By Earvin Charles Cabalquinto
Hundreds of Cebuanos gathered at the St. Bernadette Community Centre on 9 March 2013 for the Western Suburb
inaugural launch of the Cebuano Association of Australia Inc (CAAI).
Mr. Boy Lawa, Vice President of CAAI, opened the program by welcoming the Cebuanos and introducing the guests of honour. Present to celebrate in the momentous event were Andrew Elsbury, Liberal Party member of the Western Metropolitan Region and representing the new Premier Dr. Denis Napthine, and Mr. Neil Grimes, the General Manager of Indophil Resources.
In his welcome speech, Mr. Lawa encouraged everyone to participate in the association’s endeavour. He said, “let us set aside our differences and help each other.”
Meanwhile, in a one-on-one interview with Mr. Alex Sy, President of CAAI, he said, “There are a lot of people from Cebu coming to Australia and they’re using us as a resource to get them started.Basically we’re building a foundation for the members themselves and eventually we’re going to start some projects.”
The Philippine Times gathered insights from the guests of honour during an interview.
Mr. Elsbury also shared his view on the association’s relevance to Philippine-Australian relations, “It’s another good step forwarding the relationship between Australians and Filipinos here in Australia simply because of bringing people together.”
Mr. Grimes added, “These kinds of associations promote understanding and cooperation. They’re great avenues for people to explain each other’s culture and really get along together.”
On a lighter note, Mr. Elsbury talked about his unforgettable experience of the event, “Apart from seeing an entire dance floor doing gangnam style, I think it’s the variety of entertainment that’s been up tonight.”
Set in a festive mood, the momentous event treated attendees with a host of performances, raffle draw prizes, scrumptious food, and dance music.
Apart from amazing performances from the young Violin Talents of the Soriano-Orodio Foundation, the Urban Force Dance Studio and Michael Jackson impersonator Peter Harrington-Olsen, vibrant music and disco dancing delighted the attendees.
Rosemarie Meier, one of the attendees who hit the dance floor, said “Ang ganda kasi nung music. Tapos you meet friends, maraming tao, masaya.” (The music was great. You meet friends, and there were a lot of people so it was just a happy occasion.)
On one hand, Aileen Donald Tran, a Filipina who grew up in Australia, showed her appreciation for the organisation, “It’s good that the association introduces and preserves the Filipino cultural heritage.”
Three major sponsors, namely Philippine Tours, Western Union and Indophil Resources made the event po
ssible.
While an air ticket to the Philippines was auctioned, prizes ranging from gadgets, kitchen items, appliances, and even an accommodation for two at City Gate Melbourne were given away. Some lucky attendees also won concert tickets sponsored by Liz Honey Promotions for the upcoming shows of Aiza Seguerra, Zsa Zsa Padilla, and Sarah Geronimo.
The Cebuano Association Australia Inc. was launched on 2 June 2012. It aims to help new migrants from Cebu. Currently, it boasts 250 members all over Australia. For any enquiries and membership, contact Mr. Leo Loque, Public and Press Relations Officer on 0409 258 849.
