Updates-Alliance of Philippine Community Organisations

A massive windfall for APCO and ASCON

By Richard J Ford
PRO for APCO Inc.
NSW-Australia
August 22, 2015



A total funding grant of $67, 311 was presented to 15 representatives of the Alliance of Philippine Community Organisations Inc (APCO) and Auburn Small Community Organisation Network Inc (ASCON) led by APCO Founding President, Dr Cen Amores. John Munce, Board Chairman of DOOLEYS Lidcombe Catholic Club, happily presented the funds.

This year, under Category 1 of ClubGrants, a funding pool of approximately $671,000 was awarded to 42 projects within Auburn LGA by DOOLEYS Lidcombe Catholic Club, Auburn Soccer Cub, Auburn Tennis Club and Granville Diggers Club.

APCO received $24,250 for its ‘Managing for Excellence’ community development project, a practical training aimed to improve the leadership and management of not for profit community organisations from the Filipino and other CALD communities. ASCON’s ‘Connect to Work’ that will assist the employment opportunities of mature­- aged migrants, youth and humanitarian entrants received $43,061. Incidentally, APCO and ASCON are headed by Ruben Amores as President and Chairman of the Board, respectively.


Meanwhile, last year APCO also received $12,530 from DOOLEYS Lidcombe Catholic for Category 1 ClubGRANTS for its ‘Fill in the Gap’ project aimed to provide information on various services available and how to access them and training in job seeking skills for newly arrived migrants not eligible to be serviced by Job Services Australia, refugees and asylum seekers who have been granted permit to work in Australia.

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APCO intensifies life giving campaign

By Richard J Ford
PRO for APCO Inc.
NSW-Australia
August 22, 2015

In its commitment to encourage the Filipino community to take an active role in saving lives, the Alliance of Philippine Community Organisations, Inc (APCO) intensified its campaign for organ and tissue donation,
Partnering with NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service through Jesusa Helaratne, APCO commenced its campaign during its regular monthly Board Meeting held at DOOLEYS Lidcombe Catholic Club on the 14^th of August. As a take- off, a video was viewed showing a man in his prime years involved in a horrific bicycle accident, put in life support and declared brain-dead by his attending doctor. One could feel the heart wrenching experience that his family and girlfriend went through and finally deciding to donate his organs to give the ultimate gift of life to others.

A very engaging discussion, sharing of experiences and presentation of facts on organ donation followed. This resulted in an overwhelming positive response and keen interest from the APCO Board to take an active role in campaigning for organ donation first within their respective families, friends and work colleagues. The next scheduled campaign will be held at the Kapit-bahayan Cooperative Ltd’s general membership meeting on the 23^rd of August It is expected that this will draw a bigger crowd.
Meanwhile, in a related event, representatives from APCO, composed of Cora and Larry Perez, Ruben, Brillo and Dr Cen Amores attended the Life Giving Stories initiative of the NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service and Performance 4A It was held at the Italian Forum, Performance Precinct in Leichhardt on the 15^th of August.
Directed by master story teller and photographer William Yang and writer and producer Annette Shun Wah, Life Giving Stories is a very moving and inspiring platform that brought together five story tellers from CALD backgrounds recounting their heartbreaking personal life saving stories.