Filipino News 150

21 

YEARS 

in print 

& 

online! 

Vol 9 No 150 : MANIGONG BAGONG TAON 

Three Editions : Filipino News NZ I Pinoy NZ Life I Filipino Kiwi 

Print. Web. Tablet. Mobile. FB. YouTube. 

Pick up a 

F R E E 

copy or 

read 

online. 

www.filipinonews.nz, www.pinoynzlife.nz, www.filipino.kiwi | E: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | M: 027 495 8477 | Facebook: Filipino Migrant News 

pg 4 

5 REASONS 

TO WATCH 

BLING 

EMPIRE 

IF YOU’RE 

FILIPINO 

Filipino-Kiwi 

Hero of 

the Year 

"In every country I have lived, I have 

always found that many OFWs are in 

dire need of assistance, whether with 

domestic violence, exploitation, or emergency situations. My 

advocacy is to educate our newly arrived OFWs on their rights and 

entitlements while working here and preparing them for the life 

ahead in their chosen field." - Lani Larsen 

pg 7 

Lani 

Larsen 

Chair of the 

Good Heart 

NZPH 

Foundation 

Charitable 

Trust. 

Given in 

recognition 

of supreme 

excellence 

in their 

particular 

fields ... 

12 JUNE 2021, Auckland 

pg 9 

Filipino 

Bistro 

opens. 

Pinoy Chef 

of the Year 

Award. 

Nostalgia for HomeCooked food drives 

expansion plans of Victoria’s Kitchen Ltd. 

pg 7 

PH ready for 

vaccine rollout 

KRISTINE BALATBAT 

Frontline Hero Award 

ARBY MANALANSAN 

Health Professional 

JAZZ VIDAMO 

Music Award 

ANGELA APUN 

Pinoy Chef of the Year 

KENZO SANTAYANA 

Gymnastics Champion 

pg 10

BUHAY 

NZ 

02 ISSUE 150 BALITANG NZ | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | www.pinoynzlife.nz | MOB: 027 495 8477 

www.migrantnews.nz : New Zealand’s first MULTICULTURAL newspaper featuring immigration and settlement news since 1991. 

By Jovi 

ABELLANOSA 

Hamilton Reporter 

NEWS OR STORY IDEAS ARE MOST WELCOME! 

We are interested in featuring your events, personality profiles and 

achievements of friends and family. 

email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz or text/call: 027 495 8477 

WFA Agila participates in 

Football Fest 

HAMILTON - WFA 

Agila, Waikato Filipino 

Association's football team, 

participated for the first time 

in the long-running New 

Zealand Ethnic Football 

Festival held in Hamilton 

on 21-22 November at 

Gower Park. 

This was the first time 

WFA put together a football 

team to participate in the 

19th NZ Ethnic Football 

Festival, where 28 teams 

coming from Hamilton, 

Auckland, Wellington and 

Christchurch representing 

The WFA Agila team after their first win, with Jason Li. 

various ethnicities and countries 

competed. 

Thanks to Jun Valencia, 

who called on WFA's futsal 

players at the Pistang 

Pilipino held in Hamilton 

Ambassador Gary Domingo with Captain Radge Avergonzado 

last year and Jovi 

Abellanosa, who invited 

others from the community, 

a team of 19 was organised 

with members not only from 

Hamilton but also from 

Matamata, Te Awamutu, 

Auckland, Rotorua and 

Gisborne. 

Having organised the 

team and with only a few 

weeks until the festival, the 

next challenge was finding a 

coach/mentor who could 

make the members work 

together as a team. 

Through contacts in the 

community 

Jason Li was 

identified, who 

was willing to 

come on board 

and see how he 

could help the 

team in their 

training sessions 

and support 

them during the 

games. 

When WFA 

announced the 

establishment of 

WFA Agila, 

Ambassador 

Gary Domingo 

was quick to 

express his support. 

He attended the festival, 

cheered the team and 

joined the parade. Whilst 

they did not bring home 

either the shield or the plate, 

it was a good first competition 

that saw friendships 

made and certainly the 

desire to keep the team and 

participate in other tournaments. 

DINNER FOR A CAUSE POWERS 

‘ADOPT A SCHOOL' PROGRAM 

AUCKLAND – A key 

project of the Alpha Phi 

Omega Alumni Association 

Inc. in Auckland is 

supporting disadvantaged 

school children in the 

Philippines. On the 13th of 

February the group is 

organising a dinner and 

Althea (above) and James 

Marc (right) entertain. 

music event to raise funds 

for this year’s ‘Adopt a 

School' Program. 

“Ever since we were students 

in universities and 

colleges in the Philippines 

we have been involved in 

this fund raising activity,” 

says APO president, 

Raden Chavez. “This 

year we are supporting 

Kapoc Elementary 

School in Davao de Oro 

and Cabaruan Elementary 

School in 

Pangasinan.” 

The event 

will be held at 

Our Lady of 

Assumption 

Parish Hall in 

Onehunga and 

tickets are $35 

a plate. 

Popular 

Hamilton based 

Raden Chavez 

APO president 

singers Althea and James 

Marc have been lined up 

for the dinner party. 

APO’s New Zealand 

Alumni Association (AP- 

OANZAA) was established 

in 2009 in Auckland. 

It was incorporated 

last year. It currently has 

55 members. 

There are APO groups in 

Wellington and Christchurch 

as well. 

For tickets contact 

Raden Chavez on their 

mobile: 021 269 5094. 

Bicol Typhoon Fundraising 

project (left) and 

Tawharanui Tree Planting 

(below) 

FRONTLINE 

HERO AWARDS 

www.filipinoheroes.nz 

Kristine Balatbat 

Nurse 

Arby 

Manalansan 

Aged Care Facility 

Manager

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This Pinay’s 

OPINION 

By Dr Lilia Sevillano 

Happy New Year, dear 

readers! I’m sure many of 

us share the same hope 

that 2021 will bring better 

and brighter things. 

For all of us 2020 truly 

felt like a roller coaster 

ride – and not a pleasant 

one either. But, I’m sure 

you’ll agree with me that 

our being in New Zealand 

during the height of the 

unfolding pandemic made 

us very blessed. And when 

we look back on the recent 

year we realize that there 

is so much to be grateful 

for. I am. 

Speaking of grateful, 

just the other night hubby 

and I were sitting on the 

NZ IS NOW HOME 

balcony enjoying the 

cool breeze while 

sipping some icecold 

beverages. In that 

quiet moment I felt so 

much gratitude, a deep 

sense of inner peace and 

contentment. And as I 

enjoyed my drink and the 

sea view, my thoughts 

brought me back to the 

first day I was in New 

Zealand. 

It’s a memory that will 

always stay with me. I 

remember standing in the 

kitchen of my host’s 

house, looking out the 

window and feeling such 

an overwhelming sense of 

insecurity and uncertainty. 

The main thought in my 

head at that time was. 

“Am I ever going to feel at 

home here? Am I ever 

going to know and navigate 

the streets of this 

country as I did Manila?” 

Can any of you relate or 

empathize with that? 

I knew Manila like the 

back of my hand and was 

confident driving around 

the city streets. Then I 

found myself in this new 

place, worried about losing 

my way and whether I 

could gain back that sense 

of ‘knowing’ where I was 

and how to get to places, 

that sense of belonging to 

a place. 

Fast forwarding to 

January 2021: in April of 

this year I will have been 

here for 20 years. I know 

most of Auckland quite 

well and I can drive with 

confidence around the 

city, even around the 

country. 

In short, I have 

regained that sense of 

belonging and the security 

of knowing my way 

around. So I suppose it 

can be said that I’m ‘at 

home’ now. I have been 

for quite a number of 

years actually. 

It helped immensely 

that feeling ‘at home’ was 

also hastened by the fact 

that most of my family 

was able to immigrate 

within 6 months of my 

arrival here (NZ immigration 

policies were only 

beginning to tighten then). 

They say that a home is 

not about the place; it is 

the people that make a 

home. 

However, in conversations 

I still automatically 

refer to the Philippines as 

‘home', a fact that hubby 

pointed out on a few occasions. 

Although I haven’t 

lived there for so long, I 

still keep saying “When I 

go home ...” 

I have discovered 

though, on the few times I 

visited the Philippines, 

that it didn’t feel much 

like home anymore. 

Oh I always miss the 

delicious food and the fact 

that I can speak in 

Filipino to the locals and 

yet I couldn’t wait to get 

back here, to get back 

‘home’! 

Strange indeed … 

Although there will 

always be a part of me 

that belongs in the 

Philippines, New Zea-land 

is now home. I have made 

a good and successful life 

here, I am well ensconced 

and I’m living the dream. 

Here’s hoping that this 

home remains safe and 

bless-ed. 

Have a great 2021! 

Dr Lilia Sevillano is learning 

consultant at Massey 

University and a professional 

life coach.

CHIKA 

MUNA 

Asian actors and performers 

have always 

lamented their lack of representation 

in the global 

entertainment industry. 

