PNZLIFE NOV 2020

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Vol 2 No 10 

NZ ELEKSYON 2020 

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NORTH ISLAND EDITION : www.filipinonews.nz | WELLINGTON EDITION : www.filipino.kiwi | E: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | M: 027 495 8477 

Volleyball bounced back despite major 

cancellations of the annual Labour 

Weekend Filipino Reunion tournaments. 

An Auckland volleyball club went ahead 

with their own tournament which was a 

resounding success. 

pg 05-06 

Volleyball bounces 

back despite covid 

THE PEOPLE 

HAVE SPOKEN. 

Political Editor Louie 

Encabo’s Op-Ed 

column on the 

outcome of the 

Cannabis Referendum. 

Food for thought ... 

pg 2 

PH PREPS FOR CHRISTMAS 

2018 Miss 

Universe 

Catriona Grey 

paints a 

‘Higantes’ doll 

at an ecopark. 

pg 12 

pg 08 

Iglesia Ni Cristo’s 

‘AID FOR HUMANITY’ 

• WLLGTN CHOIR SINGS OUT ... pg 07 

• OF WHITE ELEPHANTS IN PH pg 09 

Photo credit: 

NEIL WALES 

• NZ ELECTION POST MORTEM pg 04 

• IMMIGRATION CHANGES SOON? pg 11 

“A noble act of kindness and care” 

benefits 42 community and religious groups. 

NZ’s MOST 

DIVERSE 

ELECTION? 

pg 04 

SPECIAL REPORT: 

The country comes to 

grips with a more diverse 

group of MP’s representing 

a more diverse 

nation. Sadly no Filipino 

MP this time round.

02 ELEKSYON ISSUE 10 | SOUTH ISLAND EDITION : www.pinoynzlife.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | Mobile : 027 495 8477 

Green MP 

Chloe Swarbrick 

WELLINGTON - The 

2020 election was not only 

significant for occurring 

during the COVID-19 

era, but it also contained 

two referenda that could 

determine the social 

direction New Zealand is 

heading towards. 

Two highly contentious 

issues were be decided by 

the voters: if New Zealand 

should legalise the 

sale, use, possession and 

production of cannabis 

and if it will legalise voluntary 

euthanasia for terminally-ill 

patients. 

Polling in the lead up to 

voting day showed that 

both referenda would be 

close. The competitiveness 

of the respective 

campaigns further proved 

that the result would go 

down to the wire. 

On 30th October the 

results were declared: 

euthanasia passed decisively 

while legalising 

cannabis was rejected by 

New Zealand voters. 

As with any contest, 

despondency overtook the 

losing sides. The dismay 

was particularly glaring 

with the pro-cannabis 

camp. 

Buoyed by the election 

of perhaps the most liberal 

government in New 

Zealand’s history, the 

pro-cannabis side were 

expecting their side to 

easily win the referendum. 

Hence it came as a 

Cannabis! 

OPINION 

Louie Encabo 

Political Editor 

The people 

have spoken. 

shock when a (marginal) 

majority of New Zealanders 

voted against legalising 

it instead. The competitiveness 

of the referendum 

campaign was 

reflected in the results, 

with the 'No' vote edging 

the pro-legalisation side 

out by less than 68,000 

votes. 

Because of the narrow 

margin of the winning 

vote, ‘rabid’ supporters of 

cannabis law reform are 

pinning their hopes on the 

newly-elected liberal government 

to disregard the 

referendum result and 

legalise cannabis anyway. 

Former Prime Minister 

Helen Clark, who vigorously 

campaigned for the 

'Yes' campaign for 

months, wrote in an op-ed 

column that the incoming 

Minister of Justice should 

“infer” from the narrow 

margins of the vote that 

“there is an appetite” to 

fully decriminalise cannabis. 

The taxpayer-funded 

New Zealand Drug 

Foundation also echoed 

Clark’s opinion and 

called for full decriminalisation 

of cannabis, since 

the 'No' vote did not win 

by a wide margin. 

A criminology professor 

from Victoria University 

of Wellington also called 

on the government “to be 

courageous on drug 

reform”, following recent 

trends in the United 

States where several 

states have voted to liberalise 

their respective drug 

laws. 

And Green MP Chloe 

LOUIE 

ENCABO 

FILIPINO 

JOURNALIST OF 

THE YEAR 2014 

Swarbrick, who was the 

de facto face of the prolegalisation 

camp, blamed 

their defeat on a “tide of 

misinformation” that 

came from the 'No' camp. 

Make no mistake, the 

argument in favour of 

cannabis legalisation 

made more logical sense 

than to continue the status 

quo of prohibition. 

At its most basic 

cannabis exists in our 

society, but because it is 

illegal the state is unable 

to regulate it – thus allowing 

underground operations 

to benefit from its 

trade – and even more so, 

the state is unable to tax it 

and generate revenue for 

health-related endeavours. 

This author voted in 

favour of cannabis law 

reform and 

against euthanasia 

legalisation. 

However, I 

would be completely 

against 

any move to 

overlook the referendum 

results and 

legalise cannabis anyway 

(or ban euthanasia for 

that matter). 

If the government were 

to do that, what was the 

point of holding a referendum 

to begin with? 

Voters put their faith 

into the democratic system 

to make their voices 

heard and to let them 

take part in the political 

process of their country. 

If the government were to 

ignore their voice, that 

would surely dent the 

people’s trust in our elections. 

If the government 

ignores the will of the people, 

can we still claim ourselves 

to be a democracy? 

To ignore the voice of 

the public simply because 

we do not agree with it is 

a dangerous precedent 

and one which will set us 

onto a path away from 

being a democracy. 

Many from the prolegalisation 

camp will 

draw examples from the 

era of former Prime 

Minister John Key, where 

his administration ignored 

the results of two 

referenda: on whether it 

should be a criminal 

offence for parents to 

smack their children (87.6 

per cent voted 'No') and 

another which asked if 

the government should 

privatise several stateowned 

assets (67.3 per 

cent voted 'No'). 

When that administration 

ignored the people’s 

vote in favour of their 

own agenda the public 

was outraged – and I’m 

willing to bet that many 

who are now calling for 

cannabis to be legalised, 

regardless of the referendum 

result, were too. 

If this government 

ignores the people’s vote 

to suit their own agenda, 

then they will be no different 

from former PM 

Key’s administration. 

The essence of a democracy 

is to give a voice to 

ordinary citizens who 

otherwise would never 

have a say in their country’s 

decision-making. 

New Zealanders have 

had their say in the 

cannabis referendum; 

now the government 

should recognise and 

respect their voices. 

Now - three Filipino 

community newspapers 

North Island: 

www.filipinonews.nz 

South Island: 

www.pinoynzlife.nz 

Wellington: 

www.filipino.kiwi 

• The only Catholic Co-educational 

College in Christchurch 

• Years 7-13 

• Family Focused 

• Culturally Diverse 

• High Academic Achievement 

• Catholic Cathedral College prides itself 

on consistently high NCEA results over 

the past four years 

Enquiries to admin@cathcollege.school.nz

VOL 2 ISSUE 10 | ELEKSYON 2020 | www.pinoynzlife.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | Facebook: PINOYNZLIFE 03 

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Who can be more controversial 

than celebrities? 

Politicians. And now 

that our election is over 

we are left to celebrate or 

endure - depending on 

which party you voted for. 

