Danilo Peralta, the Founding President of the Tagalog Association of Australia (TAA) and the current Area Commander of Eastern Australia – Australia, New Zealand and Oceania (ANZO) Region of Knights of Rizal (KoR), made a historic win for the region after being voted as one of the members of the Board of Trustees to the Supreme Council and eventually elected as the Supreme Auditor for the Rizalian Year 2021-2023.
Sir Danny Peralta, his ‘official’ KoR salutation, was one of the incoming Supreme Council Officers who was elected out of 17 candidates nominated in its first live online election held via Automated Election System. There was a total of 1,182 KoR members who registered as voters in the election. The new Supreme Council officers are composed of five local Filipino members, with one Italian-born living in the Philippines and three members from overseas, including Sir Danny Peralta.
Sir Danny Peralta explained that the reasons for him running as one of the members of the Board of Trustees to the Supreme Council are:
- to be able to provide and establish company policies and procedures which will become a template or guideline as to the proper operation of the Order by establishing and strengthening good records and proper reporting;
- to be able to assist in the proper installation of accounting manual towards the full computerisation of accounts and adopt accounting and auditing manuals; and
- to implement full budget reporting as a basis of proper guidelines and determination of projected reconciliation of accounts and determine and measure how the results of our organization are moving in the ensuing years.
As he rose from the ranks within the Order since his induction into knighthood with the first degree of KoR in November 2013 to his current rank as Knight Grand Officer of Rizal (KGOR), the second-highest rank of the Order, Sir Danny Peralta largely involved himself to various projects together with Sir Cesar Bartolome, KGOR, ANZO Regional Commander.
Among which were
- the organisation of the first ANZO regional conference which distinctively promoted the noble causes of the Order and strengthened its membership base and cohesiveness in the region;
- the unveiling of the life size bust of Jose Rizal in bronze at Rooty Hill; and
- the showcase of the stage play Cabesang Tales that boosted a big crowd and gained accolades not only from our Sydney Consulate General but also from HE Ambassador Minda Calguian-Cruz.
When asked about the relation of his services to the TAA (being its Founding President and Lakandiwa to its Balagtasan events during the annual celebration of the National Language Month) and KoR, Sir Danny Peralta added that “The TAA, whose mission is to propagate our culture particularly our own Filipino language is parallel to the mission of the KoR through the vision of our national hero Dr Jose P. Rizal to preserve the use of our national Filipino language.”
Sir Danny Peralta is also a recipient of four KoR medals: Distinguished Service Cross Medal, Distinguished Service Star, Distinguished Service and Medal of Recognition. He played a significant role in chartering the Western Sydney and Northern Sydney chapters, 2 Bataan chapters, and the first chapter of Kababaihang Rizalista Inc. in Sydney. He also supported the two New Zealand chapters’ chartering together with Sir HE Jesus Domingo, KGOR erstwhile Philippine Ambassador to New Zealand and Sir Cesar Bartolome, KGOR ANZO Regional Commander.
Below are messages of key Filipino – Australian community leaders who wish to impart their messages to Sir Danny Peralta which reflect his servitude to the community not just to the Filipino-Australians but equally to the Filipinos in our native country, the Philippines and overseas:
Sir Cesar Bartolome, KGOR – Australia, New Zealand and Oceania Regional Commander
“I first came to know Sir Danny in 2013 during the rehearsals of the “Rigodon de Honor” Dance where we are both participants in preparation for the 12th of June Philippine National Day Ball being hosted by the Philippine Community Council of NSW. That is where I invited him to join the Knights of Rizal – Sydney Chapter because that time I was the incumbent Sydney Chapter Commander. He agreed and I officiated his induction into knighthood with the first degree of KR (Knight of Rizal) in November of 2013. Sir Danny has his distinct traits as a leader. I will be honest to say that his traits complemented mine when the KOR Supreme Council appointed me to be the ANZO Regional Commander in 2016. I have supported Sir Danny’s plans to join the Supreme Council in our IHQ based in Manila out of the desire to help in improving the records management system of the Council that culminated in his recent success of getting elected to a seat in the 9-member seat in the Supreme Council. The Supreme Council is the highest governing/managing body of the Order of the Knights of Rizal. So, congratulations to Sir Danny, who will serve during the Rizalian Years 2021-2023 as the Supreme Auditor starting the 1st of December 2021. His election to the Supreme Council is a first for the ANZO Region Knights of Rizal and we take pride in it! The added benefits to the region, which has three areas and seven chapters, will, of course. be that Sir Danny’s interest and recommendations coming from the ANZO Region can be further articulated whilst sitting in the Supreme Council during its meetings or deliberations. Mabuhay and Non Omnis Moriar! (Not everything in us shall die!)”
Lady Michelle Baltazar, Kababaihang Rizalista Inc. Sydney Chapter President
“Sir Danny has demonstrated his strong leadership and commitment to the community in the many years I have known him as head of Knights of Rizal and in his other various community roles. He is very supportive of the youth and can galvanise his peers to execute community projects successfully. It’s an exciting milestone for the Filipino-Australian community and the Australian chapter of KOR to be ably represented by Sir Danny in the KOR Supreme Council. I offer him my congratulations on his appointment.”
