This is in response to Jimmy Pimentel’s article on PCC/PACF.
The Philippine Community Council of NSW has been an ex-officio member of the PACF Board since 2003. I categorically deny, on behalf of the PCC Board, that there is any desire or intention of PCC to take over the management of PACF as Mr. Pimentel had alluded to in his article. One can only wonder where Mr. Pimentel gets these stupendously ludicrous ideas from.
Mr. Pimentel’s comparison of PCC and the PACF were clearly too narrow-minded and warrants a refutation.
PCC’s main objective is to represent the unified voice of the Filipino community in NSW. From less than 20 associations when it was formed 22 years ago, its membership has now grown to 56 various groups and a few more still wanting to join. It has won the prestigious Presidential Banaag Award from Malacañang [Palace] last 2008 in recognition of its efforts in advancing the cause of the Filipino community overseas.
It has been the recipient of the NSW Premier’s Community Award on Community Service last year.
It has funded the construction of a village in Real, Quezon Province under the Gawad Kalinga project.
The name is Fil-OZ GK Village, Real, Quezon.
It has raised, thru the formidable support and assistance of the Filipino community in NSW, more than $100,000 in donations for the victims of natural disasters in the Philippines as well as in Australia during the last 22 years.
Needless to say, PCC has attained its purpose set out 22 years ago and will vigorously continue to work on it in the years ahead.
PACF’s objective on the other hand is to establish a multi-purpose centre where it can, among other things, display and exhibit Filipino arts and crafts as well as printed editions of Filipino literary classics, and hold events and fiestas to promote Filipino music, drama and dance.
However, unlike PCC, the PACF, with all due respect to its Board, has miserably failed to live up to its promise to the community. More than 2 decades have passed since this MPC idea was conceptualized. Sadly it still has remained unfulfilled. Instead, what we have in its place is a cramped 4-bedroom house in a flood prone area. I don’t think Mr. Pimentel even realizes that there is not a single room in that property that can comfortably accommodate 20 people for a decent seminar as what a multi-purpose centre could have offered. Probably, he does now seeing that he has just been granted 1 room in the property for his group’s exclusive use free of charge.
The Filipino community does not expect to see a Taj Majal. All it wants and which it rightfully deserves, is what they were promised 22 years ago — a multi-purpose centre in every right sense of the word.
PCC’s current efforts are geared towards making this dream a reality.
A committee has been formed on March 4, composed of volunteers from the community, tasked to evaluate PACF’s current position. Their findings will be presented to the community at a later date, after which the community shall decide, once and for all, on which better approach to take.
The MPC project belongs to the Filipino community. It just right and proper that the Board heed their advice. — Alric Bulseco
Just a couple of question – why would the PCC-NSW want to take over a property, which I believe has a debt? Wouldn’t it be better if PCC-NSW created their own Multi-purpose centre?