Paulina Corpuz was a Filipino Canadian leader best known for her tireless advocacy in establishing Filipino Heritage Month in Canada. As a passionate community organizer and cultural champion, Corpuz dedicated decades to uplifting the Filipino Canadian community. From her early days in the Philippines to her pioneering work in Toronto, her life story is one of perseverance, pride in heritage, and lasting impact. This article explores Paulina Corpuz’s biography, her key achievements—especially her leadership in making Filipino Heritage Month a reality—and the broader impact of her work on Filipino Canadians, along with the tributes and commemorations that have honored her legacy since her passing.
Early Life in the Philippines and Journey to Canada
Born in 1963 in Ilagan, Isabela, Philippines, Paulina Jocelyn Toribio Balisi Corpuz grew up as the eldest of ten siblings. From a young age, she demonstrated a strong sense of justice and community. As a student at the University of the Philippines Diliman, she studied psychology and became active in social causes during a tumultuous period of Philippine history. This early exposure to advocacy under the Marcos era shaped her lifelong commitment to helping others.
After university, Corpuz’s career in the Philippines centered on empowering workers and aiding those in need. Her first job was as a pioneer coordinator in a workers’ cooperative union at the San Miguel Corporation brewery, where she helped factory workers organize and improve their livelihoods. She later worked with the Catholic Church’s Luzon Social Action Center as a project evaluator, delivering aid and support to impoverished communities. In this role, she even went on the front lines during natural disasters (like the Mount Pinatubo eruption and a major 1990 Luzon earthquake), providing relief to affected families. These experiences fortified her passion for community service and advocacy.
In 1993, Paulina immigrated to Canada to join her husband Ben, bringing with her an 11-month-old daughter. The family settled in Scarborough, Toronto, which remained her home base for the rest of her life. Like many newcomers, Corpuz faced the typical challenges of starting over—finding work, securing housing, and adapting to a new culture. She often said, “Your story is my story too,” acknowledging that she personally understood the struggles of fellow immigrants. Despite obstacles, she embraced Canada as her new home and immediately got involved in community life. Over time she raised three children (Belinda, Isabella, and Benson) in Toronto, all while continuing her education and community work. Corpuz earned additional certificates in non-profit management, business analysis, and other professional development courses in Canada, reflecting her belief in lifelong learning.
Building a Life of Advocacy in Canada
From the moment she arrived in Canada, Paulina Corpuz immersed herself in causes that mattered to her community. She began volunteering for the Canadian Cancer Society and, through 16 years of dedication, rose to the position of Systems Project Coordinator. In this role, she not only supported a health cause but also demonstrated how immigrants can contribute meaningfully to Canadian society. Her colleagues remember her as resourceful, hard-working, and always willing to help others, aligning with her passion for service.
Outside of her day job, Corpuz took on numerous leadership roles in community organizations. A natural organizer and community leader, she co-founded the Philippine Advancement Through Arts and Culture (PATAC) in Toronto, serving as its president. PATAC is a non-profit that funds and promotes cultural initiatives, particularly engaging Filipino Canadian youth in the arts. Through PATAC, Corpuz helped organize exhibits and events that celebrated Filipino Canadian talent. For instance, in June 2019 she led “Larawan” (meaning “portrait”), a photo exhibit showcasing inspiring Canadian Filipinos, to highlight role models within the community. These initiatives aimed at “breaking invisibility” – a phrase that encapsulated her mission to make Filipinos more visible and recognized in multicultural Canada.
Paulina Corpuz also became involved with the Philippine Independence Day Council (PIDC) in Toronto, an organization responsible for large community festivals and the annual June 12 Philippine Independence Day celebrations. She chaired community gatherings and helped organize flag-raising ceremonies at Toronto City Hall, proudly celebrating Filipino heritage. Her peers frequently acknowledged her knack for bringing people together to celebrate culture and history.
Additionally, Corpuz was an organizer of the Filipino Workers’ Network, advocating for the rights and welfare of Filipino-Canadian workers, especially those new to the country. She believed in empowering workers and sharing information about labor rights, drawing from her own background in union organizing. Education was another area of focus: she served as President of the Filipino-Canadian Parents Association in Catholic Education (FCPACE), helping Filipino parents engage with the school system and promote youth leadership. She was also active with Women’s Diversityprograms under the Canadian Multicultural Council of Asians in Ontario, promoting the role of women in multicultural communities.
