The latest Filipino radio program, Radio Kawayan, will go to air at 7pm-8pm on community radio station 2SWR-FM 99.9 in the city of Blacktown.

Filipino Press Group of Sydney (Filpress) is a group of Sydney-based Filipino print, online, and broadcast media practitioners.

Pimentel said that Radio Kawayan will broadcast mainly in English with a sprinkling of Tagalog and other Filipino dialects.

“Radio Kawayan joins the daily SBS Radio Filipino program (nationwide), and the weekly Pinoy Radio (statewide), Radio Sandigan (inner west), Radio Tamaraw (Liverpool-Fairfield), and Radio Bandila (Parramatta-Hills) in the growing network of Filipino-Australian radio programs across the Sydney metropolitan area,” added Pimentel.

INC District Minister for Australia-Oceania Emmanuel Era officially opening Appreciation Day to welcome residents of Minchinbury and other suburbs // Photo: TFA

What better way to start Spring than to demonstrate the spirit of GIVING!

Last weekend, September 3, the members of Iglesia Ni Cristo’s Minchinbury congregation celebrated the warm day by throwing away a Neighbourhood Appreciation Day.

Present were INC District Minister Emmanuel Era, who did the ribbon-cutting ceremony signalling the start of the open day festivities, and church officers and members who welcomed residents in Minchinbury and neighbouring suburbs.

The fast-growing Christian organisation thanked the local residents for their continuous support and hospitality by providing amazing FREE treats including Kids games, rides and crafts centre while the adults availed FREE services including health screenings and Wellness Education from licensed medical professionals, photo souvenir from the busy Photo Booth, and surprise gifts from Dad’s Corner.

We also couldn’t resist indulging in the Beauty & Nail Bar, Hair Bar, Massage Bar plus the FREE food, drinks and live entertainment.

As I know very little about the church, what I enjoyed the most was the chapel tour where we learned that this growing organisation that was started in 1914 by Brother Felix Y. Manalo in the Philippines is now present in over 90 countries and territories.

The church group has also been in Western Sydney for the last 24 years with over 700 active members promoting equality and brotherhood. Initially, the members used rented community halls for their worship services until August 1996 when they moved to the Minchinbury church building.

Apparently, last Saturday’s Neighbourhood Appreciation Day is the very first INC event of its kind staged in Australia.
It is part of the INC philanthropic program, launched in the United States last April, to help families and communities during challenging economic times by leveraging on the skills and expertise of Church members in implementing positive solutions and offering services focused on the basic needs of their neighbours.

Other Neighbourhood Appreciation Days are being planned in other congregations in Metro Sydney and in other Australian capital cities.

To the organizers – we thank you for a very enjoyable day where we felt part of the family. A true brotherhood at work indeed!

*** Bless Salonga is a freelance writer whose passion includes business management & coaching, choreography and music. She is also the co-founder and the Media & Community Coordinator for The MOB radio.

Photos: The Filipino Australian

L-R: Mayor Paul Lake, Rizal Park Movement Founding President Lourdes Kaiser, Consul General Anne Jalando-on Louis, and Rizal Park Movement PRO and Founding Member Max Lopez during their recent site inspection visit.

Mayor of Campbelltown, Cr Paul Lake, said the redevelopment of Rizal Park in Campbelltown’s Anthony Drive, Rosemeadow is continuing and has now entered the next stage, the Campbelltown City Council reported in its website recently.

The city council also reported that the construction of electric barbecue facilities and landscaping had now been completed together with a new picnic shelter area, more than 500 plants and trees, and a new entrance sign with the words ‘Rizal Park’.

‘The latest works further reflect the passion and commitment of members of the Campbelltown and Region Filipino Community Council and the Rizal Park Movement of Campbelltown, who have worked tirelessly to bring this transformation to fruition, and I commend their efforts,’ Mayor Lake was quoted.

Rizal Park is a 2.6 hectare reserve off Anthony Drive, Rosemeadow within the Campbelltown district.

It was in 1987 when the park was named after the Philippine national hero, Dr Jose Rizal, after lobbying by the Philippine-Australian Friendship Association.

