Saturday’s Lapu-Lapu Festival in Vancouver, intended to celebrate Filipino culture, turned tragic after an attack resulted in at least 11 fatalities and numerous injuries, leaving the community devastated.
Following the incident, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, along with his political opponent, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, conveyed their condolences, as did Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The suspect has been apprehended and is facing murder charges. Police have stated that the motive is still unknown.
British Columbia’s Premier, David Eby, whose province is home to approximately 174,000 people of Filipino heritage, described the local Filipino community as “one that only gives and loves,” adding that “the grief and solidarity with the Filipino community extends beyond Vancouver and British Columbia to a national and even international level.”
“We are experiencing immense pain,” stated provincial lawmaker Mable Elmore at a Sunday press conference. “The Filipino community will demonstrate true resilience and unite in the aftermath of this disaster with the support and love from the broader community, from everyone across British Columbia and the world.”
The Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver is providing assistance to those affected. It also issued a warning against unverified fundraising efforts soliciting donations.
“The Philippine Consulate General has been made aware of individuals creating GoFundMe pages claiming to raise funds for the victims of the Lapu-Lapu Day Incident, using a screenshot of the Consulate’s official message as background material,” the consulate stated, clarifying that it has not established or endorsed any such campaign. “The public is urged to be vigilant and cautious to avoid becoming victims of unscrupulous individuals attempting to exploit this tragedy that has befallen the Filipino Community in British Columbia.”
Joel Castro, 44, who attended the festival and witnessed the attack, told TIME, “Personally, I believe I am somewhat traumatized. It’s not something easily forgotten.” However, he noted that in the aftermath, “what I’m observing is a sense of solidarity… solidarity from other politicians and nations.”
Local community leaders on the ground informed TIME that the Vancouver Filipino community has mobilized resources to support its members, requesting patience from those wishing to assist from afar.
“There are individuals—I’m unsure if they’re Filipino or not—who are exploiting this tragedy and the suffering of these people to scam others,” stated Erie Maestro, 72, a founding member of Migrante BC, a local migrant worker organization.
“It’s only the first day following the incident. People are still trying to identify the deceased and injured,” Maestro told TIME late Sunday, as victims had not yet been publicly identified.
Maestro emphasized the significance of “the community uniting” to provide both emotional and practical assistance.
“There is more than sufficient” support being provided within the community, “from individuals offering meal services to social workers offering mental health support,” according to Sammie Jo Rumbaua, 43, a board officer of a local cultural organization. “The priority is the victims and their families and providing the necessary assistance at this time.”
Mabuhay House has compiled and shared a list of resources, including a form to coordinate requests for and offers of support within the community in response to the attack.
“Please note that our forms do not involve monetary requests; we simply aim to connect individuals with one another,” the site states, while also providing links to several GoFundMe fundraisers “directly benefiting the affected families.”
Filipino BC, the organizer of the Lapu-Lapu Festival, also shared crisis line contact information on its social media page. “We are focused on supporting our community right now, while also processing this trauma,” the group stated in its post. “We also want to emphasize that we discourage viewing and sharing the videos of the tragedy that are currently circulating.”