Filipino News (Focus Pilipinas Edition) 2018

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Vol 8 No 115
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HOMESICK
KA NA BA?
Pop-up
Street
Food
Festival
pg 13
DUTERTE
SAYS NO TO
SECOND TERM
pg 03
FOREIGNERS
FIGHTING
IN MARAWI
pg 04
FLY PAL’s
TRI-CLASS A330
Now - more seats,
greater comfort &
super-fast to Manila!
pg 13
pg 08
INDEPENDENCE
DAY 2018
FOCUS PILIPINAS
EDITION

02 N E W S L I N K ISSUE 115 | www.filipinonews.nz : pinoynzlfie.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | GIVE US A CALL : 027 495 8477
FOCUS PILIPINAS
MAKATI-TAGUIG SKYTRAIN CUTS
TRAVEL TIME TO 5 MINUTES
MANILA - A project
aimed at reducimg travel
time from Fort Bonifacio
to Metro Rail Transit
(MRT), Guadalupe, Makati
and vice versa, to
only five minutes - at no
cost to the government is
now under consideration.
Infracorp Development,
Inc., the infrastructure
subsidiary of Andrew
Tan’s Alliance Global
Group Inc. (AGI), has
expressed eagerness to
start the construction of
its proposed 2km Makati-
Taguig skytrain monorail
project early next year.
“The project is now at
NEDA (National Economic
and Development
Authority) and hopefully
it will be approved next
month. We hope to start
the construction of this
project by the first or second
quarter next year and
to complete it by the end
of 2021,” says Infracorp
President Kevin Tan.
Tan said that the company
has submitted to
NEDA the original proponent
status for the skytrain
monorail project it
obtained from the Department
of Transportation
(DOT). “At this
point, we are still in the
process of designing (the
project),” he said, noting
that the PHP3.5-
billion project
aims to service
some 100,000
passengers daily.
Tan said that
the company is
currently studying
various options for
sourcing the monorail’s
coaches. “There have
been some offers from an
Austrian company and a
French company, but we
are also looking at
Japanese and Chinese
technology,” he added.
Under the proposed
agreement, Infracorp will
build the skytrain and
transfer its ownership
title to the government. It
will have the sole right to
operate the skytrain.
(PNA)
Ilocos Norte town
converts trash into cash
ILLOCOS NORTE -
The local government of
Piddig town in Ilocos
Norte province is encouraging
local residents to
convert their trash into
cash.
Engineer Eduardo
Guillen, former Piddig
mayor and current
municipal consultant at
the Office of Mayor
Georgina Guillen, announced
on Tuesday that
the Piddig government
will buy PHP10 million
worth of vermicast or
organic fertiliser from
local producers.
As part of the town’s
intensified implementation
of the Solid Waste
Management Act, Guillen
has urged local residents
to dump less biodegradable
waste and to instead
convert it into organic fertiliser.
Earlier, some of the
townsfolk underwent
training on vermicomposting
technology, which
turns biodegradable
materials, such as farm
and household wastes,
into organic fertiliser.
In pushing for organic
farming, Guillen has told
the locals that the municipality
is giving at least
PHP4,000 worth of fertiliser
subsidy for every
hectare of rice farm.
In previous years, the
municipal agriculture
office collected dry rice
straw from farmers for a
fee.
The collected rice straw
was later on converted
into organic fertiliser
through vermicomposting
and was given to the
farmers’ cooperative free
of charge.
“The project aims not
just to help the farmers
gain extra income, but it
is also a way of encouraging
them to protect the
environment,” said Guillen.
(PNA)
PH to remain among the region’s growth leaders
MANILA - The Duterte
administration’s economic
managers remain confident
that the country is on
track towards high economic
growth and will
continue to be among the
growth leaders in the
region.
Finance Secretary Carlos
Dominguez III said
that the government will
continue pushing reforms
for growth even amidst
various challenges, such
as oil price swings, to
achieve economic resurgence
for the country.
“We are well on our
way to providing the
inclusive development
that our people aspire to.
Over the next few years
we expect our economy to
continue to be among the
growth leaders in the
region,” he said during
the pre State of the Nation
Address (SONA) forum.
Dominguez remains
optimistic about achieving
an economic growth
rate close to the 7-percent
target.
He noted that the economic
strategy is anchored
on two major programs,
including the comprehensive
tax re-form
program and the Build,
Build, Build infrastructure
modernisation program.
“With the tax reform
and better infrastructure,
the road to higher productivity
and thus lower
and stable inflation, is
within reach,” said the
finance chief.
“... our country
will join the
ranks of upper
middle-income
countries by the
end of 2019”
The average inflation
rate during the first six
months of this year
reached 4.3 percent.
Meantime, Socioeconomic
Planning Secretary
Ernesto Pernia said that
the government’s massive
infrastructure program
dubbed Build, Build,
Build should contribute to
economic growth in the
near-term as well as in
years to come.
“We’ve already hit the
ground running and envision
the completion of 32
of 75 flagship projects by
the end of 2022, while
making sure that the
4,909 other projects in the
provinces and towns
throughout the country
will have also broken
ground by then,” he said.
Pernia said that rapid
economic growth has also
translated to significant
gains, with 1.52 million
worth of additional
employment generated in
the first half of the year;
well on track to achieve
the target of 900,000 to 1.1
million worth of employment
generation in 2018.
He cited the country’s
gross national income
(GNI) per capita also
growing annually by 4.8
percent in 2017, above the
target of 4.5 percent
growth for the year.
“Thus, our country will
join the ranks of upper
middle-income countries
by the end of 2019,” he
added. (PNA)
HALO HALO NZ : POP-UP FILIPINO STREET FOOD FESTIVAL from August 2018 - www.halohalo.nz

Photo Jun Mendoza
NEWSLINK. ISSUE 115 | www.filipinonews.nz | filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | www.pinoynzlife.nz | FB : Filipino Migrant News 03
FOCUS PILIPINAS
Duterte not keen
on term extension
PSY-WAR IS ON:
Pacquiao is locked and loaded;
Matthysse vows a ‘spectacular victory
MANILA - Malacañang has
maintained that President Rodrigo
R. Duterte is not interested in
extending his term beyond 2022,
even if the proposed draft federal
charter does not prohibit him from
seeking re-election.
