John Gano: Compassion and community activism

by Levy Abad

John Gano, the 10th president of the Philippine Association of Manitoba (PAM), was born in Baguio on December 9, 1939. According to Florence Ticzon, John was raised in Baguio and Benguet by his parents who were from Banaue, Ifugao. He finished his primary and secondary education at St. Louis University in Baguio and his bachelor’s degree in animal science and husbandry at Benguet State University where he also taught for three years before emigrating.

John and his wife Gliceria (Gliz) née Buduhan arrived in Winnipeg on August 29, 1967. He took on the leadership role from 1993 to 1994 when Efren Villarba relinquished the chairmanship for health reasons. John was Efren’s vice-president and a board member during the presidency of Jean Guiang in 1991. Like most of the early Filipino intellectuals who arrived in Winnipeg, he worked as a technical assistant and researcher on animal science and husbandry at the University of Manitoba for 28 years.

Situation in the old country

In 1966, the year before John landed in Manitoba, “The Movement for the Advancement of Nationalism” was formed in the Philippines to advance the struggle against the neocolonial condition of the country that pushed people to look for opportunities abroad. John was no exception. He left the old country to seek a better future for himself and his family.

Reviewing the book, The First Filipino Immigrants of Manitoba, it was mentioned that in 1989, the city of Winnipeg signalled its willingness to lease five acres of land for one dollar a year to the Filipino community. However, the development of the land was stalled. It was during John’s election for the next term as president, together with the board members, that the feasibility of developing the available land was made. After the review and discussion, the board passed a resolution to endorse to the community the development of a new centre. This would pave the way for the realization of the Philippine Canadian Centre of Manitoba.

1994, BIBAK founder

John was also the founding president of the Benguet, Ifugao, Bontoc, Apayao, Kalinga (BIBAK) Association of Winnipeg in 1994. In my interview with John in 2016, he explained that “back in the 50s, some students from the different tribes of the Cordillera in the five colleges in Baguio came together to form BIBAK as a mechanism for building unity, thus beginning the process of bringing about a bodong or peace pact among the warring tribes.” On a lighter note, he added that the “first performance of the Cordillerans in Winnipeg happened in 1968. The event was held at the Dakota Motor Hotel during the New Year’s Ball of the Filipino Canadian Association of Manitoba, the first Filipino group headed by Dr. Roland Guzman.”

Knights of Rizal Pioneer

Unbeknownst to a lot of Filipino Winnipeggers, John is an active member of the Knights of Rizal of Winnipeg. In January 2012, the organization gave John and four others the Lifetime Membership Award. In an article in the Pilipino Express (November 1, 2016), Felino De Jesus wrote that “under John Gano’s leadership, the Knights of Rizal, in cooperation with several communities and associations, celebrated Seniors Month in October.” During this event, the valuable contributions of seniors were recognized through cultural presentations.

Meeting John at La Merage

Back in 2016, John and his wife Gliz, frequented La Merage Restaurant for breakfast. This was where I used to hang out with the Breakfast Club to discuss issues of the day and where I had the chance to interview John. Nowadays, John, or Tito John as I call him, and Gliz are enjoying their retirement and family life with their four daughters and two grandkids. John is a warm-hearted person who never refuses anybody who wants to discuss social issues that affect Filipinos of Winnipeg and the struggles in the old country.

Sources

• Gliz Gano – messenger chat, March 31, 2025
• The PAM Today, p. 10
• Manggagawa: Noon at Ngayon, p. 71
• Dalayoan, Magsino, Bailon, The First Filipino Immigrants of Manitoba, 2005, pp. 86-87
• Abad, L., BIBAK: Resilience and Resistance, 2016
• Pilipino Express, “KoR Winnipeg honours Rizal and Filipino youth,” January 16, 2012

Levy Abad is the author of Rhythms and Resistance: Narrative of Filipino Musicians and Activists (1972-1994). He is also a singer-songwriter, poet, and migrant rights activist who has released four albums centred on the life and struggles of migrants.