As the Covid factor is 

still affecting our personal 

and economic lives I feel 

that the newly elected 

government should consider 

ramping up changes 

to alleviate the current situation. 

At the end of the day 

what does the election 

really mean to migrants? 

Do we actually participate? 

Do we understand 

our new country’s political 

system? 

As a migrant and candidate 

in the recent election, 

I was appalled that a lot of 

the migrants were not as 

enthusiastic about the 

election as we were back 

home. 

Elections in the Philippines 

are a frenzied affair 

- for both candidates and 

voters. It is all hyped up 

and the politicians are 

given celebrity status and 

POLITIKO 

Wella Bernardo 

Candidate in the 

2020 NZ Election 

are not easily 

approachable as 

they move 

around with 

security guards 

24/7. 

Whereas politicians 

over here, unless you are 

the Prime Minister, are 

treated like normal citizens. 

I’ve seen former 

Mayor Len Brown wandering 

around casually in 

the city centre. 

There are 

also other 

factors to 

consider if 

we are to 

make comparisons 

about the way an 

election is conducted in 

each country - like the 

history, cultural norms 

and socio-economic classes 

that prevail. 

The form of government 

is also another factor. 

As the Philippines was 

colonized by the US our 

electoral system is comparable 

to the US model. 

A lot of their way of 

doing things was 

ingrained into us – like 

the lavish campaigning, 

the heated personality 

clashes and dare I mention 

the corruption – both 

subtle and blatant. 

RANDOM THOUGHTS 

ON ‘ELECTION FEVER’ 

I also believe that political 

parties in the 

Philippines spend more 

time grooming their candidates 

for the elections. 

They reach out to the 

media and the public at 

least a year in advance – 

drawing attention to all 

their accomplishments 

and their propaganda. 

On the other hand there 

is greater transparency, 

accountability and hardly 

any corruption amongst 

politicians in New Zealand. 

At the end of the day it 

comes down to each candidate’s 

character, integrity 

and the relevance of 

the policies they bring to 

the table. 

The voters will make 

the final decision about 

who we want to represent 

us in government based 

on everything we bother 

to find out about the candidates. 

The comparisons I’ve 

made may not please 

some readers, but these 

are my personal observations. 

But I hope I’ve presented 

some food for 

thought when you are 

choosing your candidate 

for the next election. 

Election post-mortem. 

OPINION 

Louie Encabo 


The upcoming 53rd 

Parliament is being hailed 

as the most diverse in New 

Zealand’s history. 

A record number of 

MPs from migrant backgrounds, 

from the 

LGBTQI+ community, or 

of Maori and Pasifika 

heritage, won seats in our 

House of Representatives. 

These individuals from 

diverse backgrounds have 

also been inducted into 

very important positions. 

In Cabinet there are 

five Ministers of Maori 

descent, two Pasifika, and 

one (Dr Ayesha Verrall) 

who was born to a 

Maldivian mother. 

Outside Cabinet there 

are two more Maori 

Ministers (Meka Whaitiri 

A closer look at the most diverse 

Parliament in New Zealand’s history 

and Marama Davidson), 

one Pasifika Minister 

(Aupito William Sio) 

and one of 

Indian descent 

(Priyanca 

Radhakrishnan). 

But it is equally 

heartening to see 

the migrant voice 

in Parliament be 

amplified, with a 

record number of 

MPs from immigrant 

backgrounds 

winning 

seats. 

Many of them 

are freshman 

MPs, elected to 

Parliament for 

the first time. 

They include 

Ibrahim Omer, a 

refugee from 

Eritrea, Gaurav 

Sharma, a 

migrant from 

India and Naisi 

Chen, who is originally 

from China. 

We will also see our first 

ever Latino MP in Ricardo 

Menendez March 

from the Green Party and 

our first Sri Lankan MP 

in the Labour Party’s 

Vanushi Walters. 

Many sitting migrant 

MPs were also re-elected 

to another term in 

Parliament. They are 

Illustration by Jason Aragon 

Golriz Gharahman (who 

hails from Iran), Melissa 

Lee (Korean) and Priyanca 

Radhakrishnan. 

Advocates of diversity 

have celebrated this feat – 

at last, New Zealand’s 

Parliament is a closer 

reflection of the people it 

represents. 

This achievement is 

particularly important 

for migrants: with a large 

number of MPs coming 

from migrant backgrounds, 

we can expect 

them to work to improve 

outcomes for migrant 

New Zealanders. 

But that is precisely the 

caveat in this situation: 

the election of a large 

number of migrant MPs 

will only matter to 

migrant communities if 

those politicians will work 

towards improving outcomes 

for migrants. 

A potential pitfall of 

political parties ensuring 

diversity among their 

ranks is that these MPs 

who come from diverse 

backgrounds could end 

up being used as mere 

props. 

They are simply there to 

create an illusion of diversity, 

while the decisionmaking 

process will be 

left to those who have historically 

held positions of 

power. 

If that happens, then 

the situation for migrants 

in New Zealand will not 

change. And at a time 

when migrants are facing 

continued exploitation 

and face severe hardships, 

they simply cannot afford 

a continuation of the status 

quo. 

We need our new 

migrant MPs to ensure 

hardship grants continue 

to become available to 

migrant workers who 

have been made redundant 

during COVID-19. 

These include assistance 

to pay their living costs 

and basic provisions such 

as food and medicines. 

Our diverse Parliament 

should also crack down 

hard on migrant exploitation, 

identifying exploitative 

employers and providing 

compensation to 

migrants who have fallen 

victim to them. 

These are the outcomes 

that migrant communities 

not just want but need. 

Our newly-elected migrant 

MPs can work on 

these pertinent issues to 

prove that they are not 

merely political props. 

With a record number 

of migrant MPs in 

Parliament, there should 

be no excuse for these 

results not being 

achieved.

04 ELEKSYON ISSUE 10 | SOUTH ISLAND EDITION : www.pinoynzlife.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | Mobile : 027 495 8477 

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NZ’s most diverse election? 

OPINION 

Paul Spoonley 

Professor 

Massey University 

Massey University distinguished professor 

and sociologist Paul Spoonley is one of this 

country's leading researchers into social 

change. 

As the country comes to grips with an 

election result that will see a radical reset 

in the makeup of Parliament, he ponders a 

more diverse group of MP's, representing a 

more diverse nation. 

Paul Spoonley's expertise 

includes Asian migration to 

New Zealand and Asian 

immigrant experiences. 

Photo: Katie Scotcher - RNZ 

There are still votes to 

be counted. 

In fact, there are rather 

a lot of votes still outstanding 

so there might 

still be some adjustments 

to who is in or out. But 

one thing is certain : 

Parliament will be much 

more representative than 

it has been in terms of 

gender, ethnicity and sexual 

orientation. 

However, New Zealand's 

Parliament still 

does not fully represent 

the New Zealand population. 

In terms of the current 

ethnic distribution of the 

population, the figures 

are interesting. 

Maori constitute 16.5% 

of the total population but 

look likely to make up 

20% of MPs in the House 

(it was 23% in 2017). 

There have been a number 

of high profile Maori 

departures, most noticeably 

with NZ First not 

getting back and therefore 

no more Winston 

Peters, Shane Jones or 

Ron Mark. 

But the Maori Party 

looks to be back and there 

are a number of new 

Maori members. Both 

ACT and the Greens have 

3 Maori each while 

Labour has 15 and 

National has just 2. 

The next largest ethnic 

block in New Zealand are 

Asians at 15.1% of New 

Zealand’s population. 

