Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow will meet with members of the Filipino community on July 28 at Earl Bales Community Centre to hear concerns about housing, affordability and other local issues ahead of this fall’s municipal election.
The event, organized by members of the Mayor’s Filipino Advisory Committee and Filipino community organizations, will bring residents together in neighbourhood-based discussions before they present their priorities directly to the mayor.
Organizers say the town hall aims to strengthen civic engagement while giving Filipino Canadians an opportunity to help shape conversations around issues affecting their communities.
Filipino representation
Veronica Javier, chair of the Filipino-Canadian Civic Action Network (FCCAN), said the organization’s mission is to ensure Filipino voices are represented in government decision-making.
“Our goal is to empower, educate and advocate for and with the Filipino community,” Javier said.
“We want people to connect what’s happening in their daily lives with what’s happening in politics and advocate on the issues that are important to them.”
The upcoming gathering follows the first Filipino community town hall held during Toronto’s 2023 mayoral campaign.
Javier said Mayor Chow, who had already built relationships with the Filipino community before becoming mayor, wanted to hear directly from residents.
Filipino Advisory Committee
Since then, the city has established a Filipino Advisory Committee representing sectors including health care, business, arts and civic engagement.
With Toronto preparing for another municipal election in October, organizers believe it is the right time to revisit those conversations.
“We want to make sure that on her agenda, as well as the municipal councillors’ agendas, are our issues,” Javier said.
“What better time to amplify the issues than during this time?”
Housing affordability is expected to be one of the dominant topics during the discussion.
Javier said community outreach conducted ahead of the event found many Filipino residents are concerned about rising rents, particularly seniors living on fixed incomes.
Organizers also heard concerns about above-guideline rent increases and a lack of awareness of tenant rights among renters.
Rising cost of groceries
Another issue expected to be raised is the rising cost of groceries.
Javier said many residents, particularly seniors, are relying on food banks as wages fail to keep pace with inflation.
Organizers also heard concerns about low-paying service-sector jobs and the challenges many young people face in finding stable employment.
Rather than asking residents to simply listen to speeches, organizers have designed the event around conversation.
Participants will gather according to where they live in Toronto, including Scarborough, North York, Etobicoke and Toronto.
Community leaders will facilitate each discussion, help participants identify shared priorities and present those concerns directly to the mayor.
“We really wanted to move away from a lecture style,” Javier said. “We really wanted to capture a community conversation.”
Aside from collecting feedback, FCCAN hopes the town hall encourages more Filipino Canadians to become involved in civic life.
Javier said municipal governments make decisions that directly affect residents every day, from transportation and roads to housing and neighbourhood services.
“It’s important to pay attention, it’s important to learn, and it’s important to get involved,” she said.
Filipinos needed in politics
Following the event, FCCAN plans to summarize concerns gathered through the town hall and previous community consultations before sharing them with municipal candidates and elected officials ahead of the October election.
The organization hopes the report will help residents evaluate candidates’ platforms while encouraging governments to respond to the community’s priorities.
Javier also hopes the discussions inspire more Filipino Canadians to seek elected office.
Although Toronto has the largest Filipino population in Canada, she noted the city currently has no Filipino city councillors.
“We hope an event like this will spur curiosity, motivation and courage to speak up,” Javier said.
“Considering we have the largest Filipino diaspora in Canada and have not yet had a Filipino councillor, it’s high time we have one.”
Mayor Chow is expected to respond to questions raised during the neighbourhood discussions and provide an update on issues identified during the first Filipino community town hall in 2023.
Organizers expect more than 100 residents to attend the event as they work to identify priorities that can help inform future municipal decision-making.
