The Honourable Steven Marshall, Premier of South Australia, hosted a Parliament House Reception on 20 May 2021 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Australia and the Philippines. The Honourable Jing Lee, Assistant Minister to the Premier, and Peter Malinauskas, Leader of the Opposition, joined the Premier in welcoming the representatives of the Filipino community in South Australia which included Darryl Johnson, the Philippines’ Honourary Consul to South Australia; Carmen Garcia, President of the Filipino Communities Council of Australia; and Ben-Hur Winter, Chair of the Filipino Coordinating Council of South Australia.
Premier Marshall expressed his gratefulness for the Filipinos’ generous spirit and contribution to the cultural diversity, education, and economy of South Australia.
Minister Lee led the toast on “the two countries’ enduring friendship based on shared interests and values supported by strong people-to-people links”. She warmly acknowledged that, “the relationship has developed into a mature partnership that seeks to advance our mutual interests through cooperation in trade, development, defence and security.” Ms. Garcia, in turn, acknowledged the long-standing partnership between the Philippines and Australia and emphasized the growing number of Filipino migrants and Australians of Filipino descent who are fast becoming significant contributors to Australia.
The 75th Anniversary campaign bears the theme “Mateship and Bayanihan”. “Bayanihan” conveys the spirit of communal unity and cooperation and is akin to the Australian tradition of “mateship” – that notion of friendship, solidarity and pulling together.
