OTTAWA, February 2024 — Pinoys on Parliament (POP) is the first and largest national
leadership conference for Filipino-Canadian youth. From February 23rd to the 25th, POP will be
hosting workshops, discussions, and cultural events surrounding the idea of “Laro”.

Laro (Lah-roh) is a word that can mean “to play (with someone or something)” when translated
into English. This year, POP has related the act of playing to the experience of childhood,
specifically highlighting the concept of healing the “inner-child”. By hosting workshops and
speakers that discuss the traumas that underlie our collective immigrant experiences, we aim to
shift those conversations about the Fil-Can identity beyond what we have inherited from our
parents. Instead of asking one another “what does it mean to be Filipino?” Laro asks the next
generation of leaders: what does it mean to be you?

Our past speakers include: Dr. Rey Pagtakhan, the first Filipino-Canadian elected to Parliament;
Rechie Valdez, the Parliament’s first Filipina member, and recently, the new Minister of Small
Business; Lastly, Senator Dr. Gigi Osler, the first Filipina-Canadian in history to assume the role.
This year’s keynote speaker is Kyne Santos, affectionately known as “Kyne”, the first
Filipino-Canadian contestant on season one of Canada’s Drag Race.

With speakers from an array of disciplines joining at the nation’s capital to continue their
legacies and inspire Filipinos from across Canada, and small-business owners attending our
community symposium, we implore you to attend Pinoys on Parliament’s sixth annual
conference and witness the transformative power of community organization and the immigrant
spirit.

For more information, please visit https://www.kabangka.org/pinoysonparliament.