Kababayan Community Centre Multicultural Services (KCCMS) is a settlement agency funded by three levels of the Canadian government: Federal Canada, Province of Ontario and City of Toronto. Some funds are also raised from the public to support other activities not covered by government funding.
Kababayan Community Centre is proud to exist as one of the service providers helping newcomers. It strives to provide continuous assistance and support to newcomer immigrants through its dedicated team of staff and board of directors. Clients who visit the Centre has appreciated and acknowledged our service and such gestures has always motivated the Centre to work harder and continue its service to the community at large. Services to the clients are provided in English, Tagalog, Tibetan, Hindi and Tamil. We at the Centre hope and look forward to continue our service for many more years to come.
History
The history of Kababayan Community Centre goes back to 1977. The collective initiative of the four founding incorporators of KCC namely Ruben Cusipag, Voltaire de Leon, Tessie Jew, Carmencita “Ging” Hernandez and Helen Mascardo resulted in the birth of Kababayan Community Centre. Since then the Centre has grown into a fully fledged Community Centre which caters settlement service to newcomers and immigrant Filipino in the greater Toronto region. The past thirty years has seen many developments in the history of KCC and some of the highlights are mentioned as follows:
Important Dates:Events/ Activities
1977:Founding of Kababayan Community Centre by Ruben Cusipag, Tessie Jew, Voltaire de Leon and
Helen Mascardo. Ruben Cusipag was the Chairperson.
1978: Youth activities were initiated.
1979: Participated in the first Philippine National Day Celebration at High Park
1979-1980: Became an active member of Adhoc Committee for Landed Status for Foreign Domestic Worker.
1980-1981: KCC hired Liling Cortez as Coordinator. Participated in Anti-Racist Coalition to oppose the presence of Ku Klux Klan in Parkdale.
1983: October - First Filipino Provincial Conference in Ontario, the Filipino Canadian community was being buffeted by the forces of systemic racism which led to the conference on “Education Equity and Employment Equity.
1984: Rosa Tanega was the Chairperson.
1985: The first official and recorded involvement of Kababayan on issues of violence against women.
1987-1988: Implementation of ESL – English as a Second Language Program in collaboration with the Toronto Board of Education In collaboration with Network of Filipino Canadian Women (NFCW), “Mail Order Brides: To Honor and Obey,” and From Fright to Fight, were published.
1989: Flor Dandal was hired as KCC Coordinator on February. Bert Montemayor was the Chairperson. Kababayan heightens community’s awareness of Canadian history, heritage and culture with its “You & Canada workshopsheld three times a year. This workshop is part of the program on Civics which began in 1989 and also includes information on alllevels of government and participation in the political processes. Kababayan became a member of the Parkdale Committee to End Woman Abuse.
1990: Started the formal establishment of the different programs of the Centre, Programs for Youth, Women and Seniors funded byCanadian Heritage. Received the first funding from Drug Abuse Prevention Program for Youth from the City of Toronto. An additional full time staff was hired, Loida Gatchalian in November.
1991: Formed the Kababayan Youth Network, Kababayan Seniors For Greater Toronto and Program on Support Group for Women in abusive situation. Received funding from Health and Welfare Canada – Seniors Horizons for seniors program and funding from Province of Ontario, Ministry of Social Services for Women’s Program.
November – Ellen Pacelo was hired.
Conducted the first Youth three day summer camp at KOA Niagara Falls.
KCC staff started to provide counseling, educational sessions and monthly meetings for youth.
1992: Participated at the National Conference on Wife Assault and Violence Against Women in Montreal. Funding from City of Toronto on the different programs and services were also established i.e. counseling, issues on racism etc.
February – Rowena Sunga was hired.
1993: Formed the Task Force To Stop Racism at Scarborough Town Centre. Kababayan has documented 33 Individual cases of such racial discrimination – and produced a play entitled “Mall Fright,”- a one-act play Depicting experiences of Filipino youth victims of racial harassment at the mall. Rally and picket at STC were conducted by about 100 organizations through the leadership of Kababayan Community Centre. The play was conducted last August 20, 1993 at Porter Collegiate.
The book was published, “Portrait of Filipino-Canadians in Ontario (1960 -1990) was written by Ruben Cusipag and Maria Corazon Buenafe, the book was a project sponsored by Kababayan Community Centre.
First Educational/Fun Trip of Seniors. Visited Washington, D.C. – White House etc.
From 1993-2002, the Places that were visited were Washington D.C., New York, New Jersey, Atlantic City, Virginia Beach, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ottawa, Kingston, Montreal, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Windsor, Michigan, Chicago, Missouri, Ohio, etc.
