Student leaders from various student organisations highlight the importance of getting involved in community events, such as the Philippine Christmas Festival.
Every year, volunteers are assigned different roles including assisting visitors and attendees with making Christmas lanterns or parols, manning the ice cream cart, or helping in the venue and stage setup.
For these student volunteers, taking part in community activities is a great opportunity for young people to learn more about the Filipino culture and to help them understand their identity.
"For me, volunteering is not just a global thing. We also have a Filipino term for it, it's called bayanihan," says David delos Reyes, president of Filipino Society of NSW.
"Even though we're not in the Philippines, we still find ways to practice it wherever we go."
"Volunteering in community events is also a good way to embrace the Filipino culture. [Because] sometimes we forget what it means to be Filipino and being here reminds me that the Filipino culture is indeed strong and alive and we continue to live it out as well," says Luke Sy, chairperson of Filipino Student Council of NSW.
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