Page 32 - Hello Philippines February 2016 'B' issue

32 www.hello-philippines.com PHILIPPINE EMBASSY AROUND THE WORLD February 2016 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition

Community Organizations Shine Light on Humanitarian Efforts
to Help Typhoon Nona Victims in First-Ever Fund-Raising Fair
FOUR Filipino community
organizations in New York participated the participating groups. Deputy Consul General Kira Danganan-Azucena (2nd
in the first ever fund-raising fair Founded in 2010, Handang from left) leads the ribbon-cutting to formally open the
entitled “Project Disaster Response: first ever fund-raising fair to help victims of Typhoon Nona
Typhoon Nona” held on January 30 at Tumulong Foundation, Inc. (HTFI) titled “Project Disaster Relief: Typhoon Nona” held at the
the Philippine Center in New York. raises funds to give immediate help for Philippine Center New York on January 30. She is joined by
victims of natural disasters wherever (from left) Ms. Happy David of the Philippine Disaster Relief
The participating organizations it occurs in the world, but with Foundation, Ms. Nelsie Parrado of Handang Tumulong
were Handang Tumulong Foundation, special focus on the Philippines. It is Foundation Inc. Ms. Potri Ranka Manis of Kinding Sindaw,
Inc., Volunteers from Northern Samar, a non-profit, 501 (C)(3) organization and Mr. Cesar Loverita of Volunteer of Northern Samar.
Philippine Disaster Relief Foundation domiciled in New Jersey. To date,
and Kinding Sindaw. HTFI has donated US$ 188,000 to engaged in showcasing and promoting The fund-raising fair attracted walk-in visitors, many of them non-Filipino, who were enthusiastically entertained by the
various charities, parishes, schools indigenous Philippine culture in participating groups.
The one-day fair facilitated the and organizations, most of them on Mindanao and a 501 (C)(3) group,
various fund-raising and humanitarian the ground and in the forefront of joined the fund raising fair not so much by Filipino artist Fernando Kabigting received a US$ 1,500.00 from Fil-Aid
efforts of Filipino organizations and helping victims and in rebuilding the to raise funds as to focus attention to worth US$1,500 donated by him was Foundation based in New Jersey.
groups to help the victims of Typhoon communities devastated by typhoons, causes that aim to preserve and protect auctioned off, 70% of the proceeds of
Nona by giving them a venue to reach tornadoes, floods and earthquakes. the environment. Through special which would go to HTFI. The other To ensure transparency and
out to prospective donors. At the dance performances during the fair, 30% would go to Mr. Kabigting’s accountability, guidelines were set
same time, the fair helped prospective The Volunteers from Northern Kinding Sindaw underscored the role program to help young artists in the that essentially required full disclosure
donors to learn and be informed of Samar is an informal group of friends of the indigenous peoples as guardians Philippines. by the participating organizations
the many humanitarian responses to formed to respond to the humanitarian of Mother Earth. The group also about their organization, their partner
the natural disaster and make it easy needs of the victims of typhoon Nona pledged to partner with participating The Volunteers of Northern Samar organization in the Philippines, their
for them to contribute their time and situated in the hinterlandbarangays organizations by contributing the received part of the Philippine Chinese target beneficiaries and feedback
financial assistance. in Laoang, Northern Samar that troupe’s cultural performances in their Association’s donation amounting mechanisms for the donors. n Philippine
government resources had difficulty future fund-raising projects. to US$ 1,000 from HTFI. It has also
Each participating organization was reaching. The group is led by New York- Embassy Philippines / February 09, 2016
given a table at the Philippine Center based freelance photographer Cesar During the fair, a check amounting
premises, where they displayed and Loverita, who coordinated with family to US$ 2,000 donated by the Philippine
distributed information materials members based in Northern Samar for Chinese Association was turned over
about their organization and their the purchase and distribution of relief by Deputy Consul General Azucena
humanitarian efforts. They were also goods to the affected families. to HTFI. An acrylic-on-canvas 18x36
given a 20-minute segment in the inch painting entitled “The Old Pulley”
program to give a presentation and The Philippine Disaster Relief
invite benefactors to support their Foundation is a Manila-based
cause. The participating organizations private sector-led 501 (C)(3) agency
took this time to talk about their established in 2009 to raise funds to
organization and humanitarian efforts help devastated communities recover
and present video clips and photos of from and be better prepared to face
their activities. future calamities. It offers many donor
packages, including Adopt-A-Home
A number of walk-ins, many of that supports the rebuilding efforts of
them non-Filipinos, visited the fair and Gawad Kalinga in Zamboanga.
were enthusiastically entertained by
Kinding Sindaw, a performing group

