Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance-B.C.
Press Release

Filipino-Canadian youth present “Roots, Rhymes, and Resistance XI” Cultural Evening

May 22, 2008

Vancouver, BC --- Tomorrow, May 23, 2008, 6:30pm, at Sir Charles Secondary Tupper School Auditorium (419 East 24th Ave Vancouver, BC), members of Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada / the Filipino- Canadian Youth Alliance (UKPC/FCYA) will be hosting its 11th annual Roots, Rhymes, and Resistance (RRR). This years’ theme is, “Balik sa Komunidad, Balik sa Ugat” (Back to the community, Reclaiming our Roots). 

UKPC/FCYA has been promoting their largest annual event in malls, schools, on Facebook, and other many ways they can outreach to the community.  “It’s a way to expose young Filipino talents in our community,” says Ayex Bathan, a UKPC/FCYA member, who performed in past RRR events, and other community-based cultural shows such as Pinoy Poetiks.  “It’s empowering and fun! It’s our way of helping newly arrived Filipino youth know there’s a community here to help them integrate, and second generation youth to learn about their history and the current situation in the Philippines.” Bathan adds.

Currently, Filipinos are the fourth largest minority in Canada, and the third largest in BC.  “With such a fast growing community in Canada, there’s the need to reach out to the youth in a way that will be comfortable for them, and entertaining at the same time,” states Niki Silva of UKPC/FCYA. “RRR is also a cultural night to honour Filipino ancestors, paying tribute to the hardworking people of the Philippines of yesterday and today, and inspiring other Filipino youth to get positively involved with their Filipino community here in Canada.  RRR will include a collection of performances such as spoken word, poetry, singing, rapping, group dances, and multi-media.  In addition to the stage performances, there will also be an art exhibition/auction highlighting artworks of young Filipino artists. All proceeds from the art exhibition/auction will go directly to support the organizing work of UKPC/FCYA.

Artists, such as local Filipino hip hop duo, Toxic Slime, will be rapping about the oppression and marginalization of the Filipino community here in Canada and abroad.  In an interview over CBC’s Early Edition with Rick Cluff about RRR, aired on May 16, 2008, UKPC/FCYA members Ayex Bathan, Christian Clamonte, and Carlie David, spoke about their experiences as Filipino youth here in Canada. Carlie David will perform song and dance with UKPC/FCYA and with the migrant workers organization SIKLAB-Advancing the Rights and Welfare of Migrant Workers Organization. Other performers include hiphop trio Taong Gago, 12 year old poet Sol Diana, local band PUSH, performance artist Dianna David, duo Sherry Ann Lopez and Stewart Manson, local choir Kaisahan Voice Ensemble, spoken word artist Hari Alluri, singer Ika, Tupper Secondary School-based Exclusive Dance Crew, local R&B Nick Genabe, and Sinag Bayan Cultural Arts Collective. Local artists, Mildred German, Carlo Sayo, Mary Castellanes, and Christian Clamonte are exhibiting their art pieces highlighting the experiences of their Filipino community. These performers and artists are working in solidarity with UKPC/FCYA to outreach to and educate Filipino youth about issues affecting them.

Meanwhile, in the Philippines, the rising prices of food, electricity, water and other common household expenses make it difficult for families to survive.  According to a statement released on May 18, 2008 by Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), the Philippine Peasants Movement in the Philippines, it is stated that the cost of rice has risen to over P32 per kilogram, which is more than many peasants make in a day.  It is also stated that “We expect that the second wave of the rice crisis to come when the lean months come, and the food/rice crisis to last for at least 3 years.”

As the cost of living increases, and daily wages remain the same, under the current president Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo regime, over 3,000 people are forced to go abroad to over 186 countries all over the world, including Canada.  Majority of Filipino migrants leaving the country are women, who are young women and mothers.  Here in Canada, they come as Live-In Caregivers, Domestic Workers, Entertainers or Mail-Order Brides. 

With the worsening economic conditions many are rising up to oppose the US-puppet Arroyo regime. In the most recent “Karapatan Monitor” a monitor of human rights violations in the Philippines, the statistics showed that in the first three months alone of 2008, the extrajudicial killings were already at 193. GMA’s regime has far exceeded the human rights violations of previous dictator, Ferdinand Marcos in only 7 years, reaching over 900.
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Roots, Rhymes, and Resistance XI will take place this Friday, May 23, 2008 at Sir Charles Tupper Secondary at 419 East 24th Avenue

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