Felix Pintado, Philippine Honorary Consul of Victoria
“Independence Day is so important to us because it’s an expression of who we are as Filipino people, particularly as we are in Australia and trying to establish and find and never forget our identity as Filipino people, and the struggle that it took our forefathers to get that independence and that identity recognised so that we could have our own sovereignty. For us, it’s more than just independence, it’s more than just freedom. It’s about acknowledging our culture, our heritage, and remember who we are as Filipinos.”
Gabriel Evalle, Student
"I want to acknowledge that we are part of one country, that we have our own culture and I'm proud to be Pinoy. It's important to celebrate Independence Day not only for ourselves but to remind us that our heroes sacrificed their lives for our freedom."
Commander Datario, Ex-serviceman
“Almost every year, [I attend] the celebrations. Even if we are here in Australia, we should not forget where we came from. [Let's not forget] that we are from the Philippines, that's where we grew up and where we received our education. Now that we are here in Australia, we could use our knowledge that we gained back then."
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Walter Villagonzalo, Community leader
It's important that we celebrate Independence Day because it's part of our identity as Filipinos. As the saying goes, 'you can take the Filipino out of the Philippines but you can’t take the Philippines out of the Filipino.' It's important that we honour the people who shed their blood to gain our freedom."
Fred Jover, Community leader and ex-serviceman
"We organise the flag-raising activity every year because this is a good opportunity to show our unity. Disagreements among members of the community are inevitable sometimes. but today, it's great to see each group being represented."
Vernon Boado, Engineer
“I think it’s very important because it symbolizes the unity of the Filipino people aside from the fact that it has given us our independence from colonizers. I feel delighted because this is my first time to attend an event like this.”
Christian delos Santos, Student
"[Celebrating Independence Day] should be a reminder of what our heroes have sacrificed for our freedom. To us, it's a symbol of [their] struggle, freedom, and democracy."
Encine Charles Bacordo, Trainee
"Independence Day is very significant in Philippine history. It’s the day we claimed the most important thing in our life, which is freedom. There’s love, there’s family, but it’s not significant if we don’t have our freedom to celebrate special things like those. It’s nice celebrating here in Australia because you’ll get that hospitable, friendly, happy, smart, smiling environment."
