Kwentuhan is a pre-colonial Filipino concept of storytelling, but for the Pagsama community this concept is becoming so much more. Despite Filipinos being one of the largest racialized groups in Manitoba, students at the University of Manitoba recognized a lack of long-standing Filipino groups or events on campus, especially for those in graduate studies.
It was out of a desire for opportunities to connect and collaborate that Pagsama was formed. Pagsama is composed of Filipino/a/x graduate students and prospective graduate students who come together regularly as a community. Through participation in the Community Leadership Development Program, members of Pagsama received training and funding for a series of events in the 2025/26 academic year.
Founders of the community group, Angela Ciceron (Economics), Jaden Dela Rosa (Social and Personality Psychology), Karlo Aguilar (Education), and Nicole Tongol (Clinical Psychology), share that events are full of delicious food, laughter, connection, and warmth.
Since October 2025, Pagsama have hosted three events and countless organizing meetings and conversations, which have expanded their understanding of kwentuhan. “We are learning that kwentuhan also means unspooling, if you will,” reflects Karlo Aguilar, “of our common threads, our shared migration stories, our shared stories of racialization. Our kwentos tether us, but we are also ready to write and seek new stories as Filipinos in Canada continue to grow in numbers and start to hold positions of power in a way that influences public policies . ”
