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POLITICS
Philippines leaders welcomed in Sydney’ s Filipino capital
Blacktown City Councillors and officials from the Philippines.
Emerging leaders from the Philippines have been welcomed to Blacktown City, strengthening cultural ties and sharing valuable insights on community leadership during a recent visit to Sydney.
The delegation was led by Philippines Congresswoman for Calamba City, Charisse Anne Hernandez, and included several high-ranking local government representatives. They were officially received by Blacktown City Mayor Brad Bunting and Councillors, who provided an overview of the city’ s diverse community, strong multicultural identity and successful youth engagement programs.
During the visit, both groups exchanged ideas and experiences on leadership, governance and building inclusive communities. The discussions highlighted the importance of collaboration, cultural understanding and community-focused initiatives in creating thriving local areas.
Blacktown City is home to one of the largest Filipino populations in Sydney, with 25,292 residents identifying as Filipino in the 2021 Census. This makes Filipinos the second largest expatriate community in the city, after those of Indian heritage.
Mayor Bunting said the visit was a valuable opportunity to celebrate the strong connection between Blacktown and the Philippines.“ Blacktown City has one of the largest
Filipino communities in Sydney,” he said.“ People from the Philippines have contributed so much to our community, including their culture, food and values.
“ Sharing this special bond with our visitors is a great way of promoting Blacktown City to emerging leaders of the Philippines, as well as exchanging ideas on how we can continue to build stronger, more inclusive communities.” Blacktown City is also proudly represented by three Councillors of Filipino heritage: Cr Dorothy Del Villar, Cr Jess Diaz and Deputy Mayor Cr Carol Israel, reflecting the strong presence and influence of the Filipino community in local leadership.
The visiting delegation included Ms Hernandez, Iloilo Province Vice Governor Nathalie Ann Formacion Debuque, Talavera Mayor Aries Vincent Patrick G. Lim, Albay Province Board Member Sheina Onrubia-Dela Cruz, Basilan Province Board Member Ahmed Ibn Djaliv T. Hataman and San Juan Councillor Lorenzo Francisco Tanada-Yam.
The visit was coordinated by the Australian Political Exchange Council as part of its program to educate and connect emerging international leaders with Australia’ s political and community landscape.
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16 ISSUE 62 // MAY 2026 theindependentmagazine. com. au BLACKTOWN CITY INDEPENDENT