Filipino Canadians are everywhere, yet there’s hardly anywhere to see their lives celebrated in Vancouver.

Except for the Filipino Plaza under the SkyTrain guideway west of Nanaimo Station, where the Philippine national flag is hoisted once a year to mark the Asian country’s independence day, Filipinos are almost invisible.

Unlike many ethnic communities, Filipinos do not have their own cultural centre in the city.

This is why the recent renewal of an East Vancouver plaza honouring Filipino Canadian community pillar Mel Tobias is a welcome development in the community.

Tobias was a renaissance-man: author, movie critic, lifestyle and entertainment writer, actor, broadcaster, entreprenuer, singer, gastronome, music records collector, and book lover.

Tobias contributed articles to international and local publications, including the Georgia Straight.

Tobias, who passed away in 2017, was a beloved figure. He would have turned 81 on July 29, 2020.

The City of Vancouver completed renovations for the Mel Tobias Plaza last spring.

In February this year, a plaque was installed. It reads:

“Mel Tobias (1939-2017). Born in the Philippines, Mel Tobias spent many years in Hong Kong, and in 1993 settled in Vancouver. As a writer and radio host, Mr. Tobias chronicled the challenges and achievements of his community in Canada and inspired countless Filipino-Canadians to celebrate their unique and multi-faceted culture. He also championed causes that sought to uplift newcomers, live-in caregivers, immigrant youth, and women leaders.”

The plaza used to be known as the Collingwood Clock Tower Garden.

The site was renamed after Tobias on September 19, 2018 as part of the city’s commemorative naming of 15 locations.

Krystyna Domes, who is with the city’s communications staff, informed the Straight that improvements were made at the plaza following its new designation.

According to Domes, these included the repainting of the Collingwood Clock in August 2019. The garden was replanted the next month.

Following the plaque’s installation in February 2020, new benches were mounted in March.

In what is known as his last interview, Tobias related to the online-only Canadian Filipino Net, where also contributed articles, what Vancouver meant to him.

“When I moved to Vancouver, I found the right place where I can be myself. It’s a place where you can pursue your passion without being judged by what your job is,” Tobias told writer Emmy Buccat.

“The lifestyle in Vancouver has allowed me to meditate and look at life in a positive note,” Tobias also said. “It’s not religious but rather spiritual.”