Tony Ortega brings Filipino community roots to Richmond council race

ASM, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
October 09, 2026

Photo Courtesy: We Are Richmond

RICHMOND, British Columbia — Antonio “Tony” Ortega is taking his years of public service in the Philippines and community involvement in British Columbia into the political arena as he seeks a seat on Richmond City Council in the 2026 municipal election.

Ortega is among the official candidates running for one of eight council seats in Richmond on October 17. He is campaigning under We Are Richmond, a registered local elector organization that is also fielding Dickens Cheung for mayor.

His candidacy adds a Filipino voice to a crowded council race in one of Metro Vancouver’s most diverse cities, while building on a career that has moved from government service in the Philippines to community work in Canada.

Ortega spent 20 years in government service in the Philippines and holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and a Master in Management specializing in Public Service Management. Now based in British Columbia, he works in the health-care sector.

His background also includes broadcasting. Ortega hosted a weekly television interview program broadcast from British Columbia to Cebu through the Cebu Catholic Television Network, connecting Filipino communities across the Pacific.

In Canada, much of Ortega’s work has centered on Filipino culture and community building.

He founded and serves as president of the Cebuano Society of Canada, which promotes Filipino and Cebuano culture and community connections, and also founded the Lapu-Lapu Society of British Columbia. He is involved with the United Filipino Canadian Association in British Columbia and the Filipino Legacy Society of British Columbia, as well as the Knights of Columbus and Bukas Loob sa Diyos, a Catholic charismatic community.

That community involvement became particularly visible following the April 26, 2025 Lapu-Lapu Day tragedy in Vancouver. Ortega, who had volunteered at the festival, joined efforts to support the Filipino community in the aftermath and helped organize a day of mourning at St. Patrick’s Church in Vancouver, with proceeds intended for victims and their families.

He later became one of several former Filipino BC directors who sought greater transparency over funds raised following the tragedy. In December 2025, Ortega and other former directors requested a detailed accounting of donations and disbursements for victims. Filipino BC subsequently said funding remained available for those affected and that an independent third-party audit related to the donations had been initiated.

The Lapu-Lapu Society of BC, with Ortega serving as its president, also organized a remembrance gathering around the first anniversary of the tragedy, focusing on those who died, survivors, and families whose lives were affected.

Ortega is entering municipal politics in a city with a substantial Filipino population. Statistics Canada’s 2021 Census counted 15,130 Richmond residents in the Filipino population group, while 13,205 residents reported Tagalog, also identified as Pilipino or Filipino, in census language data.

The Filipino community has also maintained a visible presence in Richmond’s civic life. 

In June, Richmond City Hall hosted its 12th Philippine flag-raising ceremony as part of celebrations marking Philippine Independence and Filipino Heritage Month. Philippine Consul General Gina Jamoralin joined Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie, members of council, other Canadian officials and Filipino community organizations at the event.

For Ortega, the October 17 election represents another step in a public-service path that began in the Philippines and has continued through Filipino community organizations in British Columbia.

Richmond voters will elect one mayor, eight councillors and seven school trustees. Advance voting will be held on October 3, 7, 8, 9 and 10 before general voting day on October 17.