Filipino News May 2018

1Number
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Vol 8 No 114
INDEPENDENCE
DAY 2018
North
and
South
Island
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INDEPENDENCE
DAY 2018
pg 05
JO KOY’S GIG
SOLD OUT!
pg 05
EDUCATION
TRAFFICKING
SCAM:
Interview with
Whistleblower
Anna Lisa Casaje
pgs 8-9
pg 07
LAST YEAR,
13 PINOYS LEFT PH
EVERY DAY FOR NZ
- AND STAYED THERE
Photo credit: Jun Mendoza
The Philippine Star
pg 02
I PAID
FOR THE
PROMISES,
NOT THE
EDUCATION

02 P H I L I P P I N E N E W S ISSUE 114 | www.filipinonews.nz : pinoynzlfie.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | GIVE US A CALL : 027 495 8477
BUHAY OVERSEAS
I HAVE NO PLANS TO
RETIRE, SAYS PACQUIAO
MANILA – Manny
Pacquiao has announced
that he has no
immediate plans to
retire as he prepares
for an up-coming fight
with WBA welterweight
champion
Lucas Matthysse.
“I think that I still
have a couple more
fights before I retire,”
Pacquiao said in a
Philboxing.com report
by Carlos Costa.
Matthysee, 35, who
hails from Argentina,
says he will send
Pacquiao, 39 into
retirement by knocking
him out at their
mega-fight to be held
on July 15 in Kuala
Lumpur.
Both fighters have
great credentials. The
younger Lucas is the
current WBA welterweight
champion. He
is regarded as a knockout
artist.
Pacquiao on the
other hand, will be
fighting his 69th bout
as a professional. He
started fighting professionally
in 1995. He is
an eight division world
champion, three-time
Fighter of the Year,
and Fighter of the
Decade.
He lost his World
Boxing Organization
welterweight title to
Australian Jeff Horn
in Brisbane last year.
Photo credit: Jun Mendoza, The Philippine Star
Duterte receives new bank notes and
coins from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
MANILA - The Bangko
Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)
yesterday presented to
President Rodrigo Duterte
the new generation currency
(NGC) banknotes and coins,
with the Chief Executive
encouraging the public to
use the new currency wisely
and responsibly for national
development.
The BSP Monetary Board,
led by Gov. Nestor Espenilla
Jr., presented the NGC
enhanced banknotes and
coins to President Duterte in
the Reception Hall of the
Malacañan Palace.
The President said that he
was grateful that the BSP
took the lead in creating
stronger and safer financial
systems and in safeguarding
Gov. Nestor Espenilla Jr., presents the NGC enhanced
banknotes and coins to President Duterte.
Foto: Rene Lumawag
the integrity of the
Philippine currency.
As required by law,
President Duterte said that
there is a need to change the
design of the banknotes and
coins to enhance their security
features as well as to
prevent forging and improve
durability.
“Initiatives like this are
meant to promote public
trust and confidence in our
financial system,” he said.
At the same time, the
President called on the BSP
to stop illegal activities that
impede efforts to promote
the integrity of the nation’s
currency.
He wants the BSP to intensify
its programs against
counterfeiting and to conduct
more campaigns to protect
the public from confusion
and deceit.
The President also said
MABUHAY!
that the BSP must also
remain vigilant in ensuring
price and financial stability,
instituting banking reforms
and sharpening strategies.
“We do this because public
interest is at the heart of
this administration’s priorities,”
he noted.
The NGC banknotes were
issued in 2010 and their
design was enhanced in
December 2017. The
enhancements highlight significant
moments in the
nation’s history, as well as
world heritage sites and
iconic natural wonders.
The enhanced banknotes
also bear the signature of
President Duterte, the country’s
16th president.
The NGC coins feature the
BSP logo, national heroes
and endemic flora.
In minting the coins, the
latest technology was adopted
to deter counterfeiting,
improve wear, resist corrosion,
save on minting cost
and avoid risks from volatile
fluctuations in metal prices
as well as to deter coin
hoarding for the purpose of
illegal metal extraction.
Editor: The above article
was reproduced by special
arrangement with Ripples
Daily - our news bureau
partner in Manila.
We join Pinoys in New Zealand to
celebrate our 120th Philippine
Independence Day on 12th June 2018.
NZ BOOSTS TIES WITH PH
NZ Ambassador David Strachan (left) with UN Representative Jose Luis Fernandez
Manila – During her visit
to Manila in November 2017
Prime Minister Jacinda
Arden mentioned that
Honorary Consuls will be
appointed for Cebu and
Mindanao to increase business
exchanges with these
dynamic regions.
Subsequently in May this
year, New Zealand Ambassador
David Strachan
announced the conferment
of honoray consuls to
Manuel Osmena and
Vincent Lao for Cebu
province and Mindanao
respectively.
This is the first time that
New Zealand has appointed
honorary consuls in the
Philippines.
Osmena is the Group
Chairman of the Manny O
Group with interests in
tourism, airport and airline
services, wine and the hotel
business.
He is also the Chairman
and Founder of Hope Now
Philippines Foundation.
Lao is involved in agriculture,
construction and the
import/export sector. He is
currently the Chairman of
the Mindanao Business
Council.
“The move reflects the
growing interest of New
Zealand private sector in
opportunities associated
with impressive growth in
Davao and Cebu,” said Mr
Strachan.
In 2016, the Philippines
was the 15th biggest market
for New Zealand imports
and the fifth in the 10-member
Asean bloc.
New Zealand primarily
imports bananas and pineapples
from the Philippines.
The Ambassador added
that Mindanao is a growing
priority for the New Zealand
Aid Programme.
In November New
Zealand announced it will
provide P126 million
(NZ$3.5 million) to support
the restoration of agricultural
livelihood in Mindanao,
through the Food and
Agriculture Organisation.
Strachan also announced
that New Zealand will make
P18 million (NZ$500,000)
in humanitarian assistance
available through the World
Food Programme to help
people affected by the recent
conflict in Marawi.
The New Zealand Government
awards 24 scholarships
annually to Filipinos who
wish to pursue post-graduate
degrees in New Zealand.
This year, the Embassy
prioritized applicants from
Cebu and Mindanao, investing
in the regions’ youth.

OPINION. ISSUE 114 | www.filipinonews.nz | filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | www.pinoynzlife.nz | FB : Filipino Migrant News 03
BUHAY OVERSEAS
By
LOUIE
ENCABO
SA AKING PALAGAY
In an event organised
by the Auckland-Philippines
Solidarity group
and the Catholic Justice &
Peace Commission, I had
the chance of listening to
Lumad activists who were
visiting New Zealand to
talk about the plight of
their communities in the
Philippines.
Their New Zealandwide
tour, including
Wellington and at least
four different locations in
Auckland, was to raise
awareness of the heightening
militarisation of Lumad
communities.
The term 'Lumad' is the
umbrella name for all the
indigenous tribes in the
Mindanao region, the
southern part of the
Philippines.
They include the Blaan,
Bukidnon, Mandaya, Manobo,
Tasaday and T’boli,
among many.
The speaker of the
night, Junance Fritzi
LUMAD ACTIVISTS TO NEW ZEALAND:
“HELP US STOP THE WAR
AGAINST LUMAD SCHOOLS.”
