Some survivors of the Lapu-Lapu Day tragedy say itâs not the right time for the cultural event to return to Vancouver next month â about a year after a vehicle ramming attack killed 11 people at the Filipino festival in 2025.
Advocacy group Filipino B.C. has announced that it will host the annual event on April 19, stating the gathering will look different compared to previous iterations of the event, which is named after a Filipino chief who fought against Spanish colonization.
It says the festival will focus on reflection and communal healing and will be held at the Italian Cultural Centre instead of on Fraser Street, where last yearâs tragedy occurred.
But some from Metro Vancouverâs Filipino community say the trauma remains fresh.
On April 26 last year, a vehicle plowed down a crowded street of festival goers. Adam Kai-Ji Lo is charged with 11 counts of second-degree murder and 31 counts of attempted murder.
âItâs disrespectful for us if they do it again, not even a year later,â said Val De La Cruz, who was injured in the attack while attending the festival with his wife and their two young children.
De La Cruz was carrying his two-year-old son when the vehicle drove into the crowd near John Oliver Secondary School. He was knocked unconscious, injured his arm and required surgery.
He says his son suffered a concussion and is still recovering from the trauma he endured.
âEvery time he sees a car, heâs hugging me and running, thinking thereâs a car behind us,” he said. âWeâre not ready for that. Weâre still in trauma.”
De La Cruz is still undergoing physiotherapy and remains largely unable to work.
More than 1,200 people have now signed an online petition calling on organizers to postpone the 2026 event.
âItâs way too soon,â said Roan Hidalgo, who started the petition. âMost of us in the community are still grieving.â
He says the community needs more time before returning to large public celebrations.
Some survivors, community members oppose 2026 edition of Lapu-Lapu Day festival
In a statement, Filipino B.C. said it recognizes that not everyone feels ready for a gathering this year.
âEveryone experiences grief and healing in their own way, on their own time,â the organization said. âWe understand that some individuals feel it may be too soon to hold a gathering this year.