Beyond organizational work, Paulina shared her voice through media. She co-hosted television programs like “Workers’ Agenda” and “TV Migrante Canada,” which discussed local and Philippine national issues affecting migrants and the diaspora. Through these platforms, she amplified stories of migrant workers, women, and community achievements, further uniting Filipinos across Canada. Her multifaceted involvement — spanning health causes, cultural promotion, labor advocacy, education, and media — demonstrated her belief that community building needed to happen on all fronts.
All the while, Corpuz also pursued entrepreneurial activities. She ran a small accounting and bookkeeping business as its CEO, and even worked as a licensed real estate broker helping fellow Filipinos abroad invest in property back in the Philippines. This entrepreneurial spirit complemented her community work, as she was constantly networking and building bridges within the Filipino Canadian business circle as well.
Championing Filipino Heritage Month in Canada
Paulina Corpuz’s most celebrated achievement is her leadership in establishing Filipino Heritage Month in Canada – a milestone that has given nationwide recognition to the Filipino Canadian community. By the mid-2010s, Filipinos had grown to become one of Canada’s largest immigrant groups (nearly a million people of Filipino descent in Canada by 2021), yet many felt the community’s contributions were not sufficiently visible in mainstream society. Corpuz recognized this “invisibility” challenge, as she called it. She often pointed out that despite the community’s size, “we do not see our faces in the governing tables” of municipal, provincial, or federal institutions. Inspired by the success of Black History Month and other cultural heritage celebrations, she envisioned a similar official commemoration for Filipinos in Canada. Her goal was to foster pride, educate others about Filipino culture and history, and encourage greater civic engagement among Filipino Canadians.
In November 2016, the idea of a Filipino Heritage Month (FHM) first took root. Corpuz, then serving as President of PATAC, floated the concept during a community gathering and received encouragement to pursue it. She began by speaking with local politicians. With the help of an ally experienced in politics, she approached Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) in Ontario across different parties. In the months that followed, three MPPs—from the New Democratic, Progressive Conservative, and Liberal parties—each attempted to introduce proposals or bills to proclaim June as Filipino Heritage Month in Ontario. Despite their efforts, those initial attempts in the Ontario Legislature did not succeed due to timing and political hurdles. Undeterred and “ostensibly frustrated but not defeated,” Paulina turned her focus to the municipal level and the broader community.
Grassroots mobilization was key to her strategy. Starting in late 2016 and throughout 2017, Paulina Corpuz spearheaded a petition campaign in the community. She personally attended Filipino community events—church gatherings, cultural festivals, neighborhood meetings—armed with petition forms to gather signatures of support. Over that year, she managed to collect endorsements from around 50 individuals and organizations, demonstrating a groundswell of support. This grassroots effort proved crucial when an opportunity emerged at Toronto City Hall.
In October 2017, during a community consultation for Filipino workers, Paulina connected with Neethan Shan, a Toronto city councillor who was also the City’s Newcomer Advocate at the time. Councillor Shan was impressed by Corpuz’s proposal and agreed to champion it at City Council. The two worked swiftly: they formally drafted a motion to declare June as Filipino Heritage Month in Toronto. Armed with the petition signatures and community endorsements Paulina had gathered, Councillor Shan introduced the motion to the Toronto City Council in November 2017. Paulina Corpuz was by his side, a driving force behind the scenes. The result was historic — the motion passed unanimously. Toronto officially declared June as Filipino Heritage Month, starting in 2018, marking the first time any government body in Canada had made such a proclamation. The City Council even urged Ontario and the federal government to follow suit across the province and country. At a celebratory reception following the vote, Councillor Shan congratulated all those in the Filipino Canadian community who had worked for so long to make this happen, and Paulina stood front and center among them.
Toronto’s success sparked a chain reaction. News of the city’s proclamation spread to Filipino communities nationwide, energizing activists and leaders in other regions. Soon, other municipalities and provinces began considering similar moves. In fact, Alberta became the first province to declare Filipino Heritage Month (even before Ontario did), reflecting how quickly the idea gained momentum. But the biggest milestone was yet to come on the national stage.
Inspired by the advocacy in Toronto, Member of Parliament Salma Zahid took up the cause federally. MP Zahid, who represented Scarborough Centre and was a friend and ally of Corpuz, introduced a private member’s motion (Motion M-155) in the House of Commons. The motion sought to have the federal government formally recognize June as Filipino Heritage Month across Canada every year. Paulina’s groundwork had laid a compelling case: a large community making significant contributions and now a major city already recognizing a heritage month. On October 30, 2018, the Parliament of Canada unanimously adopted Motion M-155. This meant that every June going forward would be officially celebrated as Filipino Heritage Month in Canada. It was a triumphant moment not just for Paulina Corpuz but for all Filipino Canadians – a recognition at the highest level of government of their culture, history, and contributions to Canadian society.