Magbanua, traces her
roots to the Teduray and
Maranao tribes and is an
educator working with a
Lumad school in Talaingod,
Davao del Norte.
While Talaingod may be
a 2nd-class municipality
with a functioning local
government and basic
public amenities, the
Lumad school Junance
teaches in is located in the
remote mountaintops
where the Lumad people
reside.
During her talk, Junance
narrated the painstaking
ordeal she and
other teachers go through
in order to reach the town
centre where they purchase
most of the food
items and other necessities
such as toiletries that they
need.
She shocked New Zealanders
and Filipino-New
Zealanders in the audience
when she said that it
Junance 'Fritzi' Magbanua, a Lumad educator working in
the remote corners of Talaingod, Davao del Norte
(Photo by Del Abcede/PMC).
took them two days of
walking to reach the
urban community from
their school; this trek
involves crossing a single
river dozens of times.
Their school is not located
in such an inhospitable
environment by choice; it
exists in that specific location
because it is the
ancestral domain of that
Lumad community and
their people have been
inhabiting it for millennia.
For them, “land is life”
and they are willing to
make the arduous journey
– which includes walking
for an hour to reach the
nearest potable water
source – just to preserve
their ancestors’ way of living.
Despite their regular
lives already being a challenge
in itself, Junance’s
school – along with hundreds
of other Lumad
schools in the Mindanao
region – are facing alleged
harassment and militarisation
from the Armed
Forces of the Philippines
(AFP) as well.
Apart from being a
remote area, the land that
Junance’s school in
Talaingod sits on is rich
with valuable minerals
that have attracted the
interest of multinational
mining companies.
The Lumad tribes have
witnessed the deaths of
their tribal chieftains, elders
and activists over the
years; which they believe
is part of a ploy to drive
them out of their lands in
order for mining operations
to take place.
This attack on Lumad
schools was at the forefront
of Junance’s New
Zealand visit; she was
joined for the 'War
Against Indigenous
Schools' tour by Anthony
'Pele' Navarro and
Lorena Sigua – all three
are part of the advocacy
group Save Our Schools
(S.O.S.).
The group was formed
to safeguard the right of
children to acquire an
education.
Their network now
comprises 215 community
schools in Mindanao, with
over 10,000 members,
which includes students,
educators and other
activists.
For Lorena Sigua, supporting
the Lumad
schools was a matter of
doing the right thing. She
hails from Manila, the
country’s capital and
more than a thousand
kilometres away from
Talaingod. Despite not
being a Lumad herself she
is actively volunteering
for S.O.S. and its umbrella
group – Salupongan
International.
Salupongan International
is an advocacy
group that runs alternative
education schools for
Lumad communities;
Continued on pg 4

04 OPINION ISSUE 114 | www.filipinonews.nz : pinoynzlfie.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | GIVE US A CALL : 027 495 8477
BUHAY OVERSEAS
Continued from pg 3
their
curriculum
includes
sustainable
agricultural
practice
and holistic
healing
– a necessity
given
the inaccessibility
of hospitals
in
their communities.
T h e
word ‘salupongan’
is Manobo
for 'unity'
and the
name derives from the
phrase “salupongan ta
tanu igkanogon”, which
translates to “unity in
defense of ancestral
land”.
Lorena also volunteers
for the Education Development
Institute (EDI)
curriculum development
based in Mindanao.
During one of the talks
in Auckland, at the
Peace Place in the city’s
central business district,
she said that her group is
fighting to “defend
Lumad land, their right
to education and right to
self-determination”, as
reported by the Pacific
Media Centre.
The importance of
defending indigenous
ancestral lands was also
voiced by Anthony 'Pele'
Navarro, an educator
himself who has been
War against Lumad schools
(From left) Lorena Sigua, Pele Navarro and Junance
Magbanua with prominent Maori activist Tame Iti and son
(Photo: Auckland-Philippines Solidarity Facebook page).
doing work with Lumad
schools in Mindanao.
He shared his experience
working in the
indigenous communities
and the dozens of alleged
extrajudicial killings of
indigenous leaders.
“There have been 39
indigenous people extrajudicially
killed ... so far,
36 of those are Lumad
leaders from Mindanao,”
he said during a
radio interview with
Radio New Zealand
(RNZ).
Those killings were
done under the cloak of
a war against the New
People’s Army, a revolutionary
group currently
at war with the government,
but according to
Pele none of those killed
were rebel fighters.
The mountains the
Lumad communities and
activists
like Lorena
and Pele
have to
climb is not
just those
which their
schools and
villages are
nested on,
but also the
mountainous
battle
against
corporate
interests
with government
links that
wish to see
their communities
gone.
It is an uphill task, but
one which gets easier
with more people fighting
in solidarity with
them.
The mountains the
Lumad communities and
activists like Lorena and
Pele have to climb is not
just those which their
schools and villages are
nested on, but also the
mountainous battle
against corporate interests
that wish to see their
communities gone.
It is an uphill task, but
one which gets easier
with more people fighting
in solidarity with
them.
The opinions in this article
are the author’s and do not
necessarily represent the
views of Filipino Migrant
News
PALACE GRATEFUL
FOR POSITIVE
SATISFACTION RATING
MANILA -
Presidential
Spokesperson
Harry Roque Jr.
recently expressed
his gratitude to
the Filipino people
for giving the
Duterte administration
a very
good satisfaction
rating.
“We remain
grateful to our
people for giving
the Duterte administration
a
‘very good’ +58
net satisfaction
rating,” said Roque.
According to the Secretary,
it is noteworthy to
mention that the current
government’s rating remains
‘excellent’ in Mindanao, the
President’s bailiwick, and
stays ‘very good’ in Balance
Luzon and the Visayas.
“In addition, our people
President Duterte’s (above) administration
gets a ‘very good’ satisfaction rating
(Foto - Presidential Communications)
have appreciated the initiatives
of the Administration
in helping the victims of disasters,
where it got an
‘excellent’ rating; helping
the poor, rebuilding Marawi
City, building and maintenance
of public works, promoting
the welfare of
OFWs, fighting terrorism
and protecting
human rights,
where it received
a ‘very good’ rating,”
said Roque.
He added:
“Rest assured
that the Duterte
administration
will continue to
champion the
interests of the
greatest number
of our countrymen,
particularly
in redoubling
our efforts to
ensure that no
Filipino family will ever be
hungry.”
Editor: Report reproduced
by special arrangement
with Ripples Daily -
our news bureau partner in
Manila.
Here’s some really good news!
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PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE DAY 2018 ISSUE 114 | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | tel: 027 495 8477 05
BUHAY
NZ
Street Food Festival
Powered by Filipino Migrant News
For over 15 years Filipino Migrant News
has been organising Street Food
Festivals concurrently with its annual ‘Halo
Halo NZ’ Expo. From June this year the
new ‘Halo Halo NZ’ Pop Up Street Food
Festival is coming to a town near you.
Auckland. Hamilton. Wellington.
Christchurch. Invercargill.
Expression of Interest:
Join this exciting roadshow -
providing food or selling other
products and services. We will be
donating a part of the ‘stall
holders fee’ to local groups /
charities.
