CANBERRA - 22 November 2021
Deputy Speaker,
I just want to thank the Member for Chifley for putting forward this motion, recognizing the 75th anniversary of bilateral relations with The Philippines.
Also, I want to acknowledge the co-chair of the parliamentary Friends of The Philippines group, Rowan Ramsey, the Member for Grey.
I'm proud to be a co-chair with Rowan, and I’m sure I can speak for the Member for Grey when I say that we were very proud to speak at an event at The Philippines embassy about five months ago, commemorating this anniversary of our bilateral relationship.
Australia and The Philippines have a strong and productive relationship, and one which continues to grow stronger and closer.
Our two great nations are united in our dedication to democracy and our common commitment to a safe, stable, and secure region.
Of course, our relationship goes back in history as our forces fought side by side during the Second World War.
We have much to be thankful to The Philippines for here in this country.
Filipino Australians continue to make an outstanding contribution to our national life, including in my own community back home in Darwin and in Palmerston, and more broadly across the Northern Territory.
Recently, we had the Barrio Fiesta in August, and today I spoke with Emcille Wills, the president of the Filipino Australian Association of the Northern Territory, and she asked me to invite you all to the Barrio Fiesta next year, in August 2022, when hopefully we're all open and able to travel.
It's going to be the 25th anniversary, the Silver Jubilee of the Barrio Fiesta.
This year I wasn't able to make it because I was in quarantine coming back from Canberra here and the last sittings that I attended.
But it was a great night and they tried something new this year with an outdoor stage. and they played a lot of traditional games, including itsa itsa, which means “throw throw”.
This is a coin toss game where the kids – and anyone who wants to play – get in there and throw a coin into the next square.
There's prizes, and it's a traditional game.
It was a great evening.
Also, I want to put in an ad for them in that there will be a Philippine festival in the CBD of Darwin next year in addition to the Barrio Fiesta.
The Barrio Fiesta is always held at the Filippino Club in Ferrara, and everyone's invited to that, but also there'll be another opportunity to attend The Philippines festival in the heart of the Darwin CBD.
So I look forward to giving the house and everyone listening more information on that in due course.
But I want to thank all the members of the Filipino Australian community for the important roles that they have played and continue to play during this pandemic.
They're essential to the health services that we provide to all Territorians, and they're very, very valued part of our community.
I want to mention an important person to me and to my family, in particular a Filipino Australian called Apol.
We're in the choir together at St Mary's Cathedral in Darwin, and she is a wonderful singer, and an awesomely loving person and really loves my own children, gives them a hug and loves them as if they were her own grandchildren.
And that is indicative of the love and respect that the Filipino community has for their friends, for strangers, and we saw that during the pandemic when we had lockdowns.
They got together, the Filipino community, and they fed international students, regardless of where they came from.
So it's a good example, I think, of not only how important they are to our community, but how loved they are in our community, and we want to see more Filipinos come to Australia and settle.
Thank you.
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ENDS