When the motion passed, Corpuz was overjoyed. She had often said that such a month-long celebration would give Filipino Canadians and all Canadians “an opportunity to learn, celebrate, enjoy, and experience the rich heritage and history of the Filipino community.” Now her vision was a reality. The first nationwide Filipino Heritage Month was celebrated in June 2019, with festivities, cultural exhibitions, and events from coast to coast. What started as one woman’s idea had become a new Canadian tradition.
Despite this achievement, Paulina remained humble and forward-looking. “The work is not done,” she told an interviewer in mid-2019, emphasizing that the declaration was just one step toward the greater goal of visibility and inclusion. For her, Filipino Heritage Month was a platform to further initiatives in representation. She immediately continued working to encourage youth engagement, urging younger Filipino Canadians to take pride in their identity and participate in public life.
Impact on the Filipino Canadian Community
The broader impact of Paulina Corpuz’s work on the Filipino Canadian community has been profound and lasting. By leading the push for Filipino Heritage Month in Canada, she helped a once “invisible” community step into the spotlight. Each June, the celebration of Filipino Heritage Month allows nearly one million Canadians of Filipino descent – along with their friends and neighbors – to showcase the richness of Filipino culture and history. Festivals, flag-raising ceremonies, culinary events, art exhibits, and educational programs now take place annually in cities across Canada. This not only brings Filipinos together in pride, but also invites the wider Canadian public to learn about and appreciate the Filipino community’s contributions. In a country that values multiculturalism, Filipino Heritage Month has created a new space for intercultural dialogue and understanding.
Community leaders credit Corpuz’s advocacy for sparking greater civic participation among Filipino Canadians. The visibility from the heritage month has instilled pride in the younger generation of Filipino Canadians, many of whom previously did not see their heritage reflected in official narratives. Now, schools might feature Filipino history in June, public libraries put up Filipino book displays, and city halls host Filipino flag ceremonies. Such recognition reinforces to youth that their heritage is valued in Canada. This was exactly what Paulina hoped for: to inspire younger generations to get involved and to bolster the community’s confidence. Indeed, following the establishment of FHM, there has been a noted increase in initiatives by young Filipino Canadians in arts, politics, and social causes, carrying forward the torch that leaders like Corpuz lit.
Moreover, the process of achieving Filipino Heritage Month forged stronger unity within the Filipino Canadian community itself. Dozens of Filipino associations, from cultural dance troupes to alumni groups, came together to support Corpuz’s petition and celebrate the eventual declaration. This collaborative spirit has continued, leading to a more organized community that can advocate for other needs and issues. Paulina Corpuz’s ability to rally people from different walks of life – professionals, seniors, students, recent immigrants – under a common cause demonstrated the power of a united community voice.
Aside from Heritage Month, Paulina’s impact is evident in the many community projects and organizations she nurtured. Through PATAC, she mentored young Filipino artists and performers, giving them platforms to shine. Through FCPACE, she helped parents engage in the education system, which in turn benefits Filipino Canadian students in schools. Her work with the Filipino Workers Network provided support for newcomers dealing with employment and labor challenges. Each of these contributions addressed a different facet of settlement and integration, improving real lives daily.
Her emphasis on tackling “invisibility” also resonated in the political arena. Although Paulina herself did not hold elected office, she took the bold step of running for public positions – for a school board trustee in 2014, and for Toronto City Council in 2018. In doing so, she set an example and blazed a trail for others. It’s no coincidence that in 2021, Canada saw the appointment of its first Filipina Canadian federal Cabinet minister and more Filipino Canadians running for office; these breakthroughs stand on the shoulders of community advocates like Corpuz who normalized the idea of Filipinos in leadership. Her mantra, “Success comes to those who persevere,” reflected her unwavering determination and became a source of inspiration for many who worked with her.
By every measure, Paulina Corpuz left the Filipino Canadian community stronger, more visible, and more confident than she found it. She helped create a legacy of pride that will benefit future generations. Filipino Heritage Month in Canada is now a fixture of the cultural calendar – a yearly reminder of the contributions of a vibrant community and of the woman who helped put that community on the map.
Tributes and Commemorations of Her Legacy
In November 2022, at the age of 59, Paulina Corpuz passed away in Toronto after a sudden illness, leaving behind her husband and children. Her unexpected passing was met with an outpouring of grief and gratitude from coast to coast. Community members, leaders, and public officials all paid tribute to the remarkable woman who had touched so many lives. Tributes and commemorations highlighted not only her accomplishments, but also her personal qualities: her kindness, her humble leadership, and her unwavering commitment to service.