“He said: ‘not a second longer’,”
Presidential Spokesperson Harry
Roque said in a message to
reporters.
The Palace official made the
assurance amid speculations that
the President may seek a term
extension under a new federal government.
Duterte has repeatedly said that
he will immediately step down when
his term ends, even offering to cut
his term by two years if the country
has shifted to a federal form of government
by 2020.
The President,
who turned 73
last March 28,
also stressed in
his various
speeches that he
wanted to leave
office early because
he is
already old and
really wants to
rest.
However, a member of the
Consultative Committee (ConCom)
tasked to draft a federal
Constitution said that incumbent
officials, including Duterte, can run
under the new Constitution.
“There’s no ban, so they (incumbents)
can run under a new
Constitution because it’s like a
reboot, it’s a reset,” Julio
Teehankee, chairman of the
Concom’s sub-committee on political
reforms, said in a television
interview on Wednesday.
He added that under the draft
federal charter all elected officials
will have a term of four years and
be eligible for one re-election, from
the president all the way down to
the mayors.
The 22-member ConCom
approved the draft federal
Constitution last Tuesday and is
expected to submit the proposal to
Duterte on July 9.
Meanwhile, Malacañang said
after receiving a copy of the draft
federal Constitution, Duterte will
transmit copies of the proposal to
his Partido Demokratiko
Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-
Laban) partymates in Congress.
“I think that the President, as
chairman of PDP-Laban, the dominant
party in the House, will transmit
it to his partymates and he will
encourage his partymates to study
it very closely and, if possible, to
pattern the proposed revisions after
what the Commission (ConCom)
has recommended,” Roque said at a
Palace briefing.
However, he added that it will be
up to Congress whether or not to
adopt the proposed revisions.
“We can only persuade the partymates
of the President, but we
recognise that the decision ultimately
will lie with the individual members
of the House of
Representatives and the Senate,”
Roque said. (PNA)
Protagonists Manny Pacquiao and Lucas
Matthysse are both proclaiming readiness and a victory,
no less, in the clash on July 15 for the World
Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight title.
The Argentine puncher, Matthysse, will be defending
the title he won via knockout over Tewa Kiram in
January.
“We are locked and loaded. I am more than ready
and am excited to show Malaysian fight fans the
fruits of hard training and preparation. We had a
very great training camp and I cannot wait to fight
on Sunday, July 15.” - Manny Pacquiao
“I feel 100 percent sure that I will succeed in this
fight. I trained very hard to defend my title in
Malaysia. I’ve already gotten used to the weather and
time here. I’m in great condition and I promise a
great performance to the entire world. This will be a
first-class combat in which I promise a spectacular
victory!” - Lucas Matthysse
The 39-year-old legend of boxing feels rejuvenated.
He hopes to win an unprecedented 11th world title in
his 23rd year of boxing come July 15 at the Axiata
Arena in Kuala Lumpur.
Pacquiao is gunning for his 60th victory. He has
lost seven times and has drawn twice (38 KOs) in his
storied career. (Ripples Daily)

04 OPINION ISSUE 115 | www.filipinonews.nz : pinoynzlfie.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | GIVE US A CALL : 027 495 8477
FOCUS PILIPINAS
The foreigners fighting in Marawi
By
LOUIE
ENCABO
SA AKING PALAGAY
The crisis in Marawi
City is nearing its second
month, yet the fighting
rages on. One of the main
impasses the Armed
Forces of the Philippines
(AFP) faced was how
adept their opponents
were compared to them
with urban warfare.
What the military
found more surprising
was that the Islamic State
militants employed effective
weapons that penetrated
their armoured
vehicles and pinned down
their troops.
The reason for those
problems may be because
the militants they are facing
are not the same terrorists
the AFP have been
accustomed to fighting
for decades in the mountains
and rural areas of
Mindanao.
The Maute-ISIS militants
boast several veterans
in their ranks; these
are foreign fighters who
fought in Mosul in Iraq
and in the greater war in
the Middle East between
ISIS and coalition forces.
Reports of foreign
fighters in Marawi surfaced
as early as the first
few days of fighting, with
the Defense Secretary
Delfin Lorenzana stating
that “eight foreign-looking
terrorists” were slain
in the conflict.
The bodies were identified
as Malaysians, Indonesians,
Saudi Arabians,
a Yemeni and a Chechen.
It is not rare to hear of
Malaysian or Indonesian
terrorists prowling in the
remote areas of Mindanao,
given the relative
proximity of their countries
to the region. The
same cannot be said of
Chechen or Yemeni fighters,
however.
Weeks later, more foreigners
were reported to
have been killed, with
reports of “two Arablooking
bodies” recovered
from the conflict
zone.
Western Mindanao
Command chief Lt. Gen.
Carlito Galvez added
that intelligence from
captured Maute fighters
indicated that as many as
10-15 foreigners were
with the terrorists, providing
bomb-making
expertise as well as being
efficient snipers themselves.
Then followed a more
haunting intelligence
report released by the
AFP, stating that as many
as 89 foreigners are
involved in the Marawi
conflict.
They are comprised of
Pakistanis, Indonesians,
Arabs, Bangladeshis and
Singaporeans, who are
providing funding,
bomb-making expertise
and other military help to
their Filipino counterparts.
That report is corroborated
by a news
report from Tempo.co
stating that “dozens of
Indonesians” were involved
in the battle.
It comes as no surprise
then that the battle has
lasted longer than anticipated
and has also
proved to be bloodier
than previous experiences
of terrorist attacks.
The Marawi Conflict is
different in that it is a
global effort that is
plaguing the AFP, a military
used to fighting illequipped
and badlytrained
ragtag militants
in a jungle setting.
In Marawi the AFP are
tasked with fighting in an
urban environment
against forces that have
honed their urban guerrilla
warfare techniques
and are well-funded by
overseas financiers.
The breakout of the
fighting is the apotheosis
of years of neglect by the
Philippine government of
the extremism that was
breeding in the Mindanao
region.
Reports of Abu Sayyaf
leader Isnilon Hapilon –
one of the leaders of the
Marawi siege – swearing
allegiance to the Islamic
State first came about as
early as 2014.
A study from the
Brookings Institute further
backed the threat,
declaring that ISIS have
made their way into
South-East Asia after
experiencing setbacks in
the Middle East.
