Philippine Honorary Consul General to Victoria Gigi Kalong has lauded a group of Filipino entrepreneurs in Victoria for the formation of the Australian Council of Multicultural Entrepreneurs (ACME). “We at the Consulate will be with you all the way. The formation of this group is very, very encouraging. The attendance here and the various businesses represented is a good sign. Even the name of the group is a very good name. We can have the interaction and can help each other,” Congen says in her opening remarks during ACME’s first general membership meeting at E’Latte Traditional Greek Cuisine in Brunswick last 15 March 2012. Congen also operates Philippine Tours/Discount Flights, a travel agency. Around 25 entrepreneurs from different backgrounds attended the meeting.
Interim Chair Fred Jover, introduced the Foundation Executive Committee Members and gave a brief background about the formation of the group. Walter Villagonzalo, former Chair of Filipino Australian Business Association Inc. (FABAI), talked on the importance of a business forum among Filipino entrepreneurs. “We need entrepreneural migrants. We need more entrepreneurs because we can learn from each other,” adds the concurrent President of The Migrant Hub, a migrant resource centre serving the diverse Wyndham community.
ACME, which will be officially launched this year, is open to small business owners of any nationality. The group hopes to serve as a business network for its members and provide a vehicle for expanding their market reach.
Those who attended the meeting said ACME is good for networking and sharing of experiences and services.
To those interested to join ACME, please contact Fred Jover on 0403 944 479, email afpconnect@gmail.com or Noel Tolentino on 0488-237-805, email noel@intelliloansolutions.com.au.