Send us an email: filipinonews@
xtra.co.nz or text: 027 495 8477.
JO KOY’S BACK-TO-BACK
SELL-OUT GIGS IN AUCKLAND
Filipino-American comedian Jo Koy is bringing Aucklanders a special treat for the
Philippine Independence Day Celebrations on 16 June at the Bruce Mason Centre.
Jo Koy has come a long
way from his modest beginnings
performing at a Las
Vegas coffee house. As one
of today’s premiere stand-up
comedians, Koy sells-out
comedy clubs & theaters
across the nation with his
infectious and explosive
energy onstage. The comedian
pulls inspiration from his
family, specifically his son,
with material that has universal
appeal.
In November 2017, the
comedian broke a record for
the most tickets sold by a
single artist at The Neal S.
Blaisdell Concert Hall in
Honolulu with 11 sold-out
shows and over 23,000 tickets
sold. Celebrating this
accomplishment, the
mayor’s office in Honolulu
proclaimed November 24th
as “Jo Koy Day.” Koy is
also the only comedian to
sell out 6 shows at The
Warfield in San Francisco,
he broke the attendance
record at Club Regent Event
Centre in Winnipeg with 4
sold-out shows, and is one of
the few acts to sell-out 2
shows at The Florida
Theatre in Jacksonville, FL.
Today, the comedian tours
around the world and is currently
on his ‘Break The
Mold World Tour’. He can
be heard as a weekly guest
on the popular podcast, The
Adam Carolla Show.
He also hosts the weekly
podcast The Koy Pond with
Jo Koy on Podcast One.
Additionally, Koy can be
seen on the Kevin Hart’s
LaughOutLoud.com as the
host ofInglorious Pranksters.
For more info on the podcast
and tour dates, please visit:
Jokoy.com.
Later this year, Koy can be
seen co-starring alongside
Brandon Routh and Donna
Murphy as “Vladimir
Lenin” in the upcoming liveaction
film Anastasia.
In 2005, Koy had the
opportunity of a lifetime
when he performed on The
Tonight Show with Jay
Leno. He became one of a
select few comics to receive
a standing ovation on the
show. Since then, Koy has
had two highly rated and
successful comedy specials
on Comedy Central,Don’t
Make Him Angry and Lights
Out.
In 2017, Koy released his
3rd stand-up special, Jo
Koy: Live from Seattle as a
Netflix Original. Koy has
appeared
on over 140
episodes of
Chelsea
Lately as a
season regular
roundtable
guest.
Other
appeara
n c e s
include:
The Tonight
Show
Starring
Jimmy
Fallon,
@Midnight
with Chris Hardwick, Spike
TV’s Adam Carolla &
Friends Build Stuff Live,
Celebrity Page TV, VH1,
World’s Funniest Fails, Sean
Photo credit: Austin Hargrave
In The Wild, Jimmy Kimmel
Live and Last Call with
Carson Daly.

BUHAY
NZ
06 OPINION ISSUE 114 | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | www.pinoynzlife.nz | 027 495 8477
Pinoys’ slavery for 3 Kings puts
compatriots’ treatment in focus
BY JEREMAIAH OPINIANO based in Adelaide
A court’s decision involving
Filipinos as both complainants
and accused
placed in focus how compatriots
treat each other on
foreign soil.
Virgil, aka ‘Gie’, Balajadia
was convicted on
February 8 by the
Auckland District Court
of five charges, two of the
five jointly with husband
Luisito.
The court ruled that the
couple, the owners of 3
Kings Food restaurant,
provided fraudulent and
misleading information
regarding the employment
arrangements of five
Filipino chefs, the complainants,
to Immigration
New Zealand (INZ) during
the workers’ visa applications.
The court also ruled that
the Balajadias underpaid
the workers while they were
in their employ.
In a statement, INZ quoted
the unnamed Auckland
District Court judge as saying:
“You betrayed the trust
of the victims, who were
strangers to this country and
believed that you had their
best interests at heart.”
“The judge went on to say
that the working and living
conditions of the victims
was (sic) not far removed
from a modern day form of
slavery,” INZ quoted the
judge as saying.
Gie was sentenced to 26
months imprisonment and
her husband to eight months
of home detention.
The conviction of the
Balajadias was the latest
affecting Filipinos and
regarding compatriots illegally
recruiting them.
On April 4, 2017,
Loraine Anne Jayme of Te
Aroha (in the Waikato
region) was sentenced to 11
months and two weeks of
house arrest for forging
work experience documents
and applications for 17
Filipino dairy workers.
Jayme is also married to a
Filipino and both are dual
citizens.
In 2015, prior to the
Jayme case, nearly a hundred
Filipino dairy workers
were duped by recruitment
agents. This created an
uproar in New Zealand,
especially since Filipinos
are favoured dairy workers
in the country.
That prompted Filipino
migration authorities to
visit New Zealand a year
later and explain to their
Kiwi counterparts the
recruitment system and
labour migration laws and
regulations of the Philippines.
KING’S LIFE
The 3 Kings Food restaurant
is found in the suburb
of Birkenhead, four kilometres
outside Auckland’s central
business district.
One of the Balajadias’
victims got sponsored by
and worked with 3 Kings
Food from April 2014 to
July 2015. He complained
of working at least ten
hours a day for six days a
week, allegedly with no
breaks.
However, the complaining
worker was paid for
only 40 hours a week and
did not get any pay for his
final 3.5 months with 3
Kings. The worker was contracted
to work for a minimum
of 30 hours a week at
an hourly rate of NZ$16
(P608.27 at NZ$1=P38.02
current exchange rates),
INZ said.
According to the website
‘Employment New Zealand’,
which is part of the
country’s Ministry of
Business, Innovation and
Employment, the minimum
wage rate (before tax)
as at April 1, 2017, was
NZ$15.75 per hour. The
minimum wage increased to
$16.50 per hour on April 1,
2018.
The complainant’s case
was brought to INZ after he
reported it to the former
Honorary Philippine Consul
in Auckland, Paulo Garcia.
Calculations by New
Zealand’s Labour Inspectorate
estimate that the
victim may have been
underpaid by 3 Kings by
approximately NZ$15,000
in wages, plus NZ$2,000
less than the minimum
wage and NZ$5,000 in holiday
pay.
THREATS AND VIO-
LENCE
The male victim the court
didn’t identify was said to
have rented a makeshift
room in the Balajadias’
garage, paying the couple
NZ$150 weekly.
“He was told that he
would be reported to the
police and sent home if he
did not perform well in his
job,” INZ Assistant General
Manager Peter Devoy said.
“He could only leave the
house for short periods of
time and cleaned the defendants’
house on Mondays
when the restaurant was
closed.”
This Filipino victim has
remained in the country on
a valid visa to work for
another employer. The four
others have left New
Zealand.
“We will not tolerate
employers who exploit
migrant labour for their
own commercial advantage
and will not hesitate to
prosecute in cases where it
is warranted,” Mr. Devoy
was quoted in the INZ statement
as saying.
Both Virgil and Luisito
were ordered by the court to
pay NZ$7,200 (P268,212 at
P37.30 = NZ$1) each in
reparation to the victims.