In 2009, the master plan to redevelop the park was finalised by the city council. The key features of the plan included a playground facility, a bust / statue of Philippine national hero Jose Rizal, shade structures, BBQ facilities, toilet facilities, an informal kickabout area, landscaped areas, and carpark with entry structure.

The plan also envisaged pathways and cycleways to connect the various elements of the park and “to reflect the structure of the original Rizal Park in Manila”.

Following the completion of the master plan, the first major redevelopment work delivered was a children’s playground.

In another reporting, The Filipino Australian learned that through the efforts of Rizal Park Movement and the Philippine Consulate General’s Office in Sydney, the Department of Foreign of Foreign Affairs through the initiative of Philippine Ambassador to Australia Belen Anota and DFA Assistant Secretary for Asia Pacific Affairs Maria Theresa Lazaro, was able to secure a donation of a statue from renowned Filipino Sculptor Eduardo Castrillo for installation in Rizal Park Campbelltown.

The statue will be about five metres tall, made of hollow bronze, and weigh about 500 kilograms.

Once completed, the statue will be donated by the artist to the Philippine Government for turn over to the City of Campbelltown.

The statue is scheduled for installation in June 2012 in time for the conclusion of the national hero’s sesquicentennial birth anniversary.

Consul General Anne Jalando-on Louis, Rizal Park Movement Founding President Lourdes Kaiser and PRO and Founding Member Max Lopez, along with the other founding members of RPM, are the Filipino community’s liaison with the Campbelltown City Council on the park enhancement program.

Crowd in one of the shows in last year's Fiesta Kultura

Exhibit organiser Menchie Maneze said that the exhibit aims to showcase the works of Filipino visual artists and craftspeople in Sydney, especially the “new and emerging artists whom we haven’t heard much about”.

Visual and literary arts to be displayed will include drawings, paintings, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, photography, film, multimedia, and books and print materials authored by Filipino writers in Australia, said Maneze.

Fiesta Kultura is staged by the Philippine Australia Sports and Culture, Inc. every October usually coinciding with a long week-end in New South Wales.

The event, previously called Philippine Fiesta, features trade exhibits, food festival, entertainment, children’s games and amusement rides, and a beauty pageant.

This year’s Fiesta Kultura will be held on Sunday, October 2 at Fairfield Showground, Smithfield Road, Bossley Park.

INC evangelist Emmanuel Era discusses biblical passages on marriage and family relationships

Highlights of the celebration included a presentation of biblical bases of marriage and family relationships.

This was followed by a fellowship hour with light dinner and video presentations of recent INC events in Metro Sydney.

Established in August 1987, the Minchinbury congregation is one of INC’s first two congregations in Metro Sydney. It draws membership from residents in other western suburbs including Colyton, Erskine Park, St Marys, Rooty Hill, Eastern Creek, Mt Druitt, Plumpton, Glendenning, Oakhurst, Woodcroft, Doonside, Blacktown, Seven Hills, Wenthworthville and Fairfield.

The Minchinbury congregation is based at 27 Eskdale Street, Minchinbury.

Sent by: Roseann Paraan

Paulini on stage with supporting local dance artists

It is still winter, yet it was a very hot Saturday night in Sydney’s Filipino Australian community last weekend!

The heat has nothing to do with the atmospheric temperature nor with Neil Diamond being in town. It was caused by one of those unusual happenings when three Filipino-organised concerts were being staged at the same time in three separate venues – all featuring “hot” entertainers.

The three events, perhaps unwittingly organised and staged head-to-head, featured Filipino singing sensation Sarah Geronimo in the Liverpool area, Filipino-Aussie diva and ever youthful Lillian de los Reyes performing in a local club in Blacktown City, and a RnB Concert headlined by Australian Idol ‘alumni’ Paulini and Stan Walker supported by Albert Prias and other Filipino-Australian local artists in a Plumpton function centre.

Too bad, one could only be in one place that night!

