Four former Filipino BC directors have issued a press release and a separate letter to the organization asking for transparency about the funds for the victims of the Vancouver Lapu Lapu tragedy.
The letter was addressed to Filipino BC Chair RJ Aquino, the Board of Directors, and members of the organization.
It was signed by Antonio Ortega, Conception Colobong, Lina Vargas, and Oscar Bisnar, all former directors of the organization.
“We write as members of the Filipino community, as donors, as former directors of Filipino BC, members of Filipino BC, and as concerned citizens who continue to support the victims and families affected by the Lapu-Lapu Day Festival tragedy,” the letter states.
Daily Hive has spoken to some of the family members of victims who have come forward with concerns about a lack of support from the organization. We recently heard from relatives of a man named AJ, whose life was fundamentally impacted as a victim of the tragedy, and he is now bedridden.
“My experience with Filipino BC can be summarized as a lot of pageantry and promises with very little follow-through,” someone close to AJ told Daily Hive.
She told Daily Hive that she was grateful that the organization initially paid for the family’s stay close to the hospital, but that that was the only thing that the group was straightforward with and the only way they were actually helpful.
We also spoke to AJ’s mom, who shared similar thoughts about the support or lack thereof, that they received.
We put some of the allegations to the organization before this letter from its former directors. In response, we were told, “Out of respect for privacy, we are unable to comment on what specific support was provided to individuals in our care.”
The letter continues, “The generosity of the public and the trust placed in Filipino BC give rise to significant moral and legal responsibilities. As a registered society in British Columbia, Filipino BC must comply with the statutory obligations set out in the Societies Act. Having collected public donations for the victims, strict adherence to these obligations is essential.”
The letter outlines several demands for Filipino BC, including a complete and detailed account of all the funds raised for victims. It also asks for full and complete disclosure of all disbursements, including identifying each of the recipients, the forms of support provided, the purpose of the support, and dates and amounts of each disbursement.
The directors are also asking for a full and complete disclosure of complaints, concerns or disputes raised by victims, donors, volunteers or partner organizations.
Filipino BC’s former directors are also asking for an independent external audit of all fundraising and distribution records.
“Victims continue to suffer, and the public has placed significant trust in Filipino BC. Full transparency is necessary to demonstrate that every dollar raised was used as intended,” the letter states.
“The public deserves to know where the money went.”
In an email to Daily Hive, Filipino BC has responded to the claims.
“While we cannot release confidential client-specific information, we can confirm that grant funding has supported temporary housing, medical and dental care, mental health services, food security, travel for victims and their families, and other essential needs identified by care teams and aligned with our organizational purpose,” the organization’s statement said.
“Filipino BC will provide all financial disclosures as required by law. Our fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31, which means audited financial statements for the 2025 and 2026 fiscal years are not yet available.”
The statement added that United Way BC had already published a report regarding community funding allocations, which can be seen here.
“There is no obligation for Filipino BC to release internal documents such as board minutes, internal reports, or confidential records. All client information in our care remains strictly private and is protected by legal and ethical confidentiality requirements,” the organization added.