Manila-Downunder & The Aussie Aswang - Living The Filo Life In Australia.

#### THE FUNDRAISING EVENT ####
Even Backstabbing Couldn't Kill!

Well those of my illustrious, and may I say extremely lucky, readers who know me are already well aware of my passion for the idea of fundraising for the Philippines.
Originally helped gather donations for other peoples efforts at time of calamity, doing whip arounds at our former karaoke nights, asking people who otherwise could not have given a shit to donate money to peoples who lost their homes and families.

  Later going on to set up our own fund with my late friend Bill Sullivan, to help raise money for restoration work of our then new 'Railways and Industrial Heritage Society Phils Inc' in Manila.

 Sadly, while we were getting off to a good start, Australian red tape delayed us six months. Something that is not quite understood in the Philippines, while the application of performance standards lead to an issuing of the traditional Aussie single finger salute. We do things out of kindness here, not our of pressure.

Hmmmmm KINDNESS.

  After numerous years of being pissed off by the communities self obsessed, I decided to be involved (as a sponsor) of a friends wonderful money raising charity for disabled kids in a, still to be identified, disabled school in Manila.
  I mean, what a worthy cause, disabled kids in Manila. It was straight down my alley and I was even more overwhelmed to see the chairman of Colordstar, who has never been to the Philippines, open his heart to help those less fortunate.
  I was touched to see caring, above and beyond those I used to call my barkada, from someone who probably is unaware what a barkada even is. He is a true description of what an Aussie is.

  So, the organising went on, mostly with help from within members of the Campbelltown Filo community. This was fine, surely my experience with the Eastlakes/Rosebery Filo community would have to be an isolated incident - lets MAKE IT SO.

  But, as with the smallest of karaoke nights, the darkness soon came forth.
  The school suggested by one Campbelltown community member unable to be verified as existing, not even the required legal documents could be brought forth, while well connected friends of mine in Manila were unable to find any trace of the school she claimed existed.
  It is alleged that said person spread false rumours and gossip through the whole community and attempted to destroy the event following the finding out of information and her inability to produce the minimum required documents for approval by the Australian government.

  I'm sorry, but I feel that this is repugnant and possibly one of the more vile acts since an Eastlakes Pinay tried to place a curse on me through her shear ignorance of reality.

The whole point of the excercise was to help poor struggling children, not to boost a possibly ailing ego in the community. You f*** up and do the wrong thing, then you will be caught out.
  You take the usual road of using Aussies and thinking they are stupid in comparison to your immense inteligence, then you will soon find out the hard way that you are wrong. No amount of lying about it will then go on to help your cause - NONE.

  Or will it? There does seem to be a willingness to make ones self look stupid in the community by believing one side of a story.
  You should always try to hear both sides, lest you be misinformed or thought of as an idiot by the person peddling you the lie.. Birth nationality and age does not naturally make someone the dispenser of nothing but truth - believe me, I know only too very well.

  Then (but wait - theres more), then you have another person who takes a large portion of tickets but then, a few weeks later, misplaces them and expects the Australian government, in all their strictness, to accept this.
  Again the fundraising chairman again is left to explain what happened and account for it.
  Now, misplacing an Iphone, a train ticket and maybe even your car keys are all a regular part of life, but a big pile of tickets aimed at helping the starving of the Philippines? If you had any ounce, any milligram, of love for your HOME country, then you would think you would take better care of the tickets, even perhaps shoulder the responsibility of your loosing them.
  But NO, nope, to hell with those back home.

  Excuse me while I go VOMIT.
 
  I was born in Australia, my parents were Aussie, my grandparents as well. Prior to this my ansestors were all British. I have no family connection to the Philippines.
  However, despite all this I love the Philippines, its people, its way of life and to a great extent its culture. Yet, in a community full of Filipinos here in Sydney I do seem to feel so very alone in this feeling.


### THE EVENT ###

  Despite all the selfish attempts to destroy the night, I am proud to say the charity fundraiser carried on with the great event, now raising money for the Payatas Baptist Church in Quezon City, who have the aim of helping the poor kids around Payatas (an area that I am both very familiar and very fond of). To be able to help Pastor Jack with his efforts with the kids there, well, that mean't everything to me.
  The night itself was great,the food was awesome, the people we met very fun.
  The entertainment ranged from a very young girl singer who was beyond phenomenal and who must have a really bright future ahead of her, to an Elvis Presley impersonator who spent more time being unintentionally (?) funny than actually trying to impersonate Elvis.
  The final entertainer was a bit more unusual. He came in and started arguing with the organisers, at one stage sticking his fist up to punch them. TRULY RESPECTFUL of people helping those in need back home.
  Ironically, after all the violence, which I first thought was alcohol fueled, he went on the be quite a good guitarist and singer. Indeed he is one of would have fully recommended, if not for the earlier threats of violance again, of all things, a charity.
  I tried to talk to him after the event, but he was always busy with other people and then disappeared.
  All quite unusual.

  Anyway, the balance of the night was great, it seemed to be enjoyed by all there, even the bitter ones.
  I am hopeful that through the ashes of all this, something great will go on and we can go on and help the people of the Philippines in the future.
There were many teething troubles with this first attempt, these expected to be finalised by the 18th of January, but people there need our help and, despite what many of the mongrels of the community think, doing it for their benefit only is the right thing to do.

 The above video shows some of the more sad action carried out at the event.

COMING SOON

More video and the awards ceremony at the end of the night.

CONTACT ME
Please feel free to email me ignorant abuse, constructive comments, educated disagreements or contributions to the website.
pnr902 at  yahoo.com.ph