Chicken adobo and pancit: A Fredericton group gives back during Filipino Heritage Month

Jesabel Amora says it's important to her to give back to the community that accepted her in Canada. So, to mark this year's Filipino Heritage Month, she wanted to plan events that serve people in her new hometown. 

That's why the Filipino-Canadian Community of New Brunswick, a group where she is co-ordinator, volunteered to cook for patrons of Fredericton Community Kitchens.

Members of her group prepared traditional Filipino dishes for the supper meal at the downtown kitchen recently, and they made cake for dessert, too.  

Originally from the Philippines, Amora moved to Fredericton in 2016. The Filipino-Canadian group she is part of promotes Filipino culture in the province and acts as support for newcomers from the Philippines. 

"We want to make sure that we also give back to the community. So it's more like showing them our culture and tradition to be part of the community and thanking them that we were welcome here," Amora said. 

Alexander Paelma owns a Filipino restaurant in Fredericton and was one of the volunteers at the stove in the kitchen last Saturday.

Paelma says he cooked his main dish called chicken adobo, along with stir-fried noodles. 

Chicken adobo, which is chicken marinated in vinegar and soy sauce, is a staple dish in Filipino culture, with a rich history that dates back to pre-colonial times. 

WATCH | 'Thank you for accepting us.' Filipino Canadians give back: 

Fredericton Filipino community cooks up culture at community kitchen

5 months ago

Duration 1:23

As part of Filipino Heritage Month, members of the Filipino-Canadian Community of N.B. spent a Saturday creating some traditional Filipino dishes for patrons at Fredericton Community Kitchens. Group co-ordinator Jesabel Amora says she's grateful to get a chance to help people.

Pancit, a popular noodle dish in Filipino culture that often includes a mix of vegetables, meat, seafood and sauces, was also prepared and served. And Amora says they received great feedback on the food. 

The efforts of more than 10 of their volunteers helped feed roughly 200 people, according to Robert Lapointe, a chef who works at the kitchen.

He says Fredericton Community Kitchens serves three free meals a day and feeds roughly 200 people per meal, aside from breakfast, which he says is a bit lighter.

"They seem to be very organized and they can take charge," he said of the volunteers from the group. "It's nice — I get a day off and just have to supervise." 

Ottawa adopted June as Filipino Heritage Month in 2018 to celebrate the contributions of Filipino Canadians.

According to the most recent census data, the Filipino population in New Brunswick increased from 2,130 in 2016 to 4,960 in 2021, more than doubling in a five-year period. And this kind of growth has also been seen across Canada. 

"The Filipino community is one of Canada's fastest-growing populations. With more than 900,000 people, it is the third largest Asian community in the country," according to a Government of Canada website.

The Filipino-Canadian Community of New Brunswick has been doing other volunteer work this month. The group organized a cleanup along a section of riverfront trail in downtown Fredericton and there have been cultural workshops and some live performances.