Gwangju Filipino Community: Welcoming All

This mini-series profiles a community group existing and thriving in Gwangju.

The main purpose of the Gwangju Filipino Community (GFC) is to serve the greater Filipino community from its headquarters at the Gwangsan Multicultural Family Support Center, which is located in the Songjeong neighborhood of Gwangsan in Gwangju. The GFC brings together people from all over the Philippines, primarily migrant workers and school teachers, who are living and working in Gwangju.

No matter what language they speak or what religion they practice, GFC welcomes all Filipinos to join as its leaders host social gatherings, offer passport assistance (traveling with groups to Mokpo or Seoul to meet with the Filipino Embassy and answer immigration questions), run clothing and food drives to help those in Gwangju and the Philippines, manage sports leagues, go on church retreats, participate in GIC events and more. The GFC also creates Filipino cultural events for all Gwangju residents, both Korean and international, to enjoy while learning about Filipino culture.

In order to promote its purpose and programs, the GFC has appointed 10 officers and delegated responsibilities for planning activities throughout 2015. Gwangju News was invited to attend an early 2015 planning meeting in order to understand the group’s structure.

The GFC’s leadership is comprised of 20 Filipino volunteers who attend the Apostolate to Migrants Center. The Catholic Church shows its support of GFC by offering space, volunteer aid and funds to help the Filipino community come together as one. The church’s Father approves and enhances the preliminary plans created by the GFC, which then proceeds accordingly. GFC meetings are conducted in Tagalog, English and Korean, so all those in attendance can understand the meeting’s agenda and issues raised.

When asked why these GFC officers are a part of the 2015 leadership, themes of advocacy, assistance, and advancement emerged as responses.

One Filipino GFC officer said, “We organize this group to help others with their problems, with a set of officers to bring any Filipino’s problems to the Migrant Center, as the first cause. The second cause is that hundreds of Filipinos are coming into Korea, and our services have helped them during their time in Gwangju.”

A Filipina GFC officer replied, “We are far from our families back home, and this is the only time when we can talk together in Tagalog. If we have problems, we can open up. It is a really good help to us also.”

A Korean GFC officer stated, “Since 2003, I have known about this organization. We as Koreans have been here to help, as friends. I came here, as I don’t want them to think that they are alone.”

Both Filipino GFC officers additionally conveyed, “There should be unity for all Filipinos. If we have no unity, no community exists and we all have our own agendas. We are organized in order to have one voice.”

During a separate interview with two of 2014’s GFC officers, Gwangju News saw how committed both Bong Malabanan, GFC president, and Baste Villanueva, GFC internal vice president, have been toward GFC and its future. The leaders said, “It is a pleasure to help. What we are doing in the Philippines is what we are wanting to do here in Gwangju.”

The officers are now training the next set of emerging leaders and preparing future opportunities for the Gwangju community to enjoy, including a community day, summer games, picnics, retreats and more. We at Gwangju News will be announcing these events when details are made available.

For now, GFC would like to invite you to attend the Post-Valentine Comedy Show, which will be held on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. at the PINOY Mart, which is about a 5-minute walk from the Seongjeong Park Subway Station. Modeled after the American television program Saturday Night Live, this night of entertainment will be filled with comedy sketches and live singing performances. Tickets for the show cost 15,000 won, and the whole Gwangju community is invited to the first of many GFC events in 2015.