Filipino News 163

22 

YEARS 

in print 

& 

online! 

Issue 163: IMMIGRATION UPDATE 

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

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

A red carpet welcome 

of sorts for migrants 

pg 7 

The skilled migrant and parent visa categories will restart 

next month. The Immigration Minister says that the new visa 

system is an attractive offer. But an immigration adviser says 

that the visa changes fail to answer New Zealand's skills 

shortages, and in the interim it would be tougher to get in. 

The Filipino touch at 

Wellington Jazz Fest 

Seth Boy who is based in Wellington has been 

nominated for the Outstanding Filipino-Kiwi 

Musician Award for 2023. In 2016, when he was 

a Year 13 student at Pukekohe High School in 

Auckland, Seth Boy won multiple awards at 

the New Zealand School of 

Music Annual Jazz 

Festival in Wellington. 

pg 3 

FILIPINA CANDIDATE 

TRIUMPHS IN LOCAL 

BODY ELECTIONS 

- Tania Batucan 

“Thank you to 

everyone for choosing 

me, your votes 

have helped me 

achieve a re-elected 

position as a trustee 

for the Mt. Wellington 

Licensing Trust, 

this time being 

ranked number 1 in 

votes. 

“You have indicated 

your faith in me 

with your vote and I 

plan to honour it. 

“I pledge to take 

us to greater heights 

and to complete all 

our goals for Filipino 

representation. Our 

Filipino community 

pg 2 

is growing across 

New Zealand with 

minimal representation. 

I am honoured 

to be the first Filipina 

elected as a 

Trustee/Director for 

the Mt. Wellington 

Licensing Trust.” 

RACIST ATTACKS ON 

CAMPAIGN BILLBOARDS 

Several candidates of 

Chinese descent in Auckland 

were shocked to see 

their faces erased with white 

paint or cut out of their election 

campaign boards, next 

to Pakeha candidates whose 

faces were spared. 

Howick Ward councillor 

Paul Young, who is againrunning 

for the seat this 

year, said his face had been 

cut out or painted over in 

more than 20 billboards. 

“Aotearoa New Zealand 

is our home - is my home - 

so it should not happen like 

this," - said Paul Young. 

This was Young's eighth 

local body election and not 

the first time his billboards 

had been defaced, but he 

said this year's damage had 

been the worst yet. 

pg 2 

• JOB ADS pg 15 • NURSING SHORTAGE AT A CRITICAL STAGE pg 9 • OLDER MIGRANTS FACE DISCRIMINATION pg 10

BUHAY 

NZ 

02 ISSUE 163 LOCAL ELECTIONS 2022 | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | www.pinoynzlife.nz | 

www.filipinonews.nz : North Island Edition - 22nd Anniversary | www.pinoynzlife.nz : South Island Edition. Print and Online! 

Two Filipina candidates triumph 

in local body elections 

In an earlier report we 

spoke with three Filipinas 

who stood in this year’s 

local body elections. It is 

hoped that this small 

upswing in interest will 

encourage more Filipino- 

Kiwis to come forward to 

participate as candidates 

in the future. 

The three candidates in 

this election were Tania 

Batucan, who stood for 

the Maungakiekie- 

Tamaki Local Board in 

Auckland, Thelma Bell, 

who stood for the 

Ashburton District Council 

in the Ashburton Ward 

and Marie Pollisco, who 

stood for the Halswell 

Community Board in 

Christchurch. 

Sadly, when the election 

results were announced 

Thelma Bell was unsuccessful 

in her bid to win a 

seat this year. 

TANIA BATUCAN: 

Tania Batucan was 

delighted with her win 

and conveyed this message 

to her supporters: 

“To all my kababayan, 

maraming salamat po! 

“Wow, I am so blown 

away with the support 

that I have received from 

all of you in the final 

weekend and throughout 

my campaign. 

“Thank you to everyone 

for choosing me, your 

votes have helped me 

achieve a re-elected position 

as a trustee for the 

Mt. Wellington Licensing 

Trust, this time being 

ranked number 1 in votes. 

“Unfortunately it was a 

close race for a position on 

the Maungakiekie-Tamaki 

Local Board and we 

were only shy of 100 votes, 

which is a step closer than 

the last time with a difference 

of 1500 – we are 

bridging the gap! 

“You have indicated 

your faith in me with your 

vote and I plan to honour 

it. Your vote demonstrates 

that you trust me to be 

your voice and I cannot 

thank you enough for 

your trust. I pledge to take 

By Mel Fernandez 

us to greater heights and 

to complete all our goals 

for Filipino representation. 

“Thank you again for 

your support. I vow that I 

will not take this position 

lightly and I am well 

aware of the responsibility 

that you have given me.” 

Tania is a Filipina/New 

Zealander who was born 

in New Zealand, but spent 

many years going back 

and forth between NZ and 

her mother’s home of 

Cebu. She completed her 

first year of high school at 

Alcoy National High 

School and had been 

going back every year 

prior to Covid. “The 

Philippines is what I like 

to call my second home,” 

she relates. 

“As a passionate community 

member, I was 

instrumental in setting up 

the Mt. Wellington 

Community Patrol where 

I serve as Secretary and 

Treasurer. 

“Mt. Wellington is a 

changing, diverse community, 

which I love being a 

part of. My passion for 

thriving communities, my 

extensive range of expertise 

and experience and my 

determination to build 

stronger and safer communities 

will be assets to 

the local board team. 

“Our Filipino community 

is growing across 

New Zealand with minimal 

representation. I am 

honoured to be the first 

Filipina elected as a 

Trustee/Director for the 

Mt. Wellington Licensing 

Trust.” 

MARIE POLLISCO: 

Marie Pollisco, the 

other successful candidate, 

has lived in 

Christchurch since arriving 

from the Philippines 

over 30 years ago for her 

post-graduate studies at 

Lincoln University. She 

currently lives in Halswell 

with her two sons. 

She is a Justice of the 

Peace and has been a volunteer 

Responder with 

Civil Defence for over 10 

years, assisting in emergency 

events such as 

earthquakes, floods, 

storms, the mosque shooting, 

rural fires and the 

COVID response. 

Racist attacks on campaign billboards 

of candidates of Chinese descent 

The election campaign billboards in Auckland of several 

candidates of Chinese descent have been defaced. 

Photo: RNZ / Lucy Xia 

By Lucy Xia 

Several candidates of 

Chinese descent in Auckland 

were shocked to see their 

faces erased with white paint 

or cut out of their election 

campaign boards, next to 

Pakeha candidates whose 

faces were spared. 

Howick Ward councillor 

Paul Young, who is againrunning 

for the seat this year, 

said his face had been cut 

out or painted over in more 

than 20 billboards. * 

“Aotearoa New Zealand is 

our home - is my home - so 

it should not happen like 

this," - said Paul Young. 

This was Young's eighth 

local body election and not 

the first time his billboards 

BILLBOARDS DEFACED: Howick Ward councillor Paul Young said nearly 20 of his 

campaign billboards this year have been defaced. Photo: RNZ / Lucy Xia 

had been defaced, but he 

said this year's damage had 

been the worst yet. 

He was more concerned 

that the racist acts could discourage 

newer ethnic candidates, 

he said. 

"It's very bad for young 

east Asian or ethnic candidates 

who want to stand up 

to make a contribution for 

our community and Tamaki 

Makaurau ... such racism, 

it's not acceptable." 

Young told Morning 

Report education was the 

best way to combat the issue 

but he also urged anyone 

who witnessed vandalism of 

campaign billboards to 

inform the police. 

He said the vandalism 

could prevent new candidates 

from standing if they 

feared "those people or those 

groups can do whatever they 

want. 

"This is not the first time 

and getting worse in this 

area." 

Young said New Zealand 

was his home and the targeting 

of the billboards was 

unacceptable. 

"I have been living here 

for last 33 years ... Aotearoa 

New Zealand is our home - 

is my home - so it should not 

happen like this." 

First time election candidate 

Vinson Yu said he felt 

disheartened and angry after 

seeing his face cut out of his 

campaign boards in 

Bucklands Beach. 

Yu is running for a seat in 

Howick Local Board, which 

has an Asian population of 

46 percent. 

"I wanted to run for the 

elections because I want to 

represent and better serve 

the Asian community, this 

deserves respect. 

"We are fairly participating 

in the elections," said Yu 

who is a justice of peace and 

deputy chair of the Botany & 

Flat Bush Ethnic Association. 

Four Auckland local body 

election candidates have 

seen their faces painted over 

or cut out of billboards. 

Auckland mayoral candidate 

and barrister Robert 

Hu was one among three 

east Asian candidates whose 

faces on campaign boards on 

Somerville Road had been 

erased with white paint. 

"Are they saying our faces 

are not white enough? Are 

they saying that we must be 

white in order to qualify for 

the elections?" 

