Inauguration of the Phil-Aus Arts, Culture & Innovation Central

MESSAGE FOR THE INAUGURATION OF THE NARRA-PLAZA FILIPINO CENTRE
FOR CULTURE AND THE ARTS, AND THE TRIBUTE TO FATHERS AND MOTHERS EVENT
It is with great pleasure that I write to acknowledge the collaborative efforts of Plaza Filipino Inc and
NARRA Cooperative Ltd.
I’m honoured, in my role as Mayor, to have been part of the inauguration of the new NARRA-Plaza
Filipino Centre for Culture and the Arts at Warby St, Campbelltown, which marks the realisation of
many years of passion and commitment to raising funds for this important community and cultural
project.
The Filipino community of Australia is renowned for their friendship, hospitality and cordiality, and I
have no doubt that the Community Centre will extend beyond the dream of a place to meet, share
and celebrate, and grow to become a social hub that provides an opportunity for the wider community
to share in the rich culture and heritage of our Filipino friends. The project – from planning through
to fruition – is proving a wonderful opportunity to build relationships between communities of all
backgrounds and cultures.
I congratulate all of those involved in the coordination of today’s event, and
commend the continued commitment to raising funds for the ongoing operation
of the new Community Centre.
I’ve been humbled to be invited to share in the many celebrations of our local
Filipino community, and have witnessed first-hand the devotion to maintaining
ties to the Philippines, while embracing the freedom, opportunity and hospitality
of Australia. I look forward to seeing this continue into the future, both within
Campbelltown and beyond.
I wish you all every success.
Cr Paul Hawker
Mayor of Campbelltown
23 September 2015 to 10 September 2016
MESSAGE
Firstly may I take this opportunity to congratulate Jimmy Lopez and his hard working committee on the
Inauguration of NARRA’s Plaza Filipino Centre for Culture and the Arts here in Campbelltown
Once again it is with pleasure that I have been invited and given the opportunity to say a few words in my
capacity as a Campbelltown City Councillor
As a migrant and understanding the many difficulties of assimilation in a new country I am always very
happy when I see the many success achieved by communities like the Filipinos have in Australia and in
particular here in Campbelltown.
Today we have again reached another milestone. Todays Inauguration is one of those that we can rejoice
and celebrate.
I wish you all the success you deserve and I am sure that all your hard work will be rewarded.
Thank you again for this opportunity to give you my thoughts of the mother and father we all had to have.
Some of us are very lucky and have our parents live for a long time. At least long
enough to be appreciated as grandparents.
I had been lucky enough to have shared that experience, both as a father and a
grandfather myself.
However my past wife was very young when her mother died and I understood the
loss more when she watched our children had only one grandparent to greet.
Every one of us have had to live and share different experiences.
But the presence of a mother and father is a great pleasure to be loved, behold and
remembered.
(Sgd) Councillor Fred Borg