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The Filipino Community in Australia During the 300 years of Spanish rule in the Philippines archipelago, the term Filipino was applied to people of Spanish descent. The national language is Tagalog, which is spoken widely in the southern region of the island of Luzon, including the capital, Manila. The archipelago has many other languages, including Cebuano, Samara and Hiligaynon which are spoken in Mindanao. Tagalog was made the official language in 1962. Over the past 20 years or so Filipinos have migrated widely and it's estimated 600,000 have left their homeland. Arrival Among the first Filipinos to come to Australia were those who arrived in the 1880s. They were ships' crew, pearl divers, traders and fishing fleet owners. They settled mostly in Western Australia and Queensland. However, the introduction of the White Australia policy severely curtailed their entry. More recently, it was a small group of students, who arrived in Australia for education under the Colombo Plan and decided to stay, that formed the nucleus of what has now become a sizeable migrant population. Settlement With the end of the White Australia policy, in the late 1960s and 1970s, a new generation of Filipino migrants came to Australia. They were professionals and many were already wealthy. Today, the Filipino community is the second fastest-growing migrant group in Sydney, after the Chinese. Many Filipinas have come to Australia as so-called mail-order brides. This has led to tragedy for many women who've been mistreated. According to academic, Jock Collins and journalist, Antonio Castillo, in their book Cosmopolitan Sydney, the recent history of Filipino migration to Australia is largely a female experience. They quote figures from the early 1990s which show, at the time, there were around 20,000 Filipino women in Sydney, compared with fewer than 14,000 men. Community Contacts Organisations serving Australia's Filipino's community: Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia PO Box 344 Curtin, ACT 2605 Phone:02 6282 5755 Fax: 02 6282 5734 New South Wales Inner West Migrant Resource Centre Level 3, 6-8 Holden St. Ashfield NSW 2131 Phone 02 9798 4777 Fax 02 9798 4408 Philippine Australian Community Services Unit 8 93-97 Main St. Blacktown NSW 2148 Phone 02 9672 3738 Fax 9676 8584 Saint Vincent De Paul Society Lewisham Complex West and Thomas St. Lewisham NSW 2049 Phone 02 9560 8666 Fax 02 9568 6199 Western Sydney Tenants' Service 46 Marion St. Harris Park NSW 2150 Phone 02 9891 6377 Fax 02 9635 8548 Philippine Community Herald Newspaper PO Box 785 Fairfield NSW 2165 Fax 02 9725 7722 Catholic Filipino Chaplaincy Migrant Chaplains Phone: 02 9868 3324 02 9604 5512 Kawayan Filipino Language and Cultural School 10 Tucana Place Erskine Park NSW 2759 Phone 02 9843 2797 Fax 02 9834 6170 Victoria The Philippines Times Phone 03 9467 6896 Fax 03 9467 6895 Mobile: 0411 566 885 Filipino Community Council 93 Cowper St., Footscray 3011 Phone 03 9687 9011 FASCACAI (For the elderly) 93 Cowper St. Footscray VIC 3011 Phone 03 9687 9011 GABRIELA Australia, Inc. (Filipino Women's Network in Victoria) Philippines Community Centre Cnr. Armstrong and Thomas Sts., Laverton VIC 3028 Phone 03 9360 0065 Westgate Region Migrant Resource Centre 78-82 2nd Ave North Altona VIC 3022 Phone 03 9391 3355 Eastern Domestic Violence Outreach Service PO Box 701 Heathmont VIC 3135 Phone 03 9870 5939 Queensland Kabalikat, Inc. PO Box 514 Cannon Hill QLD 4170 Phone 07 3348 8415 Fax 07 3348 9415 Filipino Senior Citizen of Brisbane 16 Islington St. Runcorn Nth QLD 4113 Western Australia Relationships Australia Joondalup Davidson Terrace Joondalup WA 6027 Phone 08 9301 2000 Northern Suburbs Migrant Resource Centre 14 Chesterfield Road Mirrabooka WA 6061 Phone eight 9345 5755 Special Events Calendar SBS Radio's Filipino Language Program produces special coverage of the following events. February 24-26 Fall of the Marcos government, 1986, known as the People Power Revolt June 12 Philippines Independence Day June 19 Birthday of national hero - Jose Rizal August 21 Assassination of opposition leader, Benigno Aquino jnr., whose death united Filipinos against then President Ferdinand Marcos November 1 All Souls' Day November 30 National Heroes' Day December 30 Death of national hero, Jose Rizal |
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