There are 26 licensed
Filipino recruitment agencies
given the green light to
recruit workers to New
Zealand. These are members
of the network
Australia and New Zealand
Association of Employment
Providers of the
Philippines.
The New Zealand government
released a booklet
in October last year for
employers who are recruiting
Filipino workers, titled:
“Are you recruiting migrant
workers from the
Philippines? What you
need to know.”
The OFW Journalism
Consortium
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migrantnews.co.nz
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email: migrantnews@xtra.co.nz I 27th Year of Publication
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Last year, 13 Filipinos left every day
for NZ - and stayed there
BY JEREMAIAH OPINIANO
MANILA - The number
13 is unlucky for many,
especially the Chinese
and those influenced by
such Chinese beliefs.
But for the number of
Philippines-born individuals
who flew to New
Zealand every day in
2017 and stayed there, it
could be considered a
lucky number.
Indeed, the average
number of Filipinos permanently
settling in New
Zealand each day from
2015 to 2017 was 13. The
number even increased
by some five percent in
2017, Statistics New
Zealand (SNZ) data
shows.
The year-end data of
SNZ’s monthly ‘International
and travel migration
data’ showed that the
net migration of Filipinos
as permanent and longterm
migrants (PLTs) was
some 4,739 Filipinos last
year, 5.05 percent up
from the 4,511 figure in
2016.
The 2017 and 2016 figures,
however, are lower
than the net permanent
and long-term migration
by Filipinos in 2015,
which hit 5,109.
This means that in
three years, the total
number of Filipinos who
flew to New Zealand and
stayed there totalled
14,359, or 13.11 daily,
from 2015 to 2017.
Hence, the Philippines
is considered the fifthlargest
origin country in
terms of the size of net
PLT migration to New
Zealand last year.
The top four origin
countries of these permanent
and long-term
migrants, in net terms,
are China (9,275), India
(6,746), the United
Kingdom (6,371) and
South Africa (4,953).
SNZ gets the figure on
net PLT migration by
subtracting the number
of PLT departures and
PLT arrivals.
DRIVERS
BY definition, SNZ
refers to PLT arrivals as
“overseas migrants who
arrive in New Zealand
intending to stay for a
period of 12 months or
more (or permanently),
plus New Zealand residents
returning after an
absence of 12 months of
more”. PLT departures,
for their part, are “New
Zealand residents departing
for an intended period
of 12 months or more (or
permanently), plus overseas
visitors departing
New Zealand after a stay
of 12 months or more”.
The number of Filipinos
as PLT arrivals also
rose in 2017 by some 6.2
percent to 5,223 from
4.918 percent in 2016.
Meanwhile, some 484
Filipinos as PLT departures
were recorded in
2017, or some 18.9 percent
more than the 407
who left New Zealand in
2016.
What drove Filipino
PLT arrivals in 2017 was
Filipinos arriving on
work visas (total: 2,396).
In terms of the absolute
number of PLT arrivals
on work visas, the United
Kingdom (723) and the
Philippines (526) had the
largest increases in work
visa arrivals last year.
However, 2017 Filipino
PLT arrivals on student
visas (1,527) and residence
visas (896) were
lower in number than the
2016 figures (1,570 and
973, respectively).
New Zealand had a net
migration of 70,016 in
2017, given migrant PLT
arrivals of 131,566 and
departures of 61,550.
In the terms of New
Zealand’s census, the latest
of which was in 2013,
there are 40,347 Filipinos
in New Zealand.
Half of them (20,502)
live in the Auckland
region and some 86 percent
of these Filipinos
(34,356) were born in the
Philippines.
An analysis by the Asia
New Zealand Foundation,
written by Asian Studies
Professor Manying Ip of
the University of Auckland,
showed that Filipinos
are the third-largest
Asian ethnic group in
New Zealand, overtaking
the Koreans.
But unlike some negative
media reports of the
numerous entries of
Chinese and Korean
international students,
“there was no outcry of a
‘Filipino invasion and no
discussion of ‘Filipino
student issues’ in the
[New Zealand] mainstream
media,” Ip wrote.
She gave five reasons
for this observation:
Filipinos’ high rates of
English fluency, their
entry as skilled migrants
in New Zealand, Filipinos’
“presence as comparatively
‘stable settlers’,”
Filipinos’ religious
habits and Filipinos’
Austronesian physical
looks.
CITIZENSHIP
Filipinos registered a
historic high in the number
of their compatriots
who were granted citizenship
by New Zealand in
2017.
Sixty eight year data
(from 1949) from New
Zealand’s Department of
Internal Affairs showed
that 3,565 Filipinos were
granted citizenship in
2017. That is an 18.2 percent
uptick from the 2016
total of 3,016.
- The OFW Journalism
Consortium
Continued on page 8

P a g e 0 8 w w w . m i g r a n t n e w s . n z I M i g r a n t N e w s : W e l c o m e t o N e w Z e a l a n d E x p o I I m m i g r a t i o n N e w s
OPINION
By
AISHA RONQUILLO
AUCKLAND - Why did
you leave the Philippines?
What compelled to you to
risk everything for the
promise of a better life
abroad? For many of us
immigrants, our very own
OFW culture is partly to
blame for this mentality that
life overseas offers a greener
pasture, hence we lose critical
thought in discerning the
genuine from the misleading.
Some of us were driven by
opportunity. Others simply
wanted a much better life for
their families. Whatever the
reasons for coming to
Aotearoa, we can all come
to the conclusion that the
aim of improving our lives
is a universal desire for any
human and the Filipino is no
different.
Agencies know this. And
it is with this knowledge that
their businesses thrive, often
at the expense of their
clients who are lured by
their advertisements, clients
who are more than happy to
sell their properties (and
their souls) to avail themselves
of these services.
The yearning to live
abroad is so strong that
clients eagerly jump at every
chance without doing prior
research about the country
of their destination, or scrutinizing
their agency’s track
record or business reputation.
One such case is that of
Mrs. Anna Lisa Casaje.
She is one of the thousands
of immigrants who came on
student visas in the past 3-5
years to New Zealand, when
the country was at the height
of its export education
industry. This may come as
a surprise to many, but coming
out with your own story
takes an enormous amount
of courage, given the fact
that agencies
and school
owners have
their respective
patrons in government.
But what
exactly is this
export education
industry?
Way back in 2008 during
the economic meltdown in
the USA, the country was hit
by the global recession so
badly that factories were
closing one after another,
affecting jobs and displacing
many families all over New
Zealand. The ruling government
at that time devised a
strategy to keep its economy
afloat. This was revealed in
a migrant advocacy seminar
that I attended before this
interview. The plan? Export
education. It was in this
atmosphere of economic
uncertainty that Private
Training Establishments
(PTEs) were born and the
influx of migrants soon followed.
To any reader who
has never come across this
issue, this simply means that
issuing a Student Visa to
applicants overseas will
shower you with profit.
The students came by the
thousands, not just from the
Philippines, but also from
India and China.
Schools, or PTEs rather,
were sprouting up like
mushrooms all over the
country. Agencies back
home were promoting the
student pathway. Clients
poured in.
