BORACAY REVISITED 2018

BUHAY
NZ
06 MAGANDANG BALITA ISSUE 119 | www.filipinonews.nz | filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | Facebook: Filipino Migrant News M: 027 495 8477
“I hope that
my research
will help
farmers
back home.”
By Maribeth
Jadina,
PhD Student
from the
Philippines
Maribeth is studying her PhD at Lincoln University in
Christchurch. She spent the first year of her degree learning
from her supervisors in New Zealand and is now conducting
field research in the Philippines. Her dream is for her
research to impact policies to improve the agricultural sector
in the Philippines.
WELLINGTON - My
research focuses on mapping
the impacts of land
parcelization in developing
countries like the
Philippines.
Land parcelization is
subdividing agricultural
land and returning it to
the people who farm the
land. I’m particularly
interested in the impact
this has on the landscape,
the people in the society
and its relationship to
extreme weather conditions.
Disaster resilience is
important, because the
Philippines is a disasterprone
area, but farmers
are not prepared to face
the challenges that come
from disaster.
In 2013 Typhoon Haiyan
hit Leyte, where I’m
from, and around six
thousand people were
killed. Land titles and
landmarks were destroyed
and farmers were
vulnerable to land-grabbing.
The farmers lost
everything and they are
still recovering from that
typhoon.
My big dream one day is
to work in the agricultural
sector and see it
improve and see farmers
empowered.
Just like in New Zealand,
agriculture is one of
the main industries in my
country. Here in New
Zealand I have noticed
that farmers are some of
the richest people. They
have good status. But in
my country they are the
poorest and they don't get
the recognition or the support
that they need.
Coming to New Zealand
By coming here to New
Zealand I am able to prepare
myself for the career
that I want in the future.
When I started planning
to study abroad, I
saw that all the universities
in New Zealand were
top calibre. Then I started
looking for a university
where I could focus on
land and agriculture. I
found Lincoln.
Coming to a new place
with a different culture is
very interesting. My parents
were excited when
they found out that I
would be coming here,
because it'll be a new
journey for me.
I was really scared of
living alone and far from
my family. In the past I
had been away from home
for work, on a different
island in the Philippines,
but I always knew that I
could go back home easily.
But here it's quite far.
When I first arrived in
New Zealand, it was a
shock for me. The weather
here is very different from
the Philippines. I left in
the peak of summer when
it was 32 to 40 degrees.
When I arrived here it
was zero to negative two
and I got sick the next
day. I had a difficult time
adjusting to the new environment.
But the people
were very nice. The university
provided me with
the support that I needed,
checking on me to see if I
was doing well with my
studies.
Learning in New
Learning in New Zealand
Zealand is interesting for
me. Back home we see
supervisors as well, like
supervisors. There is
always a wall. But here it's
very open. I see my supervisors
as more like colleagues.
I feel as if I've grown
and changed as an individual
and as a researcher
here, because I need to do
everything independently
and I have to manage my
own time. I think that it
will set me up well for my
career.
I want to help my country
to develop its own
technologies and policies
fit for the farmers and the
people. For many years
now the Philippines has
been adopting westernstyle
technologies and
policies. But that’s not
why I’m studying in New
Zealand. I want my
research to help provide a
home-grown solution –
one that represents the
people and is a reflection
of the society that we
have. My dream is to use
the knowledge and skills
that I gain in my New
Zealand education to help
farmers in the Philippines
to be self-sustaining.
I’m excited to be learning
new things in New
Zealand and gaining
knowledge that I can take
back home.
The South Island Filipino
newspaper - formerly
Kabayan News
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