Pinoy kids from 'down under' retrace their roots

WESTERN SYDNEY, Australia – As our revered national hero Jose Rizal said: “Ang hindi marunong magmahal ng sariling wika ay higit pa ang amoy sa malansang isda." Well, this bunch of Aussie-Pinoy kids would have made old Pepe proud. They even come to school on a Saturday morning, just to learn Filipino! The Penrith Community Filipino School (PCFS) holds classes at the St Mary’s Community Centre, located in Western Sydney, Australia. The school is run by volunteers – accredited teachers with years of teaching experience, and others who volunteer as teacher aides while others do administrative duties. The brainchild of Dr. Alexis Leones and avidly supported by then Consul General Ma.Teresa Lazaro and the Penrith City Council, the PCFS has been running for 18 months now. The school is steadily growing, as word about it spreads through the Filipino community in Western Sydney. Pinoy games, stories, and cooking But it’s not your usual kind of school. They not only learn Filipino, but learn to cook, dance, sing and play Filipino games as well. Giselle Galam, 12, says she enjoys attending the class because the school provides a lot of good activities. She names dancing as her favorite activity. When asked what dance she particularly liked, she immediately exclaims, “Tinikling!" Her brother, Franz, 13, shares that he enjoyed cooking puto, while Sean Desphy, 15, said he enjoyed learning how to play patintero. Mark Desphy, 9, excitedly said, “Stories! We get to read stories!" He said he particularly liked the story “Bru-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, Bru-hi-hi-hi-hi-hi" by Ma. Corazon Remigio, which was read to the class by the teacher. Cunanan siblings Michael, 9, and Mia, 8, said they liked art class. Most of the children enrolled at the school were either born here in Australia or have spent most of their lives here, and yet, they see the relevance of learning the Filipino language. The students we talked to all show a strong connection to the Philippines and talk about wanting to be able to break down the language barrier that separates them from their countrymen. Nice things about learning to speak Pinoy Sean shares: “I want to learn Filipino…so I can understand the language more and communicate with the relatives that speak it so I won’t feel too left out." Franz added that he felt it was important to learn about the Philippines so that he wouldn’t feel so lost when he goes home. “Also, you can talk to your parents and they’ll be all chuffed about it!" adds Giselle. (“Chuffed" is Australian slang for “to be very pleased or proud.") Mia places high importance to learning the language so she can communicate with the children that she plays with when she goes home. But Giselle sees an added plus of being able to speak Filipino. “It’s like we have a secret language!" she laughs, “when you’re in the shops and you need to tell your mom something private, you can just speak Tagalog!" Michael agrees, saying, “You can have private conversations and no one understands what you’re saying!" When asked why they attend Filipino class, the younger ones cheekily answer, “Because my parents want me to!" There is of course, a lot of truth to this statement. A huge portion of the school’s success is the commitment of the parents to waking up early on a Saturday morning and bringing their children to the school every week. Flor Polines is mother to Isabella, 12. Flor believes that the classes contribute to her daughter’s self-improvement. “It’s better na may alam sila about their culture and roots, and another language as well. It’s a plus for them." Social interaction bound by culture Flor thinks that the most important benefit the students get from the school is the social interaction, “kasi they can interact with people from the same culture, lalo na ang anak ko masyadong mahiyain." She is very pleased that the school gives the students opportunities to perform Filipino dances at local venues such as cultural days. “At least, naboo-boost iyung confidence niya." Rowie Angkaya, mother to Amina, 12, agrees. “Amina loves the costumes. They’re enjoying it, it’s something different talaga, like when they danced the ’tinikling’." Marie Bandayrel, PCFS principal and dance teacher, concurs, “Ang ganda nilang sumayaw ng ‘subli’ at ‘planting rice’ doon! Wala silang pinakitang pagod. Talagang full of smiles sila!" Precy Lawas-Boughton is married to Peter, an Australian. Precy shares that it was Peter who pushed her to enroll their daughter Ashley at the PCFS. “Gusto niyang matuto si Ashley para at least, pag-uwi-uwi namin sa Pilipinas, marunong siya makipag-usap sa mga kamag-anak." Precy is very happy with the school because she sees it as a venue for imparting Filipino values to Ashley. “Hindi sa akin nanggagaling, na-i-re-relay ko sa kanya na ang aking tradisyon ganito. At least, unti-unti nakikita niya kung ano iyung talagang buhay ko, (kung ano ang buhay) ng isang Pilipino noong ako’y nasa Pilipinas." Precy sees a definite improvement in Ashley’s learning of the language. She talked about a day when she had a friend visit her at home. “Nag-uusap kami ng kaibigan ko… e…. sumagot ang bata! Sabi ko, lagot! Wala na akong sikreto!" laughs Precy. James Desphy, father of Sean and Mark, is adamant that his sons learn Filipino. “Because I am Filipino," he states unequivocally. James believes that attending the Filipino School is aiding his sons in acquiring the language. “It’s easier for them to learn Filipino if they’re learning it with their peers." James realizes from personal experience the importance of being able to interact with other Filipinos in Australia. He says, “I work in an industry with a lot of Filipino doctors. My interaction with them is much easier, facilitated by a common language." Rediscovering our roots James’ wife, Chiqui, observes that her children have become more aware of their being Filipino, thus forming the unique identity of being a Filipino-Australian. Chiqui proudly shares that her son Sean’s enthusiasm has been so contagious, that he was able to convince some of his other Filipino-Australian friends to join in the youth camp (one of the major activities of the school). Her other son Mark, is interested in anything Filipino. “They feel such a sense of worth kasi nakaka-identify sila sa mga Pilipino. Ayokong lumaki ang mga bata na “coconut" – brown on the outside, white on the inside.“ Chiqui adds that because of what her sons learned at the school, their trips home to the Philippines have become more meaningful. “Hindi lang shopping, interesado sila sa iba’t ibang lugar na natutunan nila sa school." There seems to be a pervading sense of nationalism among the students of the PCFS. The older children have expressed a desire to learn more about Filipino heroes, especially Dr Jose Rizal. Sean indicated an interest in learning about the suffering that the Filipino people have faced all throughout history, and how they have survived in spite of all the hardships. Franz disclosed that he enjoyed learning not only about the heroes, but also about the different provinces and important landmarks in the Philippines, and learning things like how the Philippines got its name. He is also interested to learn more about Philippine history. Remembering her history lessons, Giselle coments, “Everyone was so brave and willing to fight for the country." She names Jose Rizal as the hero that struck her, “Because he was trying to fight for freedom from the Spanish so that the Filipinos could be free." Letty Cunanan is the teacher of the high school students at the PCFS, and the school’s academic advisor. In the Philippines, she was principal at a public school and district supervisor before coming to Australia. She said that imbibing nationalism in the students was one of her reasons for taking up the challenge of teaching the Filipino-Aussie kids. “(I want to) develop nationalism, not forgetting Australia, but also loving the country from where their parents came from." Judging from the responses of the students, the PCFS is well on its way to achieving its goal of cultivating a new generation of Filipino-Australians who have a strong connection to the Philippines and know about its history and culture. If the youth is our future, then the future looks mighty bright, here in the heart of Pinoy-land – Western Sydney, in the land Down Under. To find out more about the school and its activities, visit www.plcaa.blogspot.com - GMANews.TV