The Calamansi Story is a project that is underway by The Entree.Pinays, a Melbourne-based collective of enterprising Filipinas contributing their diverse skills to help put the cuisine, culture and communities of the Philippines on the map in Australia.
Calamansi represents possibility. Supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through its Australia-ASEAN Council grant program, this project aims to develop an Australian-first contemporary and community-led publication of untold personal stories that celebrate the Filipino spirit and our balikbayan identities, promote Australia’s multiculturalism story and contributions to the ASEAN region, and inspire hope, possibility and action for the future of our cuisine, culture and community across Australia and the Philippines.
The Entree.Pinays, co-founded by Grace Guinto and Fides Mae Santos, will be working with key partners that include Dr Kristine Aquino, an award-winning author and internationally-recognised research expert and commentator on global Filipino migration and multicultural diversity in Australian and Asian cities; and Cathie Carpio, a Philippine-based food and beverage consultant by trade whose work provides a greater understanding of consumer and industry trends in today’s uncertain business environment. With their combined experience, The Calamansi Story is aimed to share research highlighting the connection and contribution of Filipino-Australians to Australia’s local economy and multicultural society, as well as a foreground to any new research, ideas and balikbayan opportunities on calamansi international trade.
Forthcoming sales from the published The Calamansi Story will be invested into social enterprise programs supporting Philippine calamansi farmers via The Entree.Pinays’s partnership with AGREA Philippines – an innovative, inclusive, for purpose, agri-business that is founded on sustainable agriculture, fair trade, and a replicable model of an agri-based economy – led by UN Food Systems Champion, Founding Farmer, President and CEO, Cherrie Atilano. Together with AGREA Philippines, The Entree.Pinays seek to find new opportunities for knowledge exchange between Australia and the Philippines in sustainable practices, education and technology in agriculture and urban farming, cross-border trade for innovative, health and wellness calamansi-forward products, and food tourism – all tied to investment in the sustainable future of calamansi.
To make The Calamansi Story possible, The Entree.Pinays want to hear from you. They are inviting submissions of untold personal stories on Filipino-Australian experiences through calamansi from individuals of Filipino heritage living in Australia. Welcoming diverse voices, experiences, and creative expression in written or visual format, The Entree.Pinays are seeking written submissions in the form of personal essays, short fiction stories, poetry, memoir, interviews, recipes; and visual submissions that may be an illustration, visual depiction, or expression, all tying into the theme of the ‘Filipino-Australian migrant or lived experience through calamansi’.
The Calamansi Story will also be supplemented by a documentary to be produced and promoted in partnership with digital content creator Erwan Heussaff’s The Fat Kid Inside Studios and Featr Media.
Story submissions close 31 July 2022. Launch of the publication is earmarked for early 2023.
To participate in The Calamansi Story: A curated anthology of the Filipino-Australian Migrant Experience, visit www.thecalamansistory.com
READ MORE
- The Entrée.Pinays aims to promote Filipino cuisine and ingredients in Australia
- Listening to the voice of second-generation migrant Pinoys
- Merlinda Bobis: Writing about the Philippines – heart, soul, and body