The system goes like this:
agencies will flaunt their
services in the media, then
The yearning to live abroad
is so strong that clients
eagerly jump at every chance
you go to an agency of your
choice and attend their seminars,
or you talk to one of
their agents, who will offer a
private consultation for you
and your family. They lay
out the fees, expenses and
the documents that you will
need for New Zealand. But
this is where the monster
begins to rear its ugly head.
Students who arrived in
this country have expressed
a litany of woes on social
media and among Filipino
circles, saying that their
agent’s advertisements were
not entirely factual, ads that
included:
• You can recover from
your financial investment in
about 6 months to 1 year’s
time.
• Employment opportunities
abound.
• Employers will fight
over you.
• IELTS is not needed.
• Job experience is not
needed.
• Fresh graduates are
always welcome.
• Your family can join you
quickly.
• Free healthcare.
• Free education for your
children.
• Residency is a promise,
just complete your studies.
• NZ citizenship is attainable
within 2 years.
• Our licensed immigration
advisers are here to
help.
• We have an NZ-based
lawyer who can help.
Any Filipino who has
lived for some time in New
Zealand can attest that
although these ads sound
like manna from heaven,
Migrants band together to form Pinoy Helping Pinoy (PHP) - NZ.
This group supports new migrants and international students,
especially those vulnerable to migrant workers exploitation.
practical experience will tell
us otherwise. Instead, what
these ads show is the brutality
of the competition
among agencies, often with
little regard for their clients’
welfare after they finish
their studies. And since
when did we attain NZ citizenship
in 2 years? The misleading
ads also reveal that
millions of pesos are at stake
in this industry.
Everyone thought that this
original plan to keep the
economy afloat was benevolent
in nature, until news
reports of students committing
suicide started to surface.
This is not some intrigue
that I’m trying to sow here,
but in order to protect the
privacy of these individuals,
their names will be withheld
out of respect for their
ordeal, because when you
invested close to a million
pesos in a brighter future,
only to realize later on that
this was not guaranteed,
one’s mental health is
expected to decline. And
with good reason. Some students
were known to have
suffered nervous breakdowns
with the mere
thought of going back home
as a failure and in debt.
S o m e
were known
to resort to street prostitution,
because employers will
always prefer a NZ citizen
or a NZ resident on a more
dignified vacancy. Immigration
changes their policy in a
heartbeat. An IELTS or OET
is needed. Previous job
experience is extremely valued.
This free healthcare and
free education is limited to
NZ residents, citizens and
holders of particular visas.
But the greatest catch of all
is that visa officers will
expect you to land a job that
is in line with whatever
degree you received from
your PTE. Stories are rife
about nurses being illadvised
by their agents to
take up business courses,
despite already having a
medical/nursing degree in
college. And as for NZ citizenship,
we all know that it
was the hand of the devil
t h a t
wrote such
false advertisements.
This is something that
agencies will never fully
disclose to their clients
because if they do so, they
will run out of business. No
ads, no students. No student,
no schools. And no schools
mean no commission for
these agents. This is the
vicious cycle that Hon.
Ambassador Jesus Domingo
tried to expose, something
that cost him his reputation
and resulted in an
uproar among the Filipino
community in New Zealand,
who are one with him in his
crusade against education
traffickers.
Photo credit: Mike Magno
One does not need to look
further if you want to make
a review of this article.
There is an abundance of
similar stories that exploded
online, not just coming from
Filipinos, but from other
nationalities as well. The
new Labour government is
tightening the noose and the
plan to close this backdoor
of student visa to resident
visa is already underway.
Every reader is encouraged
to exercise due diligence
in conducting their
personal research, may it be
online or personal contact,
with any victim of education
trafficking. I have barely
scratched the surface with
this article, but it’s business
as usual for agencies back
home, with videos showing
hundreds of potential clients
attending these seminars
even as you are reading this.
Now that is something
very disturbing.
Continued from Migrant News pg 7
Pinoys are streaming
into New Zealand
The DIA’s dataset has records
beginning in 1949, a year when
three Filipinos were granted
citizenship. Though there were
no recorded naturalizations by
Filipinos from 1950 to 1967, in
1968 another three Filipinos
became naturalized.
In New Zealand’s 1936 census
there were six Filipino residents
in New Zealand. Come the 1951
census, there were 18 Filipino
residents born in the Philippines
— and the figure shot up
from 234 in 1976 to 37,302 as
per the 2013 census.
As for the 68 year dataset of
the DIA, there are now a total
of 33,083 Filipinos who have
been granted New Zealand citizenship.
Filipinos are seventh
among the different ethnic
groups granted citizenship,
behind the British (170,693),
Indians (57,718), Chinese
(56,915), South Africans
(55,998), Fijians (47,256) and
Western Samoans (45,232).
But in terms of the total
Filipino population (by ethnic
identity), there are 40,347
Filipinos in the country (56 percent
of whom are female), said
the 2013 census. Some 50.8 percent
of Filipinos, added the
2013 census, are in the
Auckland region, followed by
the Wellington (12.7 percent)
and Canterbury (12.1 percent)
regions.
- The OFW Journalism

w w w . m i g r a n t n e w s . n z I M i g r a n t N e w s : W e l c o m e t o N e w Z e a l a n d E x p o I Migrant Job Board
P a g e 0 9
By AISHA RONQUILLO
Q: When and how did
you decide to choose New
Zealand?
ANNA: I was listening to
the radio in 2012; it was
DZRH in Manila. I heard
that an applicant can bring
his or her family along; that
you can bring your family
with you on the day of your
departure. The STUDY-
WORK-LIVE scheme was
pushed in the radio advertisement
by this agency. My
husband and I were watching
their ads on livestream
and the company was also
advertised on RHTV.
The location and date of
the paid seminars was advertised,
about P1,000 per person
as entrance fee.
During the seminar, representatives
from different
PTEs in New Zealand were
present.
The owner of Focus was
present, along with their
licensed immigration advisers.
They discussed the pathway
to New Zealand. They
also displayed slides and
videos showing how perfect
New Zealand was. They also
stated that we
would gain our
NZ residency
after we finished
our course.
I decided to
take up a Level 8
business course
and I paid
$17,000 for my
tuition fee only. I
paid P130,000
for this agency to
process my documents and
my visa. The agency also
advised that I must have
$15,000 as personal funds
during my stay here in New
Zealand. This agency was
established sometime in
2011, but ceased its operations
in 2013.
Q: Did your agent advise
you to visit the Immigration
website yourself?
ANNA: No, they discouraged
us from doing so
because they advised us how
difficult it was to understand
the website. One mistake
cannot be corrected, so I
never checked the website.
It was only when I arrived
here in New Zealand and
noticed the issues regarding
the student visa, that I started
reading the Immigration
website. It was very straightforward
and not difficult to
understand.
Q: Did your agent choose
the course for you?
An interview with
Anna Lisa Casaje
Whistleblower
and migrant
advocate
Auckland,
New Zealand
ANNA: The agent chose
my course for me, stating
that this course is the fastest
way for me to bring my family
and the easiest way to
obtain my NZ residency.
Q: When you arrived in
NZ, were you under any
I PAID
FOR THE
PROMISES,
NOT THE
EDUCATION
pastoral care services?
ANNA: No. There were
no pastoral care services at
that time.
Q: Did you complete
your course?
