COMMUNITY NEWS
VAA has previously conducted a feeding program for primary student at Carigara National High in May 2016 .
The Association supported the school ’ s program , Saving the SARDOs ( Students At Risk of Dropping Out ) by providing funds for their lunch voucher system .
At the reunion , Salazar met with the new school principal and handed a donation for the Saving the SARDOs program on 19 May 19 , 2018 .
The delegation went to Tacloban on May 21 , 2018 for a feeding program hosted by Dian Ford and her family .
Local councillors helped organise about 100 children to convene at the Barrio Sampaguita chapel .
The delegation ’ s main destination was at Palompon , Leyte , on May 23 , 2018 . Palompon was chosen by the reigning Annie Marquez . More than 600 people were in attendance , about 520 were children . The event started with with a Thanksgiving Mass at the chapel followed by games at the forecourt . After their meal , the children lined upaccording to their grades at school from kinder to grade 8 to receive their school bag and school supplies .
Then it was time to visit the farmers at Albuera , Leyte . Following the meeting with farmers , the delegation paid a courtesy call to the Mayor .
At the fields , delegates were greeted by the local councillor and officer from WAND Foundation spearheaded by Dr Elmer Sayre .
Salazar distributed high-quality seeds to the farmers with the assistance of some delegates , after which they had lunch with the farmers and then proceeded to the farm to check the crops .
The seeds was provided by VAA through the Seeds for Life program under the auspices of WAND Foundation .
The delegation conducted one more feeding at the island of Pilar Camotes , Cebu with another 120 children being served .
Then it was a visit to the Visayas State University to meet the students sponsored by VAA , Inc . Three graduating students were given the Visayan medallion as inspiration and acknowledgement of their determination to complete their degrees . •
‘ Kababaihan ng Malolos ’ screened
IN observance of the 120th anniversary of the Philippine Independence , the Order of the Knights of Rizal ( OKOR ) or KRI Sydney / Western Sydney / ANZO Region screened the film Ang Kababaihan Ng Malolos held last month at the Philippine Consulate in Sydney .
By MARILIE BOMEDIANO
The film took in the Philippines ’ colonial and historical past , going over the revolution through musical documentary-drama about the brave women of Malolos to whom national hero Jose Rizal addressed his famous letter of February 22 , 1898 .
Ang Kababaihan ng Malolos was written by Sari Dalena and Kiri Dalena to commemorate Rizal ’ s historic letter to Malolos women .
The film was directed by Sari and Kiri Dalena , starring Jervis Adriano , Albert Aguilar , Zee Capacete . •
Register to vote
PCC marks 120th year of Philippine Independence
THE Philippine Community Council of NSW ( PCC-NSW ) held its annual Philippine National Day Ball at the grand ballroom of Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney on June 9 , 2018 .
The event commemorated the 120th anniversary of the declaration of Philippine Independence under the theme Kalayaan 2018 , Pagbabagong Ipinaglaban , Alay sa Masaganang Kinabukasan ( Independence 2018 , change we fought for , an offering to an abundant future ).
It also marked one of the first public official appearances of the newly appointed Philippine Consul General of NSW , Maria Teresa Latina Taguiang with the leaders of the community .
About 400 guests attended , with State MP Raymond Williams representing the Premier of NSW as one of the guest speakers . •
THE Philippine Consul in Sydney , Melanie Diano , is calling on Filipino expatriates and dual citizens to register as overseas voters at the Philippine Consulate if they have intentions of voting at the senatorial elections on May 13 , 2019 .
Candidates are required to bring their passports and dual citizenship documents when applying for registration . •
ADVERTORIAL
One man ' s entrepreneurial dream connecting Filipino communities around the world
In his wildest dreams , Marco Selorio never thought of organising a community dance event for his brother ' s crew would turn into a worldwide phenomenon . However , it was this moment that ignited an annual calendar of dance events , becoming a celebration for Filipino families to celebrate and connect with their youth .
" Kids loved the music and the family vibe and parents were comfortable being there with their kids ," Marco said .
" They really enjoyed that atmosphere , the families and communities coming together to be entertained by the talent in the community .”
However , Marco still believes he has so much more to offer to the Filipino youth , believing this is one of the reasons why he has maintained such a strong connection to his country of birth .
Marco also said the money people send to the Philippines is essential in helping to break the youth out of the poverty cycle .
" I think a lot of Filipinos send money back home , and the ones who migrate from the provinces often tend to send more money ."
Marco & Cyrus and Urbanstar Talents @ GOOGLE Head Office
Digital money transfer company WorldRemit has realised this need to better service the Philippines and they now offer a wider reach to regional areas through instant cash pickups at local businesses such as the Palawan Pawnshops . In 2017 , an estimated AUD $ 1.8billion of remittances were sent to the Philippines from Australia in total , and in the same year , the Southeast Asian nation was WorldRemit ’ s largest receive market globally .
Despite most of his family having now migrated to Australia or the USA , Marco continues to remit money home to support many of his extended family members with their education .
To continue to support people like Marco who send money overseas , WorldRemit has made the process of sending money even easier by offering three free digital transactions for first-time users of the moneytransfer service by using promo code 3FREE .
As a result of Marco ' s efforts in the Philippines , the nation has recently been sending their most talented dancers as national representatives for the international competitions , with these dancers winning a number of the divisions , demonstrating the power of the arts in the nation .
These global connections are also supported by companies such as WorldRemit , who are constantly looking for ways to strengthen relationships among Filipino communities across the world . Their service provides an easy way for Filipinos to send money to their family and friends living abroad by using a smartphone , tablet or computer .
WorldRemit is also proud to offer three fee-free transactions to first-time customers who use the promo code 3FREE to help the Filipino community continue to support their family and friends living overseas . For more information visit www . worldremit . com . • www . kalatas . com . au AK NewsMagazine , Vol 8 No 10 | JULY 2018 11