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Welcome and Mabuhay!
This is the first home page about a Filipino
Community in the entire Southern Hemisphere and has
been made possible through the courtesy of
Vicnet.
The First Group of Filipinos: The White
Australia policy on immigration prior to 1970
allowed a very small trickle of Filipinos to live in
Victoria. A small number of Filipino nursing
students was also permitted under the Colombo Plan.
It was after the state visit of the then Australian
Prime Minister, Hon. Gough Whitlam, to the
Philippines in 1973 that Filipinos began to come to
Australia in great numbers. Filipino tradesmen and
their families were the first biggest group to
migrate under the newly relaxed policy on
immigration. Filipinas in secretarial jobs comprised
the next biggest group.
Family Reunion Program Allows More Filipinos:
In 1991 there were 16482 Filipinos in Victoria
comprising 1.6 percent of the total Victorian
population. The largest number of Philippine-born
arrived under the 'concessional brothers/sisters and
Family Reunion-parents/dependent children' migration
program. Filipinos in computer-related jobs have
also arrived in big number in the last ten years. It
is worth noting that Philippine-born females
outnumbered the males by the ratio of 2:1. With
their good command of the English language and great
working skills, Filipinos in Victoria were able to
settle down immediately in their new adopted
country. Statistics on 'Birthplace by Proficiency in
English of Persons aged 5 years or more who speak
English at home well or very well' showed 95% for
Filipinos as against to 80% of the entire
population.
Where Filipinos Live in Victoria: Filipinos
in Victoria are mostly urban based and can be found
in different areas of Metropolitan Melbourne, with
the greatest number settling down in the western
suburbs. Those who live in the country, that is,
outside Metropolitan Melbourne are mostly Filipinas
married to Australians. It is not unusual for those
Filipinos in the country areas to travel hundred
kilometres or more to gather for social activities.
Cultural Heritage and Identity: Although the
Filipinos in Victoria have successfully settled down
in Victoria, they have not forgotten the country of
their origin, the Philippines. They maintain their
cultural heritage and identity in the numerous
organisations they have established. These
organisations have been based on Local Government
Areas in Victoria; Regions and Institutions in the
Philippines; Activities such as Educational,
Political, Cultural, Media, Religious, Sports,
Welfare, and Work Related activities; and People
Centred such as Community, Elderly, Students, and
Women. |