The first 3 – day Summer Camp at YMCA Geneva Park for Women.
Kababayan and the Anti-Racism Secretariat published the booklet, called “Joining Forces” – Magkaisa Laban Sa Rasismo.
1994: Got involved when 10 young Filipino students at Northview Heights Secondary School were given twenty (20) day suspension for their involvement in a fight with another group of students. Additional funding from Citizenship and Immigration Canada was requested and provided hence, KCC hire additional staff.
August – Ricky Caluen was hired.
1995: Carmencita Hernandez became the Chairperson.
1997: KCC started the program on Employment and Computer Sessions funded by Levi’s Foundation. The program is still running up to this date. Eugene Suarez was hired (September)Celebrated 20th Anniversary at Royal York Hotel last August 2, 1977. The first 3 day Summer Camp at KOA, Niagara Falls for Seniors.
1998: The Newcomer Settlement Program – Ministry of Citizenship, province of Ontario was established. KCC hired additional staff, Armela Marano (Sept. 1998-P/T); (June 1999-F/T under ISAP program)
1999: Christina Nikpay was hired.
2000: Establishment of Care (Creating Access to Regulated Employment) for Nurses Project with Consortia partners namely: Woodgreen Community Centre, Yee Hong Geriatric Care and St. Michael’s Hospital. It was designed to assist foreign graduate nurses access the Nursing Profession, funded by Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. Christina Santiago was hired. Establishment of Group Tutorial Program
2001: Establishment of the Program – Study Group Tutorial Program for Grade 7-12 (three year program2001-2004) which is funded by Trillium Foundation. Veronica Dichoso was hired. (August) Ruben Empalmado became the Chairperson of KCC.
2002: Assisted in the formation of Engineers group called “Ontario Association of Filipino-Canadian Engineers” and a support group for Filipino-Canadian Social Workers through the funding Support of the City of Toronto was also formed.
July – Eve Marquez was hired.
Celebrated the 25th Anniversary at Royal York Hotel last Sept. 7, 2002.2000
2003: Aguido dela Cruz became the Chairperson. Maripi Malana was hired to replace V. Dichoso on her pregnancy leave.
2004: Flor Dandal was given the title of Executive Director. Problem Gambling Program was established with COSTI & CAMH as partners. Flor received training to do the counseling on gambling. KCC membership with CASJ.
2005: Establishment of Kababayan Caregivers Network.
2006 :April 2006 - Melanie Canlas was hired as Counsellor for the NSP Program.
October 2006 - Ellen Pacelo was rehired as Counsellor for the Women & Senior’s Program.
Tsering Norzom was also hired as Settlement Counsellor for the Library Settlement Program
Dec. 15, 2006 - The Centre was renovated giving way to the creation of 4 cubicles to accommodate the four counselors.
2007: Ellen Pacelo was hired full time to replace Armela Marano. Michael Cole, Minister of Citizenship visited the Centre and graced the cutting of ribbon ceremony for our Open House. Celebrated the 30th Anniversary at Delta Chelsea Hotel on September 8, 2007.
2008: January 2008 - Uttam Makaju was hired to replace Tsering Norzom, Settlement Counsellor at the Library.
April 2008 - Aurora Rodulfa was hired as Counsellor for the NSP Program.Sept. 2008
Approval of change of name of the Kababayan Community Centre to Kababayan Community Centre Multicultural Services during the conduct of Annual General meeting.
Sept. 2008 – Jelbert Real became the Chairperson
October 2008 - Shova Adhikari was hired to replace Uttam Makaju
Nov. 2008 - Giselle Segovia was hired as the Administrative and Finance Manager
Dec. 2008 - Another renovation was in place following the Centre’s acquisition of the two offices formerly occupied by the Vietnamese Youth and Women Centre.
2009 : Kababayan was one of the organizing committee for the Unity concert to raise funds to Typhoon victims (Ketsana and Ondoy) in the Philippines. The event raise more than $10,000 dollars and was sent to a Citizens Disaster and Relief Centre, a non-government agency in the Philippines.
2010 : Aguido dela Cruz became the Chairperson. Acquisition of 6 new computers for the offices and new phone system.
Marissa Lebelle and Rinzin Wangmo were hired to implement the New Horizons for Seniors Program.
Albert Rodil was hired to implement the Reunification and Adaptation Program.
2011 – Hosana Jayme was hired to replace Giselle Segovia as Finance and Administrative Manager. Paulina Corpuz was hired as a part-time intake/program worker. Ellen Pacelo was rehired to replace Aurora Rodulfa.
