The Filipino Student Council of New South Wales, also known as the NewFil council, is a state-wide alliance of university/school-based Filipino student organisations in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, officially recognised by the Philippine Consulate Sydney.

Purpose

In summary, NewFil's value preposition is "Shaping NewFil LEADers, Nation-builders". More details can be found below.

Vision

By 2030, NewFil endeavours to be the premier and innovative student alliance that incubates and catalyses the distinctive “New Filipino” or “NewFil” students who are prime influencers of scholarly excellence and youth leadership, grassroots collaborators and policy mobilisers of nation-building, and ambassadors of the progressive culture of Filipino global citizens in Australia and in the Asia-Pacific.

Mission

NewFil aims to L.E.A.D. to shape the next generation of “NewFils.” Specifically, the Filipino Student Council of NSW shall:

1. LEAD Filipino and Australian students, leaders, movers, and thinkers towards developing a shared collective aspiration for the Filipinos in NSW.
2. EMPOWER Filipino student groups across NSW by strengthening their capacity to educate, govern, and share the Filipino culture and heritage; and by championing the rights and welfare concerns of Filipino students and youth in NSW.
3. ASCEND the profile of Filipinos in NSW by promoting a progressive and culturally proud brand of Filipino Global Citizens.
4. DEVELOP collaboration with governments, organisations, and other stakeholders in NSW, the rest of Australia, the Philippines, and the Asia-Pacific.

Five Pillars

The organisation shall exist to pursue the following pillars:    

1. INTEGRATION & GENERAL WELFARE - Help newly-arrived Filipino international students to adjust and fully integrate into the Australian society
2. LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT - Create opportunities for academic enrichment and  professional development. Encourage and facilitate exchange of ideas among the constituents of its MEMBER-ORGANISATIONS., especially on topics that cut across fields or areas of expertise.
3. CULTURAL PROMOTION - Design and create programs that promote the Filipino culture, tradition and identity
4. COLLABORATION AND COMMUNITY - Partner and liaise with relevant organisations.
5. REPRESENTATION AND ADVOCACY - Act as official liaison between the Philippine Embassy in Australia, the Philippine Consulate General in Sydney, the wider student community in  New South Wales and the national student organisation of Filipino students in Australia

History

NewFil was originally formed as the Filipino International Student COUNCIL of NSW (FISC NSW) in 2016 through the efforts of the Philippine Consulate General in Sydney. In 2018, massive transformational changes were implemented by its first duly elected leaders. It was reborn as the "NewFil Council" and was officially re-launched on the 29th of November 2018 at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney. From being an individual membership organisation, the COUNCIL was transformed to a state-wide alliance of university/school-based Filipino student organisations in New South Wales (NSW).

Founding Members

In 2018, there are four initial founding organisations of the NewFil Council: the Filipino Society of Macquarie University or "FiloSocMQ" (Macquarie University), the Philippine International Students Association or "PINAS"  (University of Newcastle), The UNSW Filipino Students' Society or "UNSW FiloSoc" (The University of New South Wales), and the Sydney Filipino Society "Sydney FiloSoc" (The University of Sydney). During this formative period, the Filipinos of University of Technology Sydney or "PUTS" was historically established and immediately joined the alliance. This brought the total founding members to five organisations with representation from four other institutions without an organisation for Filipino students (Western Sydney University, Group Colleges Australia, Kent Institute, and the Australian College of Applied Psychology).