2015 APCO Freedom Day Ball

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to buy land and build the Canley Vale property under NRAS Commonwealth program. It is also
the only recipient of the Global Bayaning Filipino (Hero) Award of ABS-CBN and Ugat Foundation
in the Southern Hemisphere/ Oceania.
Although only organised in 2010, APCO is currently the most active umbrella organisation
among Filipinos because of its many community development and charity works here and in
the Philippines. ASCON is composed of small and emerging communities in Auburn LGA that
has initiated many inclusive and productive projects and activities such as the community hub
facilities for organisational use, the popular annual Flavours of Auburn multicultural food festival,
Food Tours and healthy Traditional Food Cookbook.
Under Ruben’s stewardship, KCL was awarded: ZEST Outstanding Voluntary Community
Organisation (High Commendation), Excellence in Housing for Building Communities and Tenant
Engagement by the NSW Federation of Housing Associations Inc; Innovation and Building
Partnerships by Common Equity NSW; Community Pride and Waste Reduction by Auburn City
Council; Overall Excellence in Cooperative Housing by the NSW Federation of Housing Associations
Inc; Excellence in Building Communities, by the NSW Federation of Housing Associations Inc;
Excellence in Innovation in Service Delivery by the NSW Federation of Housing Associations Inc
and Excellence in Asset Management by the Association to Resource Cooperative Housing (ARCH).
APCO was a finalist of the ZEST award for its Typhoon Haiyan Emergency Response while
FLAGCOM, an APCO affiliate, was finalist for its Mardi Gras Queen Pageant. APCO also received
funding grants for community developments: “Fill in the Gap” training project for refugees and
recently-arrived migrants who are not qualified to be serviced by Job Services Australia funded by
DOOLEYS Lidcombe Catholic Club and Building Multicultural Communities Grant, Stream 1 funded
by Australian Federal Government. Ruben also received a ZEST award for Outstanding Voluntary
Community Leadership (Highly Commended).
ASCON won the following awards: Jim Samios Award for Outstanding Contribution to Multiculturalism
in NSW by Ethnic Communities Council of NSW Inc; ZEST High Commendation award for Flavours
of Auburn (Project in a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Group/Organisation) by Greater
Western Sydney Community Services Sector.
During Ruben’s presidency of PCC-NSW in 2007, the Board induction ceremony was held at the
Blacktown City Council Hall before the PCC members, government officials and the general public,
the Board had an audience with PM Kevin Rudd in Canberra, organised a community organisation
management training for community leaders, co-organised a job-search training for newly-arrived
Filipino migrants, had Sen. Ramon Magsaysay as Independence Ball speaker, initiated the making
of the biggest Philippine flag in Australia which became the stage backdraft of the Independence
Ball, co-hosted an international conference of overseas-based Filipino organisations, organised
a Philippine Christmas Bazaar in Parramatta and prepared the nomination that won PCC the
Philippine Presidential award. A few years earlier, Kapit-bahayan was awarded as the Most
Outstanding Community Organisation and Ruben was awarded as Most Outstanding Community
Leader by FILCCA.
He and his wife helped organised APCO in 2010 as an alternative state federation for organisations
and individuals that opted for a more democratic, socially conscious and morality upright community
alliance.
Ruben is married to an equally dynamic community leader, Dr Inocencia (Cen) Palomares Amores
with whom they got 3 bachelor sons. Dr Amores was herself awarded Most Outstanding Voluntary
Community Leader of Greater Western Sydney in 2013, appointed People of Australia Ambassador
by the previous federal government, member of the NSW Ministerial - Community Advisory
Committee, founding president of APCO and currently a ZEST Ambassador. Both were university
professors and civic leaders in Ilocos Sur, Philippines before migrating to Australia in 1992.