ANNA: I completed my
business course, but after
completing it, I could only
manage to find a caregiving
job in a rest home. I tried to
apply within the retail and
business sectors, but companies
declined my application
because they preferred to
hire NZ citizens or residents.
Q: How was the employment?
ANNA: I worked part
time for 20 hrs/week when I
was still a student in
Palmerston North, but the
money I got was not enough
to cover my daily expenses
here in New Zealand.
Q: How did you come to
complain against education
trafficking?
ANNA: In 2015, I gathered
my former classmates
(who had different agents),
because we noticed that
there was a certain pattern of
trafficking and exploitation
amongst students.
I requested a meeting with
Iain Lees-Galloway, who
was MP of Palmerston North
at that time, along with other
victims and he said that he
would write a letter to the
then Immigration Minister,
Michael Woodhouse.
He wanted to refer us to a
specific office that was the
most appropriate venue to
deal with complaints against
trafficking.
Unfortunately, we no
longer pursued our grievances
because some of my
classmates felt hopeless
against the schools and
agents.
Continued on pg 10

P a g e 1 0 w w w . m i g r a n t n e w s . n z I M i g r a n t N e w s : W e l c o m e t o N e w Z e a l a n d E x p o I I m m i g r a t i o n N e w s
By SAM
DIGNADICE
OPINION
Photo credit:
Mike Magno
The student pathway
can be a minefield
If you are considering
or are in the process of
applying for a student visa
to New Zealand with the
view of eventually staying
in New Zealand, please be
aware that the journey is
not going to be an easy
one. If you are applying
through a visa processing
agency, then the odds are
really stacked against you.
Why?
The visa processing
agencies are there first
and foremost to make
money. It is nothing personal,
just plain business.
So you need to really take
their advice with a lot of
careful consideration.
They will try to help you
achieve your goal, but at
the end of the day, once
they have been paid, they
are happy.
The visa processing
agency can earn in two
ways. First, they can earn
from the processing fees
they charge to potential
students. Secondly, they
can earn from commissions
paid to them by NZ
schools they have partnerships
with. Yes, NZ
schools can pay commissions
to these agencies for
every student referred to
them. Some of them pay
the visa processing agency
as much as 25% of school
fees per student.
It's all perfectly alright.
No issues there. They offer
services, so they expect to
get paid.
If you are the potential
student, be aware that you
are the one coughing up
the money to support
these people. The fees you
pay up front are shared
between the agency and
the NZ school. The
moment you agree to their
terms and conditions, the
moment you pay all your
tuition fees, the moment
you leave the Philippines
and fly to New Zealand to
begin your journey, the
agency and the NZ school
have already profited
from your hard-earned
money.
As for you, the moment
you land in New Zealand
you are on your own. Your
difficult journey towards
full residency has just
begun.
Bear in mind that of the
people who come to New
Zealand on a student visa,
only a very small minority
will become successful
immigrants here. Is it
worth the risk? Or is there
a better way?
That's why you need to
be wary of their advice.
You are taking all the
risks while you are the one
feeding these people. The
irony of it all is that you
are the one who needs the
money more and yet
you're the one taking all
the risks!
A friend of mine was
advised by an agency to
take up a computer networking
course. The
agency charged him a
hefty fee and also received
a commission from the
school. He is over 50 years
old. He has 20 years of
experience in the construction
industry.
One look at his CV and
anyone who was truly
A friend of mine
was advised by an
agency to take up
a computer
networking course.
He is over 50 years
old. He has 20 years
of experience in the
construction industry.
It would have been
impossible for him to
find a job after
his studies.
concerned about his
chances would have not
advised him to take a
computer networking
course, because it would
be impossible for him to
find a job after his studies.
The agency and the school
got their (or HIS) money.
He lost everything and
had to return to Manila.
Before you part with
your Php1M peso, before
you risk your money, your
career and your family to
come to New Zealand,
think very carefully.
The agencies and the
NZ schools will always be
happy to take your money.
Will you give it to them so
easily?
Continued from page 09
I PAID FOR
THE PROMISES
NOT THE
EDUCATION
Some of my classmates
pursued CAP to become
nurses, however, there were
others who decided to go
home to the Philippines
because they felt that the
course they took in their
respective PTEs was not
related to their current job
title, with little chance of
obtaining NZ residency.
Q: What was your next
course of action?
ANNA: I first came to
know about Migrante and
First Union through Facebook
and I shared my concerns
and problems with the
student visa scheme and I
learned that it was not only
Filipinos who were affected
by this scheme and that it
also affected Indians and the
Chinese. This was in 2015. I
was lucky to get a job in
Auckland as a call centre
agent.
Q: How was your work?
ANNA: My 2 year work
visa here in Auckland
expired in September 2017. I
applied for another work
visa, but Immigration sent
me a letter stating the reason
why they declined my application:
there are NZ citizens
who were able to fill my role
as a call centre agent. I have
been jobless since then. My
husband is now the sole
breadwinner of the family. I
have 4 children here in New
Zealand and the struggle is
tremendous.
Q: Do you regret coming
to New Zealand?
ANNA: Yes.
Q: Do you admit that you
are really after NZ residency?
ANNA: Yes. If you go
back to the first question, the
agent promised me permanent
residency after completing
my course, easy employment,
free tuition fees for my
children, etc … Who wouldn’t
be attracted to those
prospects, especially if you
lived in a poor country all
your life. I left my job in the
Philippines for this dream.
Q: What is your advice
to Filipinos wanting to
come to New Zealand?
ANNA: Say no to agencies.
Check the Immigration
website.
Q: Would you recommend
the student pathway?
Why?
ANNA: No, I would not
recommend the student pathway.
It doesn’t make any
sense to enrol in these PTEs.
People who are genuinely
skilled can apply directly for
a working visa. Why would
you want a student visa,
when you will end up applying
for a working visa after
your studies, anyway?
The student pathway is
just a front, a mode of entry
into New Zealand that is
being exploited by agencies.
It is basically a money-making
scheme. I will always
advise people to apply
directly for a working visa.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR :
As a private
Filipino citizen
working in New
Ambassador Domingo
Zealand, I can’t
comment on the
official Philip-pine Embassy policy on
host New Zealand. Neither can I comment
on the current behaviour and culture
of the media and politics in my homeland.
I’ve been away for too long.
I do know about one thing though and
that is how our Ambassador works. He is
the unofficial barangay captain of the
50,000-strong barangay known as the
Filipino Community in New Zealand.
He represents all Filipinos of whatever
colour, creed or political persuasion. He
acts for and on behalf of all of us in and
out of New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, Niue
and the Cook Islands, in all matters big
and small.
In the wink of an eye he will stand as a
sponsor for binyag, kumpil and kasal. He
sings a mean karaoke and will DJ for
your party till dawn.
He is our first (and last) line of defence
From Noel Bautista
‘I stand by Amba’
should any of us be attacked, figuratively
or otherwise. So far he has gone above
and beyond, with flying colours.
If he is guilty of anything, it is wearing
his heart on his sleeve. There are no
shades, shadows or greys for him. He
calls a spade a spade, a diamond as such
and the prime directive for him is promoting
the welfare of each and every
Pinoy in NZ, whether temporary visa
holder, permanent resident or New
Zealand citizen. He does not distinguish.
