Filipino bonding in Australia

Most of us may have already chosen to adopt the Australian Citizenship and that makes us Australian. And it’s very heartening to note that despite this change, we have have not forgotten where we came from and that the blood running in our veins is still the Filipino blood.

In this column, it is not my intention to give more credence to us being born a Filipino citizen, nor give more importance to now being an Australian citizen. Both citizenships are now part of ourselves and we should not deny either one for the sake of the other.

We are now Australians in dealing with the daily aspects of our lives, more especially in dealing with natural born Australians and those other migrants who came over to this country just like us. But this should not preclude us in dealing with other Filipinos like we were still in the Philippines. We can be an Australian and at the same time enjoy the camaraderie and companionship of our Kababayans.

How can we maintain our “Filipino Bonding” and enjoy at the same time the Australian way of life? There are many ways where we can continue to interact with our fellow Filipino-Australians. We can keep in touch with other close relatives who are also here in Australia by having a regular family get-together. We can join the different Filipino community, social, or civic organizations to enhance our social skills. We can be part of a charitable organizations or endeavor to have that feeling of fulfillment by helping or serving others. We can join religious activities for our spiritual growth. The list of things we can pursue is innumerable.

We can also join Filipino sports organizations or groups conducting games among Filipinos. We can join them in the sports we love to play or watch. And this is the first Filipino bonding that I wish to encourage interest in. Sports is such a magnetic activity that we use to unwind ourselves from the rigors of the drive occupying our daily lives. In the Philippines, there are two most favored past times. Politics and Sports. It is a truism that to attract people to get together, you offer them entertainment and they will come. Sports is our native past time and it is a form of entertainment.

During our high school and college days, we shouted and stomped our feet in rooting for our own team. We are together in cheering for our home-grown athletes in provincial games. We become one when one of the protagonist in a world boxing event is a Filipino. And in a bigger picture, we stand as one when our Filipino national team is playing against any country or there is a Filipino participating in a world sports event. Even in the field of medicine, top among the recommended cure for some ailments is exercise or some sports activity. With all these facts, we can see how important sports is necessary in our daily lives. SPORTS BONDS US TOGETHER.

I hope that this brief intro gives you an insight into the nature and coverage of my column in this news publication. In my next articles, I will write about some upcoming events, especially those organised by our kababayans here in New South Wales. Let’s join them. And let’s continue to enjoy the camaraderie of our kababayans. #

*** Obet Dionisio is a community leader based in Blacktown, New South Wales.