Here is an acceptance message which I would like to share with you. I hope you will find the message useful in gaining an insight into the migration advocacy of The Filipino Australian. By the way, I am still here in Manila. Romy
As founder of emanila.com pty ltd, owners and managers of The Filipino Australian, and as editor and publisher of The Filipino Australian, on behalf of our team, I accept this award from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas.
What makes the Award very special to us are two things:
1. The Award is a showcase of the growing contribution of Australia in Philippine migration. Today, there are more than 220,000 migrants in Australia who are of Philippine origin or Filipino parentage.
In addition, there are tens of thousands of Filipinos in Australia who are staying as students or as overseas workers. These groups also require special attention to protect their rights, and to help them integrate into the Filipino Australian community.
2. The Awards have a category like Interactive Media which as we all know is about modern technology. Effectively, the Interactive Media Award category could only mean that Philippine government authorities like other institutions have fully recognised the Filipino presence in the digital and social media world.
I accept this Award therefore on behalf of my team members at The Filipino Australian, recognising at the same time -
(a) The contribution of our partners in migration advocacy – the Global Filipinos Australia, Global Filipino Nation, Worldwide Filipino Alliance and other diaspora civil societies that have shared with us their advocacies and making us their communication platform, so we can together bring to the public forum the issues affecting Filipinos overseas, and to raise their profile to the world community.
At this point, I would like to acknowledge the presence and/or support of our friends from these organisations: Jun Aguilar, Victor Barrios, Baby Tan, Loli Farmer, Elso Cabangon, Nepo Malaluan, and Dr Serg Somintac.
(b) the trust and confidence of our kababayans in our integrity and sensitivity for them to share with us – for publication – their life stories, struggles and achievements.
Their stories have helped promote a better, more just, and more humane and compassionate migration policy.
On this note, I would like to mention that The Filipino Australian is recognised by the Philippine government in Australia and the Australian government ministries as a reference and source of information about the Philippine community and migrant and multicultural communities.
This recognition was demonstrated with the recent award to yours truly / The Filipino Australian for Coverage of Community Affairs in Australia by the New South Wales Parliament last September in the First Multicultural Media Awards.
Again, thank you and we wish to salute the Commission on Filipinos Overseas and all those who initiated the Migration Advocacy and Media Awards – with our warm and sincere MABUHAY!