Make no mistake, kabayan, he is under
attack back home. By who or what, I’d
rather not elaborate. Suffice it to say that
he is the BEST we have right now. And
personally I would rather have him than
any other.
This is the time to support our
Ambassador. He is not perfect, but he is
as good as it gets. Now and always, I
believe he stands for the truth, what is
right and what is just.
I support our Ambassador.
Mabuhay ka Ambassador Jesus
Gary Domingo!

M i g r a n t N e w s w w w . m i g r a n t n e w s . n z I F i l i p i n o M i g r a n t J o b B o a r d : www.filipino.kiwi
P a g e 1 1
How Student Visa Work Provisions Harm Migrants
By
LOUIE
ENCABO
SA AKING PALAGAY
Under New Zealand
immigration laws, migrants
with student visas are able to
live, study and also work in
the country. The generous
provisions of our student
visas were put in place by
the previous National-led
government in order to
entice more international
students to enrol in our tertiary
institutions.
At face value, export education
– or the business of
selling our schools to foreign
students – sounds like a
good idea. We allow them to
take up slots in our schools,
thereby earning revenue
from the tuition fees they
pay, as well as boosting our
economy with the added
consumption they bring.
It is also beneficial to the
customer, since they can
gain knowledge and skills
from our world-class educational
facilities. Those who
are not native English speakers
can also hone their command
of the language. And
of course, a cultural
exchange happens when foreigners
stay in New Zealand,
allowing them to be familiar
with our way-of-life and
tikanga.
However, this arrangement
is only favourable if
done for its original purpose:
that is to attract international
students to spend money in
our schools in exchange for
a good education.
The trend that New
Zealand is seeing in recent
years indicates a deviation
from that. What we are seeing
instead in the export education
sector are tertiary
providers operating in the
country with no intention of
providing high-quality education
to international students,
but rather merely to
lure them with the promise
of an easier pathway to permanent
residency in New
Zealand.
The most recent controversy
involving the
Philippine-based visa
agency PinoyCare and their
arrangement to bring a
prominent television personality,
broadcaster
Erwin Tulfo,
to New Zealand,
demonstrates
just that.
For those unfamiliar,
Tulfo
arrived in New
Zealand under
the guise of creating
feature
content on the
lives of Filipino
migrants in the country for
his programme on the public
broadcast PTV-4 channel.
His motives were widely
questioned when he was
found to be staunchly
endorsing PinoyCare and
even making false claims
that a student visa is enough
for migrants to attain permanent
residency status in the
country.
Most of the content Tulfo
broadcasted from his stay in
New Zealand revolved
around the benefits a student
visa can give to migrants,
albeit largely exaggerated. It
made a lot of sense when it
was revealed that his trip
here had been shouldered by
PinoyCare and that the company
earns by helping its
clients obtain visas.
Expectations
name of profit.
However, the
blame should not rest
VS
solely on these dodgy
Reality
consultancy firms.
They would not succeed
if the laws in
place did not allow
them to exploit anyone.
Clearly, there are
lapses in the system
Recent ‘Pinoy Helping Pinoy (PHP) - NZ’ Meeting that allow the
exploitation to occur.
The practice of selling
false promises by visa agencies
or immigration consultancy
firms to well-meaning
migrants who only wish to
find a better life in another
country is deplorable. These
The most glaring, in my
opinion at least, is the work
provisions in student visas.
As the name itself suggests,
the purpose of the student
visa is for educational purposes.
migrants often sell their personal
Allowing student visa
property and belong-
ings or even worse, borrow
large sums of money, just to
make the transition to a new
country.
They bring with them not
ambition, but the hope of
their families back home
who are expecting to receive
cash remittances from them
holders to work will allow
those who have no intention
to study and are instead
looking to gain employment
or long-term residency in the
country, to attempt to outsmart
the system.
We see cases of this regularly.
One prominent example
was the student visa
once they start earning from fraud scandal involving
their overseas work.
And yet there are dubious
and exploitative agencies
that prey on the desperation
of these migrants, all in the
Indian students who were
deported back to India
because their immigration
agency used fraudulent documents
to bring them to New
Zealand.
The ill-intentions were
from the visa agency and yet
it was the migrant students
who suffered from the consequences.
Such predicaments
have become commonplace
in the export education
sector, which is fast
becoming a ‘backdoor
immigration’ scheme.
By allowing student visa
holders to work, the
exploitative agencies can
falsely advertise this as an
easier track to permanent
residency and employment
in New Zealand.
The effect is that migrants
who wish to live and work in
NZ, rather than to study,
exploit this option thinking
that they will be able to
achieve their goal more easily
this way, only to find out
later on that a student visa is
not a sure path to residency
at all.
The intention in adding
work provisions for student
visas may have been noble,
but the system has become a
breeding ground for migrant
exploitation and the harm it
brings to migrants outweighs
the benefits it gives.

P a g e 1 2 w w w . m i g r a n t n e w s . n z I M i g r a n t N e w s : W e l c o m e t o N e w Z e a l a n d E x p o I I m m i g r a t i o n N e w s
OPINION
By AARON MARTIN
Immigration lawyer
highlights issues
the government is
facing in keeping to
immigration targets
while juggling
Kiwibuild and the
demand for skilled
labour...
It’s time to get real:
• Auckland needs skilled
labour
• Employers in Auckland
need to be able to retain
staff
The new budget will be
announced on the 17th of
May and one of the most
critical issues facing the
government is how they are
going to tackle the immigration
limits they campaigned
on setting vs economic
growth.
The Government has been
Demand for labour and work visa numbers:
THE GOVERNMENT’S ROCK AND HARD PLACE
particularly slow to release
immigration policies.
There’s been a lot of talk
about schemes such as
Kiwibuild, but little detail.
Ministers have suggested the
possibility of creating regional
skill-shortage lists.
But they’ve given no indication
how these would differ
from the current immediate
skill-shortage list. Meanwhile,
the labour shortage is
growing.
If the Government goes
down the track of creating
localised shortage lists, then
it needs to remove from residence
rules the criteria that
undermine long-term employment
relationships and
staff retention.
You have to wonder
whether this Government’s
immigration policy will be
like Auckland’s public transport
woes, where any action
is so far behind the eight ball
it’s impossible to get on top
of the problem. So, we are
hoping that the Budget will
show some innovative forward
thinking in terms of its
New Immigration Policy.
Several upcoming projects
will see a greater need for
skilled people in Auckland.
Auckland Council is reviewing
the rating system to fund
an additional $6 billion of
infrastructure spending and
the central Government has
promised to both deal with
Auckland’s public transport
issues and build more houses.
These projects will place
even more pressure on
Auckland. The job opportunities
will attract workers,
not only from overseas, but
also from other parts of New
Zealand. These people will
need houses and they will
also need to get around in
cars on Auckland’s already
busy roads.
In 2015 the National
Government attempted to
alleviate this pressure by
incentivising migrants to
settle outside of Auckland.
This set in motion a systemic
contradiction where we need
the skills in Auckland to execute
all these projects, but
encourage migrants to go
elsewhere.
Private-sector employers
in Auckland find it very hard
to retain skilled workers
when those employees have
to leave Auckland to qualify
for residence.
