THE Commonwealth of Australia is marking its Friendship Day with the Philippines on May 22 with an online celebration, its embassy in Manila has announced.
“Each year, we celebrate Philippines-Australia Friendship Day by holding festivals in different parts of the country, with events in Manila, [as well as the cities of] Cebu and Davao in recent years. This year, we’re adapting to the current situation around the coronavirus disease 2019 [Covid-19 pandemic] by inviting everyone to celebrate with us online by using and following the hashtag #FilAussieDay,” said Australian Ambassador Steven J. Robinson AO. “I am very pleased that we can still celebrate our deep ties and enduring friendship from the safety of our homes.”
“Australia and the Philippines are close friends. We enjoy broad cooperation in trade, development, defense and security,” Robinson added. “I would like to thank our friends in government who are sharing their messages of friendship as part of this celebration.”
“This online celebration is also an opportunity for us to thank frontliners who have been delivering assistance to the Covid-19 response, as well as those from national and local government units who have provided assistance to Australian tourists who have been stranded in the Philippines,” explained the ambassador.
“Beyond our bilateral relationship, our people-to-people links are broad and deep,” the Australian envoy affirmed. “One of the first waves of Filipino migration to Australia occurred in the late 1800s when young men—mostly from the Visayas and parts of Mindanao—settled in northern Australia to work in the pearling industry. Today, more than 300,000 Filipinos call [our country as their] home.”
Celebrities, students
ROBINSON went further: “A number of Filipino-Australian celebrities have been very supportive of our celebration over the years, including Ms. Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, siblings Anne and Jasmine Curtis [Smith], James and Lauren Reid, as well as young talents Ylona Garcia and Leila Alcasid. They embrace their ties with both countries and represent our ongoing links.”
He also explained: “Education exchanges have deepened our people-to-people links strongly. Each year, close to 20,000 Filipinos undertake training and studies in Australia. To keep the education exchanges strong at a time when we can’t travel, the Australian Trade and Investment Commission, or Austrade, has collaborated with social learning platform FutureLearn.com to provide free online courses from leading Australian universities to help international students stay ahead of the learning curve.”
“The ‘Study with Australia’ initiative is opening up access to high-quality online resources across businesses; digital technologies; science, technology and mathematics; as well as health care and teaching courses, to name a few,” the diplomat pointed out. “These will be available for free until the end of June 2020. All Australian universities’ online learning showcases are included in the Australian partner directory on the said web site.”
Lineup of projects
EACH year, according to the embassy, the Australian government supports the prestigious “Australia Award” scholarships for Filipinos to study in top Australian universities. Upon their return, the scholars become part of the global Australia alumni network and serve as citizen ambassadors for both countries. These alumni are currently sharing their experience and success stories online during the celebration using the hashtag #AustraliaGlobalAlumni.
The embassy recently opened the applications for the 2021 intake of Australia Awards, as they have been extended until June 30, in response to the impact of Covid-19 on potential Filipino scholars.
On May 21 and 22, Australia will host a free online screening from “Flickerfest,” Australia’s only Academy-Award accredited and British Academy of Film and Television Arts-recognized short-film festival. Robinson commented, “I am pleased that we can continue our tradition of providing Filipino film lovers the opportunity to experience Australian filmmaking excellence and learn more about Australian contemporary culture.”
The embassy is also offering a “Taste of Australia” experience by bringing together online retailers of Australian food and beverage. Robinson offered, “Food brings people together, so sharing Australians and Filipino food is a perfect way to celebrate Friendship Day. Australian fine food reflects the pristine environment and high standards of food safety in Australia. It’s a pleasure to be able to share Australian-made and grown products that Filipinos can enjoy at home to create delicious meals for their families.”
To join the celebrations, follow the Australian Embassy on Facebook: @AustraliaInThePhilippines, Twitter: @AusAmbPH and Instagram: @AusEmbPH, as well as the hashtag #FilAussieDay.
The Philippines-Australia Friendship Day 2020 is presented with the Australian Embassy, in partnership with Australian companies Austal, Crone Architects, Orica, Prime Metro BMD, Qantas, QBE, Site Skills and Telstra.