Despite those warnings,
the then-government of
President Benigno
Aquino III downplayed
any talk of an Islamic
State presence in the
Philippines. He regarded
their pledge of allegiance
as an exhibitionist act
aimed at enhancing their
own reputations, adding
that they are “just riding
on the prominence of the
ISIS threat”.
Aquino at that time
blamed the terrorist
insurgency in Mindanao
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BALIKATAN 2018. Filipino and American soldiers carry their national flags to mark the
start of the annual Balikatan Exercise 2018 held at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City in May
this year. The exercise was created to maintain and develop the security relationship
between the two nation's armed forces through crisis-action planning, enhanced training
to conduct counter-terrorism operations and promoting interoperability.
(PNA photo by Joey Razon)
on the “lack of economic
opportunities rather than
being based on ideologies
or even religious extremism”.
He failed to acknowledge
that the porous borders
of the Philippines
were bigger factors than
the lack of social welfare,
with Palawan and Tawi-
Tawi being key entry
points for gun smugglers
and bomb-making experts
from Borneo and
elsewhere.
However, much of the
blame should also go to
the incumbent administration
of President
Rodrigo Duterte.
Since taking office he
has shown an impractical
and unhealthy obsession
with the 'war on drugs'.
Not taking anything away
from the importance of
stamping out illegal
drugs, but his current
approach is myopic and
is causing neglect of other
pressing concerns such as
terrorism on his home
island of Mindanao.
Perhaps an article by
South-East Asian conflict
expert Zachary Abuza
can make Duterte fully
appreciate the danger
looming in his own backyard,
where the author
states that another
Marawi-style terrorist
attack is “likely to occur”
again in the Philippines.
In it, Abuza makes the
same assessments this
essay makes of things
which are conducive to
an attack: unchecked
borders, proliferation of
smuggled weapons, grievances
of the local populace
and the draw of foreign
fighters – a reality
given the close proximity
of the Philippines to populations
of frustrated
Muslims such as the
Rohingya in Myanmar
and the Uighurs in
China, Southern Thailand
and Aceh province
in Indonesia.
The challenge for
Rodrigo Duterte now is
for him to treat the war
on terror with the same
significance and focus as
his war on drugs.
He has correctly identified
Mindanao to have
been a growing breeding
ground for the drug trade
in the country, though he
also needs to recognize
that it is not only drugs
that it is breeding, but
also extremism.
If the conflict in
Marawi already proved a
tall order for his troops to
topple, what will future
attacks look like?
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PH IN FOCUS : ISSUE 115 | www.filipinonews.nz : NZ-WIDE EDITION | www.pinoynzlife.nz : SOUTH ISLAND EDITION | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | ADVERTISING: 027 495 8477 05

06 MABUHAY ISSUE 115 | www.filipinonews.nz : pinoynzlfie.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | GIVE US A CALL : 027 495 8477
FOCUS PILIPINAS
BY LOUIE ENCABO
BACOLOD CITY - In
the belly of the Philippines
lies a province rich
in history, as well as in
sugar. Dubbed 'the sugarbowl'
of the country,
Negros Occidental in the
Western Visayas region
accounts for more than
half of the Philippines’
total sugar
production.
You can see plenty
of evidence to back
this moniker as you
land in Negros Occidental;
as you leave
the Silay-Bacolod
International
Airport you see vast
sugarcane fields for
miles until you
reach Bacolod City.
This bountiful
supply of what was
called 'sweet gold' in
olden times is accredited
to the work done by its
pioneer families, European
entrepreneurs who
settled into the province
during colonial-era Philippines.
During my visit to the
province I sought to learn
more about these key figures
of Negros Occidental’s
booming sugar
industry. This endeavour
led me to visit the former
mansions of colonial-era
sugar barons Don Mariano
Ledesma Lacson and
Victor Fernandez Gaston,
both of which have been
designated as heritage
sites and are open for
public viewing.
‘The Ruins’: The Love
Story of Don Mariano
Lacson and Maria Braga
The mansion of Don
Mariano Ledesma Lacson
in Talisay City, just a few
minutes outside of Bacolod
City, is a wellknown
tourist spot in the
country called ‘The
Ruins’. The name comes
from the fact that the
ancestral house is uninhabitable
and what
remains is a mere remnant
of its former glory.
Nonetheless, the exterior
of the house which is
left standing is still astonishing
to behold – especially
given that one of the
building materials used
was egg whites. The reason
why its mere shell
remains is equally fascinating:
it was burnt down
by American colonial
masters during World
THE RUINS
Photo credit:
Jun Mendoza
Sugar & Romance:
The Pioneer Families
of Negros Occidental
War II, in suspicion that
the structure was being
used as a spy outpost by
Japanese invaders.
The fire lasted for three
days, after which only the
pillars of the mansion and
its grand staircase remained
intact. Much of
the house has been rehabilitated
and many features
have been added,
taking away from its
authenticity.
Such is the compromise
necessary to preserve historical
sites, unfortunately.
The mansion was built
in 1920, and for a very
poignant reason. Don Mariano
and his Portuguese
wife, Maria Braga, were
THE RUINS
not just blessed with
incredible wealth, but
also with a large family of
ten children.
Aiming to increase their
family size even more,
Braga was pregnant for
an eleventh time and it
was at this time that she
fell over in their bathroom
and gravely injured
herself. Due to the lack of
doctors near the property,
the matriarch of the
Lacson clan passed away
from her wounds.
In his sadness Don
Mariano embarked on an
ambitious plan to construct
an awe-inspiring
property in memory of his
late wife. This story of
how the mansion was conceptualised
puts it on par
with the Taj Mahal of
India, which was built by
Mughal emperor Shah
Jahan in memory of his
third wife.
This is why proprietors
of 'The Ruins' market the
BALAY
NEGRENSE
tourist attraction as the
'Taj Mahal of Negros
Island'.
The sweet gesture was
appropriately made on
the Lacson family’s 440-
hectare sugar plantation
in Talisay, just one of the
BALAY
NEGRENSE
province’s many sugar
fields that bolster its reputation
as the country’s
sugar capital and add to
the wealth of Negros
Occidental.
‘Balay Negrense': The
Heartbreak of Victor F.
Gaston
Less than an hour’s
drive from 'The Ruins'
lies another historical
marvel with an equally
stunning backstory. In
Silay City, where the airport
is also located, you
can find the ancestral
home of the Gaston family.
