Winnipeg Filipino Project revisited

by Levy Abad

	Sacred Heart Church c. 1910 (now École Sacré-Coeur School). Stovel Co. postcard courtesy Russ Epp
	St. Edward’s Church

The earliest recorded arrival of Filipinos in Winnipeg began in the early 60s comprised mostly physicians and nurses, followed by the successive arrivals of garment workers. In 1972, Filipinos in Winnipeg numbered 1,211 (“Phil Garment Workers celebrate 45 years in Winnipeg,” CTV News online). With this development, the Catholic Church of Winnipeg, under the auspices of the Diocese, developed a social program to gather newly arrived migrants, who were mostly Catholic, by forming the Winnipeg Filipino Project (WFP) in 1975. By the time WFP faded out organizationally in 1996, the community had reached 26,085 (“Early Filipino Organizations in Winnipeg,” Pilipino Express, January 16, 2025).

WFP’s evolution

I messaged Ted Alcuitas to ask about the project, and he shared, “it was instituted by Cardinal George Bernard Flahiff CSB, who was the Archbishop of Winnipeg from 1961 to 1982, to specifically minister to what he saw as the emerging community of faith in the archdiocese,” (T. Alcuitas, January 29, 2026). Furthermore, Cardinal Flahiff assigned a French-Canadian former missionary in the Philippines, Fr. Joseph Godbout OMI, to do the work of consolidating and coordinating the Winnipeg Filipino Project.

Ted Alcuitas recalls that Efren Arbilo, who received his Theology degree in Ottawa, became the initial acting coordinator (since the departure of Fr. Godbout in 1977), and elected full-time coordinator in 1979. At that time the WFP office was at Sacred Heart Church at 600 Bannatyne (now École Sacré-Coeur School) and later it moved to St. Edwards Church at 836 Arlington Street).

After a couple of years under Fr. Joseph Godbout and Msgr. Neil Parado, the leadership of WFP continued until the election of 1979, when Fr. Louis McCloskey became the Chair, Fr Sam Argenziano as Vice Chair, Nimfa Bercasio as Secretary, and Butch Hermano as Treasurer. The Silangan newspaper in the early 80s referred to Fr. Sam Argenziano as Chairman of WFP when he became the pastor of St. Peter’s Church. During this time, Ted Alcuitas became the coordinator for the WFP between 1982 and 1985. According to Nimfa Arbilo, Fr. Sam Argenziano was Chair of WFP in 1987, with Gloria Peñaflorida as Vice-Chair (FB Messenger, Feb 2, 2026).

Notable projects

Some events that the Winnipeg Filipino Project handled were basic ecclesial programs, such as baptismal preparation, marriage preparation, catechism, outreach, cursillo, Legion of Mary, and Block Rosary. In the field of culture, WFP also organized the First Santacruzan in 1975, and the Filipino Fiesta at St. Edward’s Church in the 80s. (Nimfa Arbilo, Feb. 4, 2026).

The project also campaigned for the realization of the United Housing Co-op and the campaign to provide aid for Vietnamese refugee families (Silangan, 1979). By the 1980s, when the struggle against the Marcos dictatorship intensified, WFP, through Ted Alcuitas, organized the August Twenty-One Movement (ATOM) in Winnipeg to protest the assassination of Senator Benigno Aquino by the dictatorship. Winnipeg Filipino Project also sponsored and organized the visit of Cardinal Jaime Sin in 1988, which was a big event. Ted also shared that Fr. Sam Argenziano, as Chair of Winnipeg Filipino Project, supported these solidarity, justice and peace campaigns. All these events, ranging from the ecclesial function to justice and peace campaigns, put into practice the social teachings of the Catholic Church.

Social justice advocacy

In my book Rhythms and Resistance, Ted Alcuitas (ATOM Chair 1984), who is also a pioneer community journalist and founder of Silangannewspaper, mentioned several Winnipeg Filipino Project members who were part of ATOM Winnipeg: Arturo “Art” Dizon (ATOM Chair 1987), Purita Dizon, Monina and Al Relano, Pablo and Rose Jalalla, Efren and Nimfa Arbilo, Bert and Gloria Peñaflorida, Dinah Peñaflorida, Cora Alcuitas, Jimmy and Luisa Pagsuyuin, and Steve and Betty Tuazon (p. 130).

Winnipeg Filipino Project, from its inception in 1975, had embraced and served the newly arrived Filipino community up until the 90s, when churches developed their respective programs to integrate the Filipino community. Fr. Sam Argenziano realized this need when he said, “When one must leave one’s homeland, it is always difficult to adjust to a new country… Our project has tried to help the newly arrived to adjust to both the social and religious levels, and we know how much care must be given. As in all groups, each generation will have its share of adjustment, so we must be constantly aware of the needs of our people and meet those needs with an open, loving and professional attitude.”