Again, there have been 

a number of departures of 

Asian MPs, most noticeably 

with retirements 

(Huo, Yang) and some not 

getting re-elected 

(Kanwaljit Singh 

Bakshi and Dr 

Paramjeet Parmar). 

Some are returning; 

Melissa Lee 

(Korean) for National 

and Priyanca 

Radhakrishnan 

(Indian) for Labour. The 

latter will be joined by 

Ayesha Verrall (Maldives), 

Naisi Chen 

(Chinese), Vanushi Walters 

(Sri Lankan) and 

Gaurav Sharma (Indian). 

This means that only 

5% of MPs are Asian and 

therefore almost 10% 

below the proportion of 

the population. 

Of course, the designation 

"Asian" is far too 

broad and really quite 

unhelpful in terms of the 

mix of the various Asian 

communities in 2020. In 

this regard, Chinese constitute 

4.9% of all New 

Zealanders and Indians 

(4.7%). 

Both are under-represented 

in the new 

Parliament. 

Report card : could do 

better. 

In relation to Pasifika, 

the picture is much more 

positive. The five existing 

Pasifika MPs from 

Labour (all of them 

Ministers in the previous 

government) will be 

joined by 4 new Labour 

colleagues and one new 

Green Pasifika MP. There 

are none in ACT or 

National. These 9 MPs 

represent 8.3% of MPs 

compared to 8% of the 

population and up from 

6% in the previous 

Parliament. 

Then there is rather odd 

and varied category that 

is Middle East/Latin 

America/Africa 

(MELAA) group. 

This group makes up 

1.5% of the population 

but 2.5% of Parliament 

with one refugee (Golriz 

Ghahraman, Greens) 

being joined by another, 

Ibrahim Omer (Labour, 

Eritrea) while there is the 

first Latin American MP, 

Ricardo March, also for 

the Greens. 

On gender, the new 

Parliament does well with 

almost half of MPs being 

women, and the LGBQTI 

representation has made 

world-wide news with the 

claim that the New 

Zealand Parliament has 

now the largest Rainbow 

group of MPs globally, 

taking over from the UK 

Parliament. 

So in terms of representation, 

the non-Pakeha 

representatives are edging 

towards parity with 

Maori, Pasifika or 

MELAA meeting or 

exceeding their proportion 

of the total population. 

But some questions still 

need to be asked about 

Asian representation, 

especially for the larger 

groups (Indian, Chinese), 

and of National, ACT and 

the Greens. 

Labour, with 7.8% of its 

MPs from Asian backgrounds, 

still needs to do 

better. What is heartening 

is that the 40 new MPs, 

when considered as 

cohort, are very diverse. 

There are some other 

Some Asian MPs are returning; Melissa Lee - Korean for National (pictured left) and 

Priyanca Radhakrishnan - Indian for Labour (centre). The latter will be joined by 

Ayesha Verrall - Maldives, (left), Naisi Chen - Chinese), Vanushi Walters - Sri Lankan 

and Gaurav Sharma - Indian. Photo: Dom Thomas/Lynda Chanwai-Earle, RNZ 

questions to be asked 

about the election. 

One is whether there is 

an ethnic penalty in operation. 

If minority ethnic 

and immigrant candidates 

are selected for electorate 

seats, do members 

of other ethnic groups (as 

voters) not see them as 

strong candidates? This of 

course puts the pressure 

back on political parties 

to not only ensure that 

there are a range of candidates 

in terms of gender, 

ethnicity and sexual orientation 

but to pick them 

for winnable seats and to 

back them fully. 

As New Zealand’s 

diversity grows, then 

these questions become 

critical, especially as participation 

and representation 

in government 

becomes a key indicator 

of both inclusion and 

acceptance. 

There are also questions 

to ask about how various 

minority ethnic and 

immigrant communities 

took part in the voting 

process. 

Did they enroll and did 

they exercise their right to 

vote? And another question 

- who did they vote 

for ? 

The period from 2013 to 

2020 has seen the largest 

net gains from migration 

in New Zealand’s history, 

providing more than 

300,000 new residents and 

citizens. I remain unconvinced 

that we really 

know about the voting 

intentions of these new 

New Zealanders (prior to 

the election) or how they 

actually cast their vote. 

Trace Research released 

a poll on the Chinese community 

voter support 

during the election campaign 

period, but there 

was little else. 

And yet these immigrants 

or minority ethnic 

communities make up a 

substantial proportion of 

some electorates, and may 

well have had a major say 

in deciding both electorate 

and party vote. 

Another election is over 

and we can now pick over 

the bones and see what 

has happened. 

It was good to see that 

there was little of the 2017 

attacks on immigration 

and immigrants (and certainly 

a far cry from the 

1996 election campaign). 

It was encouraging to 

see immigrant used as 

statement of fact and not 

as an insult, as Afua 

Hirsch has lamented in 

the British context. 

And it's been good to 

see more diversity in the 

Retirements: Labour’s Huo, Yang - Chinese (left) and National’s Jian Yang - Chinese. 

Elected: Labour’s Naisi Chen - Chinese (centre left) and Vanushi Walters - Sri Lankan (right), who will represent 

Auckland's North Harbour electorate in Parliament. Not re-elected: National’s Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi - Indian, 

Dr Paramjeet Parmar - Indian and List MP Paulo Garcia - Filipino (centre right). 

result . But Asian representation 

remains a challenge. 

Paul Spoonley's new 

book " The New New 

Zealand: Facing Demographic 

Disruption", looks 

at the coming decades and 

the changing demographic 

picture in this country and 

asks the question: Are we 

ready? 

- Asia Media Centre

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Fusion from Chch fields 

largest number of 

teams at Akld tourney 

Photo credits: Neil Wales and Plivia Alaba. 

Fusion paraded 4 teams 

at the games which 

played in all the 

categories. They also 

entered 2 teams for the 

mixed team contests. 

Results on page 6.

06 UNITED FILIPINO VOLLEYBALL CUP 2020 | VOL 2 NO 10 | WELLINGTON EDITION : www.filipino.kiwi | Mobile : 027 495 8477 

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Volleyball bounces back 

despite major cancellation of tourneys 

AUCKLAND - Against 

all odds a group of gutsy 

volleyball players in 

Auckland made a snap 

decision that the coronavirus 

was not going to put 

a damper on their longing 

to compete with other 

teams in New Zealand. 

“The whole concept of 

organising our own tournament 

started when New 

Zealand went into the first 

lockdown around March,” 

explains Paolo Valencia, 

who has a track record of 

competing successfully at 

tournaments over the last 

five years. 

He said that as there was 

significant pent-up demand 

for a nationwide volleyball 

tournament despite 

the cancellation of the 

annual Filipino Labour 

weekend games they decided 

to forge ahead to organise 

the United Filipino 

Volleyball Cup 2020. 

“That is how the UFVC 

evolved. This tournament 

was special as it reminded 

By Mel Fernandez 

us that regardless of everything 

that happened this 

year, we were still together, 

we were here and we were 

ready to play. 

“When I started to get 

messages from teams 

across New Zealand, it 

made me happy that people 

were still positive and 

the number one theme of 

the messages was that they 

wanted to have something 

to look forward to. 

“I messaged every single 

team I knew and expressed 

my interest in going ahead. 

I got inspired by the 

responses and decided to 

lead the planning and I 

was very happy to see 

everyone work together 

with a 'Bayanihan' mindset. 