On November 16, 2022, the impact of her life reached the floor of Parliament. MP Salma Zahid rose in the House of Commons to honor Paulina Corpuz, calling her “a pillar of Toronto’s Filipino community and a friend.” Zahid publicly thanked Corpuz for fighting to bring recognition to the Filipino community and explicitly credited Paulina’s leadership in Toronto as the inspiration behind the federal motion for Filipino Heritage Month. She noted that the nationwide recognition “all started with her.” Such acknowledgement at the highest levels of government was a powerful testament to Corpuz’s legacy.
The very next day, another Parliamentarian, MP Rechie Valdez, paid tribute. Valdez – notably the first Filipino Canadian woman elected to Parliament – celebrated Paulina’s life and legacy, remarking that “Paulina was an inspiration to all of us, leaving a legacy in the community.” She also touched on Corpuz’s cherished roles as a devoted wife to Ben and loving mother to her children, reminding everyone that beyond her public achievements, Paulina was family-oriented and grounded in her values. For many, it was moving to see Canada’s legislative body recognize the contributions of a once grassroots community organizer in such a heartfelt way.
Local community organizations held their own commemorations. In Toronto, a memorial gathering brought together friends, colleagues, and community members to celebrate Paulina Corpuz’s life well lived. People shared stories of how she had encouraged them, or how her projects had made a difference. Her ability to connect people and her warm, genuine nature were common themes in these remembrances. Even media paid homage: OMNI Television’s Filipino news program aired a special segment remembering Paulina’s work in establishing Filipino Heritage Month and her other community efforts. Social media also lit up with messages of thanks and farewell from people across Canada and even from the Philippines, all using phrases like “rest in power” and “thank you for your legacy.”
During the Filipino Heritage Month celebrations in June 2023, the first such celebrations without Paulina, many events were dedicated in her honor. Community leaders at flag ceremonies and cultural shows took moments to acknowledge Corpuz’s foundational role in making those very celebrations possible. In a sense, every Filipino Heritage Month that Canada will celebrate in the future stands as a living tribute to Paulina Corpuz. Each time Filipinos raise their flag in June or showcase their traditional dances at city hall, her spirit is remembered and her contributions are implicitly thanked.
Her legacy has also been cemented through various awards and recognitions she received both before and after her passing. Paulina had been honored over the years with numerous awards, including being named Pinoy of the Year in 2018 at the Golden Balangay Awards (a national award recognizing outstanding Filipino Canadians), and receiving community service awards from organizations like the Canadian Multicultural Council – Asians in Ontario and the University of the Philippines Alumni Association in Toronto. In 2021, she was given a Quincentennial Service Award by the Philippine Consulate in Toronto for her exceptional contributions to the diaspora. These accolades, often mentioned in the tributes after her death, paint the picture of a respected, beloved figure whose work did not go unnoticed. Some community members have even suggested naming a community program or scholarship after her to continue her mission of youth engagement — an idea that underscores how her influence will continue to be felt.
Conclusion: A Lasting Inspiration
Paulina Corpuz’s story is a shining example of how one person’s dedication and vision can create ripples of positive change. She transformed personal passion into community action, and in doing so, helped carve out a proud space for the Filipino heritage within Canada’s multicultural mosaic. From championing Filipino Heritage Month in Canada to mentoring young leaders and advocating for workers and parents, her breadth of service was remarkable. She not only celebrated Filipino culture but also pushed for representation and voice in places where it was lacking.
Today, the legacy of this Filipino Canadian leader endures. Every June, as Filipino Canadians celebrate their heritage month, they honor Paulina Corpuz’s memory, whether they know it directly or not. Her name has become synonymous with cultural pride and community empowerment. Beyond the calendar, her influence lives in the many people she motivated to volunteer, to lead, and to speak out. It lives in the arts programs she helped start, in the community networks she strengthened, and in the newfound confidence of a community that knows it belongs.
In reflecting on Paulina Corpuz’s life, one is reminded of her own guiding words: “Success comes to those who persevere.” She persevered through challenges, and her success is measured not in wealth or titles, but in the thriving community she helped build and the cultural legacy she secured. Paulina Corpuz will be remembered as a trailblazer who turned the dream of Filipino Heritage Month into a reality and as a compassionate leader who devoted herself to the service of others. Her story continues to inspire Filipino Canadians – and all Canadians – to celebrate diversity, take pride in their roots, and work tirelessly for the betterment of their communities.