Hu said he had reported it 

to the police and the Human 

Rights Commission. 

He also intended to report 

the incident to international 

groups as racism targeted at 

Asians had been on the rise 

globally, he said. 

Race Relations Commissioner 

Meng Foon said 

these were "despicable" acts 

of racism and that the commission 

was investigating. 

Foon was concerned about 

the cases of racism and 

physical attacks on Asians 

recently and wanted the government 

to act faster on legislating 

against hate crimes 

in Aotearoa. 

Hate crimes were not yet 

standalone offences in New 

Zealand, but police were 

flagging offences where 

prejudice forms part of the 

motivation, in efforts to 

improve its response to hate 

crimes. 

Official information from 

the police shows 8246 hatemotivated 

offences have 

been recorded over the past 

three years. 

- Published with special 

permission from RNZ 

* Editor: Sadly former 

Auckland City Councillor 

Paul Young was unsuccessful 

in his bid for a seat in the 

Council. He thanks his supporters.

ISSUE 163 FILIPINO-KIWI HERO AWARDS | www.filipinoheroes.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | www.filipinonews.nz | 03 BUHAY 

www.filipinoheroes.nz : Over a 120 Filipino Kiwi Heroes have been recognised over the years by Filipino News NZ. 

NZ 

Jazz Fest features Filipino musical influence 

WELLINGTON - Seth Boy 

is a Filipino-born bassist and 

composer who will be performing 

at the Wellington 

Jazz Festival on 23rd October 

at 1pm, at the Opera House in 

Wellington. 

In an interview with RNZ 

before the concert, Seth Boy 

said that he often combines 

the musical influences of his 

home country and of jazz 

greats like Duke Ellington 

and John Coltrane in his 

work. 

The Wellington-based musician 

presented 'Farewell, 

Sweet Stranger' at Sunday 

Mixtape. This brand new 

work explores themes of loss, 

history, colonialism, the sacrifice 

of culture and the culture 

of sacrifice. 

“My compostion Farewell, 

Sweet Stranger has two parts, 

the first highlighting and contrasting 

both the native and 

colonial aspects of Filipino 

history and the second telling 

of the journey of becoming 

distanced from your culture, 

home, or people,” says Seth. 

“The story of the piece is 

centred around longing and 

loss, so it starts off tender, but 

quickly becomes brash and 

very upfront.” 

Merging indigenous 

Filipino/Tagalog folk with the 

sounds of Spanish colonisation 

and drawing from the 

roots of African American 

jazz, 'Farewell, Sweet 

Stranger' expresses the loneliness 

that comes with separation 

from one’s family, home 

or heritage. 

Harsh and tender, insistent 

and impassioned, this 

Wellington Jazz Festival commission 

was performed by 

Boy and nine of the city’s 

finest musicians. 

“I started learning piano as 

a child in the Philippines and 

learned guitar and bass after 

moving to Pukekohe in South 

Auckland,” Seth told Filipino 

News. 

“I moved to Wellington in 

2017 to study at the New 

Zealand School of Music and 

have been working actively in 

the jazz scene as a double bass 

player since then. 

“I'm now a part-time tutor 

at the NZSM jazz department 

and the principal bassist of 

the Royal New Zealand Air 

Force Band.” 

BACKSTORY: In 2016, 

when he was a Year 13 student 

at Pukekohe High School in 

Auckland, Seth Boy won multiple 

awards at the New 

Zealand School of Music 

Annual Jazz Festival in 

Wellington. 

He received the awards for 

the Best Bassist, Best Composition 

and Best Arrangement 

categories. 

He was also named the Most 

Outstanding Young Musician 

at the festival. 

Jazz bassist and composer Seth Boy has a new 

work commissioned for the Wellington Jazz 

Festival. Farewell, Sweet Stranger is the name 

of the piece. “This composition expresses 

feelings of being disconnected from the 

Philippines ... and I am making 

sense of where I come from and 

where I am now,” says Seth. 


Seth Boy (right) 

- Outstanding 

Filipino-Kiwi 

Musician of 

the Year. 

Seth Boy who is based in Wellington has been nominated for 

the Outstanding Filipino-Kiwi Musician Award for 2023. 

The official awards website is at: www.filipinoheroes.nz 

The Filipino-Kiwi Hero Awards is organised by Filipino News.

BUHAY 

NZ 

04 ISSUE 163 MAGANDANG BALITA | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | www.pinoynzlife.nz | 


RECOGNITION 

AT LAST FOR 

GLOBAL CHILD 

PRODIGIES 

DUBAI – The Global Child Prodigy 

Awards is a platform to recognise young 

talent who are at the extreme end of giftedness. 

The organisers meticulously select 

100 awardees from around the world with 

exceptional achievements in science, arts, 

music, dance, writing, acting, entertainment, 

sports and other fields. 

The grand awards ceremony for the 

event was held in Dubai on 20th August 

2022 at the Marriott Hotel Al Jaddaf. At 

the same time there was a book launch 

for ‘Top 100 Child Prodigies 2022’, featuring 

the riveting stories of the 

awardees’ journeys. 

Officiating at the event was Sheikh 

Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Dubai’s 

Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, 

who called the young awardees “the next 

generation of geniuses and a global force 

for positive change”. 

One of the awardees was 13-year-old 

opera singer, Jazz Vidamo, who represented 

New Zealand and who received the 

2022 Global Prodigy Award in Music. 

In June last year Jazz received the Top 

Filipino Music Award at the Filipino-Kiwi 

Hero Awards (www.filipinoheroes.nz). 

She also won the Arts and Culture 

Award 2021 from GirlBoss New Zealand. 

JAZZ 

VIDAMO 

Civic honours 

bestowed upon 

two Filipinas 

Exceptional 

student 

honoured at 

Asian Awards 

HAWKES BAY – A 

Filipino student has won 

the Best Asian Secondary 

Student category at the 

Asians in the Bay Awards 

2022. 

Charles Batistis, who 

came to New Zealand from 

the Philippines in 2015, 

was a DUX student at the 

Central Hawkes Bay 

College. He has consistently 

excelled in Chemistry, 

HASTINGS - 

The Hastings 

D i s t r i c t 

Council held its 

annual Civic 

H o n o u r s 

Awards on 9th 

August 2022. 

The awards 

aim to recognize 

individuals 

who do volunteer 

work in 

categories such 

as Arts and 

Culture, Health 

and Welfare, 

Education and 

Youth and 

Sports and 

Biology, Calculus, 

Mathematics and 

Physics. 

When he first 

enrolled at the 

Central Hawkes Bay 

College his teachers 

described him as a student 

who showed great interest 

in his studies, even with his 

limited knowledge of 

English. 

His ambition is to work 

Recreation. 

Among the 19 awardees 

this year were two 

Filipinas, Lara Ventura 

and 

Leah 

Baterbonia.This is the 

first time that there have 

been Filipino recipients of 

the Civic Honours 

Awards. 

Lara is the dynamic 

chair of the Philippine 

Community of Hawke’s 

Bay. She has untiringly 

supported Filipinos in 

activities ranging from 

sports competitions to 

women’s development, 

health forums and networking 

with other 

Hawke’s Bay organisations. 

She dedicates weekends 

and her free time from 

work to bring Filipinos 

together by providing 

good information, cultural 

awareness and practice. 

in the manufacturing and 

technology sector once he 

completes his engineering 

course. His parents are 

dairy farm workers who 

live in Waipukurau. 

The Bay Awards, organized 

by the Multicultural 

Lara Ventura 

Filipino Community Leader 

Leah is a committee 

member of the 

Multicultural Association 

of Hawke's Bay, the 

founder of the Asians in 

the Bay Awards, a 

Volunteer Ambassador 

and also a Radio 

Announcer for Philippine 

Radio. 

She also serves as a 

leader and facilitator for 

Filipinos who are in need 

of assistance and support 

in the community. 

- By Mel Fernandez 

Charles Batistis 

Central Hawkes 

Bay College 

Association of Hawkes 

Bay, aim to recognize the 

significant contribution of 

Asians to the social, cultural 

and economic development 

of Hawkes Bay. 

- By Leah Baterbonia 

www.filipinoheroes.nz 

JANNA WINS YOUTH 

LEADERSHIP AWARD 

AUCKLAND - An 

annual leadership 

award open to 

Catholic boys and girls 

aged between 8 and 14 

years was won by 

Janna Victoria 

Villaver, 12, a parishioner 

of Holy Cross 

Parish in Henderson, 

Auckland. 

The Awardee for the 

ConQuest Leadership 

Wenceslaus Anthony 

Memorial Award 2022 

is chosen from applicants 

who have displayed 

1 or more of the 

5 ConQuest virtues - 

Charity, Faith, Love, 

Responsibility and 

Generosity, keeping 

‘Jesus as the Leader’. 