“I assigned the responsibility 

of taking all the safety 

measures required in 

order to have a safe tournament 

to the team leaders.” 

“Perseverance 

and determination 

are life 

skills we want 

to help young 

players develop 

through sport.” 

- words of wisdom 

from American positive 

psychology expert 

Lara Mossman 

Lead event organsier Paolo Valencia 

Although there were 

some challenges along 

the way, like when 

Auckland went to Level 3 

again, everyone stayed 

positive and the rest is history. 

The event was held from 

24 to 25 October 2020 at 

the AUT North Shore 

Akoranga Campus in 

Auckland. 

It attracted teams from 

as far away as Hamilton, 

Rotorua and Christchurch. 

A newcomer to the 

Filipino Volleyball community 

was Cordillera - 

formed by members of the 

Cordilleran community. 

Likewise, the Natalia's 

team was formed recently 

for the Ambassador's Cup 

2020 in Auckland. It consists 

of women from South 

and West Auckland and 

they are now actively playing 

and joining leagues. 

The champion men’s 

team Waray was established 

in 2014 and has been 

growing since then. “We 

were gunning for a place in 

the men’s, women’s and 

mixed categories,” says 

Paolo. “We were excited to 

have our rookies involved 

and to see them shine.” 

Finally, all the way from 

Christchurch was Fusion. 

They paraded 4 teams, 

which played in all the categories. 

They also entered 

2 teams for the mixed team 

contests. 

List of Participating 

Teams and Clubs 

Men's – 10 teams. 

WARAY, Auckland 

Harbour Filipino Sport 

(AHFS), The Filipino 

Society Inc. (TFSI), 

Hitterz, Philippine Club of 

Rotorua (PCRI), Fusion 

(Christchurch), Waikato 

Filipino Association 

(WFA), Barbie Dolls, 

Cordillera and Simps. 

Women's – 10 teams. 

WARAY, AHFS, TFSI, 

Hitterz, PCRI (Rotorua), 

Fusion (2 x Christchurch), 

WFA (Waikato), Natalias 

and Vipers. 

Mixed teams – 8 teams. 

WARAY, AHFS, TFSI, 

Hitterz, PCRI (Rotorua), 

Fusion (2 x Christchurch) 

and Cordillera. 

THE LEGENDS 

Mixed CHAMPION - The Filipino Society Inc 

Women's CHAMPION - WARAY (right) 

Men's CHAMPION - WARAY (left) 

Fusion from Christchurch fielded the biggest 

number of teams at the tournament. 

Their Women’s Team was placed 3rd and 

Plivia Alaba (pictured right) was awarded: 

Best Opposite Hitter in the 

Women’s Mythical 7 Awards.

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BALITANG NZ AT PH. KOMUNIDAD. POLITIKA. 

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The most powerful 

typhoon ever 

slams into PH 

By Aileen Cunanan 

Top Pinoy Choir sings 

out loud on 21st Nov 

WELLINGTON - The 

Filipinos' love for music is 

well known around the 

world. In Wellington, a 

group of talented individuals 

keeps the tradition of 

building friendships and 

camaraderie alive through 

music. 

The Wellington Filipino 

Community Choir, more 

popularly known as 

Filcoro, was formed in 

1996 to perform for former 

President Fidel V. 

Ramos’ state visit to New 

Zealand. 

In 1999 Filcoro had its 

first concert to raise funds 

for the Filipino Community 

Centre. Since then the 

group has performed at 

many community events in 

Wellington and around 

New Zealand, has had several 

concerts and has even 

made an appearance on 

Radio New Zealand. 

For Flora Nogoy, one of 

the founding members, 

Filcoro is more than an 

avenue for talented individuals 

to demonstrate 

their musicality. "I see it as 

a 'pamana' (an inheritance) 

given to the younger 

Filipino generations growing 

up away from the 

Philippines, to let them 

know about our culture 

and traditions, not just 

through our performances, 

but also when they see 

how we Filipinos love to 

gather and form friendships.“ 

Filcoro's members are 

from various age ranges 

and work in different 

industries, with different 

levels of musical expertise. 

Showing their versatility, 

the group has performed a 

variety of music in their 

concerts. Classical, traditional 

Filipino music, spiritual 

and jazz are just 

some of the genres they 

have showcased over the 

years. 

For 2020 Filcoro is presenting 

an ensemble of 

music from Disney films. 

“We wanted to explore all 

the music from Disney, not 

just the new ones that 

everyone knows already,” 

says Elian Pagalilawan, 

co-director of this year's 

show. “We want to bring a 

bit of nostalgia and Disney 

music is a powerful instrument 

that brings people 

together, because we’ve 

had it for a long time. In 

light of everything, we’re 

happy that we chose this 

concept, because it’s something 

that all people can 

enjoy. There’ll be something 

in the repertoire for 

everyone.“ 

Under the direction of 

Mark Barris and Elian 

Pagalilawan the group has 

been hard at work despite 

lockdown restrictions 

affecting much needed 

rehearsal time. The annual 

concert was originally 

scheduled for June, but 

has been rescheduled to 

November because of 

restrictions. This has not 

been a deterrent to the 

group's passion to perform. 

At one point the 

group was practicing via 

Zoom. Once the alert level 

went down, twice-a-week 

rehearsals resumed and 

Filcoro is definitely ready 

for the stage once again. 

There are plans in the 

future for a collaboration 

with other Wellington 

choirs, according to Elian. 

But these will have to be 

discussed next year, as all 

their focus is on the 

upcoming performance. 

The show, entitled 'Tale 

as Old as Time', will be 

held at The Street Church 

on 21st November at 6pm. 

This will be Filcoro’s only 

major performance this 

year, so it’s best to get a 

ticket to watch this inspiring 

Filipino group in what 

is surely going to be an 

entertaining evening for 

everyone. 

MANILA, November 

1, 2020 – As of Sunday 

morning, two howlers 

have entered the 

Philippine Area of 

Responsibility (PAR). 

The first, Super 

Typhoon Goni (local 

name Super Typhoon 

Rolly), is the strongest 

storm recorded anywhere 

in the world so far 

this year. 

It is the most powerful 

storm to hit the 

Philippines since Typhoon 

Haiyan (local 

name Super Typhoon 

Yolanda) killed 6,000 

people in 2013. 

Almost a million people 

have already been 

evacuated due to Super 

Typhoon Goni. 

According to the 

Philippine National 

Disaster Risk Reduction 

and Management Council 

(NDRRMC), between 

19 million to 31 million 

people could be displaced 

by Super 

Typhoon Goni. 

FLASHFLOOD. 

(above) People wade 

through a flooded 

street in Mabolo in 

Bacoor, Cavite. 

Typhoon Ulysses 

triggered massive 

flooding in several 

areas in Luzon. (PNA 

photo by Avito C. 

Dalan) 

NEXT IN LINE. 

(right) Chidren 

holding plastic 

containers wait for 

their turn to get a hot 

meal during the 

Barangay Kaligayahan 

feeding program 

for residents in 

Fairview in Quezon 

City. Some 25 families 

that live in low-lying 

areas were evacuated 

during Typhoon 

Ulysses. (PNA photo by 

Oliver Marquez) 

The Department of 

Transportation (DOTr) 

has already suspended 

its railway services in 

Metro Manila: Light 

Rail Transit-1 (LRT-1) 

and Light Rail Transit-2 

(LRT-2) as well as Metro 

Rail Transit-3 (MRT-3). 

