After 26 years, the MPC (or whatever name they are called nowadays) at Schofields is finally for sale.  After years of denial and no concrete plan except wishful thinking, we’re back to nothing.  Ahhh, Warasaki, ne!

When the Rooty Hill property was sold and they bought the Schofield property, they said  it was a much bigger place and then there were those who believed that it would all work out. A concert here and there would do all the wonders for mortgage repayments.  Then of course, there were some who came up with brilliant plans like Emma de Vera’s vegetable patch that simply sank in mud.  So it is a bigger place but with no specific plan to service the also bigger mortgage, it was one step back all the time.  And let’s not forget the MPC people remained tight lipped. 

The Schofields property is being sold for $2.4 million.  And here are the million dollar questions?  Who gets to keep the left over money?  And will there be any left over?  Who are the creditors of the property and who are those who placed a caveat on the property to ensure they are paid should the sale proceed?  For the sake of transparency to the community, shouldn’t all this be revealed?

With the news of the sale, suddenly a new group called NARRA crawled out of the woodworks.  NARRA stands for  National Affiliation of Respectable and Responsible Associations Cooperative and its main aim  is to acquire land and build a Cultural Centre for Filipinos. Now wasn’t that what MPC was all about and what Plaza Filipino said their reason for being also was?  But it did not happen for both groups and their noble intentions!  Also, some have alleged that funds raised for Plaza are gone.

Interestingly, NARRA has started fundraising to build this Filipino Cultural Centre of their dreams with an Arts and Cultural Awards Night. With a fistful of dollars, there were those who were instantly raised to the level of Ambassador.  For the sash and the crown, the overall winner managed to raise $25,000!  Now they also are selling shares at $100.00 and the Ambassadors get a commission too.  But knowing the history of the community, people may be buying nothing but hot air.

I would have said Hooray, except that I’ve heard it all before and look at what’s happened to the MPC – warasaki!  A closer look at the Narra organization reveal that the people in Plaza Filipino have been recycled . There’s Jimmy Lopez (President), Daisy Ann Cumming (Vice President), Elizabeth Escandor (Secretary) Violeta Escultura (Asst. Secretary) Rey Morcilla (Treasurer),  James Quinto (Asst.Treasurer), Josephine de los Reyes, (Internal Auditor)  and Emma Braceros (Public Officer). Directors include:  Maria Bock, Marx Canoy, Manny Roux.

Plaza Filipino donated $10,000 to MPC but later claimed that it was not a donation but a loan to help with the monthly fees.  The same people in NARRA who are also Plaza Filipino managed to sneak in and get hold of seats on the Board maybe after their so called donation.  And Jimmy Lopez is now the treasurer?! How did that happen?  How can there be people on the Board who allegedly have been bankrupt?  That in itself is way off mark, considering that it took the Philippine Community Council years to get a seat on the Board and only managed with the intervention of Consul General Collinson then.  The PCC as well as the whole community have poured lots of fundraising proceeds into that dream since its inception. So where are they now in the overall scheme of things?

So once again, we ask – where is the money going?  Ideally, all monies should go to the debtors, the bank; and then the creditors like Manny Villon who has an interest attached to it.  Will the monies obtained from government grants be returned?   In the 90s, MPC obtained over $100,000 in grants, and here in Scoffields , they still managed to obtain a $10,000 grant for a covered court, which is really only a canvas type cloth and leaks come rainy days.  And again, most recently they managed to obtain a $35,000 for toilet repairs. Well, I guess that’s understandable considering all that’s been going around lately.  But why would they even ask for a grant, if they had intentions of selling it anyway?

Ah, yes, there’ll be a few who’ll want to be heroes (if not Ambassadors) and by the looks of it, NARRA are planning a take over.  A coup d’etat!?  “Hero-shima and Narra-saki” are about to bomb some out, if they haven’t yet!  And just like Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it’ll be a total wipe out – Warasaki!!

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And while, PCC has a big stake in the MPC, it will depend on who’s sitting on the Board. Yes folks, it’s game time for the changing of the guards.  And they’re on…game on….the race is on…although, really, it’s the same-o, same-o and nothing much to talk about. It’s that time when people scamper to align themselves with clubs they never belonged to.  Announcing their candidacies – Evelyn Beed vs Danny Peralta, and Relunia will now be relegated to the back bench recovering from the stress inflicted by some members of the Board. Let’s watch and see how many candidates Bulseco manages to magically appear. What new tricks will he have up his sleeve, this time?  Last year, Rissa McInnes magically got in through Emma’s group, Australian Consumers which was of course a bogus group.  So Rissa will also be looking for a group to represent. Bulseco wants to win at all costs and he thinks he can’t be voted out. But the truth is – no one is playing his game in the least. The affiliates need to wake up!  I would much rather have a humble person who’s willing to work than one who is arrogant and who thinks they know everything but really doesn’t do anything.  Since the Board has refused to do a cleanup this year and would rather maintain the status quo, then you can bet your bottom dollar that there’ll a few miraculous apparitions!

Hey, get it right, we just might run for the city to surf race. That would be more fun!