The Belleville Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to welcome Yona Harvey, Founder and Publisher of Mabuhay Canada Media Inc., to our growing community of members.
Founded on January 12, 2024, Mabuhay Canada is an online publication dedicated to Filipino community and lifestyle news across Canada. Through articles, videos, and storytelling, Yona and her small but mighty two-person team work to inform, entertain, and uplift Filipino-Canadians, helping them feel seen, connected, and proud of their heritage as they build their lives in a new country.
The heart of what Yona does is captured beautifully in her own words: “I help Filipino-Canadians feel seen, connected, and proud of their heritage. I accomplish this by telling one story here, one video there, until our traditions, jokes, memories, and flavours weave themselves into their new life in Canada. Mabuhay Canada is our space, our kwentuhan corner on the internet.”
That word — kwentuhan — says a lot. In Filipino culture, it means a gathering for storytelling, a casual space where people share, laugh, and remember together. That spirit is exactly what Mabuhay Canada brings to the digital world. It creates a welcoming space where Filipino-Canadian experiences are celebrated rather than tucked away.
Yona grew up in the Philippines before making Belleville her home. She’s quick to point out what makes the Bay of Quinte an ideal base for a national publication: its central location between Toronto and Ottawa means she’s never far from the communities she serves. With a readership that spans the country, Belleville’s connectivity is a quiet advantage she’s put to good use.
What makes Mabuhay Canada stand out isn’t just the content, it’s the intention behind it. For newcomers navigating complexities of settling into Canadian life, seeing your own culture reflected back through familiar stories, foods, and faces can make an enormous difference. Yona built Mabuhay Canada to be exactly that reflection.
We’re proud to welcome Yona and Mabuhay Canada Media Inc. to the Belleville Chamber of Commerce!
If you’d like to connect with Yona or learn more about how Mabuhay Canada reaches and serves the Filipino-Canadian community, find her at mabuhaycanada.org or follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok @mabuhaycanada.