There are only so many 

acting gigs for the next 

Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan 

(or *roll eyes* the Asian 

sidekick). Between ‘The 

Joy Luck Club’ and 

‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden 

Dragon’, millions of 

moviegoers would be at 

pains to think of the last hit 

movie they’ve seen with an 

all-star Asian cast. 

Then ‘Crazy Rich 

Asians’ came along and 

By Michelle Baltazar 

suddenly it’s not just about 

martial arts and heavy 

drama. We can do glitz and 

glamour too. And as a 

bonus, two Filipinos – Kris 

Aquino and Nico Santos – 

scored some airtime. 

Enter ‘Bling Empire’, an 

all-Asian reality TV show 

that was released on 

Netflix early this year. 

It follows the lives and 

loves of seriously wealthy 

Asians, plus ‘everyman’ 

Kevin, in Los Angeles. It 

took the ‘Crazy Rich 

Asians’ concept to the 

small screen and amped it 

up. 

The cast includes a selfmade 

female entrepreneur, 

the fashionista daughter of 

a tech billionaire, a CEOin-waiting, 

a socialite, a 

Kardashian look-alike and 

a reclusive heiress. What 

more could you want? 

Critics might say it’s 

04 ISSUE 150 SHOWBIZ BALITA | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | www.pinoynzlife.nz | 

www.pinoynzlife.nz.nz : The South Island Edition of Filipino News since 2014. Featuring local stories, views and interviews. 

Five reasons to watch 

‘Bling Empire’ 

if you’re Filipino 

contrived, following the 

tried-and-tested formula 

of reality TV shows. But 

that is the genre. Don’t sit 

down to watch ‘Bling 

Empire’ and expect 

‘Schindler’s list’. It’s popcorn 

entertainment 

through and through and 

that’s part of its commercial 

appeal. 

Some would argue that 

it’s manipulated and 

staged. Of course it is. One 

half of the term ‘reality 

show’ is ‘show’. 

Having seen the entire 

season’s eight episodes, 

here are the top five reasons 

to set your cynical 

glasses aside and watch 

‘Bling Empire’ if you’re 

Filipino. 

Among the show’s executive 

producers is Filipino- 

American Brandon Panaligan, 

whose Filipino dad 

hails from Pampanga, the 

Philippines. 

Enough said. Let’s support 

our kababayans who 

are trying to make it big in 

Hollywood. The odds are 

stacked against them so 

badly that anyone who 

manages to crack the market 

needs our wholehearted 

well-wishes and support. 

Jamie Xie doesn’t really 

get much screen time in the 

debut season, but she’s a 

total star. I can't wait to see 

more of her storyline in the 

next season. 

Main characters talk 

about spirituality and reincarnation 

like it’s a normal 

thing. 

Many reality TV shows 

centre on bad behaviour, 

binge drinking and bitchiness. 

Bling Empire is the 

first time I’ve seen actors 

talk about dealing with a 

family member’s death, 

adoptive parents, the idea 

of reincarnation and 

Buddhism. There's a 

haunted house and a scene 

about not stepping on ants. 

Superb. 

She reportedly shut 

down the Palace of 

Versailles just so she and 

her friends could hang out 

there in private. And, if her 

behaviour in front of the 

camera is genuine, she is 

someone with a heart of 

gold. Anna adds serious 

bling to this empire. 

There’s a lot of irreverence 

and gratuitous display 

of abs in this show, 

thanks to actor and model 

Kevin Kreider. He got the 

gig after one of the show’s 

co-creators watched his 

online videos on Asian 

masculinity and life as an 

Asian model. The show’s 

producers got two for the 

price of one – Kevin and 

his abs. 

I don't doubt that everyone 

plays it up for the camera, 

but Bling Empire is 

more than a Crazy Rich 

Asians spinoff. There’s 

more to love as you learn 

about each of the cast 

member’s lives. 

By the way, did I mention 

that one of the executive 

producers of this runaway 

success is Filipino? 

Job Board: INSTALLING INSULATION 

We are looking for someone who is reliable, keen to learn and not 

afraid to pitch in. 

The job involves working in ceiling spaces and sucking out old 

insulation using my custom-made equipment. 

Sometimes we remove insulation manually. 

The job is open to male or female applicants.Some of our best 

workers in the past have been young women. 

You would need to be capable and conscientious, nimble, safety 

conscious and a team player. 

Most of the time you would be working with one other person, me. 

The work can be physically challenging as we pride ourselves on 

100% customer satisfaction. 

We are the best in the business. 

Sometimes involves travelling out of Auckland (Northland, Waikato, 

Bay of Plenty) for the day. 

Never boring, often challenging. Every day is different. 

Looking for a genuine worker (or workers) that I can get along with 

and trust. 

Paying $25.00 hr 

Experience installing insulation might be an advantage. 

If you think you are up for it or you want to know more, contact me. 

Frank Vogels 027 522 7003, fluffbusters@gmail.com

By Queenie 

LEE TANJAY 

Rotorua Reporter 

ROTORUA - With the 

internet's mass influence 

on everyday lives, it is 

easy to find kids idly 

hanging out with their 

gadgets at home, separated 

by the lockdown conditions, 

time quickly slipping 

away via unproductive 

activities. But these 

kids from Rotorua are different. 

On weekends, instead of 

tablets and mobile 

phones, they pick up 

sticks to patiently learn 

the art of self-defense and 

combat, Eskrima. 

Alyana Tejero (10), 

Carlos Tejero (8), Basti 

Remaldora (14) and Josh 

Laserna (12) have been 

enjoying their time 

together for months as 

students of their Maestro, 

Antonio Tejero. 

Having been trained 

since they were four (4) 

years old, martial art 

exercises were easily 

assimilated into Alyana 

and Carlos' lives growing 

up. "We like Eskrima as it 

is part of our heritage. As 

Filipinos, it represents 

who we are as a people," 

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

NZ 

“Mga Batang Eskrima” 

Save the Day for 

Filipino Martial Arts 

these kids shared. 

On the other hand, 

although still only five 

months into the program, 

Basti has already seen the 

sport's promising effects. 

"Eskrima is a big part 

of our cultural identity as 

Filipinos and practising it 

preserves and spreads 

that identity. It also teaches 

you discipline and how 

to defend yourself from 

unwanted situations," 

Maestro Antonio Tejero with 

dedicated students of ‘Eskrima’. 

Basti remarked. 

When asked about their 

favourite routines, the 

kids fondly shared their 

memories during training. 

"Our favourite during 

training days is having 

to train together as a team 

and as friends and learning 

new lessons and 

understanding about 

Filipino martial arts," 

Alyana and Carlos jointly 

aired. 

"What I like the most 

is sparring, because you 

learn lots of new things 

and get to correct what 

you did wrong and 

improve," Basti, on the 

other hand, said. 

At present the kids also 

mingle with other participants, 

like Priya Fernandes, 

an Indian national 

fellow of their Maestro, 

who enthusiastically expressed 

her interest in 

learning the sport. 

Viewing the sport in 

another 

light, not 

only do 

they enjoy 

the 

company 

of each 

other, but 

also the 

guidance 

of their 

Maestro. 

"He teaches us everything 

there is to know with passion 

and it's now up to us 

how we execute it while he 

constantly helps us 

improve," Basti told us. 

"Our Maestro is strict 

when it comes to training, 

but outside training he is 

a fun and loving person. 

He teaches us how to have 

fun after sessions, how to 

sing and play the guitar," 

Alyana commented. 

Evidently the beauty of 

the sport lies in its 

impacts on their lives outside 

the training camp. 

Not only are they moulded 

as good students, but 

also as obedient sons and 

daughters and holistic 

individuals. "I learned 

respect for traditions, 

patience, humility and 

perseverance in anything 

I do," Carlos 

claimed. "My reflexes 

were sharpened and the 

training taught me to be 

prepared and alert of 

my surroundings at all 

times," Basti added. 

Although still premature 

relative to popular 

sports here in NZ, these 

kids never lose their 

hopes of growing 

patronage for Eskrima. 

"We hope to share and 

help to achieve the dream 

of our Maestro by promoting 

Filipino martial 

arts and keeping the fire 

burning for future generations 

to come," they positively 

ended.

BUHAY 

NZ 



OPINION 

By Mel Libre 

First appeared in Sun Star 

Cebu. 

The year that was 2020 

was an extraordinary one in 

so many ways. Despite the 

challenges brought on by 

the COVID-19 pandemic to 

New Zealand, Filipino 

Society members brought 

some Christmas cheer to 

some Filipino families in the 

Auckland community. 

Over two days, 19 and 20 

December, the members 

went Christmas caroling, a 

beloved tradition in the 

Philippines, visiting families 

in East and West 

Auckland. 

The songs included 

favorite Filipino carols and 

the group sang both English 

FILIPNO SOCIETY 

MEMBERS 

GO CAROLING 

By Dr Lilia 

Sevillano 

and Tagalog Christmas 

medleys. 

