10
THE MESSAGE. BRINGING INTO FOCUS FILIPINO PRESENCE IN AUSTRALIA
www.kalatas.com.au | Volume 4 Number 9 | June 2014
EDITORIAL & OPINION
‘THOUGHTS THIS MONTH’
VOX POPULI
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE NE
Street inverviews by Marilie Bomediano
It doesn’t affect me at all because I am single and that’s the
major advantage of being single. I don’t have any kids, I already
finished my education, I have a decent
job. If I can spend for cigarettes and
alcohol, surely I can afford $7 bucks for
the doctor’s fees, that’s nothing. It’s a
bittersweet pill basically for Australians
in general but we need to tighten the
belt somehow.
Eugene eurobenz Benitez
Ashfield
I’m currently doing the HSC and I’ll be going to college next
year so it does affect me because they are cutting down on the
budget for education. In my financial
situation, it’s going to be tough if it goes
ahead. I’m disappointed because the
government was actually doing well with
education in the past, I guess, but they are
changing it now.
I think there’s a backlash. It hurts the common people
and it will give more benefits to the elite. Of course, I don’t
agree with it. Proper education,
good health are the basic important
things that family needs … and the
increase to 70 for Seniors’ retirement is
inhumane.
Clarissa Bock
Lilet Laquian
Blacktown
Plumpton
LETTER
ADOBO
EDITOR
Independence day, flags and lists
TO THE
Dear Editor,
I was bemused when
someone showed me Ruben Amores’ response to
Danny Dingle’s column.
Good on Ruben for his
litany of achievements, except that really there are
many more genuine and silent achievers around. I can
only hope that their charity
events are all accounted for
in accordance with the Office of Liquor, Gaming and
Racing (OLGR) and the air
fares came from their own
pockets.
Ruben might also like
to recall that he stayed in
the Philippine Community Council (PCC) from
2003 to 2008 and he was the
President in 2007. His was
the most controversial win
– 88-98. There were 88 affiliates who came to vote at
the election and amazingly, 98 people voted. It was a
time in PCC’s history that
clubs were being manufactured and vote stacking
(‘hakutan’) was rampant.
The constitution and Global conference debacles also
happened during his time.
The husband and wife
team of Ruben and Cen
Amores, may want to have
their own club and so be
it. But they cannot claim
to be the peak organization nor can they diminish the role of the PCC as
the peak body, warts and
all. Not only was it started
much earlier (1990), PCC
is also the recognized body
by both Philippine and
Australian governments.
And yes, Ruben was a part
of PCC.
BENJIE DE UBAGO
Liverpool
facebook.com/angkalatas
(A Dose of Brown Opinion)
H
appy independence day, Philippines!
Because I
am in a celebratory mood as we mark a very
important occasion, let me dish
out some servings of adobo-flavoured fare.
For appetisers, I would like
to caution everyone to beware
of people or groups raising their
own flags. It is against the law
to raise one’s flag in a sovereign territory. Except of course
if you are revolting, like what
the revolutionaries did in 1896
when they unfurled the Filipino
flag in defiance of Spanish rule
in the Philippines, unilaterally
declaring independence. This
year as in previous years, Filipinos around the world will commemorate that historic day in
various ways. Even those who
have renounced their Filipino
citizenship to become citizens
of their adoptive countries will
undoubtedly feel proud as they
attend events marking the occasion. In NSW, there will be more
than one flag raising ceremony
and ‘ball’ – a happy gathering
but an unfortunate indictment
of the unwillingness of our community groups to hold just THE
ONE celebration together. Maybe, the more, the merrier.
For mains, I would like our
readers to be wary of lists floating around. Santa Claus made
one where the nice received
presents and the naughty did
not. Napoles was reported to
have made a list or lists where the
naughty allegedly received ‘rebates’, while the good received
no honourable mention. Lately came out a report on the richest and poorest lawmakers in the
country, and I am waiting for a
list identifying who’s who in the
executive and judicial branches
of the government, as I am sure
there are ric