The Wait Is Over: Urbandub Is Officially in Canada
Written by Anjo | Filipino TV It’s finally happening. Urbandub, the iconic Cebu-based band that defined a generation of Filipino rock fans, is bringing their music across Canada—and after years of hoping, trying, and waiting, I’m finally getting to see them live again. Back in 2018, we at Filipino TV tried to bring Urbandub to Toronto. […]
A Quiet Force, A Loud Impact: How Kababayan Multicultural Centre Helps Filipino Newcomers Thrive in Canada
There are community centres—and then there’s Kababayan. For over 45 years, the Kababayan Multicultural Centre(KMC) in Toronto has quietly been doing the heavy lifting for Filipino immigrants and other newcomers long before immigration became a trending hashtag. This isn’t a feel-good story. This is real support, for real people, with real challenges. In this episode of Thrive in […]
The $20 Craving: Kyle’s Search for Delimondo Corned Beef in Toronto
Fresh from a trip to the Philippines last October, Kyle returned to Toronto with a suitcase full of essentials—including multiple cans of Delimondo Corned Beef. But several months later, his stash had run dry. And so began the hunt. Featured in the latest FTV Vlog, Kyle heads to Toronto’s Little Manila at Wilson and Bathurst, hoping to track down […]
Jaycelyn Valencia: From Sidelines to Center Court
Jaycelyn Valencia didn’t grow up chasing a basketball dream. At first, she was just a little sister tagging along — watching her brother play in Mississauga’s Filipino leagues while her dad coached from the sidelines. But something shifted. The more time she spent at those games, the more she felt pulled toward the court. It […]
Arthur Navasero: Beat the Odds, Ball Anyway
For Arthur Navasero, basketball isn’t just a game — it’s therapy, family, purpose. He grew up in love with the sport, drawn to the brotherhood, the competition, and the way the game could instantly lift his spirits, even on the hardest days. When his father passed away in 2020, Arthur made a promise: to chase […]
Jessyka Maliksi: All Heart, All Game
Basketball wasn’t just something Jessyka Maliksi picked up — it was part of her family rhythm. Her dad, her brother, the tournaments she tagged along to as a kid — it all built into something bigger. Something she never let go of. Like many young Filipino girls, Jessyka once juggled dance, piano, even singing lessons. […]
Long Live the Scene: A Love Letter to Toronto’s Vanishing Music Venues
There was a time in Toronto when the heartbeat of the city pulsed through amps and cymbals, not condo drills and construction cranes. Back in the ’90s and early 2000s, you didn’t need a million followers or a Spotify campaign to be heard. You just needed a busted amp, a few chords, and a stage—any […]
From Landfill to Sanctuary: A Walk Through Tommy Thompson Park
If you’ve lived in Toronto long enough, you’ve probably heard of Tommy Thompson Park—a quiet, sprawling strip of nature that juts into Lake Ontario like an arm stretching away from the city. Known for birdwatching, cycling, and peaceful reflection, it feels like an escape, a rare place where the noise of the world fades into wind […]
Asia Brown: No Pressure, Just Purpose
Asia Brown doesn’t just teach basketball. She teaches freedom. Her camps aren’t about stats or rankings. They’re about girls falling in love with the game — with no pressure. Because she remembers what it felt like to be the only girl in the program, starting at four years old. It was terrifying. And now, she’s […]
Karl Mariano: It’s Not Over Till It’s Over
Karl Mariano still remembers the feeling. Grade school, summertime, his first basketball camp. He was the youngest on the floor, playing alongside high schoolers, but none of that mattered. Every week, he showed up. The excitement never left. That same feeling lives in the kids he now coaches through Level Up Basketball, a grassroots camp he […]
