World Youth Day 2008 preparations for Filipino pilgrims in full gear
SYDNEY – The Philippine Consul General to Sydney Maria Theresa Lazaro reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs on a series of meetings with several members of the Filipino clergy to discuss preparations for Filipino visiting pilgrims who are expected to arrive in Sydney to participate in the upcoming World Youth Day (WYD) 2008 Celebration to be held in various venues throughout the City of Sydney from 15-20 July 2008.
Consul General Lazaro met with the Filipino Chaplain of the Archdiocese of Sydney, Fr. Menardo Mercene, to discuss the ongoing preparations in anticipation of the arrival of Filipino pilgrims and clergy.
The Consul General also met with the Reverend Bishop Joel Baylon, Chair of the Episcopal Commission on the Youth (ECY), during her recent working visit to the Philippines.
“The meetings that I had with Fr. Mercene in Sydney and Bishop Baylon in Manila were very productive undertakings since they presented opportunities by which we could best work out our coordination efforts that would best assist the visiting Filipino pilgrims from the Philippines before and during the event. With five months to go, the Consulate has been receiving queries from Filipinos regarding the event and that we have thought it best to assist them by directly linking with key Filipino members of the clergy both in the Philippines and Australia as well as the World Youth Day organizers so that the Filipino pilgrims would be up-to-date with the latest developments in the preparations.” Consul General Lazaro said.
The ECY is the arm of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) that coordinates the World Youth Day preparations for Filipino pilgrims in the Philippines.
According to the latest figures provided by the WYD organizers, there are now an estimated 187 groups with 6,560 expected Filipino participants who have registered for the event. Of these, more than 900 pilgrims coming from the Philippines have been confirmed to date.
Philippine Consulate-General Advisory
The Consulate continues to advise pilgrims and participants from the Philippines to regularly monitor the WYD Website for updates and instructions. The WYD website is www.wyd2008.org. There is an accompanying registration fee to participate in the event which does not include that person’s airfare to and from Sydney.
The visiting Filipino pilgrim is also advised to take note of the limitations of their selected registration packages, particularly their health insurance coverage. Filipino pilgrims who may intend to stay for a period beyond the coverage of their health insurance are strongly advised to carefully consider getting additional travel and health insurance to cover unforeseen personal circumstances. The WYD website advises that the health cover “is for emergency medical treatment and repatriation to home country. It will cover the package period plus the three days immediately before and after the package period provided that the travel from/to the home country is direct to/from Sydney.”
The visiting Filipino pilgrim should also be aware that the WYD Sydney is being held in July, when it is considered to be the depth of the winter season in Australia. Although Sydney’s winters are usually mild, dry and generally snow-free, the pilgrim should be nonetheless prepared to anticipate temperatures ranging from 18 degrees Celsius in the morning and 8 degrees in the evening and the usual wind chills that may bring the temperature further down. Those intending to reside in the inland suburbs would find the temperatures even cooler.
The visiting Filipino pilgrim should also consider the fact that the cost of goods, services and transport around and outside of Sydney are high and must be taken into account when planning one’s budgetary requirements for attending the event and other tourism-related activities.
WYD 2008 Highlights
The highlight of the WYD 2008 celebrations will begin on 15 July 2008 with an Opening Mass celebrated by the Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal George Pell.
Catechesis (teaching) sessions and Youth Festival events will be held for the next two days; to be followed by the Stations of the Cross re-enactment throughout the City; the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI and an evening Vigil, culminating in a Mass on 20 July 2008. The Closing Mass will be held at the Randwick Racecourse.
The WYD organizers expect an estimated 500,000 participants attending at least one event during the World Youth Day week. This includes 125,000 overseas pilgrims. A media contingent of 3,000-5,000 is also expected to cover the event. This is the 10th International World Youth Day celebration since it was held in 1986 by the late Pope John Paul II.
Detailed Information
Further information on the World Youth Day 2008 arrangements could be obtained from the following:
Registration and general inquiries: World Youth Day 2008 E-mail: gle@wyd2008.org; Home-stay arrangements and Filipino community WYD-related events in Sydney: Rev. Fr. Menardo “Nards” Mercene, Chaplain, Filipino Chaplaincy of the Archdiocese of Sydney, Tel. no.(612) 9604-5512; and WYD-related information in the Philippines: Most Rev. Bishop Joel Baylon, Chair, Episcopal Commission on the Youth, Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, email – ecy@info.com.ph
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SYDNEY – The Philippine Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) has recently announced the opening of nominations for the 2008 Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas.
