Golden Balangay Awards is Set to Sail for Edmonton City

The Golden Balangay Foundation sets the stage for an epic Canada Day long weekend.

After almost three years of celebrating our accomplishments virtually, the Golden Balangay Foundation will set sail to Edmonton City for an in-person awards night.

In 2019, Winnipeg hosted the last inperson event at the Winnipeg Arts Gallery. In 2020, the world stopped because of the widespread impact of COVID-19. During this time, founders Ronnie Dela Gana and Jovy Favila took the opportunity to establish a foundation that will carry on the mission and vision of the Golden Balangay Awards (GBA). In 2021, the awards night was held virtually for the first time.

Ronnie Dela Gana, President & Chairman of Golden Balangay Foundation, shares with much excitement, “I think it’s high time we resume an in-person awards night and this year is the best time to do it. This will be GBA’s fifth year so expect a special weekend."

Edmonton City will become a gathering place of the stars and achievers of the Filipino Canadian community. On this Canada Day long weekend, previous winners and nominees are expected to join the celebration. Aside from the much-anticipated awards and gala night, the Foundation will be hosting forums and networking opportunities during the weekend.

As GBA journeys across Canada from coast to coast to coast, it aspires to leave an indelible mark on the host city. To make this happen, the Foundation aims to make a lasting impact on the community by supporting an initiative that will benefit the city and its people. A chosen local non-profit organization will be the recipient of a portion of the proceeds of the event.

The Foundation chose the Edmonton Philippine International Centre (EPIC) as its first recipient. EPIC is an aspiration of Filipino Canadians in Edmonton to share their culture and heritage with all Canadians and to be part of a robust intercultural city. EPIC's vision is to own and operate a facility which will serve the larger Edmonton community and surrounding areas, not just Filipino Canadians.

“EPIC is honoured to be a beneficiary of the Golden Balangay Awards. We are glad that our respective journeys have intersected here in Edmonton - an allyship in building a community and highlighting the achievements and contributions of Filipinos in Canada. This is indeed, an EPIC Balangay 2023”, Ida Beltran-Lucila, President of Epic, said. Ida, together with husband Jojo, were the recipients of the 2019 Excellence Award in Arts & Culture.

The 5th Golden Balangay Awards Night will take place on July 1, 2023, at the River Cree Resort & Casino in Edmonton City. The Foundation is ready to roll the red carpet with the help and support of GBA winners from Alberta – Annie Chua (2017 Manggagawang Pilipino of the Year), Jamie JT Balmores (2019 Entrepreneur of the Year), Ellwood Daycare owners Aurelio & Virginia Sumalinog (2019 Business Excellence Award), Jojo & Ida Lucila (2019 Excellence Award in Arts and Culture), Michael Siervo (2019 Community Service Award and Executive of the Year), Rhose Quipse (2019 Manggagawang Pilipino of the Year), Great Smile Family Dental owner Dr. Rod Montano (2021 Business Excellence Award) and Dr. Josephine Pallard (2021 Senior Achievement Award).

For event inquiries and sponsorship opportunities, contact any of the following: Ronnie (647) 300-1970, Jovy (416) 349-7418, Annie (780) 729-5311, and Ida (780) 885-0505. Nomination submission will close on January 31, 2023. Visit www.goldenbalangayawards. com to submit nominations and for more information.