PHL Embassy Joins New Zealand’s Waitangi Day Commemorations 2016 at the Bay of Islands
THE Philippine Embassy in Wellington the Soljans Estate Winery where the Heads Meeting House) by the Chiefs and Elders

joined the celebration and commemoration of Diplomatic Missions and Spouses were of the Nga Puhi tribe, the largest Maori

of New Zealand’s national day, Waitangi treated to a vineyard and winery tour tribe in New Zealand. The Te Tii Marae is a

Day, together with fifty Heads of Diplomatic by owner and Managing Director Tony historical site steeped in Maori legacy and

Missions accredited to New Zealand based Soljans. The group was also addressed tradition built in 1940 to mark the 100th

in Wellington and Canberra, Australia, as by Mr. Jeffrey Clarke, General Manager anniversary of the signing of the Treaty

well as officials from the United Nations Advocacy and General Counsel for the New of Waitangi. When the Heads of Mission

High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Zealand Winegrowers Association. were invited to speak, Philippine Chargé

and the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Affairs The Heads of Diplomatic Missions and d’Affaires Gonzales-Macaisa conveyed the

(MFAT). Philippine Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Spouses also met with representatives greetings of the Philippine Government

Arlene Gonzales-Macaisa and her spouse, of FrameCAD Solutions, an innovative and the Filipino People on the occasion

Mr. Allan R. Macaisa, attended the 176th exporter that manufactures simple, cost- of Waitangi Day and thanked the Maori

Anniversary of the Signing of the Treaty of effective, end-to-end design-and-build hosts for their hospitality.

Waitangi Day commemorations at the Bay solutions using light gauge steel framing. The Morning Tea hosted by

of Islands from February 03 to 06. FrameCAD was established in 1987 and has Governor-General Lt. Gen. The Rt.

Organized by MFAT, the well-rounded offices in Asia, the Americas, Australia, the Hon. Sir Jerry Mateparae and Lady

and highly informative Waitangi 2016 Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. The Janine Mateparae for the Heads of

program enabled the Heads of Diplomatic company’s CEO, Mr. Mark Taylor, led a tour Diplomatic Missions on February 05

Missions and Spouses to experience and of the company and provided information provided an excellent opportunity for

learn more about New Zealand’s history, about FrameCAD. interaction and fellowship amidst the

culture, and business endeavors. Ms. The Heads of Diplomatic Missions historical atmosphere and significance

Joanna Kempkers, Chief of Protocol, led and Spouses were also toured around of the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. The

a business outreach with Auckland City Fonterra’s Jordan Valley Farm, a Maori cultural performance of the Te

Clockwise from top left (1) Philippine Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Arlene Gonzales-Macaisa (2nd from left) with the Spouse Council, Auckland Tourism, Events and 260-hectare dairy farm with 600 milking Pitowhenua, visit to the Waitangi Treaty
of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), (3rd from left), Spouse of the Fiji High Commissioner Economic Development (ATEED) at the cows producing 260,000 kilograms of Grounds and historical town of Russell
(5th from left) and the Maori cultural performers at the Te Whare Runanga, Waitangi Treaty Grounds on February 05. (2) Auckland Wynward Quarter, Auckland’s milk solids each season. The farm works were meaningful and provided greater

Chargé d’Affaires Gonzales-Macaisa with Mr. Christopher Calantog, the sole Filipino Engineer at Frame CAD Solutions on largest waterfront urban renewal project in partnership with the Department of knowledge about Maori culture, the New
February 04. (3) Governor-General Lt. Gen. The Rt. Hon. Sir Jerry Mateparae addresses the Heads of Diplomatic Missions led by Panuku Development where His Conservation’s Clean Water Programme. Zealand heritage and the signing of the
at the Waitangi Treat Grounds, Bay of Islands on February 05. (4) The Heads of Diplomatic Missions accredited to New Worship, Mayor Len Brown of Auckland, Treaty of Waitangi, which ushered New
Zealand based in Wellington and Canberra, Australia during the Cocktail Reception at the Copthorne Hotel in the Bay addressed the group. On February 05, the Ambassadors Zealand onto the path of nationhood. n
of Islands on February 05. (5) Mr. Tim Brandon (1st from left) of Fonterra telling the Heads of Diplomatic Missions and and High Commissioners and Spouses
Spouses about Living Water partnership between Fonterra nd Department of Consevation on February 04. Included in the program was a visit to were welcomed at the Te Tii Marae (Maori Philippine Embassy Philippines / February 11, 2016