Our Vision

AFCLA’s vision is a welcoming and inclusive society for everyone.

Our Mission

AFCLA’s mission is to build a broader, stronger, and more effective collaboration among Filipino-Canadians towards uplifting the quality of life of rural Albertans.

about us

The Alberta Fil-Can Community Leaders' Association

AFCLA- is a registered non-profit Alberta society that serves as the umbrella organization of local Filipino organizations and informal groups to address the needs and issues of rural Filipino communities. Collectively, its members cover a wide area, extending across more than 45 towns in rural Alberta. AFCLA membership represents Filipinos with a diversity of interests, languages, and identities. AFCLA currently has a membership of 24 organizations.

Raise awareness about contributions and role of Filipinos in Alberta and Canada
Enhance community assets, cultural enrichment, belonging and identity
Coordinate projects, services and activities between member organizations to ensure maximum benefits to communities.
Develop leadership and organizational
Engage and develop more youth to respond to issues and needs
Strengthen·cooperati_on between the Filipino community and different levels of government, public institutions, service providers, and other community groups
Increase civic participation and voice of Filipinos in rural Alberta.

Our Story

Year 2020

COVID-19 pandemic

AFCLA emerged because of the need to share resources in response to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on rural communities. In mid-2020, Filipino leaders from Banff, Airdrie and Canmore met and agreed to join efforts to reach out to different rural areas and help those affected by illness, food insecurity, mental health, domestic violence, housing, job loss and safety in the workplace . By partnering with service providers and public institutions, the leaders coordinated the distribution of food and sanitation packages, supported newcomers, conducted vaccination campaigns, and initiated youth and children’s programs. They .also participated in municipal-w ide initiatives to bring in the voice of the Filipino community in managing the crisis.

Year 2021

AFCLA G10 was form

More Filipino organizations joined the network. In the summer of August 2021, leaders, and members from ten rural areas held a meet-and-greet picnic at the Cascade Ponds near Banff. That was when they made a commitment to work together and named themselves the Group of Ten or G-10. Their experience and growth led them to explore setting up an organization that would coordinate efforts across the province.

Year 2022

Formally established

AFCLA was formally established on July 18, 2022 as a registered Alberta Society. Since then, AFCLA has organized many joint activities including sports events, cross-community meet and greets, cultural celebrations and initiatives to provide resources to newcomers and other vulnerable community members. To further enhance its work, AFCLA established partnerships with several organizations, including ActionDignity, Edmonton Multi-Cultural Health Brokers Cooperative (MCHB), Centre for Newcomers (CFN), and Filipinos Rising for Inclusion and Equity to Nurture Democracy (FRIENDS).

Year 2023

First Provincial Convention of Filipino Community Leaders in Rural Alberta

Organized by Alberta Fil-Can Community Leaders’ Association (AFCLA)Why the need to come together and have a common voice

The Filipino community is the fastest-growing ethno-cultural community in Alberta and Canada. In Alberta alone, more than 217,000 identify themselves as Filipinos, based on the 2021 Statistics Canada census. Of this number, 46,890 (21.6%) live outside the two big cities of Calgary and Edmonton. The Filipino community in rural Alberta is also one of the most diverse. It represents many immigrant generations, languages, economic and professional backgrounds, and cultural traditions. For decades Filipinos have contributed significantly to the province’s economic, social, and cultural richness and especially the rural communities. Despite this, it is not getting the recognition it deserves and has earned. Furthermore, the issues and concerns of Filipinos in rural Alberta are growing in scale and urgency.
Community leaders and members have expressed the need to be more united and visible. Their initial experiences of mutual support and collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic have given them a picture of the progress they can achieve by working together. The Provincial Convention is a steptowards stronger cooperation and greater visibility.