by Dino Crescini
It has been quite some time when the proposal to have a sister city in the Philippines was presented to Blacktown City Council. A follow up was made a few years ago at the time when Ms Neria Soliman was President of the Philippine Community Council of New South Wales. Another person who made the proposal was Mr Cesar Bartolome of FAME (Filipino Australian Movement for Empowerment). However, records indicate that the idea was turned down by a former City Mayor for a number of reasons.
One active community leader who did not want to be identified has asked: “Who is the real friend of Filipinos in Blacktown?” He adds: “Having a Sister City in the Philippines is one way this friendship can be demonstrated.”
Philippine Sentinel has gathered that the City of Blacktown has sister cities in Korea, China, New Zealand and many others.
More than 21,000 Filipinos dominate the population of Blacktown. They are recognised as the largest ethnic community in the city. By their sheer numbers, records must indicate that Filipinos rank as the No. 1 rate payer in Blacktown.
For many years, the Australian Labor Party has been the ruling party in the city council, mainly because of the support of the Filipino electorate. It was only last year when a Filipino in the person of Jess Diaz was able to win a seat in the city council. But Councillor Diaz ran under the banner of the Liberal Party. Would there be a shift in the support of Filipino voters if Cr. Diaz becomes successful in pursuing the sister city proposal?
The benefits of having a sister city in the Philippines cannot be over-emphasized: enhancement of tourism; expansion of trade (import and export opportunities) and more active cultural exchange.
Who is the real friend of the Filipinos in Blacktown City Council? Well, incumbent Mayor Charlie Lowles who is married to a Filipina, should be able to answer that simple question.