Yves Leopold Germain
Gaston was a Frenchborn
entrepreneur who is
widely credited to be the
first sugar cane producer
in the island of Negros.
His eldest son, Victor
Fernandez Gaston, lost
his wife to unknown circumstances
and fell into
depression – drawing parallels
with Don Mariano
Lacson’s story.
To ease his suffering,
and to provide a house for
his son’s twelve children,
Yves Gaston bestowed the
property on him, which
included the sizable
BALAY
NEGRENSE
house. It stood as one of
the largest structures in
Silay City, a testament to
the wealth and influence
the Gastons wielded in the
province.
Visiting the 'Balay
Negrense', you can see the
Gaston family genealogy
on display. Most of its
surviving members today
have migrated to different
countries – especially
Spain and France – but
many continue to reside
in different parts of the
Philippines today.
Its abandonment by
descendants of the elder
Gaston is what caused the
ancestral home to slowly
deteriorate, to a point
where it nearly had to be
taken down.
Fortunately, the goodwill
of historical advocates,
both private and in
government, changed the
fate of the Gaston house.
The Philippine Tourism
Authority poured Php5
million into the rehabilitation
of the historical
site, along with the efforts
of the Negros Cultural
Foundation, which is
comprised of historical
and cultural advocates.
The Foundation also
received a generous donation
from Filipino-
Spanish businessman
Jaime Zobel
de Ayala, to help
shoulder the costs
of the repairs.
This collective
effort is what
allows Balay
Negrense, a house
built in 1898, to be
open for public
viewing even today.
The attraction
was first opened in
1990 after undergoing
significant
renovation, but at the
same time as much of the
house’s authenticity as
possible was kept.
In 1984, Bacolod City –
the province’s capital –
was declared a 'highly
urbanized city', which is a
title given to cities that
continuously demonstrate
a stellar economic performance.
Much of this
success is fueled by the
rich sugar industry of
surrounding areas, which
is the reward for the work
done by its pioneer families.
While the neighbouring
island of Guimaras is
more ideal for those seeking
scenic beaches,
Negros Occidental offers
a different view – that of
history and culture. This
feature is important for
us to understand the
province’s present and to
also teach us about our
country’s colonial past.

08 MABUHAY ISSUE 115 | www.filipinonews.nz : pinoynzlfie.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | GIVE US A CALL : 027 495 8477
FOCUS PILIPINAS
BY LOUIE ENCABO
Kiwipinos Converge for the
Annual Philippine Festival
WELLINGTON
WELLINGTON - It’s a
daunting task to leave the
comforts of your country
of origin to migrate to a
foreign country, whose
culture is entirely different
from what you’ve
grown accustomed to. The
culture shock can induce
a feeling of alienation
among these migrants
and their most potent
remedy is to seek the company
of their compatriots
in their newfound countries
and to form a community
to give them the
semblance of being at
home.
The Filipino diaspora in
New Zealand, fondly
called 'Kiwipinos' (a portmanteau
of a Kiwi and a
Filipino), is no different. A
community of 50,000
strong Filipino migrants
and their progeny residing
in this Anglo-
Polynesian nation in the
South Pacific have
formed a vibrant, productive
community in their
new country – preserving
the culture and heritage
which their motherland
imparted unto them.
Part of their exercise of
community is by conducting
events that celebrate
the Filipino culture, one
of which is the annual
Philippine Festival, that is
held annually in Wellington.
While other similar
events are organised in
other parts of New
Zealand, the iteration in
the Capital City is the
most prominent due to the
scale of its production and
because it is located in the
country’s seat of government
as well.
Dubbed 'Fil-Trip', this
year’s edition was noted
as the biggest yet. There
was also a marked
increase in value with the
participation of the
Philippine Barangay Folk
Dance Troupe, a worldrenowned
clique that performs
traditional Filipino
folk dances.
Even prior to Fil-Trip,
the Dance Troupe engaged
with other Filipino
communities in other
cities in New Zealand,
embarking on a mini-tour
of the country. They presented
folk dances such as
the cariñosa and the
tinikling to an audience
comprised of Kiwipinos
and non-Filipinos alike.
At this year’s Wellington
festival, the group
showcased a full-length
show called 'Sayaw' –
where they portrayed the
evolution of different
Filipino dances throughout
history. It was a rich
cultural experience that
helped connect Kiwipinos
to their roots and introduced
the beauty of
Philippine arts to the foreigners
who were present.
It was not only the
dances that were on display;
our love for singing
also was showcased – as is
expected from Filipinos
on any occasion. Part of
Fil-Trip was 'Fil-Jam', an
open-mic session singing
well-loved Filipino songs
and accompanied by a
live band.
Besides the arts, the
faith which is a vital part
of the Filipino way-of-life
was also celebrated. In a
segment called 'Nation of
Faith' a prayer rally was
held alongside keynote
addresses from religious
community leaders in
MANILA
Wellington.
As a country where
90% of the people are
Christian and another
5% are Muslim, partaking
in religious commemorations
was important. It
would fall short of being
an authentic Filipino
experience without such
observances of faith.
And naturally, an exposure
to Filipino culture
would not be complete
without a banquet of
native cuisine.
Fil-Trip made sure that
it satisfied the appetites of
those who took part in the
event, with a showcase of
Filipino cooks and their
dishes in the 'Taste of
Home' portion of the
event.
Filipino food is a main
draw of Filipino culture,
offering foreigners an
eclectic blend of Malay
cuisine with sharp
Spanish and Chinese
influences that produces a
truly unique culinary
experience. There were
also several food vending
stalls present, allowing
visitors to bring home a
sample of the Filipino
dishes they had just tasted.
In summary, Fil-Trip
2018 proved to be a jubilant
and meaningful occasion
which featured a
truly authentic Filipino
experience. It was a celebration
of faith, food and
folk arts – the hallmarks
of Filipino identity.
The event was also celebrated
by thousands
(organisers estimated that
a total of 5,000 visitors
graced the event) of
Kiwipinos and non-
Filipinos, which allowed
them to reconnect with
their Filipino roots or
experience a culture that
was different from their
own.

