In simple ceremonies held on 31 May 2010, Ms Mayumi Bartolome turned over 10 rubber boats to Marikina Mayor Marides Fernando. Below is the full text of the message she delivered on behalf of the Sydney Filipino Community thru FAME Inc.
Mayor Marides Fernando, members of the City Council, mga minamahal kong kababayan, magandang umaga po sa inyong lahat.
Sa ngalan po ng mga Pilipino sa Sydney, Australia, sa pamunuan at mga kasapi ng kilusang FAME Inc. o’ ang Filipino Australian Movement for Empowerment, Inc. pagdamutan po ninyo ang aming nakayanang tulong sa Lungsod ng Marikina bilang paghahanda sa sana naman ay hindi na maulit pang pagbaha sa ating lungsod.
Allow me to introduce Fame, Inc. to you: FAME Inc. is a non-partisan and advocacy group aimed at empowering the growing number of Filipinos in Australia. It was founded and incorporated in 2008 by a group headed by Cesar Bartolome whose burning desire and passion is to thrust Filipino-Australians to the forefront of Australia’s multicultural landscape and to be an active participant of the mainstream Australian society, particularly in politics. Because only by being actively involved in the politics of mainstream Australia will the Filipinos’ voice be heard.
The funds used to buy these boats came from the cash donations by members of the Filipino Community in Sydney who responded to our call for help during the height of Typhoon Ondoy’s wrath in Luzon last September, 2009. Our appeal for help was specifically for Marikina City. Being natives of the place, we were monitoring the situation when floodwaters started to rise to unbelievable levels. We saw in pictures sent to us by friends and relatives the devastation caused by the flood. Residents were in their rooftops and could not be immediately rescued…we understand, for lack of equipment.
Several Filipino community associations came out to do their own relief operations and so did FAME Inc. that utilized the backyard and garage of our residence as drop-off point for relief goods. The Filipino community in Sydney was able to ship out 4 units of 40 footer container van loads of food and relief goods. Four Balikbayan boxes of medicines and medical instruments courtesy of the Filipino Australian Medical Association specifically for Marikina were turned over to the Marikina Red Cross. Transport and shipping that time was given free of charge by LBC Cargo.
Having seen the tremendous outpouring of help both in cash and in kind, the Directorate of FAME, Inc. in one of its meetings decided to make better use of its cash collection that amounted to A$4,345.00. The FAME Directorate decided to donate boats to Marikina City so that the benefits from the money we were able to collect would be long lasting.
Remember that more than 300 people died in that calamity. 33 died in Marikina City alone. People died not because they did not receive relief goods but …maybe because we failed to rescue them.
This donation is composed of 7 units of 5-seater boats, 3 units of 4-seater boats, each boat provided with a manual air pump, a set of oars, a life vest for the operator, a carrying bag for storage and 3 sets of electric outboard motors with rechargeable batteries.
The boats were shipped out of Sydney last Easter Sunday, the 4th of April, 2010, with free cargo handling and delivery made possible through the courtesy of Austral Cargo Pty. Ltd., a door-to-door delivery company based in Glendenning, NSW, Australia. Their office and warehouse here in the Philippines is located in Paranaque City.
Sana po ay maging kapaki-pakinabang sa ating lungsod ang mga bangkang ito, ating alagaan at maintenahing mabuti upang mapakinabangan ng matagal na panahon.
Maraming salamat po.
Mayumi Fernando – Bartolome