PR-34-2022 
19 September 2022

FilCom in Shepparton celebrates 40th anniversary of unity;
proudly maintains the PH House

The Filipino Australian Friendship Association (FAFA) of Shepparton led by its President Delma Broughton and Treasurer Tita Weatherall held its 40th anniversary on 17 September 2022 at the GV Hotel some 191 kms from Melbourne. Consul General Maria Lourdes Salcedo graced the milestone celebration attended by more than a hundred members and guests.

In her speech, she recalled that she first learned about the Filipinos in Shepparton who were contributing to the fruit orchards and processing industries as well as of a woman-achiever by the name of Edith Fitzsimmons, original proponent and founder of the Philippine House. She encouraged the Filipinos to apply for dual citizenship under RA 9225 to enjoy the benefits of being a Filipino citizen again.

According to the Ethnic Council of Shepparton (ECS), most Filipino arrivals before 2007 worked in the orchard industry, although they have had tertiary education. Thereafter, skilled migrants started arriving with their families mostly working in the dairy farms, automotive industry, fabrications and in health as nurses and doctors. In 2019, ECS estimated that there were 1,350 Filipinos in Shepparton, speaking mostly Tagalog and Visayan. FAFA provides support, camaraderie and social cohesion to members of the Filipino community.

Consul General Salcedo and beauty icon Jossa Dalit joined the officers and members of FAFA led by Delma Broughton (6th in front row) and Tita Weatherall (7th from left) at the 40th anniversary celebration.

The following day, the guests from Melbourne visited the restored Philippine House at 45 Evergreen Way, standing proudly as the only remaining structure in the original International Village. Greater Shepparton City Council worked closely with FAFA in order to redevelop the facility.

The facility now provides two buildings available for community use: a kitchen in one building, and an exhibition hall in the other building, meant to be a permanent home for the FAFA to store Philippine history and artefacts. “These facilities are even rented out for private events of other multicultural communities and as such, it provides income for FAFA,” according to Tita Weatherall and its Vice-President Steve Rudd.

Counterclockwise from left: Officers and friends of FAFA led by Tita Weatherall (leftmost) welcome the guests from Melbourne led by Consul General Salcedo (center holding the portrait of Edith Fitzsimmons, original proponent of the PH House); the restored PH House from outside and; the Consul General with Tita Weatherall looking at original photos of the PH House and the erstwhile International Village.

The Philippine House restoration works were funded by State government through the Building Multicultural Communities Program offered by the Department of Social Services and the Multicultural Community Infrastructure Fund offered by the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship as well as the Greater Shepparton City Council. END