The Philippine National 

Railways (PNR) has also 

suspended its operations. 

Added to this, the 

Ninoy Aquino International 

Airport was closed 

for 24 hours starting at 

10am, November 1. 

As of this writing, 

Super Typhoon Goni has 

made its third landfall 

over San Narcisco, 

Quezon, even if it has 

weakened into a typhoon 

and is now off the coast 

of Pasacao, Camarines 

Sur. 

The Philippine Atmospheric, 

Geophysical and 

Astronomical Services 

Administration had earlier 

issued a Red 

Warning to the following 

areas, with the associated 

hazard of serious 

flooding: Quezon 

(Gumaca, Pitogo, San 

Narcisco, San Francisco, 

San Andres, Mulanay, 

Buenavista, Catanauan, 

Tagkawayan, Guinayangan, 

Calauag, Lopez, 

Padre Burgos, Agdangan, 

Plaridel, Unisan, 

General Luna, Macalelon, 

Perez, Quezon, 

Alabat and Atimonan). 

A Yellow Warning was 

given to Batangas and 

the other cities of 

Quezon province. Light 

to moderate with occasional 

heavy rains affected 

Metro Manila and 

nearby provinces. 

Meanwhile, PAGASA 

has also issued a severe 

bulletin announcing that 

tropical storm Atsani 

(Local name tropical 

storm Siony) has also 

entered PAR and was 

last spotted 1,365 kilometres 

east of Central 

Luzon. 

- Courtesy of TFC.

BUHAY 

NZ 

02 ISSUE 03 HERO AWARDS 2020 | www.filipino.kiwi | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | mob: 027 495 8477 | 

www.filipinoheroes.nz : Over a 100 Filipino Kiwi Heroes have been recognised over the years by Filipino News NZ. 

“A noble act of kindness 

and care done for people.” 

By Roxanne Rosquita 

and Greg Besa, JP 

WELLINGTON - On 

the 31st October 2020, the 

Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) 

conducted the Aid to 

Humanity undertakings 

through the Felix Y. 

Manalo (FYM) Foundation, 

the charitable arm 

of the Church, which benefited 

42 different community 

and religious 

organisations across New 

Zealand. 

Such humanitarian endeavours, 

recognised by 

Member of Parliament 

Ginny Andersen as “a 

noble act of kindness and 

care done for people”, 

were conducted in six different 

locations in the 

country. 

A total of 1,991 goodwill 

bags containing basic 

necessities, amounting to 

more than $55,000, were 

turned over to various 

government officials and 

political and community 

leaders of different 

organisations. 

The Church, through 

these worldwide efforts, 

was described by Zucchi 

Leonard of Christchurch 

City Mission, one of the 

beneficiaries in Christchurch, 

as an “Incredibly 

generous organisation”, 

praising its goodwill 

for people, support 

and help for 

whanau. 

In Hutt Valley, 

Hutt City Councillor 

and Hutt Valley 

District Board Member 

Keri Brown 

expressed her gratitude 

to the church 

for including Hutt 

City, particularly 

her suburban constituents, 

in the said 

The Philippine Ambassador to New Zealand, H.E. 

Mr. Jesus Domingo, also expressed his gratitude to 

the Church for making the Filipino community proud 

of this humanitarian effort worldwide, including in 

New Zealand. 

humanitarian undertaking. 

Strictly adhering to all 

government protocols, 

members organised for 

this activity at six different 

sites: Auckland, 

Invercargill, Christchurch, 

Wellington, Hutt 

Valley and Levin. 

Expanding its humanitarian 

efforts, the INC 

reached out to everyone 

in need regardless of race, 

nationality or religious 

and political affiliations. 

Mayor Bernie Wanden 

of Horowhenua District 

Council, who showed 

equal concern about his 

own community, said: 

“We know that we live in 

a community where these 

will be gratefully 

received. The need is 

great here. Any help that 

you can give them is 

greatly appreciated.” 

Wanden added. “The fact 

that you’ve chosen our 

district to be part of this 

is very special. We really 

appreciate what you have 

done for us.” 

Local civic and political 

leaders acknowledged the 

dynamic leadership of the 

INC Executive Minister 

Bro. Eduardo V. Manalo, 

who strives to make the 

humanitarian presence of 

the Church Of Christ 

stronger and more 

responsive to the needs of 

many communities 

around the world, especially 

in these times of the 

Covid pandemic. They 

also conveyed their special 

messages to Bro. 

Manalo for his birthday, 

which coincided with the 

Aid to Humanity undertakings 

worldwide. 

Anne Candy, the representative 

from Auckland 

City Council, said that 

the goodwill bags. “Will 

go towards a lot of vulnerable 

people that were 

actually discovered as a 

result of Covid lockdowns.” 

She also mentioned 

“the vulnerability and 

poverty that exists in 

Auckland for a lot of families, 

especially those that 

lost the salaries of their 

breadwinners and the 

struggle that they are 

going through. And this is 

absolutely amazing that 

the Church Of Christ has 

acknowledged that there 

is poverty in Auckland.” 

Accelerating its aid and 

assistance all over the 

world, the Church, 

according to Bro. Dennis 

Dahunan, the District 

Minister assigned to New 

Zealand, said that similar 

events took place in 155 

countries and territories 

across the globe. 

This, according to him, 

is in unity with the 

Administration of the 

Church in the fulfillment 

of God’s command to 

help those in need. 

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FRONTLINE 

HERO AWARDS 

2020 

Kristine Balatbat 

Nurse 

Arby 

Manalansan 

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Manager

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Of white elephants 

and white sand beaches 

OPINION 

Louie Encabo 


Examining 

the Manila 

Bay vanity 

project 

The white elephant is 

historically used as a symbol 

for wasteful or frivolous 

spending that has no 

useful purpose. In the 

Philippines the animal 

may have been supplanted 

by a white sand beach 

instead. 

Rehabilitating Manila 

Bay, especially its shores, 

has been a headache for 

successive governments. 

Loose regulations 

around wastewater being 

dumped into the bay and 

the intensified human settlement 

around its shoreline 

has transformed the 

once picturesque tourist 

attraction into a literal 

cesspool. 

The Duterte administration 

has arguably been the 

most serious about cleaning 

up the once renowned 

Manila landmark. 

However, their grand 

plan to transform Manila 

Bay has instead exposed 

the incompetency and 

ineptitude rampant in 

their government. 

Environment Secretary 

Roy Cimatu bared plans to 

create an artificial 'white 

sand' beach in the Bay as 

part of the Manila Bay 

Rehabilitation Program he 

launched in 2019. 

The makeover was allocated 

Php389 million in the 

2020 national budget, a 

significant sum that was 

criticized for being unnecessary 

- particularly during 

a global pandemic and 

when the Philippine economy 

is officially in a recession. 

Although spending public 

funds to improve the 

environment is a reasonable 

investment, the 

Manila Bay project was 

counter-productive as it 

created many environmental 

problems instead. 

Tonnes of 'white sand' 

would be dumped on a 

500-metre strip along the 

Bay's shoreline, leading 

many environmental 

groups to raise concerns 

about its ecological implications. 

The so-called 'white 

sand' used is actually 

crushed dolomite rocks, a 

mineral mostly used for 

construction. 

Quartz and feldspar are 

the materials commonly 

utilised in beach enhancement 

projects, while 

dolomite sand is used 

mainly for building infrastructure. 