The candidates are 

required to submit an 

application stating 

why they qualify for 

the award. The shortlisted 

candidates are 

called for a friendly 

chat by the team 

organising the award. 

The final winner is 

selected based on the 

content and theme of 

the write up as well as 

their core confidence 

and substance during 

the interview. 

The Award includes 

a Cash Prize of $500. 

– By Mel Fernandez

ISSUE 163 FILIPINO-KIWI HERO AWARDS | www.filipinoheroes.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | www.filipinonews.nz | 05 BUHAY 


NZ 

Dairy farmer newcomer wins 

New Zealand manager of the year 

Fourteen years ago, 

Christopher Vila switched 

careers and countries and 

turned up to milk cows in 

street clothes. 

He can hardly believe 

he's now New Zealand's 

Dairy Manager of the Year. 

On Christopher Vila's 

first day at work, he 

turned up to the milking 

shed in running shoes 

instead of gumboots. 

"And in pants, like I am 

going to the office," he 

says. 

It was a cold start to a 

new career for the recent 

arrival from the Philippines. 

"It's winter and my 

hands are really freezing. I 

don't have mittens for my 

bike. You can't feel your 

hands before you start 

milking so you need to put 

them on the cow's udder to 

heat them up." 

Christopher used his 

first pay cheque to buy 

overalls, a decent rain 

jacket and gloves. 

That was 14 years ago. 

Last year Christopher 

was named New 

Zealand's dairy 

manager of the 

year at the New 

Zealand Dairy 

Industry Awards. 

He says he'd 

never heard of the 

awards until a former 

winner suggested 

he should 

enter. 

"It took me two 

years of courage 

and a lot of thinking 

to join and 

unexpectedly I won 

it on my first try so 

I can't believe that 

I won it ... I got 

lucky I guess." 

Christopher now 

manages a top-producing 

340-cow herd at 

Ohaupo near Hamilton. 

The farm is overlooked 

by homes in the village and 

by lifestyle blocks 

so the former veterinarian 

is determined 

to farm as 

well as he can in 

the hope it will 

improve the image 

On Christopher Vila's first day at work, he turned up to the milking shed in running shoes 

instead of gumboots. Photo credit: RNZ/Carol Stiles 

of dairy farming. 

'If you are doing the 

right thing you've got 

nothing to hide so they are 

all welcome to look at me," 

he says. 

Winning the award will 

open doors, Christopher 

says. 

"That's the beauty of the 

programme. For me, I 

don't know anyone and if 

Christopher Vila received the ‘Dairy Farmer of the Year’ 

award at the Filipino-Kiwi Hero Awards in 2021. 

The official awards website is at: www.filipinoheroes.nz 

The Filipino-Kiwi Hero Awards is organised by Filipino News. 

no one knows me they 

don't know my capabilities." 

Christopher has been 

surprised at the media 

attention winning the 

award has brought in his 

home country. 

He's been interviewed on 

national television, on 

radio and for articles 

about the accolade and his 

life in New Zealand have 

gone viral. 

"A lot of people all over 

the world, like overseas 

Filipino workers, are messaging 

me, congratulating 

me and thanking me 

because, I think, of the 

Covid situation in the 

whole world and especially 

in the Philippines, there's 

something to cheer about, 

so it uplifts them - that's 

what they say. And it gives 

them a little bit of hope 

that there's still a brighter 

future for everyone. 

"I'm just surprised they 

wanted to know my story. 

Yeah, I'm speechless." 


permission from RNZ.

BUHAY 

NZ 

06 ISSUE 163 ASIA NEW ZEALAND | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | www.pinoynzlife.nz | 


Kiri Nathan 

Kahui Fashion Collective 

Reese Fernandez-Ruiz, 

is co-founder and president 

of fashion and design house 

Rags2Riches (R2R), which 

works with community artisans 

in the Philippines. 

She visited Aotearoa in 

2017 as part of a group of 

social entrepreneurs from 

across Southeast Asia who 

were invited by the Asia 

New Zealand Foundation 

as part of the ASEAN Young 

Business Leaders Initiative. 

They attended the Social 

Enterprise World Forum 

during their visit. 

After being inspired by 

Aotearoa’s culture and tangata 

(people), Reese reconnected 

with the Asia New 

Zealand Foundation in early 

2021, as she looked for 

someone in Aotearoa to 

work with. 

The Foundation was able 

to put Reese in touch with 

Maori fashion designer, 

Weaving connections 

between Aotearoa and Asia 

weaver, and artist Kiri 

Nathan. From there, a “soul 

sister” collaboration was 

born. 

Kiri founded the Kahui 

Fashion Collective in 2017, 

a community created to support 

Maori fashion designers, 

and took five Maori creatives 

to China to introduce 

and guide them into trade. 

She has continued to play a 

significant leadership role in 

supporting Maori designers 

to connect with China since 

then. 

A match meant to be, both 

Reese and Kiri were struck 

at how similar aspects of 

their cultural traditions were. 

This was noticeable in the 

weaving styles. Kiri recognised 

the weaving patterns in 

the Philippines as being like 

the taniko weave that Maori 

use. They noted that being 

able to use these traditional 

methods of creation to produce 

something that’s not 

only modern, but reflective 

of different histories, is 

unique. As Kiri has mentioned 

on her site, ‘the world 

shifts in powerful ways 

when indigenous cultures 

come together.’ 

The two connected 

with each 

other on the 

experience 

of running 

a femaleled 

business, 

but 

a l s o 

through 

their indigenous 

connections 

and backgrounds. 

T h e y 

found a 

shared 

interest in learning more 

about the cultures of their 

respective countries, and the 

mutual desire to incorporate 

Filipino and Maori elements 

into their work. 

Kiri says that when going 

into any new collaboration 

or project, the first thing to 

think about is their responsibility 

to culture – ensuring 

they’re respecting their own 

Maori culture and, when 

working with another culture 

as in this case, ensuring 

that culture is respected and 

safe. 

“It’s kind of hard to pull it 

apart and articulate it, but it 

is the foremost 

importance of 

anything 

that we do. 

Our taonga 

is our 

taonga,” 

she says. 

“When 

you start 

moving 

into contemporary 

(above:) The bag collection created in 

collaboration by Reese Fernandez-Ruiz 

and Kiri Nathan. 

pieces 

from 

contempor 

a r y 

mediums, it shifts into a 

slightly different place, but 

that level of respect and 

responsibility is still there. 

“The fact that this is creating 

employment and crosscultural 

relations, the fact 

that it’s one indigenousowned 

wahine business 

working with another, these 

things are all really important 

to us, and we feel like 

this is part of our responsibility 

in ensuring that we’re 

respecting our cultures.” 

Reese — working with 

R2R designer Chris and 

team — has been developing 

a bag collection with Kiri 

Reese Fernandez-Ruiz 

Rags2Riches (R2R) 

since February 2021, overcoming 

Covid-19 travel 

restrictions and working 

across oceans via zoom and 

email. 

“We [R2R] collaborated 

with Kiri to put in the elements 

that could marry and 

connect our cultures together, 

and we explained that to 

our artisans as well. They 

were very thrilled to know 

that it’s ideas and images 

from a different culture, but 

it seems still so familiar,” 

Reese says. 

The collection features a 

mix of bags and clutches - 

Pahi iti, Pahi nui, and 

Terapeke. The collaboration 

has been launched in New 

Zealand; and will soon have 

its debut in the Philippines. 

Consciously made with 

waste materials and durable 

fabrics, and handwoven by 

artisans in the Philippines, 

the bags were made with the 

intention to carry the story 

behind them into the future. 

Kiri notes that the designs 

recognise the shared importance 

of natural elements for 

both Filipino and Maori. 

“When Maori introduce ourselves, 

we introduce ourselves 

via our pepeha, so 

which maunga to we belong 

to, which awa, which river 

do we belong to. And so that 

sort of whakaaro (thought) 

came into pulling this design 

together; and what we landed 

on was although the 

ocean separated us, you can 

stand on your maunga and 

connect to each other. And 

so the patterning on each of 

the bags is handwoven 

maunga separated by 

ocean.” 

When you think of what 

these two designers have 

achieved together, it goes to 

show that opportunities to 

connect to Asia are not all 

lost, even in our ever-changing 

environment. 

- Asia New Zealand 

Foundation. 

Reflections on Manila – second time around 

OPINION 

By Mabel Ye 

It is said that Filipinos are 

Malay in family, Spanish in 

love, Chinese in business 

and American in ambition. 

It is a country known for 

its large diaspora community 

of Overseas Filipino 

Workers and world-class 

diving. 

I was introduced to the 

Philippines through a 

Leadership Network hui to 

Manila in 2018, and in 2022 

I was brought back to the 

archipelago for a different 

purpose. 