NEWSLINK. ISSUE 115 | www.filipinonews.nz | filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | www.pinoynzlife.nz | FB : Filipino Migrant News 09
FOCUS PILIPINAS
BY JEREMAIAH
OPINIANO
EVERY seventh of June
a Southeast Asian archipelago
commemorates the
'heroism' of compatriots
who have been visible
reasons for the steady
growth of their motherland's
economy. The celebration
is National
Migrant Workers Day
and the date's historicity
was brought about by the
passage of a law to protect
the rights and welfare of
overseas Filipinos and
their families.
That law, currently
coded as Republic Act
10022, spells out regulations
for labour migration
and lays out the bureaucratic
structure - found at
home and abroad - that
ensures safe and orderly
overseas migration.
The original law, RA
8042, was a result of the
execution of a domestic
worker in Singapore, Ms.
Flor Contemplacion, in
March 1995. That episode
created diplomatic tension
between the two
countries, as well as
national shame for a
country that then had no
enabling law for migrant
A new Philippine future
beside the exodus?
workers' protection.
The said law helped the
Philippines lay out a program
on labour export
that (explicitly) facilitates
Filipino workers' overseas
placement in destination
countries requiring
certain skills. Decades
since, having learned
hard lessons since
Contemplacion's execution,
the Philippines has
now 'excelled' in migration
management.
Filipinos are now in
over 200 countries and
territories, in all sorts of
occupations, with their
migration statuses either
legal or irregular. Filipinos
have contributed to
countries' economic
growth, especially countries
facing demographic
shortfalls and labour
shortages. The estimated
10.3 million overseas
Filipinos have (unfortunately)
become the
Philippines' top export.
Their overseas migration
is a response to the search
for more gainful opportunities,
what with the
country's agriculture and
manufacturing sectors
still struggling and services
being the top draw for
homeland employment
for nearly two decades.
Remittances have been
the reason for overseas
Filipinos' symbolic tags as
heroes since a formal
labour export program
began in 1974. From the
1970s to the mid-2000s
remittances have helped
shore up the homeland
economy's fiscal issues,
have mitigated the impacts
of domestic unemployment
and have somewhat
helped buoy the
Philippines' gross national
product. That period,
spanning just over three
decades, saw the Philippines'
macro-economic
growth performance
being referred to as
'boom and bust' —like a
roller coaster, going up
and down. Meanwhile,
there is rising overseas
migration (including that
for overseas permanent
residency, depending on
the migration pathways
countries offer to foreigners)
and a concomitant
rise of labour, welfare,
human rights and crimi-
Continued on page 10

10 OPINION ISSUE 115 | www.filipinonews.nz : pinoynzlfie.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | GIVE US A CALL : 027 495 8477
FOCUS PILIPINAS
A new Philippine
future beside the
exodus?
Continued from page 09
THE BAD TIMES: The horrendous murder of Joanna
Demafelis; a domestic worker in Kuwait, angered
President Rodrigo Duterte. (A distraught supporter
displays her photo at her hometown in the Philippines)
THE GOOD TIMES: Well settled Pinoys in Middle Earth - checking
out the Weta Workshop in Wellington.
nal/civil cases affecting
Filipinos in various host
lands. So along with rising
migration and remittances
is a perceived
growing number of problems
facing Filipinos
abroad and the corresponding
family-level
social costs.
However, there is a
change in the plot: since
the 2008 global economic
crisis the Philippine economy
is now one of the top
economic performers in
the world. Sustained
gross domestic product
growth, with an annual
average of some 6 percent
over these past ten years,
is slowly buoying the
Philippine economy.
Coinciding with that is
what some demographers
perceive to be a demographic
transition, where
old and young dependants
are lesser and the
working force is bulging
in numbers. That situation
gives the Philippines
a chance — a 30-year
window, says some demographic
projections — to
drum up many savings
and investments and have
these parked at home.
Overseas migration and
remittances have been
contributing their share
to this ongoing demographic
transition, currently
through buoying
local consumption.
Yet one wonders why
the stories are still the
same sordid ones? The
recent episode the Philippines
faced was a diplomatic
standoff with
Kuwait, with the former
demanding certain protections
and employment
regulations for Filipina
domestic workers. This
four-month saga started
off with the discovered
murder — body chopped
into pieces and placed in a
refrigerator for a year —
of Joanna Demafelis,
angering the tough President
Rodrigo Duterte.
After a deployment ban
and Kuwait's own issues
with Philippine diplomatic
authorities, a memorandum
of agreement on
hiring domestic workers
was signed just last
month and diplomatic
relations have been
restored. Implementation
by Kuwaiti authorities
is another matter.
For decades now,
Filipinos abroad are still
seen as those women
who have found dates
online and migrated for
economic security or of
women as 'lowly' domestic
workers or as abused
spouses even after they
got permanent residency
and of men who are trafficked
into occupations
different from what was
initially in their work
contracts.
Filipinos have also
been seen as bearers of
the Christian faith, the
workers with a more
caring attitude, the
workforce who can
endure tough work conditions
just to earn more
and please employers, as
the behaved foreigners
in certain host country
societies.
Yet what is baffling is
that the storylines of the
Filipino migration saga
are still perceived to be
the same even in the age
of social media. Filipinos
abroad being lured by
Philippine property companies
is so 2000s. The
sending of boxes with souvenir
items (called balikbayan
boxes - [balikbayan
is 'returning home'
in Filipino]) is already a
generation old.
Some Filipinos abroad
continue to display pity
towards their compatriots
who are in less-skilled
occupations in certain
host countries, with pity
masquerading as empathy.
Filipinos' overseas migration
has already
brought about socio-cultural,
economic and institutional
changes in
Philippine society, sociologist
and historian
Filomeno
Aguilar, Jr.
writes in his
anthology The
Migration
Revolution
(2014). Class
structures have
been reconfigured.
That is the
current scene of
the Filipino
migration phenomenon.
Given the current
era of a
Philippine economy that's
in a demographic transition
which runs side-byside
with overseas migration,
what can be the new
Philippine future beside
the exodus? Can new stories
about Filipinos
abroad be told instead of
sticking to the usual
tales?
Will Filipino food, for
example, be mainstreamed
in host societies
and capture the imagination
of nostalgic and curious
foreign taste buds?
Will there be more of a
new breed of Filipino
bridging transnational
Filipino families, what
kinds of family rearing
tales have we not heard
from those who endured
parental separation and
found success?
