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THE MESSAGE. BRINGING INTO FOCUS FILIPINO PRESENCE IN AUSTRALIA
www.kalatas.com.au | Volume 5 Number 3 | December 2014
NEWS
‘UNDAS’ AT MINCHINBURRY The Filipino Chaplaincy of the Diocese of Parramatta, under Fr. Ruben Elago, with the cooperation of Invocare, owner of Pinegrove Memorial Park and its Filipino Memorial Consultants, celebrated the
Annual Filipino Observance of All Saints and All Souls Day last month at the Pinegrove Memorial Park in Minchinbury. The event started with the celebration of the Holy Mass, con-celebrated by ten Filipino Priests and two Filipino Deacons, with two
Filipino Acolytes followed by the Blessing of the Graves. Philippine Ambassador to Australia, Ambassador Belen Anota delivered an Inspirational Speech, addressing the Filipi no Community to continue the Filipino traditions of remembering and honouring our dead relatives and friends. In photo are, from left, Moises Millena, Head of the Filipino Multi-Cultural Sales Unit, Acolyte Obet Dionisio, Fr. Meng Barawid, Deacon Leon Decena, Fr. Serving Bustamante, Deacon Robert Corpus, Armen Mikaelian,
National Sales Manager of Invocare, Ambassador Anota, Fr. Ruben Elago, Fr. Nards Mercene, Fr. Mathew Manjaly Antony, Fr. Lito Layug, Fr. Roy Cabradilla, Fr. Bong Pamintuan, Acolyte Zaldy Guinto, Fr. Dado Haber. [contributed by Obet Dionisio]
Christmas-themed Filipino display at Parramatta library
A Christmas-themed Filipino
display is on until December
7 at the Parramatta City
Council Library, showcasing
creativity, innovativeness
and tradition, and the
Philippines’ natural beauty to
mainstream Australia.
By EVELYN OPILAS
PARRAMATTA Library has hosted the
Filipino-motif displays for the past 14
years, a project developed by the library’s
multicultural services librarian Ms Pauline Chan and journalist-author Ms Evelyn
Opilas in 2000, then timed to coincide with
Philippine Independence Day celebrations.
This is the first year that the display has
focussed on what could be the world’s longest Christmas celebration.
Filipinos start preparing for Christmas
when the month ends in ‘ber’ and end the
celebration on the Feast of the Three Kings
Jan.6.
The Philippine Department of Tourism
Sydney through Tourism Attache Consuelo G. Jones has actively supported the project from its start in 2000, providing brochures and posters that promote the Philip-
pines and its people.
Project partners in this year’s display
are Parramatta Library, the Philippine
Tourism Office, the Association of Golden
Australian Pilipinos Inc (AGAPI) and The
Philippine Voice Pty.Ltd.
In 2004 Ms Opilas coordinated simultaneous displays at 12 libraries around Sydney with the support and assistance of several community groups, the Philippine
Trade Office Sydney and the Department
of Tourism Sydney, making it a united
project of Sydney’s vibrant Filipino community.
Where did the money go?
‘Help after Haiyan’ forum
A
community group based in Sydney, Help After Haiyan,
with the aid of Adhika, Inc, held a public forum last month
to discuss reports and updates on funds raised by various
community organisations for the areas affected by the 2013
typhoon.
Michelle Baltazar, Help After Haiyan; Opera Australia Artist Marcus Rivera, volunteer; Alric Bulseco, PCC-NSW; James
Palomo, Gawad Kalinga; a guest from Australian Masonic Friends of the Philippines; Bless Salonga, fundraiser
By MITCHELL BADELLES
THE forum which marked the
first year since Haiyan struck
the Visayan region also sought
ways that the Filipino-Australian community can best provide assistance when calamities occur in the Philippines.
Consul Marford Angeles
presented a slide show showing the Philippine government’s plan to re-establish areas struck by super typhoon
Haiyan/Yolanda. The slide
show outlined projects and
programmes designed to help
resettle survivors from coastal communities which were
wiped out.
A Mormon missionary
for The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-Day Saints, Hannah
Campbell, who was living in
Leyte when the storm struck, recounted her experiences. Hannah had been doing charity work
in the area long enough to be fluent in Waray and Cebuano.
The Philippine Community Council was represented at
the forum by Jun Relunia. Gawad Kalinga representatives
Andrew Chalk and James Palomo also gave a presentation
about their work. The Alliance
of Philippine Community Organisations discussed their efforts, as represented by Jimmy
Lopez. Benjie Alvarez represented the Central Philippines
University Alumni Association
of Australia, who also made
known their Haiyan Benefit
concert, “Countdown to Recovery” which stars various Australian music industry celebs including John Paul Young, Angry Anderson of Rose Tattoo,
and Damien Leith.
A Q&A session was held
after Opera Australia artist,
Marcus Rivera’s performance.
A question that was most repeated was, “where did the
money go?”
To know more of the outcome of this forum, please visit Help after Haiyan on Facebook https://www.facebook.
com/HelpAfterHaiyan.