The Presidential Awards is a biennial search to recognize exceptional individuals and organizations for their outstanding contribution to Philippine progress and development. The Awards are also conferred on overseas Filipinos who have shown excellence and distinction in their work or profession.
Instituted in 1991, it has so far been conferred on 283 overseas-based individuals and organizations.
There are four categories of awards, namely:
1. Lingkod sa Kapwa Pilipino (LINKAPIL) Award. Conferred on Filipino associations or individuals for their exceptional or significant contribution to reconstruction, progress and development in the Philippines.
2. Banaag Award. Conferred on Filipino individuals or associations for their contributions which have significantly benefited a sector or community in the Philippines, or advanced the cause of overseas Filipino communities.
3. Kaanib ng Bayan Award. Conferred on foreign individuals or organizations for their exceptional or significant contribution to Philippine reconstruction, progress and development, or have significantly benefited a sector or community in the Philippines, or advanced the cause of overseas Filipino communities.
4. Pamana ng Pilipino Award. Conferred on Filipinos overseas, who, in exemplifying the talent and industry of the Filipino, have brought the country honor and recognition through excellence and distinction in the pursuit of their work or profession.
Nominations from individuals and/ or organizations based in New South Wales are to be submitted to the Philippine Consulate General Sydney for screening of documentary compliance and endorsement of the submissions to the CFO.
Previous nominees who were not award recipients may be re-nominated under the same or another category. An individual or organization may not be nominated in more than one category at any one time. In cases where there are separate nominations for an individual and the organization where he/she belongs to the same award category, the primacy of the organization will be upheld. The Awards Secretariat reserves the right to change the category of the initial nomination for that individual or organization as appropriate.
Former awardees, either in the same or other categories, are disqualified from nomination.
Copies of the primer, nomination, endorsement forms and further information are available at the Consulate or through the CFO website at www.cfo.gov.ph.
The completed nomination, endorsement forms and supporting documentation must be submitted on or before 30 May 2008. The Awards Ceremony will be held at the Malacañan Palace in December 2008.
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SYDNEY, 12 Feb – GLOBAL FILIPINOS Australia has today announced an awards initiative in eight major fields of discipline to recognise work of excellence of Filipino youth in meeting the challenges of diverse societies.
The announcement was issued in a media release by Global Filipinos Australia head, Ms Lolita Farmer OAM. The eight categories of the awards project, “Global Filipino Youth Awards,” are Academic/Education, Arts and Entertainment, Business, Community Service, Government, Journalism/Media, Sports, and Technology.
Global Filipinos Australia is a member of Global Filipinos network with main offices in the USA. In 2007, GFA was host to the international 5th Global Networking Conference held at Rooty Hill, Blacktown City. The conference was attended by representatives of Philippine-related community organizations from different countries, including the USA and Middle East countries.
Nominations for the youth recognition awards are opened to anyone with Filipino ancestry, 16 – 35 years of age. The deadline for nominations is 30 May 2008 5.00PM AEST.Awarding will be held on 14 July 2008 at the NSW Parliament Theatre, Sydney. Nominees should provide passport size photograph and full documentation of 100 to 150 words providing details of their achievements. Awardees will be responsible for their own fares and accommodation in Sydney.
Additional information on the awards may be obtained from the Global Filipino Australia by contacting Ms Farmer on 0419 262 530 or Atoy Sayas on 0411 262 434
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Students who attend the Filipino Language lessons of the Filipino-Australian Teachers Associations of Queensland show their talents in this Philippine Symbols on Quilt artwork.
The children drew and imprinted their artwork onto the fabric which was sewn into a collage by Erlinda Jacob. The quilt is now on display in FATAQ’s premises where functions on Filipino schools are held.
Photo shows the members of the Filipino-Australian Teacher’s Association of Queensland (FATAQ)’s Executive Committee and friends. Bottom (L-R) Minda Tinambacan, Lina Loughran, Lourdes Cremin, Fe Tatad-Stokes, Evelyn Carrigan. Top (L-R) Merle Parkinson, Erlinda Jacob, Erwin Cabucos, Sol Dobinson, and Myrla Prianes.
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Continue reading …MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA. The Philippine Times/PAD– Luvina Dayang, 50, is finally coming home this Friday, February 8. Last Wednesday, a funeral service was held with 13 Filipino-Australians attending– people she never met before. There was not a single relative. It was a quiet, solemn service. If Filos learned of the service earlier, they would have come in drove to sympathize with their kababayan.
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