Filipino News 157

BUHAY
NZ
02 ISSUE 157 MAGANDANG BALITA | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | www.pinoynzlife.nz | MOB: 027 495 8477
www.filipinonews.nz : North Island Edition - 21st Anniversary | www.pinoynzlife.nz : South Island Edition. Print and Online!
By Mel Fernandez
AUCKLAND - On 13th
December 2008, Filipino
News was invited to celebrate
Alpha Phi Omega’s
(APO) 83rd Anniversary
and to witness the induction
of officers for the
fledgling Auckland chapter.
This event was a milestone
as fraternity members
of Alpha Phi Omega
(Phil.) Inc. who migrated
to New Zealand have
been spearheading the
move to establish Auckland,
Wellington and
Christchurch chapters of
the prestigious Alumni.
Over the years the
APO’s membership roll
in New Zealand has
swelled with the rising
tide of immigration. As a
committee member commented,
APO Alumni had
“nowhere to go but to
move forward”.
Alpha Phi Omega Auckland:
16 years and still
going strong ...
“The first wave of APO
members landed in New
Zealand in the late 80s
and early 90s, said Top
Espinosa, the first
President of the Auckland
chapter.
On 26th November
2005 ‘Top’ Espinosa (Eta
Kappa ’97), Tony Peralta
(Delta Lambda ’78) and
Rene Veneracion (Beta
Kappa ’77) met for the
first time and this historical
meeting laid the foundations
of the Auckland
chapter.
They were keen to
“spread the news to the
greater Filipino community
that our beloved fraternity
has started to congregate
with the hope to
reach out to more fraternity
members in this
country we now call our
home”, said Top.
“On the 17th of
February 2008 there was
www.filipinoheroes.nz
an election of interim
officers and the
Alpha Phi Omega
Auckland Alumni
Association
(APOANZAA) was
launched,” said
Top.
Membership
grew by leaps and
bounds and on 11th
December 2008 the
Alumni’s constitution
and bylaws
were ratified by
officers and members.
This was a
major step towards
recognition from
Alpha Phi Omega
(Phil.) Inc.
“Next the APO New
Zealand Alumni Association
was chartered on
23rd January 2011 in
Auckland and it was
incorporated on 20th July
2020,” updated Raden
Chavez, APOANZAA
6th Filipino-Kiwi
Hero Awards 2022
Filipino of the Year • Frontline
Heroes • Community Heroes
Business Excellence • Sporting
Achievers • Creative Arts
Music Awards • Media Awards •
Chef of the Year
Send nominations to:
filipinonews@xtra.co.nz
Carmelo Merced and
Raden Chavez
Past President, 2019-
2021. “It currently has 67
members.”
Fast forward to 14
February 2020, when we
reported on APOANZAA
Inc.’s Dinner and Dance
Fundraiser in Auckland.
“A key project of the
Alpha Phi Omega
Alumni Association
Inc. in Auckland is
supporting disadvantaged
school
children in the
Philippines,” said
Chavez.
Celebratimg APO’s 96th International Founding Anniversary and
the Induction of APOANZAA Officers for the year 2021-2023
on 18th December 2021.
“Ever since we
were students in
universities and
colleges in the
Philippines we have
been involved in
the ‘Adopt a
School’ fund raising
program,” said
Chavez.
“In 2020 we supported
the Kapoc
Elementary School in
Davao de Oro and
Cabaruan Elementary
School in Pangasinan.”
Another significant
milestone for the group
was to celebratimg
APO’s 96th International
Founding Anniversary
and the Induction of
APOANZAA Officers for
the year 2021-2023 on
18th December 2021,
which was held at North
Shore Masonic Centre in
Albany.
As the new Regional
Director of the Administrative
Region of the
Pacific, 2021-2023, Raden
Chavez, who oversees 8
chapters in Australia and
New Zealand, inducted
the new officers of
APOANZAA.
B r o d
Carmelo Merced
is the
incoming president
of APOA-
NZAA for the
year 2021-
2023.
B A C K -
GROUND:
APO is an
international
community
service fraternity
and sorority
founded at Lafayette
College in Pennsylvania,
USA, on 16th December
1925.
More than 400,000
members have joined the
Alumni since it was
founded.
APO (Phil.) Inc. was
incorporated in 1950 and
has set the standard for
college campus-based volunteering
in the Philippines.
Members develop leadership
skills, experience
friendship on many levels
and provide service to
others.’ - source:
www.apo.org. ph
In conjunction with the
Filipino Kiwi Hero Awards 2022
To participate please text:
027 495 8477