Knowing Lillian does the club circuit where I am likely to catch her future shows and hoping I could watch Sarah in her next Australian tour, I opted to go to the RnB Concert organised by community organisations, Australian-Filipino Business & Works Club Inc. (AFBWCI) as event producers and Filipino Lesbian & Gay Community (FLAGCOM) as artistic producers.

It was pleasing to note that the show started right on the dot at 7 o’clock as indicated on the flyer. I thought that reflected a well organised program which was to come, in contrast to the panicky start of other shows I’ve previously watched running terribly late. Honestly, there’s nothing more annoying than waiting around for a show to start.

Local artists wow the crowd with songs and dances

With only a brief introduction by Charles Chan of FLAGCOM, the show was on its way. And it progressed smoothly.

The first thirty minutes of the program showcased the talents of young local artists with the five-piece boy-band Oz-Myx Band opening the show, followed by three young ladies, Natasha McFarland, Bernadette Marquez and Abigail Magtanong, singing in group and later singing their respective solos. These young talents would no doubt improve with more experience on stage.

I was lucky to score two of the seats added in the centre aisle earlier in the evening. Consul General Anne Jalando-on Louis and her 12-year old daughter Gabrielle arrived after the start of the first half of the show and got seated next to me. During the short intermission that followed, I got to say hello and have a short chat with her. She expressed great admiration of the talents of the performers.

Photos: Violi Calvert

In the subsequent part of the show, the crowd was wowed by the talents of Albert Prias, Brian Lorenz, Annie Marquez, Ma Paz Barcenas, Anpherny Maneze and Louise Nuss.

Albert and Annie set the scene with their upbeat rendition of Heartbeat and Beautiful People. Albert looked every inch a rock star – dark sunglasses, faux fur trimmed coat, harem-inspired trousers, and gelled up spiky hair. Annie equally looked diva-nesque.

Popular international dance medallist and winner of Variety Quest singer Brian received a rousing welcome from the crowd. His duet with Albert of the song Tonight I’m Loving You, with a bit of help by Anpherny on Rap, was impressive. Brian’s rendition of another Enrique Iglesias song Bailamos also displayed his dancing skills, with Jasmin Gaspi as his dance partner for this number.

Talking of dancing skills, there certainly was no shortage of performers with those skills. The Magic 2 Dance and the D Gen Dancers executed their dance steps and body movements with precision and explosive energy with upbeat numbers, and yet, when supporting softer music numbers, their gracefulness was a delight to watch.

Intermission and side notes

It was a relief that the inevitable ‘official’ part of the program was only brief. AFBWCI president Ariel Satorre presented the association’s officers and directors, and together with Raquel Pellero, AFBWCI Secretary and Event Producer, thanked the community for the overwhelming support. Consul General Anne Jalando-on Louis, Marrickville Council Mayor Fiona Byrne, and APCO president Cen Amores briefly addressed the audience with complimentary remarks. After a few minutes and just as when a number of people in the audience were starting to wonder if PCC-NSW officers were in attendance, PCC-NSW vice president Alric Bulseco was called up the stage to say a few words. Consul General Louis also led the cutting of the ribbon of the car which is one of the major prizes for a raffle to be conducted by AFBWCI. More than $400 was collected from the hat passed around for donation for the Malawi children.

But wait, there were more! The main stars of the show were next to perform.

Paulini and Stan Walker on stage

When Paulini went on stage, there was great cheering from the crowd. Paulini looked fantastic and appeared to have been poured into the black lycra pants she was wearing. It was a far cry from when an Australian Idol judge commented on her attire and suggested possibly shedding some pounds at the final five weeks of 2003 Australian Idol.

Obviously, she could now thumb her nose over that episode as not only because she has a svelte to-die-for body but also by being in the Australian Recording Industy Association (ARIA) charts in 2004 with her debut album getting to Platinum. Her strong voice and confident energy-packed continuous performance for about half hour delighted the crowd, which stood up and danced to her singing.

Stan Walker showed why he was the 2009 Australian Idol winner and now a Platinum Record holder. He sang with great gusto and abandon.

