Three Filipino Canadian BC councillors working hard on community concerns, issues

Three Filipino Canadian BC councillors working hard on community concerns, issues

By Nestor Burgos

The Philippine Reporter

January 25, 2023

Gregg Apolonio
Dawson Creek

VANCOUVER—Just three months after their historic win in British Columbia’s local elections, Filipino-Canadian councillors have made good on their campaign platforms, prioritizing issues and concerns closest to residents of their communities including affordable housing, greater representation and mitigating the impact of climate change.

Gregg Apolonio is focusing on greater representation and diversity in Dawson Creek, a northeastern municipality with a population of about 12,500.

“I represent all residents but I’m also working to ensure that (racialized groups), including Filipino-Canadians who account for 10 percent of the population have their voices heard in the city council,” Apolonio told The Philippine Reporter.

He said this involves examining and implementing policies and programs of the city from the perspective of diverse groups.

Apolonio, who is serving his first term, is the city’s first councillor of Filipino and Asian descent.

He said he was still in the process of learning protocols and procedures of the council just two months after starting to serve a four-year term.

“It is challenging because I also have a full-time job but I have always been involved in community and public service,” Apolonio, a support worker for individuals with special needs, said.

Edwin Empinado
Kitimat

In the district municipality of Kitimat in the province’s northern coast, Edwin Empinado is serving his fourth term as councillor.

Among his priorities is to help ensure a balance between the city’s rapid economic development and preserving the environment as well as social protection amid continuous industrial growth.

“Part of our city’s plan is to attract more industries that will generate employment but we also need to balance and address the possible social and environmental impacts,” he said.

Kitimat with a population of about 9,000 is a fast-growing industrial center and is host to a $40-billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility project being undertaken by LND Canada. This is considered the single biggest private sector investment in Canadian history, according to the Kitimat website.

Even as the city aims to attract more industries, Empinado said priority should also be assisting small, start-up and support businesses and services which would cater to an increased workforce population.

Empinado, a registered nurse, made history in 2011 when he was elected the first councillor of Filipino heritage in BC.

He supports the setting up of a program to bring internationally educated nurses to Kitimat and the province to help address the massive staffing shortage in the health sector.

“The shortage affects the province and the country but it is more severe in rural areas,” he pointed out.

Empinado is also focusing on efforts to strengthen relations with the Haisla Nation whose traditional territory is where Kitimat is located.

Maita Santiago
Burnaby

In Burnaby City, Maita Santiago is already working on concrete actions on affordable housing, climate change mitigation and inclusiveness.

Inclusiveness is among the centerpiece campaign programs of Santiago, a migrants’ rights advocate and former secretary general of the progressive Filipino migrants group Migrante.

She stressed the representation of racialized communities in Burnaby is essential noting that the city has been described as a “hyper diverse” community with an estimated 120 languages being spoken by residents.

A key concern is addressing the lack of affordable housing for the continuously growing population.

One of the initiatives being pushed by the city council is the creation of a housing authority of Burnaby that will focus on owning, developing, and operating affordable housing.

Santiago was recently appointed as chair of the Burnaby-New Westminster Task Force on Sexually Exploited and At-Risk Youth.

She said she is also strongly supporting the city’s initiative to address the impact of climate change by ensuring that houses and buildings are energy efficient.

“Racialized communities are worst affected by extreme climate conditions,” she said.

The three Filipino-Canadian councillors were elected in the October 15, 2022 local elections in BC along with school board trustees Rod Belleza in Richmond and Lailani Tumaneng in North Vancouver.

This is considered the most number of elected officials from the Filipino-Canadian community in the province at one time.