‘Sobrang sakit’: Festival goers recount Vancouver incident that turned fun event to tragedy

MANILA, Philippines – It was sunny on the morning that Filipinos in British Columbia (BC), Canada, were set to come together in a festival to celebrate their culture and heritage. In last year’s Lapu-Lapu Day celebration, it rained. But the weather was perfect on Saturday, April 26.

Roger Peralta, who works at the BC provincial government, felt that he had lost touch with Filipino culture, having long left the Philippines at 23 and was now in his late 30s.

After watching...