Members of the Philippine community in St. John saw videos on the social networks of the tragic attack of cars attack at the Lapu Lapu Festival in Vancouver with shock and anger.
“You are simply looking, helpless, and you can feel the pain,” said Coco Sangcopan, who volunteers in the Filipino-Canian Inc. organization of the NL NL.
On Saturday night, a man led a SUV to a multitude of festival attendees in Vancouver, killing 11 people, police said. Almost 100,000 people attended, since the festival is important for the Filipino throughout the country.
For the group’s volunteer, Katherine Salvador, the festival in Vancouver made a personal connection. She is from the city of Lapu-Lapu in the Philippines, where she would also celebrate the Filipino hero who fought against Spanish colonization every year on April 26.
“I felt devastated,” said Salvador. “It was supposed to be a day for the celebration, which was supposed to be a day to be together with the rest of the community.”
Salvador said that her husband’s aunt had a stand installed at the festival in Vancouver, but fortunately she left the festival early.
Sangcopan said he spoke with a community leader in British Columbia to express his condolences, and are in shock.
“People were looking forward to this event because again, this is a celebration of a Philippine meeting in all BC,” he said. “Then it turned out to be tragic.”
The Filipino community in NL observed the sequels of the Lapu Lapu festival attack developing with shock and anger. They are offering their condolences to the Philippine community throughout the country, which are regretting the loss of 11 people in the attack of the vehicle.
The community in St. John’s had plans to organize a celebration of the Free Air Independence Day in June, but now it is looking to move the event indoors and strengthen security, Sangcopan said.
“I think we have to be more careful as a community,” he said.
“We really don’t know what will happen because, and especially with the Philippine meetings, there are children, there are families,” said Salvador.
The Filipina organization will celebrate a Mass and prayer vigil in the Parish of St. Teresa in St. John’s Wednesday.
It is encouraging community members to come a prayer and offer candles to those who lost their lives in Vancouver.
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