by Benjie de Ubago The Blacktown Street Parade at the end of May kicked off a busy period for the community. At the festival, I followed a group of men in suits and found myself sitting up on stage watching the parade go by. But I made a few friends along the way and even […]
MPC sinks into more debt
by Benjie de Ubago The old Multi-Purpose Centre (MPC) site at Duke Street, Rooty Hill was not sold prior to the purchase of the new Schofields location. The first buyer backed out and a new one had requested for an extended settlement which is expected to eventuate sometime in September 2008. This left the MPC […]
Family breakdown in Australia
by Menchie Montierro What happens when there is a family breakdown? As anyone knows, partners, and even children divorce each other. Parting ways is the easy way out. In one renowned global establishment in Australia, numbers may provide clues to its family history: with 8 employees starting-up in July 2004 (3 from overseas and 5 […]
Australia seeks foreign workers but beware of illegal recruiters
An apparent skills shortage is driving Australian companies to hire skilled workers from other countries, and the Philippines is seen as a source country for needed workers. Filipino seeking overseas work will find Australia a good prospect, but they are warned to beware of illegal recruiters. The Philippine Consulate General in Sydney received reports of […]
Filipinos swell with pride at FAME launch
The Filipino Australian Movement for Empowerment (FAME) was officially launched last 12 June 2008 to coincide with the celebration of the 110th Anniversary of Philippine Independence. Guests who attended were overwhelmed with pride as the silent Filipino achievers were recognized in a special presentation. Most of them were not even known in the community. Congratulatory […]
More comments about the MPC
I cannot say I am really part of the Multi-Purpose Centre (MPC) as there has never been any resolution (passed) by the Trustees appointing me. I was invited to attend one of their meetings in May and noted that there was a change in name from MPC to Filipino-Australian Cultural Centre. The original Trustees set […]
MPC, PACF, PACC: What’s in a name?
Whatever they call it – Multi-Purpose Centre, Philippine Australian Community Foundation, Philippine Australian Community Centre – if it’s the same people running it, it is really the same banana. Now they are even offering FREE membership to THEIR foundation. But of course, people have to pledge a minimum donation of $10 per person per month. […]
Ateneo, La Salle dominated Kalayaan Hardcourt Event
by Millie Banan Blue and Green loyalists, basketball aficionados and supporters marched to the inaugural Kalayaan Basketball Festival to cheer for their Teams. But the excitement obviously came out from the La Salle – Ateneo rivalry in the Philippines relived at the Blacktown Leisure Centre on June 15th. The colours green and blue dominated the grandstand and […]
Win or Lose, It’s the School We Choose. . .
by Fidel Fernando It was a great game, (the Ateneo – La Salle Alumni Basketball) albeit a very physical one. I think JC Cruz was able to record it from start to finish. As a team, we stood tall as we took verbal abuse from hostile fans whenever we walked past that sea of green (“Ateneo […]
More shocking news about MPC
by Benjie de Ubago I was recently informed by a reliable source that the Multi-Purpose Centre was allegedly selling shares. The news sent shock waves to the system. Let’s summarize. In 2004, they called for a press conference at Parramatta Town Hall, informing us that they were planning to sell the Rooty Hill site. They […]
Widow seeks justice for slain husband
Juliet Arrogante and her son Renerio IV are in Sydney seeking as many signatures they could gather from Filipino Australians. Their objective is for the Australian government to intervene so that the criminal case lodged against the suspected killer of Renerio ‘Jun’ Arrogante III would be heard in Manila instead of Daanbantayan in Cebu. With […]
They eat “Pagpag”
What is ‘pagpag’? If you don’t know, read on! For the poor who live in slums around garbage dumps in Metro Manila, it is food – actually leftover pieces of chicken or morsels of meat swarming with ants and other impurities. Yes, it is food that they call ‘pagpag.’ (Pagpag means to shake off.) They […]