They were well received 

by the families who hosted 

them. The feedback was that 

the caroling reinforced the 

strong attachment Filipinos 

have to their home country, 

the Philippines. 

Most especially, the caroling 

revived cherished memories 

of past Christmas celebrations 

for the fortunate 

Filipino families who were 

generous enough to open 

their homes and hearts to 

our very talented group. 

So, despite COVID-19’s 

presence still being very 

much prevalent, smiles, 

laughter, and joy was the 

gift that members brought to 

the families they visited. 

Hey Joe 

Hey Joe” is a popular 

expression in the Philippines 

that originated during 

World War 2. It was 

taken from the term GI 

Joe, for enlisted white male 

American soldiers. 

It continued to be used 

for any white male person 

who was thought to be 

American. One writer 

claimed that it was a term 

of endearment rather than 

scorn. 

Well, what do you know? 

The 46th president of the 

United States is Joe Biden 

and I don’t think he’d 

mind if we greeted him 

with the expression, “Hey 

Joe!” Let’s do that. 

Hey Joe. You finally got 

sworn in as the president 

after that ugly mob desecrated 

the US Capitol 

where, on the 20th of 

January, you took your 

oath to “preserve, protect 

and defend the Constitution 

of the United 

States”. 

You’ve spent most of 

your life as a public servant, 

as a senator and as 

vice president. You could 

have been one of the 

youngest presidents had 

you succeeded in 1988, but 

that campaign was marred 

by “the exaggerated shadow” 

of past mistakes. 

In a second try in 2008 

you failed to make a dent 

in the Democratic Party 

nomination that saw the 

rise of Barack Obama. 

But you did not give up. 

You served well as vice 

president for the two terms 

of President Obama and 

declined to run in 2016 to 

give way to Hillary 

Clinton. 

Christmas came early for 

Filipinos in Rotorua as the 

community witnessed a cultural 

spectacle last December 

17, right at the centre of 

the city. 

Kababayans from various 

parts of the Bay of Plenty 

area gathered around town 

to enjoy the afternoon surrounded 

by different native 

foods and the talents of fellow 

migrants. 

The event was organized 

by the Bay of Plenty 

Friendship Society (BOP- 

FS), following the successful 

affair held last labour 

weekend. “This gathering 

was originally scheduled for 

next year, but due to incessant 

requests from the community 

we tried to make it a 

year-end offering for our 

kababayans instead,” Ronald 

Espellarga, society 

president, relayed. 

The organizing committee 

tapped into networks of 

sports and cultural enthusiasts 

within the community to 

make the one-day affair 

eventful. "For the cultural 

presentation Mynard Maghari, 

whose passion is the 

choreography of Filipino 

dances, offered his services 

and joined with Mr. and 

Mrs. Chris and Sheila 

Manlunas, whose expertise 

pertains to ballet. They were 

part of the Philippines Ballet 

Society and produced an 

amazing show during the 

25th Anniversary of the 

D o n a l d 

Trump surprisingly 

defeated 

Clinton. The 

White House 

became a rated 

political 

drama-soap 

opera-comedic 

sitcom under a 

showman like no other. 

To admirers, Trump was 

a champion who would 

make American great 

again. To critics, he was 

one of the most polarizing 

and egotistic individuals to 

serve as president. 

Hey Joe. Going against 

Trump was not easy. This 

guy had no manners, threw 

lies and did everything to 

pull you down. But it's 

good to know that you did 

organization," Cirila 

Andrews, BOPFS founder, 

shared. 

Everyone was apparently 

enjoying their fine time surrounded 

by good food and 

music. Classic and authentic 

Filipino cuisines were present, 

namely the infamous 

pancit, dinuguan, pork belly, 

binignit, empanadas and 

other delicacies such as 

turon, puto bumbong and 

kutsinta, among others. Of 

course, lechon was not hard 

to find either with Filipino 

fans queuing in the area. 

The dances offered were 

also all sorts from 

cultural to contemporary 

styles, 

which were participated 

in by all age 

brackets. Performers 

also took pride 

in donning colourful 

traditional 

Filipino costumes 

in their presentations. 

Song numbers 

were also not 

missed in the event, to the 

tune of some familiar novelties, 

jingles and tracks that 

were offered by old and new 

migrants in the region. 

True enough, the event is 

reminiscent of Filipino fiestas 

in barrios where heaps of 

locals and guests congregate 

around good food and 

ambiance. 

Not only our kababayans 

relished all the event offerings, 

but Kiwis and guests 

from diverse multicultural 

groups did as well. For new 

President Joe Biden 

not go to his level, but kept 

standing on the higher 

ground of decency. 

The Don was a sore loser 

until the very end, so it was 

just right that you never 

mentioned his name in 

your inaugural speech. 

Serves him right. 

Unifying the people of 

the US is foremost in your 

agenda. With the enormous 

problems facing your 

country today, you admit 

migrants, the gathering was 

the perfect opportunity to 

gain a wider knowledge of 

networks and to realize a 

new sense of belonging in 

this newfound home. 

"Spectacular ... The 

Filipino community was 

very supportive. Our local 

council was hugely supportive 

too, for example providing 

us with the venue and 

facilities," Cirila remarked. 

The BOP Philippine 

Friendship Society Incorporated 

was established as a 

non-profit community 

organization in 1995. It has 

hosted the annual reunions 

of various Filipino communities 

in New Zealand, 

including the Annual 

Filipino Festival of Sports 

and Culture and Miss 

Philippines-NZ. 

Various sports competitions 

have also been organized, 

including basketball, 

ten pin bowling, volleyball, 

darts, table tennis, tennis, 

golf and some traditional 

Filipino games. Other social 

activities were carried out as 

well, such as meeting new 

that you cannot do it alone, 

but need the American 

people marching with you. 

Through executive actions 

you issued on your first 

day of office you are 

paving the way. But there 

is much more work ahead. 

While you mend the brokenness 

of the US, the 

many leaders and the 

many countries that your 

predecessor alienated need 

your commitment to 

democracy, to freedom, to 

the protection of the environment 

and to end the 

pandemic. For a moment 

the US failed the world. 

Don’t fail us during your 

call to service. 

Hey Joe. We heard you 

and find you to be a likeable 

father of your nation. 

We pray for your success. 

The Lord be with you. God 

bless America. 

Celebrating Culture at Christmas 

By Queenie 

Lee Tanjay 

immigrants and international 

students. 

Through the years the 

society has worked out 

events that support new 

Filipino migrants and integrate 

the Kiwi way of life 

without the compromise of 

banning our native culture. 

Under the organization's 

vision it strives to "promote 

unity, good well-being and 

camaraderie" among Filipinos 

and other ethnic communities 

in New Zealand. 

"Our message to Filipinos 

in New Zealand is to appreciate 

what the country is 

offering us. Keep and promote 

our Filipino cultural 

values while we embrace the 

Kiwi culture and make an 

effort to integrate into the 

diversified community. 

“Share our culture with 

other ethnic communities 

and appreciate their cultures 

too. Practice our good values 

and encourage the youth 

to be good citizens," Cirila 

ended.

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BUHAY 

NZ 

Filipino-Kiwi 

Hero of the Year 

By Queenie Lee Tanjay 

458 was the magic number 

for Lani Larsen. 

Hailing from the city of 

smiles in the Philippines, 

this native Ilongga bagged 

her big dreams and made 

it here as the 458th 

migrant citizen of New 

Zealand in 1977. 

Although life was 

already wrapped with 

ease and comfort in the 

Philippines, her decision 

to explore overseas has 

seen better days not only 

for her but also for her 

family. 

From her kolehiyala 

broadcasting days and 

accounting role in her 

family business, Lani 

traveled extensively in 

different countries to support 

her husband's international 

infrastructure 

projects as an engineer. 

Now in New Zealand, 

she contemplates the life 

she has made in her newfound 

home. "NZ offers 

many benefits in terms of 

health and retirement, 

plus the quality of life is 

comparable to none," she 

remarked. 

However, for Lani, 

everything is always 

about family, which 

inspired her advocacy to 

help Filipinos' with their 

predicaments here in NZ. 

"In every country I 

have lived, I have always 

found that many OFWs 

are in dire need of assistance, 

whether with 

domestic violence, 

exploitation, or emergency 

situations," she 

said. 

"My advocacy is to educate 

our newly arrived 

OFWs on their rights and 

The face of 

passion, 

community 

entitlements while working 

here and preparing 

them for the life ahead in 

their chosen field." 

To thrust this passion 

forward, Lani acknowledged 

the need for collaborative 

efforts to mobilize 

activities, train new volunteers 

and awaken the 

community. 

With the help of the 

internet Lani found 

kababayans who shared 

the common goal of 

improving fellow OFWs' 

situations; from this 

emerged the Good Heart 

NZPH Foundation Charitable 

Trust. 

"The mandate was: 

Your Right, Your Health, 

Your Knowledge is your 

empowerment. 

