What comes to your mind when you see a Filipino-Canadian?

Nurse? Personal Support Worker? Nanny?

Yes, it is our pride and joy to serve as healthcare workers,
but we’re more than that. So much more.

As we end the month-long celebration of Filipino Heritage Month, AV Communications and One Down Media are breaking the tabo (er taboo) today.

Join us as we present the accomplishments of Filipino-Canadians from the true north. And why 1 million Filipinos in Canada need to be visible and represented in mainstream society. Not yesterday, but #Filipinow!

June is Filipino Heritage Month. It seemed like the right time for Filipino-Canadians Joycelyn David and Argentina Beltran to join forces and rally some 12 million Filipinos living overseas to celebrate their invaluable contributions to the countries they now call their second home.

#FILIPINOW is a first-of-a-kind initiative spearheaded by Joycelyn and Argentina. The campaign is calling on the Filipino diaspora to tell their stories out loud throughout June.

“We want to instill a sense of belonging and solidarity among Filipinos,” says Joycelyn, CEO and owner of leading Toronto-based multicultural agency AV Communications. “We want to elevate the Filipino community and importantly tell their stories through their own words.”

Backed by prominent Filipino influencers and media community advocates across North America, #FILIPINOW stemmed from Joycelyn and Argentina’s shared desire to connect with Filipinos of all backgrounds and generations worldwide.

The campaign hashtag #FILIPINOW combines a sense of urgency that “now” is the right time to talk about the impact of the community beyond the healthcare industry. Through this campaign, the duo aims to dispel stereotypical notions of who Filipinos are. Filipinos are not just proud healthcare frontliners, they are social drivers, innovators, and yes, even heroes.

Through #FILIPINOW, Filipino-Canadian entrepreneur Argentina is on a mission to showcase the Filipino’s brand of leadership across various industries and professions. “My name might be Argentina but I am a proud Filipina. To my Filipino brothers and sisters, I encourage you to keep showing your resilience, your knack for innovation, and keep building our legacy across the world,” she says.

Starting June 1, Filipino Canadians who want to participate in the campaign can simply:

•  Post how proud you are of being a Filipino/a/x.
•  Tag a Filipino/a/x who inspires them.
•  Share a photo of that favourite Filipino/a/x.
•  Use hashtag #FILIPINOW

Now is the right time to show the world how proud you are of being Filipino. As Argentina said, “Filipinos are here. We matter and we are visible.” If you want to know more about the #FILIPINOW campaign, watch the video below or reach out to your kababayan Joycelyn David.

AV Communications (AVC) CEO Joycelyn David joins the ranks of visible minority women who are making their mark in Canada. A Filipino-Canadian, she has been recently nominated at the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards. The prestigious national awards program celebrates the achievements of the most accomplished and impactful women in the country.

Over the last 29 years, the program has honoured over 190 women for demonstrating excellence across multiple sectors. And this year, David is making history by becoming one of only a handful of Filipino women who have landed a place in this coveted spotlight.

Born in Canada, Raised Filipino

Proud of her Filipino roots, David was the first of her family to be born in Canada after her parents emigrated from the Philippines in the 1970s. She grew up between Winnipeg and Edmonton, learning about her culture through the stories shared by her relatives. But learning the culture was not enough. David yearned to see another Filipino face right here in her home.

“I can still remember the first time I saw a Filipino in a TV commercial here in Canada,” David recalled. “It was a student recruitment spot, and they were inviting internationally trained students to enroll. I distinctly remember the ad and the feeling that ‘Ah… I can see myself, my sister, and my culture represented on TV. I was 25 years old at the time. Why has it taken so long for me to see myself reflected in the media this way?”

This question on her mind motivated David to champion the representation of black, indigenous, and people of colour (BIPOC) in mainstream media. Especially for the Filipino ethnic group that’s the third-largest in Canada. The Filipino population is expected to reach 1M by 2021, representing a 150% growth rate. They’re also the number one source of immigrants to Canada.

Rising to the Challenge 

With the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, and call for representation for BIPOC, consumers are demanding diversity and authenticity. Multiculturalism is mainstream. This has been David’s battle cry since taking the reins at AVC in 2019. Aside from keeping its Filipino heritage alive, David is taking the 17-year-old agency to greater heights.

Today, the award-winning multicultural agency has expanded its business globally. Growing international brands and reaching multicultural audiences south of the border (USA), even as far as the Philippines and Mexico.

AVC is also expanding through partnerships and research and development with the launch of its insights platform ETHNIHUB^TM  in October 2020. This project landed David a coveted spot in the Microsoft-backed Women in Cloud Accelerator.

Lead with Diversity. Invest in Multicultural.

David aims to push brands to revisit their brand and marketing campaigns and account for visible minorities in their communications. And though she has shattered Filipino stereotypes through her latest achievement, David knows her work has only just begun.

“It’s time for companies to walk the talk. If they truly embrace diversity and inclusion (D&I) it will be reflected in all aspects of their business, including marketing. When I began in this industry nearly 20 years ago, multicultural marketing budgets were often less than 5% of a campaign budget. It’s now 2021, and unfortunately, we haven’t moved the needle enough. I look forward to the day when a campaign brief LEADS with diversity and puts the right investment into multicultural audiences as well.”

If you would like to talk to Joycelyn about some of her current endeavors, future passion projects or how she can help you boost your brand in the multicultural space, drop her a message at linkedin.com/in/joycelyndavid/