The Filipino Community Council of Victoria, Incorporated (FCCVI) hosted its Annual General Meeting and election of new officers on the first Sunday of November 2021.
Originally conceived as a welfare and settlement provider for new migrants arriving from the Philippines, the FCCVI has matured into an organisation that delivers in-home services to aged-care recipients, and a reliable source of emergency relief, employment, and welfare support for the Filipino community at large, including Filipino international students.
Its latest, and perhaps most significant role, the FCCVI also represents the interests of the Filipino community to both State and Federal governments and liaises with multicultural State and Australia-wide peak bodies.
“During the year 2020-2021, FCCVI increased its total revenue by 66% compared to the previous year, or 149% compared to 2019,” President-elect Marlon De Leon reports. “In spite of the pandemic, it increased its other community support grants by 3,379% compared to 2019. We are very grateful, as this additional funding helps to advance FCCVI’s mission, as well as pay for vital improvements and programs necessary for us to reach more and more people in need all over Melbourne and some regions of Victoria.”
Re-elected for a second term, FCCVI’s President has engaged the assistance of several dedicated community leaders, who have pledged to support him in making FCCVI a more powerful driving force working for the Filipino community. FCCVI President Marlon De Leon obtained his Masters in Management from the U.S. and did post-graduate studies in Human Resources Management and in Migration Law Practices. Currently the incumbent president of FCCVI and FAMEA, he is considered the father of the Filipino Hub (the Filipino Neighborhood Centre).
The other newly-sworn in officers of the FCCVI are:
Vice-President Liza Di Blasio – a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Commerce, major in Management; she also holds a diploma in Business Administration. She is founder and President of Give Love, Inc., and former FCCVI Assistant Treasurer, and a staunch supporter of major Filipino charity projects.
Secretary Enalyn McKernan – obtained her teaching degree from the University of Ballarat; she is a founder and officer of Lilia & Enrique Garlito Sr. Family Foundation Inc. and Filipino-Australian Mentors and Educators Association Inc., appointed Secretary of Filipino Elderly Get Together Association Inc., and Secretary of Illongo Association of Victoria Inc. Australia.
Assistant Secretary Neselie Gavanzo – has a Masters’s Degree in Anthropology; she is the current President of Gabriela Australia and is the recipient of such awards as the Outstanding Leadership Award FILCCA Awards 2021 and Exceptional Services Award from Anglicare Victoria. She is also active in social work, specifically rescuing and supporting victims of family violence.
Treasurer Fe Galindo – has a Bachelors’s degree in Accountancy, and was FCCVI Assistant Treasurer from 2012 to 2015. She is the founder and current President of FEYA and has received a Commonwealth Bank award as FCCVI Community Treasurer. Aside from managing the funds and assets of the FCCVI, she also oversees the assets of the Filipino Hub.
Assistant Treasurer Flor Bridgman – is a graduate of Office and Business Administration. She founded and presides over the Filipino Community of Warnambool Inc., and was formerly Treasurer of the Filipino-Australian Community of Southwest Victoria. Her involvements include emergency relief distribution in Southwest Victoria, and raising funds for various charities.
PRO Roxanne Sarthou – has a Bachelors’s Degree in Communication (Research) from U.P. Diliman. She is an Australian-qualified Financial Planner, Private Banker, Lending Manager and Property Investor. She held management roles within National Australia Bank, ANZ and MLC. She was also former Vice-President for the International Women’s Federation for Commerce and Industry (IWFCI) Australia.
Assistant PRO Celine Hayes – has qualifications in Aged Care and Disability & Community Services. She founded and presides over The Filipino Community of Portland Inc. and is a volunteer for emergency relief distribution in Southwestern Victoria. She also raises funds for various charities and beauty pageants.
Together, these newly elected officers of the FCCVI are committed to strengthening Filipino-Australian relations state-wide and providing a wider range of support services to various Filipino-Australian communities in Victoria.
