Fil-Cans raise funds for earthquake survivors

Fil-Cans raise funds for earthquake survivors

Filipino and Turkish volunteers in Victoria, British Columbia with Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto, (front row, third from right) (Photos from VFCA/Steve Baileys)

By Nestor Burgos

The Philippine Reporter

VANCOUVER—Serving adobo, beef afritada, turon and other Filipino dishes and delicacies, the Filipino-Canadian community in Victoria, British Columbia’s provincial capital, raised funds for survivors of last month’s deadly earthquake that devastated parts of Turkey and Syria.

The Victoria Filipino-Canadian Association (VFCA) along with the Turkish community in Victoria raised $13,288 in the fund drive on February 18, 2023.

The donation was turned over to the Red Cross on March 6 and is expected to be matched by the Canadian government and will reach a total of $26,576.

Filipino and Turkish volunteers in Victoria, British Columbia have raised more than $13,000 in a fund-raising drive for survivors in last month’s deadly earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

The magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck parts of Turkey and Syria on February 6 left at least 50,000 dead, tens of thousands missing and hundreds of thousands homeless.

“It’s our way of helping those who need assistance the most. Our community members were moved to initiate the fund-raising activity after we saw the suffering and devastation from the news reports,” Marie Chris Rosali, VFCA secretary told The Philippine Reporter.

Volunteers from Filipino and Turkish communities prepared and sold pre-ordered native dishes at the Bayanihan Community Centre.

Rosali said most of the funds were raised from food sales but some came to the centre with cash donations.

Volunteers prepare Filipino and Turkish dishes for a food sale to raise funds.

The Filipino dishes included adobo(meat dish marinated in soy sauce and vinegar) meal, beef afritada (tomato-based stew), turon (deep fried banana and fruit wrapped in egg roll), lumpiang shanghai (fried ground beef and vegetables wrapped in egg roll), and pancit (rice noodles).

Also sold were Turkish food including meatballs, carrot salad, couscous and piyaz.

Rosali said the VFCA regularly conducts donation drives to be sent to the Philippines especially to assist those affected by natural calamities.

“Last month, we decided to conduct a drive for the earthquake survivors to extend assistance from the Filipino and Turkish communities,” she said.

She said the activity has also helped establish ties between the two communities whose members have committed to continue collaborative activities.

The Statistics Canada 2021 census reported at least 2,255 residents in Victoria who identify their ethnic roots as Filipino.