28 November 2014 - The Philippine Bayanihan Society Singapore (PBSS) celebrated the 13th anniversary of its establishment with a thanksgiving party at York Hotel Singapore on Sunday, November 23.
The gathering, which also served as an early Christmas event, was attended by officials and members of PBSS as well as its benefactors and friends. Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Antonio A. Morales and officers of the Philippine Embassy in Singapore also graced the occasion.
Mr. Ranvir Kumar Singh, Honorary President of PBSS, thanked all those who have steadfastly supported PBSS in all its activities particularly those community-oriented charitable projects. He provided an update on the forthcoming programs of PBSS and on ongoing repair works at the Philippine Bayanihan Centre.
In his remarks, Ambassador Morales noted that since its establishment in 2001, PBSS has always been a symbol of the close relations between the Philippines and Singapore particularly in initiatives that are meant to improve the lot of Filipinos and build stronger bond and understanding between Filipinos and Singaporeans.
He highlighted that the strength of this partnership was again demonstrated in the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan, which hit parts of central Philippines when PBSS had to cancel its 12th anniversary celebration just for it to be able to send financial assistance to the typhoon victims. He said that this indeed was a genuine act of generosity that will not be forgotten.
“The significance of PBSS is best symbolized in the Philippine Bayanihan Centre (PBC), which is being used primarily as a venue for skills training program for Filipino workers in Singapore by the Filipino Overseas Workers Singapore (FOWS) and also for other events organized for Filipinos in Singapore”, Ambassador Morales added.
He conveyed the gratitude of the Philippine government to its counterpart in Singapore, for its continued support to PBSS as he underscored the Philippine government’s similar commitment.
The program also featured cultural performances and raffle draws to draw funds for PBSS’ projects.
The PBSS was constituted in August 2001 to render policy initiatives and manage the operations, programmes and activities of the centre. It is a registered society under the Societies Act of Singapore with the Registry of Societies. In December 2002, the Society gained full membership with the National Council of Social Service as a Volunteer Welfare Organization and was registered as a charity under the Charities Act of Singapore in April 2004 with the Commission of Charities. END