It seemed effortless for him to sing through the spectrum of his vocal register reaching the highest note possible while he energetically danced to the beat of the music. I kept thinking to myself “no way” as the notes kept going higher and higher, but he reached the highest possible note ala-Mariah Carey way! Like Paulini, he got the crowd involved as he seamlessly moved from one song to the next.

An evening of good entertainment and collaboration

Congratulations to AFBWCI, in particular to Raquel Pellero, AFBWCI’s indefatigable secretary and event producer extraordinare, FLAGCOM and all who were involved in this show. It was an evening of fantastic songs and dances. Even my 92-year old mother enjoyed herself and only half complained about the loud music.

Aside from providing a good entertainment, the event promoted collaboration between the Filipino and Samoan communities, and a worthy project with proceeds contributing towards projects being undertaken by AFBWCI.

Despite getting a bit lost on our way to the venue, I am glad I was there enjoying a feverish feeling of a hot August Saturday night.

- – - – - -
Violi Calvert is a freelance writer; Media & PR for Australian Handball Federation and Media & PR for Nenad Bach Music [Australia & Asia].

Marilag dancers in one of their performances

Preparations for the Filipino Night at the Austrian Club show August 13 are in full swing, the organising Ilocano Association of Australia announced today.

The show will feature two Filipino Australian community popular entertainers, Lillian delos Reyes and Albert Prias, and the special participation of the Marilag and Company dancers.

Lillian delos Reyes (third from right) with PCC officers /Photo: TFA

The Marilag dancers have performed in various multicultural community celebrations in Sydney including the Eurofest in the past three years.

“The dance ensemble will portray in songs, dances and music the visions of every Filipino and the legacy of their colonizers – from the pre-Spanish and non-Christian Philippine cultures including the legend of the first Filipino man and woman Malakas at Maganda (Strong and Beautiful), and the many native traditions derived from the Malay Polynesian people and Philippine indigenous cultures such as those of the Cordilleras,” the IAA announcement added.

Albert Prias (white pants) in his FLAGCOM performance last Feb 26 /Photo: Violi Calvert

“The show will also showcase the influence of four centuries of Spanish colonization on Philippine folk and traditional music and dances in the Spanish jota (waltz) and Manton de Manila, a dance woven around the Manton (shawl), an adornment for Filipino women that were brought to Spain in the 19th century as a result of the galleon trade.

“Other influences from the first Chinese traders who sailed to the Philippines aeons ago and the Japanese who occupied the country in the 1940s, now gleaned in popular Asian cuisine, market, and trading products, will also be interpreted by the Marilags in a special dance number accompanied by Filipino music.

“The elegant and energetic Lillian delos Reyes and dynamic Albert Prias will then portray the segment of Philippine culture when American reigned in the Philippines from 1898 until 1946. This is the part of Philippine history when English became a second language and US pop culture dominated the Philippine way of life from fast-food to music, and from fashion to electronic media.”

Members and friends of the Ilocano Association are all looking forward to the Filipino Night at the Austrian Club show as the evening is also the association’s way of celebrating its 21st anniversary.

Bookings and information: Hilde on 9399-3554 / Liz on 9975-3172 / Cita 9981-4424. Admission fee: $18 for members, and $20 for non-members.

GFA president Lolita Farmer...

Global Filipinos Australia president Lolita Farmer OAM issued today a statement deploring the postponement of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) election.

Ms Farmer, also chair of Manila-based Worldwide Filipino Alliance, said that the decision to postpone the ARMM election is the end of popular democracy and the beginning of “directed democracy”.

“Without the ratification by the ARMM constituents of the postponement of the election, popular democracy came to an end and directed democracy begins.

“Let the right of the local people to self rule be respected now by not postponing the election. Sovereignty resides in the people through suffrage.”

The ARMM election is mandated to take place on the second Monday of August every three years with this year’s election scheduled on August 8.

More than 1.5 million registered ARMM voters from 1,903 polling centres are to elect their officials for the posts of Regional Governor and Regional Vice-Governor and members of the ARMM Regional Legislative Assembly.

ARMM is made up of the provinces of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao, and Lanao del Sur, and the City of Marawi.

