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His eminence, the Papal Nuncio Francisco Montecillo Padilla,Your excellencies, the Ambassadors, Head of Missions and Consular Representatives, our corporate sponsors, our international and Tanzanian friends, and fellow Filipinos here in Tanzania, magandang gabi po!
First, I would like to
acknowledge my VSO International family especially VSO Bahaginan and VSO Tanzania for producing these documentaries and I hope these films will continue to inspire everyone, that each
one of us in our own little ways
can do something to make our
lives better whether in the foreign soils or in our native land, the
Philippines. I would like to express also our special gratitude to the Filipino
Community of Tanzania for their support to us Filipino volunteers
especially for launching these films and
for engaging us also in their community outreach programs like the annual medical missions where we volunteers were
able to participate. FCT maraming salamat po,
you continue to inspire us volunteers
The comedian Russell Peters
once commented that Filipinos are well scattered around the world, and that even
in hell you will find a Filipino! It indicates
we Filipinos are all over the world, like any other nationalities. But what
makes us Filipinos distinct from rest of our international brethren aside? Once I
was seated between my two
volunteer friends, a Japanese, and a South Korean sipping our
kahawas in one of the café’s in
Zanzibar talking about the famous Petronas Towers of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.
My Japanese friend said that they help build
one of the towers, and my South Korean friend claimed too that they too also
help to build the other tower while both
of them keep looking at me. And I asked them why there is a bridge
between the two towers? Both of them answered in Swahili, sijui! I told them that the two towers cannot stand
alone independently, that the Filipinos
build the bridge to connects these two towers to support to let the
building stand majestically!
It is innate for us peace and
freedom loving Filipinos to always consider everyone as part of our family by providing a bridge to
support and connect everyone to
the make the bond of unity stronger and deeper.
We work with passion and
compassion, and it is evident in the excellent service provided to you
when you will meet Filipinos
from the different service industries like health care, hospitality, and
development work. We are always
there with a smile, and ready with words
of comfort, empathy, understanding, and love.
Thus, volunteerism is manifested
in our culture and engraved in our genes,
the Spirit of Bayanihan. As volunteers or
as an expats, anywhere and whenever, we always
willingly lend a hand with passion and commitment that makes us
distinct from the rest, and we offer it with a smile!
Mga kakabayan, ang dugong Filipino ay maharlika, thus we
have to continue giving our support and lend our talents in the world stage
whether as a volunteer or as expat to promote global unity and understanding while respecting and safeguarding human rights and
freedom as peace loving Filipinos.
Magkaisa po tayo para sa
karangal ng Inang Bayan, at ipabunyi ang Lahing Filipino! Viva Pilipinas!
Mabuhay ang Lahing Pilipino! Muchas gracias and good evening everyone.
Docufilms launched during the event were SI JUANITO SA TANZANIA (Juanito Estrada - Education), ED and the GREENHOUSE IN ZANZIBAR ( Eduardo Juacian - Secure Livelihood) and RIZ: Volunteering In Tanzania ( Rizalito Hizon Rectra - Health).
