MANILA, Philippines — Two Filipino-Australians have won public office in Australia’s recent local elections, a report aired over radio dzRH said on Thursday.
The report quoted Philippine Consul General Maria Theresa Lazaro as saying that Irene Ensomo Broad and lawyer Jess Diaz were the first Filipino-Australians to be elected into public office in Australia.
Lazaro added although Filipinos have long been very active in nation building activities, this was the first time that they’ve been vocal about seeking public office.
The report said Diaz was elected as councilor in Blacktown, a city in metropolitan Sydney, which has the largest concentration of Filipinos in Australia.
Broad was re-elected councilor in the shire of Temora in the Riverina region of New South Wales.
Ensomo Broad was first elected as an independent councilor in 2004. She is also the first female councilor who has been re-elected.
Diaz, meanwhile, was a former school teacher before setting up his own law practice. She is also a member of service associations including the Jaycees, the Lions, and the Knights of Rizal.
Tags: Irene Ensomo Broad, Jess Diaz, OFWs, Politics and Governance