In this Trust, it is 

important to be independent 

of all sides and function 

as a group without 

favours to be able to provide 

advocacy independently," 

she shared. 

The organization started 

in a forum with 

Ambassador Jesus Domingo 

at Kauri Academy in 

Auckland and is now continuing 

to proliferate this 

kind of activity in different 

areas of the country. 

Among the milestones 

of the group are their 

recent efforts during the 

lockdown. "The pandemic 

brought out the worst 

and best of people. We 

were tried and tested in 

all forms and exhausted 

all our resources," she 

THE DREAM TEAM: 

(left to right) 

Alice Lozano 

Edgar Calapati 

Corazon Sitchon 

Members of Good Heart 

NZPH Foundation Trust 

aired. 

"Our community were 

unsung heroes as they 

sent aid to our workers in 

need. Our paperwork to 

help workers and employers 

was tremendous." 

Other than that, the 

(right:) Food packs distributed 

to those in need. 

(bottom right:) Participants 

of The Ambassadors 

Cup Tournament 

(below:) Insurance forum 

for new migrants and 

OFWs. 

organization has been an 

upstanding pillar of the 

community, providing 

comprehensive support, 

including immigration 

interpretation, financing, 

police assistance and 

embassy liaison. 

LANI LARSEN 

Good Heart NZPH Foundation Trust 

On the other hand, 

sports is also recognized 

as a vital element in sustaining 

physical and mental 

health. 

With the breadth of 

support the organization 

is giving, Lani can't help 

looking back to how her 

passion has reached to the 

boundaries of the community. 

"Earning the trust and 

respect of the public is 

something I will always be 

proud of," Lani pronounced. 

Now, after at least four 

decades in New Zealand, 

Lani shows no sign of 

stopping with her advocacy, 

stacking up milestone 

after milestone, with the 

rest still unwritten for the 

community. 

"As the days pass/hours 

are ticking, my screen 

never stops working, until 

the time that Filipinos are 

accepted as equal partners 

in all sectors of our 

community," she beautifully 

pieced. 

When asked how she 

wished her efforts to resonate 

throughout history, 

she ended. "A legacy that 

I am proud to be remembered 

by is being one of 

the many advocates of 

equality for Filipinos in 

New Zealand. Success is 

then sweet and earned." 

2017 

History of the Filipino- 

Kiwi Hero Awards. 

The inspiration for the 

Filipino-Kiwi Heroes hall of 

fame comes from a similar 

honours roll in the Philippines 

conferred by the Philippine 

Inquirer Newspaper. For a 

more detailed list of award 

winners over the years please 

visit: www.filipinoheroes.nz 

COMMUNITY 

AWARDS: 

Outstanding Community 

Group - Leyte-Samar NZ 

Solidarity Foundation 

Inc. 

Community Service – 

North Shore Filipino 

Community 

BUSINESS AWARDS: 

Business Achiever of the 

Year - Marjorie Delco 

Bennett, Boracay Garden 

Restaurant 

VISUAL ARTS: 

Pinoy Artist of the Year - 

Louie Bretana 

Photographer of the Year – 

Virgilio Santos 

SPORTS AWARDS 

Sportsperson of the Year 

(Rugby) – Joshua Aragon 

Coach of the Year (Squash) 

- Manuel Yam Jr. 

Sports Achiever (Basketball) 

– Joseph Nunag 

Sports Achiever 

(Badminton) – Roanne 

Apalisok 

Sports Achiever (Squash) - 

Matthew L. Lucente 

FILIPINO MUSIC 

AWARDS 

Performer of the Year 

- Sor Apao 

Rising Star – Joshua 

Duting 

Rising Star – Althea 

Mercado 

Outstanding Stage 

Performer - Shelly Amore 

Ballantine

BUHAY 

NZ 



Three 

Quarters 

Full 

By Dr Lilia 

Sevillano 

Dr Lilia Sevillano is learning 

consultant at Massey 

University and a professional 

life coach. 

“For every 

minute you 

are angry, 

you lose sixty 

seconds of 

happiness.” 

– Ralph Waldo Emerson 

If we listen to and read 

the news, there seems to be 

nothing but negativity. In 

the past few months of 

2020, hate, unhappiness 

and anger were the prevailing 

emotions all 

around the world. 

More and more people 

are easily prone to negativity 

and pass this on to others; 

which is why I think 

that Emerson’s quote 

seems a rather timely 

reminder to us not to get 

caught up in or drawn into 

all the negativity that surrounds 

us. And here’s the 

point to all this: one 

minute of negativity is so 

much more draining on 

our health, both physically 

and mentally. Sadly anger 

doesn’t quickly disappear 

after a minute. 

For many that feeling 

remains for quite a while. 

Some hold on to it and let it 

fester for so much longer. 

So if you are angry for 30 

to 60 minutes, that translates 

into 1800 to 3600 seconds 

of happiness lost. Do 

the math and figure out 

how many seconds of happiness 

are lost when people 

hold on to grudges or simmering 

anger for years and 

months. Frightening! You 

never looked at it that way, 

did you? And that is time – 

and happiness - that can 

never be regained. 

Then, when we look 

back at what caused the 

anger, we realize most 

often that it wasn’t worth 

it. Which raises the question 

of who is crazy enough 

to want to trade happiness 

for anger? 

Each time a new year 

rolls around many of us 

make resolutions to try to 

live a better life. Why not 

make this an item on your 

list: to try and not let anger 

(or envy, or unhappiness, 

or hate) consume you? 

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Of course I know that 

there will be instances 

when it can’t be helped. 

But we can try to recall 

Emerson’s quote when it 

happens and let it go as 

soon as we can. 

As an afterthought, perhaps 

this is one factor to 

why many people have so 

many physical ailments 

these days. There is so 

much unreleased negative 

emotion that 

is held within. 

My suggestion 

if you 

want a truly 

healthier life 

this 2021: 

don’t just diet 

and eat healthily, but be 

healthy with your thoughts 

and especially with your 

emotions. 

Your glass is already 

three-quarters full; you 

only need a little bit to fill 

it up. Be happy! 

Happy New Year and 

wishing you all a brighter, 

better one! 

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job board for new listings. 

Employers list your jobs super fast. 

Advertisers call: 027 495 8477 

or email: migrantnews@xtra.co.nz 

Musings on 

2020 

OPINION 

By Queenie 

Lee Tanjay 

“I say, what a decade! From 

enrolling in my dream course now 

to flying out soon to my dream 

country,” said an old tweet of a 

hopeful version of me on the first 

day of the year. Little did I know 

that 2020 was going to be the 

most challenging time of my life. 

I left the Philippines last 

February, right when everybody 

still had premature assumptions 

on the extent of the pandemic. 

Although cautions on transmissions 

and lockdowns had already 

spread, all of these were shoved at 

the back of my head, being more 

occupied with entering a new 

phase in my life. 

I was excited to go back to 

school and live independently - 

buying my own food, making my 

own schedules and doing everything 

essentially under my own 

power. As it turned out, these only 

comprised menial portions of the 

life I was to build here in New 

Zealand. 

I remember my first month, 

dreading that I wouldn't be able to 

find a part-time job while my 

pocket money quickly dissipated 

from high rent and food rates. I 

never thought that getting hired 

for a job would be this hard. 

Here, for all I knew, due to the 

low employment rates the chance 

of landing a jobs would be high. I 

furnished at least 50 applications 

personally and online in my desperation 

to make ends meet. 

Phone calls, interviews and actual 

trials – all of these were to no 

avail until I was able to secure a 

crew position in a food restaurant 

through a recommendation. But 

right when I saw a ray of hope for 

my circumstances, on my supposed 

first day of work, my boss 

called up to inform me that my 

shift was canceled due to the 

impending lockdown. 

Not long after, the national 

lockdown news broke out. 

Locked down for an indefinite 

period until the cases subsided. 

So there I was, locked out in my 

sleepout, devoid of revenue 

streams, trying to survive my 

mental battles away from home 

and scared of the unknown. 

At that point, if there was one 

moral from life that I applied, it 

was to keep forging ahead for 

your dreams, even it means doubly 

hard work on your part. 

During this period I took the 

time to do well in my studies by 

reading and researching more. I 

also learned to be good to my 

body by practicing a healthy 

lifestyle in terms of food and 

exercise. 

On the other hand, I was still 

trying to apply for part-time jobs 

that could be done remotely at 

home until I came across a news 

company for 

Fili-pino 

migrants here 

in NZ. I was 

amazed by 

the mass of 

information 

about the 

community 

and right then 

I was inspired 

to channel 

my penchant 

for writing 

through contributing 

content. 

I remember 

my first article 

featuring 

the plight of international students 

here in NZ flashed in social media 

and I had to receive supportive 

responses from my boss, family 

and friends. 

Little did I know, that was my 

ticket to belonging more in the 

community by interacting with 

fellow kababayans and learning 

from their inspiring stories. Up to 

this day I still cannot believe that 

I’ve interviewed Ambassador 

Gary Domingo regarding tourism 

projects! 

