The newly elected officers of the Filipino-Australian Student Council of Victoria (FASTCO) were officially sworn to office by Philippine Honorary Consul Felix Pintado on 16 August.
The 11 student leaders were from various universities in Victoria – the University of Melbourne, Monash University RMIT University and Swinburne University of Technology.
Pintado encouraged the new officers to prioritise four Fs as officers: Family, Faculty (studies), FASTCO, and Fun. He also assured the Philippine Consulate’s continued support to the organisation.
FASTCO is the official coordinating body of all Filipino-Australian students and student organisations in the state of Victoria. Its member organisations include the Melbourne University Filipino Student Association (MUFSA) and the RMIT Filipino Student Association.
“We are excited to continue the programs of FASTCO for our constituents here in Australia. This year, FASTCO will step up to fulfill its mandate as the hub of all Filipino-Australian student organisations in Australia,” said FASTCO President Ethel Villafranca.
She adds, “FASTCO is also maturing as an organisation. We hope to grow into a more stable and sustainable council so that we can continue the work that our predecessors have started in building a stronger and tighter Filipino student community here in Victoria.”
The organisation’s flagship project, the 5th International Research Forum in the Philippines, is currently calling for research papers for a conference scheduled on 23-24 November 2017.
The following are the new executive committee officers of FASTCO: President, Ethel Villafranca; VP Internal, John Cormañez; VP External, David Bryan Lozada; Secretary, Patricia Cruz; Director for Finance, Allen Espinosa; Director for Communications, Mina Akram; Director for Marketing and Resource Mobilization, Ed Rimmington; Director for Special Projects, Rowena Veloso; Director for Organisational Development and Identity, Neilsen Campit; Director for Learning, Oscar Serquiña; and MUFSA Representative, Martin Isidro
For more information on FASTCO’s projects, check the Facebook page, www.facebook.com/fastcovic.