I worked at the New 

Zealand Embassy in 

Manila for a short-term 

assignment during a time 

At the end of a five-month 

assignment in Manila working for 

the NZ Embassy, Leadership 

Network member Mabel Ye reflects 

on living in the Philippines and 

learning about the country and its 

culture. 

when Covid-19 restrictions 

were at their lowest. The 

previous omicron wave 

struck in December 2021, 

and like much of the world, 

the Philippines was ready to 

get back to business. 

English is widely spoken 

in Manila, which means 

diplomats are not generally 

required to learn Filipino 

/Tagalog. 

The New Zealand 

Embassy team chose to 

undertake weekly Filipino/Tagalog 

classes to support 

our engagement with 

the Philippines government 

and local stakeholder communities. 

What was clear to me was 

that people appreciated 

efforts to speak Filipino 

/Tagalog. Surprise and 

delight came from 

making small talk with 

taxi and tricycle drivers, 

as well as when paying a 

courtesy call on Presidentelect 

Marcos Jr. 

Like in a number of cultures, 

food bring families 

and communities together in 

the Philippines. Filipino cuisine 

is a mix of Spanish, 

Chinese and Malay influences. 

Flavours are strong 

on the sweet, sour and salty 

flavours, and meals focus on 

meat and rice. 

Someone told me that rice 

was “Filipino power” – it 

wasn’t a meal if there wasn’t 

rice. Regions have their 

local specialities, and there 

is local pasalubong (souvenirs) 

you can bring back to 

share. Personal favourites 

include Jollibee’s chicken 

joy and sisig (sizzling pork 

cheek), and on the sweet 

side buko (young coconut 

coconut) pie and turon 

(fried banana with jackfruit). 

Turning to my work experience, 

the five months 

involved watching, learning 

and doing to understand 

diplomatic tradecraft. 

I had a supportive team at 

the New Zealand Embassy 

who had years of experience 

across foreign policy and 

development work. 

Highlights included 

observing and reporting on a 

historic Philippine national 

election, and marching 

alongside fellow embassy 

colleagues and giving a solidarity 

speech at the Pride PH 

March. 

I am grateful for the working 

relationships and friendships 

with locals and diplomats 

alike as they helped me 

to understand the 

Philippines and diplomacy 

better. 

Reflecting on my experience 

as a young, female and 

Asian diplomat, there were 

times I found it challenging 

to ‘take up’ space. 

Paying a courtesy call on 

President-elect Marcos Jr. 

Jumping into unfamiliar 

territory helped me to grow, 

including when I held the 

responsibility of Chargé 

d’Affaires for one week. 

One day it was participating 

in a working-level coordination 

meeting, another it was 

giving remarks at a business 

event. 

Something that helped me 

was an openness to give anything 

a go, learning from 

mistakes and remembering 

to back myself. At the same 

time, I was happy to be able 

to connect with locals and 

young people who were 

interested in diplomacy and 

share my journey based on 

my personal experience. 

This experience was 

another opportunity to learn 

about the Philippines and 

immerse myself into 

Filipino life and culture. 

The views expressed in 

this article are those of the 

author. This article was first 

published on the Asia Media 

Centre.

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Skilled migrants and 

their parents will once 

again be able to apply for 

residence under plans 

announced recently. 

No one has been invited 

to apply under the pointsbased 

system since the 

pandemic started and the 

parent category has not 

accepted new applications 

since 2016. 

A new "simplified" system 

for skilled migrant 

visas - with no cap on 

numbers - will make it 

fairer and more transparent, 

Immigration Minister 

Michael Wood says. 

The Parent Category 

Visa, which allows 

migrants' parents to join 

them in New Zealand, will 

also be restarted with a 

lower income threshold 

and higher cap. 

SMC visas restart under 

current settings as 

feedback sought on 

new system 

The minister, who has 

been in the role for less 

than four months, said the 

Skilled Migrant Category 

(SMC) visa would reopen 

under current settings 

while consultation was 

under way and the system 

was set up. 

Visa changes: 

Skilled migrant, 

parent visa categories to 

restart next month 

The first selection will 

take place on 9 November 

for migrants with 160 

points, with the points 

requirement then rising to 

180. 

Some of the roles usually 

accepted under the 

skilled migrant category 

have been moved to the 

Green List, which opened 

for applications last 

month. 

However, the new system 

would, in the long 

term, make eligibility 

clearer, allow New 

Zealand to retain the talent 

brought in via the new 

Accredited Employer 

Work Visa, and complement 

the Green List and 

Highly Paid Residence 

pathways announced as 

part of the "immigration 

rebalance" in May, he 

said. 

It would work by 

requiring migrants to 

Visa changes for skilled 

migrants and their parents 

fail to answer New Zealand's 

skills shortages, and in the 

interim it would be tougher 

to get in, an immigration 

adviser says. 

But Immigration Minister 

Michael Wood said the 

new skilled migrant and parent 

visa system was an 

attractive offer for people 

New Zealand needed. 

The skilled migrant category, 

which was shut down 

when the pandemic started, 

restarts in November. High 

income migrants will also be 

able to apply to have their 

parents join them in New 

Zealand for the first time in 

six years. 

Immigration adviser 

Katy Armstrong said 

among the good things in the 

package there were some 

"real question marks". 

The first stage of reopening 

with the selection of 

migrants from the existing 

points system was positive, 

but would be a "mad scramble" 

to meet the deadline. 

The first selection takes 

place on 9 November for 

those with 160 points, with 

the points requirement then 

rising to 180, before the new 

system comes in next year, 

with no cap on numbers. 

Increasing the points was 

controversial at a time when 

New Zealand was desperate 

for skills and Australia was 

doing the opposite, Armstrong 

said. 

"I get it, we're trying to 

reach a threshold of six 

points, which could come 

from a mix of training and 

experience in their field, 

qualifications, and income. 

They would also be 

required to have a job or 

job offer in New Zealand 

paying at least the median 

wage, or 1.5 times the 

median wage for some 

occupations. 

"Our proposed changes 

include removing the 

planning range, so that all 

applications that meet the 

criteria will be processed. 

It will also include a more 

simplified points system, 

will set a clear, fair and 

transparent eligibility 

threshold and offer several 

ways for people to 

restrict numbers, so we're 

just doing it by another 

mechanism - no cap, but 

actually it's going to be 

tougher to get in." 

Under the new system for 

the skills category starting 

next year, applicants must 

reach a threshold of six 

points from a mix of training 

and experience in their field, 

qualifications, and income. 

They would also be 

required to have a job or job 

offer in New Zealand paying 

at least the median wage, or 

1.5 times the median wage 

for higher-skilled occupations. 


Michael Wood. Photo / 

RNZ / Angus Dreaver 

demonstrate their skill 

level. 

"The proposed changes 

will also see a faster route 

to residence for very highly 

skilled migrants, such 

as university lecturers or 

scientists who hold a PhD, 

while other professionals 

such as teachers and registered 

tradespeople will 

have a clear route if they 

work for a period in New 

Zealand. 

"The new system will 

improve processing times 

and there will be no cap 

on the number of people 

who can gain residence 

each year, if they meet the 

skills threshold." 

I m m i g r a t i o n c h a n g e s : 

'Real question marks' in skilled 

migrant visa reopening 

"At the end 

of the day what 

really counts is, 

can we get the 

people we really 

need into 

New Zealand 

and entice them 

with a pathway 

to residence?" 

Armstrong 

said. 

"What we're 

really doing 

here is we're going to put 

them on a route whereby 

they have to work possibly 

for three years to get their 

residence. 

Parent category restarts 

with lower income 

threshold, higher cap 


Visa would also reopen 

from 14 November for 

people who already have 

expressions of interest in 

the queue. 

A ballot for new expressions 

of interest will begin 

from 12 October, with the 

first selection taking place 

in August 2023. 

The number of these 

visas granted each year 

would increase from 1000 

"It's called 

skilled migrant 

residence, 

which used to be 

our Ferrari - for 

a tradesperson now it's going 

to be a Skoda." 

It also made no sense that 

the new system did not fast 

track nurses for residence, 

to 2500, with a lower 

income threshold of 1.5x 

the median wage for one 

sponsor supporting one 

parent, and 2x the median 

wage for joint sponsors. 

This compares to the 

previous threshold of 2x 

the median wage for a single 

sponsor or 3x the 

median wage for joint 

sponsors. 

Siblings would also be 

able to co-sponsor applications, 

and joint applications 

would be able to 

apply for up to six parents, 

with the income 

threshold increasing by 

0.5x the median wage per 

parent. 

"Resuming selections 

from existing Expressions 

of Interest queue is a priority, 

and I know how 

important this is to many 

migrant families," Wood 

said. 

He said moving to a ballot 

system would mean 

people "will avoid a 

lengthy queue and they 

will be eligible for selection 

for two years after 

submitting their expression 

of interest". 


permission from RNZ. 

she said. 

