When Mable Elmore won a hard-fought nomination to run in the 2009 provincial election, political commentator Aprodicio Laquian understood the significance of what was unfolding.
Elmore, a daughter of an immigrant-nurse originally from the Philippine province of Cebu, stood on the verge of making history as the first person of Filipino heritage to be elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of British Columbia.
“It’s a recognition of the political coming-of-age of Filipinos,” Laquian, a former UBC professor, told a Vancouver journalist in an interview.
And Elmore went on to win as the B.C. NDP’s candidate for MLA in Vancouver-Kensington, delivering the Filipino community out of the political wilderness.
Elmore thus finally secured a seat for Canadian Filipinos on the table of B.C. provincial politics.
Elmore has gone on to win re-elections in 2013, 2017, and 2020.
Her feat has yet to be replicated by another Canadian Filipino in B.C., hence she remains the only voice for the community in the provincial realm.
Elmore is running for another term as B.C. MLA for Vancouver-Kensington in the October 19, 2024 provincial election.
The excitement that greeted her first foray in B.C. politics was well deserved.
When the B.C. NDP was in opposition, Elmore served as the Official Opposition spokesperson for the Insurance Corporation of BC, and the deputy spokesperson for Finance.
With her party forming government in the wake of the 2017 election, she was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors Services and Long Term Care, and as Parliamentary Secretary for Poverty Reduction.
When B.C. NDP Premier David Eby assumed office in 2022, Elmore was designated as Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-Racism Initiatives, tasked in a lead role in pursuing programs to make the province a more inclusive and welcoming place.
As one illustration of what the province is doing on the anti-racism front, a racist incident hotline was launched in May 2024to make it easier for people to report, get support, and recover from racist incidents.
In 2022, the government introduced the Anti-Racism Data Act, a legislation aimed at collecting race-based data to address systemic racism in provincial programs and services.
In the same year, the province rolled out a safer communities action plan, a comprehensive and cross-government approach to make B.C. a safer place.
In 2024, the B.C. government allotted an anti-hate community support fund, so at-risk groups can have funding for security equipment, graffiti removal and repairs to damaged property.
Also this year, the province introduced the Anti-Racism Act, a law that targets
systemic racism within government programs and services and addresses racial inequity.
On July 28, 2024, the B.C. NDP nominated Elmore again as its candidate for MLA in Vancouver-Kensington.
Premier Eby recognized Elmore in an official statement regarding her nomination.
“As the first Filipino MLA to sit in our Legislature, Mable has broken down historic barriers. Mable has played a critical role in our government’s groundbreaking anti-racism legislation and been a very effective MLA for her constituents,” Eby said.
“People in Vancouver-Kensington need affordable housing, strong public healthcare, and a more affordable day-to-day life. Mable is committed to delivering for people,” Eby also said.
Elmore is gunning for a fifth term, and with over 175,000 Filipinos now in B.C., there is a need for the community to ensure that we keep our lone voice in the provincial government.
Let’s gather together and support Mable Elmore in the October 19, 2024 provincial election.
Let’s organize, volunteer, advocate and donate. For details: https://mableelmore.bcndp.ca/.
[Editor’s note: Eleanor Laquian wrote this piece originally for the online-only publication CanadianFilipino.Net, with which is the chair of the editorial board. She has generously allowed ReyFort Media Group to reprint the article through the Philippine Asian News Today.]
CAPTION: or caption:
Mable Elmore is the first and only Filipino who is a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of British Columbia. She represents the riding of Vancouver-Kensington. Photo by Zenaida Kwong.]
By Eleanor R. Laquian
