MELBOURNE, Australia – The newly elected officers of the Filipino-Australian Student Council of Victoria (FASTCO) were officially sworn to office by Philippine Honorary Consul Felix Pintado on Wednesday, August 16.
The 11 student leaders were from various universities in Victoria – the University of Melbourne, Monash University, RMIT University, and Swinburne University of Technology.
Pintado encouraged the new officers to prioritize four Fs as officers: Family, Faculty (studies), FASTCO, and Fun. He also assured the Philippine Consulate’s continued support for the organization.
FASTCO is the official coordinating body of all Filipino-Australian students and student organizations in the state of Victoria. Its member organizations include the Melbourne University Filipino Student Association (MUFSA) and the RMIT Filipino Student Association.
“We are excited to continue the programs of FASTCO for our constituents here in Australia. This year, FASTCO will step up to fulfill its mandate as the hub of all Filipino-Australian student organizations in Australia,” said FASTCO President Ethel Villafranca.
She added: “FASTCO is also maturing as an organization. We hope to grow into a more stable and sustainable council so that we can continue the work that our predecessors have started in building a stronger and tighter Filipino student community here in Victoria.”
The organization’s flagship project, the 5th International Research Forum in the Philippines, is currently calling for research papers for a conference on November 23 to 24, 2017.
The following are the new executive committee officers of FASTCO:
President: Ethel Villafranca
VP Internal: John Cormañez
VP External: David Bryan Lozada
Secretary: Patricia Cruz
Director for Finance: Allen Espinosa
Director for Communications: Mina Akram
Director for Marketing and Resource Mobilization: Ed Rimmington
Director for Special Projects: Rowena Veloso
Director for Organisational Development and Identity: Neilsen Campit
Director for Learning: Oscar Serquiña
MUFSA Representative: Martin Isidro