Past lockdown, I decided to 

keep this casual job apart from 

my resumed store occupation. 

Although I had three years’ worth 

of experience in the Philippines 

already, working in a restaurant 

was definitely new territory. I 

dreaded my every shift and faced 

adversities interacting with customers 

and fellow crew. 

However, these positively 

pushed me to think quickly on my 

feet, be proactive and become 

adept at providing my services. 

Despite these challenges, I am 

proud to say that I am now applying 

these lessons to work that is in 

line with my field and am currently 

investing in things using my 

hard-earned savings. 

Looking back, I can say that it 

was not only my efforts that 

helped me survive those times. 

My family and friends were my 

prime sources of strength and 

inspiration, filling up the emptiness 

and encouraging me to move 

forward. I’ve grown closer to 

them by communicating regularly. 

I have been here in NZ for 

almost a year and clearly life here 

is not what I envisioned it to be. 

Tides may have turned, but from 

those discomforts I’ve found 

growth and because of all those 

pains I’ve felt the abundance of 

love around me. 

Now I am still into writing my 

personal legend, learning day by 

day and continuing to surprise 

myself each time. To 2021, bring 

it on!

# FILIPINO FOOD 

ENTREPRENEURS 

By Mel Fernandez 

AUCKLAND – Last 

year, in the shadow of an 

unpredictable pandemic 

and encountering an 

increasingly competitive 

business environment, 

several food entrepreneurs 

were forced to shut 

up shop permanently in 

the Auckland region. But 

surprisingly, in parallel 

with the aforementioned 

scenario some gutsy operators 

were gearing up to 

expand their business, 

primarily to fill the gaps 

left in the market. 

Take the example of 

Filipino immigrants Erik 

and Victoria Sia, the 

brains behind Auckland 

based Victoria’s Kitchen 

Ltd, who have always 

been upbeat about the 

future of the restaurant 

and food service industry. 

The hardworking pair 

are now on track to setting 

up a chain of eateries 

bearing their famous 

‘Home-Cooked Filipino 

Food’ brand. 

The success secret of 

their enterprise 

according to Erik 

is to serve up nostalgia 

on a plate. 

“We offer punters 

the nostalgia 

of family–style 

home-cooked 

food with a high 

culinary standard 

at a reasonable 

price. 

“We serve 

purely traditional 

food without any fusion 

elements,” says Erik Sia. 

“This ensures that our 

Filipino clients get a nostalgic 

taste of home. 

Inevitably they will introduce 

our Filipino dishes to 

the locals as well. 

“Our eateries have built 

a reputation for serving 

authentic Filipino dishes 

and the flavours come 

from the province of 

Pampanga which is rated 

as the ‘The Culinary 

Capital of the Philippines'. 

Our crowd pulling 

Pampanga style dishes are 

legend - sisig, adobo, beef 

caldereta, crispy pata and 

grilled barbecue.” 

Some would say that the 

Nostalgia for 

HomeCooked 

food drives 

expansion plans 

Dine-in. 

Takeaway. 

Catering. 

Design. 

NZ HOME- 

COOKED 

EATERIES 

Mt Albert. 

Akld CBD. 

Wairau Valley 

Mobile: 022 

432 0350 

www. 

nzhomecooked.com 

business model of this 

indefatigable pair is faultless. 

First and foremost 

they have the right product 

in the bag. And they 

have taken baby steps to 

grow their enterprise – 

initially focusing on entry 

level fiestas and community 

events where they 

offered good, authentic 

Filipino food at a reasonable 

price. 

As the fledgling business 

gained name recognition 

in the marketplace 

and built a loyal clientele 

for its catering arm it was 

time to think of jumping a 

little higher. 

In tandem with the 

rapid increase in Filipino 

TEAM WORK: Erik Sia with the ‘HomeCooked 

Filipino Food’ team (above). 

LAUNCH PARTY: Ambassador Gary Domingo, 

Pinoy socialites and Erik’s friends at the new ‘Home 

Cooked Family Bistro’ in Mt Albert, Auckland (right) 

migration to New 

Zealand the pair 

decided to seek 

premises in strategic 

locations to 

offer their soughtafter 

unique street 

food experience. 

Then to further differentiate 

their new eateries 

from the crowd they 

resolved to launch three 

distinct brands – a ‘turoturo’ 

style takeaway, a 

fast casual dining food 

court outlet and finally a 

swanky restaurant - in 

order to soak up the pentup 

demand for nostalgic 

food and to cater to their 

consumers' likes and preferences. 

They saw an opportunity 

to open the first 

Filipino outlet in a food 

court in Wairau Valley on 

the North Shore – The 

Delicious Link Food 

Court. This has now 

become the go to place for 

fast casual dining and 

takeaway orders in close 

proximity to increasingly 

populous Filipino 

suburbs on the 

North Shore. 

Next they opened 

a branch within the 

Taiping Supermarket 

in Wairau 

Valley - which is 

popular with Filipino 

shoppers. The 

concept here was 

reminiscent of the 

‘turo-turo’ takeaways 

back home. This outlet 

has since been 

sold. 

It was onwards 

and upwards when a 

HomeCooked branch 

opened at the cut 

above food hall – the 

Elliott Stables - right in 

the heart of Auckland 

City. The target market 

here was Pinoy city 

dwellers, workers and 

international students. It 

was also an ideal location 

to introduce and push the 

influence of Filipino food 

to Kiwis and tourists. 

Like their fellow food 

entrepreneurs the Sia’s 

business was impacted 

when Auckland was put in 

a lockdown. The pair were 

not phased, but were 

determined to bounce 

back when things settled. 

When trading restrictions 

were gradually 

scaled back the Sias were 

first off the mark with 

delicious food combos 

offered at a reasonable 

price which punters could 

pick up at their outlets 

and they started gaining 

lost ground. 

The New Year looks 

even brighter for the 

dynamic duo. It was time 

to achieve another of their 

goals – to open a signature 

restaurant where Pinoys 

could hang out and chill. 

An upscale 70-seat family 

Bistro in Mount Albert 

was launched recently. It 

is big enough to host special 

events with space for 

dancing and even has a 

VIP Videoke room. 

Arguably Victoria’s 

Kitchen Ltd is now the 

biggest Filipino restaurant 

group in New 

Erik Sia is a Director of 

Auckland based Victoria’s 

Kitchen Ltd which operates 

three ‘HomeCooked’ brand 

eateries in Auckland. 

The team of chefs at 

‘HomeCooked Filipino 

Food’ received the ‘CHEF 

OF THE YEAR 2020’ 

award. 

Pinoy chefs are making 

a name for themselves 

in New Zealand and the 

Filipino News NZ / 

Halo Halo NZ ‘Pinoy 

Chef of the Year Award’ 

goes some way towards 

acknowledging and 

celebrating the talent 

and skills of this group 

of unsung heroes in our 

community. 

Zealand as they gear up to 

get their HomeCooked 

restaurant franchise operation 

up and running. 

“Based on our years of 

experience and deep 

industry expertise, we can 

offer fellow Filipino entrepreneurs 

a chance to 

replicate our unique street 

food experience throughout 

New Zealand,” says 

Erik. 

Expect to see yet another 

HomeCooked Filipino 

Food outlet opening near 

to you. 

Find the location of the 

HomeCooked eateries at: 

https://www.elistmo.nz

By JADE 

KABAGANI 

MANILA – The country is 

well-prepared for the arrival 

of the coronavirus disease 

2019 (Covid-19) vaccines, 

National Policy Against 

Covid-19 chief implementer 

and vaccine Czar Secretary 

Carlito Galvez Jr. said. 

"Mayor, we are prepared. 

We can acquire vaccines, 

including the Pfizer and 

Moderna ones. We have the 

capacity to do so," Galvez 

told President Rodrigo 

Duterte in a televised meeting 

recently. 

He said that the Department 

of Health - Research 

Institute for Tropical Medicine 

has already procured 

ultra-cold chain refrigerators 

that can store about one million 

vaccines with a temperature 

requirement of up to - 

70°C. 

The government has partnered 

with local pharmaceutical 

firms to scale up cold 

chain storage facilities. 

Meanwhile, he cited the 

importance of an information 

drive to counter the misinformation 

posed by the 

'anti-vaxxers' on social 

media. 

Anti-vaxxers refers to people 

who disagree with the use 

of vaccines for a variety of 

reasons. 

"This is a problem that we 

need to address together. We 

know that the President will 

be of great help, because the 

10 BUHAY OVERSEAS | ISSUE 150 | www.filipinonews.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 ready for 

vaccine rollout 

UNLOADING VAX DRILL. A PharmaServ Express staff member pushes a trolley loaded with a 

sealed cooler box of 'Covid-19 vaccines' to the Pharmacy Division during full-scale simulation 

exercises of the cold chain and logistics management at the Philippine Lung Center, Quezon City. 

The government is expecting the arrival of 117,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines this February. 

(PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler) 

willingness of our countrymen 

to get the vaccine is 

decreasing due to the adverse 

effects of certain brands," 

Galvez said. 

He noted that the presence 

of anti-vaxxers is one of the 

reasons why some Filipinos 

are hesitant. 

“At the same time the antivaxxers 

have a strong social 

media presence. This is a 

huge challenge," Galvez said. 

Presidential Spokesperson 

Harry Roque, he said, is also 

helping the government’s 

aggressive information dissemination 

campaign. 

The DOH and the National 

Task Force Against Covid-19 

(NTF) earlier launched the 

“Explain, Explain, Explain” 

VACCINATION SIMULATION. San Juan City Mayor Francis 

Zamora gets 'vaccinated' by a health worker during the Covid-19 

vaccination simulation exercise at the San Juan gym. 

The simulation was to familiarize healthcare workers who were 

recently trained by the health department. 

(PNA photo by Joey O. Razon) 

campaign to relay all the 

updates on the Covid-19 vaccine 

deployment and the 

national inoculation plan. 

“The business sector is also 

assisting the government in 

convincing people to support 

the mass vaccination rollout,” 

Galvez said. 

“We have done this already 

during testing and when we 

launched our ‘Ingat Angat 

Para Sa Lahat’ program, 

which resulted in improvements 

in the minimum health 

standards,” he said. 

On the other hand, Galvez 

said that the government 

would procure vaccines that 

are already widely used in 

other countries. 

- PNA 

Photographers taking 

shots from a distance 

amid pandemic 

By AZER 

PARROCHA 

MANILA – Amid 

the prevailing coronavirus 

pandemic, both 

professional and hobbyist 

photographers 

have trained themselves 

to capture 

images of people from 

a distance. 

Over the past 

months, Avito Dalan, 

a photojournalist for 

the Philippine News 

Agency, has been 

maintaining distance 

and using longer lenses 

to be safe and still 

take good photos. 

“There are a few 

changes because us 

photographers, for 

our own safety, follow 

the health protocols 

being implemented by 

the government. 

“Before leaving 

your home you have 

to make sure that you 

wear your face mask 

and face shield and 

bring alcohol,” he 

said in an interview. 

Dalan, in some 

cases, would shoot 

from an estimated 30 

feet away using lens 

he would usually use 

for capturing crowded 

events like the grand 

procession of the 

Black Nazarene or 

sports events. 

However, he admits 

that capturing subjects 

in events done in 

smaller venues poses a 

bigger physical distancing 

challenge. 

Luckily, most of his 

subjects comply with 

health and safety protocols. 

“Only a few subjects 

don’t wear face 

masks, especially 

since most of my subjects 

are government 

officials,” he said. 

Mong Pintolo, a 

photojournalist for 

the Philippine Star, 

has also taken the 

time to do some 

research before showing 

up in places with a 

high risk of infection. 

He also takes extra 

care of his health by 

avoiding bad habits 

that could weaken his 

PROTECTED. Avito Dalan makes sure that he has 

enough protection against the coronavirus every 

time he performs his work as a photojournalist for 

the Philippine News Agency. 

Aside from wearing face shield and face mask, 

Dalan also always makes sure that he strictly 

observes physical distancing by using a longer lens 

to still get good shots from a distance. 

immune system. 

“I conduct research 

before coverage. I also 

keep in mind that 

anyone can be a carrier 

of the virus; that’s 

why to stay safe I 

make sure that I take 

care of my body by 

eating right, taking 

vitamins, exercising 

and getting enough 

sleep,” he said. 

Pintolo, who covers 

the provincial field 

work on the Southern 

Metro Manila beat, 

said that he would frequently 

experience 

having to remind subjects 

to wear their face 

masks in public. 

He said that he usually 

encounters the 

highest number of 

people when taking 

photos of those lining 

up to receive government 

aid. 

“I don’t approach 

them, but I would 

often remind them to 

wear their face masks 

to respect those they 

interact with on a 

daily basis,” he said. 

Dalan said that it’s 

much easier to take 

photos now that lockdowns 

have become 

less restrictive. 

When President 

Rodrigo Duterte 

imposed an enhanced 

community quarantine 

(ECQ) all over 

the country on March 

16, 2020, the streets 

were almost empty 

except for front-liners 

and other workers in 

essential services 

making their way to 

work. 

He is aware of the 

risks that come with 

his job as a photojournalist, 

but he’s holding 

on to the promise 

that vaccines will be 

available by February. 

For now he makes 

sure to keep both himself 

and his camera 

equipment safe by 

cleaning it with alcohol-based 

solution to 

mitigate the chances 

of contamination with 

Covid-19. 

(PNA)

BUHAY OVERSEAS ISSUE 150 | www.filipinonews.nz | mob : 027 495 8477 | FB : Filipino Migrant News 20th ANNIVERSARY 11 

ELISTMO (Filipino-Kiwi Business Directory) : 

www.elistmo.nz | List your business so clients can find you super fast - brilliant! 

Hello 2021. Good riddance 2020. 

Bishop Julito Cortes of the Diocese of 

Dumaguete is calling on the people to 

continue to be vigilant against the 

coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) 

while trusting God for a better and 

productive year in 2021. 

Cortes said that “stirred by the birth of 

Christ – with God among us – we 

believe that 2021 will be a great and 

fruitful year for us”. 

“The difficulties associated with the 

coronavirus pandemic will still be there 

– since our scientists warn us of possible 

mutations and variants of the virus,” he 

said. The prelate, however, reassured 

the Catholic faithful that being with one 

another, extending helping hands, and 

caring for the other, will help the people 

overcome more challenges and 

difficulties this year. 

Remembering Rizal. 

Soldiers prepare the Philippine flag for the flag-raising 

ceremony during the commemoration of the 124th 

anniversary of the martyrdom of Dr. Jose Rizal at the Rizal 

Park in Manila on Dec. 30, 2020. 

President Rodrigo Duterte expressed the hope that Filipinos 

would express love and respect for the nation and follow the 

examples set by Rizal and other modern-day heroes. 

(PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan) 

For Contact Tracing. 

Church personnel distribute contact tracing forms to 

churchgoers at the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in 

Quiapo Church on Jan. 10, 2021. 

The Department of Health earlier raised concerns about 

reported overcrowding in some areas in Quiapo amid the 

continuing threat of Covid-19. 

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan) 

Firecrackers for Sale. 

A vendor arranges firecrackers and sparklers, such as luces, 

fountain, roman candle, and trompillo, for last-minute 

shoppers along the Marikina-Infanta Highway in Antipolo 

City on Dec. 31, 2020. 

Firecrackers are still being sold despite the prohibition on 

their use by some local government units to ensure a safe 

New Year celebration amid the pandemic. . 


Sto. Nino Devotee. 

A devotee carries with her two images of Sto. Nino so that 

these can be blessed with holy water during the first mass at 

Sto. Niño de Bagong Silang Church on Jan. 17, 2021. 

The feast of Sto. Niño is now being celebrated in various 

parts of the country under strict health and safety protocols 

imposed by the Inter-Agency Task Force amid the continuing 

threat of the coronavirus pandemic. 

(PNA photo by Ben Briones) 

For Blessing. 

A devotee carries on his shoulder a small replica of the Black 

Nazarene during the Traslacion 2021 Mass at Quiapo 

Church, Manila, on Jan. 9, 2021. 

Apart from the replicas, some devotees also bring white cloth 

and various religious items that they want to be blessed with 

Holy water after Mass. 


Firecracker Injury. 

A nurse pours disinfectant on the wounded face of a girl at 

the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center on Jan. 1, 2021. 

Despite the prohibition on the use of firecrackers, 

the hospital has so far reported nine minor 

firecracker-related injuries as of 2:30 a.m. 

on New Year's Day. 


Black Nazarene in Baclaran. 

Devotees welcome the image of the Black Nazarene shortly 

after its arrival at the National Shrine of Our Mother of 

Perpetual Help, commonly known as Baclaran Church, 

on Jan. 7, 2021. 

The image of the Black Nazarene has been going around the 

various churches in Metro Manila ahead of the celebration of 

His feast on Saturday, January 9. 

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan) 

Local Tourists. 

Local tourists wait for their turn to buy 'buko' (coconut) pie 

and other sweet delicacies along the Santa Rosa-Tagaytay 

Road in Silang, Cavite on Jan. 10, 2021. 

Some local government units have reopened their doors to 

local tourists provided the minimum health and safety 

protocols are observed to prevent the spread of Covid-19. 


Milkfish. 

A customer buys a fresh bangus (milkfish) for 

PHP170 per kilo at stall at Cogeo Market, Antipolo City. 

The price of bangus and different kinds of fish also 

went up after pork and chicken prices rose in the market. 

(PNA photo by Rico H. Borja)

migrantnews.nz 

29 

YEARS 

• NZ’s first Multicultural Newspaper • 

migrantnews@xtra.co.nz | mob: 027 495 8477 

O N L I N E 

E D I T I O N . 

