Filipino community in Hamilton to hold vigil tonight for victims of Lapu-Lapu Day tragedy

Samantha Beattie · CBC News

· Posted: May 04, 2025 12:32 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

After 11 radical were killed astatine the Lapu-Lapu Day lawsuit successful Vancouver last weekend, Filipinos crossed the country are uncovering solace successful 1 another, says Hamilton psychotherapist Joey Ruiz. 

"It's the spot of the Filipino tone that helps america survive, the consciousness of faith," said Ruiz, who was calved successful the Philippines. "There's a large consciousness of bayanihan — that consciousness of belonging oregon wanting to assistance that's truthful ingrained successful our culture." 

She's among those organizing a vigil Sunday evening astatine Bayfront Park, on with Filipinas of HamOnt co-founder Jessica Vinluan. 

"We're hoping for the vigil, the assemblage is gathering to collectively mourn together," said Vinluan. "It's precise important for america to stitchery and beryllium together."

In the evening of April 26, an SUV drove into a crowded Lapu-Lapu Day thoroughfare festival event, sidesplitting 11 radical and injuring astir 30.

The festival was supposed to observe the Filipino-Canadian community, but turned into "the darkest day" successful Vancouver's history, arsenic described by interim constabulary Chief Steve Rai. 

The youngest unfortunate identified arsenic of Sunday is 5-year-old girl, Katie Le, who was killed on with her parents Richard Le and Linh Hoang. Three radical from different household were besides killed — Glitza Daniela Samper, her mother Glitza Maria Caicedo and her father Daniel Samper. More accusation astir the victims can beryllium recovered here. 

Watch | 10 victims killed successful Lapu-Lapu festival identified: 

The accused attacker, Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, has been charged with 8 counts of second-degree murder.

Hamilton residents similar Ruiz knew radical who were attending the festival that day. 

Ruiz's niece and nephew had gone to the festival, but near conscionable earlier the attack. She said she besides has different household successful the area, who she checked on and were safe. 

"It feels truthful idiosyncratic due to the fact that that could person been my tita oregon tito," she said, utilizing words for aunt oregon uncle. "That could've been my household member." 

Sense of assemblage helps negociate pain

As a registered psychotherapist, Ruiz said she's been portion of nationwide assemblage cheque ins wherever witnesses to the onslaught person shared their traumatic experiences, trying to assistance those profoundly impacted.

"This idiosyncratic who was sharing is conscionable like, 'life volition ne'er beryllium the same,'" she said. 

In these online groups, galore radical don't speak, but conscionable being determination helps, Ruiz said.

"The consciousness of community, conscionable being unneurotic successful that aforesaid space, helps america to negociate the pain," said Ruiz. "Filipinos, who are from a collectivistic civilization modulate done co-regulation, truthful simply being determination successful silence, we're capable to beryllium connected with 1 different successful the consciousness of, we're not alone." 

She's offering her services escaped of complaint for any Filipinos successful Hamilton struggling to process the attack. 

Vigil to beryllium held at Bayfront Park 

Vinluan said she is inactive processing what happened and feels some numb and heartbroken.

"I'm truly leaning connected community," she said. 

While that's mostly been connected societal media, the vigil, called a Luksang Bayan in the Tagalog language, oregon "mourning arsenic a community," volition beryllium a mode for her and others find togetherness successful person, Vinluan said. 

They're encouraging radical to deterioration black, bring blankets and chairs and formal appropriately for the upwind arsenic it volition instrumentality spot rainfall oregon shine.

Donations tin beryllium made to the Filipino B.C., United Way B.C., oregon straight to impacted families, arsenic verified by the Vancouver Filipino Emergency Coalition. 

There volition beryllium singing and spoken connection performances and volunteers volition manus retired physics candles. Ruiz volition besides beryllium offering other enactment to anyone who needs it afterwards. 

The vigil runs from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. astatine Bayfront Park, 200 Harbour Front Dr.