By Rey Fortaleza OLY
LARA HONRADO: FROM FILIPINO ROOTS TO PUBLIC SERVICE IN VANCOUVER-SOUTH GRANVILLE
From Santa Ana, Manila, to a career connecting communities in Vancouver, Lara Honrado brings an immigrant’s journey, experience in public service and an international perspective to her candidacy for provincial office.
Honrado is running for Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in Vancouver-South Granville under the BC NDP banner. Her priorities include affordability, protecting healthcare and other essential public services, and building a strong, resilient economy.
Born in Santa Ana, Metro Manila, Philippines, Lara immigrated to Canada with her family when she was just three years old. They first settled in Toronto.
Her childhood included frequent moves, and she later attended the University of California, Irvine. Vancouver eventually became her longtime home, where she raised her two children and built a career in public policy, communications and community relations.
Connecting communities and City Hall
Lara led community relations for former Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson, supporting work on economic development, reconciliation and climate change while strengthening relationships with the city’s diverse communities.
Her responsibilities brought her into conversations about Vancouver’s future and how public decisions affect people across different neighbourhoods and backgrounds.
As a senior leader, she also helped develop Culture Shift, the City of Vancouver’s 2020-2029 cultural plan. Her work included efforts to address equity in urban planning and the city’s emergency response during the COVID-19 pandemic.
These experiences form part of the background she brings to her campaign, alongside her focus on the everyday pressures facing residents.
Technology, accountability and public understanding
Lara’s work also extends beyond municipal government. She works with the United Nations, Maria Ressa and artificial intelligence experts to help the public understand technology’s effects on society.
Her campaign connects that experience with the BC NDP’s position on holding major technology companies accountable for online harms.
Supporting arts and culture
Arts and culture are another part of Lara’s community involvement. She has served on the board of 221A, helping steward British Columbia’s first cultural land trust. She is currently on leave from her board duties while pursuing elected office.
Her involvement reflects a career that spans local community relationships, cultural policy and international conversations about technology.
For Filipino Canadians, Lara’s candidacy adds another community voice to provincial politics. Her story connects her beginnings in the Philippines with the Canadian communities where she grew up and the Vancouver home where she raised her family.
As she seeks to represent Vancouver-South Granville, Honrado is placing affordability, public services and economic resilience at the centre of her campaign.
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