issues Filipino youth face in North America such as high rates of high school drop outs, systemic racism, forced migration and lack of access to education and employment.  The conference will also serve as a commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the FQS which predated the declaration of Martial Law in 1972 by former Philippine Dictator, Ferdinand Marcos.

“This will be the first time that these leaders will be speaking in Canada,” said Carlo Sayo of the Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance and spokesperson for the conference. “They are certainly role models for Filipino youth in Canada especially, as they have dedicated their lives to the causes of the Filipino people,” said Sayo.  “They are certainly living legends and heroes.”
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Media are cordially invited to attend conference parts open to the public. Speakers are currently available for interview. To view the conference program or to arrange an interview with the speakers, please call 604-215-1103 or view: http://www.ugnayan.net