Earvin Charles Cabalquinto
Various Filipino organisations in Victoria have joined more than 60 cultural and community groups during the 2014 Australia Day Parade last 26 January 2014. Thousands of revellers have lined the streets of Melbourne waving Australian flags to celebrate Australia’s cultural diversity. Starting at Swanston Street, the parade began at 11 am after the flag-raising ceremony at the Melbourne Town Hall.
Led by the Filipino Community Council of Victoria Inc. (FCCVI), the Filipino organisations expressed their appreciation to Australia’s generosity and cultural diversity. Perla Luetic, newly-elected FCCVI Chairperson, told The Philippine Times, “We are lucky in this country and we are well accepted by the government, the people of Australia.”
Some Filipinos also celebrated Australia day at their homes and parks and happily posted their photos on Facebook.
The parade ended at the Kings Domain Gardens where vintage cars were on display, while government agencies and major sponsors held activities and entertainment. Food and drink stalls were also the crowd favourite.
With the parade’s theme “Let us Sing”, the Filipino contingent wearing their colourful national attire showed their gratefulness to Australia by joining the parade.
Rhegs Taylor, Vice-President of Dulaang Bayan Melbourne, conveyed her appreciation of multiculturalism, “I appreciate this multicultural country, it’s very open, and then we respect one’s cultural beliefs,” she said.
Elderly Filipinos also expressed their gratitude. Dory Mustafa, an elderly who has been living in Australia for 20 years, said, “We are given good medical services, especially through government grants and we enjoy and help the elderly who are isolated in their place.”
Meanwhile, Nat Tacuboy, an AusAid scholar in Melbourne and Vice President of the Filipino-Australia Student Council of Victoria (FASTCO), lauded Australia’s overseas aid programs on education, “The students are given very good opportunity to avail of world class education. Australia has so many good practices that we can adapt and hopefully improve the status of the Philippines.”
Australia Day is an annual event that celebrates the country’s multiculturalism and diverse communities through a series of activities, attracting thousands of people from diverse backgrounds.
The Filipino organisations that participated were Filipino Community Council of Victoria Inc. (FCCVI), Dulaang Bayanihan Melbourne Inc., Gintong Kultura, Harmonico Filipino and Friends, Share Me A dream, Philippine Fiesta of Victoria, and Filipino-Australia Student Council of Victoria (FASTCO).
To view more photos, please visit Philippine Times’ Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/philtimes.
To view the Filipinos’ participation during the parade, please click this site: http://youtu.be/OJ9S_HzRl8A