"In fact I'd be paying a 

nurse to come in. We used to 

pay teachers to come in. 

"Why resist what everyone 

can see needs to be 

done?" 

continued on page 8

continued from page 7 

Scheme ‘attractive for 

skilled people’ - minister 


Michael Wood said every 

country was facing the same 

challenges, and New 

Zealand's offer was competitive. 

"We've got an uncapped 

scheme - many other countries 

have what we call a 

planning range. 

"If people meet (the skill 

level) we'll then process 

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their applications. Under the 

old system only 40 percent 

of applications got processed 

and we're shifting 

away from that. 

"We're trying to get the 

settings right to really drive 

the high skills that we need 

in particular areas." 

The six-point system was 

more simplified category 

and focused on the skills 

Immigration announcement 

overdue and underwhelms 

‘Real question marks’ in 

skilled migrant visa reopening 

While it is a relief that the 

Government is finally opening 

the Skilled Migrant 

Category, this should have 

happened at the start of the 

year, National’s Immigration 

spokesperson Erica 

Stanford says. 

“Serious questions need to 

be asked about why this 

reopening of an existing visa 

category couldn’t have 

occurred months ago. 

“National has persistently 

called on the Government to 

open the Skilled Migrant 

Category to support Kiwi 

businesses during the worst 

labour shortage in 50 years. 

“The Government’s decision 

to keep the Skilled 

Migrant Category closed all 

year meant the skilled workers 

that businesses are short 

of, such as chefs, pharmacists 

and physios, had no 

pathway to residence. While 

the Government failed to 

take action, the skilled workers 

we needed continued to 

snub New Zealand for other 

countries such as Australia, 

which never even closed this 

category. 

“Today’s net migration 

figures confirm that over the 

last 12 months more people 

left New Zealand than 

arrived, meaning skill shortages 

have worsened under 

Labour’s immigration settings. 

“Additionally, there are 

serious doubts over the ability 

of Immigration NZ to 

process these residence 

needed, he said. 

"That's about stripping out 

some of the things that have 

been in the old system where 

you got points depending on 

how old you were or what 

part of the country you lived 

in. 

"We just really want to 

focus in on the levels of skill 

people have." 

It was a slightly higher bar 

Erica Stanford 

National’s Immigration 

spokesperson 

visas, given that migrants are 

already facing major delays 

across every visa category. 

“Labour needs to explain 

why it has taken all year to 

announce the same policy as 

in 2020, while skill shortages 

have continued to hurt 

Kiwi businesses, driving up 

consumer prices and holding 

back the economy.” 

Temporary migrants 

lose $3 billion in lost 

KiwiSaver contributions 

than the current 160 point 

system, he said. 

New Zealand's scheme 

was also more generous on 

age limits than Australia's, 

Wood said. 

In the mean time, the system 

was reopening under 

current settings. 

There were 6000 to 8000 

people who had their names 

in for that before the borders 

closed, Wood said. 

On health care workers, 

Wood said many had a twoyear 

pathway to residence 

under the Green List, faster 

than most workers. He was 

keeping under review 

whether some should have a 

straight-to-residence pathway. 


Visa restarts with a lower 

income threshold and higher 

cap. People who already 

have expressions of interest 

in the queue can apply from 

14 November, and a ballot 

Immigration policy makes 

income a barrier to 

families being together 

It is unacceptable for the 

Government to prioritise 

family reunification for high 

income earners, while forcing 

those on lower incomes 

to stay apart, the Green 

Party says. 

“The Green Party is calling 

for an end to the 

Government’s blatantly 

unfair salary based family 

reunification policy,” says 

Ricardo Menéndez March, 

Green Party spokesperson 

for immigration. 

“Today’s immigration 

announcement once again 

puts the needs of high 

salaried families and businesses 

above those on lower 

incomes. 

“It puts a price on family 

reunification that is simply 

unacceptable. While we 

welcome the lowering of 

salary thresholds, the 

Minister has not gone far 

enough to make sure everyone 

has the right to be with 

their family regardless of 

income. 

“I don’t think anyone that 

for new expressions of interest 

begins from 12 October, 

with the first selection taking 

place in August 2023. 

The number of these visas 

granted each year would 

increase from 1000 to 2500, 

with a lower income threshold 

of 1.5 times the median 

wage for one sponsor supporting 

one parent, and 

twice the median wage for 

joint sponsors. 



Ricardo Menéndez March, 

Green Party immigration 

spokesperson 

comes here to work expects 

to be told that their parents’ 

right to come here to join 

their family will be determined 

by their salary. 

“Essentially what the 

Government is saying is that 

if you come here to work in 

a big business where you 

can earn a high salary, then 

your parents can come with 

you. 

“Whereas if you come 

here to work in a school or 

hospital, then you could be 

forced to stay apart from 

your parents. 

“Families thrive when 

they are able to be connected 

and Minister Wood needs 

to realise that it is not just 

high salaried families who 

deserve to be together. 

“While the reopening of 

the parent category visa will 

bring relief to some families 

who have been waiting 

years to be reunited, it will 

permanently lock many 

from ever being together 

with their parents. 

“Many families live intergenerationally, 

where it is 

acknowledged that it takes a 

village to raise a child. Our 

visa system needs to 

acknowledge these family 

structures instead of continuing 

to benefit wealthy 

immigrants over the rest. 

“Childcare costs in New 

Zealand are among the highest 

in the OECD, so these 

visa settings exacerbate disadvantage 

for lower paid 

families. 

“While we welcome the 

resumption of the Skilled 

Migrant Category, the 

increase of points needed to 

obtain residency will lock 

people out of residency who 

have been in Aotearoa for 

many years. 

Thousands of temporary 

migrants may be unwillingly 

falling years behind in their 

retirement savings. 

Those living in New 

Zealand on temporary work, 

student or visitor visas are 

not currently allowed to join 

KiwiSaver until they transition 

to resident-class visas. 

This could be resulting in 

billions of dollars lost from 

the pockets of future New 

Zealand-based retirees, as 

these people are unable to 

access personal, government 

or employer contributions to 

KiwiSaver for years of their 

working lives. 

A recent report, completed 

by AUT and funded by Te 

Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement 

Commission, investigated 

the impact of this policy and 

how it could be disadvantaging 

to those living in the 

country on temporary visas. 

The research followed 

70,305 migrants over 10 

years, and found that after 

five years, about 10,000 of 

these migrants were still in 

New Zealand on temporary 

visas. 

The estimated loss in savings 

from this time (including 

interest gained over 

time) was $36,000-$51,000 

by the time they reach 65 

years old. 

Te Ara Ahunga Ora 

Director, Policy, Dr Suzy 

Morrissey says this amount 

could significantly impact 

one’s retirement, and while 

people could be using other 

forms of retirement saving 

methods, they’re unlikely to 

be getting the same benefits. 

“KiwiSaver is designed to 

require little effort and 

remove the usual barriers to 

long-term investing – so for 

these people the support is 

just not there. 

“Contributions to Kiwi- 

Saver are also supplemented 

by the government and 

employers, which allows us 

to save much more than the 

average savings account. 

“If temporary migrants 

could access KiwiSaver, 

they’d have a much fairer 

start on their journey to 

retirement. 

“For those who left New 

Zealand, they wouldn’t be 

allowed to take the government 

contributions, so only 

their personal and employer 

contributions and any interest 

earned on those would 

leave the country.” 

Dr Morrissey noted that 

the cumulative impact of this 

policy is likely to be sizable, 

considering the study followed 

only one annual 

cohort of migrants. 

“Every year, a new group 

is likely to be missing out on 

a decent chunk of their 

retirement savings. Over ten 

years, this could add up to 

over three billion dollars 

being missed out on by 

migrants. That is a significant 

disadvantage for them 

in their later years of life.” 

Rebecca moved to 

Auckland from London in 

2019 after falling in love 

with the country while visiting 

family. After three years 

living and working in New 

Zealand, she now plans to 

retire here, but is still on a 

standard savings account 

and feels frustrated to think 

of the savings she’s missed 

out on. 

“Often people don’t think 

about saving for retirement 

unless they’re directly contributing 

to a fund like 

KiwiSaver. I’ve missed out 

on three years of contributions 

and potential compounding 

growth of those 

funds. It could be a little 

longer whilst I wait for my 

residency visa! I know a lot 

of people who have been 

ineligible for KiwiSaver 

much longer than that. 

“I want to be able to start 

building my life and planning 

for the future. 

KiwiSaver would be a great 

opportunity to assist me in 

saving for my first home and 

looking after my money and 

investments properly.” 

This research has been 

conducted as part of the 

2022 Review of Retirement 

Income Policies in response 

to one of the terms of reference 

set by the Government. 

This collation of data will 

feed into the final report of 

recommendations from the 

Retirement Commissioner in 

response to the work that has 

been undertaken for the 

review.