This is particularly true in
the restaurant sector. The
increase in Auckland’s population
has resulted in a
demand for more cafés and
restaurants. The demand for
junior and graduate chefs
and kitchen staff has risen
accordingly. There is simply
not enough local talent
entering the industry to satisfy
that demand.
Before this legislation,
employers in Auckland
could expect migrant staff
members to stay in a role for
three years and then acquire
residence. This often formed
the basis for long-term
employment relationships.
Under the current rules,
new graduates from overseas
often leave Auckland
after one or two years
because they can’t get
enough points to qualify for
residence with a job offer
from an Auckland employer.
So, the move to address
the infrastructure pressure in
Auckland by encouraging
migrants to leave has begun
a trend that contributes to
skill shortage and creates
retention issues for employers.
I suspect that the
Wellington-based bureaucrats
who designed the policy
(at the wish of the then
sitting Government) thought
that it would mean that foreign
students would stick
around longer in Auckland.
But they forgot the most
important driver for overseas
graduates who want to
migrate here: they need certainty
for their future, both
career-wise and personally.
You can’t establish plans for
a long-term career if you
have to run the gauntlet of
continual temporary visa
applications. It’s a bit like
trying to suggest that an
Auckland renter should feel
that their life is stable when
they only have a year-long
tenancy.
Remember what it was
like after you graduated?
You were tired of being a
student. You were itching to
start earning and developing
skills and experience that
would set you on the career
path you were ready for.
International students are
the same. They just want to
get on with life and to get on
with their careers. This is
hard to do when you can’t
get settled. It’s also hard to
do when you have to uproot
yourself and move to another
part of the country, hoping
that the job you get will pay
enough to qualify you for
residence and hoping that
the immigration officer will
consider your job skilled
enough.
So, what can New Zealand
employers do?
We know that many businesses
are unfamiliar with
employing a skilled migrant
and have concerns about the
process and the legalities.
We have created a free
online resource for employers
on our website to help
them through the issues of
employing candidates like
this and we predict that the
demand for this information
will increase tenfold this
year.
This crisis reflects a
worldwide shortage of
workers with these skills. In
effect, New Zealand must
now compete with the rest of
the world for the most highly
skilled workers.

www.travelgalore.nz
• Travel Editor: melfernandez@xtra.co.nz
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Powered by Filipino Migrant News & Travel Galore NZ
A great place to recharge,
live it up, kip down.
By
SHEILA MARIANO
Editor: www.filipinonews.nz
MANILA, Pasay –
Flying into Manila’s
Ninoy Aquino International
Airport (NAIA) on
a Philippine Airlines
direct overnight flight
from Auckland recently, I
caught a glimpse of the
bright lights of the
Resorts World Manila
(RWM) complex from
above.
Its close proximity to
the terminal came as a
surprise; as on this visit I
finally got to stay in a
hotel within this worldfamous
resort - a getaway
from the hustle and bustle
of Metro Manila.
The RWM offers 8
hotel components
with a total of
3,520 rooms
– ranging
from budget
to five
star and
luxury
properties.
It’s
the smart
choice for ‘on
the go’ business
folk and families who
don’t want to get stuck in
Manila’s traffic gridlock
on arrival and before flying
off to regional destinations
or overseas.
The 480-room, 10-storey
high, 4-star Belmont
Hotel was to be my home
away from home for a
couple of nights. Located
opposite Terminal 3 of
NAIA, the hotel is connected
via a walkway -
how convenient. Or if you
land at Terminal 2 you
can catch a complimentary
shuttle service from
Bay 15 - the service operates
every hour, round the
clock and drops visitors
off at all the hotels within
this huge complex.
RWM is a one-stop,
non-stop entertainment
and leisure destination
and a shuttle service takes
guests at the Belmont to
all its attractions. RWM is
the home of the Newport
Mall - featuring movie
theatres, luxury brand
shops, 50 outlet restaurants,
the 1,500 seat
Newport Performing Arts
Theatre and a
world class
casino.
My favourite
haunt in
the complex
is the Silogue
Restaurant,
which is within
the Casino.
It offers authentic
Filipino cuisine. After
watching ‘Chitty Chitty
Bang Bang’ at the
Newport Performing Arts
Theatre my mum, aunt
and cousin made a beeline
for it.
We ordered Crispy
Pata: masarap and sawsawan,
malambot ang
laman. Pampangga’s Famous
Sisig: crunchy,
spicy, sour, sulit and
bayad and Seafood Ratinada.
As we loved the food
we returned the next day
for Pinakbet and Ginataang
Tilapya. My mum
commented: “Kumpleto
mga sangkap, kung ano
yung ineexpect mo na lasa
mas masarap pa.”
After having my fill of
fun and excitement it was
good to be able to recharge
in my hotel room.
The Belmont Hotel has a
contemporary feel. It is
decorated throughout
with earthy hues and
shades and features premium
furniture and fixtures.
Together with the soft
clean linens and towels
and comfy pillows
you get a
big helping of
warm Filipino
style hospitality.
The ‘feel
good’ vibe at
the hotel is
infectious. A
foreign business
woman
shared her
discovery with
me in the elevator:
“Go up
to the 10th floor (rooftop)
in the swimming pool
area; the view of the sunset
from there is breathtaking.”
I spoke with a Cuachon
couple (Erwin and Mini)
from Makati with their
grandson (6-year old
Caleb) who were enjoying
a weekend getaway
at the
hotel. “The service
is good.
Friendly staff.
The food is
good. And the price - ok
s’ya.”
Ana Medina Jenkins,
(left:) The inviting
rooftop
pool at Belmont
Hotel.
(below:) The
writer and
family dining
at Silogue
Restaurant at
Resort Worlds
Manila.
41, from Baltimore,
Maryland, USA, had
come over to the
Philippines to bring her
mum Elisa Medina, 77,
from Roblon, for a 4-
month holiday in the US. I
asked why she chose the
Belmont? “It’s because of
the convenience, malapit
Room Report:
BELMONT HOTEL
Newport City, Pasay, Manila
(above:) Erwin and Mini from Makati with their
grandson Caleb having breakfast at Cafe Belmont.
(left:) Ana Medina Jenkins from Baltimore, USA with her
mum Elisa Medina at Belmont Hotel.
sa airport, affordable,
masarap ang food at saka
malinis, malapit sa mall.
And there is a free shuttle
service to and from the
airport.”
The Café Belmont
offers all day dining and
their breakfast menu is
substantial – a mix of traditional
fare and Filipino
favourites.
And for some pampering
and relaxation try out
the in-room massage.
I am glad I chose to stay
at Resorts World Manila
for all the fun and excitement
it offers and Belmont
Hotel is a sanctuary
to recharge and kip down
for the night.

14 FILIPINO JOB BOARD : www.pinoy.kiwi | ISSUE 114 | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | mob: 027 495 8477
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ISSUE 114 | www.filipinonews.nz email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | tel: 027 495 8477, 09 838 1221 | www.pinoynzlife.nz 15
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16 PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE DAY 2018 ISSUE 114 | www.filipinonews.nz : pinoynzlfie.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | ADVERTISING: 027 495 8477

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