PCG Vancouver attends unveiling of mural paying tribute to the victims of the Lapu-Lapu Day tragedy

‘Pagalala at Pagasa’ on display with Vice Consul Marco Harder and Vancouver-based Filipino-Canadian artist Mara Cortez at its flanks. (Photo by PCG Vancouver)

08 OCTOBER 2025, VANCOUVER, BC. Last 27 September 2025, PCG Vancouver, represented by Vice Consul Marco Harder, attended the official unveiling of Pagalala at Pagasa, a mural by Filipino-Canadian artist Mara Cortez at 165 W 4th Ave, Vancouver, B.C. The unveiling ceremony was done in collaboration with Filipino BC.

The mural depicts the precolonial Tagalog deity Mayari at the head of the boat and 11 faces, symbolizing the journey of the departed into the afterlife. In her artist statement, Mara cites the artifacts that she saw during her recent trip to the Philippines as the source of her inspiration for this work. She also states that her work is an attempt to represent “the way we continue to care for and watch over one another, even beyond death.”

Left: Artist Statement by Mara Cortez on her mural “Pagalala at Pagasa”. (Image by Mara Cortez)

Right: Another perspective of ‘Pagalala at Pagasa’. The mural is currently on display at 165 W 4th Ave, Vancouver, B.C. (Photo by PCG Vancouver)

As part of its mandate, the Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver continues to engage the Filipino community to understand its aspirations, support its initiatives, and provide the appropriate assistance to Filipinos in distress. END