A n d a s 

a p u l l - o u t 

i n a l l o u r 

F i l i p i n o 

n e w s p a p e r s . 

F R E E 

Circulation 

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Gap in Kiwis’ knowledge 

of country’s history? 

WAITANGI – New 

research shows that more 

than half (55%) of Kiwis 

have never been to the 

birthplace of our nation. 

Furthermore, visitation 

is even lower among 

young people, with just 

33% of those under 40 

having ever made a trip 

to the Waitangi Treaty 

Grounds. 

The study, released by 

the Waitangi National 

Trust, also shows that 

many New Zealanders 

(40%) rate their knowledge 

of what took place 

there as five or less out of 

10. 

The results should send 

a wake-up call to all 

Kiwis to discover 

more 

about their 

history, says 

Greg Mc- 

Manus, Chief 

Executive of 

Waitangi 

National 

Trust. 

“It is disappointing 

to 

find that over 

half of New 

Zealanders 

have not visited 

this country’s most 

historic site while just 

over one in three (36%) 

have visited Stonehenge, 

the Acropolis or the 

Colosseum, all World 

Heritage Sites on the 

other side of the planet. 

“Kiwis are known for 

their adventurous spirit – 

with the famous OE considered 

a rite of passage. 

With overseas travel off 

the agenda, now is the 

perfect time to encourage 

Kiwis to visit New 

Zealand’s most significant 

historic site as they 

have historic sites offshore.” 

The research also shows 

that a significant percentage 

(77%) of New 

Zealanders claim to be 

interested in history. 

In fact, visiting a historical 

site came second only 

to the traditional beach 

holiday in the list of 

Kiwis’ first choices for a 

holiday activity. 

Perceptions that New 

Zealand history is uninspiring 

could be one reason 

for the lack of knowledge 

and visitation, with 

the research showing that 

while 63% of Kiwis want 

to know more, only one in 

two (52%) disagree that 

New Zealand history is 

boring. 

Greg McManus says 

the Waitangi National 

Trust is on a mission to 

counter this perception, 

working with a range of 

interpretation and technology 

specialists to bring 

New Zealand’s history to 

life in an exciting and 

engaging way. 

“For those who have 

not visited Waitangi in a 

while, we want them to 

know that a lot has 

changed. With two new 

contemporary museums, 

Te Kÿngahu Museum of 

Waitangi and Te Rau 

Aroha - 

Museum of 

the Price of 

Citizenship, 

which only 

opened last 

year, alongside 

the 

i c o n i c 

Treaty 

House and 

Te Whare 

Runanga, 

the carved 

meeting 

house, there 

is so much 

to engage 

with and 

learn.” 

Te Rau Aroha, which 

opened in February 2020, 

tells the story of the 

Maori commitment to the 

NZ armed forces, and is 

made up of three galleries. 

It uses state-of-theart 

technology to help 

bring its stories to life – 

with a strong focus on the 

Pioneer Battalion of 

World War I and the 28 

(Maori) Battalion of 

World War II. 

The Treaty House, the 

residence of the first 

British Resident James 

Busby, has been reinterpreted 

recently and tells 

the story of Waitangi and 

its role in the development 

of the nation in 

depth while Te Whare 

Runanga (carved meeting 

house) is well known as 

the backdrop for some of 

the most important ceremonial 

occasions in 

Aotearoa, including the 

annual Waitangi commemorations. 

Originally 

opened on 6th February 

1940, Te Whare 

Runanga stands facing 

the Treaty House. 

Together the two buildings 

symbolise the partnership 

between Maori 

and the British Crown on 

which the nation of New 

Zealand is founded. 

Greg McManus concludes: 

“As the birthplace 

of our nation, we have 

important stories to share 

here at Waitangi, and I 

think it is about time 

Kiwis embraced their history. 

With Waitangi Day 

celebrations coming up, 

it’s a good time to learn 

more - then plan a visit 

with the whole family!” 

Photos: supplied 

MIGRANT RESOURCE PORTAL : www.migrantnews.nz 

New Zealand’s first migrant 

resource portal since 1991 features: 

• Online Bullying rampant during 

pandemic, says expert 

• Overdoing Political 

Correctness? 

• Migrants told: Be more 

proactive, vocal about new 

immigration laws 

• 7 reasons to learn foreign 

language 

• Filipino migrants at the 

crossroads in Queenstown 

• A Filipino perspective on 

BLM 

• Career change adds up for 

former accountant (sponsored 

content) 

• Ethnic recipies go around 

the world during the 

pandemic 

• Settling In: New Zealand - 

A place to call home 

• Filipino-Kiwi comedian’s meteoric 

rise to fame and popuarltiy 

• Whistle blower: Clients jump at 

every chance to live abroad 

• Queenstown residents losing hope 

• Public Speaking skills for settlers 

• 10 days sick leave on the cards 

• Asian food outlets scoop Awards 

EMBASSY OF THE 

PHILIPPINES, WELLINGTON 

50 Hobson Street, Thorndon, Wellington 

https://www.philembassy.org.nz/ 

Tel: (04) 8903741, (04) 8903742, 

(04) 8903744, Fax: (04) 8903740 

Hotline 24/7: (0064) 022 074 6517 

Email: wellington.pe@philembassy.org.nz 

PHILIPPINE OVERSEAS 

LABOUR OFFICE (POLO) 

Level 1, 286 Thorndon Quay, 

Pipitea, Wellington 

polo.newzealand@philembassy.org.nz


www.migrantnews.nz : New Zealand’s first and only multicultural newspaper for new settlers - published since 1991. 

Foreign students in country 

fewer than half normal number 

Immigration New 

Zealand figures show 

there are just 38,954 foreign 

students in the country 

and education 

providers have little 

prospect of raising that 

figure this year. 

Normally there are as 

many as 86,000 foreign 

students in New Zealand 

at any one time and as 

many as 120,000 will pass 

through the country over 

the course of a year. 

The figures showed 

13,601 of the students had 

study visas for universities 

but the director of 

Universities New Zealand, 

Chris Whelan, said the 

true figure was likely to 

be a lot lower. 

"The figure will be 

higher than the numbers 

of students we're expecting 

to actually be studying 

through this year because 

it's going to include a 

number of students who 

are finishing up or graduating 

and heading home 

at some state over the next 

month or two," he said. 

Whelan said universities 

normally started the 

year with about 22,000 

international students and 

this year they were 

expecting less than half 

By John Gerritsen 

Education 

Correspondent 

that number. 

"With almost none of 

the first-year intake, 

about 7000-8000 students, 

coming through we are 

going to see a massive 

drop in the number of second-year 

students this 

year and of course we're 

not seeing first-year students 

this year either," he 

said. 

"Realistically it should 

probably be more like 

about may eight [thousand], 

nine or 10,000 students 

that are actually 

going to be continuing 

through this year." 

Whelan said most students 

who were part-way 

through their studies had 

remained in New Zealand 

and universities were hoping 

those who had completed 

Bachelor's degrees 

would choose to enrol in 

postgraduate programmes 

this year. 

He said the fall in numbers 

would cause difficult 

financial decisions at universities. 

The figures showed 

8201 foreign students with 

study visas for schools. 

The chairperson of the 

Schools International 

Education Business Association, 

Patrick Walsh, 

said his own school was 

starting the year with 

about two-thirds of its 

normal foreign enrolments. 

Number of foreign students 

in-country with 

valid study visas by education 

provider 

University 13,601 

School 8201 

Private tertiary 7136 

Polytechnic 6662 

Not recorded 3354 

Total 38,954 

Number of foreign students 

in-country with 

valid study visas by 

nationality (top 10) 

China 11331 

Hong Kong 781 

India 8385 

Japan 992 

Malaysia 793 

Philippines 1205 

South Africa 812 

South Korea 2297 

Thailand 908 

Vietnam 1593 

"At John Paul College 

we would normally be 

starting at 55. We 

retained 30 for this year 

so that's quite a substation 

loss and if the borders 

don't open this year 

then it's likely we will 

have no international students 

by the end of the 

year and that situation is 

likely to be replicated up 

and down the country," 

he said. 

Walsh said some schools 

already had no international 

students. 

"Talking to other principals, 

they have no international 

students this year 

at all, particularly those 

that were relying on the 

European market," he 

said. 

"Schools that rely on 

the Asian market are in a 

much better position. 

Having said that, those 

students are likely to 

return to their country of 

origin by the end of the 

year." 

Walsh said without 

extra government funding 

schools would have to lay 

off staff. 

The chairperson of 

English New Zealand, 

Darren Conway, said 

English language schools 

were now down to a fraction 

of their normal enrolments. 

"My guess would be 

maybe 10 to 15 percent of 

normal. So we may have 

around 1000 students 

across the country studying 

English, but that 

would be the high end of 

it," he said. 

Conway said language 

students did not normally 

study for more than 12 

months and schools' 

enrolments were steadily 

running down. 

