At the recent elections of The Philippine Community Council of NSW (PCC NSW) at Blacktown Marivic Manalo lived up to her name and clinched the presidency for 2011.
Three candidates ran for the much coveted position. Raquel Pellero withdrew her nomination to give way to Ms. Emma de Vera who subsequently was defeated by Marivic Manalo by a wide margin.
The Vice-president position was hotly contested between Rod Dingle and Alric Bulseco, and Bulseco managed to cling to his seat by only three points. Three new members were voted in and the rest of the 2010 Board remained intact.
The newly elected PCC NSW Board of Directors 2011 and their respective clubs include:
President: Marivic Manalo (Aguman Capampangan, Inc.)
VP External: Alric Bulseco (Ateneo Alumni Association of Australia Inc.)
VP Internal: Arturo Sayas (Australian Philippine Chamber of Commerce, Inc.)
Secretary: Noel Bernardo (Marikina Association of Sydney Australia Inc.)
Treasurer: Mildred Banan (Ilocano Association of Australia, Inc.)
PRO: Solina Lapalma (Association of the Holy Shroud, Inc).
Auditor: Mauricio de Vera (Filipino Community Cooperative Ltd.)
Directors: Don Arizala (Maharlika Riders, Inc.)
Dr. Alexis Leones (Philippine Language & Cultural Association of Australia, Inc.)
Marco Selorio (Galang Migrant Workers Union, Inc.)
Mercy Jones (Australian Visayan Multicultural Communities, Inc.)
Nenita Weekes (Filipiniana Friends Group Bathurst and Central West, Inc.)
Serge Jumonong (Bohalanos & Friends Association, Inc.)
Serna Ladia (Australian Mindanao Multicultural Communities, Inc.)
The elections went without incident as club registrations were conscientiously scrutinised prior to elections with 53 member-affiliate organizations casting their ballots. Most notable at this year’s elections was the absence of party politics.
In the President’s Report, Elsa Collado detailed the achievements of the 2010 Board which included the successful deliveries of the three major programs namely: Ugnayan (Outreach) Program; ETV (Educational TV); and PADER (Philippine Australia Emergency Response) which most recently staged the “Shine” flood appeal for Queensland raising over $15,000. Also recommended were the continuity of the Aged Care project and securing office premises for PCC-NSW, both of which had been initiated. Ms. Collado remains on the Board as the Immediate Past President (IPP).
Manalo has served PCC for three years and has been most active in representing her regional organisation, Aguman Capampangan.
Newly elected president, Ms. Marivic Manalo vowed her undivided commitment to lead the Philippine Community Council “with professionalism and dignity and more importantly with honesty and integrity.”
“I also hope to lift the bar – not for me – but for all of us Filipinos. PCC has turned 20 years last year. Join me as we continue to engage and remain vigilant as we take PCC into the next decade,” Ms. Manalo said.
The induction for the 2011 Board will be held on Friday, 25 February 2011 at the Philippine Consulate General with Consul Tony Reyes doing the honours of inducting the newly elected board of directors.