How the latter mineral 

would interact with the 

natural ecosystem of 

Manila Bay is unclear, but 

a resident reported sighting 

massive fishkill in the 

vicinity. 

It would be disastrous if 

the dolomite sand caused 

the fishkill, since many of 

the Bay's residents rely on 

fishing for their livelihood. 

Instead of conducting 

research into the matter, 

the Duterte administration 

claimed that their critics 

had directly sabotaged the 

Bay to create the appearance 

of a fishkill. 

The dolomite sand was 

extracted from a quarry 

site in Cebu province and 

was transported to the capital 

for the project. It was 

previously reported that 

dolomite mining in Cebu 

was causing the destruction 

of coral reefs and the 

dwindling of marine life in 

the island province. 

By patronising dolomite 

for this beach project, the 

government indirectly contributed 

to the province's 

crumbling marine life. 

Planting mangroves along 

the Bay's coast, as suggested 

by the University of the 

Philippines, would not only 

have been 

cheaper but 

also more ecological. 

Government 

officials rejected 

criticisms of 

the project's 

costs and stated 

that out of 

its Php389 million 

budget, 

only Php28 

million has 

been spent so 

far. 

This is a good opportunity 

for the Duterte government 

to cut their losses and 

repurpose the leftover 

funds elsewhere, such as 

for humanitarian assistance 

for victims of Super 

Typhoon Rolly. 

But the government is 

showing no signs of backing 

off from the project 

and has even declared that 

more dolomite sand is 

needed for the man-made 

beach. 

Maintaining the Manila 

Bay beach is proving 

expensive too, as the 

dolomite sand tends to be 

washed away by strong 

waves or rising tides. 

The DPWH intends to 

resolve this by building a 

breakwater to protect the 

dolomite sand from strong 

waves, but this entails 

added costs for the government. 

This further demonstrates 

the lack of foresight 

that went into it. 

For generations the taxpayer 

could be looking at 

footing the bill to maintain 

the Manila Bay beach - an 

undertaking they never 

asked for. 

It was sold to the public 

as a means to rehabilitate 

Manila Bay and improve 

its natural environment, 

but instead it has been 

detrimental to nature. 

With its extravagant 

costs and superfluous 

rationale, this man-made 

SELFIE BY THE BAY. People take selfies at Manila Bay’s white sand beach on Roxas Boulevard. 

(PNA photo by Avito Dalan) 

beach is a quintessential 

example of a white elephant 

project. 

When the country still 

faces local COVID-19 outbreaks, 

its economy in a 

recession and having 

recently been hit by a 

string of powerful 

typhoons, you’d think that 

the government would be 

wiser about how it spends 

public funds. 

But instead, the Duterte 

administration is paying a 

premium for a vanity project 

nobody asked for.

04 BUHAY OVERSEAS | VOL 2 NO 10 | www.pinoynzlife.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | GIVE US A CALL : 027 495 8477 

www.filipinonews.nz : North Island News link. Latest Videos. | www.filipino.kiwi : The Wellington Edition - A capital idea. 

MANILA - Rice is a cash 

crop in the Philippines in the 

Philippines, not for the farmers 

who grow it, but rather 

for a cabal of unscrupulous 

individuals. 

This week, a former executive 

director of the 

Philippine Rice Research 

Institute (PhilRice) was 

found guilty of corruption. 

He and nine other agency 

officials used government 

funds to secure car loans for 

themselves. 

For pocketing Php15.78 

million the disgraced executive 

director was only made 

to pay a fine of Php15,000. 

This was not just a slap on 

the wrist, but a slap in the 

faces of Filipino rice farmers 

also. 

PhilRice’s mandate is to 

conduct scientific research 

to develop high-yielding rice 

crops and cost-reducing 

technologies for rice farmers. 

As the price of palay 

(unprocessed rice) continues 

to decline, Filipino farmers 

need government assistance 

now more than ever. 

It was an affront to farmers 

to have taxpayer funds 

intended to support them be 

siphoned off by bureaucratic 

corruption, however, the 

PhilRice debacle is hardly 

the first time corrupt individuals 

have taken advantage 

of the Philippine rice 

industry. 

In 2018 the administrator 

of the National Food 

Authority (NFA) Jason 

Aquino was dismissed by 

the Ombudsman over rice 

smuggling charges. The latter 

allegedly allowed the 

entry of almost Php35 million 

worth of rice from 

Vietnam without permits, 

import 

entries, 

taxes, or 

customs 

duties. 

The NFA 

is the government 

agency 

responsible 

for ensuring 

the stability 

of the supply 

and 

price of rice 

in the country. 

They 

purchase 

rice grains from local farmers 

at a buying price set by 

the agency’s governing 

council. 

When this scandal broke 

Rice Is A Cash Crop, 

Not For Farmers 

But For The Corrupt 

OPINION 

Louie Encabo 


out in 2018 the NFA set a 

buying price for palay that 

was below market price. 

This led to farmers selling 

their yield to private traders 

instead and was used by 

Aquino to justify the importation 

of rice from overseas. 

As a result, rice prices 

soared that year, leading to 

many low-income households 

being priced out of 

their staple food. 

Then it was revealed by 

former House Minority 

Leader Danilo Suarez that 

officials inside NFA may be 

receiving commissions for 

allowing imported rice to 

enter our markets. 

If he is correct, then this 

means that NFA officials 

deliberately set low buying 

prices for Filipino-grown 

palay to justify the import of 

rice, thereby earning an 

income under-the-table. 

Filipino farmers were 

shunned in favour of overseas 

producers because of 

the ulterior motives of these 

corrupt individuals. This is 

ironic considering that only 

a year earlier President 

Rodrigo Duterte told the 

agency to prioritise buying 

local rice before importing 

it. 

The greed of these NFA 

officials also led to the 

depletion of the agency’s 

buffer rice stocks in its granaries. 

This was alarming, especially 

because by law the 

NFA is required to maintain 

a 15-day stock at any given 

time and a 30-day stock 

from July to September to 

prepare for calamities. 

The shortage caused rice 

prices to soar, which became 

so severe in Zamboanga 

City that the local government 

was forced to declare a 

state of calamity in 2018. 

In response, President 

Duterte ordered the ‘unimpeded’ 

importation of rice in 

October 2018, to the detriment 

of local farmers. The 

move may seem forgivable, 

Filipino producers may suffer 

but at least consumers 

will benefit from the ample 

supply of rice and the easing 

of its price increases. 

However, a year later a 

Senate inquiry on the affairs 

of the NFA discovered that 

over four million sacks of 

rice were left rotting inside 

the agency’s warehouses. 

This stockpile was part of 

over 1.2 million metric tons 

of rice imported overseas 

under President Duterte’s 

directive. 

While rice imports did 

bring down its price for consumers, 

government data 

showed that the decline in 

price was minimal and that 

prices were still considered 

too high in 2019 – a year 

after that directive was 

given. 

This huge amount of leftover 

imported rice was also 

the reason why the NFA was 

not procuring palay from 

Filipino farmers at that time, 

according to then administrator 

Judy Carol Dansal. 

This led to the price of 

unhusked rice falling to new 

lows, with many farmers 

complaining that they were 

selling their yield at a loss 

due to the low farmgate 

prices. By October that year 

the price of palay had fallen 

to an eight-year low. 

