Kwentong Mabuhay with Gabrielle Bonifacio

Social Media Specialist at Mabuhay House Society and Events Coordinator at Sliced Mango Collective 

1. What motivates you to do this work? 
My work as an Events Coordinator at Sliced Mango Collective (SMC) was initially driven by the isolation I felt during my undergrad at UBC—both as the only Filipino student in my cohort and as a Southeast Asian artist in a very narrow art world. SMC provides low-cost Arts & Culture programming or publishing opportunities for Filipino youth by Filipino youth; in planning events, I’m able to support youth in carving space out for themselves. Similarly, my work at Mabuhay House Society (MHS) is very much motivated by my experience growing up as a diaspora kid. 

Although I was fortunate to grow up in a diverse community, I never had the opportunity to formally learn about Filipino History, Arts & Culture and languages. In Social Studies, the Philippines was a footnote, if mentioned at all. Supporting MHS’ mission to build the provincial Filipino cultural centre is my way of helping ensure that future youth, seniors and everyone-in-between have a place to engage with their heritage and community in a meaningful way. 

2. What has been your most meaningful/memorable experience in the community? 
All the events that I’ve worked on at SMC have created a mosaic of experiences that I’m constantly looking back on and learning from. No matter how stressful planning can be, there’s nothing more fulfilling to me than finally meeting attendees on the day of. Each event brings new people and old friends, which is always really special. I love learning from them; what brings them to our events and where they’re coming from, what kind of art they’re interested in and how they make art based on their unique lived experiences. It’s always an honour for me to facilitate and to be trusted with people’s work. Shoutout to Jocelle, Wyn and Jess for making such warm memories with me over the last three years! 

3. Who inspires you as a leader/individual/mother/etc? 
In terms of leadership and community-work, I’ve been so lucky to learn and grow alongside the SMC team. Everyone has such diverse perspectives and creative talents that push me to improve my own practice—whether it be regarding community work or artwork. I’m also inspired by artist activists (both from the diaspora and the mainland) who go beyond superficial notions of representation and use their work to speak to larger systemic issues. On a personal level, I would say that my parents raised me to not only be proud of where we come from, but also to advocate for better. My younger sibling and her friends give me a lot of hope for the future of Filipino youth. In general, I think kids and youth provide a great window into what’s possible when it comes to living with two cultures.  

4. If a Filipino youth asked you for advice, what would you say? 
Wherever you are is the perfect place to start. There are a lot of reasons that youth might feel discouraged to engage with their heritage, namely: trauma, shame, lack of support, internalised racism—the list goes on. For example, I’ve met folks who think that it’s impossible to start learning a Philippine language from scratch or after having ‘lost it’ from lack of use. But one of the most valuable things I learned from completing a German minor (with no prior experience) is that language-learning isn’t about having perfect grammar or the ‘right’ accent; it’s about entering a different culture and discovering new ways of expression. Engaging with your heritage is a beautiful experience that gives you the language to better understand yourself and your relationship to the world around you. You don’t need to be perfect; you just need to start! :) 

5. What is your biggest dream/hope for the Filipino community?
I think that my many dreams for the Filipino community all fit into a larger vision of an empowered community whose collective and individual needs are met. Naturally, I’d love to have an inclusive intercultural, intergenerational provincial Filipino cultural centre—which is what MHS is working toward right now. I would also highlight good living conditions, particularly for new migrants and Filipino folks who have been exploited by predatory programs of the past. Throughout all of this work, I particularly hope to see sustainable, reciprocal relationships with Indigenous communities, on whose land we do all of this work and to whom we owe a deep and active sense of solidarity.