09 July 2008

PHILIPPINES-AUSTRALIA SOCIAL SECURITY AGREEMENT SOUGHT

9 July 2008 – The heads of the Philippine Community Council (PCC) in New South Wales and the Sydney Australian-Filipino Seniors Inc. (SAFSI), accompanied by Philippine Consul General in Sydney Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, met with Federal MP Roger Price to discuss a proposal for a possible bilateral social security agreement.

Rey Manoto, president of PCC, and Noemi Teodoro, acting president of SAFSI, discussed the dimensions and mechanics of a proposed agreement which will enable Filipino-Australian old age pensioners to receive their benefits in the Philippines with the least limitations as granted to other Australian immigrants from other countries.

Mr. Price, who is Chief Government Whip, committed that he will support the advocacy of the PCC and SAFSI, which is an urgent concern of the growing ageing Filipino Australian community. He added that he will promote the proposal to his colleagues in the Federal Parliament and seek its final approval. The process may take several years to finish and will be a subject of negotiations between the two countries.

The PCC and SAFSI have taken the first step by mobilizing the community in New South Wales through a state-wide campaign to gather signatures in support of the petition. They will also lobby the proposal with other federal parliamentarians in their respective constituencies. The petition is expected to be submitted to the Federal Parliament by first half of August 2008. A meeting will be set with Minister Jenny Macklin, Minister for Families, Housing Community, Seniors and Indigenous Affairs in the coming month to further elucidate the proposal.

The meeting agreed that this proposed bilateral agreement could be one of the highlights of a future State Visit between the Heads of State of the Philippines and Australia.

The Philippine Consulate General in Sydney encourages the Filipino Australian community to support this petition as the proposed bilateral agreement will certainly benefit the Filipino Australian community, not only in New South Wales, but all of Australia.

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