Filipino businesses, performers and community members gathered along Bathurst Street in Toronto’s Little Manila on Aug. 15 and 16 for the 13th annual Taste of Manila, a two-day festival celebrating Filipino food, music and culture.
Organized by the Society of Philippine Artists, Recreation and Community (SPARC), Taste of Manila featured more than 150 food and specialty vendors and hundreds of local entertainers.
The festival grounds were divided into three areas named after the Philippines’ major island groups, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, with a stage in each section offering performances throughout the weekend.
Filipino talent takes the stage
Among the local performers was Bandesals, a Filipino-focused creative ensemble that performed a selection of Filipino songs on the Luzon stage.
Music director Dante Paolo said the group’s set was arranged to allow each member to showcase their talents.
“I’ve arranged it so that everybody in this band has a chance to shine, showcase and show the beauty of Filipino talent and excellence,” Duriel said.
Bandesal member Gio de los Santos said performing Filipino music in front of a large community audience can also inspire other artists.
“Performing music that we really are very passionate for and having it in a space where a lot of people can enjoy it, it means a lot,” de los Santos said.
For Paolo, who grew up primarily in the Filipino diaspora, events such as Taste of Manila provide spaces for Filipino-Canadian artists to see themselves represented and to develop their craft.
“It’s important to have this type of representation, to see ourselves in these types of spaces,” he said.
Bandesal also includes musicians from outside the Filipino community.
Member Walter Chan, who is Chinese and from Hong Kong, said performing with the group has allowed him to learn more about Filipino culture while sharing his musical experience.
The festival also welcomed performers from GMA Network’s Sparkle World Tour, including Miguel Tanfelix, Shuvee Etrata, Rochelle Pangilinan, Paul Salas, John Rex Baculfo and Beki Velo.
Food and businesses bring the community together
Aside from the performances, vendors lined Bathurst Street selling Filipino dishes, desserts and other products.
For Mel Galeon, owner of FV Foods, participating in Filipino festivals is nothing new.
He said returning to Taste of Manila is one way of supporting the businesses and community around Bathurst and Wilson.
“It’s support to the Filipino community, especially in this area, Bathurst and Wilson,” Galeon said.
“Kailangan suportahan natin ang mga businesses, community, lahat.”
(We need to support all the businesses and the community.)
Galeon said the festival also introduces Filipino food to people from outside the community.
“Masaya kasi natutuwa lang sila, not only the Filipinos, even ibang lahi, they try our food,” he said.
“It’s parang i-promote din ang Filipino foods and culture.”
(It’s nice because even non-Filipinos enjoy and try our food.)
While FV Foods has years of experience at Filipino community events, other businesses were experiencing Taste of Manila for the first time.
Jesse Llana, a representative of Filipino restaurant Makilala, said the festival was the business’s first major outdoor event.
“We just want to give a little bit of a taste of the special things we create at Makilala,” Llana said.
Makilala attracts customers from different backgrounds at its downtown Toronto location, but Llana said joining the festival offered another way to connect with Filipino customers.
“Coming here, this is our way of coming back to the Filipino community and really reaching out to them,” he said.
A taste of home for visitors
That sense of connection was also felt by visitors.
For Marella Acierto, a tourist on her first trip to Canada, Taste of Manila offered an unexpected reminder of home.
“It honestly feels refreshing to have a literal taste of Manila while I’m away from home,” Acierto said.
“Seeing so many Filipinos gathered in one place made me feel a little closer to home, even though I’m thousands of miles away.”
For Filipinos living or travelling abroad, Acierto said gatherings like Taste of Manila can also provide a familiar sense of community.
“When you’re away from home, you can sometimes forget what it feels like to be surrounded by your own culture,” she said.
“It’s nice to have a huge event where Filipinos from different backgrounds can come together and celebrate being Filipino.”
Acierto said having a piece of Manila in Toronto can help Filipinos far from the Philippines remain connected to home.
“It’s a reminder that no matter where we are in the world, there’s always a community that makes us feel like we belong,” she said.
Luis Miguel De Castro is a Changing Narratives Fund-Local Journalism Initiative reporter at Mabuhay Canada and a journalism graduate at Humber Polytechnic in Toronto. Originally from the Philippines, he is passionate about community storytelling, multimedia journalism, and amplifying Filipino voices through meaningful local coverage.
