December is that time of the year when many Filipino Australians spend the Christmas holidays in the Philippines. They have more than enough time to have their dentures made or their tooth extracted at a much lower price than what they have to pay here in Australia. They also pay in Philippine Pesos and save […]
Category: General Discussions
Minimum wage now $14.35/hour
The Labor Government announced that the new Federal Minimum Wage has been set at $543.78 per week or $14.31 per hour from its previous level of $522.12 per week or $13.74 per hour. Federal Member for Chifley Roger Price said: “Australia’s most vulnerable employees will benefit from this increase including young people, students, casual employees […]
Filipino nursing assistants treated shabbily, says workplace watchdog
The national workplace watchdog has labeled as reprehensible the exploitation of three Filipinos recruited as nursing assistants in Sydney. The Workplace Ombudsman says the treatment of one male and two female 457 visa-holders was nothing short of shabby. “There were times when these vulnerable workers did not have enough money to put food on the […]
Does Pres. Gloria Arroyo really need an entourage of 192?
Some 6 months ago, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo went on a 3-country European junket with an entourage of 192. Included was the entire First Family of 9 persons, 34 congressmen and their spouses, plus 50 of her business cronies.
A reader’s opinion about the Cabides case
In response to the column where Joel Cabides was featured in your November 2007 issue, I am a bit concerned that the case hasn’t been responded by the Immigration minister. I am glad that there are some concerned Filipino Australians who wrote a letter to Mr. Nelson.
Has the migration status of the Cabides family really been resolved?
From the very start of their ordeal, Philippine Tribune has been very supportive to the Cabides family. Young Joel Cabides, an exchange student from the Philippines, suffered irreversible damage to his spine when asked to play in a supervised game of basketball inside the Royal Military College in Duntroon. The accident happened in January 2007. […]
How relevant is the Philippine National Day Ball?
This month on the 12th of June, Filipinos from all over the world celebrate Philippine Independence Day. The day is a commemoration of the declaration of Philippine Independence by General Emilio Aguinaldo at his ancestral home in Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1898. The house still stands today preserved in its original form and serves […]
The future of Joel Cabides
Since that fateful day in January, 22-year-old Cadet Joel Cabides has been confined at the ICU of Prince of Wales Hospital in Randwick, NSW. He is unable to breathe without a respirator and has been declared paralyzed from the neck down. When finally discharged from the hospital, he is doomed to spend the rest of […]
Call for hybrid workers a hybrid scheme in itself
by Jaime K. Pimentel Guess what: I just discovered that I’m a ‘hybrid.’ Australia’s Federal Treasurer Peter Costello said so. No, the Treasurer didn’t mean to call me a ‘mestizo.’ I knew that a long time ago, being reminded all too often by my kababayans (countrymen) when I was still in short pants. Delivering his […]
A second look at the PCC Elections
Let’s take a second look at what happened during the past Philippine Community Council – NSW AGM and elections. Does everyone concede that the presentation of candidates who aligned themselves to whichever party they organized really enhanced their candidacy? In the Philippines, is it not the common norm that the candidate who spends the most, […]
Clueless
by Benjie de Ubago I received an invitation via email from the month-old Secretary of the Philippine Community Council (PCC) to the induction ceremony of the newly-elected board. The hand-raising event which could likewise turn out to be hair-raising was to be held on 1 April at the Council Chambers of the Blacktown City Council.
Quo Vadis, Pinoy?
by Ronnie Dizon More than 15 years ago, I took my family to this “promised land” to seek better opportunities for my children. The properties we decided to take with us were contained in 4 balikbayan boxes. At the airport, the customs officer dutifully cleared us with a side comment: “They have everything, except the […]