Filipino community in Toronto

People of Filipino origin are more likely than Canada's population to be either children or employed young adults, while Filipino Canadians are less likely to be retirees or seniors.[1]

Canadian adults of Filipino origin are more likely than the rest of the population to have a university degree. In 2001, 31% of Canadians of Filipino origin aged 15 and over had either a bachelor’s or post-graduate degree. Canadians of Filipino origin with post-secondary qualifications are more likely to hold degrees in highly technical fields. In 2001, people of Filipino origin accounted for 2% of university graduates in Canada. In 2001, studies show that 33% of women of Filipino origin had a university degree, compared to 27% of their male counterparts.[1]

Most Canadians of Filipino origin are employed. In 2001, 72% of labour force participants of Filipino origin were employed. In the Filipino population, more men than women work outside the home. Canadians of Filipino origin constitute a high proportion of all those employed in both health occupations and in manufacturing. However, their representation was disproportionately low among the areas of management, education, politics, and the social sciences.[1]

In 2001, 51% of adults in the Filipino community had marriage status. Canadians of Filipino origin are just as likely as the rest of the population to have single-parent status. In 2001, 6% of adults of Filipino origin aged 15 and over were single parents; most of which were women. In the Filipino community, women represented 88% of all single parents in 2001.[1]

Basilica del Santo Niño, which is considered the Mother and Head of All Churches in the Philippines.

Most Canadians of Filipino origin are Christians. In 2001, 81% claimed they were Catholic, while 15% belonged to either a mainline Protestant denomination or another Christian grouping. However, a relatively small proportion of the Filipino community, 3%, reported they either had no religious affiliation or were Islam.[1]

Previous censuses show that Filipinos in Toronto speak Tagalog more often than any other Philippine language, giving primacy to the Tagalog language on Toronto Public Library’s shelves.[2] Though Filipinos are the fourth largest visible minority group in Toronto (2008), the Toronto Public Library’s Tagalog items numbered fewer than 7000 or less than 1 percent of the Toronto Public Library’s entire multilingual collection in 2006.[2] In 2009, the Toronto Public Library had eight branches with Tagalog collections across Toronto. The larger Tagalog collections are found in neighbourhoods where there are more Tagalog speakers. The large collections at Barbara Frum and Malvern are located near the intersection of several areas where many Filipinos live .[2] Based on physical examination of shelves and anecdotal evidence provided by staff at the Toronto Public Library branches with Tagalog collections, Tagalog paperbacks and melodramatic movies are borrowed more often than award-winning novels and films. Tagalog shows dominate Philippine television today, but Hollywood movies are much more popular than locally produced ones. With regard to Philippine music, Filipino singers are just as likely to perform Tagalog songs as English ones, and the titles of the songs they sing in concerts, on TV, and on their CDs reflect this reality. There is a significant demand for Tagalog materials, though Filipinos who most often speak Tagalog at home are not as many as the English-speaking ones. However, Tagalog is not the language spoken or read by most Filipinos. This is especially the case for 63% of Filipinos in Toronto who speak English at home. The Philippines has 8 major languages and almost 500 dialects, but the language of its mass media are limited to English and Tagalog.[3]

Traditional Philippine music and dance.

The Toronto Philippine Consulate founded the Filipino Centre. This centre is the meeting place for many Filipinos. A library containing multiple Tagalog collections was their recent establishment. The centre’s free medical clinic aids newcomers to Toronto, while its homework club for students caters to Filipino youth. A Tagalog class us open to Filipino children and Canadians who have interest in learning the language. Guest speakers from Basilica del Santo Niño often visit. The Filipino Singing Idol Contest showcases traditional Filipino music from the Spanish Era, while dance classes are available. The centre offers exercise programs for seniors.[4]

The Kababayan Multicultural Centre is a non-profit agency providing settlement services for Filipino newcomers to Toronto. The settlement program is funded by the three levels of the Canadian government: Federal, Province of Ontario and City of Toronto. Its mission is to support newcomer immigrants by providing settlement services, assisting the job application process, and addressing social barriers. Services are offered in English and Tagalog.[5]

According to the 2011 census, over 70 000 people in Toronto list Tagalog as their mother tongue. Tagalog is in the top 20 mother tongues listed in Toronto's 140 neighbourhoods. In 22 of those neighbourhoods, over 1000 people list it as their mother tongue. Tagalog mother tongue speakers are largely concentrated in neighbourhoods such as Scarborough and North York.[7]

According to the Ethnic Diversity Survey of the 2006 Canadian census, most Canadians of Filipino origin feel a strong attachment to Canada. In 2002, 78% of those who reported Filipino origin claimed they had a strong attachment to Canada. At the same time, 89% claimed they had a strong attachment to their ethnic or cultural group. Canadians of Filipino origin are active in Canadian society. In 2002, 73% of eligible voters reported doing so in the 2000 federal election. Also, 41% reported that they participated in an organization such as a sports team or community association. However, one-third of Canadians of Filipino origin reported unfair treatment towards their race, language or accent. Majority (64%) of those who experienced discrimination reported a lack of employment equity due to their race or skin colour, and 69% claimed discrimination occurred in the workplace or job application.[1]