Ms Lillian delos Reyes, Tagalog Association of Australia External Vice President
“I have known Danny Peralta since the early 80’s as we both live in the same suburb in Eastern Suburb with our families. We often discuss our region as I came from Bulacan and him from Bataan, both Tagalog natives. He founded TAA, and I have been involved with it as an officer since its inception. For me, promoting our Tagalog dialect is easy being a Bulakena myself. Danny is so committed and dedicated, especially with our TAA project, Ang BALAGTASAN, as he was the one who thought of the idea. The Community looks forward to the presentation every month of August during the Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa Ng Pilipinas. Danny is indeed a true Leader, and I would like to congratulate him on his latest election at the KoR Supreme Council. It was well deserved!! Mabuhay ang TAA at More Power to Sir Danny Peralta!!”
More about Sir Danny Peralta
Sir Danny Peralta migrated to Australia via Papua New Guinea (PNG), which was called then as Australia New Guinea being still under the territory of Australia in 1974 until PNG gained independence from Australia in 1975. He was born in Limay, Bataan, on the 10th of June 1948 and married to Lady Josie, with whom he had three children and five grandchildren. His family migrated to Australian soil via Tasmania in 1979 and initially settled in Bondi in 1980. Sir Danny Peralta is an active leader of the Filipino community in Sydney, having served either as President or Treasurer of many associations especially as Treasurer of Philippine Community Council of NSW, the peak body organisation of the Filipino community groups and as State Treasurer of the Knights of the Southern Cross, NSW, a counterpart organisation of the Knights of Columbus.
His extensive working experience in corporate accounting and finance gave him a strong business acumen and skills needed to develop the Order of the Knights of Rizal continuously. He is currently spearheading with Sir Cesar Bartolome another life-size bust project of JPR soon to be unveiled at the grounds of The Philippine Embassy in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, in June 2022.
Sir Danny Peralta graduated with a BSBA degree Major in Accounting (Accounting Honors – one Year) at the University of the East, Manila, in 1968. He then passed the CPA Board Exam in 1969. From 1971-9172, he taught at the Technological Institute of the Philippines, where he was awarded the most outstanding professor based on teaching proficiency, mastery of the subjects being taught, assessed and evaluated by the school administration and students. He was admitted to the Papua New Guinea Association of Accountants and affiliated with the Australian Society of Accountants in 1979. He was then admitted as a member of the Justice of the Peace in Sydney, Australia in 2012.
He is currently semi-retired and working as a free-lance immigration consultant and real estate broker in Australia. Before his retirement, he was the Group Financial Controller / Financial Director of The Parks Apartment Pty Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Stockland Property Trust where he was recognized by the company Board through the Chairman of the company as the best and most efficient accountant of the whole group within the company.
About KoR
The Order of the Knights of Rizal was established in 1911 by Colonel Antonio C. Torres to honour and uphold the ideals of Dr. Jose P. Rizal (JPR). It is the sole Order of knighthood in the Philippines. The Order was granted a legislative charter by President Elpidio as a non-sectarian, non-partisan, civic, patriotic, and cultural organization under Republic Act 646 in June 1951. The Order has about 131 chapters in the Philippines and 61 overseas and growing with more than 25,000 members worldwide. Its international headquarters is located at Bonifacio Drive in Port Area, Manila.
Through the initiative of then Philippine Ambassador to Australia, Gregorio Abad in the mid-’70s, the first chapter of KoR in Australia was chartered. To date, there are a total of three statues and one bust of JPR in Metropolitan Sydney and the Greater Area:
- statue at Ashfield Park (cnr Ormond Street and Parramatta Road);
- statue at Rizal Park in Rosemeadows (Demetrius Street); and
- statue at Rooty Hill (Abraham Street).
The JPR bust at Plaza Ibero Americana in Surry Hills (Chalmers Street) was not a KoR project but a separate project for the Plaza consisting of two statues and 11 busts representing significant historical figures and Latin American national heroes. A street in Campbelltown was also named in honour of JPR. There is also a Rizal Park with a marker in Ballarat, Victoria and another marker in Auckland, New Zealand at the Rizal Reserve, Corregidor Place.
How to be a member of KoR?
KoR welcomes anyone from 25 years of age with good character to join the Order. Kababaihang Rizalista Inc. is the counterpart organisation of KoR. Furthermore, the Kabataang Pangarap ni Rizal or KAPARIZ, the official youth arm of the Order of the Knights of Rizal, is open to 12 to 39-year-olds to instill in them the values of patriotism, humanism and education. He ideally shared these three pillars of JPR with all the youth and hoped to embrace and live. For inquiries, you may contact Sir Danilo Peralta directly at 0410 464 107 or get in touch through the ANZO Region Knights of Rizal Facebook page.
References: Knights of Rizal ANZO Region and Wikipedia
READ MORE
- Kababaihang Rizalista expands to Australia
- Araw ni Rizal 2020 sa Melbourne virtwal na itinanghal sa patuloy na pandemyang COVID-19
- Knights of Rizal ANZO Region expands to Northern Sydney
- KRI Sydney honours the late Teodora Alonso for Mother’s Day
- Knights honour fellow and new Sydney ConGen H.E. Sir Tago
