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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. To enter text: 027 495 8477 filipinonews@xtra.co.nz www.halohalo.nz (the online Filipino food website) The Filipino Food Channel • Filipino Food with a Vegan Twist • Auckland’s Posh Filipino • Adobo Nation (top restaurants) • Enjoy Bagoong without the Guilt • Handy Metro Manila Food App • Boodle Fight: all hands on deck • Filipino chef serves kaumatua • Feature your restaurant here! Look for Mel : 027 495 8477 www.filipinoheroes.nz FRONTLINE HERO AWARDS 2020 Kristine Balatbat Nurse Arby Manalansan Aged Care Facility Manager
BUHAY OVERSEAS ISSUE 03 | www.filipino.kiwi - The Wellington Edition | mob : 027 495 8477 | FB : Filipino Kiwi 03 ELISTMO (Filipino-Kiwi Business Directory) : www.elistmo.nz | List your business so clients can find you super fast - brilliant! Of white elephants and white sand beaches OPINION Louie Encabo Political Editor 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.
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