Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

On 5 September, I was privileged to join members of our local Filipino community for the establishment of the Filipino-Australian Community Association, Eastern Sydney, and the induction of their newly elected office bearers for the next two years. This is the first local Filipino community association in our area. The group's major goals are to foster friendship and camaraderie and to promote the Filipino culture, customs and traditions in the Kingsford Smith community and more broadly across Australia.

The association will be affiliated to the Philippine Community Council, which for the last two decades has been doing outstanding work in promoting Filipino culture in Australia and is also involved in a number of charity works. In 2011 that charity work was recognised when they were awarded a New South Wales Premier's Community Service Award for their work on promoting Philippine economic, social and cultural growth in the state. The organisation will also work on fostering stronger relations between the people of Australia and the Philippines and, in particular, will support a number of Philippine charities aimed at improving living standards.

Australia and the Philippines have strong historical people-to-people links, and it is fantastic to see this local group build on these in our community. I also want to recognise Marford Angeles, the consul general, who joined me on the evening.

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