In some Filipino rural
communities, kinship and
migrant entrepreneurs
braving the riskier agricultural
sector back
home, while Filipino
banks are averse to handing
out credit to that sector?
With social media easily
community embeddedness
mitigate the risks of
migration's family-level
social costs.
With Japan having a
long history of Filipinas
going there as entertainers
in night clubs and that
migration pathway having
been stopped over a
decade ago, do the
Japanese of today look at
Filipinos differently?
How many more
Filipinos will become
elected leaders in countries
that realised those
first elected migrant leaders,
like the United States,
New Zealand, Korea or
Canada?
Have you heard of a
full-blooded Australian
being deeply affected by
the ongoing Philippine
war on drugs and helping
resolve a Filipino relative's
drug-related woes?
Or what about some
Filipinas, already permanent
residents and naturalised
citizens in their
destination country, dating
compatriot seafarers
docking in some ports?
There are a myriad of
good and bad tales about
the overseas Filipino.
People aspire to more
pleasant stories, especially
since Filipinos are
known for extending their
personal boundaries and
for fits of empathy.
Filipinos also aspire to
less of the tear-jerking
stories — from abused
domestic workers to
Filipino permanent residents
who are duping
compatriots on temporary
work visas. With
Filipinos abroad now an
influential force for their
motherland and them
being exposed to better
systems abroad, how can
gruesome migration tales
be changed for the better?
The homeland and its
institutions, especially the
Philippine government,
have their work cut out to
fulfil the ambitions of
comfortable living for
Filipinos. But so do
Filipinos abroad: they
can chart newer tales and
tumble down aging
stereotypes of themselves.
That will be through the
love they usually show to
their families, through
better remittance management,
through improved
and sustained
relations with locals in
host countries and
through a renewed sense
of Filipino citizenship
even while they're away.
Jeremaiah Opiniano is a
doctoral student (geography)
at The University of Adelaide
in Australia.

NEGOSYO ISSUE 115 | www.filipinonews.nz | filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | www.pinoynzlife.nz | FB : Filipino Migrant News 11
FOCUS PILIPINAS
MANILA - Growing
mobile and digital adoption
rates in the Philippines
make the country
an ideal market for Kiwi
tech businesses to dive in
on, says New Zealand
entrepreneur Rees Vinsen.
Rees Vinsen is the
founder of Adduco Media,
a social marketing company
that fosters online
communities, manages
social celebrities and
builds brands across New
Zealand, Australia, parts
of Asia and the United
States.
Adduco Media has
evolved into a predictive
marketing platform that
helps brands design and
distribute messages based
on audience personalities
and behaviours.
Vinsen, who divides his
time between Nelson and
Auckland, was one of five
New Zealand tech entrepreneurs
who spent a
week in Manila, Philippines,
as part of the
ASEAN Young Business
Leaders Initiative.
He spoke to Rebecca
Inoue-Palmer while in
Manila and shared his
observations about the
Philippine tech sector,
barriers to entry
into the market
and the country’s
celebrity
culture trends.
Why were you
interested in
learning more
about the Philippines?
I was initially
interested
because of previous
business
dealings with
another
venture of
mine, so I
looked to
explore
other synergies
and any
other relationships
that may be up here.
Looking into it now,
and being on the ground
here, I see that there are
many other companies,
and more so, emerging
tech companies, that have
heavy applicability to
what we are doing, so perhaps
there are some
future relationships there.
What do you think
would be some of the
advantages of doing business
in the Philippines?
Working with the people.
I’ve been pleasantly
The next
business
hot spot
Rees Vinsen is a
Kiwi tech entreprenuer
looking at doing business
in the Philippines.
surprised at the hospitality
of the Filipino people;
very nice, very welcoming
and very helpful. They
are more than happy to
impart a lot of valuable
information. We’re seeing
in a lot of our meetings
that they are running
twice as long as anticipated,
purely because they
have a lot of value to give
us and things to talk
about.
The second advantage I
see, and it’s frequently
described, is that the
Philippines is in this
demographic sweet-spot
for the next, some say, up
to 20 years. I think that
translates directly into a
business hotspot. In considering
mobile and digital
adoption rates here, I
think that presents very
big opportunities and big
markets for businesses,
entrepreneurs and startups
to dive in on.
What are some challenges
you’ve observed?
The primary challenge
that comes to mind is the
regulations and
processes around
doing business in
the Philippines –
the capital you
have to have and
the people
you have
to have
f r o m
day one
is a huge
barrier. I
haven’t seen it in
many Western
countries.
Relating that
to New Zealand –
in New Zealand
you can incorporate
a company
and the next day you can
trade. Whereas here [in
the Philippines] you can
be waiting for up to, on
average, five months. You
need to have five directors
in that company and a
fair amount of cash
upfront just to even get
the idea signed-off, to
become legal. That is a
huge barrier to any startup
and to any foreign
business that wants to see
on-the-ground operations
here. It’s a big barrier.
You work with influencers
in New Zealand.
Do you have any observations
about the celebrity
culture in the Philippines?
Celebrity culture here
has very much the same
trends we find in New
Zealand, Australia and
America; that many
celebrities of A, B and C
grades are being heavily
monetised so they are
looking personally at how
to monetise their own
presences. But then we
are seeing big companies,
we’re seeing telcos here,
that are working with
celebrities to monetise
them through games,
through bundle packages
and through everything
else.
We’re seeing hot little
start-ups as well. We
talked to one the other
day that manages celebrities’
interactions, so fans
can purchase interactions
with that celebrity. So - a
very, very big culture here
and the approach here is
very much more one-onone.
It’s a lot more personal
than we see in New
Zealand or the States, so
that’s been quite interesting.
– Asia Media Centre

12 SHOW BIZ ISSUE 115 | www.filipinonews.nz : pinoynzlfie.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | ADVERTISING : 027 495 8477
FOCUS PILIPINAS
‘You really
need a
Cebuana.’
MANILA - This 22-year-old
Filipina from Cebu gave up her
budding career in music until
opportunity knocked on her
door again.
Now, her hit single 'Cebuana'
already has about 16 million
views on YouTube. The music
video notched a staggering one
million views in only 24 hours
after it was uploaded on
YouTube, reports Philstar
Global.
Karencitta (Karen Ann
Cabrera) signed a global deal
with Universal Music’s Capitol
Records, making her an international
artist.
