AUSTRALIAN indigenous peoples are proof that Australia-Philippines relations have existed far longer than the 70 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Australian Ambassador Amanda Gorely said at the launch of the book Re-Imagining Australia: Voices of Indigenous Australians of Filipino Descent that Australia’s indigenous peoples with Filipino roots contribute a great deal to the country’s culture.
“The book gives us an insight into Australia of another era, and I think it is very fitting this year as we celebrate the 70th anniversary of our formal diplomatic relations. These are how relations existed in a formal sense go but they go back much further than that. It is the people-to-people links that had been forged over those years that formed the beating heart of the bilateral relationship, which goes deeper than the formal relationship itself,” Gorely said.
She added, “The contributions of Aboriginal on Torres Strait Island people, who are one of the world’s oldest continuous living culture together with that of immigrants to Australia, are an enormous part of Australia’s national identity.”
The book is written by Filipino-Australian journalist and researcher Deborah Wall, and was launched in partnership with the Cultural Center of the Philippines, which coincided with the celebration of the Indigenous Peoples’ Month in October and the celebration of Australia’s 70 years of diplomatic relationship with the Philippines.
Recounting the story of the “Manila Men,” who were the first migrant Filipinos in northern Australia during the late-1800s who worked at the pearling industry, Wall said it has been a pleasure sharing the story of the Australians with Filipino ancestry to retrace their roots back to the Philippines.
“I feel so privileged that the story from below, the story based on experience, is finally having an opening and getting heard. For those voices to be heard, it is really a treasure for both Filipinos and Australians to discover a deeper historical link between our two countries,” Wall said.
Meanwhile, Australian mining companies and potential investors are on a wait-and-see approach with the Philippine government’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources campaign against irresponsible mining.
“For a couple of Australian mining companies, the climate is a little bit more uncertain because of the ordered process initiated by the Philippine government, but we hope there are more certainty and clarity in the coming weeks so that those investors can proceed with their investments in confidence that they are welcome here in the Philippines,” Gorely said.
She added that mining companies publicly listed in the Philippines support many smaller- and medium-sized Filipino companies.
However, Gorely clarified Australian companies across several industries remain committed to the Philippines and are confident of the country’s growing economy.