Founder

Yona M. Harvey

Mabuhay!

I started Mabuhay Canada with one simple, very personal goal: I didn’t want other Pinoys to feel as lost as I did when I first landed in North America. Back then, I didn’t know where to find newcomer services, what to wear in winter—aside from “lahat ng jackets sabay-sabay” (wear everything all at once), or how everyday things worked.

I was ashamed of my accent sometimes: who knew “oven” wasn’t pronounced “oh-ven”? Those early years were a mix of homesickness, confusion, and constant learning, and I promised myself: kung kaya kong gawing mas madali para sa ibang Pinoy, I would. (If I could make it easier for other Filipinos, I would).

That’s how MabuhayCanada.org was born. It started as a small passion project to share practical tips and heartfelt stories: where to find Filipino food, how to navigate Canadian life, which Filipino events to watch out for, so that you don’t have to figure everything out the hard way.

Over time, it grew into a community space: a website, a newsletter, and a YouTube channel where we feature Filipino food, traditions, and events, both here in Canada and beyond. With every article and video, I imagine a kababayan somewhere feeling a little less alone, a little more “at home,” even if home is now half a world away from the Philippines.

Today, the mission of Mabuhay Canada is simple but powerful: to help Pinoys feel seen, connected, and proud of who we are—wherever we may be. I want you to be able to cure a bit of homesickness with a click (hello, Filipino foodies), or share a story with your kids, your partner, or your non-Filipino friends so they can understand why our culture is so special. One story here, one video there, until our traditions, jokes, memories, and flavours weave themselves into your new life abroad. This is our space, our kwentuhan corner on the internet. Welcome home.

Yona’s articles have appeared in the Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, Kingston Whig-Standard, The Kingstonist, Metroland Media community papers and many other publications. She holds a Master of Management Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Queen’s University, a B.A. in Mass Communications from the University of the Philippines, and a Certificate in Magazine Journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). 

You can read more of Yona’s articles here.

Listen to Babes of Quinte podcast here

Listen to Met Radio’s Donovan Lacroxi’s chat with Yona here.