Jojo Quimpo rising Filipino star in Canada

Vancouver, B.C. Canada — It was the call from the office of the Canadian Prime Minister that got Jojo Quimpo thinking that maybe it is time for him to do more. Would he be free to join the party of PM Stephen Harper on its Official State Visit to India, Hong Kong and the Philippines? Caught entirely by surprise, the apolitical Quimpo hesitated. But then, he realized that, hey, this is an invitation from the Prime Minister of his adopted country and he really had no choice. Besides, although he never dreamed of such a privilege, it was really an incredible honor.

Then it was during the trip that Quimpo saw Canada’s determination to do more for the Philippines. The mood was that with the right push there is truly a bright future for our country. It will not be easy, he thought while taking stock of how huge and affluent the members of the Indian and Hong Kong delegations seemed to be, most of whom were elected officials from the various provinces. But with a rapidly growing Pinoy population and Tagalog as the fastest spreading language, it is now a fact that Filipinos have become important in Canada. Maybe they should really have a bigger participation in Canadian politics and Quimpo, who is young, dynamic and dedicated to the community, might be able to help.

It was doubtless Quimpo’s organizational skills and the support he enjoys from Filipinos in B.C. that caught the eye of the PM’s office. A paralegal and evidence management coordinator at Davis LLP, he spends his spare time doing volunteer work for various charities and non-profit organizations. He is known for fund-raising activities for victims of natural calamities, for providing aid to public hospitals and clinics and supporting the Philippine National Red Cross and the Philippine Disaster Coordinating Council. This year, he has also started to help streetchildren through his Out of School Children Wellness Program.

Quimpo, who is descended from a prominent political family in Aklan, is at present the president of the Philippine Canadian Cultural Society, a member of the British Columbia Litigation Support Group, the B.C. Legal Management Association, plus the St. Patrick’s Choir, Singles For Christ and Christian Life Program in Vancouver, etc. He is also the founding chairman of Hirit Production. At the helm of Hirit, he spearheaded the Pinoy Fiesta, Unang Hirit Sa Tag-init. Conceived to promote Filipino culture in Canada, the annual event showed his ability to work with various groups. The most recent one, held last August drew 250,000 people and banded together 90 Filipino organizations.

It was no wonder then that Mayor Gregor Robinson of Vancouver formally decreed that there be a Filipino Fiesta Day in Vancouver. Or that there is now a Filipino float in the yearly Santa Claus Parade and the Canada Day parade. No wonder, too, that Quimpo should be named one of the Outstanding Filipinos in Canada by the International Professional Entertainment Network. Better still, that he should become the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Award. This one was created to honor exemplary Canadians on the 60th Anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne.

Public service though is just one of Quimpo’s passions. He is also just as dedicated to the other, singing. When not busy with his activities for the community or during those times when he can combine both, Quimpo would usually be found performing. He is the CEO of Pinoy Rock Entertainment production. He is the frontman for the DynaMix Band and is now working on his first album. He has a strong pop rock sound that goes well with hits by Bon Jovi or Journey. Truth to tell, I am sure that he would have done very well as a singer in the Philippines had he chosen showbusiness instead of law school.

Last Nov. 30, Quimpo  launched his first single, Talaga and the song’s music video with a show at the Edgewater Casino in Richmond B.C. With the help of guests Joey Albert and Janice Lozano, Quimpo delighted his audience with his popular Journey and Bon Jovi covers, plus some Ogie Alcasid and Gary Valenciano. Of course he also sang Talaga and showed off his acting chops in the well-made video by Roque Juatco Jr.

I am sure there would have been a lot of interest in the artist plus the song and video had those been released here. That would have made Quimpo very happy. But for now though, he can only bask in the positive reviews. Canada beckons. So do the Filipinos and Quimpo might just be able to make that difference.