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Skilled migrant visa change leads to 

rethink for nurse bound for Australia 

By CRAIG McCULLOCH 

Some foreign nurses 

who've been fighting for 

New Zealand residency 

are celebrating after 

learning they can apply 

through the reopening 

skilled migrant category. 

The new pathway - 

which the government 

announced recently - will 

allow some nurses to 

bypass the current twoyear 

working requirement. 

A spokesperson for 


Michael Wood, however, 

cautioned that avenue 

would apply to only "a 

small number of nurses". 

Tauranga nurse Navneet 

Kaur told RNZ she 

had abandoned plans to 

move to Australia after 

receiving advice this week 

that she would be eligible. 

"I came to New 

Zealand to live here, not 

to leave New Zealand. 

Now that there is a pathway, 

yes, obviously I will 

Health Minister Andrew 

Little says the government 

is working with immigration 

and the union to get more 

nurses into the country. 

Only 22 have arrived since 

August, and the Nursing 

Council estimates about 

4000 are needed. 

Little told Checkpoint he 

is also looking at measures 

to encourage more people to 

train as nurses. 

"Of the 341 nurses have 

been approved with their 

visas, 22 with those have 

come from offshore in the 

last three months," he said. 

The ones already here now 

have the guarantee of residency 

and will stay here 

longer, he said. 

"There are others who 

have been approved but 

haven't yet arrived. Bearing 

in mind that for those who 

are coming here to take up 

residency ... The time it 

takes to extract themselves 

from their current circumstances, 

their job, living circumstances, 

it takes months 

Some nurses can now bypass the current two-year working requirement 

before gaining residency. 

stay here." 

Kaur arrived from 

India in 2015 and completed 

her nursing studies 

in September last year. 

She said she had 

already lodged an expression 

of interest in the 

skilled migrant category 

and expected to be invited 

to apply next month. 

"I do understand it 

could take (some) time, 

but at least there is a 

pathway now," Kaur said. 

"Those who were planning 

to leave, they can 

cancel their plans now 

and stay here." 

Concern over timeframes 

Immigration advisor 

Katy Armstrong said she 

was sure some nurses 

would now be "scrambling" 

to get in their 

Immigration just part of 

answer to nursing shortage - 

Health Minister 

to do that. So that's not 

unusual." 

Nurses already here on 

short-term visas which are 

about to expire qualify for 

the new visa which gives 

them a guaranteed pathway 

to residency after two years, 

Little said. 

The number of applications 

for the visa to work in 

the New Zealand health system 

is up to nearly 1200, he 

told Checkpoint, and nearly 

700 have been approved. 

"I want those vacancies 

filled as quickly as possible. 

So that's why in addition to 

immigration, we've got other 

initiatives on as well. 

Targeting former nurses, 

those who have been registered 

nurses but don't have 

their annual practising certificate 

anymore, getting 

them back into the profession. 

"We're doing everything 

we can to fill those vacancies 

as fast as we can." 

The Health Minister said 

there are several programmes 

of work underway 

with Health NZ, and if there 

are other strategies to boost 

the workforce, he is "very 

keen" to hear from others in 

the health workforce. 

"It will never be just sort 

of one thing .... It'll be everything 

we can possibly do and 

it won't be officials or senior 

health managers who will 

have all the solutions. There 

will be solutions lying elsewhere, 

let's hear them if 

there are others." 

Short term, Little said 

immigration is one step, and 

re-employing the "latent 

nursing workforce" is another. 

A long-term solution is 

boosting the numbers of 

nurses being educated in 

New Zealand. 



expressions of 

interest before 

the deadline. 

But she 

warned the 

process could 

be lengthy with 

no indication how long it 

would take for applications 

to be processed. 

"We don't know what 

the timeframes are going 

to be," Armstrong said. 

"If a nurse says to me 

now - 'how long is it going 

to take for my skilled 

migrant application to 

come through?' - I literally 

cannot give them an 

answer." 

Armstrong said the 

government should 

remove the two-year 

work requirement for 

nurses altogether and 

National immigration spokesperson Erica 

Stanford. Photo / RNZ / Samuel Rillstone 

Labour is failing to attract 

overseas nurses, with the 

Immigration Minister confirming 

today that just 24 

offshore nurses have applied 

for the Government’s new 

work visa in the last two 

months despite the country 

being over 4000 nurses 

short, National’s Immigration 

Spokesperson Erica 

Stanford says. 

“Under Labour, our hospitals 

and emergency departments 

are overflowing and 

patients are missing out on 

urgent care. But instead of 

putting nurses on the fasttrack 

residency pathway and 

getting them into the country 

urgently, the Government 

continues to drag its 

feet. 

“At the current rate of just 

12 nurses a month, it will 

take decades to eliminate 

our 4000 nurse shortage. 

“Of course, that assumes 

we keep the nurses we’ve 

got. But a recent survey 

from the New Zealand 

Nurses Organisation found 

that 11 per cent of nurses, or 

around 6,600, have made 

simply put them on the 

Green List's fast-track. 

"That really is now the 

Ferrari (option). There 

are people getting residence 

in two days through 

that list. 

"There's no way that's 

going to happen to a 

nurse in the skilled 

migrant category." 

National immigration 

spokesperson Erica 

Stanford agreed that the 

skilled migrant pathway 

was not for anyone hoping 

for a speedy outcome. 

"How quickly will they 

process those applications? 

They've given us 

absolutely no indication. 

It could be a year, it could 

be two years." 

Stanford said the government 

had no good reason 

not to put nurses 

immediately on the fasttrack 

for residency. 

"They're out on a limb, 

because nobody agrees 

with them. Not any of the 

nursing organisations, 

councils, aged care, even 

Health New Zealand." 

In a statement, a 

spokesperson for Wood 

said: "There will be a 

small number of nurses 

who will be eligible for 

residency under the initial 

reopening of the Skilled 

Migrant Category at the 

160 points threshold. 

"The enduring residency 

pathway for nurses 

remains through the 

Work to Residence category 

of the Green List." 



Nursing shortage will take 

decades to eliminate 

plans to leave the profession 

or move overseas, and a further 

60 per cent are seriously 

considering it. 

“The same survey found 

that 64 per cent of nurses 

agreed the most important 

thing we can do to address 

the crisis in our health system 

is to give migrant nurses 

residence immediately, 

like Australia does. 

“Nurses get it, hospitals 

get it, the public gets it, even 

Health New Zealand gets 

it. The only people in the 

country who don’t seem to 

understand how urgently we 

need to bring more nurses in 

are this arrogant and out-oftouch 

Labour Government. 

“It’s astonishing that 

Labour continues to think 

game developers and multimedia 

specialists – who are 

on the residency fast-track – 

are a more urgent priority 

than nurses. 

“We have a health workforce 

crisis that can only be 

solved by attracting more 

overseas nurses to New 

Zealand while we increase 

our domestic supply. The 

Government needs to stop 

dithering and take action to 

get more nurses into the 

country right now.”

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Older immigrants report 

worse effects from racial 

discrimination 

Photo: RNZ / Liu Chen 

Racial discrimination during the pandemic took a greater toll on older Chinese immigrants to 

New Zealand than younger ones, researchers found. 

Many older Chinese 

immigrants in Auckland 

report experiencing racial 

discrimination during the 

Covid-19 pandemic. 

Massey University associate 

professor Polly Yeung 

said about 19 percent of 

people surveyed reported 

that since the start of the 

pandemic they had felt discriminated 

against because 

they were Chinese, or anticipated 

such treatment and so 

felt the need to reduce interactions. 

The survey of more than 

1000 people in Auckland 

between 55 and 80 years old 

was carried out by Massey 

University's Health and 

Ageing Research Team and 

the CNSST Foundation 

(previously called the 

Chnese New Settlers Service 

Trust). 

Covid-19 was initially 

called the 'Wuhan virus' 

after the city in China where 

it emerged, and that fuelled 

anti-Chinese sentiment. 

Dr Yeung, who was the 

lead researcher on the project, 

said about 20 percent of 

respondents said the pandemic 

had affected them 

physically, mentally or economically. 

Many had changed their 

habits, she said: "Trying to 

avoid interacting outside 

with other people, based on 

the fact that they might feel 

that they would be discriminated 

because they look, or 

they are, Chinese." 

Of the Chinese immigrants 

surveyed who reported 

discrimination during the 

pandemic, older people 

were more likely to also 

report higher symptoms of 

anxiety and depression than 

the younger ones, she said. 

And about 90 percent of 

the older Chinese adults 

who had reported feeling 

discriminated against also 

reported loneliness. 

"Older Chinese immigrants 

are an emerging 

demographic group, but also 

an underrepresented group 

within ageing studies in 

Aotearoa New Zealand," 

Yeung said. 