Because of this, the unbridled 

importation of rice had 

a negligible effect on consumers, 

but had a significant 

impact on Filipino rice farmers 

who were unable to sell 

their yield at a beneficial 

price. Filipino rice farmers 

were in dire straits, facing 

record low prices for their 

crops and receiving little to 

no government subsidy. 

Meanwhile, private traders 

and corrupt government 

officials were reaping the 

rewards of their hard work. 

And the theme of farmers 

drawing the short straw in 

the Philippine rice industry 

continues today. 

Last month, government 

data showed that the farmgate 

price of palay continues 

to decline just as harvest season 

begins this month. It is 

said that the farmgate price 

required for farmers to break 

even is Php14.50/kg, but the 

quoted price for their crop 

currently stands at Php12.50 

-13.50/kg. 

It is a sad indictment of 

our country that the producers 

of our staple crop are 

It is a sad indictment 

of our country that 

the producers of our 

staple crop are barely 

breaking even, while 

the middlemen 

traders or the 

bureaucrats who are 

supposedly tasked 

with ensuring that 

our rice industry 

thrives are making a 

killing from the rice 

trade. 

barely breaking even, while 

the middlemen traders or the 

bureaucrats who are supposedly 

tasked with ensuring 

that our rice industry thrives 

are making a killing from 

the rice trade. 

This begs the question, 

when it is said that rice is a 

cash crop in the Philippines 

does that pertain to the farmers 

who grow it or those who 

take advantage of those 

farmers? 

Based on recent events, 

the only people benefiting 

from Filipinos’ love for rice 

are the unsavoury characters 

who skim a profit margin off 

the back of our farmers’ hard 

work. 

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Kris Faafoi takes over as new Immigration Minister 

Photo credit: Dom Thomas, RNZ 

By Gill Bonnett, RNZ 

Migrant groups are 

looking ahead to what 

changes the new Labour 

government will make to 

border and visa rules. 

Labour's manifesto signalled 

an overhaul of 

partnership visas, reducing 

barriers to the parent 

category and reviewing 

Pacific immigration. 

It said it would set aside 

one in 10 managed isolation 

places for overseas 

workers. 

Kris Faafoi, who took 

over as Immigration 

Minister from Iain Lees- 

Galloway before the election, 

retained the portfolio 

in yesterday's Cabinet 

announcements. 

Phil Twyford takes over 

as Associate Minister of 

Immigration. 

Having ruled out a 

coalition with the Green 

Party, and with New 

Zealand First not returning 

to Parliament, the 

government's plans on 

immigration - as outlined 

in its manifesto - set out 

key policy changes. 

"Labour will open up 

our settings to get more 

people into the country, 

while maintaining robust 

controls at the border," it 

said. 

"Labour will review 

immigration criteria to 

enable a broader range of 

workers to enter New 

Zealand [and] establish a 

new Investment Attraction 

Strategy to encourage 

targeted and high-value 

international investment 

into New Zealand. 

"Labour will reduce 

barriers to access the parent 

category visa, including 

reconsidering the current 

provisions once the 

international flow of people 

across the border settles, 

and reducing the 

income thresholds." 

It said it would ensure 

partnership visa rules 

were "up-to-date, culturally 

appropriate, and represent 

international best 

practice". 

MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTRE 

www.migrantnews.nz 

• Are we overdoing Political Correctness? 

• Migrants told: Be more proactive and vocal 

about new immigration laws 

• 7 reasons to learn a foreign language 

• A Filipino perspective on Black Lives Matter 

• Whistle blower reveals that : Clients are 

jumping at every chance to live abroad 

Hopes pinned 

on Labour's 

manifesto 

leading to 

significant 

immigration 

changes 

Immigration settings 

would also be updated 

and the government 

would explore implementing 

modern slavery 

legislation to eliminate 

exploitation in supply 

chains. 

It would consider climate-related 

migration 

policies among its plans to 

ensure that immigration 

policies worked in the "in 

the best interests of New 

Zealand, Pacific migrants 

and Pacific Island 

nations". 

NZ Immigrants Association 

volunteer community 

advocate Marie 

Lindaya welcomed further 

work on migrant 

exploitation, as she still 

heard of employers feeding 

on workers' desperation 

to find work, giving 

them low pay and poor 

working hours. 

Government plans to 

better match the needs of 

employers in different 

regions with the talents 

and aspirations of immigrants 

sounded good in 

theory, she added. 

"This is great but the 

proof is in the pudding," 

she said. "I would like to 

see some community road 

show korero and consultations 

with ethnic 

migrants and former 

refugees on this. Talk to 

us about us is our 

mantra." 

Work on refugee family 

reunification and settlement 

needed to happen 

faster, she said. 

"Three to five years' 

wait is too long and some 

family members back 

home, especially elderly 

parents, may die waiting. 

But again and again this 

has been echoed to MBIE 

every year when they 

meet regionally with former 

refugees. I've attended 

some of these meetings. 

A simpler, easier 

process and English language 

needs to be used as 

well and less technical, 

legal jargon." 

Migrant Workers Association 

president Anu 

Kaloti said government's 

first priorities should be 

easing some border 

restrictions. 

"The priority would be 

the people who have been 

stuck offshore for the last 

eight months," she said. 

"They need to be 

looked after straight 

away. And then the partners, 

families, couples 

who need to be reunited, 

that's another emergency. 

And then, people who 

have been on a pathway 

to residence for 5+ years, 

they need immediate 

relief in some form or 

another. 

"We're okay if they 

want to stop new people 

coming in, all we're asking 

is the ones who are 

already here, they need to 

be well looked after. 

We've got many families 

who have been here 10 

years easily and they have 

children who were born 

here. Their children go to 

school here, they don't 

know anywhere else as 

home." 

Many had come as 

international students 

when tertiary education 

was being promoted as a 

pathway to residence, she 

said. 

She also called for work 

visas to be opened up 

while the borders are 

closed, so foreign workers 

who are already here 

could fill labour gaps in 

dairy farms and 

orchards. 

Immigrants were more 

likely to be willing to 

work in the regions, she 

added, as they often did 

not have the family networks 

that stopped many 

New Zealanders from 

moving for work. - RNZ

12 BUHAY OVERSEAS | VOL 2 NO 10 | www.pinoynzlife.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | GIVE US A CALL : 027 495 8477 

www.filipinonews.nz : North Island News link. Latest Videos. | www.filipino.kiwi : The new Wellington Edition - A capital idea. 

PH preps for X’mas and business 

PREPS FOR CHRISTMAS. 

Personnel of the Dasmarinas City engineering office start to 

put up parols to light up trees along Aguinaldo Highway and 

other parts of the city. With the Philippines noted for its long 

Christmas celebrations, local government units start to decorate 

public places in preparation for the Christmas season. 

(PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan) 

LIFE-SIZE SANTA. 

A life-size Santa Claus being sold at a stall in Kanlaon St., 

Quezon City, catches the attention of a man walking down 

the street. For many Filipinos, not even the coronavirus disease 

2019 (Covid-19) can dampen their spirit to celebrate the 

Christmas season, which is touted as the most wonderful time 

of the year. (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon) 

STREET KITCHEN. 

Entrepreneur Romel Balais, 29, hands over bread in a plastic 

bag to a customer in Barangay West Kamias, Quezon City, 

on Tuesday (Nov. 10, 2020). He said that he was grateful to 

the Quezon City government for providing them with a 

source of income. 

(PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler) 

NEW NORMAL. 

