Trivia fundraiser to feed 5000 a day
February 2017 THE CANBERRA REPORTER | 3
NEWS FRONT COVER STORY
Seminar sizes up Duterte’ s first 100 days
DISTRINGUISHED SPEAKERS AT THE ANU
A SEMINAR to review the performance Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’ s first six months in office takes place at the Australian National University( ANU) in Canberra on Wednesday, February 22, 2017.
Six distinguished speakers will take the floor at seminar room 1.04 of the Coombs extension building No 8 on Fellows Road, ANU, from 12:30pm.
The seminar,‘ Beyond The Rhetoric: Duterte’ s First Six Months’, forms part of the Philippines Forum series organised by the Philippines Project.
It will be streamed live at the University of the Philippines and De La Salle University in Manila.
Speakers comprise Walden Bello, a professor of sociology at the State University of New York; Christian Monsod, a lawyer who served as chairman of the Philippine Commission on Elections; economic professor Maria Socorro Gochoco-Bautista; and Emerlynne Gil, legal adviser for Southeast Asia of the International Commission of Jurists; Steven Rood, the Asia Foundation’ s country representative for the Philippines.
In a press release, Canberra’ s Philippines Project coordinator Amy said in part:“ What is at stake is the Philippines’ fragile constitutional democracy, protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, an enduring peace settlement, and prospects of sustained inclusive economic growth. •
COMMUNITY
Adhika pays tribute to women and girls
A CELEBRATION of women and girls will be Filipino- Australians’ contribution to mark this year’ s International Women’ s Month.
Sydney-based Adhika Inc is organising a big event with the theme‘ Lakas Adhika Celebrating Women and Girls’.
“ It will pay tribute the strength of women and girls through real-life stories, poetry and songs,” said chief organizer Josie Musa.
Canberra’ s Merlinda Bobis has been engaged to script and choreograph a program presenting real-life stories about how women weather storms with the power of their aspirations – their‘ lakas adhika’,
The event takes place in Dooley’ s Lidcombe Catholic Club ballroom at 6:30pm on Friday, March 17, 2017. n
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WORDS DANCE TO THE MUSIC OF THE AUTHOR’ S PROSE
SHE wrote her first poem at 10 years of age, and said she felt embarrassed when her father showed it proudly to his friends.
Merlinda Bobis is now a multiaward-winning author, poet, scholar and stage performer who has made Canberra her home.
Bobis was born and raised in the Philippines’ city of Legaspi, Albay, south of Manila in Luzon.
She lectured at three universities in Manila after leaving her hometown at 20 years of age before emigrating to Australia in 1991, earning a doctorate and teaching at the University of Wollongong for 21 years.
Retiring in 2015 after publishing two award-winning books- more than 40 years after writing her poem, Ang Langgam( The Ants)
PinOz pair bridges gap at summer fest
TWO Filipino-Australians competed in this year’ s Summer Festival of Bridge on January 10-22, 2017 at Canberra’ s QT Hotel in Acton.
Sally Barber and Susanita Dudley took part in the annual
sporting event organised by the Australian Federation of Bridge( ABF).
The competition attracts more than 1000 bridge players including worldclass names from across the country.
It is also an event with workshops Y by celebrity speakers and network meetings of bridge directors and teachers.
The Festival, which started in Canberra, is now on its 45th year.
“ The event offers bridge competition at its finest for players in all levels of players,” Sally Barber said.
“ It also promotes Canberra as a city and what it has to offer.” •
MERLINDA BOBIS:‘ I love painting with words.’
Her storytelling‘ fashions’ society
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY TO ALL TRUE LOVERS
“[ Banana Heart Summer ] is poetry in prose, where ordinary things and events are raised to the level of the strange and unfamiliar. Magic.”
~ PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, USA
– joined the Australian National Universy in Canberra as honorary senior lecturer and visiting fellow.
For a woman whose first language is Bicolano, although fluent in both Tagalog and English, it’ s a remarkable achievement to have her weave words in the English language enough to earn the respect
A packed room at Canberra’ s QT Hotel in Acton, above, during the Summer Festival of Bridge. Inset at Sally Barber, left, and Susanita Dudley, the PinOz pair who took part in the competition. of her students and admiration of her peers
Critics of Bobis’ novel, Locust Girl: A Lovesong, wrote:
“ Locust Girl is a transfiguring fiction that asks the reader to reflect on, and see into the hearts and lives of those whom political systems and nations label outsiders.
“ There were many fine and stylistically accomplished works among this year’ s entries, but the distinctiveness, sweep and visual power of this short novel set it apart. Bobis’ fabulist, indeed fabulous, narrative enables the reader to imagine what it might look, smell and feel like to be treated as less than fully human.”
From The Boston Globe, 2009:“ Perhaps only a poet could transform the themes of her second novel into something as gorgeous, disturbing, loving, and oddly hopeful as The Solemn Lantern Maker.”
From Publishers Weekly, USA 2008:“[ Banana Heart Summer ] is poetry in prose, where ordinary things and events are raised to the level of the strange and unfamiliar. Magic.” •
Trivia fundraiser to feed 5000 a day
A TRIVIA night organised by Gawad Kalinga Canberra and the Philippine Australian Association of Canberra and Monaro raised $ 2,500 for charity recently at the Canberra Bridge Club in Deakin.
Gawad Kalinga used its half share of the proceeds to support its campaign to end hunger in the Philippines through a project known as Kusina Ng Kalinga.
Each Kusina ng Kalinga was scaled to cook up to 5,000 meals a day with parent volunteers serving as backbone of the daily operations. •
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