We often hear the saying,“ choose or pick your battles”, especially in times of conflict in personal, professional, community or international relationships. It futher goes,“ you don’ t have to show up to every argument you are invited to.” By actually choosing, we learn to prioritise which issues really bear weight for which we should fuzz or make a stand.

So your partner not pressing the toothpaste tube from the base should not make you lose sleep. There are far more relevant things to discuss like sorting parental styles and how to instill discipline and values among children. On a professional level, standing up against office bullying or discrimination holds greater significance than updating office layout to make it look more modern.

In our own community, we should go up in arms for those eroding our community solidarity and confidence with hidden agenda and gossip. All other things, like other organisations stealing our thunder or outdoing us in a similar activity, shouldn’ t bug us.

Should we speak up that China has built structures around the disputed Spratly Islands fortifying its ownership or that it has destroyed the coral reefs in the portion of the Island we claim as ours? That our national patrimony is being grossly snatched away should send the red flag up and have us up in arms. This is still more paramount than criticising our Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach for finding no fault in having American bases on Philippine soil.

The goal of choosing our battles is to seek a win-win situation and to foster a harmonious and smooth relationship despite differences of opinions. By making a stand on something we feel strongly about, or picking our battles, does not give us the license to be combative and aggressive and to have a perspective of winning over someone.

When we stand firm in taking the cudgels for something of importance, this gives us an opportunity to be the better person, by listening, being open to dialogue and negotiation, and accepting that the other party is of equal importance with values, viewpoints and opinions which need to be respected, even if far different from our own.

Life is not always about competition or factions, or gaining an upper hand over the other. If we look at life with this perspective, we lose the beauty of a healthy banter,

positive interaction, cooperation and shared victories.

The term co-opetition is a business term where business competitors or rivals compete and cooperate for mutual benefit, for example, to expand the market. The same principle can be applied to organisations and countries in a bid to act in consideration of long-term benefits and consequences. It downplays the“ I” syndrome in a selfless act of improving oneself while at the same time giving the good to the more.

Every day, we are confronted with choices that could change our own lives, our communities and our common world. We should choose wisely, especially in the battle fields that matter— the battle within us to live by that which is good and enriches lives, makes a difference and that which is outside, the negative conditions which weaken our optimistic spirit to see hope amidst adversities.

At the start of the year 2016, let us pick good vibes over negative emotions, build instead of burn bridges and make love not war.

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publisher and EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alice Nicolas alicegnicolas @ gmail. com

MANAGING EDITOR Reby Gaw

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT EDITOR Kristhine Gestano

LITERARY EDITOR Asther Bascuña-Creo

CONTRIBUTORS Raine Cabral, Felix Carao, Mila Cichello, Ellen Desear Espiritu, Fe Gillies, Raul Hernandez, Estelle McNally, Joel Magpayo, Lita Mahle, Dina Mananquil-Delfino, Darwin Manubag, Ryan Perdio, Earvin Cabalquinto, Benjie De Ubago, Norminda Villanueva, Fr. Loi Viovicente

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I am writing this on 30 December and I am reminded that it was through the writings and works of Dr. Jose Rizal that our forefathers found the will to move towards a united country, free from abuse and inequality.

What is so inspiring is that Dr. Rizal’ s courage and intelligence, his sense of duty, hunger for knowledge, passion for reform and undying love of country are an invitation to all of us to be the best that we can be in our own way.

The beginning of another year provides us with an opportunity to review our lives, to look back on how much we have achieved and to plan ahead for our own personal growth and professional development in the year ahead. It is also a time to find our bearings and renew our approach to life.

The idea is that, despite the hardship and stress that can

Felix Pintado

sometimes come our way, we can choose to overcome these by meeting all challenges before us with a positive attitude and an unwavering hope that everything will turn out all right.

As we welcome the new year, let us learn to foster these traits to be the best that we can be in ourselves and for our community. I wish you and your families a happy start to 2016 with all the joy of expectation that it brings.

Contact details of Filipino community organisations The Philippine Consulate in Melbourne is currently updating its directory of contact details for all Filipino community organisations in Victoria. We are seeking the assistance of these organisations in providing the following information for their organisation via email to consul @ philconsulate. com. au:

• Contact Person( s)

• Telephone Number( s)

• Mobile Number( s)

• Address( es)

• Email Address( es)

Mobile Mission 2016 – ePassports and Dual Citizenship A team from the Philippine Embassy in Canberra will be in Melbourne from 19th to 22nd January 2016 to attend to the biometrics capture of Philippine ePassport applicants and to administer the oath of allegiance to petitioners for dual citizenship.

Only pre-registered applicants may attend and will have already been given a particular time by the Embassy to attend their appointment at the MacKillop Room at St. Francis Pastoral Centre located at 326 Lonsdale Street in Melbourne.

The Consulate office will remain open on Tuesday 19th and Wednesday 20th January, while the Mission is in operation. Please be patient as the volunteer consular officers attend to each of your requests in order.

Australia Day Public Holiday Please note that the Philippine Consulate office in Melbourne will be closed on Tuesday 26 January 2016 for the Australia Day Public Holiday. The office will re-open on Wednesday 27 January.

End of gratis Passport Extension facility

Please note that the gratis passport extension facility was only available until the end of 2015. This is in line with the normalisation of passport production. This means that extension of Philippine Passports gratis is no longer available.

The Philippine Consulate in Melbourne is now able to provide a Passport Extension at the scheduled fee to an applicant who( 1) has already completed the Passport Renewal process( via the Embassy or the Sydney Consulate General) and( 2) has an official receipt which will need to be presented to the Consulate in Melbourne when applying for an extension.

Applicants in Victoria may apply for an ePassport at any of the following:

• the Department of Foreign Affairs( DFA) in Manila,

• the DFA’ s regional offices throughout the Philippines,

• the Philippine Embassy in Canberra,

• the Philippine Consulate General in Sydney

Mobile passport services held in Melbourne. While the application for a Philippine ePassport is lodged with the Embassy, the passport is produced in Manila. It may take an estimated 8-10 weeks for the new passport to be released.

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