Psalm of David singers wear face masks and face shields 

while serenading shoppers at the grand launch of a 

Christmas display themed 'Dazzling Christmas' at the SM 

City East Ortigas in Pasig City. The number of shoppers 

increased after persons aged 18 to 65 to go out of their homes 

last month. (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon) 

COLOUR IT GRAY. 

2018 Miss Universe Catriona Gray paints a miniature 

'Higantes' doll during her visit to the Art Capital and Home 

of the Higantes at the Angono Lakeside Ecopark in Barangay 

San Vicente, Angono, Rizal. Gray is also a National 

Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA) Ambassador. 

(Photo courtesy of PIO Angono) 

STEEL FABRICATOR. 

A worker uses a cutting disk machine inside a shop on 

Congressional Road, Barangay Sta. Lucia, Dasmarinas City, 

Cavite. Several business establishments have been allowed to 

operate to slowly revive the country's economy, which is 

being affected by the coronavirus pandemic. 

(PNA photo by Gil Calinga) 

COLORFUL X’MAS LANTERNS. 

Dazzling Christmas lanterns and decor for sale are displayed 

in Panapaan along Aguinaldo Highway in Bacoor, Cavite. 

(PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan) 

LIGHT UP XMAS. 

A man repairs the electrical wirings of a Christmas lantern at 

his stall on Sumulong Highway in Antipolo City, Rizal. 

(PNA photo by Joey O. Razon) 

IMPROVING SALES. 

A man buys fruits from a vendor at North Olympus Market, 

Novaliches, in Quezon City. The vendor said that her sales 

are getting better. (PNA photo by Oliver Marquez) 

X’MAS LANTERN. 

Personnel from the department of 

engineering in Bacoor City install a colourful Christmas 

lantern on a light post along Molino Boulevard 

in Bacoor, Cavite. (PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan) 

PHYSICAL DISTANCING. 

Churchgoers in pews inside the Our Mother of Perpetual 

Help Parish in Barangay San Manuel II, Dasmarinas City, 

Cavite, are separated by gray straw ropes to ensure physical 

distancing during a Mass. (PNA photo by Gil Calinga) 

QUALITY CONTROL. 

Guitar technician Lloyd Arandia checks the guitar's neck 

alignment before delivering it to their customer at their store 

on Piopongco Street, Barangay San Antonio, Quezon City. 

(PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler)

ISSUE VOL 2 ISSUE 10 | BALITANG SHOW BIZ | www.pinoynzlife.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | Facebook: PINOYNZLIFE 13 

www.halohalo.nz : The Pinoy Food Channel : Filipino & South East Asian Sari Sari Stores, Restaurants, Cafes, Catering etc ... 

Sell out show 

of Vice Ganda 

look-alike 

rocks the stage 

CHIKA 

MUNA 

The Filipino 

Variety Show was 

held on 

7 November 2020 

in Christchurch. 

(left Giovani 

and below with a 

guest artiste) 

Filipino entertainer Giovani Sabate Lubaton 

Giovani comes with a full 

suite of various performances 

with his vast array of talent in 

singing, dancing, comedy, drag 

and impersonation. 

Dolled up with his red 

pin-up wig and high pumps, he 

is now making a name for 

himself in his newfound home. 

“I don’t like easy. 

I want crazy.” 

CHRISTCHURCH - In his performances 

Giovani draws inspiration 

from Philippine showbiz icons 

for his comic persona and materials. 

- Vice Ganda 

"I love watching comedy acts, 

such as from Vice Ganda, Madam 

Kilay, the you-tube blogger and 

the duo pork chops," he revealed. 

"I then explore naturally in my 

Guest appearance: Dunedin 

based Kimpoy Feliciano - the 

internet sensation and a 

show biz personality. 

own way, adding a bit of taste of 

the styles of these actors and 

artists I adore watching."

14 BALITANG NZ VOL 2 NO 10 WELLINGTON EDITION : www.filipino.kiwi | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | Mobile : 027 495 8477 

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ISSUE VOL 2 ISSUE 10 | BALITANG NZ | www.pinoynzlife.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | Facebook: PINOYNZLIFE 15 

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BUHAY 

NZ 

By MEL B LIBRE 

HAMILTON - It was a 

fun weekend on Oct. 24 

among 200-plus Filipinos 

in the Waikato region of 

New Zealand as they congregated 

in Hamilton 

City’s scenic Claudelands 

Park on what was predicted 

to be a rainy day. But 

not a single drop of rain 

disrupted the merriment 

of the participants of all 

ages who attended 

LingawDuwa Larong 

Pinoy, an event that I’ve 

organized since 2013. 

Dubbed as the Filipino 

Sporting Event of the Year, 

the gathering features 

Pinoy street games – patintero/tubig-tubig, 

siatong, 

tumba preso/batolata, kariling, 

sipa/takyan, dama 

and sungka. Both young 

and old were engaged in 

the games. To the former, 

this was a time of discovery, 

while for the latter, a 

time to reminisce. 

The teams carried such 

names as Tribu Bola-bola, 

Tribu Guapohon, Tribu 

KaBol-anoNZ and Tribu 

Halo-halo. The event, hosted 

by the Waikato Filipino 

Association, attracted the 

attention of the regional 

newspaper, the Waikato 

Times, that put up a 

LingawDuwa: 

As we rediscover 

inventive Pinoy 

street games 

lengthy feature in its e- 

publication and a whole 

page of photos in its paper 

edition two days later. 

Hamilton City mayor 

Paula Southgate not only 

graced the activities, she 

also participated in patintero 

and played sungka. 

Members of Parliament 

David Bennett (National) 

and Jamie Strange 

(Labour) dropped by, mingled 

with the crowd and 

witnessed some of the 

games. 

I was asked both by 

media and the guests about 

the games and came to 

realize the creativity and 

resourcefulness of those 

who invented these games. 

I told them that we made 

do with what limited 

resources we had – sticks, a 

can, slippers, used tires – 

and still had a lot of fun. 

I guess that is the reason 

baseball did not flourish 

much in the Philippines as 

this requires gloves and 

equipment. Basketball, on 

the other hand, needs only 

a ball, a vacant lot and a 

goal, making it accessible 

to all. But the main reason 

I keep organizing Lingaw- 

Duwa is the togetherness of 

Filipinos, who for a 

moment can take a break 

from the demanding life 

overseas. 

You do everything – 

house chores, shopping, 

bringing the children to 

school, etc. Plus thinking 

about your loved ones in 

the Philippines and sending 

financial support, especially 

during emergency 

situations. And yes, for 

those on temporary visas, 

there is the prospect of 

returning home and being 

unemployed. 

I must say that one of the 

most exciting contests was 

takyan, where surprisingly 

all the competitors were 

fast and skilled. Tribu 

Bola-bola took home the 

championship trophy. 

Though they didn’t end 

up as winners, most of the 

members of Tribu KaBolanoNZ 

got their photos in 

the news not only with 

their attractive 'kinumpay' 

tribe colour, but also 

because of their camp’s 

fiesta atmosphere that 

even had a lechon for 

lunch. 

All left the event with a 

smile, even the food vendors 

who sold out their 

best Filipino dishes that 

delighted both the 

Filipinos present and the 

people of other ethnicities 

who dropped by. 

For a day we filled 

Aotearoa with laughter, 

fun and shouts of 

“Mabuhay!” 

Mel B Libre is a columnist 

for Sun Star – Cebu 

Photo credit: Waikato Filipino 

Association.

PNZLIFE NOV 2020

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