6 COMMUNITY
6 COMMUNITY
THE MESSAGE . BRINGING INTO FOCUS FILIPINO PRESENCE IN AUSTRALIA www . kalatas . com . au | Volume 7 Number 6 | MARCH 2017
FOCUS : Lawyer Jess Icao receives Community Ambassador Awards
Jesus ‘ Jessie ’ Icao , legal adviser for AK , recently received two awards at the Philippine Australia Ambassador for Culture and the Arts 2017 Recognition Night .
by Violi Calvert
Jessie was recognised as Ambassador for Culture and the Arts in the field of Law and Community Service , as well as Ambassador for Culture and Arts 2017 for having raised the most funds amongst the male Ambassadors .
The event was held by the Narra Cooperative Ltd and Plaza Filipino Inc . on February 5 at Burwood RSL . Now on its third year , the event recognises Filipino-Australians for their achievements in various professions and field of interests .
“ I am humbled and at the same time honoured by the recognition . I share the awards to those I represented for the past 24 years in Australia , especially the victims of family violence who were threatened with deportation by their partner ,” Jessie said .
“ These are men and women who are immigration spouse applicants and subjected to some form of violence and who for months or years endured the abuses in order to get their permanent residency ( PR ). These are men and women whom I advised that they do not have to remain in an abusive relationship as they can apply for permanent residence without the continued sponsorship of their partner .”
Apart from immigration practice , Jessie handles family law cases , including property settlement and children issues ; criminal and commercial matters ; sale and purchase of property and business ; estate proceedings and last will disputes .
He is also known for doing pro bono legal work for some of our kababayans . He conducts free lectures in law and immigration for various community organisations as he believes that legal advice should be accessible to Filipino Australians who struggle to access legal support . Jessie believes that little help will make a long way for those in need .
Apart from providing general law practice , the law office of Jessie in Parramatta also trained more than a dozen solicitors to become newly admitted solicitor in NSW . He has provided them work and supervision in law practice before they could embark on solo law practice . His office is also referral point for high school students wanting to gain work experience in a law office environment .
Jessie , youngest of seven siblings , hails from Dapitan City in Mindanao . Migrating to Australia in 1988 was not an easy decision for Jessie who wanted to continue serving the underprivileged at the then Citizens Legal Assistance Office ( CLAO ) in Quezon City . He also worked with the Department of Agrarian Reform in 1982 as legal officer for the farmers in Region XI in the Philippines . His wife , Dr . Evelyn Tanquiamco-Icao , a practising doctor in Australia , was at that time also completing her specialisation in surgery .
Like new migrants , settling in Australia presented some difficulties for Jessie . He had to contend working outside the legal profession
Atty . Jess Icao receives the trophy from Consul Melanie Diano and 2015 Ambassador for Culture and the Arts James Quinto .
for two years until he decided to go back to law school to enable him to practice his profession . Lawyers from the Philippines are required to enroll in Australian subjects and attend practical legal training with the College Law and work in the law office for three months before being admitted as a solicitor in NSW . Just like any other newly arrived migrant , he endured bringing his youngest child to a day care centre and he took public transport as he cannot afford to purchase a car then .
After completing his law degree in Australia , came the challenge of getting clients who believe in Jessie ’ s capacity to provide legal service . His motivation to serve his client with utmost efficiency at reasonable cost was his overriding policy . Jessie believes that if he delivers good service with good results , clients will come back and he will be referred to other prospective client . Truly , he has successfully sustained his practice since 1993 to the present .
Jessie also believes that his Filipino heritage is an advantage as he can explain to clients in the native language , the ramification of law , as well provide a good link to a barrister when he instructs on serious and complex matters .
Jessie ’ s advice to those thinking of pursuing law as a career : “ Diligence and honesty is the hallmark of being a lawyer as we have an overriding responsibility towards the court , our client , the community and colleagues of the profession .”
Not only does Jessie immerse himself with a law practice but he also connects with the community through other ways . He is a pioneer officer of the Carolinians in Australia , the alumni association of the University of San Carlos in Cebu City where he completed his law degree . The association provided financial assistance to a primary school in one of the barrios of Cebu .
He has also undertaken on his own a yearly feeding with day care children and primary schoolers in Dapitan City . Recently , he invited dentists from Australia and Quezon City to provide free tooth extraction to indigent people in his place .
Jessie and wife Evelyn are blessed with two grown up children . Jesse Elvin works with a bank in Sydney as financial analyst , while daughter Everie is completing a teaching degree at Macquarie University .
Ku-ring-gai Citizen of the Year
Ku-ring-gai Citizen of the Year 2017- Dr Zenaida ‘ Zeny ’ Sicat-Edwards receives her citation as Ku-ring-gai Council ’ s Citizen of the Year 2017 during Australia Day celebrations at Bicentennial Park , West Pymble . With Dr Edwards are Ku-rig-gai Council Mayor Jennifer Anderson and Australia Day Ambassador , Dr Cindy Pan . Dr Edwards ’ commitment to the values that make Australia what it is and her contributions to the Ku-ring-gai Council area were cited as reasons for her to be named Ku-ring-gai Council ’ s Citizen