If this is the only achievement of Centennial organizers, the Philippines really deserves the fate it is now on. The rumour is the Philippine consul in Vancouver, the lady with a demure smile, Lourdes Morales, is boycotting the event organized by the Royal City Sister City Society billed as the First Annual Philippine Festival on June 12 to 14 at New Westminster. Philippine Consul General Lourdes Morales reminds us of the 'other' lady consul during the Marcos era who made quite a stir for her undiplomatic antics. Morales, like her boss, Ambassador Goco, has been giving the workers organization the run-around with promises to look into their demands. Perhaps these breed of diplomats should be booted out by the new Erap administration, but then again, they are known survivors .
Filipino organizations are famous for cloning themselves.
If one set of officers lose in an election, you're sure of seeing another one forming. In Montreal, the Federation of Filipino-Canadian Associations of Quebec is splitting up after James de la Paz lost his bid for the presidency last April. De la Paz is reportedly forming several 'instant' associations who will 'separate' and form their own umbrella group. In Manitoba, several years ago, the Philippine Association of Manitoba also split up and the Barangay Filipino Association of Manitoba was born, only to disappear from the scene after its first election because the losing candidates sabotaged the organization. Here in Vancouver, we have the sorry spectacle of the seniors group, Filipino Zodiac Circle who went through a long bitter legal battle over their name costing several thousand dollars of legal fees.