Key Points
- According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, almost 5.9 million of Australians aged 15 and over do volunteer work in 2019.
- Central Coast students Christian Rose, Francis Calisin-Porter and Brianna Serrano receive recognition for their achievements and volunteering.
- These young Filipino-Aussies are more motivated to volunteer.
Young Pinoy-Aussies and community service
Year 12 student Christian Rose received a prestigious award for outstanding service to New South Wales' broader community.
For the Central Coast student, "it's a big recognition to be awarded the Order of Australia Youth Community Service Award 2022 Certificate of Commendation."
"It's a big achievement for me and a great recognition for the hundreds of hours of community service I had done in the past 6 years or so."
The Youth Community Service Award is given annually by the Order of Australia Association to commend community service of individual students that their school systems would not usually recognise.
Each year, around 20 students in Year 11 or Year 12 receive recognition.
Nominated by his principal and teachers, Christian Rose has been actively volunteering in his school's youth justice and other programs. He grew up volunteering for the community. As a child, he would assist his mother, Milan Rose, with her voluntary work with the Filipino community on the Central Coast.
Year 6 student Francis Luccianna Calisin-Porter was also recognised for her volunteering and achievements in learning the Filipino language.
She was awarded a 'Highly Commended Certificate of Excellence for Student Achievement Community Language Schools' from the NSW Department of Education.
The Year 6 student has attended the Filipino Language class for five years. She regularly volunteers with events by the Filipino Community on the Central Coast and Sydney.
Fellow Central Coast student Brianna Serrano also received the Highly Commended Certificate of Excellence.
The two are among the 128 awards presented to students, teachers and schools who have contributed significantly to the broader NSW community at the 2022 NSW Minister’s and Secretary’s Awards for Excellence.
Recognition and motivation
For Calisin-Porter, the recognition she has received means so much to her.
“The award not only recognises my achievements but it also recognises that the Filipino language and culture is still significant for Filipinos here in Australia."
Year 12 student Christian Rose considers the award he received as a great recognition of his achievements over the past few years.
"It gives me a huge sense of accomplishment for the years and it's a big reflection of my Filipino pride."
Apart from great pride, both Christian and Francis are more motivated to work harder and help others.
"Being recognised gives me more motivation to inspire others," says Christian.
“I encourage you to volunteer for community activities and events as we need to continue the traditions that shape us."
“What we do moulds us as a person and contributes to the moulding of other people we interact with in our community. Napakasaya po maging bahagi ng Filipino community dito sa Australia,” adds Calisin-Porter.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), volunteering not only expands people’s networks, it also "serves as an indicator of wellbeing and social cohesion".
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that in 2019, over 5.9 million people aged 15 and above did voluntary work across Australia. It is estimated that volunteers spent over 596.2 million hours volunteering for the community.
