Free Classifieds section now accepting ads

The Filipino Australian website has today opened a Free Classifieds service to cater to the needs of Australia-based members and readers to promote their products and services.

The new service may be accessed at http://thefilipinoaustralian.com/ads. Free Classifieds’ opening pages contain information on how to post and edit an ad as well as basic information on what products or services can be advertised on the site.

Advertisers, especially small businesses, should find the new service easy to use and there are very few steps to post an ad. For example, after registration, the advertiser is directed to the ad submission page which allows posting of an ad in only a matter of minutes.

Free Classifieds has 20 main categories which include announcements, autos, bargains, business services, computers, employment, food and drinks, personals, and real estate.

The new service uses the same core CMS architecture as the News site. Businesses with Australia-based operations listed at The Filipino Australian’s directory listing service are invited to transfer across to Free Classifieds.

Free Classifieds advertisers are free to post unlimited number of ads including one graphics image for each ad. Advertisers can edit their ads anytime without the intervention of the site administrator.

All ads posted on or before 31 October 2010 will be allowed to run for one full year. Ads posted after 31 October will run for shorter period only.

To post an ad, visit this page.

Next in our agenda

We have introduced a number of changes in our site lately. These include the Community Blogs, Media Photogallery, a special section on the August 21 Federal election and the overall site design and layout.

Next in line is a review of our Directory listing section. We are bringing this forward to our main section which should be good news to businesses, trades, professions and associations.

Please stay tuned!

New website features

Recent additions in our website include a specialised section for the upcoming August 21 Federal election where for the first time, Filipino Australian candidates are receiving high profile because they are the official standards bearers of the Liberal and Democrats parties.

We are also gradually placing under one umbrella, so to speak, images in our Photo Gallery. Now you don’t have to move away from our main News section. The image links are now conveniently located in the mid-section of our front page as well as on the top navigation panel.

Yes, you can expect more changes. Stay connected with Twitter, FB and RSS!

Ronaldo Villaver running for Greenway

It’s now official. I just received an email from Ronaldo with attachments of his press release and flyers in the August 21 Federal election.

Ronaldo, former president of the Philippine Community Council of NSW, is running as the Democrats official candidate for Greenway

We now have two Filipino Australians vying for the same electorate. The other one is Jaymes Diaz. (See our story posted few days ago.)

I am sending this post on the road, and we will post a story of Ronaldo’s candidacy when I get back to our workstation. *** Calling our community bloggers wishing to post blog entries on 2010 Fed election: Now is an opportune time to be heard by our community and mainstream Australia. // Romy C

Welcome back

We hope our new “one-stop” like homepage will make navigation much easier and your online experience with us more enjoyable. As usual, leave us a message for feedback or suggestions. Maraming salamat.

ABS CPI June quarter 2010 up 0.6%

The Australian Bureau of Statistics Consumer Price Index rose 0.6% in the June quarter 2010, compared with a rise of 0.9% in the March quarter 2010.

The most significant price rises this quarter were for tobacco (+15.4%), hospital and medical services (+3.8%), automotive fuel (+2.1%), rents (+1.1%) and house purchase (+0.6%).

The most significant offsetting price falls were for domestic holiday travel and accommodation (-6.0%), fruit (-4.8%), audio, visual and computing equipment (-6.3%), vegetables (-3.0%) and overseas holiday travel and accommodation (-1.9%).

The ABS CPI rose 3.1% through the year to June quarter 2010, compared with a rise of 2.9% through the year to March quarter 2010.

Source: ABS

Do you agree with the worm’s verdict?

After a not-too-impressive presentation by protagonists PM Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott in last night’s debate, the “worm” gave the win to Gillard by a wide margin of something like 67 vs 37 per cent.

What do you think? Do you agree with the verdict by the “worm” – the composite scoring by 150 persons inside the studio watching the debate?

New IP content services taking off in Australia

A new report released today by the Australian Communications and Media Authority confirms that Australians are increasingly able to view video content on their own terms, including when, where and how they want it.

The report is part of the ACMA’s ongoing research program into the application of emerging technologies. It provides taxonomy of the new delivery models and discusses the changes to the commercial environment.

The report, entitled IPTV and internet video delivery models: Video content services over IP in Australia, identifies that, while traditional content viewing services such as free-to-air and subscription broadcasting still form the overwhelming backbone for video and television content viewing in Australia, there has been a material increase in the number of alternative distribution methods – with several using the internet.

‘This report is a useful reminder of the impact of the internet on viewing options for Australians,’ said ACMA Chairman, Chris Chapman. ‘While most of these delivery models are still in their infancy in Australia, some examples, such as internet video viewing, are becoming much more common among consumers.’

The report suggests that one in five Australians have already viewed full-length television programs over the internet and one in eight have viewed full-length films.

‘With higher internet speeds and increasing bandwidth capacity, increasingly consumers are less restricted to viewing their favourite programs according to a predetermined schedule or on a single device, such as the family television,’ Mr Chapman said. ‘Already, we’ve seen television ‘catch-up’ services gathering popularity in Australian households.’

The report suggests that the changing content delivery environment will continue to increase the fragmentation of audiences, with ramifications for content owners, distributors, broadcasters and regulators alike.

In order to maximise audience reach, television broadcasters, independent websites and content service providers are offering increasing amounts of professionally-produced content online.

‘This is an exciting, yet obviously challenging, time for the communications and media industries,’ Mr Chapman said. ‘This report has helped the ACMA better understand the new distribution methods for professionally-produced content and the pressures resulting from the convergence of previously distinct platforms over which content is delivered. This report is published to provide information to the market and interested stakeholders and we welcome feedback on it.’

Source: ACMA

New people smuggling laws highlight lawful entry

Tough new laws passed recently in Australia to combat people smuggling further highlight the importance of following lawful channels to seek asylum in Australia [...]

4 million more households in 25 years: ABS

The number of households in Australia is projected to increase by up to 4 million over the next 25 years, according to projections released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). This is an increase from 7.8 million households in 2006 to up to 11.8 million in 2031.

Family households are projected to show the largest increase and to remain the most common household type in Australia. The number of family households is projected to increase by as many as 2.4 million households, from 5.6 million in 2006 to up to 8.0 million in 2031.

Couple only families are projected to increase the most rapidly of all types of families over the next 25 years. If recent trends continue, couple only families will overtake the number of couple families with children, in either 2013 or 2014. This is mainly related to the ageing of the population, with baby boomers becoming ‘empty nesters’.

The number of Australians living alone is projected to have the most rapid increase of all household types, increasing by up to 91% over the next 25 years to 3.6 million by 2031. The rapid increase of people living alone is mainly related to the ageing of the population.

The details of these projects including an explanation behind the assumptions used, and data for states and territories, are available in the ABS’ Household and Family Projections, Australia, 2006 to 2031 (cat. no. 3236.0).