EMPOWERING LESS ADVANTAGED PEOPLE IN TWO PACKAGES
Roadie rides provide Oringo a watershed from the daily grind of business
January 2017 THE CANBERRA REPORTER | 3
COVER STORY
Roehl likes to play the way he works
EMPOWERING LESS ADVANTAGED PEOPLE IN TWO PACKAGES
THE same driving force that inspired a Filipino-Australian to start up a unique business in Canberra has turned him to road cycling: A concept of helping people at the lower rungs of industry and society.
Conder’ s Roehl Ventura Oringo, 54, now heads Canberra-based ServeGate Australia, a business he has been instrumental in establishing, as its chief operating officer and financial officer.
ServeGate was established as a collaborative business model unique in its industry, and possibly in Australia.
“ Its primary focus is to overcome the barriers that large customers have in engaging small and medium enterprise( SME) organisations’ capabilities,” Oringo said.
“ ServeGate is exploring other industry sectors as a potentially efficient cog in their supply chain, providing easy and cost-effective access to the capabilities of SME organisations.”
In over 13 years of working this business model, we have helped over 100 small and start-up companies grow to become medium to large organisations in Australian Defence Industry, he said.
Similarly, Oringo and road cycling mate Jerome Poblete founded the Canberra OZ Pinoy Roadies for the purpose of providing support to young carers, some of whom are only 12 years old, in the Canberra- Goulburn area.
“ The Roadies aim, besides health and fitness, is to raise funds through
St Vincent de Paul’ s Everyday Heroes program to support between 100 and 125 young carers,” he said.
In November last year, the Roadies cyclists’ race from Penrith to Canberra raised $ 11,000.
Road cycling was a health-andfitness choice Oringo made over the sports of soccer, cricket, and boxing.“ It suited my condition at that stage of my life,” he said.
• ROEHL ORINGO, above, at the lead during one of his weekly runs with teammates. Inset, at an interview in the Pavilion On Northbourne recently.
Filipinos among Indigenous Australians
• Author Deborah Wall at the launch of her latest book at the exhibition gallery of Canberra’ s National Film and Sound Archive.
Roadie rides provide Oringo a watershed from the daily grind of business
By GLORIA ROSS
CLOSE to 100 people gathered at Canberra’ s exhibition gallery of the National Film and Sound Archive last month for the launch Deborah Wall’ s latest book, Re-Imaging Australia- Voices of Indigenous Australians of Filipino Descent.
The Philippine Embassy and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade organised the book launch which attracted government
“ I found cycling fulfilled my needs best. My body could still handle the physical demands of riding a road bicycle.”
The social activity that went with road cycling provided Oringo a watershed from the daily grind of business.
But more, it opened another opportunity for Roehl Oringo to
serve people in need. •
officials, special guests, and the local press.
Wall is a Filipina-Australian journalist and researcher who has specialised in Aboriginal studies and oral history. She wrote the book with co-author Christine Choo.
The book reveals an almost forgotten bond between Filipinos and Australia’ s indigenous community which goes way back in time. It uses oral histories and other primary sources to reconstruct the lives of the“ Manilamen” from the Philippines and their progeny. •
ETHNIC AFFAIRS
Hands off Act to check racism
THE Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia( FECCA) has voiced its strong opposition to any attempt to dilute section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act( RDA) in its submission to the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights’ inquiry into freedom of speech in Australia.
Chairman Joe Caputo said there has been a notable rise in racism in Australia and any change to 18C would signal that racism was acceptable in the name of free speech.
Caputo said he was especially concerned about the growing hostility towards Muslim Australians and other minority groups in Australia. •
Eye on aging migrants in Oz
FECCA’ s submission to the Government’ s Aged Care Legislative Review highlighted the rapidly growing representation of migrant communities in Australia’ s aged population.
By the year 2020 thirty percent of people over age 65 will be from CALD( Culturally and Linguistically Diversy) communities, giving an extra dimension of diversity to the future of aged care in Australia.
In this submission, FECCA continued to emphasise the importance of CALD representation at the most senior levels on Government committees and advisory groups relating to ageing and aged care, including the Aged Care Sector Committee. •
For a fairer parental leave
FECCA joined with 25 organisations to make a submission in response to the Government’ s proposed Fairer Paid Parental Leave Bill.
The submission expressed concern over proposed amendments, arguing they effectively underminine current attempts to address the gendered wealth gap, improve women’ s workforce engagement and ensure positive health outcomes for mothers and their children. •
Y HERE’ S WISHING YOU ALL A PEACEFUL AND PROPEROUS NEW YEAR Y