The bill postponing the ARMM election has now been passed by both the House of Representatives and Senate. It is scheduled for signing by President Benigno S. Aquino III on June 30.

Mr Aquino has publicly declared his stand on pushing for the postponement of the ARMM election.

Malacanang has also made clear its plan of installing officers in charge to fill up vacant positions, with the next election in the region being synchronised with the national polls in 2013.

Mr Ansaruddin A. Adiong is currently ARMM’s Acting Regional Governor. He was previously Vice Governor, and was sworn in to his current position in December 2009 to replace Zaldy Ampatuan, who was taken into military custody for his alleged involvement in the November 2009 massacre of 57 civilians in Maguindanao.

Jose Rizal painting by Daisy Ann Cumming now hanging inside Bulwagang Rizal at the Sydney Philippine Consulate

The Philippine Consulate General Sydney played host last Sunday afternoon (June 19) to a symposium organised by the Order of the Knights of Rizal Sydney Chapter to commemorate the sesquicentennial birth anniversary of the Philippine national hero, Dr Jose Rizal.

The symposium held fittingly at the Consulate’s Bulwagang Rizal had “Rizal: Haligi ng Bayan” (Rizal: Pillar of the Nation) as its main topic. Consul General Anne Jalando-on Louis was the principal symposium speaker.

In her talk, Consul General Louis admonished everyone to heed Rizal’s message to all Filipinos that “we should be proud of our identity. He exemplified virtues of honesty, integrity, patriotism and peace. It is up to us to continue his aspirations and legacies.”

Prior to the symposium, the Order of the Knights of Rizal also conducted a dubbing ceremony to admit to the Order two new members, Romeo Cayabyab and Adrian Santos, and elevating to the next rank five other current members.

The occasion also witnessed the turn-over of two historical items and a painting for the Consulate’s Rizaliana repository.

* Ms Lolita Farmer OAM turned over to Mr Philip Ranoso, Commander of the Order of the Knights of Rizal Sydney Chapter, a plaque presented by the Order in 1982 to Mr Doug Sutherland, honorary member of the Order of the Knights of Rizal, then Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney. The plaque was given to Ms Farmer for safekeeping when the City Council building was renovated a few years ago. In last Sunday’s ceremony, Mr Ranoso, on behalf of the Order, in turn handed over the Sutherland plaque to the Philippine Consulate to form part of the Rizaliana memorabilia;

* Mr Ric de Vera, Regional Commander of the Order of the Knights of Rizal – Australia and Oceania, turned over his personal collection of a 1902 Tagalog translation of “Noli Me Tangere”.

* Ms Daisy Ann Cumming, artist-painter, handed over her oil painting of Jose Rizal.

“The turn-over was also very symbolic,” said Mr de Vera, adding that the turn-over also reflects the Order’s motto ‘Non Omnis Moriar’ or ‘Not all of me will die’.

The Order of the Knights of Rizal is a civic, patriotic and cultural, non-sectarian, non-partisan, and non-racial organisation chartered under Philippine Republic Act 646.

More symposium photos…

Philippine Consulate officials, members of two Sydney-based Rizal legions, and Filipino community members braved a cold morning last Sunday (June 19) to congregate at Plaza Iberoamericana and celebrate Dr Jose Rizal’s sesquicentennial birth anniversary.

Plaza Iberoamericana, located at Chalmers Street near Sydney’s Central Station, features a Rizal bust together with those of Hispanic-American heroes.

Consul General Anne Jalando-on Louis, in her message, urged everyone to continue to remember Rizal for “his sacrifices in paving the way for the Filipino people to gain nationhood”, adding that the values that Rizal lived by continue to be relevant today. “These are integrity, justice, freedom from oppression and equal rights for all Filipinos.”

Mr Philip Ranoso, Sydney Chapter Commander of the Order of Knights of Rizal, and Mr Fidel Pamplona, head of Lodge Jose Rizal #1045, led their respective members in the floral offering and in re-affirming their loyalty to the national hero’s ideals.

Photos by The Filipino Australian