The song became the unofficial
theme of the Sinulog
Festival in Cebu this year.
CHIKA
MUNA
Karencitta’s
parents come from Cebu. She
was born in Australia but came
home to the Philippines when
she was four years old.
If you have not heard of
'Cebuana' then you are missing
a lot. WATCH the official video:
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=y1Q9qVmvaCw
Joshua Garcia: ‘I’ve made wrong decisions.’
MANILA - “I’m sorry
for my mistake. I promise
to be a better man for you
and for us,” actor Joshua
Garcia told rumoured
girlfriend Julia Barretto.
The onscreen couple are
once again seen on the big
screen in the romantic
comedy film 'I Love You,
Hater', starting on July
11.
At a press conference
recently, Joshua did not
elaborate on the 'mistake'
that he allegedly committed,
but many assumed
that it was related to the
screenshot of a private
conversation between him
and a female netizen that
went viral.
In a previous interview
the actor confessed that
this had caused a big fight
between him and Julia
and then apologised.
To answer the question:
“Who was the last person
you hated but still
loved?,” the actor replied:
“I hate myself. I’ve
recently made wrong
decisions, but since this is
me, I still have to love
myself.”
As for Julia, she pointed
to Joshua and then said:
“When you love, you are
also capable of hating. I
think that’s true if the
person you love does
things that upset you. It
really affects you. It’s the
only kind of hate that you
can tolerate … At the end
of the day it’s still your
love for him that prevails.”
The film, directed by
Giselle Andres, is Joshua
and Julia’s (or JoshLia)
fourth film together. It
also features Kris Aquino.
JoshLia are currently
busy with the upcoming
drama series titled
'Nostalgia', which is their
first project together for
the small screen.
‘A senator’s salary is way
too small.’ - Robin Padilla
MANILA - Actor
Robin Padilla swore that
he would never run for
public office.
“The salary of a senator
is way too small - it
doesn’t even reach
P100,000 - and I’m paying
for the tuition of my
kids studying abroad,”
said Padilla during the
recent launch of the
Brand Pilipinas Movement,
wherein his
Liwanag ng Kapayapaan
Foundation is one of 120
members.
“Many people are
depending on me financially,”
he pointed out,
adding that he would
never accept allowances
as a public servant. “I
will not have it on my
conscience that I’m using
taxpayers’ money to buy
food for my family or to
pay for my transportation.
I will not allow
that.”
He added: “The reason
I’m still in show business
is that it pays well. I am
able to provide for my
family’s needs because of
it.”
Padilla then pointed
out what he considered
was the sorry state of
people working in show
biz. He said that the
industry was “unfair to
its people” in terms of
compensation and benefits.
“People are underpaid.
The system has to
change and because I’m
part of it, this means I’m
also part of an abusive
system.”
Padilla is seen regularly
in the ASB-CBN
romantic comedy series
'Sana Dalawa ang Puso
Ko'. The actor will also
be working on a film on
the Marawi siege, to be
directed by Joyce Bernal
and produced by actor
Piolo Pascual.
“I told Joyce and Piolo
that it’s time for them to
contribute to the
change,” Padilla declared.
“I asked them to
make sure that employees
are paid well and
made to work decent
hours. I said that change
should start in their own
backyard.”
For Padilla, it’s tough
to have a heart that’s
“deeply revolutionary”,
because he often finds it
hard to turn down people
seeking financial aid. “I
am my own DSWD
(department of social
welfare and development).
Sadly, it’s my
take-home pay that gets
drained. When my wife
asks for it, I often have
very little to give her.”
- Ripples Daily
(Photo Credit: Padilla’s
IG account)

www.travelgalore.nz
• Travel Editor: melfernandez@xtra.co.nz
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Powered by Filipino Migrant News & Travel Galore NZ
Checking out PAL’s new
tri-class Airbus 330-300
By MEL FERNANDEZ
AUCKLAND –
Philippine Airlines has
been on a roll with its
nonstop Auckland-
Manila route which commenced
on 4 December
2017.
In the first month of
operation the load factor
on the 254-seat A340-300s
utilised for the sector
peaked above the 90%
mark, says PAL president
Jaime Bautista. He added
that in January 2018 it
was around 80%.
As the route was performing
better than
expected Auckland needed
to be upgraded to a
A330 aircraft.
The shift to this deluxe
aircraft on 17th June
increased overall capacity
by 22% and PAL hopes it
will help stimulate leisure
and business travel.
Media, travel agents
and key resource people
were invited to check out
the new plane when it
landed at Auckland
Airport.
Aside from the fact that
this big bird can fly to
Manila non-stop in 9
hours we saw for ourselves
some of the luxurious
offerings in the A330.
The original 414 economy
seats have been
replaced with three new
cabin sections, resulting
in a more spacious cabin
of only 309 seats.
There are fewer seats in
each row and all fullyequipped
with in-seat
video monitors, offering
more legroom and fewer
seats on each row.
The 24 Premium
Economy seats features
more legroom, special
footrests, extra incline on
wider seats and 13.3-inch
personal video screens.
And the A330’s business
class has full-flat
seats each with direct
access to the aisle, privacy
dividers, enhanced
reading lights, a pneumatic
air cushion with
massage functions and
18.5-inch video screens.
We are looking forward
to bringing you a flight
check report in the near
future.
In February this year
PAL was certified as a 4-
Star airline by Skytrax,
the international air
transport rating organisation.
PAL joins 40 other wellrenowned
airlines in this
prestigious category.
It is the first and only
airline in the Philippines
to have a 4-
Star Rating.
P A L
achieved this
coveted rating
after Skytrax conducted
a rigorous
audit of the airline's
inflight and on ground
service for both international
and domestic
flights and noted major
enhancements on its endto-end
passenger experience
and distinct wholehearted
service called
Buong Pusong Alaga.
“This is a big win for
the Philippines,” said
PAL Chairman & CEO
Dr. Lucio C. Tan.
“We
are elated by
this recognition which is a
victory for the more than
seven thousand members
of the Philippine Airlines
family.
“Our achievement is
the country's achievement
and we share this
with all Filipinos around
the globe.”
More Filipinos support Boracay closure
BORACAY ISLAND - Malacañang
has welcomed the
latest Social Weather Stations
(SWS) survey, saying that the
majority of Filipinos support
the full closure of Boracay
Island to pave the way for a
government initiated rehabilitation.