"We need to generate 

more scientific evidence to 

better understand the longterm 

impacts of experiences 

of discrimination on their 

health and well-being, and 

what factors can help 

address these negative 

effects. 

"As racial discrimination 

is a violation of human 

rights, and a form of social 

injustice and exclusion, 

more action is needed at 

individual, organisational 

and societal levels to provide 

effective practice, policy 

and research responses." 



The 7th Filipino-Kiwi Hero Awards - 17 June 2023, Auckland 

Over 120 super heroes honoured to date. To nominate your hero for 2023 please contact us: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz

ISSUE 163 MAGANDANG BALITA | www.filipinoheroes.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | www.filipinonews.nz | 11 BUHAY 


NZ 

JADE-CERES MUNOZ 

Filipina with an inveterate 

love for books. 

AUCKLAND – She is 

popularly known as the 

‘Book Fairy’, being 

famous for launching the 

‘Books on Buses’ project 

in New Zealand – a movement 

which originated in 

London as ‘Books on the 

Underground’. 

The concept for this initiative 

is straightforward 

- if people are too busy to 

visit libraries then why 

not bring books directly 

to them? 

Members of the movement 

casually drop free 

copies of their favourite 

books for commuters to 

pick up, read and share 

with others. 

The ‘Book Fairy’ is 

actually Jade-Ceres 

Munoz, a Filipina with an 

inveterate love for books. 

It would be an understatement 

to say that she 

is super passionate about 

THE SUPER PASSIONATE 

‘BOOK FAIRY STRIKES’ AGAIN 

FROM BOOKS ON BUSES TO 

A LIBRARY FOR PINOY KIDS 

getting people to read. 

Whilst in Manila in 2015 

Jade was already pushing 

ahead an ambitious project 

that would bring the 

library a lot closer to the 

people. 

When she moved to 

Auckland in 2017 she was 

fired up about getting 

Kiwis to read and has 

been actively promoting 

the ‘Books on Buses’ 

project nationwide. 

What prompted this 

digital marketing strategist 

to embark on this 

labour of love? “I've 


always loved the idea of 

making the library experience 

more mobile and 

more accessible for all,” 

says Jade. “I actually 

studied literature in college 

and have always been 

in love with books and 

reading; it's just something 

that I want to share 

with everyone else.” 

Jade is now steering 

into uncharted territory 

with a new initiative 

aimed at her kababayan 

in New Zealand and overseas. 

“Over the last few years 

we've put together a project 

of collecting Filipino 

books for children and 

young adults in order to 

help migrant kids relearn 

our language and 

culture,” reveals Jade. 

“It has been pretty successful 

so far. We've 

worked with the Philippine 

Embassy in New 

Zealand and with several 

publishers and authors in 

the Philippines. 

“While we were in the 

process of building a collection 

of 

physical 

books for kids 

to borrow the 

pandemic 

made this a 

big challenge. 

Therefore, 

we've decided to cross 

over to the digital platform. 

The Filipino 

Children's Library is now 

an online repository of 

Filipino stories for children 

and young adults. 

“Our goal is to make 

stories from our culture 

available through videos. 

This way these stories can 

become accessible to 

Filipino migrant kids, not 

just in New Zealand, but 

in any part of the world.” 

If Jade’s weekly storytelling 

videos like ‘Ibong 

Adarna’ (one of the most 

popular stories in Philippine 

mythology) and 

‘Cora Cooks Pancit’ are 

anything to go by, the 

project is off to a flying 

start and more videos are 

in the pipeline. 

To be a member of the 

library please visit: 

https://www.facebook.co 

m/filipinochildrenslibrary 

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NZ 

12 ISSUE 163 MAGANDANG BALITA | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | www.pinoynzlife.nz | 


Monica 

Macansantos 

LOVE & 

OTHER 

RITUALS 

BOOK REVIEW 


She is a prolific Filipino 

writer, having published 

essays, book reviews, short 

stories and novelettes, 

poems, creative non-fiction, 

anthological works, 

news articles and op-eds, 

at home and abroad. And 

along the way Monica 

Macansantos has received 

awards and recognitions 

that acknowledge her 

amazing talent and creativity. 

Another achievement 

that this author will be 

proud of is the publication 

recently of her debut collection 

of stories about 

Filipinos in and out of 

their motherland titled 

Love and Other Rituals: 

Selected Stories (Grattan 

Street Press). 

The stories in Love and 

Other Rituals encompass 

‘themes of home, yearning 

and belonging with an 

array of characters at 

home in the Philippines 

and abroad in the US and 

Pacific diaspora'. 

Born in Baguio, Macan- 

HOMESICKNESS INDUCING SHORT STORIES 

not. They're stories suffused 

with tenderness and a keen 

attention to the wild aberrations 

of the heart." - 

Anthony Giardina, author 

of Norumbega Park, White 

Guys and Recent History. 

sickness inducing, 

especially for those of 

us in the diaspora.” - 

Frances Revita in her 

review of the piece in 

Photo credit: Lydia Blaisdell 

the Pantograph Punch, 

published in New 

santos holds a PhD in Zealand. 

English and Creative "I loved these beautiful 

Writing from the Victoria 

University of Wellington. 

stories by Monica Macansantos; 

who writes with such 

beauty and delicacy about 

desire, home, longing, loneliness, 

duty and hope — that 

RAVE REVIEWS 

What follows is a compilation 

of recent reviews of 

her book. 

is, what it means to be 

human. Every story is terrific, 

different, surprising.” - 

“In Macansantos’ stories Elizabeth McCracken, 

… home is a multisensory author of The Hero of This 

experience, memories that Book, The Souvenir 

elicit an aching feeling. 

“Macansantos offers us 

glimpses of the complexities 

of Filipino life through her 

characters, while beautifully 

navigating the relationship 

between the diaspora and the 

homeland. A relationship 

tethered by shared nostalgia 

and community. 

“Macansantos’ stories are 

striking, vivid and home- 

Museum and Bowlaway. 

“In Monica Macansantos’s 

exquisitely rendered stories 

about the Filipino experience, 

both in the old country 

and abroad, homeland is not 

a place, but a pang. 

“Wisely and compassionately 

observed, her dislocated 

characters long for home 

with the same restrained 

ardour they yearn for con- 

MANILA – The Philippines 

was voted as one of the 

10 friendliest countries in 

the world in the 2022 Condé 

Nast Traveler (CNT) 

Readers’ Choice Awards. 

Ranked by almost a quarter 

of a million CNT readers, 

the country also secured 

back-to-back wins as the 

luxury travel magazine 

named Boracay as “top 

island” in Asia and Palawan 

as the eighth. 

“Just making it into the 

top 10, the Philippines 

(made up of around 7,641 

islands) inclusion is proof 

that the famous Filipino hospitality 

is alive and kicking,” 

Conde Nast said on Oct. 4 as 

the award’s winners were 

released. 

“The country has often 

been praised for its seemingly 

effortless ability to lavish 

genuine hospitality on visitors, 

foreigners, or expatriates. 

Many people consider 

the Banaue Rice Terraces 

here to be the ‘Eighth 

Wonder of the World,’ 

though plenty of other beauty 

spots abound here. The 

islands are peppered with 

majestic mountainscapes, 

decorative churches and 

sprawling sandy beaches,” it 

added. 

Aside from being one of 

the friendliest, the Philippines 

was also hailed as the 

30th best country to travel 

to, scoring 86.66 and besting 

Costa Rica, Belize, Germany, 

Malta, Indonesia, 

Mexico, France, Argentina, 

and Switzerland, among others. 

Prolific writer 

navigates 

‘the relationship 

between the 

diaspora and the 

homeland'. 

Philippines among ‘friendliest countries’; 

Boracay named Asia’s top island 

By Joyce Rocamora 

Tourism Secretary 

Christina Frasco, meanwhile, 

said this as a welcome 

development that reaffirms 

the Department of Tourism’s 

(DOT) efforts to position 

the Philippines as a premier 

destination in Asia. 

“Recognitions such as 

these affirm our efforts to 

herald not only our country’s 

natural wonders but also our 

readiness to become the premier 

tourist destination in 

Asia. The Department is one 

with all our tourism stakeholders, 

from the local government 

units, private sector 

partners, and our fellowmen 

in celebrating these victories 

for the Philippines from 

Condé Nast Traveler,” she 

said on Wednesday. 

“We are confident that the 

acclaim for our flagship destinations 

will help garner 

more international interest 

for our country. With 

President Ferdinand Marcos, 

Jr.’s thrust to expand and 

equalize tourism opportunities 

nationwide, the development 

and promotion of our 

other emerging destinations 

will follow suit soon,” she 

added. 

nection – 

something 

that, because 

Macansantos 

knows too 

well how an 

upset heart 

turns, remains 

always within 

sight and yet is 

still heartbreakingly 

elusive. Her splendid writing 

is stirring.” - Antonio Ruiz- 

Camacho, author of 

Barefoot Dogs: Stories. 

