Ang Kalatas October 2016 | Page 8

8 COMMUNITY

THE MESSAGE . BRINGING INTO FOCUS FILIPINO PRESENCE IN AUSTRALIA www . kalatas . com . au | Volume 7 Number 1 | OCTOBER 2016

LOWEST IN SEVEN YEARS

Peso drops against the dollar

So what happened last month ? Nobody knows for sure but the value of the Philippine Peso dropped significantly last month putting the peso at its lowest since the last seven years .

As of September 30 , one Australian Dollar was pegged at 37PhP compared to the average exchange rate at 1AUD to 33.6PhP .

The drop of the peso may be good news to those remitting money to the Philippines with the value of their Australian dollar on the increase ( US $ 1 is now PhP48.30 ).

Several operators of remittance

centres around Blacktown said there has been interest from many Fil-Aussies to remit money at this time . Some are also keeping vigil on the exchange rate wondering on whether the peso could further drop .

“ Maraming nagtatanong kung temporary ba ito or aangat ulit . Para sa mga nagpapadala , siyempre mas malaki ngayon ang palitan ng dollar nila ,” said one remittance agent in Blacktown .

The month of October and the weeks leading to Christmas is a peak remittance season for Filipinos .

The drop in the value of the peso should be a concern , according to some business analysts . It could indicate a flight or drop in investor confidence in the Philippines .

According to Bloomberg , Duterte ’ s recent comments have seen investor

sentiment sour somewhat . “ The peso ’ s 3.6 percent slump in September highlights the vulnerability of emerging-market currencies to political machinations -- and the opportunities those fluctuations can create ,” a Bloomberg report ( Bloomberg . com ) report stated .

“ President Rodrigo Duterte ’ s expletive-laden outbursts have triggered the biggest exodus from stocks in a year and made the peso Asia ’ s worst performer in September . The Philippine currency is at a seven-year low and rounding out its worst month since May 2010 , after Duterte lashed out at U . S . President Barack Obama and told off both the European Union and the United Nations for their criticisms of his violent anti-drug campaign , which has left more than 3,000 people dead .”

Philippines wins gold at WSB Championships

FIVE MEDALLISTS , SIXTEEN TOP 10 FINALISTS

Team Philippines has once again delivered gold for their country at the World Supremacy Battlegrounds ( WSB ) Championship last September 9-11 in Sydney , Australia . Sixteen of the twenty-three Philippine teams made the grand finals , with FMD Xtreme from Marikina City grabbing the gold in the hotly contested International Open division . Streetbuck ( Laguna ) and Pilipinas Got Talent grand finalist Power Impact Dancers finished second and third in the Monster Crew Division , Ignite ( Cebu City ) won the silver medal in Young Guns division and Nocturnal Dance Company ( Bulacan ) acquired the bronze in the Open division .

The other finalists include Lil Peepz ( 4th – Junior Division ); Legit Status Varsity ( 4th- Varsity Division ); 4DK Varsity ( 6th – Varsity Division ); Recab ( 4th – Monster Crew ); Recab ( 4th – Monster Crew ); Autonomicass Crew ( 5th – Monster Crew ); Synergy ( 7th –

Monster Crew ); The Undrgrnd ( 8th – Monster Crew ); Le ’ Go Fam ( 4th – Open ); Asian Pride ( 5th – Open ); Autonomicass Crew ( 8th – Open ); Realbrox ( 10th – Open ).

Battlegrounds Philippines country director Patrick Romero said that the whole country is proud of their achievements .

“ We have already received plenty of positive feedback and greetings from the families , friends , supporters and television networks back home . We sent the biggest delegation and we achieved the best result . We congratulate all the participants that joined WSB , we are all looking forward to more success for the Philippines in 2017 .”

The World Supremacy Battlegrounds is the most prestigious street dance and Hip Hop competition in the Southern Hemisphere . With qualification events across six continents , WSB attracted 1,500 dancers and 140 crews in the weekend-long street dance festival .

Michael Jackson and Mariah Carey ’ s choreographer Buddha Stretch , Amazing Race 2016 winner Matt Steffanina , YouTube sensation Jayden Rodrigues and movie star Dave Scott headlined this year ’ s WSB festival . Six thousand people attended the festival , while the live stream finals coverage reached over one million people online . The WSB festival is proudly supported by House of Steez , Elite International , Urbanstar , Urban Empire , Custom Tees , DancePH , and the Filipino-community media .

FMD Xtreme ( WSB International Open Division Champions 2016 ). Photo by Tim Woolf Photography .

Seniors ' Corner

By Nards PURISIMA

Seniors celebrate Father ’ s Day last month