“The Palace feels vindicated
and welcomes the support of
the people,” Presidential
Spokesperson Harry Roque
said in a message to Palace
reporters.
According to the March 23-
27 SWS survey, 64 percent of
the 1,200 respondents agreed
that the six-month rehabilitation
should be extended to a
year for the full rehabilitation
of the island.
Only 16 percent disagreed,
while 20 percent were undecided.
The poll also showed that 61
percent of Filipinos believed
that the temporary shutdown
would increase the number of
tourists in the future, while 16
percent disagreed and 23 percent
were undecided.
The closure of Boracay got
the biggest support from
Metro Manila, with 71 percent
of respondents saying that it
would help rehabilitate the
beauty of the island, while 64
percent from both the balance
of Luzon and Mindanao and
61 percent from the Visayas
also agreed to it.
The six-month Boracay closure
started on April 26, the
CLEAN-UP work at Boracay Island starts in earnest
same date President Rodrigo
Duterte signed Proclamation
No. 475 placing three Boracay
villages, namely Balaag,
Manoc-Manoc and Yapak,
under a state of calamity for a
year.
Duterte had earlier described
Boracay Island, known
for its powdery white sands, as
a “cesspool” due to its worsening
sewage problem.
Just two months after the
rehabilitation work started,
Malacañang expressed hope
that Boracay’s pristine waters
will be enjoyed by tourists in
the future, following the sighting
of a whale shark two weeks
ago.
“That shows that the efforts
to clean up Boracay have succeeded,”
Roque said.
An inter-agency task force
headed by the Department of
Environment and Natural
Resources has been tasked by
Duterte to reverse the degradation
of Boracay Island.
(PNA)
Check out our indepth report on
the situation in Boracay Island
on www.travelgalore.nz

14 FILIPINO JOB BOARD : www.filipino.kiwi | ISSUE 115 | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | mob: 027 495 8477
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ISSUE 115 | www.filipinonews.nz email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | tel: 027 495 8477, 09 838 1221 | www.pinoynzlife.nz 15
NZ Citizenship another
milestone for hardworking
business owners
INVERCARGILL - When
Janeth Luna left the Philippines to
join her husband for a new life in
New Zealand her first job here
couldn’t have been more hands on.
She faced a steep learning curve
that was more than a little out of
her comfort zone. Milking cows on
a Southland dairy farm was something
the former secondary school
teacher had to master – and quickly.
“It was a big change for me,” she
recalls. “I went from holding pens
to holding cows’ udders; it was
quite an adjustment.”
Janeth had arrived in Invercargill
in 2008, a year after her husband
Jonathan, who made the move to
New Zealand to take up the position
of dairy farm assistant on a
farm in Southland.
The past 10 years have been
busy for Janeth and her husband. A
turning point came in 2014 when
they bought a CrestClean franchise.
It’s the success of their business
that’s helped them to become
homeowners, they say.
And recently the couple reached
another personal milestone when
they became New Zealand
Citizens, attending a citizenship
ceremony in Invercargill along
with their two young daughters.
“It was a great honour for the
whole family to become Citizens
of New Zealand,” Janeth says. “It’s
a big achievement for us and we
are very glad.”
The couple were born in the
Philippines and met while attending
church as teenagers.
Janeth went on to study teaching
and graduated from university to
become a secondary school
teacher. She taught in a secondary
school before moving to a private
primary school.
In the meantime, Jonathan studied
for seven years before receiving
his Doctorate in Veterinary
Medicine. After graduation he
stayed on at the university as a
tutor for the next two years.
But it was a New Zealand
lifestyle programme on TV that
gave Janeth the idea to begin
exploring their long term options.
She could see the opportunities that
would be there for them as a family
if they shifted to New Zealand.
They already had some friends living
here and she convinced
Jonathan that New Zealand was a
land of opportunity and a great
place to raise a family.
“My first impression was that
this looks like a very peaceful
country and a very clean country
compared with the Philippines,”
she says.
Janeth remained in the
Philippines continuing with her
teaching career and saving for her
journey while Jonathan
went on ahead.
Eight months later
Janeth made the
move and they were
reunited in Southland
where they
both worked on the
farm together, milking
900 cows each
day.
Sixteen months
later, Jyra, the first
of their two daughters,
arrived and the
serious planning
began for their family’s
future in
Southland. Two
years later second daughter Jaslyn
arrived.
A decisive moment for the family
was when they achieved their
New Zealand Residency. It paved
the way for them to then buy a
business.
CrestClean’s Invercargill Regional
Manager Glenn Cockroft
takes up the couple’s story.
“After a lot of looking and discussions
with friends, the decision
was made to purchase a Crest franchise
in Invercargill to help supplement
the family
income.
“It did not
take long before
they were in a
position to start
The Luna family with the Mayor of Invercargill.
building their own brand new
home in Invercargill and several
months later they were able to
move in and start on the next part
of life’s journey together,” he says.
“They could see the potential for
success with Crest and the next
step was for Janeth to step aside
from her day job and concentrate
on their CrestClean franchise.”
“Now, four years on, they have
expanded their business to more
than three times their initial
turnover value when they started
with Crest.”
But Janeth says that it has not
been easy for them being separated
from other family members. Back
in the Philippines her mother
requires dialysis treatment twice a
week for a kidney complaint.
Janeth and Jonathan have
been contributing to the
treatment costs for the past
eight years.
“Family is everything,”
says Janeth. “We thank Crest
every day for the lifestyle
that we are now able to lead
here in Invercargill and for
the family time that we have
together.”
Janeth says that Invercargill
is now home. “We
don’t want to move anywhere
else. We are happy to
stay here. It’s a quiet place
and the cost of living is minimal.
The people are really
friendly; I love them.”
The couple work seven
days a week – but they have
a reason for that. “We have a goal
to pay off our mortgage as early as
possible, so we can relax a bit,”
says Janeth
Meanwhile, they have just taken
delivery of a new Nissan Van for
their business. “The vehicle allows
them to fit additional cleaning
equipment in, so they can expand
their business even further,” says
Glenn.
- Text supplied

16 PH IN FOCUS : ISSUE 115 | www.filipinonews.nz : NZ-WIDE EDITION pinoynzlife.nz : SOUTH ISLAND EDITION | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | ADVERTISING: 027 495 8477

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