Global Bayaning Pilipino Awards - Australia 2012

INSTITUTION CATEGORY

Kapit-Bahayan Cooperative Limited (Country Winner)

• Auburn, New South Wales, Australia

Having a roof over our heads is one of our basic living necessities.  Its importance became the driving force in the inception of Kapit-Bahayan Cooperative Limited (KCL), a housing cooperative organized by Filipinos that provides affordable shelters to immigrant families.

Remaining true to its name, Kapit-Bahayan exemplifies the value of teamwork and bayanihan.  It is managed by a Board of Directors elected by the tenants from the organization.  Affordable rental fee is awarded to Filipinos with low and medium income and could not afford to rent in private housing.

Most of the members who qualified as tenants are from single parent families, unemployed and retirees who only get minimal pension from the government.  These tenants pay only 25% of their salary as rent.  Inclusive of water and maintenance fees.  In return, they would volunteer to do various tasks in the cooperative like bookkeeping, maintenance work or providing social care to neighbors like taking care of their children.  They even help each other by sharing information and referrals to job openings.  Through all these, their camaraderie in the neighborhood was strengthened.

Being in a foreign land is undoubtedly hard for most migrant workers and immigrants.

However, the Filipinos in Australia have found a way to build a strong community, one that surpasses hardships and challenges by working hand-in-hand.  Through Kapit-Bahayan Cooperative Limited, they did not only create a neighborhood, they have developed a sense of brotherhood, with the thought that there would always be someone who would be there fro them.

Global Ilocanos Australia (Country Finalist)

• Laumeah, New South Wales, Australia

Mahatma Gandhi once said that “a nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.”  This may be the reason why no matter how far Filipinos are from home, they keep their culture alive.  An example is the Global Ilocanos Incorporated.  By gathering Ilocanos from Australia, they formed an organization that aims to enrich our culture for the future generation of Filipinos living in the land down under.

Through various programs, like the “Tribute to Fathers and Mother,” the organization was able to show the best of Filipino traits like love, care and respect for the elderly.  Through these programs, they also showcase our colorful culture through folk and ethnic dances and Filipino attire like the barong and terno.

Global Ilocanos Incorporated believes that no matter where we are and where we go, our heritage will always be with us, and by remembering these tradition, we appreciate who we really are.

Samahan ng mga Filipino-Australian sa Gippsland (Country Finalist)

• Gippsland, Australia

Filipinos value unity, because it is where we find strength – as a people and as a nation.  This is why a group of Filipinos came together to form Samahan ng mga Filipino-Australian sa Gippsland.

By organizing activities that will preserve Filipino culture and values, they were able to pass on to the youth our tradition, giving them a clear sense of who they really are as Filipinos.  One of these activities highlights our tradition of fiestas – shared experience among Filipinos, no matter what region they come from.

More than honoring our culture, the main goal of the organization is to lend a hand to fellow Filipinos, especially to new immigrants.  They aim to make them feel welcome and provide them with the help they need.  Through Samahan ng mga Filipino-Australian sa Gippsland, these new immigrants can easily find a home away from home.