Member Story: Philippine Canadian Centre of Manitoba (PCCM)
Did you know…over 80,000 Filipino Canadians are currently living in Manitoba? When immigrating to a new country, there is always the worry that those born here will slowly lose sight of their rich heritage. The Philippine Canadian Centre of Manitoba, who just returned as a member of Folklorama, aims to change that.
The Philippine Canadian Centre of Manitoba (PCCM) has been working to educate, preserve, and keep culture alive since the 1990s, when they were initially an impromptu committee of the Philippine Association of Manitoba. Since then, they have become a duly registered corporation with charitable status and have managed to fundraise to open the PCCM facility in 2004.
Today, PCCM is a completely self-sustaining facility that continues to be managed, operated, and maintained by amazing volunteers. Along with the support of community volunteers, this organization continues to strive to serve the Filipino Canadian community and beyond by providing affordable rentals of the facility for various occasions, programs, and services, including housing the Honorary Consulate of the Philippines.
PCCM prides itself in providing a venue where Filipino culture and heritage are preserved and shared with the broader community. You may have previously stepped foot inside during its time of hosting a Folklorama Pavilion.
Lou Fernandez, a delegate from PCCM, explains why his organization wanted to rejoin as a member of Folklorama.
“As an organization, we want to be one of the proud members of Folklorama, which is acclaimed as the world’s largest and longest-running multicultural festival of its kind”, states Fernandez. “More importantly, we would like to participate as an active part in promoting, celebrating, and preserving the diverse cultures in Winnipeg and Manitoba. As a member of Folklorama, we can collaborate not only to help us preserve our own culture but also reach out to other members and community organizations who may have similar cultural-related issues of a growing community.”
Folklorama welcomes back the Philippine Canadian Centre of Manitoba to the Folklorama family – Our family looks forward to working with you to celebrate diversity and cultural understanding together.
If you want to become a member of Folklorama,
Contact Katie Green, Coordinator Member & Festival Services, at [email protected].