Filipinx/o/a youth, aged 13–30, are invited to RISE UP TAMBAYAN, facilitated by Dee de Lara, Natalie Matias, and others from RISE, for open conversation and connection. Tambayan, which means "a place to hang out" in Tagalog, aims to offer a third space for Filipinx/o/a youth to build bridges to each other, to Filipinx culture and to possibilities. Inspired by Pacita Abad’s commitment to social justice and transnational outlook, RISE will hold space for discussions around navigating the “in-between” and collective liberation. 

RISE's mission is to inspire the next generation of Filipinx-Canadian youth. They aspire to reconstruct a more positive image that reshapes, reimagines, and redefines what it means to be Filipinx in Canada. Through this, RISE celebrates, engages, networks, and contributes to empowering one another and the next generation of Filipinx-Canadian youth. 

Dee de Lara (she/they/siya) is a Filipinx-American-Canadian facilitator, multi-passionate artist, and community-invested organizer. They focus on connecting the dots with and for historically marginalized identities through somatic-based movement and Pilates to spark curiosity, values coaching to ignite action, and brand strategy to fuel untold narratives.

Natalie Matias (She/her) is a Filipinx-Canadian, born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe, Ininew, and Dakota peoples, and the Red River Métis. A facilitator and educator, her love language is service, bringing a compassionate heart to communities and workplaces to uplift youth and bridge generations in listening and learning.