UPAABC Receives 2025 UFCABC Distinguished Service Award for Transformative Community Impact

By Bella Balisi-Bevilacqua

Richmond, BC – The University of the Philippines Alumni Association in British Columbia (UPAABC) has been honoured with the 2025 UFCABC Distinguished Service Award. This accolade recognizes UPAABC’s outstanding contributions to education, cultural preservation, humanitarian service, and community building within the Filipino-Canadian diaspora.

For years, UPAABC has exemplified the values of the University of the Philippines, including Honour, Excellence, and Service. Through strategic programming, collaborative leadership, and a deeply rooted philosophy, UPAABC has made a significant impact on the Filipino community in British Columbia, Canada, and the Philippines. The association’s works have been influential in preserving Filipino culture and heritage, supporting Filipino youth through scholarships and mentorship programs, and doing its best to extend aid to marginalized communities.

June 7, 2025. Mr. Stephen Andrada, UPAABC’s President for 2025-2026, receives the alumni organization’s 2025 UFCABC Distinguished Service Award. (Photo by Philip Pua.)

One of UPAABC’s consistent and notable initiatives is the annual Giving-Back Activity in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. This program feeds about 300 unhoused individuals on a day in December. The alumni group’s scholarship program has 30 scholars, 13 of whom graduated with Latin honours. UPAABC’s high-quality projects also include co-hosting the Philippine Madrigal Singers’ Canada tour, launching international student conventions, and supporting fundraisers like Pinoy Band Aid. These efforts, along with strategic partnerships with the Philippine Consulate, UFCABC, Pinoy Festival Alliance, and community groups, continue to forge unity and purpose across generations and borders.

June 7, 2025. UPAABC (2025 UFCABC Distinguished Service Awardee), Pinoy Bahay Paupahan Canada (2025 UFCABC Community Service Awardee), and the family of Karissa Narukami (2025 UFCABC Distinguished Arts Category Awardee) share a table with PCG Vancouver (Consul General Gina Jamoralin and Consul Analyn Ratonel) at the 2025 UFCABC Heritage Gala. (Photo by Philip Pua).

Beyond service, UPAABC keeps UP alumni globally connected while amplifying the Filipino voice through platforms like the McLuhan Fellowship lectures. The resolve to amplify and promote linkages, Filipino journalism, and media has solidified UPAABC’s role as a beacon of leadership and solidarity in British Columbia.

The 2025 UFCABC Distinguished Service Award is more than a recognition; it is a paragon of UPAABC’s legacy of uplifting communities through collective action and pride in its origins. This year’s award joins UPAABC’s growing list of accolades, affirming its impactful roles in the Filipino-Canadian community.

As UPAABC continues to sustain through changing times, its dedication to honour, service, top-calibre education, and cultural preservation remains strong and untethered. The association’s efforts serve as an inspiration to other organizations, highlighting the importance of community engagement and support. UPAABC’s achievements serve as a testament to the power of collective action and the enduring values of the University of the Philippines. (MBB)

June 7, 2025. The UPAABC Community held three tables at the 2025 UFCABC Heritage Gala in Richmond, BC. (Photo by Philip Pua.)

For more information, visit UFCABC’s official website or UPAABC’s website.