section_path: Background
section_name: Background
paragraph_text: Background
  
  Lapu-Lapu Day is a Filipino celebration named for Lapu-Lapu, a Mactan chief who fought against Spanish colonization, and commemorates the victory of the chieftain and his allies against Ferdinand Magellan and his forces at the Battle of Mactan in 1521. British Columbia officially recognized the event in 2023, and an annual festival for Filipino Canadians —who hold a strong presence in Vancouver —has been held in the city since the day was recognized in the province.
  
  According to two Vancouver City Council members, the venue was not cordoned off by city dump trucks as previous city festivals had been. According to VPD interim chief Steve Rai, police had conducted a security assessment of the festival with the City of Vancouver and festival organizers, determining there were no threats to the event or Filipino community, noting the previous year's festival had "zero issues." The Vancouver Sun Run scheduled for the next morning proceeded with increased police presence after the Vancouver Police Department determined there was no ongoing threat to public safety.
  
  The attack occurred two days before the 2025 Canadian federal election. New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh attended the festival, leaving only minutes before the attack.