It seems not too long ago when FAME (Filipino Australian Movement for Empowerment) was organised by Mr. Cesar Bartolome, a former vice president of PCC (Philippine Community Council – NSW), the once-upon-a-time umbrella organisation of nearly a hundred Filipino associations in the premier Australian state. FAME gathered strength with many of its members now recognised as the ‘creme de la creme,’ or people of the highest social level.
Then there is APCO (Alliance of Philippine Community Organisations) which is now headed by its president Jhun Salazar. As if to distinguish itself as another umbrella organisation, APCO is having what it calls “Freedom Ball” this month. The APCO celebration is separate and distinct from PCC-NSW’s “Philippine National Day Ball” (PND) which is being held on June 9 at the Rosehill Gardens Convention Centre.
I remember the opening lines of a former Philippine Secretary of Tourism who delivered a speech during a past PND Ball: “Wherever I find 95 Filipinos in whatever country I visit, I also find over a hundred Filipino organisations.”
Now there is conflict between the incumbent president and immediate past president of a prestigious university alumni association notably because of a forthcoming charity ball.
And the latest of course is another conflict happening at PACSI (Philippine Australian Community Services, Inc. It was reported that there was a shouting match among members during an annual general meeting that was held at the Max Webber Library in Blacktown. Details are discussed in a separate column in this issue.
Why is this happening? Is it because of diversity in our culture, spread over more than 7,000 islands in the Philippine archipelago? Is it because the Filipinos speak many different dialects like Bicol, Ilocano, Waray, Illonggo, Tagalog, Capampangan, Pangalatok, Chabacano, etc.? Note that even the Chabacanos from Cavite and Zamboanga do not understand each other.
They both speak distorted Spanish mixed with their own native tongue.
Why can’t Filipinos be united? Why can’t they practice solidarity? Why can’t we practice harmonious co-existence in the land we have chosen as our second home? Are we not one nation? Aren’t we all Filipinos? Let us take pride in our Filipino heritage and show the world that we care for each other and that we are one! The best time to do it is now as we celebrate 115 years of Philippine Independence. ### — Dino Crescini