Filipino Migrant News - Year in Review

08 NEW YEAR 2018. ISSUE 110 | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | Facebook: Filipino Migrant News
Philippines Regional Food Festival 7 April 2018 & 16-17 June 2018 Auckland : www.halohalo.nz
Why is food so central to our culture?
By AYANA MENORCA
Having being blessed
enough to grow up in a
Filipino family I honestly
believe that I am not alone
when I say that our culture is
entwined around God, family,
celebrations and last but
not least, Filipino food.
Growing up our family
celebrations were ceaselessly
associated with food.
From birthdays to graduations
to barkada (friends)
get-togethers, down to making
sure that my mathematics
tutor had merienda
(snacks) in front of her. It
was probably also the main
motive for my friends to
come around all the time,
It truly fascinates me how
our culture is very much
intertwined with our glorious
cuisines. My theory is
that having food in every
Filipino household comes
from the fun-loving and hospitable
characteristics that
each Filipino has. Hospitality
is one of the treasured
qualities that our beautiful
culture has.
A writer in New York
referred to this trait as something
that “is not confined to
the upper classes, or those
who can afford to make
some display in their homes
and some effort at entertainment”.
Thus indicating that
every Filipino is blessed
with this innate characteristic
to accommodate guests
well and what is the best
method is to welcome guests
into your household. That’s
right, enticing them with the
Philippine cuisine.
Growing up my brother
and I were taught to always
share what we had with
other people. My parents’
way of educating us in the
value of sharing was for us
to offer food to our guests.
This also became a way for
us to appreciate and love
Filipino food.
Our family’s move to New
Zealand has introduced my
taste buds to foods of other
cultures. However, I still
find myself going back to
my roots and choosing
Filipino food.
I then decided to interview
a few of my Filipino friends
from the Otago Filipino
Students’ Association (OF-
SA) at Otago University in
Dunedin to find out more
about the Filipino culture
around food.
Given a choice to eat out
with friends would you
choose Filipino, Asian or
Western food and why?
Cheska Dela Cruz
(President, OFSA)
“My friends and I tend to
go for Asian restaurants,
since there are not many
Filipino restaurants here in
Dunedin. And we always eat
Filipino food at home.”
Charlie Berja (Secretary,
OFSA)
“We always cook Filipino
food at home and so my
friends and I tend to eat at
restaurants which serve
Western food.”
Ivor Malahay (Vice
President, OFSA)
“Generally, my friends
and I would eat Asian food
(particularly Chinese or
Japanese), mainly because
the friends I mainly eat out
with are from the more
Northern Asian countries
and my European friends (if
we do not eat fast food) generally
are more comfortable
with Chinese food.”
Mary Louise Santos
(Treasurer, OFSA)
“Asian or Japanese,
because it is cheap, easy to
get and fast for busy uni
people.”
Given a choice when eating
out with family would
Food stall at the
recent Filipino
Street Food
Festival in
Henderson
you choose Filipino
food over
foods of other
cultures?
Ivor Malahay:
“When I’m
out with the
family we tend
to be more open
and mix things
up between Chinese
and Filipino
food as
Western and
Japanese food
are generally
more pricey.”
Charlie
B e r j a :
“Cuisines of
other cultures, but at home
we eat and cook Filipino
food.”
Mary Louise: “Filipino
food; it makes eating with
the family fun as well as
encouraging you to eat
more. The Filipino restaurants
also have bigger servings.”
At home how often do
you eat Filipino food and
why?
Ivor: “When living with
my parents we tended to
shake things up a bit and try
foods from different cultures.
But, since I live by
myself now it’s what is easiest
to make.”
Cheska: “When it comes
to Filipino food? Very often,
for no particular reason,
haha.”
Mary Louise: “Two
meals a day, since I live at
home with my family.
Breakfast is usually just jam
or oats.”
Can you make any
Filipino food? What is it
and why?
Charlie: “I can make
Filipino food and I love to
cook and experiment with
learning how to make different
Filipino dishes, Pancit,
Adobo, Caldereta, etc. I like
to cook for my family, especially
mum and dad. My dad
is English and since my
mum would always cook
Filipino food I also learnt
how to make it.”
Cheska: “Definitely! Because
we would always eat it
at home I know how to make
most Filipino food, like
Adobo and Sinigang.”
Mary Louise: “I can cook
everything, but I especially
love cooking Filipino food.
Cooking is one of my hobbies.
Personally, I think
cooking is very relaxing.”
So there you go, when it
comes to Filipino food it
always involves our families.
Eating Filipino food is
definitely equated with
spending quality time with
your family and most of us
students living away from
our families can identify
with this. Our culture around
food is not just for welcoming
guests into our humble
abodes. Most importantly it
is for bringing our families
together.
As business, trade, cultural and
direct air links between
the Philippines and New Zealand
is growing at a fast pace,
we have revamped the original
2-day Halo Halo NZ Expo
into a week-long celebration.
filipinonews@xtra.co.nz
or text 027 495 8477.
Philippine Week : 11-17 June 2018
A celebration of Philippine Culture,
Food, Travel, Products and Services
www.halohalo.nz is now into its 10th year.
Authentic Filipino Food Festival
(16 & 17 June).
Filipino-Kiwi Hero Awards.
Filipino Music Awards.
Two Cultural Pageants.
Schools Programme. And lots more!
We invite everyone to join with us to
showcase the very best that Philippines
has to offfer to New Zealanders.