First Filipino elected to Montreal gov’t is a millennial: ‘Time for PH youth to get political’

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MONTREAL, Canada – On a snow-swept Saturday in Montreal, Stephanie Valenzuela arrives at a food hub in the center of downtown for our meeting.

She is a city councilor, the first Filipino-Canadian to ever be elected to the Montreal local government, and possibly in the whole of Quebec province.

But what’s most interesting to me about Stephanie is her age. At 34, she is a millennial like me.

When she was elected in 2021 to represent the Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough in the Darlington district, she was only 30, making her one of the youngest elected officials in the city. 

Now on her fourth and last year as city councilor, she plans to seek a fresh mandate. Her mission: to stand up for the rights and address the concerns of her diverse borough. Around 75% of residents there have an immigrant background. Of the roughly 40,000 Filipinos in Montreal, more than half are in her district.

Millennials like Stephanie are reaching an age of influence. While still seen as young, they are being given positions of power and accountability in organizations, whether in the private and public sector.

In the Philippines, millennial politicians like Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto or the Young Guns in the House of Representatives are already making waves. 

Millennials are the oldest among the Filipino youth. The Filipino youth can be seen as a sleeping giant in the 2025 elections. Around 68% of registered voters for the 2025 elections are Gen Z and millennials, or those aged 18 to 44 years old. 

But are the Filipino youth interested in politics and governance? Why should they participate? I asked Stephanie to give me her two cents.

Watch an excerpt from our interview here:

A seat at the table

“If I don’t do it, who else will do it?”

This was the thought that finally convinced Stephanie to run for public office in 2021. At the time, in the middle of the pandemic, Asian hate was growing in her province, fueled by disinformation about the source of COVID-19 and racist sentiments that had always been percolating beneath the surface.

She knew that being in a public position to represent her diverse community would enable her to address some of these challenges.

“At the end of the day, that is where a lot of real change, meaningful change can take place,” she said.

“I think it’s really time for the youth to realize that, if you’re not around the table, not being represented by other people who understand your realities, then, of course, things won’t change,” she added.

Surviving politics

Politics can be daunting and there is always the fear of being “eaten” by the system, forced to compromise your values in order to “play the game.”

Stephanie was scared of this too. But her desire to make a difference, and the knowledge that she could take steps to protect herself, helped her overcome her fear.

She was first approached by Ensemble Montréal, her current party, in November 2020. Before she accepted their offer for her to be their candidate, she did her research, making sure the party was aligned with her values and wouldn’t “tokenize” her. She announced her candidacy in June 2021. Her campaign strategy was mostly “doorknocking,” visiting gathering places in her borough, like mosques, parks, and churches.

Five months later, in November, she won her seat with 58% of the vote. 

As city councilor, Stephanie holds monthly council meetings for her borough, votes on budgets, gives out contracts for government services and projects, and more.

In May last year, she was pushing for 24/7 emergency shelter for her borough to address the growing homelessness problem there. The year before that, she joined other councilors in pushing for more LGBTQ+ representation in the city government.

Being a politician is tough. The worst is when she is lacks the tools or resources to address concerns of some of her constituents, including immigration issues or landlord concerns. 

There are times when you’ll be pressured to compromise.

“You have to hold your head high and stick up for your values. But find allies as well,” says Stephanie.

In the end, it’s only when young people sit at the table that they can move the needle on issues their generation cares about.

Young people, said Stephanie, have views on inclusion, the environment, and gender rights that older generations don’t share. But if young people don’t get involved in politics, these views will not turn into action.

If the youth don’t, who will? – Rappler.com

In the 2025 elections, will the Filipino youth exercise their power? Get empowered as a voter and learn more about the upcoming polls through Rappler’s 2025 election site.