Filipino-Canadians named among Ace Burpee’s 100 Fascinating Manitobans 2023

Six Filipinos were included in the recently released Ace Burpee’s 100 Fascinating Manitobans in 2023. These are Paul Ong, Dr. Denise Koh, Larrisa, Hanna Pagdato, Orion Remoquillo, and Joseph Sevillo, each one is an amazing human being, with an amazing story.

Photo credit: Mikaela Mackenzie/Winnipeg Free Press files

Paul Kelvin Ong:

Whenever there is a birthday, wedding, or anniversary celebration in the Filipino community, expect Paul Kelvin Ong as a special guest to render songs dedicated to the celebrants. Added to this he is synonymous with music and concerts for charitable causes. No doubt his Concert for a Cause in partnership with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra raised $45,064 last April 29, 2023. Since the series started in 2015, it has raised a whopping $150,000 for many local charities, like Siloam Mission and Cancer Care, to name a few. And $70,00 of this amount was donated to Sistema Winnipeg, a program that provides free music education to students living in lower-income areas.
He was also recognized by CBC Under 40 for his outstanding volunteerism in the community. Paul Kelvin Ong is currently the Vice Principal at Garden Groove School.


Dr. Denise Koh

Named last year as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women and the Most Influential Filipina in the world by the International Foundation for Filipina Women’s Network, Dr. Denise Koh is fully engaged in many endeavours in the field of medicine. In her role as Chief Occupational Medical Officer, she is working on several ways to improve Occupational Disease Detection. Her latest big project related to her FWN award is MedResRx to help Filipina care workers. Dr. Koh does some writing and publishing projects related to the Family Medicine crisis in Canada.
Included among the 100 Fascinating Manitobans in 2023, she wrote: “What a wonderful surprise and great honour to be acknowledged by our one and only Ace Burpee and be included with such incredible Manitobans!”

Photo: Joseph Sevillo Facebook

Joseph Sevillo
The most challenging and exciting project ever handled by Joseph Sevillo is the full development of “Ma-Buhay” The Musical, the first Filipino musical commissioned by Rainbow Stage for its 70th-anniversary presentation this summer 2024.

Sevillo, a musical theatre professional for more than 24 years, is the founding director of RISE Musical Theatre Company. And also been the head teacher for Musical Theatre at SSSOD since 2015 winning many top awards in all musical theatre categories. He has performed in various musicals in Canada and the USA as a dancer, singer, and actor in some shows like Mama Mia, Evita, and Miss Saigon, to name a few.

With this Canadian premiere of his “Ma-Buhay” the Musical, Sevillo is hoping to present the show beyond Manitoba, perhaps on Broadway. He is a member of the Canadian Actors Equity Association.

Photo by Larry Pagdato

Larissa and Hanna Pagdato
A big opportunity came to Larissa and Hanna Pagdato who have been involved in hockey since their younger years when they were asked to join the Philippine team at the Union Women’s Ice Hockey Tournament in the United Arab Emirates. And it was a big surprise for the hockey-loving sister to play with the Philippine Hockey Team, knowing that this was the first time to face some international teams from Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, and at the same time felt proud to play representing the Philippines as the home country of their parents.
Hanna is currently a goalie for the Mount Allison University Mounties in New Brunswick, while Larissa is a former junior hockey player as well as the coach of the True North Foundation’s U13 team.

Photo by Emma Honeybun

Orion Remoquillo
As the only Winnipeg student to receive The Terry Fox Humanitarian Award, Orian Remoquillo is awarded a scholarship worth $28,000 over four years. Orion Remoquillo, a Grade 12 student at Garden City Collegiate, was the only Manitoban to win the award last year.

The Terry Fox Foundation Award is given to young Canadians who have overcome adversity in their lives to make positive and remarkable impacts in their communities.

Remoquillo was diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome at the age of five, a condition which prevented him from pursuing his dreams in life.