LORD MAYOR'S RECEPTION ON 20TH MAY

[KATRINA]

To: All

The Mayor's Reception at the Clarendon Docks yesterday was a
successful event attended to by nearly 70 Filipinos from various areas
of N. Ireland. It was a good opportunity for the only Filipino
community organized, that is, US under the Belfast City Council to get
recognition and of course, our plaque which I share with everyone. We
also welcome the event as an eye-opener on how we should conduct
ourselves as guests and participants who are being honoured by the
Lord Mayor himself. The Lord Mayor passed by my direction to inform
that he is leaving the venue silently as the next event is due in the
same venue few minutes from then but was delighted of the turn out.

I, as the president am delighted that although we have just started
nearly two months now, have been appropriately recognized and it is a
proof that we are heading the right direction. At most, I would like
us to be autonomous in our decision-making as proof of our identity
with a mind that the networks surrounding us are support for us and
NOT our only source of identity and driving force for success. We take
cognizance of their willingness to help but let us not forget, we are
deemed better community if we have a say to our own affairs. When we
are not acting like puppets or willing puppets, we earn respect
because the wider community will see and take us as partners in action
not focus of their action. It is a different story when we give help
to get nothing back than recycle the act of helping as a campaign cry
to achieve a level of status because the very persons we have helped
are deserving of dignity and confidentiality to move on. Any act of
achievement is deserved and should be a pride to all but when they are
inflammatory in description like no one else is deserving of it or has
not thread the same path, it becomes derogatory.

I encourage one and all to be more active and be supportive of our
community efforts so we can continue to evolve into a better
community.

Best of wishes!

Katrina