He said emergency government 

funding would 

help some schools survive 

until June, but they needed 

to know as soon as possible 

what the government 

was planning to do for the 

remainder of the year. 

- RNZ 

Efforts under way to fill 

overseas student quota 

for border exemption 

Officials are trying to allow dozens of 

overseas masters students into this 

country under a new border exemption 

announced by the government recently. 

The government is allowing 250 

international PhD and postgraduate 

students to return, and doctoral students 

have priority. 

Some 194 PhD students from 45 

countries are confirming their visas 

before returning. The next steps for 

these students include receiving confirmation 

from Immigration New 

Zealand, and obtaining a place in a 

managed isolation facility, according to 

the Ministry of Education (MOE). 

Universities New Zealand said the 

criteria for selection were strict, so the 

number was less than the full quota. 

Andy Jackson, tumuaki tuarua, te 

ara kaimanawa at the MOE said officials 

were now working to identify the 

further 56 Level 9 Masters students 

who would complete the cohort of 250 

students. 

"The government will review further 

possible border exceptions, as and 

when it is safe to do so. As such, 

providers should be planning for a 

range of scenarios in 2021." 

The first priority group are PhD students 

who hold or have held a valid 

visa to study in New Zealand in 2020, 

were enrolled in a PhD or other postgraduate 

qualification prior to border 

closure on 19 March, and are studying 

towards a qualification that involves 

practical components that cannot be 

progressed or completed offshore. 

- RNZ (reprinted with permission). 

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authentic Filipino food since 2010. 

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Open 12pm - 8pm Everyday | (09) 528 6050 

We are listed at: 


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Every word of God is pure: 

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that put their trust in Him. 

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so do we.” 

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Bethel Missionary 

Baptist Church 

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Auckland. 

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The publisher does not accept any responsibility or liability for views and claims in the editorial matter or advertisements appearing 

in the above mentioned publications and associated websites. 

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You must be reliable, trustworthy and friendly, and a full driver’s licence would 

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Current proposed hours are 40 hours a week starting at 7am, exact hours available 

for the right person. 

Requirements: 

• No criminal convictions 

• Ideally have First aid certificate Level 4 

• Ideally full drivers’ licence 

• An easy going uplifting nature 

• Can cook or at least follow basic recipes 

• Strong organisational and planning skills 

• An eye for detail 

• Professional, discrete and diplomatic manner 

• A can-do, solution-focused attitude with the ability to 

recognise and implement improvements 

• Provide references on request 

Please forward your CV and covering letter to Edwina: 

Edwinah@branddevelopers.co.nz 

In conjunction with the 

Filipino Kiwi Hero Awards 

12 June 2021 

To participate please give us a call: 

027 495 8477 

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Comprehensive visa 

changes allow onshore 

migrants to help fill 

labour shortages 

• Six month extension for employer-assisted 

work visa holders 

• Postponed stand down period for low-paid 

Essential Skills visa holders 

• Retain 2019 median wage of $25.50 per 

hour for immigration settings until at least 

July 2021 

• Working Holiday visas extended by 

6 months 

Many migrant workers 

currently in New Zealand 

will be able to stay and 

work here for longer, following 

adjustments to visa 

settings announced by 

Immigration Minister Kris 

Faafoi. 

“Our economy is bouncing 

back better than 

expected and we are seeing 

labour shortages across 

many industries,” Kris 

Faafoi said. 

“With the labour market 

outlook being more optimistic, 

we are implementing 

a range of changes to 

ensure the migrant workforce 

already in New 

Zealand can supplement 

employers’ efforts to 

recruit New Zealanders 

who have lost jobs due to 

COVID. 

“The visa setting 

changes will run well into 

2021, providing certainty 

for employers and workers. 

“We will continue to 

watch closely how the 

labour market develops 

and whether further extensions 

are needed,” Kris 

Faafoi said. 

“There are about 

192,000 migrant workers 

Immigration Minister 

Kris Faafoi 

in New Zealand. That is a 

similar number to a year 

ago but without the 

changes we are making the 

numbers would fall as 

visas expire and border 

restrictions mean limited 

numbers of new workers 

are able to come to New 

Zealand. 

“With border restrictions 

in place to keep 

COVID-19 out, we cannot 

bring the numbers of 

migrant workers into New 

Zealand that many industries 

have come to rely on, 

especially for their peak 

seasons. 

“Our priority remains to 

help get New Zealanders 

into jobs and we encourage 

employers to continue 

focusing on longer-term 

workforce planning, training, 

and improving wages 

and conditions to attract a 

local workforce. 

“While these changes 

will allow employers to 

retain their existing 

migrant workforce, they 

will still need to prove that 

no New Zealanders are 

available before hiring new 

employees,” Minister 

Faafoi said. 

The changes are: 

• Employer-assisted 

work visa holders (and 

their partners and dependent 

children) who have a 

job and whose visas are 

expiring from January to 

July 2021 will have their 

visas automatically extended 

by another six months. 

• The stand-down period, 

during which low-paid 

Essential Skills visa holders 

have to leave New 

Zealand, will be postponed 

until January 2022. The 

stand-down period means 

that Essential Skills visa 

holders earning less than 

the median wage (currently 

$25.50) must leave New 

Zealand for 12 months 

after having worked here 

for three years before they 

can return. 

• Immigration New 

Zealand will continue to 

use the 2019 median wage 

of $25.50 per hour for 

immigration settings until 

at least July 2021 at which 

point the median wage will 

rise to $27 per hour. 

• Working Holiday visas 

will be extended for six 

months, and restrictions 

will be relaxed on the maximum 

duration of work 

permitted, allowing 

Working Holiday visa 

holders to continue working 

in any industry they 

choose (including horticulture 

and wine sector roles). 

Working Holiday makers 

will no longer be transferred 

onto a Supplementary 

Seasonal Employer 

work visa when their 

working holiday visa 

expires. 

Migrants already on an 

SSE visa will be able to 

continue working for the 

horticulture and wine sectors, 

or apply for an 

Essential Skills visa if they 

find alternative qualifying 

work. 

Editor: For up-to-date 

information about immigration 

matters please visit the 

official NZ Immigration 

website. 

Registration plates 

encourage drivers to 

The Wellington District 

Road Policing team is using 

personalised registration 

plates to encourage drivers 

to check their speed and 

slow down heading into the 

long weekend. 

As drivers prepared to 

travel on Wellington 

Anniversary weekend, 

Wellington District’s Road 

Policing team wanted to 

remind drivers to slow down 

and drive to the conditions. 

Speed is the single biggest 

determinant in whether 

someone 

walks away from a serious 

road crash or is carried away. 

Less speed means less harm. 

The message of the 

SLOWDN plates is simple – 

slow down – and it is 

extremely effective when 

seen by drivers. 

“If we can slow people 

down, we are giving them a 

far better chance of arriving 

alive,” says Peter 

McKennie, Acting National 

Manager Road Policing. 

Our role is prevention and 

enforcement and our staff 

www.migrantnews.nz : 

New Zealand’s first MULTICULTURAL newspaper 

featuring immigration and settlement news since 1991. 

SLOWDN 

Speed is the single biggest 

determinant in whether 

someone walks away from 

a serious road crash or is 

carried away. Less speed 

means less harm. 

are out every day and night 

encouraging drivers to 

behave responsibly on the 

roads to ensure they and 

other road users arrive alive. 

“Travelling at a safer 

speed that is suitable for the 

conditions enables drivers to 

respond safely if something 

unexpected happens.” 

Wellington Road Policing 

Manager Inspector Wade 

Jennings says anything we 

can do to reduce road trauma 

and get the message through 

to drivers is worth it. 

“The personalised plates 

provide another way to promote 

safer roads,” he says. 

Wellington’s Road 

Policing team got the idea 

after seeing the personalised 

plate FIREYZ – Fire Wise – 

on a crash-attending fire 

truck. SLOWDN was decided 

to be the best message to 

change driver attitudes and 

behaviours towards speed. 

Speed is a contributing 

factor to a third of fatal 

crashes. 

Road Policing teams 

throughout New Zealand 

will continue to focus on 

making a difference to RIDS 

- restraints (seatbelts and 

child safety seats), impairment 

(alcohol, drugs and 

fatigue), distractions 

(including 

mobile use), and 

speed. 

Police partners 

with Waka Kotahi 

(NZ Transport 

Agency) and the 

Ministry of 

Transport to 

deliver the Road 

to Zero Strategy 

for 2020- 

2030(link is external). 

It sets out 

our vision for a 

New Zealand 

where no one is 

killed or seriously 

injured in road 

crashes. 

JOB 

BOARD 


Job seekers: 

check out this 

popular 

JOB BOARD 

for new job 

vacancies. 

Employers: 

list your jobs 

here super 

fast. 

migrantnews 

@xtra.co.nz

16 | ISSUE 150 MANIGONG BAGONG TAON | FILIPINO NEWS NZ : www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | Mobile : 027 495 8477 |

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