President's Report: January to June 2007
AFET in 2007 is ambitious in setting up a general thrust of transforming this organization into a DYNAMIC, STABLE and SUSTAINABLE organization of Filipinos in Timor-Leste and able to respond to the emerging requirements of its membership based on the evolving condition in the country. This is a continuing journey for such a young organization.
For this year, the AFET Board and its first Council of Senior Advisers (CSA) agreed on four (4) major targets, which are doing something on:
1. Fund Generation
2. Institution Building
3. Membership Strengthening
4. The Association’s Strategic Direction
In its first six months, achievements concentrated mostly on Institutional Building and Membership Strengthening. But let me just run down the memory lane of the happy moments that the Filipinos in this half island country were together early this year…...
ON INSTITUTION BUILDING
· Planning Session of the AFET Board & CSA last April 5, 2007, resulting in its 2007 Action Plan which is currently being implemented;
· Intensified Membership Campaign during the “Kapuso Kita” Valentine’s Party and “Palarong Pinoy” Sports Fest resulting in a total number of 300 active members in the database. The issuance of the new AFET ID’s was an incentive to the Filipinos who opted to be considered members because of the usefulness of the ID in normal work conditions and times of emergency;
· The 1st and 2nd Quarter newsletters – “AFET News”, which provided information and feedback to the general assembly on what AFET had done and will be doing; This exercise brought in the talents of Filipinos in news reporting using the native language;
· The birth of the very first AFET website, called “AFET Online”, which serves as the online community portal of Filipinos working and residing in Timor-Leste thru the up-to-date information, news, photo gallery and upcoming activities of the Association.
· Bi-monthly AFET Board meetings rotated in different places and allowing the members to be more united and conducting meetings with great fun; and
· The quarterly joint meetings between the AFET Board and the CSA which allowed the valuable ideas and suggestions of the “advisers” and the “doers” working hand-in-hand with each other.
ON MEMBERSHIP STRENGTHENING
· Valentine’s Party with the Duet singing contest as the main feature;
· Reflection and Spiritual Walk at Cristo Rei during the Lenten Season
· Pinoy Sports Fest 2007
· “Araw ng Pamilyang Pinoy 2007” in commemoration of the 109th Philippine Independence Day Celebration in Timor-Leste
· Health Assistance Project with 2 Seminars on HIV/AIDS and Hypertension/Cholesterol
· A Gift of Life for Timor or (“Handog Buhay sa Timor”) with 2 Batches of 32 blood donors with the 3rd Batch among the Timorese youth during the first week of July 2007
· AFET’s financial assistance to Allan and the bereaved family of Francisco Bagallon, where the Filipino spirit of “pagdadamayan” was demonstrated by our kababayans.
With the remaining 6 months, which is not much, the AFET Board will gear itself to fund generation and strategic directions for AFET in the next 3 to 5 years.
We therefore expect greater fun with our fund-raising activities through our favourite “BINGO” game and Videoke night; the Pa-Raffle during the “Araw ng Pamilyang Pinoy”; the Halloween Party; and the Christmas Carolling, with a fighting target of raising $5,000.00 for next year’s coffers.
In addition, it will continue to build institutional capacities of AFET through its website, database of all its active members, while strengthening membership through Reflection Sessions, Community services (Linis Project) and an Outreach Project.
The rest of the AFET Board is very thankful for your support - our fellow Filipino kababayans and friends, including our Philippine Embassy in Timor-Leste. We are still counting on you to continue supporting AFET and our activities in the remaining six months of our term.
Maraming salamat at mabuhay tayong lahat!
For this year, the AFET Board and its first Council of Senior Advisers (CSA) agreed on four (4) major targets, which are doing something on:
1. Fund Generation
2. Institution Building
3. Membership Strengthening
4. The Association’s Strategic Direction
In its first six months, achievements concentrated mostly on Institutional Building and Membership Strengthening. But let me just run down the memory lane of the happy moments that the Filipinos in this half island country were together early this year…...
ON INSTITUTION BUILDING
· Planning Session of the AFET Board & CSA last April 5, 2007, resulting in its 2007 Action Plan which is currently being implemented;
· Intensified Membership Campaign during the “Kapuso Kita” Valentine’s Party and “Palarong Pinoy” Sports Fest resulting in a total number of 300 active members in the database. The issuance of the new AFET ID’s was an incentive to the Filipinos who opted to be considered members because of the usefulness of the ID in normal work conditions and times of emergency;
· The 1st and 2nd Quarter newsletters – “AFET News”, which provided information and feedback to the general assembly on what AFET had done and will be doing; This exercise brought in the talents of Filipinos in news reporting using the native language;
· The birth of the very first AFET website, called “AFET Online”, which serves as the online community portal of Filipinos working and residing in Timor-Leste thru the up-to-date information, news, photo gallery and upcoming activities of the Association.
· Bi-monthly AFET Board meetings rotated in different places and allowing the members to be more united and conducting meetings with great fun; and
· The quarterly joint meetings between the AFET Board and the CSA which allowed the valuable ideas and suggestions of the “advisers” and the “doers” working hand-in-hand with each other.
ON MEMBERSHIP STRENGTHENING
· Valentine’s Party with the Duet singing contest as the main feature;
· Reflection and Spiritual Walk at Cristo Rei during the Lenten Season
· Pinoy Sports Fest 2007
· “Araw ng Pamilyang Pinoy 2007” in commemoration of the 109th Philippine Independence Day Celebration in Timor-Leste
· Health Assistance Project with 2 Seminars on HIV/AIDS and Hypertension/Cholesterol
· A Gift of Life for Timor or (“Handog Buhay sa Timor”) with 2 Batches of 32 blood donors with the 3rd Batch among the Timorese youth during the first week of July 2007
· AFET’s financial assistance to Allan and the bereaved family of Francisco Bagallon, where the Filipino spirit of “pagdadamayan” was demonstrated by our kababayans.
With the remaining 6 months, which is not much, the AFET Board will gear itself to fund generation and strategic directions for AFET in the next 3 to 5 years.
We therefore expect greater fun with our fund-raising activities through our favourite “BINGO” game and Videoke night; the Pa-Raffle during the “Araw ng Pamilyang Pinoy”; the Halloween Party; and the Christmas Carolling, with a fighting target of raising $5,000.00 for next year’s coffers.
In addition, it will continue to build institutional capacities of AFET through its website, database of all its active members, while strengthening membership through Reflection Sessions, Community services (Linis Project) and an Outreach Project.
The rest of the AFET Board is very thankful for your support - our fellow Filipino kababayans and friends, including our Philippine Embassy in Timor-Leste. We are still counting on you to continue supporting AFET and our activities in the remaining six months of our term.
Maraming salamat at mabuhay tayong lahat!