Reconneting with VRC 1982

AUSTRALIAN-VIETNAMESE 

Born in WESCOM Hospital

My name is Nhu Viet Dang and I am from Sydney, Australia. I came across your blog today after I began doing some research on the history of where I came from after a recent trip to Palawan for the first time. My father, mother, sister and brother were Vietnamese boat people who arrived in Palawan in 1981. I was born there on December 23rd, 1982 at Wescom Hospital on the north side of the Puerto Princesa Airport. My family were then resettled in Australia in 1983 and have resided here since. I have always promised myself that I would one day return to my place of birth and recently made the trip just last week.

I was told by my parents that the hospital was part of a military base. As I arrived at the gate, the soldiers guarding the entrance asked what my purpose was there, to which I explained that I was born in Wescom Hospital and wanted to visit and take photos. I showed them my birth certificate as proof and passport for identification. After further discussions with their superior Officers and clearances, I was allowed in to the base to see the hospital; however, I was not allowed inside the hospital itself due to the base being a restricted area. The officers that I spoke to where actually happy and excited that I was there and thanked me for coming back to visit. They recognised the history and significance and took a photocopy of my birth certificate for the hospital records.

I was only a few months old when I left Palawan, so I have no recollection of being there at all. I've gone through your PFAC blog and found it very interesting and touching to find out what life was like in the camp from different perspectives, so thank you for creating that as a means of connecting and reflection for those that had a history with the camp.

Attached is my Filipino birth certificate, Australian passport and a photo of myself taken on February 5, 2016 in front what was formerly known as Wescom Hospital. If you have any further information or photos of the hospital that you are able to share, I would love to see them.

Kind regards,

Nhu Viet Dang

PFAC OIC STAFF

Pictures submitted by Nelson Dasco.

PFAC Palawan is 40 Today!

Happy 40th Birthday, PFAC!

 

When the Vietnamese refugees started arriving in the Philippines in 1977, the Philippine Government was caught off handed. Immediately, the local governments and the military reported the situation to then Philippine President. The first Lady and the Roman Catholic Churches in the Philippines immediately came up with the idea of housing the refugees in church properties in Puerto Princesa, including church dormitories and vacant rooms and beds in Saint Joseph Seminary. This they initially did without any financial help from the outside world.

The religious organizations around the Philippines (especially Palawan, Mindoro, and Manila) decided to collect relief merchandise such as clothing, canned goods, cash donations, school supplies etc. from the Filipino locals. To the amazement of the charity workers, they were able to collect a lot of donations even from the very poor Filipinos. University and college students all came together hand in hand to contribute. The Filipinos thought of what they could do for the Vietnamese people regardless of their own financial difficulties. For them they found so much joy in helping the less fortunate. Many of them, including the clergies, called the Vietnamese refugees brothers and sisters

In the mid to late 1978, the UNHCR started sending financial aid to the refugees through the Philippine government. The UNHCR in coordination with the Philippine First Lady sat down together and came up with the idea of building temporary refugee camps in Palawan- the Vietnamese Refugee Camp (AKA PFAC), PRPC in Bataan, and Jose Fabella Center in Manila. Filipino and American engineers and contractors together with the refugees themselves all collaborated in building the refugee camps in the Philippines.

 

In the year 1979, the refugee camps were established and with the help of the military (WESCOM), the camp in Palawan elected their own chairman to represent and govern the camp population.

The creation of schools was conceived by then VRC Chairman Dr. Ky, who coordinated with the Dominican Sisters in Holy Trinity College and CADP.  HTC was in-charge of the children from 3 years old to 14 years old while CADP was in-charge of the 15 years old and above. Pioneering teachers all worked on the volunteer capacity. They were completely unpaid but found true satisfaction in serving the refugees.

Now that it has been 40 years, former Vietnamese refugees still visit Palawan Island and their former teachers, and still consider the Philippines as their second home.

I hope that you will protect our history... One way to make sure that our story doesn't perish is the creation of a museum in Palawan that will happen soon.

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