The newly-installed Executive Director of the Filipino Australian Movement for Empowerment (FAME), Ms Neria Soliman has announced the group’s collaboration with the Knights of Rizal in NSW to join in the Clean Up Australia’s Campaign on 1st March, 2015, at Rizal Park, Abraham St. Rooty Hill. This is this group’s 6th year to be on board to support Clean Up Australia’s Mission — “To inspire and work through annual clean up and fix up our Earth”.
FAME, Inc. is a non-partisan lobby and advocacy group geared towards the political empowerment of the growing number of Filipinos in Australia. Last July 12, 2014, the movement held their “Munting Parangal” recognizing our countrymen who have joined in previous local, state and federal elections as candidates for a public office.
Ms Soliman is a respected leader who has held various positions in the community before she became president of PCC NSW in 2005. She held the position of Director and PRO of FAME Inc during the past 3 years. She is confident that with the support of the board, her term as Executive Director will be a success.
The following are the incumbent members of the board: Cesar Bartolome, Assistant Exec. Director; Rod Dingle, State Secretary; Dennis Laxamana, State Treasurer; Emily Rudd, State PRO; Phillip Rañoso, State Auditor. Other Directors are: Jade Cadeliña, Ferdi Francisco, Ross Iglesia and Venus Priest.
It was Ian Kiernan, OAM, who was instrumental in organizing Clean Up Australia Day. As a contender in a yachting competition, he was appalled by the amount of rubbish choking the world’s oceans including his beloved Sydney Harbour. It was on Jan 8, 1989 when Kiernan organised the first community event to clean up the harbour that Clean Up Australia began. Some 40,000 volunteers came on board to clean up Sydney Harbour.