Palawan, which garnered 

an 88.99 rating, is joined by 

equally heralded island destinations 

from Indonesia, 

Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, 

Sri Lanka, and Japan 

on the Conde Nast Travel 

"Monica Macansantos 

draws you into the worlds of 

her characters and slowly 

reveals their secrets. I read 

with curiosity and quickness, 

intent upon discovery, 

but she isn’t going to give it 

all away and you wouldn’t 

want her to. 

“Macansantos is a promising 

young writer who is wise 

beyond her years." - Mary 

Miller, author of Biloxi, The 

Last Days of California and 

Always Happy Hour. 

"It's not their 'exotic' locations 

that make Monica 

Macansantos' stories feel 

fresh and new; it’s the emotional 

territory she covers. 

The compromised longing 

of a teacher for the young 

married father who has 

become his lover. 

“The contemplation on the 

part of two expat Filipinas in 

Austin, Texas, of the varieties 

of loneliness available 

to them in America. 

“The sudden vision of a 

teenage girl, who's chosen a 

rough boy as her protector, 

of the potential emptiness of 

her future. 

“Described this way these 

stories sound bleak. They're 

Asia list. 

Shangri-La Boracay also 

ranked 27th in the 50 Best 

Resorts in the World while 

El Nido Resorts in Palawan 

was voted 40th best. 

Shangri-La Mactan Resort 

"Monica Macansantos' 

writing is immersive to the 

point of creating its own virtual 

reality. 

“Set in the Philippines, the 

U.S. and New Zealand, these 

are tender and well-crafted 

stories of heartache and 

yearning unmet. 

“Macansantos's Love and 

Other Rituals deftly moves 

us beyond what some might 

consider foreign or exotic 

and instead brings us closer 

to understanding our own 

tiny corners of the world." - 

Oscar Cásares, author of 

Where We Come From. 

Edtior: This book is 

available for pre-order from 

Vic Books Wellington 

(https://www.vicbooks.co. 

nz/love-other-rituals-preorder) 

and Good Books 

Wellington (https://shop. 

goodbookshop.nz/p/loveother-rituals-selected-stories), 

as well as from 

Booktopia (https://www. 

booktopia.com.au/ love-andother-rituals-monica-macan 

santos/book/978064548130 

.html). 

and spa in Cebu, on the 

other hand, ranked 20th in 

the Top 20 Resorts in Asia. 

- PNA

Until recently Berastagi was relatively untouched by international 

tourism and lived in the shadow of neighbouring Lake Toba. 

In the heart of the Bukit 

Barisan Range of North 

Sumatra, 1,400m (4,200ft) 

above sea level, lies 

Berastagi - a green pine 

valley encircled by lofty 

mountains. 

Once a Dutch hill station, 

it is a stunning location 

and since the 1920s it 

has been one of the most 

popular holiday resorts 

among the people of 

North Sumatra. 

Until recently it was relatively 

untouched by 

international tourism and 

lived in the shadow of 

neighbouring Lake Toba. 

The reason for this was 

the dire shortage of hotel 

rooms. A few decades ago 

it only offered a small 

number of Dutch style 

holiday bungalows and 

rest-houses that were 

huddled together in the 

valley. The best accommodation 

in town was at the 

Bukit Kubu Rest-house. It 

boasted 15 double rooms 

with baths. 

Today the Sinabung 

Hill Resort has 52 resort 

and hotel rooms, 29 cottages 

and a further 77 

rooms, swimming pools, a 

coffee house, a dining 

room, a lounge and grill 

with a choice of cuisine – 

Chinese, Western, Malaysian 

and Indonesian - and 

24-hour room service. A 

superior double room 

here is priced from $99. 

Taking 

things easy 

in Berastagi 

Then there are 

more 4-star properties – 

including the grand 

Mutiara Hotel with 123 

rooms and the modern 

Hotel Sibayak Internasional 

and an array of 

other accommodation to 

suit every budget. 

Thankfully, the smaller 

character hotels, holiday 

bungalows and rest-houses 

of yesteryear, with 

room rates as low as $20, 

still exist cheek to jowl 

with the more updated 

properties. 

You can fly to 

Medan, the capital 

city of 

North Sumatra, 

from Kuala 

Lumpur for 

around $355. 

From their 

base in Parapat 

(Lake Toba), 

tourists on 

package tours 

make a brief 

stopover in 

Berastagi on 

their journey 

home via 

Medan. Sadly, 

visitors who 

breeze through 

the town miss out on discovering 

the charms of 

this lovely destination. 

The sun shines warmly 

over the valley at noon, 

but for the best part of the 

day the cool mountain 

breeze predominates and 

although it is three 

degrees to the north of the 

Equator Berastagi has a 

comfortably cool climate 

throughout the year. 

At nightfall, the temperature 

in the valley 

drops even lower than 

that experienced in Lake 

Toba, so warm clothing is 

a must here. 

After dark visitors can 

check out the many 

restaurants around town. 

A brisk walk in the cold 

night air to 'Restoran 

Asia' along the main 

street is worth the chill. It 

is one of the oldest restaurants, 

serving a wide variety 

of piping hot Chinese 

and Indonesian dishes. 

The Karonese who 

inhabit the 274 villages in 

the valley retain their traditional 

customs and 

lifestyle and except for the 

few villages which are visited 

daily by a tourist bus 

or by occasional sightseers, 

most villages in the 

valley remain as they have 

been for hundreds of 

years. 

Some of the houses and 

buildings in Lingga village 

were built about 200 

years ago. The architectural 

design of these 

buildings is unique – they 

have high roofs and not a 

single nail was used in the 

SLOW PACE OF LIFE : On weekends the horses and ponies from the farms 

are led into town to draw carts or for pony rides. 

construction. 

All week long the 

Karonese move unhurriedly 

in their fields and 

things are similarly slow 

moving in town. But on 

market days – Wednesdays 

and Saturdays – the 

women trail into town 


www.travelgalore.nz 

A STUNNING LOCATION : A green pine valley encircled by loft mountain - once a popular Dutch hill station. 

with their wares - jumbosized 

fruits and vegetables, 

lush flowers, beautifully 

threaded native cloth 

and piglings. 

This is a good chance 

for the visitor to meet the 

Karonese and to learn 

something of their traditional 

culture in the villages. 

A treat you cannot miss 

at the market stalls is the 

Marqeesha. A fruit famed 

throughout Indonesia for 

its delicious taste and 

grown exclusively 

in Berastagi, 

the 

juice of this 

fruit makes a 

refreshing 

drink. 

During the 

weekends a 

transformation 

takes place in 

town. The valley 

comes alive 

as a steady 

stream of holidaymakers 

from Medan 

and other 

neighbouring 

towns pour into 

town. 

The town is a hive of 

activity and the work 

horses and ponies from 

the farms are led into 

town to draw carts or for 

pony rides. 

Business is also brisk at 

the makeshift stalls that 

spring up all over the 

place selling fruits and 

vegetables. 

There’s much to do in 

Berastagi. You can go 

nature walking. Have 

great fun riding ponies. 

Swing a golf club over a 

nine-hole course. Swim in 

the pools. Or go for an 

exciting drive up 

Goondaling – a steep hill 

on the fringe of the town. 

The view from the top 

of Goondaling is breathtaking. 

On both sides of 

the valley are two live volcanoes 

– Sibayak (2095m/ 

6285ft) and Sinabung 

(2451m/7353ft) - spewing 

out smoke and steam. 

It is possible to climb up 

Mt. Sibayak to look at its 

bubbling crater. From the 

top of the volcano you can 

see miles of fertile rice 

fields stretching out on all 

sides. 

There are quite a few 

places to visit out of town 

as well. The majestic 

Sikulikap Waterfall is 

about 13 km away. 

Another popular spot is 

the Lau Sidebuk Debuk 

hot springs (‘luminous 

supernatural spring’). 

Here you can take curative 

baths in the sulphuric 

waters of the hot spring. 

Other tourist attractions 

are: The Puzzling 

House – an underground 

maze built by the Dutch. 

The Bamboo House – a 

model house built solely 

from strips of bamboo. 

And the majestic Sipisopiso 

Falls. 

You can also go on a 

tour to Lingga village to 

witness traditional folk 

dances and to Pemating 

Purba to look over the 

Batak King’s longhouse. 

To get to Berastagi your 

first stop is Medan. From 

here you can take a coach 

directly to Parapat and 

after a few days at Lake 

Toba you can drive to 

Berastagi. 

The road to Berastagi 

leads through forests, 

across plains and winds 

along a high rim of mountains. 

It is a very relaxing 

drive and it prepares you 

for the lazy days ahead in 

Berastagi.

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